Janet Klinger’s Photography Blog

I am thrilled and honored that the Readers of Seattle Bride voted me, Janet Klinger, the “Best Photographer 2008″. THANK YOU! From the bottom of my heart. Granted it was a TIE, but according to Ali Basye (the Editor of Seattle Bride) we split the largest number of votes ever cast in a tie. Spreading the love.

The fabulously talented J Garner won Best Photographer in the “Vendors Choice” category along with his wife, Katarina. These two are not only incredibly talented, but industrious, personable, and business savvy. Hmmm. Wait. Don’t hire them. Hire me! After all, this is MY blog.

Other Winning Vendors (A partial list as it’s late. Purchase the latest edition of Seattle Bride for details.)

True Color Events: Best Wedding Planner AND Day-of-Wedding Planner. Vendors’ Choice.
Aisle of View: Best Wedding Planner AND Day-of-Wedding Planner AND ALL AROUND BEST WEDDING VENDOR. Readers’ Choice. Go Merry Beth!!!
Luly Yang Couture: Best Custom Dress Designer AND Best Bridal Accessories. Readers’ Choice.
Luly Yang Couture: Best Custom Dress Designer AND Best Dress Shop. Vendors’ Choice.
Golf Club At Newcastle: Best Location for a Sunset Wedding. Readers’ Choice.
Flora Nova: Best Florist. Vendors’ Choice. (She’s all over this blog. Do a search!)
Aria Style: Best Florist. Readers’ Choice.
Moms, Maids and More: Best Mother-of-the-Bride Apparel AND Flower Girl Dresses. Vendors’ Choice AND Readers’ Choice.
E.E. Robbins, The Engagement Ring Store: Engagement/Wedding Rings. Vendors’ Choice.
The Healthy Bride: Bridal Fitness Plan. (I work out with her too, but I’m a healthy “Goddess”, not bride.)
The Michael Benson Band: Best Live Band/Entertainment. Vendors’ Choice AND Readers’ Choice.
Wave Link Music: Best DJ for the Reception. Vendors’ Choice.
Hotel 1000: Best Hotel for Guests. Vendors’ Choice.
A Heavenly Ceremony: Best Officiant/Clergy. Readers’ Choice.
Fairmont Olympic Hotel: Best Quintessential Seattle-Area Reception Site. Readers’ Choice.

Anyone notice anything in common? Nearly all of these vendors have been featured on Janet Klinger’s Photography Blog. Love to say I told you so. For more Wedding Vendors we adore, choose the “Vendor” category on the right.

Here comes the eccentric neighborhood activist decked out in Rollerski gear, even though the streets of Chicago are still icey. That’s my dad. Still running, swimming and/or biking nearly each day of the week, Dad has always loved to be active and adventuresome. In the last few years he went biking in Europe, biked the West Coast on Highway 1, bused to Washington DC to protest, and is planning his next bike trip with my cousin Jerry. Granted I am getting a bit more worried about him, especially after his dip in the Danube, bike and all. While a bit more cautious, and certainly slower, Dad remains dedicated to his active lifestyle and true to his personable, adventuresome spirit.

Beyond nurturing his eccentricities and devoting himself to multiple causes, my Pop finds time to show how much he loves me. I’ve never doubted it. Truly blessed am I to know the meaning of unconditional love. I hope to be able to share the security this brings with my own little bambina. Happy Birthday, Dad. Thank you for the gift.

Before The Healthy Goddess, Christi Masi created The Healthy Bride. Herself beautiful, fit, and athletic, Christi is clever enough to make a living helping others maintain or create their own positive self-image. And If there is anyone who wants to look good, it’s a bride. Twice each week future brides join Christi at the SAM Olympic Sculpture Park to get in the shape of their lives to celebrate the happiest day of their lives.

BUT WHAT ABOUT AFTER THE WEDDING? Christi found women disinterested in socializing with future brides once no longer belonging to this special club. Hence, The Healthy Goddess. Then even further beyond these newlywed women are women like me who put themselves more in the category of “Recovering Moms”. If there has ever been a group in desperate need of a little kick in the booty camp, its members of THIS club. Move over you trim, fit, gorgeous brides. Here come the rest of us huffing up the hill in hopes of surviving another of Christi’s intense workouts.

Their is nothing like a little camaraderie to inspire me to get out of bed at 5:30 for a rain or shine workout. Even better is having a committed and inspired trainer like Christi Masi creating workouts step by step so my still sleeping brain can relax while the rest of me works toward looking even better than on my wedding day. Or at least better than yesterday. See you at the Greenlake track at 6am SHARP!

Where oh where did those days of traveling to Ecuador or cross country skiing in Yellowstone Park go? In these hectic days of parenthood, I both relish being energetic Ellie’s Mom, and resent the daily responsibilities I’m now faced with– and disappointed in myself for falling down on the job. Right now our fridge interior is barren except for the 5 day old Brazilian black bean soup, last weekends now-cardboard pancakes, and last night’s quinoa pasta leftovers.

Truth be told, the grueling challenge of a “responsible” life goes further back than Ellie. After a scary misdiagnosis with Lupus, I cut back working all waking hours of the day that I wasn’t playing. Until that doctor’s appointment, I felt balanced. Yet the 2 week wait for test results had me reevaluating balance. As my 30’s set in, so did my desire to find that special life-long snuggle guy. Running full boar all waking hours left little time for romance. Scared by the unknown, I felt I would have to give up my full-of-play ways. Sure enough, when I fell in love, I was drawn to the responsible, tenderly adorable, creative, orderly architect, Tim Rohleder. While I thought we had a perfect match, however close, nothing is perfect. Here is a man who puts family first, just as I always dreamed. Tim works hard, loves his clients, bikes to work, takes an equal responsibility for household chores. What more could I want? The answer points to me, not Tim. Janet’s Agenda: supermom, superwife, superphotographer, superathlete, superfriend, supersmart, but subtract “super” and you have a clear idea of how I feel. Not bad, not great. Where is life’s adventure and spontaneity I fell in love with so long ago?

Happily we are able to take 2 annual trips to visit each Tim’s family and my family. Then there’s work related travel. It’s no secret that I relish these work excursions hinting of my old travel ways. Grateful for these work/travel opportunities, today my challenge is to revive self-inspired excursions rather than passively accept them only when clients request. And to somehow get Tim and Ellie to join in the fun.

Modeling an adventuresome yet balanced life to Ellie would be a gift to her, to myself, and to our family team. Onward I struggle for this precarious balance, unwilling to accept my vision only as a dream.

With tickets now booked to Anchorage (June1-7), I’m off to the grocery store… Balance is achieved one day at a time.

A carefree day in Yellowstone Park:

A boy in Ecuador:

In the ever-present struggle to regain balance between personal and professional life, life as momma to Ellie and wife to Tim, Thursday night has been carved out as “MY” night. Granted one Thursday each month I’m at an informative PUG meeting, or an educational Woodland Park 3-5s co-op meeting, or occasionally an inspiring Soulumination meeting. Still, 1 to 3 nights each month are for doing as I please. This tiny freedom rejuvenates.

I usually spend that time with friends, so much do I miss being social. Now it’s easiest to build friendships with other working moms who are also motivated to go around Greenlake at 8:30 in the pitch blackness.

But last Thursday, oh my! I had forgotten the sheer pleasure of nestling into the warm sands of Olympus Spa. Blissful, rare relaxation overcomes me as I bake in the mud & jade room, then cool down to warm in the charcoal room. I don’t know the exact purpose of these “earth energy” rooms. Who cares about energy anyway. Give me it’s antithesis!

Then into the mugwort steamroom. Yuck. Slimy on the butt! Might that be why they gave me an extra tiny towel? With towel in place, mind off the slime, my pores couldn’t be happier, my breathing easier. To cool off, into the freezing waterfall pool. Gasp! Then into the hottest of the pools to soak before I have a 50 minute Korean body scrub.

1) Mud & Jade room 2) Relaxation lounge with foot message 3) Waterfall pool surrounded by 3 other warm to hot pools.

Why work if you can’t splurge now and then? Use of the spa for a day is $35 in Lynnwood, $30 in Tacoma. The bodyscrub is $65/60 Lynnwood/Tacoma. I’m so happy Tim and I figured out a way to have some time for each of us. I’m ready for another week.

Tim is SO sweet. One of his many great traits is his adoration of Ellie, and his complete commitment to our little family. Nothing’s more romantic than being held in the thoughts of the man you love. Ellie adores her daddy, and so do I!

(Tim’s really private and never reads my blog. Shhh. If you don’t mention this he’ll never know.) Oh. Did I mention complete honesty is the key to a successful relationship?

Ellie and Tim Rohleder refueling.

Our annual group trip to Skalitude in Carlton Washington never disappoints. When I want to ski, snowshoe, or sled out my door, this snowy cabin is the place.

Tim & Ellie stepping out.

Vida knows how to travel. Mush, Daddy, Mush.

And neither parent has blue eyes… Look Mom, no Photoshop either!

Thanks to Julian’s trains and track, inside was kid-heaven too.

More on Skalitude