And what better time than Mother's Day!!? Celebrate your mom! Celebrate you! Give it to Grandma or keep it for yourself. Whatever..... heck, give it to your Dad if ya want.
Here's what you get:
a 2 hour portrait session at a location of your choosing (I can offer some suggestions if you need 'em!!)
one 8x10 print
two 5x7s
eight wallets (all of the same pose)
your very own blog post
online gallery of all images
20% discount on your print order
5 images for Facebook
All YOU have to do is leave a comment right here (one per person, please)! Then, on April 30th at 5:00 EST all entries will go into a hat and the winner will be randomly selected!
Well!? What are you waiting for!??? Go leave a comment!!!!!
This weekend I was surrounded by adorable kids. Saturday started with my cute little basket baby (can you believe he's 3 months old already!?) and then Saturday evening I spent ice skating with a 5 year old. And then Sunday I had an afternoon with the Welborns and a billion mosquitos.
I'm pretty fortunate to have some amazing clients. And some of my clients have earned their fair share of Frequent Fizz miles.
Like Amanda and Brett. I first met these two waaaay back when they were engaged. A whole 2+ years ago. Then, I shot their wedding. And then a family session. And then another family session. And then a newborn session for her best friend. Not to mention the two weddings she referred to me.
About a month ago, we were chatting it up on Facebook when Amanda told me that Brett was starting his own landscaping business. So, I jumped on the chance to say "thanks" for all of the business she's given me and designed the logo for his new company. I fully believe in "paying it forward" or giving back. I started out at the bottom, too. And there have definitely been people along the way that helped me get to where I am. In fact, there are still people that are mentoring and inspiring me to follow my dream. Had the people that helped me NOT helped me, then I'd probably be somewhere back along the way, drinking from a brown paper bag.
So, if you need some landscaping, call Brett! He does amazing work!! (937) 207-8109
Yeah, well, it crept back up on me. I have no idea how it happens....I just wake up one day and it's there. Really. I swear that's how it works. There's song ideas for slideshows in there, packaging for client orders, seminar workbooks, logo designs, paper samples, and file folders. I think my missing lenscap might be somewhere in there, too. Doesn't this warrant the necessity for an assistant?
My brother sent Kate my way when she was looking for a photographer to take her daughter's one-year pictures. Because I pay my brother large amounts of cash to pass my name along, he (of course) did his job nicely.
I was just kidding about that large-amounts-of-cash stuff...
Anyhoo, we all met up last Friday for our session. Wasn't the ideal weather conditions either, I might add. The wind was blowing pretty hard and the sun was out in full force. Like I said, not too ideal when you're a photographer. But we handled it and things turned out pretty well.
Ok, maybe better than "pretty well"....
I want this in a canvas reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally big, hanging in my office. This is one of those "Instant Happy" ones that make me giggle when I see it. No more Monday Morning Blahs with this hanging around!!
And since no 1st Birthday is complete without a birthday cake they get to smash in their faces, we had to have one. This is always fun to watch unfold. You know that they don't get frosting...or heck, even sugar, much when they're this tiny...so to see their eyes light up when they get that first bite....always a fun moment to share. I think her eyes were the size of that cupcake when she had her first taste!
Last week was -- and still is -- an absolute blur to me. Not only did I get married on Wednesday, but we also had lots of Easter plans with our families. Factor in the sessions I did and BAM!....you've found yourself smack dab in the middle of Cah-raaazeee! Welcome to my world.
Needless to say I have some catchin' up to do. So stay tuned for:
Joel and his twin brothers (and the rest of the family) A scrumptous little Kash Career Day at Valley View Jr. High School Easter at Aunt Wanda's Duncan turns 7 and Foulk Landscaping
And since my posts are so much more fun with pictures, here's one of that cute 'lil Kash I told you about. If you can look at this picture and not smile or laugh, then you're missing a whole lot! The interactions between mothers and their babies make me swoon. And just look at how proud that dad is!! That is raw emotion. And it's absolutely beautiful. (Kate, we need to make this one a canvas. K?)
Since the boys were at their mom's house, and the girls were at their dad's, we woke up to a fairly quiet house that morning. Chris got up that morning with a little work to do and left the house relatively early. I woke up earlier than normal with butterflies already in my stomach. I managed to keep busy with my normal morning routine and a quick trip to the store for belts for the boys.
By late morning everyone was back at home. It was the most beautiful day of the year (so far) and the kids took advantage of it outside. Other than the hand towels prominently displayed in the master bathroom, you never would have suspected a wedding was going to take place that day. The song of a slamming front door and kids giggling danced through the house on the breeze from the wide open windows.
But their was a wedding that day. Our wedding.
There is something fun about the element of surprise. No one had a clue what we were up to that day. Not our parents, not our friends, and certainly not our kids. It's a plan we had had in place for nearly a month, and with the exception of our photographer disguised as one of our best friends, no one was none the wiser.
We didn't start out planning our wedding like this. Originally we wanted a traditional wedding, with a pastor reading our vows, our parents in attendance, and fancy dresses. But the more we started planning, the less meaningful it was quickly becoming. We thought our kids wanted the "normal wedding" -- as they so called it -- only to find out the only thing they really wanted was the party.
So, after a wonderful conversation with my Aunt Leah, the plans changed. We had decided to go to the courthouse -- just the six of us -- and exchange our vows in front of the Justice of the Peace.
Everyone had brand new outfits for the occasion, right down to Bryce's skull-and-crossbone tie. (Those of you that know him, know how fitting it is.) The girls were in cute polka-dotted dresses and each wore a flower in their hair. The boys -- all three of them -- had crisply ironed shirts and coordinating ties. I wore a blue satin blouse and black pencil skirt (to which Bryce affectionately commented on my resemblance to Erkel). We were a good looking bunch. And we looked like we belonged together.
About 12:30 on Wednesday, March 31st, we all piled in the truck and headed to the courthouse in New Lebanon. The ride was only 30 minutes but felt like 3 hours. I was anxious and excited and the drive was nearly stress-free. No worries about DJs, bridesmaids missing jewelry, groomsmen drinking too much in the parking lot, or what time the cakelady was arriving. It was just us, our happy kids, our photographer, and our marriage certificate.
We were greeted by the judge's bailiff, Amy, who showed us into the courtroom. None of the kids had ever seen a courtroom -- however I'm pretty sure it won't be the last visit for at least 2 of them -- and were excited to be in such a cool place. Amy explained how the ceremony would unfold and moments later the judge came into the room.
He was an older gentleman with glasses and white hair. He wore a dark green robe and a tender look on his face. And although he kept our ceremony serious, you could tell he was a family man with a soft heart.
As the ceremony began, I remember looking at Chris thanking God that he put him in my life, and the girls' lives. I remember thinking "gosh, I'm so lucky to have all of this for the rest of my life". For richer or poorer, I have 4 incredible kids, I get kitchen-table-conversations with my 17 year old son about his girlfriend, I get the joyous phone call of our oldest daughter when she's giving us the news of our first grandchild. In sickness and in health, there will be deaths to mourn through, births to celebrate, heartaches to heal and disappointment to defeat. Until death do us part, we will stand by one another happily traveling down God's path He laid for us.
All the days of our life.
Although it only lasted 5 minutes (tops), it will forever be etched in my mind. It was absolutely perfect. We stripped it down to what was important to the most important people. It was sentimental, it was intimate, it was romantic.
I fully believe in "paying it forward" or giving back. I started out at the bottom, too. And there have definitely been people along the way that helped me get to where I am. In fact, there are still people that are mentoring and inspiring me to follow my dream. Had the people that helped me NOT helped me, then I'd probably be somewhere back along the way, drinking from a brown paper bag.
I have no idea how it happens....I just wake up one day and it's there. Really. I swear that's how it works. There's song ideas for slideshows in there, packaging for client orders, seminar workbooks, logo designs, paper samples, and file folders. I think my missing lenscap might be somewhere in there, too.
The interactions between mothers and their babies make me swoon. And just look at how proud that dad is!! That is raw emotion. And it's absolutely beautiful. (Kate, we need to make this one a canvas. K?)
