Last call for Francypants Academy

Just wanted to remind all you photographers out there that Francypants Academy's Online Mentoring course enrollment will close on Dec. 31st. If you are still interested in it, please email me at francephotography@gmail.com. I have already talked to all of my mentees so far and am SOOOO excited to work with you all. I have tons of ideas to share!

Meal for the masses

Just had to share this killer recipe that I am making for the whole fam-damily. It's DARN easy (you make it in the crockpot) and good. Oh and it's fat free ;0) (minus the entire pint of whipping cream-he.he.he)

Tomato Chicken Fettuccini
3 chicken breasts (I used frozen, & it worked fine)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 t. oregano1 t. basil
2 cloves minced garlic
*you could probably add artichoke hearts, sliced mushrooms, or whatever else sounds good.

*Put all above ingredients in a crock pot on low for 8 - 10 hours.
Combine in separate bowl:
1 pint whipping cream
3 eggs
1-2 c. parmesan cheese
Pour in crock pot for last hour of cooking.

Serve over Fettuccini.

YUMMY!

Thinking outside the self

I think it's easy to fall into a selfish trap. We get so involved in our own busy-ness that we forget what really brings J.O.Y. That is: putting Jesus first, Others second and You last. This fall, I sort of forgot that in my struggle to just survive everyday life. It was not until another photographer friend, Kristen Kalp, started www.givingisawesome.com that I decided to think outside the self. It has had a profound effect on me. It was so humbling to hear others' stories and struggles and realize all of the blessings that I enjoyeveryday. Service is so rewarding because you forget your own troubles and find happiness in helping. It has a ripple affect too.

Kristen Kalp, the founder of www.givingisawesome.com encouraged portrait photographers everywhere to help a family in need this Christmas season. This challenge from ONE PERSON has had incredible results all over the world. Approximately 486 photographers contributed over $500,000 in custom portraits.

Her example showed me that one person really CAN make a difference. She is one of the reasons that I started the post on Caden's Cause. I just really wanted to help. We were able to give Caden's family $2,057 in donations from over 60 photographers and blog readers. It was truly a Christmas miracle! Thank you to all who donated!

Anyways, I had a hard time narrowing it down to just one nominee for the portrait give-away so I chose two. Their stories touched my life and I hope to be able to touch theirs. Each family will receive $500 in portraits from France Photography.

Here are their stories:

NOMINEE #1
This woman is a CNA at the hospital with me. She has quite a story and yet is someone who never complains. She is a single mom of 2 kids. Actually she has three kids, but her youngest daughter died at the age of two from Leukemia. After spending tremendous amounts of time at the hospital with her daughter, she decided that she wanted to become a CNA. I can't imagine after going through something like that that you'd ever want to even step foot into a hospital, but she did and she is absolutely amazing with the kids and their families. She also has a daughter, Brittany, who is 22, and a son Nicholas, who is 15. Her daugher Brittany goes to WNC and will be the first one from their family to go to college. Her son Nicholas is deaf and also has ADHD. Her husband, Dan, died about 4 years ago leaving her a single mom. She is an amazing mother to her children. She works so hard just to get by. She works days, she works nights, she is always willing to help co-workers out whenever they ask. She works 48 hours a week and even after the over-time and extra hours there is never enough left over for extras. I know she would absolutely love to have some amazing pictures of her family. They never take pictures! She always tells me that when she dies, her kids will have like 2 pictures of her and they will be from when she was 15!

NOMINEE #2
I would like to nominate my sister. She is a momma to two beautiful little ones. Katie and Colton. Katie's daddy just up and left one day so she came home to live with my mom(she was in Utah)and she got back on her feet a little. She met another man who is the daddy of Colton. Colton was born very prematurely at 29 weeks I believe. He almost didn't make it. He had a brain bleed and now has a permanent shunt in his brain. In the meantime my sister had to move out from my moms house and find her own place. They struggle daily with bills from medical bills, and medical needs, and just getting by. They barely have money for general necessities. So while they are trying to get on their feet our mom sadly, and suddenly passes away( this May). Just another blow to take our family down. I know in my heart, that winning this would mean the world to her. She is so beaten down with all the awful things that have happened that I would love for her to have this and know that people still do care and life can be great sometimes!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The best gifts come in tiny packages

Another Belly 2 Baby (plan) client had her baby and she's the an angel!

Our Christmas Cards

Even though I design several Christmas cards, mine always seem to be the last ones to be done. *Sigh* So if you haven't gotten one yet, you'll know why. Here's how they look if you're curious. They've been featured on the Design Aglow Blog.

Years ago...

29 years ago, I was born!

7 years ago, my daughter was born

on the day that I was born

even though I said she better not come on my birthday

because I was the birthday queen

...shows you how defiant she can be ;0)

This photo is one I took of her as a baby back in my film days when I thought that maybe I could be a photographer.

I sure love that little girl!

Funny how both the pics of us as babies have our mouths open (and they haven't been shut since ;0)

Not-so-new-born

Remember this gorgeous pregnant mommy on my Belly 2 Baby plan? Well here is her little guy.

I traveled to California for this session (yes, I do travel sessions!) and quite frankly, enjoyed the quiet drive (no yelling or fighting in the background).

Anyhoo, the poor kid was jaundice as a newborn so we didn't get to do his session until he was 7 weeks old and awake as ever. I used every trick in the book to try to get him to sleep but he wanted to be awake for all of it. He finally fell asleep at the very end when we wrapped him up like a burrito. Then he was OUT! He didn't even wake up when we took him out in the cold for a couple shots. He was such a sweetheart though and so are his parents.

Wow!

Wow! That is all I have to say is "Wow"!

Since the post about Caden which was only 24 hours ago, I have received 57 donations from people all over the world, 90% of them being photographers. These contributions totalled over $1700 in donations for Caden's Cause! I am seriously in awe at your generosity. Some of you have donated up to $100 which just warms my heart. I just have to say THANK YOU to all of you who have contributed. God bless you all!

Your turn to help.

When I heard about this local family, I was in tears. Since complimentary portraits (see http://www.givingisawesome.com/ post below) are not an option because the little boy is still in the hospital, I had to do something.

Here's their story: In September little three-year-old Caden told his dad his head hurt. They took him to the doctor who referred them to Stanford University, where Caden had a brain tumor removed and is currently there receiving cancer treatment. His mom had a one-month-old baby at the time and her maternity leave is now up. Her co-workers pooled their hours and bought her another 100 hours of time to spend with her son. The father is a carpenter and is currently out of work. This family has been staying at the Ronald McDonald house while Caden gets his treatments. He needs to be in the hospital until the middle of January. Meanwhile the family is in need of help. We are trying to help the father find employment but meanwhile things are tough.

We are hoping to make Christmas a little brighter for this family. I know times are tight for all of us but I thought if we could get 100 people to chip in just $5 (that's the price of a fast-food value meal) we could donate $500 to this family. Even better, if 100 people chip in $10 we could provide this family with $1000.

Put yourself in their shoes and take 5 minutes to donate $5 to this family. You will be blessed and so will they. I will be presenting them with a check on Sunday, December 21st so please donate asap. See donation button to the right ----------->

If you do not have a Paypal account, please send a check asap to:

France Photography
626 Mary St.

Carson City, NV 89703

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Squishy twin babies

Speaking of major squish factor, I am love with these twin babies! I could have taken them home with me. They were so cute and happy as could be! It makes for one busy mom though! And since there is double the fun, I am posting double the pics.

1 more day and 1 more week until...

Just wanted to remind you that there is only one more day to take advantage of the Introductory price for Francypants Academy where you save $100!

Also, one more week until my birthday so start saving up- he.he.he

wwww.givingisawesome.com

You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.
You know someone. I guarantee it.
I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography -- $500 worth, to be exact. Whether it's canvas or albums, prints for Grandma, or a slideshow to watch over and over, it's in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.
Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a $200 gift card towards a future session. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?
The rules:
* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need.)
* The nominee must reside in Nevada. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.
* You must e-mail me the full story : francephotography@gmail.com
The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve -- get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!
Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,
Kelli France

Major squish factor

My baby LOVES hats so when I put this one on him, I HAD to take some photos! Can you blame me? I love babies in hats because all you see is their big eyes and their squishy cheeks. I think these photos have some major "squish factor" to them because I just want to reach out and squish his cheeks when I see them.

Funky maternity

This future Mama is on my Belly 2 Baby Plan and she's due this Saturday so it's a good thing we did her Maternity session when we did! Who knows you might see her newborn on the blog next week. This was a fun session because she was so willing to do whatever I recommended including freezing her booty off barefoot in the river! I'll be waiting for your call Ari!

Santa Baby

Got some shots of my kids with Santa this weekend. I couldn't believe they actually talked to him this year. I was also shocked that my baby didn't cry because my other two have been scared to death of Santa until this year. We watched the Christmas Story the other night though so maybe that helped them get over their fear of him, who knows? That movie also encouraged my son to start sticking his tongue on every peice of metal he sees! Good thing it hasn't been very cold here this year!

SALE EXTENDED!!!

In case you were unable to make it to I Paint for Joy's last night, I thought I would extend my Buy One Get One Free Sale for the $200 Gift Cards for a couple more days. This is not something that I will offer very often so if you have been considering doing a session in 2009 you might as well purchase a gift card for yourself and then get a sweet gift for a friend or family member. Of course, our Gift Certificates are always available for purchase but if you buy one after the sale, you will miss this aweseome deal. I will even mail them to you so you can save money on gas.

To purchase: just email us at francephotography@gmail.com and we will send you back an invoice. Sale expires Monday December 8th at midnight!

Gift Certificates: 2 for 1!!!

Tonight, I have a booth at I Paint for Joy in Carson City where I will be selling BUY ONE GET ONE FREE GIFT CERTICATES!!! Give the gift of memories that will be cherished for a lifetime this year and then keep one for yourself (no one has to know ;0))

Gift Cards are for $200 to cover a future session fee. They come in our beautiful trifold brochure enclosed in a gorgeous pearl paper envelopment and placed in our adorable gift bags (see photo) so the work is already done! They don't expire until December of 2009 so you've got all year to give it away.

They are the perfect gift for:

~Christmas

~Birthdays

~Mother's Day

~Baby Showers

~Expecting/new moms

So come to I Paint for Joy (in between JCPenney and Burlington Coat Factory) tonight from 4-8 to take advantage of this KILLER deal! Click here for printable details.

Please note that the gift certificate you purchase MUST be for someone in a different household.

Wall of the Week: Shelf wall

Here's an image that one of my clients took of a wall that she put together using images from a couple of sessions we did. I love how it turned out. Shelves are nice because you can always replace the picture without putting another hole in the wall. Thanks for sharing Jessica!

P.S. For all of my clients, feel free to send images of your walls to be featured on the blog! It's fun to see how people display my work.

It's a Christmas Miracle!

Okay well, not really a CHRISTMAS miracle but definitely a miracle. I never showed this picture that I got of all 3 of my own kids looking normal! I can easily get anyone else's kids to take good photos but getting a good one of all three of mine....yeah right. I think kids just do better for other people. They know that the one thing that will tick Mommy off is if they goof off in the photo. They know my buttons so I have stopped trying. But this shot I took in the summer really quick to show off our new porch swing and the photogods must have been working their magic because they all looked at the camera without making a goofy face.

HALELUJAH!

Oh and the one of my oldest and my baby is so sweet! They have the cutest little relationship. He adores her and gives her hugs all the time. They even share a room because they get along so well. She is a little mommy to him. And of course, we love our middle child. I will be doing his Birthday session this weekend so I'll show some shots of those next week. It sucks to be in the middle, right Jake (my brother that we all picked on and adore now)?

2 redheads, a blonde, and a brunette!

These sisters were SUCH fun! I love that they all have their own unique look (well except the twins...I couldn't keep them apart-LOL!) I can't resist posting a lot since there are 4 of them and they are all gorgeous! Oh and the couch...the couch is my fun find from the Vintage Faire that we had a booth in. I ADORE this couch and so did their Mom. We decided that we are kindred spirits since we both adore anything vintage (hence the super cool old Cruiser bike that their Mom provided.)

Molly

Mallory

Both. Best expressions ever!Amanda

Allie

Mentoring Update

I know that times are tough right now and holiday expenses make it even harder to spend any extra cash. Several of you that have shown interest in the Francy Pants Academy's Online Mentoring have mentioned that you just can't afford it right now. If that is the case, I am willing to do a payment plan of 4 payments for the next 4 weeks or whatever works with your budget.
However, to receive the $100 off introductory price, you must make your first payment before Dec. 13th. Just email me at francephotography@gmail.com if you would like to set that up.

Francypants Academy Registration is now open!

I am getting more and more excited about Francypants Academy. I love to teach and learn so I will be doing the assignments right along with you!

If you are looking for something to give your images and business a boost, Francypants Academy will guide you to take it to the next level. It is a fabulous investment in your business!

TO REGISTER:
Just email us at francephotography@gmail.com. We then will give send you a Paypal request along with more information regarding the Mentoring.

Space is limited to the first 15 photographers who register so hurry up and register today!

I am looking forward to working with you!

And because no post is complete without a picture, here's one more from last week.

Mommy/Daughter date

I absolutely love the one below!!! Now where to put it? Sigh.

There is something about a little girl and horses.

These pics make me want to cry. My girl is getting so old! She's almost 7!

One of Ms. Cuteness

This was a fun-filled week! On Wednesday I got together with Angie from Simplicity Photography (located in Salt Lake). We both brought our daughters and decked them out and took pics of them. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOO fun!!! The girls had never met before but became insta-friends, it was adorable!

I have to use some major bribery with my kids since I take a zillion pics of them so we took them out for ice cream afterwards and talked photo-talk and Mommy-talk. Good times!

For Thanksgiving we had an amazing FEAST at my friend's Dad's house and then spontaneously went to see "Twilight" which I vowed I wouldn't do until I read the book but...peer pressure ;0)

I LOOOOOVED it and so did Matt! Now I HAVE to read the book!

Oh and Friday I did some major shopping at 5:30 AM (I am hardcore!) with my girlfriends. We went out to breakfast at the Cracker Box which is the most amazing breakfast place EVER! Shopping and breakfast are one of my all-time favorite things to do and it's even better with my girls. Got some sweet deals for Christmas so I am pretty much done.

We had a good time just hanging out with our little family. Hope you had a good week too!