,It’s midnight, which means I am officially 25 years old – WAHOO!! Thanks Mom for making this possible :) But Santa, you and I are still not on speaking terms.

My birthday is the one day of the year I can guilt trip people into doing things for me, so today, I would like to ask you that if I have done anything positive in your life, if I have helped you out in any way, please return the favor by helping me out and checking out some of my favorite charities. If you’re able, send them a little financial loving, because nothing makes me happier than doing some good in the world!

-Kiva.org – small microloans ($25ish) that can completely transform the life of an entrepreneur in need

-Thirst Relief - bringing my absolute favorite beverage (water!) to people who don’t have any

-ASPCA – looking out for our furry friends in distress who can’t stand up for themselves

If you don’t have any money to spare, do me a big birthday favor and head over to Free Rice and fill out the vocab quiz 25 times, one for each year I’ve spent on this beautiful planet. Not only will you improve your vocabulary (which I love, as a former English major), but you’ll help feed hungry people worldwide!

Thanks guys! :)

Update: Holy cow, I just realized Free Rice has a TON of subjects, and multiple levels for each one. I am doing Level 5 English Grammar right now. This is TOTALLY my idea of fun!

Just wanted to let you all know that I am hosting a lunch tomorrow for all the Dallas photogs and a few other friends of mine. We’ll be meeting at Jason’s Deli in Frisco (at 121 and Preston, in front of Stonebriar Mall) at 1 PM and hanging out ’til question marks. Feel free to come join, even if we’ve never met before, I’d love to meet you and talk shop!  :)

Please RSVP in the comments so I know how many to expect!

WOW it has been a long time since I have done Humpdates. Alot has happened in the past couple of months. Here is a rundown:

We bought a piano! My boyfriend Jason has wanted a piano for the longest time, and his primary requirement in purchasing this house was that it have a good space for a piano. On a whim we decided to swing by a local piano warehouse, and it seemed like fate was on our side. They were closing for business and had a huge inventory of gorgeous brand new grand pianos they were selling. Jason picked up a stellar Bergmann 150 for an amazing price:

This also gave me a great opportunity to redecorate. I am pretty proud of this room.. I painted the entire room myself, made the silk shantung curtains by hand, Jason installed the chandelier, and we antiqued the plaster column to give it a vintage effect.

HALLOWEEN! Sallie Mae went as a B(ee) which is a lot funnier if you know the inside joke behind it. Jason went as a 30-year-old computer geek, and I went as a nurse – not a sexy nurse or a scary nurse, I just found some old scrubs I had stored in my closet and put them on. It’s very sad that our dog dressed up more than we did.

We did, however, pull out all the stops decorating the house! We had a creepy black wreath on the door, faux spiderwebs everywhere, pumpkins of course, and my favorite – two graves!

I also had the amazing opportunity to give back to my alma mater is a couple of ways. In college I was involved in Spencer Leadership Conference, which is basically an Aggie road trip where a select group of sophomores spends a weekend in Dallas meeting and learning from some of the best leaders in the city. As a student it was truly one of the most life changing events I ever experienced, so I was very honored and excited to be able to participate this year as a host family! Jason and I hosted three delegates (Anna, Diane, and Miki) at our home, got to know them, fed them Jason’s amazing khabsa masala, and talked with them about leadership and their future paths as leaders. Then, as luck would have it, I traveled back to College Station that Saturday to take part in the first ever Texas A&M Womens Leadership Conference. Not only did I get to see a lot of my old college friends (who are now in leadership positions across the globe – compared to them I am a total slacker!), I also had the incredible honor of sitting on a panel of very accomplished women discussing the role that gender plays in being a leader. I learned so much, and hopefully I was able to share some of my own knowledge and experience with some of the wonderful women at A&M. Unfortunately I don’t have any photos, but you’ll just have to trust me when I say that was probably the most fulfilling weekend I’ve had in years!

I also went on a bit of a spending spree, including two lovely purchases from Canon:

Two new pairs of glasses (no photos, but they are CUTE), and $800 at Anthropologie. Yikes… I can’t help it, I love that store!!

The house is decorated for Christmas (by which I mean we never actually took down our Christmas decorations from 2007, so we were already good to go!) and I am happy to have some time off to relax and catch up with my friends. Today I had lunch with the incomparable Lynn Michelle and tomorrow my mom and I are heading to my favorite spot in the Metroplex, the Dallas Museum of Art, to see the Olafur Eliassson exhibit! If you haven’t seen it, it’s absolutely worth the admission.  He does amazing things with light and fabric; it’s truly art that you experience, not just look at.  Hope to see some of you there!

My handsome and amazingly gifted boyfriend Jason runs a music blog called Digital Citrus where he randomly posts cool new songs that he has discovered. He seriously has a gift for finding moving, unique songs that will stay with you forever. He really outdid himself today though… Rosie Thomas’ “Farewell” is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in my life. Lyrically and musically, it’s heartbreaking in its beauty and simplicity. Go listen for yourself and check out some of his other recommendations! I’m also a huge fan of his other two recent posts, Barcelona’s “Let Go” and Ben Sollee’s “Panning for Gold”… Oh who am I kidding, they’re all amazing :)

He has been thinking about discontinuing Digital Citrus, which would be a travesty of epic proportions. Please do music lovers worldwide a favor and leave him a comment telling him to keep up the great work!!

Some fun stuff to share for this week’s Humpdates. This past weekend was a rare weekend where I did not have one single photography related thing to do AT ALL, but of course I managed to find a way to make it all about my business.. By redecorating the office! Jason and I had been using it as a catch-all office and storage space.  However, because he is virtually never in it and I am virtually always in it, I got his approval to get rid of his desk, repaint, and redo the room (as long as it wasn’t too girly, that is). What do you think – too girly?

Prior to this, the wall color had been my least favorite color in the entire world – burnt orange.  Gag! ;)  Although this grey-blue is not exactly what I wanted (I was hoping for something more pewter), it’s nice and bright and neutral, which is good for a photography office.  Most of the furniture and decor pieces are from either Ikea or Target.

Eventually I will have a ton of canvases and print arrangements hanging on the wall, as well as a projector set up for showing slideshows and doing projection proofing, but for now it is a happy little workspace.  If you’re in the area, come by and kick your shoes off and hang out  :)

On Saturday I headed to the Frisco Petsmart to help out with the Frisco Humane Society Adopt-A-Pet.  In college community service was a huge part of my life, and I ashamed to say that since graduating I have mostly focused on doing things that benefit me and my business.  It felt so good to finally give back to a cause that was bigger than myself, and  the care of animals is very very near to my heart.  Naturally I had to bring my camera along and get some shots of these adorable little pups!!

If you’re looking for a pet, I strongly encourage you to check out your local humane society instead of going to a breeder or a pet store.  There are so many kind, loving animals out there who desperately want homes, and rescuing one of them from a life alone or, worse yet, no life at all, will be the single most rewarding thing you will ever do.  Check out some animals who need loving homes in your city by going to Petfinder.com!

Last but not least, last week I shot a killer portrait session that I can’t wait to share with you all in the next day or two, but until then, here is a small little hint… Anyone know where this spot is??  Jason Huang, your guess does not count!

Anyone who knows me know that I am pretty crazy-go-nuts about my alma mater, Texas A&M. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of knowing about A&M, it’s sort of like a cult mixed with a service academy (like West Point or Navy). It started as a military school, and has only been open to non-Corps of Cadets students and women for a few decades now, so as a result, the virtues of service, leadership, patriotism, and loyalty are very strongly taught throughout the school. We also have our own set of vocabulary and rites of passage that students must go through, most of which seem absolutely insane to outsiders. I know that most major universities have traditions, but trust me… They’ve got NOTHING on A&M. We even have several organizations dedicated to ensuring that students (and non-students) are educated about Aggie traditions and are adhering to them in the right way.

One of my favorite traditions is Aggie Muster. Held every April 21 (which is also the anniversary of Texas’ independence), it began in 1883 as a “field day” where all the students would gather together to play games, compete in friendly competition, relax, and reminisce with former students (we have no alumni, only former students). Over the years it became a day where Aggies across the world would gather together to remember their time at A&M. It is often said, “If there is an A&M man in one hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.”

So what happens at Muster? Quite a few things!

The day begins with a huge barbecue for the 50-year reunion class (so the class of 1958 will be gathering today) in the center of campus. Student performance groups come out and do their routines, campus tours are given, and current students are encouraged to mix with former students and talk about how the school has changed (or in many cases, hasn’t changed at all!).

A Remembrance display is put up in the middle of the MSC (our “student union”) with personal effects from Aggies who have died the previous year, including pictures, senior boots, Aggie rings, old corps outfits, and sometimes video displays about their lives. The names of these fallen Aggies makes up the “Roll Call for the Absent,” which will be read later that night.

At 7 PM, everyone gathers at Reed Arena, with the 50-year reunion class seated on the floor, as well as the family members and friends of the fallen Aggies who make up the Roll Call. The night begins with a few speeches from the outgoing Student Body President, the university President, the Muster chairperson, and a special keynote speaker who is typically a highly accomplished former student.

At one point the lights are dimmed, and a candle is lit in the front of the arena. Each name from the Roll Call is read aloud, and all those who are present who knew the fallen Aggie call aloud “Here,” to signify that although they are gone in body, they are present in spirit. A family member or friend comes forward to light a candle in their name, until all the names have been read, and a circle of candles rings the arena. Then a familiar poem is read….

In many lands and climes this April day
Proud sons of Texas A&M unite.
Our loyalty to country, school, we pray,
and seal our pact with bond of common might.

We live again those happy days of yore
on campus, field, in classroom, dorm, at drill
Fond memory brings a sigh — but nothing more;
Now we are men and life’s a greater thrill,

On Corregidor 65 years ago today
A band of gallant Aggies, led by Moore,
Held simple rites which led to us doth all to say:
The spirit shall prevail through cannon roar.

Before we part and go upon our way,
We pause to honor those we knew so well;
The old familiar faces we miss so much today
Left cherished recollections that time cannot dispel.

Softly call the Muster,
Let comrade answer, “Here!”
Their spirits hover ‘round us
As if to bring us cheer!

Mark them ‘present’ in our hearts.
We’ll meet some other day
There is no death, but life eterne
For our old friends such as they!

Then the Ross Volunteers, an elite group of the Corps of Cadets, come forward to perform a 21-gun salute, and taps is played three times – once to the north, once to the south, once to the west, but not to the east, to signify that the sun will never rise on those Aggies again. A member of the 50-year reunion class comes forward to adjourn Muster for the year, and declare that we shall all meet again on April 21st the following year.

Muster is very special to me because it seems like not a year goes by that a member of the Aggie family that I knew passes away. Many, many, many of my friends from A&M who were in the corps are now serving in Iraq (A&M provides more officers to the armed forces than any other university), and we have lost a lot of good men. It’s also special to me because I know that one day, my name will also be read at Muster, and my friends will answer “Here” for me.

Here are a few photos from the campus Muster that I took when I was a student:

A flyer I made for the Muster Committee with photos of the Muster statue

A moment before the 2006 Muster ceremony, with a ray of sunlight peeking in through a door onto two candleholders. I love this one because you really get the feeling that the Aggie they were there to honor was truly there in spirit.

Former president of A&M, current Secretary of State, a man I have met with many times and learned so much from, and then man who handed me my diploma – Robert M. Gates, speaking at the 06 Muster.

Some photos of the candleholders…

The ring of candleholders, with the 21-gun salute firing in the front of the arena

A closeup of the 21-gun salute

So, Happy Muster to all my fellow Ags, Happy Birthday to the Republic of Texas for all my fellow Texans, and Happy April 21st to everyone else. :) If you’d like to learn more about Muster, check out Wikipedia or the official Muster website.