poignant pauses

Fall is starting

to creep into the air..... I feel like summer never even started for us really.  I worked far too much this summer. I have a hard time saying no. I promise to myself and my family that next year I will do less. I'm so mad that I let time slip through my hands this summer. Well I'm going to make up for it with beautiful fall walks,cooking sessions and snuggles in bed with books. Fall and Winter will be beautiful and before I know it summer will be here again.

So don't laugh at me when I say I changed my mind about those openings.  I might offer a couple of special sessions that I've been wanting to do for my portfolio that's all.

Beautiful senior

I can't wait to work through all her images these are just a few I grabbed to show her a sneak peek.

waiting

Thought I would stop in while I'm waiting for my software program it's working through some images for me. I actually spend more time on the web when I'm proofing vs. when I'm not because sometimes I have to wait to do the fine touches on my images.

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed as I always do at this time of year. I'm proofing like crazy ,still shooting like crazy and having to do everything else that I normally do like dealing with all the calls and emails etc...

I hope people have patience with me. Anyway who has done a session with me notes my passion it's much more then a job with me. It's my art and I treat my images the same way I do my sessions with all my heart with a full effort.  The prints are amazing in person much better then the web it's worth the wait.

Just a heads up I was turning away sessions because I thought we were going to vacation in Sept. Plans have changed I"m still taking some time off but not a full vacation ,I do have some dates available that previously were not. We're thinking Nov for a vacation  just Chris and I.  It has been 12 years since we've taken more then a long weekend together so I'm super excited.  I'm hoping to get to see my Dad who lives in Florida.

My brother sent me an email a few days ago with some fresh pictures of his kids and my Dad. It's amazing my Dad's health has just been..... Triple bypass,diabetes so bad he has to take several shots a day for starters. I want to say he's 75ish (I dont' know either of my parents age exactly no one will tell!  he's somewhere in the 70's anyway) and he still has such a spirit to go on a long bike ride(several states) on his Harley to see my Brother.

This picture pretty much sums up my Dad except it's missing his boat. He loves anything that moves and moves fast! A boy and his toys....

My dad has always been a super tough cookie. He was on his own at 12 found work at a farm. Working long hours 7 days a week where the pay was only enough for room and board. So to get out of that situation at 16 he lied and signed his father's signature to get into the Army where he went to the Korean war.  I have his slides from the war. I really need to develop them for him. I had meant to put them in a gift album for him. 

I still at my age get homesick to see him and my brothers. Every time I hear a Waylon Jennings song(my Dad has super deep voice like him) or see a guy on a harley with a goatee.... My Dad has always worn one as long as I can remember.  He is starting to look really different though. He used to have massive arms and stood a lot straighter it's weird to see my Dad getting older.  I mean this is the man after a full day working construction (later in life he had a resturant/bar and several other business intrests. He's kind of a jack of all trades. He did all right for a boy who had to drop out of school in the 6th grade to support himself.) his idea of relaxing after work was to go play sports with the guys, his energy was always amazing. My brother says it's really painful to see him slowing down. Anyway you get the picture he's one tough guy. I don't think they make them like him any more.

An Artist I discovered recently oooohhhh I heart her!

unexpected

unexpected..... Life so many times is.  The weather this week is a perfect example omg trying to squeeze in sessions around the rain and then it doesn't even rain...

Then me I seem to never be what people expect. I'm short I'm chunky,I older then I sound on the phone(often mistaken for a kid which always gives me the giggles since I"m 40 this year) and I do not arrive dressed fancy. It really struck me this week when I was sharing the beach with a bunch of other photographers how different I am. I prefer to shoot in play-clothes one so I'm a "reachable" person and two it's more comfortable for the crazy up down type of shooting I like to do.  Well and not to mention I often end up at least partially wet as my kids say Ma  you will do ANYTHING for the perfect shot. 

I drove up in a white mini van filled with toys while the other photographers drove up in Mercedes(well one did I didn't see all of them in the parking lot) wore more formal clothing and had cameras rigged out  with strobes (I usually only use them for seniors and weddings) and tripods.  One was friendly (I was feeling a bit shy when she said Hi. I hope she didn't think I was snubbing her darn me!) We also shot so differently they are placing people just so and I'm run here,throw them up in the air,let them play etc...  So like I said I'm often an unexpected surprise...

Then there is unexpected situations... I did something I had never done before, last night I ended a session early due to bugs.  I am COVERED in bug bites,all swollen and ughhhhhh thanks to the last few sessions this week. I think it must be all the rain recently.  I have NEVER seen so many bugs before. Last night's session I was holding my breath because I afraid of eating bugs they were swarming over me. I would look down at my arms and it looked like I had sprinkled pepper on them so many bugs.  I even swallowed a few ewwwww!

Thankfully my client wasn't being bothered as much as I was,for some reason bugs love me,maybe they know I'm allergic to them which means it takes for ever for them to heal.  Today my arms burn from all the bites it's horrible. I'm not the only one Ollie my youngest seems to have his mom's issues. Poor guy he had a bug bite him near his eye yesterday and he looks like he was in a fight today.  He woke up screaming " My eye caved in,my eye caved in!" his eye so swollen he couldn't see out of it.  Bug spray helps a little but never enough...

So my session tomorrow I have no idea what they will think of the pink polka dotted woman,I'm sure I will be unexpected....

LOL! Family sessions

I had to laugh I had one free night this past week so I thought I want to shoot my family. I hadn't tried in two or three years and my husband has been bugging me. We're also going to be losing our dog soon, very sad story and I knew I wanted some images with him in there so that was the last min rush.

Did a little shopping (ended up using mostly clothes we aready had though)early in the day,washed and got everyone dressed. I'm already feeling a bit haggard as you can image getting 5 children out the door dressed just so and staying clean. Chris and I are starting to get on each other's nerves big time. I think he's not pitching in and he thinks I'm being nit picky.  Finally we arrive...... I was able to shoot two or three frames before the thunder started. I  could of cried.... and I was a bit grumpy...  well maybe more then a bit it was sooo fustrating.

Ok fine we'll try the next afternoon I'll squeeze it in. OMG what a joke we weren't there I kid you not 2 min and Ollie was knee deep in water.  Chris thinks it's cute,I could pull my hair out ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

So since I now have my heart set on some new family images,I asked Chris if we could plan a vacation near a photographer I like(yeah backwards ugh).  Of course he thinks I'm a bit nutso and maybe I am.  But to me it would be worth traveling to capture the type of images I am wanting. I have bits and pieces of images I've taken of us but I want captures of Chris and me and everyone all at once being silly being us.  I want someone with a great sense of humor who will notice silly things,real moments etc...

Nadia,my dear daughter isn't far off she took some of the kids and me after we left the beach and I LOVED them but she still has some tech she has to work but she has a great eye a fun observant quirky eye.  Just what I like :)

Our sweet poochie Mop and Ollie

I think knowing how much work and how much family images matter(wahhh I want some!) causes me to work so hard at my sessions.  It's rewarding when  I have clients tell me oh my kids are super shy and also cranky this week then later tell me how surprised at how good the kids were. I want so much to have images for them that are full of love and laughter and if I can draw that out oh boy it makes my day!

My favorite client (so far I still have a ton of images to work through so there are always new favs) image from this week

ps. I should also add a disclaimer that there are many photographers I love their work on the Cape. But choosing a photographer should be a matter of taste,you should choose someone who you think would capture your family the way you want to remember them. For some that is beautiful composed formal or slightly formal and others well..... let's just say I love a good head chop that brings the viewer's eye right to the smile.

new do

Nadia's new do...... It's so short!

chris has a lot of fun last week racing go carts with his colleagues. I was so green!!!!! so he promised to take me ,he figured I would bug him once I knew about it. LOL!  Some of the images I'm not sure who took them sorry. Chris is the tall red head in the back and second picture the one on the left. His fire suit sure brings back a lot of memories for me.

  I've had a lot of inquires about the contest but people seem reluctent to get voted on. If   you do want to enter but feel shy about being "voted" on. Please say so in your email. If the majority of people entering would prefer a drawing vs a vote I can do the contest that way. 

so why are you waiting? Enter! You never know you might win!

the big one

I had a such a lovely day for my birthday. I think the day started out so right when snuggling in bed with Ollie and Sebastian ,Sebastian whispered in my ear. "I know a secret. Isaac is writing you a song."  Now my oldest isn't really demonstrative so that was a wonderful way to start the day,I felt so loved.  My presents just make me smile when I think of them so personal and wonderful! I recieved a whole box load of "treasures" from Sebastian including a spiderman watch and lots of matchbox cars. Francesca gave me a little jewelry box with one penny and some rubberbands with hair still attached. LOL! Nadia gave me an album I've been wanting and Isaac wrote me that song. I can't forget Chris he gave me a card with a poem written for me from him. The card cracked me up it was a card for a 4 year old's birthday he just added a zero LOL! Chris  took me to the movies and lunch. It was a sweet special day.... I love my family.

Sorry no pictures this bday girl doesn't like the camera LOL!

Being the bday girl does come with it's perks... If the kids started fighting I would just say "Oh no fighting" the birthday girl doesn't like it and they would stop LOL! if I wanted anything I just say well the bday girl would like..... and every one would jump bdays are great!!!! 

I tried telling Chris Saturday should also count as a special privilage day  since Mother's day is Sunday and well shouldn't I get the weekend?????  Well he didn't go for it and I guess it's ok anyway since both Isaac and Chris were gone to a Iron Sharpens Iron men's conferance all day Saturday,no around to spoil me but I still had Sunday!!!

I still feel a bit wrapped in the glow of my special days. It doesn't seem to have an end with friends  getting in touch and wishing me a happy bday. Monday I recieved a lovely long letter from my mom. It still seems so special to get a letter in the mail doesn't it? Email just isn't the same.  It was a sweet letter talking about my childhood. How every weekend we drove off to a different track(motorcross and modifieds) and our lives at the time. How excited Mom was to have a girl, a girl born on Mother's day too.  How I lived in my dresses. How she can't believe what bday I'm celebrating LOL! I can't believe it either seems strange.

I took Sebastian out today to spend some mom time and to get a hair cut. In the end I couldn't bring myself to cut his hair. I so love it long he looks so cute to me. Chris gave me a hard time. He thinks it looks messy and he's right but oh I love it.

Here he is in all his messy cuteness...

He had such a good time and you could tell he felt so happy. It's funny Chris,Nadia and Sebastian all get this same look on their faces when they feel loved,it's so sweet,innoncent. I think having kids who have some of Chris in them has made me love him even more because I now see glimpses of the child in him.  What is not to love about a child? mmmmm suddenly smelly thoughts came to mind. LOL!!! I'm leave off at that.... LOL!

Ps check back later this week... I have a fun suprise for everyone 

Lastly some music I love this song because for years Chris and I didn't really have a "song" I had some I thought of him or he thinks of me, like he has always liked to sing brown eyed girl to me, but we never had one where we both felt was our song.  Well we have one now for 8 years or so it's Queen's Best Friend. Anyway this song made me think of us... and I like that.

Howdy!

Well I’m back just a heads up. I’ll be checking all my emails. OMG you wouldn’t believe how many I have to answer. Please give me a day or two to plow through,I promise I will get back to everyone. It was a nice break, not nearly long enough I think it was too close to the holiday. I might try two months next year. One month to unwind take a creative break and another to work on some of the things I have been inspired to try but haven’t had the time to explore. Still it was nice but I am feeling anxious to get back into the swing of things.

One of the things I have wanted to explore is perfecting a high key on location "Gap" studio type of images like this one. Nadia was a willing model.

News, well I am going to running a contest in March something to do with Seniors so be looking for that. If you had a session in the last year, I’m going to be running a print special because I will no longer be using my old system of ordering and some of the former price structure will be changing. Starting now clients will be doing all the ordering directly, simply from an online cart. The orders will be shipped directly to your home or any address. It’s a great system for relatives who do not live close by. Anyone you wish can have access to your gallery and they simply order on line and the portraits are on the way directly to them. You can order a gift card for family to redeem too, great for last min gifts, holidays etc…

Nadia and I had a lot of fun during my break, shopping in the after Christmas Sales. She adores Hollister (all she wanted for Christmas was clothes from Hollister and a cell phone) and they had some great sales. Last night it was so funny I took Nadia and one of her friends there and they kept sniffing their new clothes that Hollister scent…. I don’t know what they put on the clothes, it doesn’t seem the same as their perfumes but oh it smells good! As Chris said that store isn’t a store it’s an experience… LOL!
Nadia begged me to do a shoot of her in her new Hollisters, but it was too cold. We only lasted a few mins and the poor girl her hands turned purple! I promised we would try again soon but the weather doesn’t look promising it is freezing this week!

It’s so weird how much she has changed in just a few short years. We’ve been spending a lot of time discussing things about growing up and well I think I worry worse about them then their father. It’s the teen years that they can really fall into some decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives and I’m not just talking about dating boundaries. Now is the time that they have to decide what they believe and where they are headed and as parents we can’t keep them from some of the pain we experienced just because “we say so”. 

As far as dating for now Nadia has a bunch of “admirers”, but thankfully she isn’t interested in dating yet. Isaac feels the same so I’m grateful that they haven’t fallen into the have to have a boyfriend/girlfriend thing. The kids do ask us about dating when they can etc…  but we are trying to help them come to their own convictions about it before they become really interested and haven’t set down any hard and fast rules yet. We’ve been reading different books on dating, growing up etc.. and hope they can help them decide on good boundaries themselves because convictions that you believe in personally are a lot easier to keep.  It’s so true that quote “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Elizabeth stone

Speaking of which my brother sent me a video of my nephew who is a pro motorcross rider and oh I don’t know how his heart can stand it!!! Take a look at the video I don’t follow motocross any more (my father and brothers all raced at one time. ) so oh some of it ouch hard to watch but looking at it brings back so many memories for me…. It was a lot of fun much better then football or hockey(burr!!!)  I’ll embed the video but it’s low resolution if you want to view at a much better quality check here http://www.roadanddirt.com/videos/07_WNO_SR.mov

Some of his accomplishments  6 time qualifier Loretta Lynn’s, 3 Top 5 Branson Nationals, 2 time Indiana state Champion, Over 120 race wins in 7 different states, AMA District 15 champion, US Open qualifier.

He's number 89 Daniel (and yes we are both named for my father) Nadia thinks it's so cool that he is sponsored by Monster Energy(a favorite).

favs

Just a heads up too,I'm currently taking a bit of a break to spend some extra time with my family and will be reopening  in February.
I will be checking and returning all emails and calls but not as promptly as when I'm open. The last two weeks in Jan I will be totally closed and I will return all calls and emails when I'm back.

The images I'm sharing are bits of our world. I was really inspired by a blog called a year of mornings. I've always loved close crops so I LOVED her blog just small bits of every day.  So inspired I've started on my own year of days.  I did a blue tint process on most of these,I just like it.  The collage is our first week.

If you like bubbly then you will probably love Jason Reeves. He is the first two tracks on my current playlist. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the entwined song. I can't wait till they make a video of it. Did I mention I LOVE that song???

I love that the made the bubbly video so sweet! She looks so much like my best friend in High school . It's funny even her hair style is the same,I guess I must be getting old for it to have come back around those little curling Iron sweeps.

Top ten moments this week
1.When my oldest son confided in me, it’s become rarer as he has become older, so the moments it happens are sooooo sweet!

2.I felt warm in my heart when Isaac apologized last night for being cranky when we called him on not finishing his schoolwork. I just love who he is. He reminds me so much of the best stuff of my brother and my husband.

3.I love the too warm feeling and smell of the house around dinner time. The mix of main course smells with the sweet smells of dessert. It makes me feel cozy and womanly.

4.I love when I can get everyone running to greet Chris when he comes home. It never fails to bring a smile to his face. Which then brings me to another favorite moment…

5.Chris often gets gushy at the dinner table and gives me that gushy look. Something about the full belly and his family around the table warms his heart. But his overly gushy look makes me feel so silly like the moment in Ella Enchanted when Ella says to the fairy and Benny “OK got the love” moving on now.

6.So last night I told him he was being soppy and he told Nadia he loves it when I watch romantic movies because I get soppy. This is true certain movies just get me all gushy about him. I’m so Brenda Jones bumbling through life with everything that could possibly go wrong, going wrong. I just keep plugging, trying to keep my chin up with a good attitude. While he like Mark Darcy just glides through life, cool and calm, dignity intact. I love that movie because it’s so like us totally different, having to work hard on keeping it together  so many misunderstandings,mishaps but when it’s together ohhhh look out for the sparks. I wish we could still use that service that cleans up movies(they were sued so you can’t buy them any more. Hollywood didn’t want anyone to cut out the stuff the movie didn’t need to make it great stuff) I so want the second Bridget movie. 7.Last night when I couldn’t sleep and Bob our cat heard me tossing and turning so he hopped up on the bed with his big soft purring body, snuggled up and kissed me with his rough tongue.

8.But then Bob moved over to see if Chris was awake which woke him up and then ….. not sure this is a favorite moment but the afterward funniness of it is. Chris had a triple serving of beans. I made chili the night before, gave him some for lunch and then I served him dinner which was a Mexican casserole with a refried bean base. Well when he woke up he started pooting and it was so bad he actually made me nauseous. So we had to open all the windows. Which we feel asleep with them open and Nadia came in to snuggle in the morning and wanted to know why the windows were open. I about split a gut telling her why, which got her busting a gut and Chris sheepishly grinning about last evening’s events. He was so thankful for the great ventilation system at his office. LOL!!!! It’s making me laugh again just thinking about it.

9.I don’t know why but I love the way Nadia smells. Chris and Nadia smell the same way(well when he's not pooting) and it’s such a good smell. I love when she snuggles with me.

10.I love how Sebastian just showers me with sweet words. Always telling me I have beautiful eyes, how beautiful I am etc…. he really does gush. Nadia says it makes her sick LOL but Oh I love it!!!!!

11.I love doing bible in the morning. I didn’t think I would. It’s my new duty since Chris is now leaving early for work. I thought ugh lots of kids before I have my coffee, not sure I can handle it but it’s been sweet. I like hearing the oldest two thoughts on God and snuggling up with the little ones all vying to see the pictures. (We read two books one for the older kids, right now we are reading A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Which Ike likes but Nadia doesn’t. For the younger we are reading these really old bible books that I had when I was a kid. It’s called the Uncle Arthur’s bible story and there are bunch of volumes going from the start of the bible to the end. I think my Grandmother must have bought them for me. I also had all the Uncle Arthur’s bedtime stories too. I read some to Ike and Nadia when they were little but during Chris’s purging (believe it or not he felt I had too many books so he started chucking some slowly so I wouldn’t notice. Ummmm I don’t think he will ever do that again big mistake.) he must of cleared them out. So I need to find them again.

12.Its silly no one will probably get it as much as I do but that’s ok I’ll still share it. I had a hard time growing up and the only thing I felt I did really well that I cared about was singing. Well when I became an adult I still loved to sing but also realized I’m not Aretha Franklin so I have some confidence issues there.  Isaac lives and breathes music and like a typical male is brutally honest. I was working on a song and thought you know if I’m going to do this I need to hear an honest opinion so I asked him and he said “it sounded really good” . I know it’s simple but it makes me smile when I think of it.

13.I love how sweet Francesca was when I had to tell her I forgot to buy the snack she requested. She had looked forward to it all day and kept reminding me about it, asking when I was going to go shopping. I felt like a complete heel when back at home after shopping, I realized I had forgotten it. The look of resignation when I told her and the sweet forgiveness on her face when I begged her pardon just melted my heart. Oh I wish I was as sweet, no wonder God told us to be like little children.

14.A clean toilet…. LOL Nadia had a friend sleep over a few days ago and the unspoken rule is no guest in the upstairs bathroom. It can get REALLY scary and it was, so I was mortified when I found our guest in my SCARY not for guests bathroom!!!!  I know it’s silly but I finally cleaned the dreaded room and through out the day I kept taking peeks at my clean toilet LOL! ( I know how pathetic!) and it always made me smile. Simples pleasures for a simple mind.

So there you have my top 14 favorite moments so far this week.
Ok , I’m aware I shared more then ten but what can I say life is sweet.

I'll be back to post some pics because of course what is a post without pics but I need to see if I can't get back to sleep.... zzzzzzz

sorry

We had a bit of mess up with the computer. If you emailed or called (we have internet phones (I'm married to a geek remember!) and it seemed to take longer then expected for a response that's why.

We had a lovely New Year, lots of lovely food and good company. Speaking of lovely food I have a new recipe that came from the party. It's another super simple one.

Taco dip

2 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
2 pkgs. taco seasoning mix

Mix until well combined. You can serve it by itself or even better use as a layer with ,greens,tomatos,guacamole,salsa etc.. 

The kids really enjoyed doing an early countdown at 9pm (little ones always miss out normally) with pots, spoons all kinds of noise makers and best of all poppers. They are fun even for us adults I think. Anyway it was a nice start to the New Year (though I did bomb out at bible outburst darn it I like Pictionary so much better! I think I was the only adult gunning for us to play charades I have such an elementary sense of humor.) I hope you all had as lovely a start.

So with the computer being down, these Christmas snaps are a bit late but here are some snaps from our Christmas day. I had someone ask me how much post cropping I do. Well here is a good view of what my images look like from the camera or as photographers say SOOC(straight out of the camera). I didn't do any cropping on these and very little post processing(mostly color due to the tungsten lighting). I created this slideshow using my husband's video program which can be as scary as Photoshop with all the different ways to approach a project.  But I did finish my first slideshow with it,I still have a ways to go,the quality of the images isn't great not sure why I might of had the resolution too small but it's still fun to look at. I like that I can embed it right into my blog so even those on Mac computers can view it. Chris creates lovely warm videos with that program, my favorite of all time a mix of video from the year Ollie was born. I'll see if I can find it and I'll upload so you can see.

Oh the wait......  A disgruntled child waiting and waiting for breakfast to be over with so he can open some more gifts.(we let them open their stockings before breakfast.)

Ollie cracked me up the way he just stood there forever and ever just staring at the presents.

And pleassssseee don't say I why wasn't in in the slideshow,see I'm right here!!!!, you can't miss me.

Ok serious new favorite!!!!! Love these brothers,someone seriously needs to sign them and make a good recording. I can totally hear these on the radio.

sweet music

I hope you all had a great Christmas! We had a lovely quiet day, lots of laughs and smiles and yummy food!

I was surfing a bit while drinking my star bucks this morning and found some music I love! I love music that brings back memories or makes me feel so I love happy family and love songs.  I can't tell you how many times songs like remember when (which I'm not even crazy about music wise) has made me cry.

I think during the hard stressful times music and memories can bring you back; hold you in a good place. Marriage, family etc... It definitely has it ups and downs. I am not a perfect person therefore well.... There is an old song I love by Dan hill sometimes when we touch. I love the whole song but the lines a brother or a sister and then the passion flares again have been so true in my life. Chris and I have always had our ups and downs; one season so stressful I thought we couldn't recover but then always along comes a sweet season that we connect fully and life is just soooo sweet. The dark days come less and less the longer we are married I think because we understand each other better and it's easier to connect to cling when the bad stuff happens rather then pull apart. One word picture someone once told me, I think it was family life marriage conference (awesome, great for the engaged and married, I can't recommend it enough. We've been several times and going again this coming year) that also has helped me is to think of marriage as two kayaks going down on a river with a strong current pulling them apart. To work on the things that connect us it's so worth it because when you do connect it's like heaven on Earth. A bit of sweet sweet heaven.  I love that Chris's song for me that he always thinks of me is the song "You’re my best friend” by queen. I love that he gets romantic and gushy about me. It's like when we connect we go right back to the beginning right back to the feelings we had for one another when we were dating only now they are stronger. He can still make stomach drop, blush, he still is the person I want most to spend time with. I love that a song can remind me of all of that. This is why I love songs about family and love. Life can be ugly, but family is a haven a sweet haven.

These videos' made me smile this morning

 

I love the lines""Every time I look at you, you always look so beautiful"  It's funny we have wrinkles and extra pouches but to me his eyes are still every bit as blue and beautiful.   

a bit fustrated here not sure why but all of a sudden my song list isn't playing so I'm just going to add it to this post for now.  I created a new one finally