I tied my son to the chair...

Today my 4 year old boy has been bouncing off the walls. During dinner, I had had it so I gently tied him to the chair with my husbands belt. Now before you call CPS, hear me out.

I then proceeded to tell him that we were all at in a Spaceship and that was his seatbelt. He asked me how come no one else had a "seatbelt" (smart kid). I matter-of-factly told him it was because we had all eaten our chicken and earned a spacesuit that lets us float away from the Spaceship (aka table) and into outer space. About 2 minutes later, he had earned his spacesuit and was released from his seatbelt into "Outer Space." It worked!

Sometimes I forget to ENJOY my kids but it's moments like these that I find myself thinking that it's not everyday that my kids will be so silly and sweet and innocent. I mean, can you imagine me tying him up as a teenager and telling him that our dinner table is a spaceship??

A Sneak Peek of a Sneak Peek

Just a little taste of a recent session! If you think the back of her is cute, wait until you see the front. She is crazy-cute! I'll show more on Monday after I finish editing the rest.

Family portraits...of us!

I have to share my day today. It was an adventure to say the least. It began in the wee hours of the morning when my 6 year old woke us up in the night with the stomach flu. We were up a lot that night. So we didn't go anywhere we had planned to go that day. Then, I accidentally dropped the phone in the toilet. Yah...nice! I promise I wasn't "multitasking" while I was on the pot. I just happened to have it in my back pocket and plop it went when I flushed. Okay, too much information.

To top off the day, my 4 year old locked my 16 month old in the baby's bedroom and I couldn't figure out how to unlock the door for the life of me (our doors are old and the locks are funky) so...we got a fun little visit from the firemen who came and unlocked the door. My poor baby was pretty mad by the time we got it open and my 4 year old was lovingly, put down for a nap so that the rest of us could nap. Needless to say, it was a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG day.

Okay and onto the real reason for the post, while we were in Utah, my fabulous friend Kara took our family portraits. She and I had been plotting for weeks on clothing and locations and props etc. We had too many ideas and not enough time! But I LOVE what she captured of us. Photos of us being us. Nothing too posy or traditional. Just the way I like em. This one is my all time favorite. There's more on her photo blog too.

P.S. The supercute shirts my sons are wearing are from Baby Willows (see post below).

What's on my daughter's wall?

I've been meaning to share this for a while. I finally got this printed as a 20x24. The coolest part is the frame. It used to be a mirror that shattered when I tried to hang it and I was so sad that I couldn't get rid of it (thinking I would just get the glass fixed eventually.) Instead I tore off the backing and put this image of my girl in it and it is PERFECT for her Shabby Chic style bedroom!

That mirror is a lot like life. Sometimes things fall apart and don't turn out how you expect and then suddenly it works out even better than you dreamed, you just have to be patient.

Deep thoughts by Kelli ;0).

{Baby Willows Boutique}

If you haven't been to Baby Willows (in Gardnerville) you have to go and check out my little display while you are there. Can I just tell you that I LOVE this place! Baby Willows Boutique has THE most adorable things in there! And it is very kid friendly if you want to shop there with your kiddos. I bring all 3 of them and Judy gives them suckers and shows them toys. My kids were all taking turns riding around on these Wheely Bugs and they were so cute I had to buy one.

They also sell Hooter Hiders, which is one of the greatest inventions known to the nursing Mom. I got one there and wouldn't leave home without it.

I also use a lot of the clothing from the store in my Sessions too. Like these hats and this onesie:

or these headbands and petticoats:

Did I mention that I love this place?

For my Dad

While we were in Utah, we stopped in Salt Lake City to see my sister and her husband. We only had time to have lunch with them since we had to head back but it was a good time. I got to see her new house too and it is so cute. She is quite the skilled decorator! I should have taken pictures of it but sometimes while I am on vacation I tend to go on "vacation" with the picture taking too. But I did manage to get a photo of us that I thought my Dad would appreciate since he couldn't make it down to Utah.

Oh, and check out my new do. Getting your hair cut short is addicting. My hair is super thick so I am lovin' this new hair cut for the summer. It feels so good and is darn easy to do.

{Dress-up}

My Mom runs a Preschool in her home and so the kids LOVE to visit her house in Utah because she has the best setup and the most fun toys! My daughter found this ensemble along with her two cousins. Don't they look so sweet? This is the picture I got right before my daughter got grumpy and said "NO MORE PICTURES!" Bummer for me.

First fish

I love the expression on my son's face. He doesn't know what to think about this fish. Oh, and my hubby still has a popsicle stick in his mouth and is sporting what I call his "Dad glasses." Gotta love those!

(Below) SO sweet! A father-daughter moment. I still remember all the fishing trips that my Dad and step-dad took me on. They were some good memories.
Reelin' it in. Look at the concentration on my daughter's face and the excitement on my hubby's. Love it!
A proud moment except the fish is going bazerk.

Our trip to Utah was short but sweet! I went to my high school reunion and we got to see lots of family members. The highlight of it all was watching my kids catch their first fish! Grandpa C. took us all to the reservoir and we had a really good time. My kids loved it but were a little freaked out by the fish once they caught them. Good times.

Why I don't do studio portraits

Check this out but be prepared for some hilarious photos that might look all too familiar to your old school portraits. I know I have some SWEET Olan Mills images of me as a kid. This is why I don't do studio portraits: Olan Mills Blog

Okay and I promise that I will post images from my trip tomorrow. I am still trying to organize and get things back to normal.

My Mother's Day Gift (a little late)

This photo necklace is a Mother's Day gift that I gave to myself and also to my mother-in-law. Of course, it had pictures of my own kiddos in it but I LOVE it! I will be offering these for my clients now. It is made of sterling silver and the coolest part is that I will change out the photo free of charge at every future photo shoot. That is truly a gift that keeps on giving!

On another note, we just got back from Utah so I will be posting lots of photos from our vacation but first I gotta unpack and get my house back in order. Oh, the after effects of vacations!

My new goal is to start posting on this blog everyday now so check back often.

Wall of the Week

I've been dying to show this wall gallery. I love how it looks on the robin's egg blue paint. It really pops!

Biker Boyz

Before you read this post, you must click the music on the left <------ to enhance your experience. The song is perfect for my boys who LOVE to ride their bikes (or trikes or scooters or anything on wheels). My baby is obsessed with bikes and cars. It's pretty cute. I love the look on their faces in these images. My older boy always has this look of mischeif on him. In the full-body shot of him, he looks like he's gonna run me over! Oh, how I love having boys.

My "Mommy Memos"

As a Mom, I have always wished that I could read my Mother or Grandma's Journals to see how they dealt with everyday parenting issues. So...I decided to be proactive and write one for my daughter. I thought I would share some of my entries each week in case I can help someone else. Not that I am saying I know it all but it's nice to hear different ideas from different Moms so without further ado, I give you the first shared entry to my "Mommy Memos."

This one is titled, "Block out the Bad, Harness the Good."
Recently, I watched my neighbor interact with her youngest son in a way that was so simple yet effective. She has five kids, all of which are very good kids. She is very laid back and never seems to get upset with her kids.

Her son began throwing a fit and she just turned to us without any fluctuation in her tone of voice and said, “Oh, just ignore him while he throws a fit.” It was ingenious! Even though we were all still present, this little three-year-old boy stopped his fit because it is no fun to throw one without a good audience.

I have been trying this technique with my daughter who is the queen of whining, arguing and fussing and it has been working surprisingly well. I just walk away when she behaves that way or simply tell her that I am going to ignore her (even when I am in the same room) and she stops because it is no fun to argue when no one is arguing back. Kids want attention whether it’s positive or negative. I think that if I were to just try to focus more on her good points and block out the bad ones or ignore them, we will have a more peaceful home.

Mom my Ride

This is SO my mini-van! If you are a Mom with a mini-van, you must see this. It's hilarious and oh so true!

{The Princess and the Pea-ano}

This cute girl was SO sweet! She was a happy, soft-spoken little soul and just went with the flow during the entire session. We did lots of playing (including the piano) so I had to share some fun Storyboards I came up with. Her Mom, who is so bubbly and fun, told me that she loves to color so I captured some coloring images and loved how the crayons were labeled "So Big." I thought that was the perfect title for the Storyboard (although it's kind of ironic because she is so petite.) Oh, and they live right by "the beach" (aka Lake Tahoe) so of course, we had to get some shots there.

"The Secret Garden"

I love our house because it has a nice backyard for my kids to play in. After my kids watched "The Secret Garden," our overgrown dogrun on the side got the label "The Secret Garden." It makes me giggle because it not much of a garden but it's kind of an excluded little area where they love to take their toys and play pretend. So, I had to capture some images of my girl in "The Secret Garden." This is how she looked one day after school and it's just SO her She loves to wear dresses but sort of old-fashioned ones. I just love her expressions in these. She has the most amazing imagination and keeps telling me that she thinks her life is a story. I am glad that I get to capture her story.

P.S. I can never decide which ones of my kids to print (I am too bias) so if you could only pick one, which would it be?? I am going to be putting together a wall collage (should be ready in a week or 2 so I'll for sure post pics) and am having the hardest time picking my faves. There's too many!

Walls of the Week

I say walls with an "S" because this client had images on several different walls and I think it really added to the look of her home. I especially love how they look in our custom frames. The candy apple red ones are my favorite. My sister, who is an amazing decorator, told me that regardless of your color scheme in your home, every room should have a splash of red.

I'm Famous

Okay, not really, but some of my framed images are featured on my frame company's new website. Check out Wild Sorbet Frames and go to "The Scoop" page and look at the Frame Gallery and you'll see my images towards the end of the gallery.

Lovely Senior

Seniors are always a refreshing change from the little ones because I don't have to chase anyone. They actually sit/stand still! Not that I am complaining because you know I adore kids but it's a nice change. This Senior girl was very sweet. We had to do a shot with the chair because her Mom owns my FAVORITE vintage store with all sorts of Shabby Chic finds in it, called Due Sorella. Which version of the last one do you like better for my website? I can't decide.

Tagged again

My Photo friend, Kara May, "tagged" me (again) so now I have to post 8 things about myself along with the rules. I also added an image of me when I was 5 just for kicks. Don't you love my awesome homemade dress from the 80's? I still have the dress. Why? Nobody knows.

The Rules.
*Post the rules before you give the facts.
*Post eight random facts about yourself.
*At the end of your blog post, you need to tag 3 people and list their names
*Leave the people you tagged a comment on their blog, letting them know that they've been tagged.I'll try not to tell anything that I told you all the last time I was tagged. ;-)

1. I am learning to garden. I just planted my first tomato today.
2. I have been waking up at 5 AM everyday this week to go to the gym which is a little miracle since I haven't worked out in months!
3. I like to camp but have no camping gear to do so.
4. I LOVE garage sales but am trying to avoid them this year because we are trying to declutter
5. I graduated in Elementary Education and don't plan to ever use my degree. Photography is where my passion is.
6. My desk is a MESS! Cleaning is not my forte, but I try.
7. I love big breakfasts but rarely make them in the morning so lately we've been having "brinner" (breakfast for dinner).
8. I can stick my entire fist in my mouth.

Now I should tag 3 people but I am one of those people that doesn't ever forward junk mail or chain letters (call me a rebel or just call me lazy) so I am going to relieve my friends of the assignment.

A few more

Had to share a few more from this last session because it went so well that we tried a variety of clothes and different settings. Isn't he a cutie?

Three's a Charm

This session was the third one for this little guy who is just as cute as could be. (Here's the Baby Session http://francephotography.blogspot.com/2006/10/sneak-peak.html and him at eighteen months old http://francephotography.blogspot.com/2007/09/lucious-locks.html)

We took him out to splash in the puddles and he had such fun (who wouldn't?) I love doing outdoor sessions and so do the kiddos because they can be free to be themselves in nature.

Speaking of three's a charm, I know a session went well when we got through 3 changes of clothing without a fuss! I'll show the other outfits tomorrow.

Oh and today's give-away will be for the Mom of this cutie (whom I adore ;0). I will have a "Comment Contest" where if 5 people comment, she will receive a complimentary 5x7, if 10 people post a comment, she will receive a complimentary 8x10, and if 20+ people comment, she will receive a complimentary 11x14 ($125 value!) So all you lurkers and blog stalkers, come out and comment so this Mommy can get as many prints of her adorable son as possible. Contest will close at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, May 27th.

Even kids love them.

I am having computer issues so I wasn't able to post any pics or the corresponding give-away so you will have to wait next week. Thanks for being patient.

BUT, I did get a recent email from a client (whose twins are on my Baby's First Year Plan) that made my day and I just had to share:

"We get so many compliments on the pictures in our home and the girls have become very attached to their Session Album from session #1. They are so gentle turning the pages and pointing at each other in the pictures."

Even the kiddos love to see pictures of themselves on the wall and in the albums.