MIA

Getting bored waiting for me to blog again? Don't blame ya! There's a new blog in the works that I'm really excited about! And I'm guilty of hoarding all my pictures for it. But, in the meantime check out this blog. If you're getting sick of all the left-wing, right-wing bickering this week, you might especially enjoy it...

Yay For Snow and Babies!

The time has finally come that our friends are having babies! It's so exciting to see our fun friends that we grew up with turn into parents overnight and fall hard for the new little loves in their lives. Jase Barrett is the newest addition, and every tiny inch of him is just perfect! Now we just have to teach him how to snowboard so we can get back to the mountains. :) But, I am happy to report that it is snowing...again...and the grass is almost covered!!!

She's Here!

There's another sweet little face in the world! Noah was about two weeks old when we did her newborn shoot and was wide awake most of the time, showing off her big, bright eyes. But as always, we eventually got her to give in to her full belly and the warm house, and she eventually drifted off to sleep. At which time she was lovingly placed into a bucket - because we all like to nap in buckets, right?!

Tis Still the Season

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and are looking as forward to the New Year as we are! 2010 is going to bring a new town, a new house, and hopefully be a very healing, happy, healthy year. We're feeling very excited to finally start getting settled into our new life. It's crazy to think how much change one year can bring, and I find myself in a constant state of missing - someone, something, some place that I loved. And, it seems that the best way to stop dwelling on what we no longer have is to dwell on what do have and be grateful. No matter what challenges and changes this year has thrown at us, we have still always been blessed. We've always had basic necessities, comforts, excess of what we need. Even writing this, I know that I can't truly understand what it means to not have a roof over my head, a change of clothes, or food.

Driving through Franklin a couple weeks ago, we saw a house decorated with Christmas lights that spelled out "Jesus is the reason for every season." If you've heard my recent grumbling about rife consumerism, retail rescue, and the long lost meaning of Christmas, you know I got a kick out of this! I know we've just come through a big season of giving, but I encourage you to keep at it. Clean out your closet and donate the clothes and coats you never wear, give those Christmas gifts you don't like to someone who would really appreciate them, give your time. There are many hardworking people living right here who could use a helping hand. And luckily there are people and organizations to help!

Book a session before by January 31, 2010 and in exchange for your session fee, we will accept a donation for Second Harvest Food Bank. Bring me a BIG box (we're not talking a shoe box) of food to donate or even better, write a check to Second Harvest for the full amount of your waived session fee and provide 600 meals for people who would otherwise go hungry. If you don't want to book a session, donate anyway!

• 1 in 6 Tennesseans are at Risk of Hunger
• 50% of our clients are children; 10% are seniors
• We are seeing more and more first time users and demand is up 38% in Davidson Co
• Demand is up 75-125% in outlying counties (we serve 46 counties)
• A little goes a long way – just $1 provides 4 meals for hungry men, women and children.

What they need:

Peanut butter, beans, baby food, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, cereal, and rice.
Please be sure not to bring any dented cans or expired food.

And, if you'd like a daily dose of other things you can do to help, subscribe to Cool People Care.

Coming Soon

Her first baby girl will be arriving any day now, and I cannot wait to meet her. I'm positive that she will be nothing short of beautiful, and if she's anything like her mom, made for the camera. This is just a tiny sneak from the shoot...

Candice

It's usually just the babies crying during my photo shoots, but this was the first time I cried. In fact, I spent so much time fighting back tears, I had to check the files when I finished to make sure they were in focus. I met Candice at a friend's wedding this summer, and she contacted me for pictures for her website shortly after we moved to Tennessee. I had heard her story before, but to hear her tell it, to see her love for God shining through despite her heart ache, was a completely different experience. Candice's husband, David, died in a plane crash while transporting and organ just 10 months after they found out that their 3rd baby has Down's Syndrome. The night David died, Candice said, "God is still good," and through her faith she is turning tragedy into something beautiful. To learn more about Candice and what she's doing now, visit her website.



Later, we headed to The Factory in Franklin to take some head shots. Wedding 101 is an adorable wedding boutique located upstairs that just happens to have the most awesome natural light streaming in. They were so gracious, and let us take several of her shots there. If you need help planning your wedding, this is definitely the place to go!

Go ME!?

So, I took a little break today from editing and album design to do the old budget. This isn't exactly the most enjoyable thing to do in the first year of business. It's actually about as fun as falling into a deep well and trying to climb back out without a rope. But today, internet world, the day has finally come. I am in the BLACK! In fact, I have even made enough profit, that if divided over the course of the last year, I can pay myself a whopping...

$1.37 an hour.

Ouch.

As I saw the cold hard truth come through on the calculator I found myself contemplating if it was worth it. I mean sure, I'm glad I was able to do my small part in stimulating the economy and keeping Nikon, Apple and Adobe in business, but what about my economy? Quick calculations started adding up in my head about the vacations I could have taken had I not bought that better lens, gone to that workshop, upgraded to that monitor. Had I stayed at the old day job, I'd be how far ahead?! But the answer is ABSOLUTELY. Every single bit of this grueling, scary, expensive, exhausting, mind boggling, AWESOME, freedom filled year has been nothing but rewarding. I have met so many amazing people through the clients I've worked with and the photographers who have taught me or learned along side me. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'll admit making less than minimum wage isn't so impressive, but nothing beats saying goodbye to the alarm, working in pajamas, having as many coffee breaks as I want, when I want (and the added benefit of being able to pee more than once in a 12 hour day), and of course, finally doing what I really, really love.

In light of this feat, I think I might go treat myself to a little something special - maybe from the dollar menu. Can't blow the budget! And, I also like to give a lot of thanks to the corporate world and my darling husband who works there. I obviously couldn't have done any of this if he wasn't such a trooper getting up at 5:30 to do whatever business people do. But, don't feel too bad for him. I went to see him at work a few weeks ago, and I found him in the lobby hanging out with his BFFAW's. They seemed to be working really hard...


Ok, so it was Halloween, but oh my gosh, I have never seen a company party like this! The only one I ever bothered to attend sent me home through a blizzard with food poisoning! But, this was SO FUN! Props to Mars Petcare for being the coolest corporate world ever! It kind of made me want to apply just so I could hang out with all these creative people! Parties aside, any business that has aspen trees as their decor and let's your dog hang out with you all day is AWESOME.