HOTlanta, it was!

I took a really quick trip to Atlanta this week to shoot an installation video and product feature video for a new car seat Graco has coming out later this year.  I don't know what it is about the product development cycle of Graco's car seats, but I feel like we are always filming in the heat.  I think the high was 98 yesterday, and just imagine how it's magnified even more with all of the lighting and being in and out of a mini-van for a majority of the day.  I know I'm from Texas and should be used to it (considering we've already had several days over 100), but that's why our electric bills are through the roof for at least 6 months out of the year...WE LOVE OUR AIR CONDITIONERS!

Anyway, I wore khakis instead of skinny jeans this time, in hopes that they would feel a little cooler.  And they did, I just felt a little frumpier that usual.  The heat was quite brutal though, but Todd at Fraser Films was really great about letting me hang out in the house whenever we weren't shooting.  He kept saying, "we've got to keep you fresh".  Well, I was far from feeling fresh, but hopefully I looked fresh....enough, anyway.

It was a long day, reporting to set at 8 am, wrapping at 6:30 pm and catching a flight back to the ATX and returning home at midnight.  I've done enough of these that the process has become kind of like habit, but the poor makeup stylist, Stacey, had a little more work than normal touching me up every 10 minutes, it felt like since I was basically melting.

Lunch is always a great break, though, when Chef Jaye is cooking.  We had a tortellini pasta salad with feta, flank steak, salmon, chilled cucumber soup, and hearty chocolate chip cookies.  Yummy, to put it lightly and  great perk of working with this team.

Here's a quick look at the setup:

 

 it just looks hot, doesn't it?

 this is the monitor the Graco team and the producer watch to ensure all looks good...hopefully this shot doesn't make the cut.

 prepping for the product feature video

closeup!!

demoing with a crash dummy how to properly use the harness

So what it comes down to, is the work still has to get done, whatever the conditions. Oh and how could I forget to mention the bee hive located inside the brick column of the carport, just a couple feet from the van.  Thankfully they were nice and didn't sting anyone!

Long Time, No See

Itsy Bitsy Parker aka Reese's Pieces has been neglected lately.  I hate this because I guess this blog is my way of "scrapbooking" the happenings in our life, and the fact that it has been neglected means I'm not doing a very thorough job of documenting all the goings-on.

But, what it comes down to, is that there has just been a lot going on for us.  This is not to say that everyday isn't crazy busy for the Parker's, but my work is getting crazier, considering this tradeshow I'm planning is just over a month away.  I also had the opportunity to pick up another job with Graco last week filming more videos for 2 new Graco car seats.  The trip to Atlanta was a fast and furious one, but I wanted it that way so that I could get back to my little lady (she didn't join me on this one, since we didn't use babies in the shoot).  Besides that, Miss Reese just keeps getting better and better, so dropping everything to play with her, hug her, kiss her, laugh with her, and snuggle with her is an everyday occurance that can't be missed.

I was apart from her for 2.5 days while I was in Atlanta, which the initial thought of was a bit daunting for me since she has only been on a couple of overnights away from us.  But, in the end, it wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be.  Of course, I missed her tons, but I was so stinkin' busy, that I didn't have time to let it consume me.  It also reaffirmed for me that I need this work/life balance in my life and that going back to work in the next several months, is the right thing for me to be the best parent I can be.  Plus, the grandparents did a great job of keeping me up-to-date by sending these great glimpses:

swim diaper made it in the bag, swim suit did not

say it, don't spray it, Reese

my kids for the day on set

Reese split her time between my parents house and Grammy and Grandpa's, staying with Grammy during the day, then with my parents at night.  It sounds like she had quite the time--playing in her own little pool, playing with her cousins, baths in the kitchen sink, and swimming in the big pool at the Cramer's.

So, I think this was good preparation for our next time apart, which will be in October when I go out to Vegas for the tradeshow.  We will have 3 days apart, then thankfully my parents will bring Reese out to Vegas for the remaining 4 days of the show, because a full week without my little lady would not be a good balance for me.