How Facebook reunited two friends, facilitated a photo shoot, and turned my cat into a centerfold model.

This is why Facebook is awesome.

A few weeks ago, I started chatting with a girl I knew from roughly age 6, to age 18.  A girl I grew up with in San Antonio, long before the internet existed. 

Anyway, during those years, I knew this girl, but only from afar.  She was creative and sassy and beautiful, and tall -- even at a young age.  She always had a slight sarcasm that I liked, and didn't seem to be entirely sold on the unspoken societal rules that governed our old money, old family name community. Which was incredibly refreshing to me, since I came from neither.

I always really liked her.

So, after we graduated, this girl and I, each of us scattered: She to Africa, to New York, and several others stops in between; I to Austin, to India, to California and back to Austin.  All told, it had probably been 10 years since we had talked to each other.

Then, we found each other on Facebook.  She remarked on this blog, and I on her wonderful photography.

I began thinking to myself -- I wonder if there's a way I can use her photos somehow?  She had some shots of drag queens that I instantly became obsessed with, and a kid having the time of her life on some monkey bars, and a dancing ballerina Boston Terrier.  I thought: This is my kinda photographer.

And then, this girl read my mind.

She asked if she could sponsor this blog for a bit. I said, ABSOLUTELY. She asked if she could come take pictures of me at my house. I said, NAME THE DATE.

So a few weeks ago, she drove up here, and we caught up, chatted, split a bottle of wine. She took pictures all around the house, and here are the results!

Me jumping on the living room couch! Behind me are some wall decals we put up this summer.

"Eavesdropping."

This is a vintage green love seat I got at Uptown Modern a few months ago ... that time I acted a fool in front of one of The Happen-Ins. It fits our house's '50s grandma aesthetic.

Doesn't this look like I'm in the tropics? It is our yard! Behold, the power of camera angles.

My cat, Claudia. Sprawled out on the '70s shag carpet. What a lush.

This talented photographer's name is Jessica Giesey, and her company is Bluelight Photography. Her style is warm, penetrating, whimsical and soft. And as much fun as her pictures look ... I can assure you that she is a blast to hang out with in person, too! She has a way of making you laugh, of pulling you into conversation, of selecting just the right moment to say, "now glance up at me." Click.

Jessica, I am so thrilled we reconnected! Thank you for making me, Claudia, and the house better than we have ever looked!