super saturday = fun friday?

Saturday, April 10, 2010

not gonna' lie...last night was a bad night.
I'm not one for wallowing though, and after all...today is a new day.
ms. o'hara had it right. :)

it's been a long, hard and good couple of weeks.  and it's going to be a long couple a months coming up...summer camp season has begun around our house.  yay! :)

so for this "fun friday" it's going to be "super saturday"!
yes, today is saturday.  and I am enjoying today. 

so today's favorites!
*the song "one step at a time" by Jordin Sparks.  now before you go judging me about the music I listen to and make fun of me...listen to it.  it's good stuff.  and I like American Idol...not gonna' lie...watch it every freaking week...and I'm not ashamed.  there I said it. :)
plus, really listen to it..."hurry up...and wait....take one step at a time...there's no need to rush..." good stuff. :)  plus PLUS...did you see her AH-mazing green heels...yeah, I covet.  a lot. :)
*the iheartfaces community ...it's just encouraging!  the women who founded it amy + angie and super encouraging women who have created a super cool network for beginner + professional photographers to talk to one another and check each other's work out...rare in this ever competitive profession
*underarmour capri sweatpants...they're just awesome.  and are my new favorites because they're awesome.  did I mention that they are awesome?! :)  and yes, that is me as the model on the link to my favorite sweats...and yes, my stomach really IS that flat ;)
*my flowers.  I just love them.  and someday my whole yard will be full of them...I took these today and had a little fun editing them...because they make me happy to look at them :)  geranium's will forever remind me of my mother...and I love her.  and roses are simply my absolute favorites...this "snow queen" is the first bloom of the season for me...roses always make me think of the crowder song "...and what was said to the rose to make it unfold, was said to me here in my chest...so be quiet now and rest...be quiet now...and rest..."  always a good reminder for me. :)




*my husband.  he is my greatest encourager.  my bestest friend.  and simply the love of my life.  even as I write that, I get tears in my eyes because of how amazing he is at truly loving me.  I am SO undeserving and SO loved!

and the "not so muches"...just one this week...
*getting dumped on.  I realize I am relatively new to this field of photography.  so maybe it stings more when what you do and what you pour your heart into is trampled on...it just stings.  nuf' said, words are simply words...and I know this.  plus...today is a new day. :)

hope you all have an amazing weekend!  :)

tuesday shoesday - part 2 :)

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Thank goodness for twitter!  All the "tuesdayshoesday" tweets come out and reminds me that it's time to post some cute shoe shots!  These are from my "midsummer's night dream" shoot...enjoy yourself some feet! :)



midsummer's night dream

once upon a time there was a boy.
who loved a girl.
and the girl was beautiful.
and the girl loved him back.
so the girl kissed him.
while the sun set, she kissed him.
and they lived happily ever after.

:)

brianne and patric were Ah-mazing to shoot...and I simply loved this new location!  the only thing missing were early evening fireflies in this "midsummer's night" dream of a place.  brianne is beginning to plan her wedding and on the table is a destination wedding to hawaii!
(um, can you say AWEsome!)
so, I wanted someplace romantic and to somewhat stylize it to have hints of hawaii if she ended up getting her dream...which I hope for this soon-to-be airforce wife that she gets her wish! 
thank you brianne + patric and I wish you both ALL the best! :)










 








monday musings...

Monday, April 05, 2010

not gonna' lie.  this weekend was a blur!
work.
midsummer's night engagement shoot.
amazing good friday service.
sleep over's at grandma + grandpa's.
band practice w/ an over 100 person choir!
baking lemonade cake + rolls.
easter festivities.
easter basket jelly bean trails.
bubble play.
4 a.m. wake up for easter.
swimming.
editing.
cleaning.
tennis.
ironing...
PHEW...and now?

now I sit and reflect :)

God is most definitly good to me.  This week was just a small glimpse of his gifts that he gives!  I guess today I am mostly musing on my kids...I simply love the presents that they are to me!

Maddie is my peanut, butter bean, lovely, baby, bunny bun, sweetheart ;)  I love that she is so tender and softhearted towards everyone!  And when she's happy...she skips instead of walking...I don't even think she knows that she's doing it...but you can often hear her skipping from room to room, softly singing happy little songs to herself and whatever it is that she's playing with.  And this weekend, there was a lot of skipping. :)

But my boy, is the one who I am thinking of and praying for today.  He is my little man.  My bubby.  My boy who brings me joy. :)  Yesterday, after a long weekend of rushing from event to event...I wanted to simply go outside and enjoy outside.
And it is simply the most perfect weather right now.
Not too hot.
Not too cold.  The sun kisses your face and the wind makes it just perfect.  So me and my boy went outside with my camera.  At first I was trying to take pictures of my friend the hummingbird...but she just was too far (even with my zoom!) to capture...so I turned my attention to the boy.  Who happened to be enamored with blowing the biggest bubble.  EVER.  Oh, how I love the gift that he is to me!
his freckles.
his long lashes.
his popsicle lips.
his grubbiness from playing football.
his neverending conversations with me about how much he loves star wars right now.  and especially light sabers.  and ewoks.  and how maddie reminds him of an ewok. :)
yes, I love my boy.  the boy who brings me joy. :)




mother/grandmother/sister/friend CONTEST! :)

Thursday, April 01, 2010

kreatid photography + design is partnering up with
"save our stories (s.o.s.) in books" for this weeks contest!

Mother's Day is May 9th this year and I've got mother's on my mind.  Whether it's my mother, my step-grandmother, my real grandmother, my sister's who are mother's...They've all been on my mind.

You see this past week, my sweet step-grandmother passed away.

My grandpa married her fifteen years ago after being a widower for several years because my real grandmother passed away of multiple sclerosis...a simply horrible disease.  But both of these women intrigue me.

My real grandmother was known to be a sassy, fun woman before M.S.  My mom still tells me stories of parties that she and my grandpa would throw abroad in Spain and in America and how she would be the life of the party with her wit + charm.  And even through her disease, although her body ultimately failed her...her mind stayed sharp!  I have two funny memories with her...one I remember from when I was about six.  We were visiting my grandparents in Boston where they lived in an apartment.  At this point my grandmother was confined to a wheelchair and had difficulty speaking without slurring.  Being six, I was bored.  I happened to be sitting near my grandma and she must have been watching me.  The windows were open and she laid her soft hand on my arm. She got me a pad of paper + a colored pencil from my grandpa (he was an architect so he had LOTS of pencils) and encouraged me to draw what I saw in the room.  Sitting next to me she simply said "good." and smiled peacefully and then rested her eyes.  And I remember, even at six really HEARING the city, and really SEEING the room and the love that my grandma felt for me.

The other memory of my real grandmother is kind of bittersweet yet still funny.  At about thirteen my family took a trip to see my grandparents again...at this point my grandmother was in full hospice care because of her m.s.  There were many patients on her floor.  Getting off the elevator to her floor there was a woman sitting in a wheelchair simply saying over and over "I need to go to the bathroom."  Being a newly awkward teenager, I didn't know how to respond and I assumed that the nurse around the corner heard this woman.  We walked a few doors down to my grandmothers room where my mom had spent the morning brushing my grandmothers soft white/grey hair.  We each said hello and touched her hand and sat around her bed.  Well, the woman down the hall had increasingly become louder and more determined to let everyone know around her that she needed to go the bathroon - I guess it's all she said all day long.  And it became more and more awkward for us kids to try to hold a conversation with our grandma because of the repetiveness and loudness of the bathroom lady.  So my grandma...in her most loudest yet somewhat slurred voice that M.S.  had caused shouted down the hall "I HOPE YOU GET FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET!"
Oh. My. Goodness.
Are grandmother's allowed to say that?!  But it was just so dang funny and she laid back down with a smug smile on her face.  Yes, I loved my grandmother.  My sassy, kind grandmother. :)

My step-grandmother, I did not get the pleasure of knowing her as much.  But from the brief moments that I spent with her I observed that she was an incredibly sweet, generous + loving woman...and more importantly a great mother to her daughters, a best friend to my grandpa and an inspiration to many.

So what is this contest about, you ask?

The contest is simply this...I want to hear about why your own mother/grandmother/step-grandmother is so special to you.  These are stories that simply need to be heard.

You story can be anything really.  An endearing characteristic, a funny memory that you've with her, an inspiring moment you've had with her...I simply want to hear it! :)

I suppose contests have to have rules...and at least mine are simple!

1.  You have to write at least a two sentence entry in the mother's day contest discussion board on kreatid photography + designs fan board.
2.  You have to be a fan of kreatid photography + design AND save our stories in books. (super easy to do...just click on the hyperlinks and click "become a fan")
3.  Enter before April 8th, 2010 @ 9p.m. MST.

And since there are rules, there must be a prize for following the rules! :) (and it's perfect for Mother's Day coming up!)

The winner with the best "mom/grandma/sister/friend who is a mom :) story" will recieve:
 
*a twenty minute mini-photography session with kreatid photography + design for up to two people. (You and your mom maybe?!)
AND
*the images from your mini-session turned into a super cute Swatchbook from Heritage Makers. (the company S.O.S.in books uses to design and produce all their products!)
 
That's it!  Super easy and fun right?!  There are no hidden fee's/shipping charges...just an awesome swatchbook of you and your awesomeness!  Plus, the prize is a really cool gift for any mom/grandma/sister/friend to showcase how much you love them - perfect for Mother's Day!  But you don't have to use it only for Mother's Day, you can use them for practically anything...brag book, calander, business details...the possibilities are endless!
 
Also, if you think this contest is not for you because you live to far away...don't let that deter you!  I'll be in the San Diego area at the end of April and again in the beginning of June, Chicago around the 4th of July + most likely New Hampshire/Boston around Christmas/New Years...you can claim you prize then, if you prefer!
 
So get writing and I hope you WIN! :)