O Christmas Tree

I can remember decorating the Christmas tree when I was a kid. My sister and I would spend hours and hours putting multi-colored bulbs on the lower half and then fight over who had more of the silver, stringy, icicle stuff. Then, when we thought it looked too bare, we'd make paper ornaments and hang them on the tree with twist ties we recycled from loaves of bread.

It was always put in the same spot. Year after year it'd go in the front family room (or as my parents called it, the "good" living room -- good for what? is the queen coming over???). Anyway....our house was kind of an open floor plan on one side. The "good" living room opened up to the dining room and that opened up to the regular family room. (Would've been AWESOME for a bowling alley!) Mom liked the tree in the front room so you could see it from the outside....and so you could admire it from the inside at night.

My parents always insisted on a real tree....although my dad would probably beg to differ on that since he was the one that always got stuck on the clean-up crew. But the smell was so worth it. Even now, if I pass a real tree and close my eyes, I can see myself with those silver icicles in my hand. Of course, I can also still feel the prick in the arch of my foot come February when you're scuffing your feet on the carpet to shock your sister.

Now that I think about it, I don't even know where the real tree came from. I don't remember going out to the country tree farm all Griswald-like, trekking miles in the freezing snow, chopping it down and then lugging it back to the car. And I don't remember going to some Mom-and-Pop stop where they were in aisles, lined up like some evergreen tent. Yet, year after year, there it stood, proudly boasting in our "good" living room.

Not much has changed, really, from when I was younger. I still love putting up the tree. I'm finally able to put all of the bulbs evenly on the tree -- not just at the bottom. I just don't have anyone to fight over the icicles with.

It has to look perfect. Like, staight-out-of-Martha-Stewart-Living-magazine-perfect. I traded in the multi-colored lights for only red and white ones. Red and silver bulbs (placed perfectly thankyouverymuch), silver and red ribbon, candy canes, garland and a big white star at the tip top. Perfect.

Since none of the kids were here to help me decorate this year, I dediced to do something a wee bit different. Last year I took one still picture of the final outcome of the tree -- at night, all lit up. But this year, I decided to do a graduation from start to finish.

Any of my friends -- and especially my husband and children -- will tell you what a big, fat dork I am. It's ok. Really. I know this and I wear it proudly.

You'll see.

Cell phone chronicles

Well, here it is November. Summer's gone (Sob! Sob!) And I'm left to relive the past months thru all of the pictures I've taken of our crazy, spring/summer/early fall-ness.

Which would be great....if there were any.

No, I'm serious. I'm literally scouring thousands of images taken from April until now and I'm not finding too many of my little clan. I'm honestly starting to think my imagery documenting skills are falling to the wayside. Did I really work so hard for my clients and not-so-hard for my little HalfDozen? What's going to happen when I put together our 2010 Year In Review slideshow? Will I have to pay models to "stand in"?

I'm actually quite disappointed in myself. I didn't even blog as much as last year. And I know I had more to say. Just not enough time. Chris tells me all the time "you can't do everything". I know this. But I wish I could. I wish I could be every where with everyone and didn't have to let anyone down by saying no. But, it just doesn't happen that way.

I have some pretty cool things lined up for next year. I know some of you -- ok, who am I kidding -- all of you are wanting me to blog more. Wanda, every day might not happen, but it'll be more along the lines of once a week, for sure.

So anyway, back to the cell phone chronicles......I was going thru all of my pictures for 2010 when I realized that I had a gazillion pictures on my cell. Which prompted me to load them into Photoshop, which led to this blog post.

Apparently, the majority of my cell phone pictures are food and beverage. With 3% landscapes and 84% of them have my crazy kids in 'em.

Random can still be good, right?

The Loudenback's

Sometimes, it's a little disheartening for me to do repeat sessions for my clients. No, really. It is. I hadn't seen sweet, little Ava since I did her newborn pictures when she was 5 days old. Imagine the shock I felt when I showed up to their family session last month and she was 8 months old! I know, right? Where in the heck did all that time go?!?? And look how stinkin' cute she is!

Maybe 'disheartening' is the wrong word. It's just that it floors me when you see these little boogers growing up sooooo fast. It's one thing to watch your own kids whiz by you, but to watch someone else's kids do it, is just amazing.

I will say that it's pretty cool for me to know that when Ava is searching for pictures for her high school graduation slide show, these will be top contenders.

Yeah, that's pretty cool.

Today's post is brought to you by the number 34.

It really hasn't been what I expected it would be.

Turning 34 in my mind many, many years ago, I imagined a much more horrific scene. Like already having had lyposuction after birthing 6 kids....hating my job....and receiving my Golden Buckeye card.

Good thing THAT'S not the case. (Although I did get a new Kroger's card this month.)

In fact, turning 34 has been incredible. If there is something better than 'incredible'.....it'd be THAT. To the third power. Times 50.

And to be honest, nothing monumental happened this year. Not like last year. It was just a normal birthday. A day with birthday cards, singing, you know....the works. It doesn't take much for me to be happy. I have everything I've ever wanted wrapped up in my little world. I have a phenomenal husband/father, 4 outstanding kids, so many amazing friends and family. What more could you want? OK, BESIDES Kirk Herbstreit jumping out of your cake??

As a running tally, I have gotten the following "gifts":

1 birthday apple dumpling
206 217 218 Facebook notifications
breakfast with my husband
a super yummy candle from my in-laws
4 homemade cards from my artsy-fartsy kidders
lunch with my girls
1 Bahama Mama
9 singing waitresses with
1 fudge sundae
9 text messages from my homies
2 voicemails
8 cards
1 virtual high-five from Chicago

AND THIS:




Why wouldn't I love my birthday?! =)

Here's some pretty cool facts about the day I was born:

1976 Prices
Bread: $0.30/loaf
Milk: $1.42/gal
eggs: $1.28/doz
Car: $5,418
Gas: $0.60/gal
House: $48,000
Stamp: $0.13/ea
Avg Income: $16,870/yr
Min Wage: $2.30/hr
DOW Avg: 1,005

People born on October 11
1948 - Daryl Hall rocker/songwriter (Hall & Oates-Sara Smile)
1918 - Jerome Robbins choreographer/composer (Tony-West Side Story)
1884 - Eleanor Roosevelt 1st lady/crusader

On TV in 1976
Happy Days
Little House on the Prairie
Mork & Mindy
Laverne & Shirley
Alice
Barney Miller
M*A*S*H
Charlie's Angels
The Bob Newhart Show
The Rockford Files

Hot New Toys in 1976
The Bionic Woman
Evel Knievel Stunt World
Stretch Armstrong
Barbie glamour head
Atari
Marie Osmond TV Makeup center
Little People
Little Professor Calculator
Muhammad Ali Action Figure

The price of gas makes me kinda sick...ok, alot sick. And so does the price of milk for that matter. It's kinda cool to know I share a birthday with Eleanor Roosevelt, but Hall & Oates??? I would totally be DVRing Laverne&Shirley if it were on TV today and Alice. And I can also remember getting the Barbie Glamour Head for Christmas one year (probably waaaaaaay after it was cool to have one).

Funny. NOW I feel old.

Austin turning 3!

It only seemed fitting to me.

I mean, he DOES love fire trucks. And his dad IS a fireman. So why wouldn't we take his 3 year pictures there!?

I met Austin and his mom at the Covington Fire Department bright and early Labor Day morning. (Yeah, I'd hardly call my job "laborous" so that whole holiday is knoll and void for me.) Anyway, Austin recently turned three and his mom thought it was time for some updated pictures to celebrate the milestone. Yeah, 3 is a pretty big deal!

It was the first time for me to do a session at a firehouse, but I definitely fell in love with it. Especially for a kid who loves the place. I have a feeling I'll probably be heading back there to do a few more.

Ain't he cute!?

Presley

I just love this girl.

Presley and I (and her mom, Hi Cindy!) met in downtown Tipp City. I absolutely love the old historical parts of small towns. The knooks and crannies are endless for taking pictures. Old brick building, railroad tracks, or old withered doors....they all have so much character.

I spent a little over an hour with Presley and had an absolute blast with her. She's so laid back, and down to earth. She knows what she wants to do with her young life and I have no doubt that her independent spirit will get her there. She is funny and content with the person that she is.

There are times as a photographer when I feel like I really nailed a session. Like I showed up with my A Game. This was one of those sessions. The light was gorgeous, the location was perfect and my subject was a dang-near model. Her eyes were this deep brown that the light bounces off of like a mirror. Her skin was flawless. And her smile was nothing short of contagious. Plus, a cute pair of shoes always helps.

Presley, you're beautiful. Inside and out.

Mom, I'm sure you couldn't be any more proud of this audacious, young woman.

'Tis the season....for holiday portraits!!!

I went shopping last week and actually saw Christmas decorations in the stores. Don't they know it isn't even Halloween yet!??

Yeah, but who am I foolin'? It is nice to know that you can get that pesky Christmas shopping done early, huh? Why not cross updating your family portraits off your to-do list?? You know you will be kicking yourself when you're clearing the Thanksgiving table, wishing you had booked in September.

And portraits make such great gifts for everyone in the family! Is Aunt Bee complaining that the last picture they've gotten is one of your 12-year old on the first day of kindergarten? Wouldn't you love to see a fresh picture of the family hanging in Grandma's house without your big hair? Imagine how cool you will look to your family and friends when they receive your custom holiday card featuring your portraits!

Beat the holiday rush with the special below! If you have any questions, just shoot me an email or give me a call! And while you're at it, why don't you head on over to Facebook so you don't miss any more specials!!