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December 26, 2006

I Have Some Fun News...

...but I can't share it until January 1st! 

There is a reason I have deleted my photo albums.

Stay tuned, and have a wonderful rest of your holiday season.  I will be in San Fran starting tomorrow and will return the 31st.  Hugs to all!

December 22, 2006

Storytelling in 2006

Ahhh, 2006.  What a year.  I had such a blast photographing the masses.  I met soooo many cool families and even some sassy dogs!

I have to give a shout out to my homegirls, the Labor & Delivery nurses at Baylor.  These chicks (and their friends they referred to me) are just the neatest people...each different in their own right, but so full of personality and warmth.  I am so glad I met them...if Bobby & I have another kid, I know where to have that bambino delivered!

During this last year, I have had many people refer to my style as "storyteller".  That makes me incredibly happy to hear, because that is my ultimate goal...to tell a story with my photographs...

...to make people SMILE...to make them CHUCKLE...to make them remember a moment in their life that was similar...to have their EYES WELL UP WITH TEARS...whatever the case, I hope to giving them a peek at the wonderful stories that are my clients' lives.

While I love so many of the images my wonderful clients ALLOWED ME (read:  made themselves vulnerable enough to let me see who they truly are) to be a part of, I have several photos that I hold near and dear to my heart due to THE MOMENT the image represents---the memory we created during our "adventure"---that I captured.

Here are the images that most "SPEAK" to me (and hopefully you).

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Thank you for being a part of my wonderful 2006!  I adore each of you for BEING YOU!

December 20, 2006

My Little Domestic Goddess

Millie's "Gaga" (her paternal grandmother) visited last weekend.  She came with all of her heavy bags and 27 pillows, but most importantly---she brought homemade sugar cookie dough!

The two of them baked and I photographed.  Trust me.  It was better for everyone that I stay BEHIND THE CAMERA and AWAY FROM THE OVEN.  Better to capture the action than to:

  • start a fire
  • cause a chemical reaction a la chemistry class (which I nearly failed)
  • break glass mixing bowls
  • forget to turn the mixer off BEFORE removing it from the bowl

...all of which I have done, and DO NOT care to repeat.   I'll let Gaga and Mills do it for me.

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Yum!

December 17, 2006

Tutu Fabulous

Met a sweet family today at a midmorning session.  The little girls were so fun and sweet...and their tutus were just killing me with cuteness, but oh those hot pink boots...they captured my heart in the end.  I asked the 3 year old if she thought they made them in my size and was devastated when she said
so seriously, "No, they are just for kids."  Oh well...I guess I'll just hafta let her be the fabulous one!

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December 12, 2006

I Don't Think You're Ready...For This Jelly!

Couldn't resist.  Too.  Darn.  Cute.

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Family Fun for Everyone

Wanna see a cutie patootie family I met on Sunday (pre-storm)?  OK...who can tell me just how pretty these people are?  You?  Over there in the last row?  You say they are ready-for-Hollywood pretty?  I agree.

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And my fave...
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December 11, 2006

Sweetness with a Bow on Top

What a doll.  What a doll.  What a doll.  I can't say it enough.  This little angel is too precious with her chubby knees and giggles and grins.  She is not only adorable, but is the kind of baby that is fun to hold.  You know...the kind of baby that is like a teddy bear...soft, plush, cuddly, and burrows into you when given the chance.  Heaven.  Pure heaven.

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December 10, 2006

Lovely Little Ladies

Here are just a few of my faves from yesterday afternoon's session.  Oh, these girls were positively stunning...and lively...and yes, so, so lovely.

We had a wonderful time on our "adventure"...it was a bit chilly, so our time was cut short.  But have no fear...we shall meet again, dahlings!  Maybe next time, instead of antiquing, we will have a tea party and invite the Queen.

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December 08, 2006

Christmas Shopping=Jam-Packed Malls & Parking Lot Brawls

OK...HOW MANY SHOPPING DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS? 

Looks like you're runnin' outa time.  Hmmmm.  Need a solution?  I'm your girl.  Check out these JP Storybooks...they can be sent to your doorstep!  (Large JP Storybook-$80, Small JP Storybook-$45)

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Open_book

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I'm also doing customized JP Storyboards ($60).  Want to capture a neat sequence of moments from our session?  Here ya go:

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So, promise me you will cut your stress in half by swearing off malls and the mobs that come with them, "Midnight Madness" sales which can definitely lead you down that path of insanity, and people who stalk the best parking spots and beat you to the punch so you have to park in what is sometimes known as Egypt and cause you to become so flustered that you forgot you parked in the D4 lot and now that your shopping is done you are frantically pacing around B4, sweating though it is December, digging around in your fashionable yet ridiculously impractical oversized hobo bag for your phone to dial 911 to report a stolen vehicle.

No, this has never happened to me, but I just ate a LOT of M&Ms and am probably hallucinating as I am contemplating how to handle MY Christmas gift list.  Man.  I just made your shopping job easy.  Can I hire me, too?

But seriously,  email me if you are interested.  We will need to get going ASAP to get your order in on time!

December 06, 2006

Jet-Settin'...That's My Bro!

My brother, Joe,

Joey

is my bestest friend.  He just got back (a few weeks ago) from his 2nd trip to Ghana, and asked me to edit his photos...I loved this experience so much, and was so honored that he would let me revamp/work on something that was so dear to him.  The people he has met there are outstanding, sweet individuals.  He loves that place so much that he wants to go back AGAIN!  So...my mom, Joe, and I are planning a trip to Ghana for the spring...I'm stoked!

Though Joe's photos are fun to fiddle with, I must say that I cannot wait to meet these wonderful people myself and embark on a new journey in photography.

Thanks, Joey!  Here are some of my faves.

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My absolute fave...go ahead, click on it.  You know you want to.

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December 05, 2006

Party Like A Rock Star!

Last Saturday was Millie's boyfriends' birthday party.  Yes, the word "boyfriends' " is PLURAL.  They are brothers, actually, and they are in a love triangle.  One is 5, and the other is 1, and my girl doesn't want to let ageism rule her decisions, so she makes them BOTH fight over her.  I say, "Atta girl!"

Anyhoo, the mom of the little men hired me to cover their party, and boy was it a PARTY!  They had the Tumble on the Go Bus, a clown, yummy chocolate cake from The Cake Stand (in downtown McKinney), and c'mon, y'all...give it up for Chick-Fil-A.  OMG...Scrumptious.

Wanna escape a bit and feel like a kid again?  Grab a tall glass of whatever, a slice of cake, sit back, and step into these photos...

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December 04, 2006

Olsen TRIPLETS?

I think I have solved a mystery that no one even knew existed.  I have found the missing Olsen triplet.  She is slightly more miniature, I 'll give you that.  But the eyes---the pout---the fashion sense---it is ALL THERE.  Spooky!
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December 03, 2006

Repeat Clients Are Like...

...butter.  No, they are like family!  These kiddos were my first clients ever.  Now that we have been able to work together and get to know each other, we are REALLY able to have a blast and I can get in there and capture their souls on camera.  There are no parents leaning over my shoulder, jangling keys and yelling at the kids to "smile" and "look over here" and what not because the parents know what to expect.  They know I will deliver if given the chance to bond with the kids.  In the end, we all have such a wonderful time, and the resulting images are priceless and so telling of who the kids really are.

For example, I was able to make this shy little princess laugh and be silly, and tell me all about how she really loves red apples, but green ones are prettier.  She was so comfortable in the moment that she felt safe to hold my hand when crossing the street and to sit in my lap when we were talking about which Christmas decorations we wanted to look at next...she TRULY came out of her shell.

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Her brother is an artist who I am telling you right now---I HAVE DIBS ON BEING THE ONE WHO DISCOVERED HIM!  He is a fantastic model and so creative and just has that artistic eye.  I am so proud to know this little man.  Mark my words...one day, he will be famous.

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December 02, 2006

Sending You a Holiday Season Chock Full of

Joy
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Giving
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and tons of Kisses!
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Yea!  December is off to a great start!  My super excited Clark Griswald of a hubby has put out the luminarias, and I think we are going to get a REAL LIVE CHRISTMAS TREE tomorrow!  Eeeeeee!  I love exclamation points!

But seriously...I am getting so very pumped about the holidays.  If you know of anyone else who needs a session for cards/gifts/what have you, send 'em my way...hugs!

Art Con Artists

Had such a blast last night...thanks Linds for going with.  Also, gotta give a shout out to my homie (and former college roommate and partner in crime) Courtney and her friends Christina and Minus...I am already looking forward to next year.

If you were too lame/tired/busy/addicted to that Jennifer Love Hewitt show about ghosts and stuff to come to Art Conspiracy, here is what it looked like.  From a technical standpoint, the photos are warm, gritty, and noisy...but I like it that way, as I think it was a perfect representation of the evening.

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My piece:
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The piece I bought (that Courtney did---the Olives one):
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The piece my new friend Minus entered:
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Court & her roommate:
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Me, with Court:
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Me, in a nutshell, as taken while waiting for Linds to wash her hands in the ladies' room:
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No, I am NOT full of myself.  I was totally being a dork, as usual. 
This is so the cheesy requisite self-portrait every photographer must take, which I had never, but now have...so thank you, Art Conspiracy, for being so cool that I had to go and juxtapose that with some cheese. 

December 01, 2006

Put On Your Fancy Shoes, Cuz...

...Art Conspiracy is TONIGHT at 7pm, people!  It is being held at the Longhorn Ballroom at 216 Corinth Street in South Dallas (off of South Industrial).

5 Bands, 150 Artists, 1 Night.  And yes, I am one of those 150 Artists. 

Here is what I entered.

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It is a photo that I took of some cool old chicks in Florence, Italy (pretending to take a pic of my friend so the ladies wouldn't know I was capturing them), and a mosaic that resembles a family quilt I ganked from my parents' house about 5 years ago.

Come see me and bid on some cool art...it is all for charity!

Juxtapose Photography

Holla Back!