As a forewarning, this post is going to be all over the place. I have pictures to show but, much like the state of clothes in my closet, they're completely random and in no particular order. Regardless, it's only appropriate that I do a blog recap from my time in Vegas last month. Last year was my first year at the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) conference and as I mentioned in this post, I was the definition of a loser - multiplied by, like, a hundred. Still, I had a wonderful experience and came away with a wealth of knowledge and an even greater wealth of new friends.

Drinks, Dancers, and Gold Diggers? All downtown? I mean, really, what more could you possibly need?!?!

Fortunately for me I had both friends and tickets to the cool parties this year. Which for the record, is especially uncomfortable for me to say given the fact that now, just as it was in high school, I am very much not a cool kid. I'm painfully awkward, kinda shy, and have an uncanny ability to blurt completely unnecessary comments at all the wrong times. Essentially, I'm a mess.

Anyway, somehow I had friends this year. And while the week went by in a snap, I had an incredible time learning from a few of the wedding photographers whose work I respect and admire the most.

I also managed to get my husband and I wrangled into another workshop modeling gig. This time the shoot was a benefit for Thirst Relief International - an amazing organization with a stellar cause.

(From the suuuper sweet Ginny Corbett Photography)

(From the lovely Kristen Allen)

On Saturday, tired of smokey casinos and the cr-azy night life, we headed West in search of blue skies and open air.

And blue skies did we find! Red Rock Canyon was absolutely gorgeous and just the reprieve we were searching for.

My dad, who flew from Oregon to spend the weekend with us (Love you, Dad!!).

The handsome men in my life.

These next pictures were taken haphazardly on my Blackberry so I take no responsibility for their lack of quality. When I wasn't in class (or sleeping off the inevitable exhaustion of Sin City), you could find me devouring my new read, drinking coffee (where on the third attempt the Barista settled with Holton instead of Colton), eating here (maybe it happened ~~twice~~ three times), and drooling over the new Cosmopolitan hotel. I'm now convinced I'll never be happy unless my home has a three story crystal chandelier. Visit this place and trust me, you'll feel the same.

And a handful of shots from the Airhorns and Blazers shin-dig. While there is little I would change about our wedding, if I were to do it all over again I would beg, steal, and borrow to get The Flash Dance as our DJ. You have no idea what you're missing until you've been to a party with Michael as the mix-master.