You do What?

Over the last 9 years, when someone has asked me what I do for a living and I say I work in Advertising, most people say "You do What?" I then have to explain that I am not the one behind the camera shooting a commercial, or the one that yells "Cut" when the film has stopped rolling, or in the ads themselves. My own family has a hard time understanding and after talking to most people in my line of business - nobody gets it unless you live and breath it daily. I think what I love most about my job is that I wear many different hats during my day. Sometimes I am styling a shoot, helping layout billboards, working with finance to make sure my projects are on budget, doing model scouting, searching for locations, and presenting a national newspaper media plan all in the same day. While on a location scouting venture last week for an upcoming photo shoot, my art director snapped these images of me working. You will see that I am a stand in model, checking angle details or shots, and scouting out the right location to shoot in this $700,000 home that is in the framing stage. Just thought that some of you would want to see.

Brad

We are alive and well / Actually Really Well!:

"I know, they said they would write about their new adventures, but they haven't!" I am sure that this thought has come across most of your minds over the last 6 weeks. I admit that we have been slack with the blog updates, but we have also been trying to recover from our international move. Nicole and I promise to get better now that we are both in a routine of jobs, etc.

A great deal has happened in the last six weeks and I will be posting pictures of some of the events soon. Our digital camera software was moved with our stuff and we will not have it until early next week. So we are relying on other people's images! Nicole is now in her second week at her new job where she is a Project Coordinator for Mosaica Schools which is an international Private School company. She is figuring out her job day by day as this is a new position and she is doing a great job at it! She is going to New Orleans next week with our friend Anna to help a school get organized in the Garden District. I tried to convince both of them that Anna's husband Jeff and I needed to go with them - but they seemed to not here that - ha! We have closed on our condo and hopefully will move in this weekend. It is a two bedroom place in Buckhead that we love. We both feel very blessed to be in this place as we have been in much smaller dwellings while in NYC and London. I love my job. It is such a breath of fresh air from my Microsoft days. I am actually having fun again which is worth the move for me! Bleeker has adjusted just fine. I think he could be anywhere and be fine as he has been more places than most, but he loves visits from his mamaw and papaw (my mom and dad)! He gets so excited to see them and they love him as well. Can you tell that we might need a child soon?

Atlanta is great. I must admit that I had doubts about it in the past and that is putting it mildly - but I am growing to love it day by day. There are so many nooks that most do not know about that make it unique and fun. And there are plenty of restaurants and shopping districts which keep Nicole and I busy. We went to church on Sunday to the Buckhead Church and really liked it. It is more our style than a traditional church. We are going to look at a few more before we take the plunge of membership / getting involved / etc. The people here are so nice and we love that aspect of this city. We have been so hardened by NYC and London and it is refreshing for people to smile or say "how are ya'll doing?" In moments like that - we know that we have made the right decision. Our friend Anna came to visit 2 weeks ago and I think that she said it best. When we get older, it is not about the cool places that you go or where you live - it is about family. We have loved having mom and dad only 2 hours away and Nicole's family only 6 1/2 hours away. It is nice to be in photos again or experience special times and days.

So - more to come with pictures. I promise!!

We are in Atlanta:

We are so sorry that it has taken us so long to update the blog! The last three weeks have been a complete whirlwind. We promise to update this as time goes on so that you can see our life here in Atlanta. Below are a a few of the things that we have gone through or done to get you up to speed.

• We flew out from London on Tuesday, August 8th. We almost didn't get Bleeker on the plane. Their was a debate at the Delta Service Center on whether or not he was too big for his Delta approved carrier. (Please note that the weight limit for Bleeker and his carrier was 17 pounds per Delta.com, our dear Bleeker was at 18.1 pounds with his carrier.) Through a great deal of nerves and prayer, he made it on the flight. He even slept in Nicole's lap for about 4 hours of the flight.
• We landed safely and met mom and dad at the airport. We noticed that we were being herded around a bit differently than normal and that there was more security than we had ever seen, but we moved on as we were excited to be at our new home and to see mom and dad.
• Wednesday morning we picked up our new cars. They were delivered and we are so happy to have them. I now have a 2006 Black Jeep Liberty and Nicole has a 2006 Silver Pontiac Vibe. It is odd for us to have cars as we haven't had them in about 7 years, but we are so happy not to be riding subways or buses any longer!
• Thursday morning - the terror plot was uncovered. Now we know why security was so tight on Tuesday. We are so thankful that we got out when we did, because Bleeker would not have been allowed to come with us. Thank you Lord!
• Sunday we went to look for Condos to buy and found one! We have bought a 2 Bedroom Condo in Buckhead and we close on September 21, 2006. It is almost 1200 square feet and so much larger than anything that we have ever had. We are so thankful for this place! It is in a gated community with a 24 hour security officer, it has hardwood floors, old world charm, granite countertops in the Kitchen, a nice Balcony, Pool, Gym, and a dog run for Bleeker. As you can tell, we really love it!
• On Monday I started my job and now that I have been doing it for 2 weeks, I am so thrilled that I accepted this position! It great to be excited about work again - enough said!
• Last weekend we went to Cleveland to see the grandparents and to pick up Bleeker as mom and dad had been looking after him for us so that we could run errands, etc. And this weekend mom and dad came to ATL so that they could see the Condo. We also went to Ikea for some odds and ends and have enjoyed trying out all of the new restaurants.
• For Labor Day we are headed to Goldsboro to visit Nicole's family and to celebrate Ben's 5th birthday! We are looking forward to some Eastern North Carolina BBQ and to spend time with the family!
• Nicole has some big interviews this week for positions that she really wants, so we have our fingers crossed for that!
• After Labor Day we will get more settled in our area and try and find a church and meet new friends. We still feel like we are on a vacation as life has changed so fast for us. There are moments that I get sad because I miss the fact that we can't hop to Paris in 2 hours or look through markets that are over 1000 years old. But we had a great run in the UK, and I am happier to be where we are now as our priorities have changed.

Talk soon!

Brad

Bleeker Goes With Nicole To Work:

Last Tuesday, Nicole took Bleeker to work with her for the day. He had a great time indoors with his new friends. He had lunch out at the park with Nicole and her friends and even had a team picture. If you have ever met Bleeker before, you know that he loves anybody and anything. Nicole said that he was an absolute angel at work and by the afternoon he had curled up on her desk and gone to sleep.

That's my boy!

B

Bleeker is ready to go!!

Nicole took this picture right before we went to Dublin. This is the new bag that mom and dad sent to us for Bleeker's flight back to the states. Since we are flying Delta and going back to the states, Bleeker does not have to fly cargo, he can fly with us in the main cabin. This is a huge relief to us and we are thrilled!

Dublin:

This past weekend Nicole and I headed off to Dublin, Ireland to meet our good friends Anna and Jeff Laughlin. Anna and Jeff live in NYC and have been great friends of ours since our Lee days. They called two months ago and asked us if we could meet them in Dublin and we jumped at the chance! Plus we couldn't wait to meet their new little boy Charlie - who is now 7 months old. I can tell you that after Nicole and I were around him this weekend - we both have severe signs of baby fever!!

Dublin was great! We really loved it. It felt like a large Cambridge with really nice people. Our hotel was right in the middle of everything - so we just walked everywhere. We went to the Guiness Factory, Temple Bar district (which is like an Irish French Quarter), took a double decker bus tour all over the city, saw their Presidents White House, toured Christ Church Cathedral which dates back to 1150 AD, and shopped up and down Grafton Street. We had a great time and it was so good being with great friends that are so easy to travel with. Charlie is the best baby and was so happy the entire time. He always has a huge smile on his face and laughs - although he almost did get us in trouble with his giggles in the Christ Church Cathedral crypt.

Dublin was our last little international mini-break before our big move. We are sad that this has come to an end, but we are thrilled about the next chapter of our life. Nicole's good friend Christy from NC comes to visit us on Thursday and we are going to see the local attractions in and around London - after that, we get packed up and board the plane for ATL.

Talk Soon!

More Paris Pictures:

So - many people have already asked if we could add more pictures from last weekend in Paris. Here you go - knock yourself out. Below is an explanation in order of appearance.

1. Yep mom - that is us eating outside again!
2. Nicole enjoying her scallops at Chez Janou
3. Top floor of the Orsay - it used to be the Port Orleans train station
4. Inside the Galleries Lafayette
5. Brad inside the Paris Opera house
6. Nicole outside the Paris Opera house
7. Nicole and Brad waiting for the Bastille Day fireworks
8. Eifel Tower sparkling at night - does this for 10 minutes every hour on the hour
9. Nicole in Luxembourg Gardens
10. Brad looking at Art on the Seine River
11. Nicole in the Marais
12. Brad and Nicole in front of the Pompidou Museum fountain that was in Sabrina

Our Last Trip to Paris:

Nicole and I just got back from our last trip to Paris. We had an amazing time. It has to be our favorite city in Europe. I think that we love it so much because we don't feel that we need to see every site and museum becasue we have done all of that earlier in our school trips. We can spend hours sitting in sidewalk cafes watching the world go by and look at each other and say "wow, what a wonderful afternoon!" This trip we did do a few things that we had never done. We went to the Paris Opera house and it was amazing...one of the highlights of the weekend! The assembly rooms and the library with the original song books and stage pantings were great. We also went to the Galleries Lafayette which is their largest department store or what they call the first mall. It was beautiful and lucky for us they were having great sales - yes, if you know Nicole and I well, you know we made a few purchases. We also had one of the most amazing meals that we have had yet in Europe at a tiny little Bistro in the Marias called Chez Janou. We heard about it through Rick Steve's book and through a friend of mine at work, and boy are we glad we went. This place exuded French atmosphere...it was old and spilled out on the street, there were paintings, ceramics and bottles all around, typical French decor. The menu was in French, not an English word to be found, and the waiter spoke only a little English - he had to draw pictures for Nicole and I to know what we were ordering. In the end it worked out perfectly. The highlight was the Chocolate Mousse that came in a huge bowl that had been freshly whipped - yum yum!! We ended the trip with a boat cruise up the Seine to see all of the sights and lunch at an outdoor cafe on the Champs Elysees. We are excited to get back to the States in 3 weeks, but it is long weekends like this that we are going to miss. We feel that we know Paris so much better now and can come back years from now and find our favorite places off the beaten path right where we left them.

Saturday in Canary Wharf:

Yesterday Nicole and I decided to head off to Canary Wharf. Now most people would think that the European Business Hub and the home of Europe's tallest building, Canada Tower, would be dead on Saturday like Wall Street is on the weekends, but we found the opposite. The developers of Canary Wharf have done an amazing job with placing lofts, businesses, malls, restaurants, grocery stores, and parks all in one area. It is a great deal like Battery Park City but larger. There were tons of people out and about enjoying the day. We wanted something normal for lunch so we headed off to Chilis - yeah, don't laugh! I had a great salad, which they don't do that well in the UK, and Nicole had a grilled chicken sandwich, which is also a rarity in the UK. We then went shopping and had a great time just looking around.

Talk soon!!

u

We Are Moving to Atlanta, Georgia:

So, we have been wanting to spill the beans for about 3 weeks now, but it has just been made official. We are moving the first week of August to Atlanta, Georgia. We are thrilled and cannot wait to start our new journey. I have just accepted an Account Director position at Fitzgerald & Company Advertising in Buckhead. Nicole and I have had a great year in London, but are excited to be closer to our family and dear friends. We will be spending the next month soaking in as much as we can and getting ready for our move. We will keep everyone updated as time goes on.

Talk Soon

Sunday in Hyde Park:

Today, Nicole and I went to Hyde Park on a picnic with Tasha and Carmody after church. We have not been able to catch up with them for a few weeks as they have been in LA and NYC. They are moving the end of August from London and will split their time between their apartment in NYC and their new place in LA. Tasha has been accepted at a new modeling agency in LA and Carmody will be opening his new salon out of their loft when they move out there. We are really sad that they will be leaving - but we will see them in the states. Today was HOT. It was 90 degrees - and you may say, "90 degrees isn't that hot" - but remember that nothing in London is airconditioned. So you cannot cool down anywhere. We decided to head near the lake in Hyde park and catch up on life. We are so thankful to have been able to get to know these guys and know that they will be life long friends. More news to come soon!

A Beautiful Day in Cambridge:

Today, Nicole and I went to Cambridge. It is an easy 45 minute train ride from London and a great way to flee the city and smell fresh air if you need to! Cambridge has an amazing village-like feel but with tons of things to do to keep you busy. Nicole and I got into town around 11:30 AM and headed straight to the main market in the center of town. After making a few purchases, one of them being an amazing piece of pottery from 1880, we headed to King's College Chapel. Kings College was also having their graduation today. We watched a bit of it from outside the grounds and saw the proud parents that were floating around town with their newly graduated kids. The robes that they wore had a white fur-like sash. It looked quite hot and weird, but hey - they graduated from Cambridge - who cares!! After this, we were starved and headed straight to Tatties for a Jacket Potato. I do not know if we liked the food or the fact that Tatties is air-conditioned, but we liked it in there! We then headed to go punting, which we have decided has been one of our favorite things that we have done in the UK. In all the years that I had been to Cambridge, I had never been punting down the river Cam and Nicole and I thought that it was the perfect opportunity as it was 88 degrees and full on sun! We had a blast and got a little history tour as well! There are just no words to how beautiful Cambridge is. It was a great day and I hope to go again soon!