This session was no different. I had two models lined-up and ready to go for the Saturday morning shoot.

Side note: One obstacle with our photo shoots is that we live in California and our photographer (Amber) lives in St. George, Utah. So, I’m always trying to find models who can work meet us at Amber’s house at the appointed time and on the appointed day.

So back to the story about this photo shoot…I say I “had” two models lined-up and ready to go UNTIL 1:30 am on Saturday morning; basically the middle of the night and seven hours before we were supposed to meet Amber at her house. I got a text last-minute from the second model and he says that he got called into his regular job two hours earlier than originally planned and couldn’t make it over to help us out.

Shoot.

Oh well!

The first model – Myles – and I show up at Amber’s house a few minutes before 8:30 am. We meet out in front of her house and then we go and knock on the door.

We wait for a few seconds and then wait some more. “Huh” I say to myself…I wonder what happened? Are we too early? Nope – as I check my phone – we were supposed to meet here at 8:30 am on Saturday morning.

We wait another minute – talking – and then I knock again. A few moments pass by and then Amber opens the door and sheepishly says, “Sorry, my alarm didn’t go off and I overslept; come on in.”

Always something, right!?

Another side note: Amber is wonderful and always does great work; thus the reason we don’t look for a photographer in California. She’s waited on us multiple times over the years, so waiting a few extra minutes is nothing. It just adds to the long line of “hiccups” we’ve had with photo shoots over the years.

Amber lets us in and we move a few things around to clear some space in her studio and then we’re pretty much ready. Myles puts on his belt – which he was holding in his hand earlier – and I see that it has a fairly large cowboy buckle on it.

Oh no.

He didn’t know because I didn’t specify what type of belt to wear. So, we’re in a bind and Amber comes through in the clutch. She finds a belt in her husband’s closet for Myles to wear. It looks great. Two problems though:

One; Myles has just lost 25 lbs and his own pants don’t fit him very well.

And two; the belt is too long for his waist because Amber’s husband has a larger waist.

Luckily, Amber again comes through in the clutch. (See: She’s just great!) She has one of those industrial clamps that we suck up the slack on the back of Myles’ pants and make it look like the pants fit well around the waist and the belt ends up looking decent as well.

Side note three: I should have taped down the extra length of belt that was a little too long for Myles and stuck out on his side just a little too much for my liking. Oh well. (Note to self: bring tape and extra belts next time!)

There were a few other little things that came up during the photo shoot, but for the most part, we hit our stride with me helping to tie the tie before Myles needed it and while he was having his photo taken with the previous tie. He would then take off the tie that was just photographed and put on the tie I had just tied. Then, he’d walk over to where Amber was taking the photos and I’d grab another tie.

Myles was great to work with and so was Amber as usual.

Enjoy!

The post Behind the Scenes for the June 2019 Photo Shoot appeared first on Statesman Ties.

I was thinking today about some of the cool things that I did as a kid growing up in Utah. There were many different outdoor activities that my family and I did together. A lot of camping and hiking and taking advantage of the proximity to the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. Our family did a lot of the budget-friendly activities (read: free) and we camped in a tent a lot because my parents were happy being one with nature (read: camp grounds were a lot cheaper than hotels).

Having said that, I gained an early appreciation for the outdoors. It was fun to be outside and playing in the mountains or foothills by my home and jumping in rivers and catching snakes. One place we went a few times was Mount Timpanogos Cave. My Elementary school thought highly of Timpanogos Cave as well, so I remember going there on a field trip with all of my classmates from 3^rd Grade. Looking back on it now, I’m sure that all teachers and parents involved were probably stressed-out of their minds trying to keep 60+ 9 year-olds away from the edge of a steep hiking path up the mountain. But, to their credit, no one died. That’s the goal right?…Get everyone back to the school without any deaths? Ha.

Anyway, one of my favorite memories of going to Timp Cave was seeing and touching the “Salt and Pepper” shakers deep within the cave. The story about how these stalagmites got their name – at least how it was told to me as a 9 year-old by our entertaining tour guide – was that they looked like salt and pepper shakers (that was an easy one Mr. Tour Guide) as well as tasted like salt and pepper too!

Now we were talking!

How did they actually taste like salt and pepper you ask? That was the same question I had in my mind at the time as well!

The tour guide didn’t tell us about the secret behind the taste at that moment. He did say that we could all touch and – if we were really brave and wanted to really find out if they tasted and good as they looked – lick the salt and pepper shaker too!

Wow. This was awesome! Only thing was, no one was really in the tasting mood that day. Except for my classmate James. James was the kid who couldn’t sit still. He was the one who had to sit on his hands all the time as an order from our teacher because he was always messing around with something or someone. He was always the one we’d dare to do something we all were too chicken to do (or simply smart enough to dare James to do it so we could live on the edge vicariously through him). We were sure that James would take a lick for us and really find out if what the tour guide was saying was true or not.

Well, we were right. Without much prodding, James went right up there, bent over and took a huge lick of the salt shaker. “Ewww. Gross; it does taste like salt!” He said.

Before we could all rush over there get in a taste for ourselves, the tour guide told us the answer to our question: While there are minerals in the water which form the stalagmites, it’s really the salt and oils from all the visitors’ hands that have touched the salt and pepper shakers that causes the heightened salty taste.

“Yuck! Ewww! Gross! Most of us shouted.” (That must have been the best part of the tour guides’ day!)

It was pretty funny. And I’m sure there were other kids who wanted to take their own lick as well that day, but I don’t remember if anyone else was allowed to. It was probably a good thing and, keeping kids from getting some sort of disease was probably on the minds of the teachers and parents as well.

Fast-forward 20 years and I’m taking my own kids to the cave. What a disappointment when I get to the salt and pepper shakers and there is a hand-rail/barrier there in front formations and no one is allowed to touch them! Oh well.

Probably for the best, right?

Salt and Pepper Shakers

Heart of the Mountain

The post Salt and Pepper Shakers – Mt. Timpanogos Cave – Utah appeared first on Statesman Ties.

Access original post here.

 

What’s a Father’s Day without a tie?!  Check out these StatesMan Ties.  These ties are all ones that represent a country or a state.  And they can be personalized!

---

---

We ordered the United States tie (of course), and the California tie.  The United States tie is a Navy blue tie with red and white strips, and an embroidered star on the bottom corner.  It’s the perfect touch of patriotism without being too cheesy with it. This classic tie looks sleek, and professional.

---

---

We also got ours embroidered with a special message on the back just for dad.

---

---

The California tie is kind of similar, but in a royal blue, with red and white stripes.  It has the California bear emblem embroidered on the bottom corner.  These ties are great quality, and look fantastic.  They have lots of other countries and states to choose from as well.

---

---

CHECK OUT YOUR COUNTRY OR STATE TIES AT WWW.STATESMANTIES.COM.

The post Statesman Ties Featured on Our Kind of Crazy appeared first on Statesman Ties.

The day he left, she took the attached picture and then send us the following:

“Thanks so much for making such a wonderful product.  As Andrew’s birthday and departure date (two

days apart) neared I had no idea what to get him.  Then I remembered your ties.  It was the perfect gift!  The optional embroidery made it even better.  He was so excited by it that he chose to wear it when he left for the MTC.  Thought you would enjoy the picture I got of him just moments before we left the house!”

Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback Eve! We appreciate it!

Good luck to Andrew on his mission in Texas.

The post Statesman Ties – Texas Tie – Houston Mission South appeared first on Statesman Ties.

Check it out!

The post Statesman Ties In the News: The Rissa Nelson Blog appeared first on Statesman Ties.