David Hayes

New piece of furniture that I just completed... My buddy Daniel Meigs designed it, and I built it. Its a cabinet for his salt water fish tank.

Men + Vacation = Mancation

Gatlinburg at 3am
Gatlinburg at 3am.

View from the Summit of the Chimney Tops.

Us at the Summit.

Walking the trail.

Yesterday was my one year anniversary to my lovely wife, Liz. In this one year, she's started a new job, had a baby, and we bought a house. I recount multiple conversations in the weeks following our wedding, where all we could dream about was life slowing down. Little did we know...

For our anniversary, we weren't planning on doing anything too big... after all, we're parents now and it wouldn't be prudent to spend lots of money. However, in light of our post-Fin marriage, we needed an escape. (Liz has written a wonderful blog about that struggle here) So, we went to Guatemala. Most of you have heard the stories since we traveled a little under a month ago.

Here are a few pictures from the journey: The first one is a panoramic from the rooftop of Blake and Amy's house in Xela. Second is a group shot on their rooftop. Last are two portraits of Blake in a mouse suit... just cause.

Well... this a huge chunk of recent work. I've done many things that happen to be blog worthy.

Through my good friends at PK Pictures/NuMynd Studios, I got connected with Corporate Magic INC to shoot the Grand Re-opening of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. What an amazing event/experience... I got all-star treatment and clearance for pretty much anything I needed to get "the shot." Corporate Magic INC created and produced the entire event for Gaylord. PK Pictures created much of the digital content for the multiple shows and events. I also got some shots of Keith Urban, The Rockettes, Trace Adkins, Guy Fieri, and Sheryl Crow.

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to be a second shooter for Kate Murphy. Her work happens to be amazing... She shoots high end weddings, operates out of New York City, and she'll travel anywhere. This wedding took place at Vanderbilt's Benton Chapel and TPAC's War Memorial Auditorium. Here are few shots of the groom + groomsmen:

I have much more to show you.... but I've got to get packed. Liz and I decided to take a spur of the moment anniversary trip to Guatemala. We leave tomorrow to take Fin to my parents and fly out of Atlanta early Wednesday morning. Wish us well!

Every time I open blogspot and begin a new blog, without fail... I write, "Its been a while."

For my lack of variety in opening sentences, I apologize. For not keeping you up to date lately... I apologize.

While my bios across the web may not reflect it just yet, IM NOW A FATHER!!! I have a son. William Finley Knowles IV aka Fin. Both Liz and Fin are doing great. He's now 12 days old, all he does is sleep... unless, of course, you speak of the night.



Also, not be held in the same light... the day we left for the hospital i finished our dining room table. Here it is.

Today, Liz and I met some really cool people/neighbors, Stephen and Amanda Jerkins. She's a wedding stylist/flora designer and he's a photographer. I love to meet young creatives.

On our way home from some errands, we passed a small cardboard sign that advertised a garage sale just off our route home. Im not sure what got into me, or how I even noticed it, but I was in the mood to mill around someone else's leftovers.

You might say we hit it off. And if our professions didn't lay the foundation, the sign that read "Free Scrap Wood" at the top of their yard certainly wooed me.

And while I want you to know about these two people and their work, I also want you to know that with their scrap wood, I've made two new pieces of furniture.

Endtables! They both look like this... I just need to get some white porcelain hardware for it and it will be complete.

I think I'm addicted to creating in this medium. I keep trying to figure out how I can start building furniture for other people and make a business out of it. I mean... how awesome would that be!