Holy Hot Mama!

This was SERIOUSLY fun! Stacie showed up looking gaw-geous from Salon Chocolat doing their thing (oh and it helps that she is beautiful to begin with ;0)). She is the Hot Mama of 3 kiddos, like me. We just laughed and had a blast doing this "Hot Mama" Mini-Session. Her hubby is going to go ga-ga over these.

Just one.

Mom-preneur: Salon Chocolat

You know you are a bad blogger when your sister calls you and asks if everything is okay because you haven't posted on your blog in a while. Yep, Ash (and everyone else), everything is fine. I just had sick kids for the past week and a half that have kept me from my regular routine.

So today, I wanted to do another blog feature on a local Mom-preneur. I have had lots of interest in the Mom-Preneur thing so I will probably continue to feature them each month.

Sarah Zeron is the owner of a rockin' salon here in dowtown Carson City, Salon Chocolat. She recently relocated and let me tell you, her salon is TO DIE FOR!!! When I peeked in the windows before it had officially opened, I gasped in awe. It's gorgeous! Oh and not only is it gorgeous but they are uber talented at hair! Check out some of the pics I took of the salon AND a picture of me (from Chuck E. Cheese's-LOL!) with my new haircut by Sarah (that I LOOOOVE):

What is the name of your business?

Salon Chocolat

How did you come up with that name?

Who doesn't Love Beauty and Chocolate? The two seamed to fit.

How long have you been doing this?

I have been doing hair for 10 years.

Please explain a little bit about your product/business and how you developed the concept behind it:

My business is a beauty salon, the concept would be making people feel and look beautiful all day long.

What makes your product/business so unique?

What makes my salon unique is that you are able to indulge yourself in beauty and chocolate. We also offer a full Color Bar where client can watch us customize their hair color and know that what we do just does'nt come out of a bottle--that we actually can formulate hair color to each persons needs. Also, there is a Lather Lounge were we turn the experience of a simple shampoo to the luxury of a spa treatment. Skin services are available and our special Berry Chocolate facial will indulge anyone.

Do you have a store-front/ website/ etsy?

Store-front location: 177 west Proctor St (in the heart of Downtown Carson City) www.salonchocolat.com

What is the hardest part or have been some of your struggles starting your own business?

The hardest part about starting my own business is finding the money to do it and the right people to work with. This is still an ongoing struggle for me.

How do you balance your business and your family?

Right now it is extremely difficult. I work it out so that while they are in school I can get most of my work done. I do have to spend a couple of nights and saturdays at work but my husband is very supportive. As far as short term goals for my business, I just hope that I can survive these tough economic times. I hope that I can find a couple more hairdressers that share my passion for hair. Right know I'm taking it month to month. So far so good.

As far as my long term goals for my business go, I hope that God can grant me the grace to keep doing what I love and stay in this beautiful salon that He helped me build. I would love to be able to have enough clients and support from the community to expand to a retail clothing store as well. We'll just have to wait for that. If I can find some passionate people to work and help me indulge Carson City and abroad with Beauty and Chocolate that would be enough for me.

Thanks Sarah!

40 Tips for a Better Life in 2009

I got this in an email and LOVED it!

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of six.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants. Eat less food that is manufactured in plants. 11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, or issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime .
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. REMEMBER GOD heals everything.
2 9. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!)
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride.. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass.. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Find JOY in the journey!

My Photo Ornaments & Photo tile

So remember how I said I was going to start getting a photo ornament for each of my kids every Christmas? Well here's some pics of how they turned out. These totally made our Christmas tree look adorable!

Oh and here's an image of a new product, beautiful photo tiles! Love these!

Kids Say the Darndest Things

My boys are sick today so this will be short but I just had to share what my daughter said today:

"Mommy, I don't want to have any babies in my tummy so I'm just gonna buy one at Costco." Hmm...maybe she can get triplets since everything at Costco is in bulk ;0)


Another classic line today:

"No one talk to me because I am going to talk to myself." And she did.

"Hot Mama" Mini-Sessions!

Erinn: Hot Mama to 3 kids. PTO President

Her words: "I had so much fun working with Kelli! I was a little bit out of my comfort zone taking these pictures, but she made it so comfortable and I really started getting into it! She made it so much fun and I think we laughed more than anything!"

Bella: Hot Mama to 4 kids. Works from home.

Her words: "Kelli and I had so much fun shooting these pictures. It was like playing dress up with your best friend and pretending to be a fashion model. Kelli has a way of making you feel so comfortable that every picture was a blast to pose for."

Trish: Hot Mama to 3 kids. Soccer mom.

Her words: "Working with Kelli was fabulous! I felt totally at ease and loved that she has such a great energy about her. I didn’t want the photo shoot to end!”

Alyssa: Hot Mama to 2 kids. My most fabulous Portrait Consultant.

Her words: "Kelli was amazing like always! She really made me feel comfortable so I could relax and enjoy the Hot Mama experience."

I am SO excited to announce France Photography's first round of Mini-Sessions. We will be doing these a couple of times a year with different themes. Our Limited Edition theme for this one is called "Hot Mama" and is for all you Hot Mamas of the kids that I take photos of. Now it is your turn!

What's a Mini-Session?

A Mini-Session is a portrait session that lasts only 30 minutes for 1 person. You will view 10-15 images in an online gallery available for 3 days.

What kind of products do you offer for your Mini-Sessions?

We offer specialty products made exclusively for our Mini-Sessions including a Boudoir Box, Custom Desktop Calendars, Little Black Books, and Mini-Storyboards. For additional savings, we offer Mini Portrait Collections that range from $250-$800.

How much does it cost?
We are teaming up with Salon Chocolat so you can have the ultimate experience. Therefore the session fee will be $125 (a $160 value!)

What will I get?

You will get your pampered at Salon Chocolat with your hair styled and your make-up done there. Then you will go on-location with me for some seriously sexy shots of you in all your hotness!

When is it?
Mini-Sessions are scheduled for Fri., Jan. 23rd and Sat., Jan. 24th. Time slots available are 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, and 4:30. Only 10 slots are available so call 775.315.4638 today!

Can I bring a friend?

Make it a Girls Night Out! Sign-up with 1 or more friends and you all will receive $20 off the session fee!

Give yourself the gift of being pampered and give your man a gift he'll never forget this Valentine's Day!

Did I mention that I LOVE newborns? ~ Reno newborn portraits

It's true. I can't get enough of them! I just love everything about newborns. Remember this Belly session? This baby is another Belly 2 Baby Planner and the poor Mama was on bedrest for several months but she made it full-term...yay! This little guy is SO stinkin' cute and sweet! I just wanna snuggle him!

Mom-preneurs

Since January is my official "Mom Month," I will be featuring several local Moms who, like me, who like me, created their own business out of a great idea or by doing something they LOVE to do. I will be interviewing these inspirational women in their blog feature.

Our first Mom-preneur, Carrie, is the owner of Cadillac Cowgirl. We both had booths at the Candy Dance which is where I fell in love with her jewelry and purses. Check out her interview below:

What is the name of your business?

Cadillac Cowgirl Co.

How did you come up with that name?

Well..... Cadillac represents a "fancy/classy" type of a car, therefore saying that a cadillac cowgirl is a real cowgirl with fancy and classy taste.

How long have you been doing this?

One year.

Please explain a little bit about your product/business and how you developed the concept behind it:

I make/design cowgirl necklaces. It's really hard to find cute and sassy cowgirl stuff in this area, so I started making my own.

What makes your product/business so unique?

My jewelry is funky, fun, and one of a kind.

Do you have a store-front/ website/ etsy?

I do not have a store front ( I did have a booth at the candy dance in Genoa, NV). I operate by word of mouth and through my website: http://www.cadillaccowgirlco.com/

What is the hardest part or have been some of your struggles starting your own business?

I have had to learn more about technology, being 36 I learned how to type on a type writter in high school.

How do you balance your business and your family?

I have identical twin girls that are 7 and a boy who is 4. The kids like to help me string necklaces, and even like to design their own. I am also a middle school Health/PE teacher.

What are some of your short and long term goals with your business?

Currently I am having fun with this business. I intend to keep this business small while the kids a still little. I am networking and getting my name out to vendors who have booths at rodeos, ropings, and horse shows. I have sold a large portion of my necklaces wholesale to these type s of vendors. I had quite a few of my necklaces for sale at the Cowboy Christmas Show in Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo.

Thanks Carrie!

If you are interested in being featured as a Mom-preneur, please email Kelli at francephotography@gmail.com.

From Caden's Family

I just wanted to share a letter that Caden's Family sent us and add my personal thanks to all who contributed to Caden's Cause this Christmas.

Dear Friends,

There are so many things we are thankful for and one of them is the tremendous amount of support we've received from all of you.

As you know, our three year old son, Caden, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. We are so thankful that the tumor, although malignant, was operable. Our family has been blessed to have lodging at the Ronald McDonald House in Palo Alto, California where Caden is undergoing radiation treatments. There are many emotions that come with a personal crisis and this has been a very traumatic and exhausting experience for our family.

There is one thing that we would ask you to do. We know that you love and appreciate your families, but we want you to love them all just a little more; more hugs, more kisses, as life is so precious, pure and simple.

Everyone has been so compassionate, extremely generous and helpful and there is no way that we can thank you all enough.

Sincerely and with deep gratitude,

Cody and Erin

January is "Mom Month"

I have unofficially declared January "MOM MONTH" because I have some fun things I will doing for and with Moms.
This is a good post to start "Mom Month" off with because this Mom RAWKS!!! She has 6 kids, which is an accomplishment in itself! She's supercool and sweet! You can tell her kids adore her. And of course, their Dad is a awesome too. He's our Chiropractor and does a great job (he's even worked on all my kids) so if you need fixin' call Dudley Chiropractic (how do you like that shameless plug, Tom?)

They are SO High School Musical and got some serious air on these jumps! Must be the all the chiropractic treatments.

Just chillin'. This is SO them!

We tried to do our own version of the Beetles "Abbey Road" cover.

Just da girls

He's the baby of the family.

Now THAT is love!

What's on MY wall? Part 2

I like to mix these up in my house. Last year, I had 3 large 20x24 Gallery Wrapped Canvas' over my couch. I moved those to another wall, got a cool Pottery Barn couch, and put this up. It features twelve 12x12's and I love it! I wanted to show off a LOT of images of my kids since I take so many including some silly ones. My kids love seeing themselves on the wall. It shows them that I think they are important. This wall makes me smile!

BEFORE (naked wall):

AFTER:

Another Gorgeous Photo bag

I squealed with delight when I got home from my trip to find this in the mail. I am so excited for this little boy's Mama to sport this around town. It's such a fun conversation peice. hese purses are high quality too! They are made of the finest italian leather and have all the compartments a Mama could need.

If you purchase my Belly 2 Babycakes Plan (Baby's First Year Plan), or both of the Belly 2 Baby and Babycakes plans, you get one of these as our gift to you (for surviving the first year ;0))!