Christmas Shots...

So what does a photographer do when she needs a Christmas card photo for her family?

She grabs her brother and drags him to the park to take some pictures, that's what she does! Thanks, Greg!

Here are some of the rejects that you will not be seeing in your mailbox..

Um.

A pretty darn cute picture below EXCEPT stupid me was so concerned about getting the girls' coats off asap and getting out of the cold that I forgot to take off my own jacket.
Um, HELLO!?
And yes.. that is the decade old jacket I was telling you all I need to replace.

Love thise one...

And love this one too but you can't see Joya's face behind the big ol' bow.. stink...

And this one is just candid and fun. Love it. But it too is not the Christmas card picture.

And who made the dresses, you ask? Nichole did! She is working on getting an Etsy.com site up so that you can own your own super cute dress!

Christmas Shopping..

is stressing me out.

Not for other people.. for my present from Darin!

I desperately need a new fall/spring jacket. Like I've worn the same one since my freshman year of college. That was in 1998. A decade ago.

I found this little ditty at Charlotte Russe the other day...

(Click on the link so you can see it better.. the picture I stole from their website is crap.)

It is exactly what I want! Well, almost.

I like the fabric, the weight of it, the fact that it has a hood.. love it.

Cept the color.

It's like a brick/burnt orange color.

Which is great and all.. but you all know my favorite color is pink. And seriously.. wouldn't this clash with all the pink I wear??

I'm afraid I'll get sick if I go with such a bold color.

Cuz apparently I keep jackets for 10 years or so. (That sounds HORRIBLE!)

And the other color they have it in is forest green. Nah. That would REALLY clash with my pink.

So yeah.. have any of you seen a cool jacket lately and could direct me to it? We're spending around $50 on each other this year so yeah, help a sister out and tell me where to look!

It's not every day...

that a horse eat your photography prop.

Done 3 photo shoots in the last 2 days so you could say I've been a tad busy taking pictures.

But I can honestly say that it's not every photo shoot that a horse eats your prop.

Today's shoot was at a goat farm so I'll post pictures soon filled with goats in Santa hats.

Love it. Love my job. =)

DIY Christmas...

Day #2 of my campaign to get my husband to read my blog again. =) Love you, sweetie!

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My girl Kayla Aimee is doing SUPER cool DIY Crafty Christmas Lessons this season. I'm a pupil in her class (like to think I'm the teacher's pet) and made something. Had to share it with you and direct you on over there so that you too can make this super cool tree.

It's under "free lesson".

I sacrificed my super old copy of "The Strong-willed Child" by James Dobson. I figured if I ruined the book then I wouldn't have a strong-willed child! HA! The second I ripped into that thing Adie had the queen of all fits. =/ Guess I need an updated version. But the pages were yellowing and all antique lookin' and I just couldn't resist!

And yes.. my clock says 8:13.

a.m., that is. And I had already made two of these books.

My girls wake up anywhere between 4:45 and 6am every morning. Don't even think about telling me how late your kids sleep or I may throw what's left of my "Strong-willed Child" book at you.

Ewe.

Last night my hubby asked me if I blogged today. (meaning yesterday) I said no and told him I was worried that I was loosing readers. My photography has consumed my blog here lately and I'm afraid I'm boring you all. =/ Darin informed me that he hasn't read in awhile because there's nothing to read! So in order to make my hubby be a blog reader again.. I'm going to post every day for a week. Hold me to it, ya'all!
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So if you all are my facebook friends.. you know that for the last 6 months my life has been consumed with poop. Not MY poop.. but my Adie Grace's poop. We've been potty training since July and I have been plucking poops out of her panties ever since. She just doesn't get it. I have had FB friends come up to me in real life and ask me if poop is all I ever talk about.

Well, kinda.

We've tried treats, winning a dollhouse, spanking, dvd's, McDonald's trips, time-outs, letting her figure it out on her own... EVERYTHING we can think of and everything other people have suggested. Peeps have doubted me and wondered if she's really ready.

Yes.

She is.

Just last week she pooped 3 days straight in the toilet so I know she's capable. And she's been potty trained for months. I can trust her to keep her panties dry but can't trust her to keep them skid free!

Wednesday stupid me thought of a brainiac idea.. take away cartoons until she poops in the toilet. And every mother out there knows that taking away cartoons is more of a punishment to the mom than the kid. =/ She doesn't watch a ton but there are a few that are apart of her routine and the kid loves her routine. Anywho...

Only took one day of no cartoons for her to crap in the john. I was nursing Joya at the time and she even took herself in the bathroom and came out proclaiming that she dropped the kids off at the pool.

After I was finished with Joya I went into the bathroom to clean out her chair and low and behold... a turd was in the potty!

We did a little poopy dance and as I was cleaning her up I notice the dog is chewing on something. Get an inkling of what it *might* be so I glance in the toilet and yep, the turd was MIA which only means that the dog was chewing on the prized turd.

He spend a couple of hours outside in the rain and is banned from licking my baby for days. Gross.

But this makes me wonder.. how many times have I been disciplining, taking away toons, giving time-outs, and getting REALLY frustrated with my daughter and she really has crapped in the john and the dog has eaten the evidance?

Just another example of how non-perfect of a mom I am. Ah.

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And of course I will leave you with a picture!

My Joya Jae in the tub.

Obviously this picture is before I cleaned off her face. Don't look too closely or you'll see the dried food all over.
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I am the baby in my family of 3 kids. I always wondered why my brother and sister were in so many of my pictures. Now that I'm a mom of two I understand. Look at this picture of me trying to take a picture of the babe and her sister pushes her way in the picture. NOW I understand!

My back-to-writing-on-my-blog has started! Hope you are back to being a reader, Darin!!!

I *actually* scrapbooked!

LOVE that I got pages done this weekend. It's been WAY too long. Thought I would share since it's been eons since I've scrapped!

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Joya Jae trying cereal...

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Joya's Dedication Sunday page...

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Joya's 6 month update page:

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A page about how not EVERY thing she wears is a hand-me-down from Adie Grace! Poor thing was born in the exact same season as her sister so she really didn't need much!

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A page about Darin and I! WOAH.. rewind like 2.5 years ago when I scrapped us! I need to more often. Shame on me. Page about the Notre Dame game we went to a few months back.

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And Joya's page to document when she started sitting. I realize she has a crap-ton of bobby's around her for a page saying how she sits on her own but those were the only pictures I had of her sitting! Sure she'll understand.

My girl Kayla...

Has a FABULOUS holiday class going on right now. I can't wait to make my vintage tree and tu-tu.

Go check it out and take the class with us!

Photo shoots!!!

Again.. been BUSY with shoots! Just yesterday I had to turn away 4 more shoot opportunities. I'm just too booked.

So.. next year you all will book me early for Christmas pictures, right?! I hate turning you away!

AND I have a fabulous idea of a "Super Saturday" in early November of 2010. I'm going to devote an entire day to JUST Christmas shoots. No individual kid pictures, 30 minute sessions devoted to family pictures for you to put on your Christmas cards. A tad bit cheaper than my normal prices.. haven't decided on how much yet. Hope you like the idea! I've been wracking my brain on how to get you all in next year because believe me.. I HATE turning people away! I actually have a friend that is praying for me to have the power to say no. I really want to help you all out but being with my family is a big ol' priority and my photography has been taking me away from them quite a bit lately. I am SO thankful and grateful for ya all, tho. You guys are providing for my family and I love you for it!

Be tuned to September of next year when I book for my Super Saturday of Christmas card shoots!

And PLEASE continue to book me for your 2010 shoots! I am definitely available in 2010! Remember my new rates:

$75 per family/one child shoot

$10 more per child for individual shots

$100 Engagement shots

$200 Senior pictures

$300 baby package (newborn, 3, 6, 9, 12 month shots)

Sessions include:

*photo shoot*

(within 25 mile radius, anything more extra charges apply)

*web album available for 30 days*

*CD of 20-25 images*

Thanks, all! Now that that's taken care of.. here are some recent shoots!

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My gorgeous double-mint twins are back!! My gorgeous gymnastics girls. These are their fall senior pictures

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Here's Niki and T.. gorgeous, gorgeous couple! Niki and I were good friends in college. (and still are!) She lives in Indy and drove up here for me to take pics.. so honored.

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Here are the Steele's. Such a cute family. It was Ava's 6 month marker so we threw some family pics in there as well.

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And another college friend, Wendy and her family! We had such a great time together that day.

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Miss Lauren! Shelly is also a great friend that uses me for every milestone of her children's lives. Thanks so much for being so loyal, Shell! And Lauren needs to be in a magazine!!!

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Another family that is so, so loyal to me.. the Clarks! This was for Lincoln turning 4 and they threw in family pictures too.. but I couldn't resist taking a picture of Lily.

I think you've seen all my recent shoots, now! Stay tuned for some more because the next few weeks are super busy!!