My Candid Moments

1. I can not believe it’s May.  The weather outside is a balmy 40 degress and well that’s nuts.  It was warm on April 8th then it is today, just crazy.  I think the months got flipped around, my poor lilacs and other plants will just have to toughen up and weather (no pun intended) the storm.

2. The tulip, that usually bloom now, are nearly done with their annual show. This makes me sad, as I really love tulip, but it also means that the summer flowers are not far behind.

3. I found this beautiful little flower in my garden this spring, I don’t think I planted it but what a beautiful surprise.

4. Spring is also the time I feel like clearing out every nook and cranny of the house.   There is something about spring that makes you want to take stock and change things up if you can.

5. If anyone knows of a great place for sweaters/tops please let me know. My favorite lightweight sweater has a hole and I am devastated. Never mind it’s 6/7 years old and well loved.  Any one who knows me well knows I love new clothes, but hate to do the actual shopping!

6. Look for more cake photos this week — It is Kate’s birthday n Monday and she requested a Princess cake!  She’ pretty lucky since we are going to do a small celebration tonight and the another one with her Grandparents on Friday.  This means two cakes.

I think that the best part about my job is when clients come back. To me that is the best compliment I can ever receive.  My goal is to always create an experience that they will want to have again.

So when the W family emailed me back in February to ask if was available to take newborn photos I was excited.  I had photographed their daughter two years ago and was honored that they wanted me to do the photographs when their son arrived.

Mr. M was a doll.  I think his sister slept better, but he gave me some great expressions. His favorite way to sleep reminded both his Mom and I of a prize fighter.  Then he smiled which lead me to believe he was having a sweet dream about being a prize fighter (I bet Dad would love to hear that!).

Life is about challenges.  The one thing I am constantly amazed at is how when my children set their minds to something — they take it to the end.  They do not appear to have any self doubt and become very singularly focused. This can be both good and bad depending upon what it is they have determined they want to do.

This past week John did something AMAZING. He accepted the challenge issued at school to turn off the TV, Computer, and Video games for an entire week. This was a FULL seven days.  This meant that the entire family had to limit our time and it was fantastic.  I won’t lie, Kate had a bit of time with Dora while he was at school, but that was it for a week.

Tonight I realized that too often I find reasons not to accept the challenges in my life. The reasons usually come down to self doubt and feeling like why try, I never win.  Tonight I realized it’s not always about winning each time we take on a challenge it helps us to grow and learn, and isn’t that what life is about. Growing and learning?

So if I am not too late I am entering into a contest.  The challenge was to use toys as the objects for my photographs.  I used this challenge to inspire me to create wall art for my son’s room, if you haven’t guessed is favorite things in the world is high end cars!

Signs of Spring — from our neck of the ‘woods’.

1. Tulips — Need I say more. They are sure sign of spring and one that I love.

2. Bikes — Kids are riding bikes, scooters and trikes up and down the sidewalk.  There is chalk and other bits and pieces all over the yard. I just adore this time of the year we live outside as much as we can.

3. Green — Did you notice the beautiful green that the leave are as they emerge on the trees, just love this shade of green.  It’s such an uplifting color to me.  It’s also a great time to take family photos — the weather is not to hot not to cold and NO mosquitoes yet!

4. Warm — Don’t tell anyone but it’s been in the 60’s and 70’s this past week.  I think someone forgot to remind the weather that it’s still April, but we will take it!

5. Garage Sales — I LOVE to go and wander from sale to sale.  We don’t always buy anything but it’s a great way to teach the kids about spending money wisely and get out of the house at the same time.  My favorites are neighborhood sales where we can pull out the stroller and walk and walk and walk.

I think every Mom in America with can relate to this post.  Let’s face it there are days when it is nearly impossible to get two ANY children child to smile nicely, when you want them to.  Most of the time when I pull out my gear and take photos I will experience the following: someone trying to be silly, someone having a melt down over clothes, location or just the fact that I am paying attention to the wrong child or at the wrong time.

Sometimes it’s not until days later that I open the images to see the humor in it all — to realize that although most of the images are of the goofy faces or not so real smiles and the not so real smiles there in the middle of them is that ‘one’ that image that says who they were in that moment to me.  I admit I still love a great smile and sometimes get them, but the images of the journey there sometimes tell a better story!

That is why I always recommend to my clients that they buy an album or a digital package that includes all the images.  Not that you should not revere that one perfect image, because we all know how hard it is to find, but if you ignore the others you may be left with just the ending, of what could have been a fun story!

I meant to get to this last week, but as you know life has a way of taking turns when you least expect them!

So here it goes — the six things I have been wanting to share with you since last week.

1. I was so excited and proud of be a part of the first Pocket Your Dollars event on March 30th. (I told you I as behind on getting to things).  Carrie is one of the most amazing women I know.  She is not only a true entrepreneur but she is an amazing speaker.  Her strength, honesty, and faith are just a few of the reason I admire her. I love her website because it’s a fantastic resource to saving money, with her focus on Minnesota stores and deals she saves me hours of time each week!

2. Spring is coming — the trees are budding and it won’t be long now before we have lost the ‘winter brown’.  I am very excited about that and plan to take my kids to the Minnesota Arboretum soon.  If you nave not ben there it’s a fantastic place to explore and watch nature bloom.

3. Did you know that 18 inch bikes are not standard?   I just learned this myself.  I started off one day to get John new tires, for a bike we had been given.  When the sales clerk told me it was  $75 for new tires and tubes (that was before shipping), I was in shock.  John got lucky and got a new bike, we found one on clearance for less then the cost of the tires.  Yeah for  Dicks Sporting  Goods.

4. I have some exciting new products for your portrait sessions this spring.  They include circle prints, mini-mounts and 3×3 brag books! I am working hard at getting photos to share, but just wanted to let you know some exciting new things are coming.

5. Just because I want to I am offering a special deal to the next t three clients who book a newborn session.  You will receive a free set of mini brag books.  This is a $100 value and only for the next three who book! So spread the word!

6. I just have to add I love photographing Carrie and her family. She has the two most beautiful daughters and a wonderful husband too!  I am so very blessed to have such wonderful clients.

It’s been a busy week in our little neck of the woods. Last week was filled with warm days, bike rides and getting ready for Easter.

I love two things the most about Easter, the first is doing an egg hunt for the kids. I will write more about that event later, but let’s just say it involves LOTS of colored plastic eggs and lots of screaming and running kids. The second thing is that I LOVE to dye Easter eggs. I love trying color combination, trying different techniques and just having a blast with the kids.

This was Kate’s first year where she really ‘got’ it. The past few years she’s been around and even stood behind the counter (remember she was May baby so she was nearly a year at her first Easter), but this year she got what colors were, and that if you put the eggs in them they changed.

There is no doubt in my mind that these two are mine.  They are the best of friends and the worst of enemy’s which they are will change moment to moment. Today for a brief second they were friends.

One love to help has recently developed a bit of an attitude, some might even say she’s turned a bit bossy lately.  The other wants to help, but on his terms.  He struggles with being the big kid yet not being ready to let go totally of being ‘little’.

So as you can imagine my shock when they said ‘let’s take photos’.  I pulled out the camera — thinking this is going to be quick and fun.  No they wanted the backdrop and the lights and the whole “deal”.  Then they proceeded to be two little monkeys with silly faces.  The images I captured are a reminder to me of why I love photography. I love to capture every part of their personality…. happy, sad, mad and the silly.  This image is who they are.  No they did not give me this when I had them in their nice clothes the day before, using the background I wanted and with all the lighting just right.

They like the world to meet them on their terms, they are determined.

I can not believe it’s Friday again.  Where do the days go?  That’s right they are spent working, taking kids to the park, Karate and having fun!

This week I have something exciting to share with you — I have been dying to share all week long!  I am the featured photographer for the annual Buy Local issue of My Healthy Beginning.  This has been a project in the works for a long time and I am so excited to finally see it in print!  Go on over and check out this site. It has tons of great information and resources on local vendors.  If you want to see a sample of this issue click My Healthy Beginning Buy local issue!

I love when spring starts to come.  It may not be green and lush yet, but the snow is gone and we can get to the park.  Going to the park is most likely the one thing that both kids love and can agree to do,  so we go as often as the weather and time allows us to.

At the park by our home a few years ago I took what has come to be my signature photo of my son.  He was in a play tunnel and I had the most amazing light in his eyes and he gave me a real smile and not the cheesy one or the funny face he would rather do.  I “TRIED” to get an updated one as it has been a few years.  Instead I got lots of goofy faces and ONE shot I LOVE of him.

I tried to get Kate to give me a few seconds, but I got one yes ONE shot of her giving me the don’t bug me Momma look.  I will have to try again to get one in that spot of her — to match the canvas I already have of John.  I also want a series of her and her face in the holes just like John’s – I never want to forget this time in life when they are so young and the world is still so fresh and new to them!