Pickled Tink & "Mammarazzi" photo classes!

I have been SOOOOOOO excited to finally blog about this! My friend, Emily, is opening up a Boutique/Studio in Reno where you can go to find your inner creativity. Not only do they offer tons of sweet classes for you to create things (like vintage aprons, jewelry, spa wraps, clipboards, wrag rugs and birdhouses-see pics on their blog) but you can also purchase those things as well.
AND AND AND... I am one of the teachers there so I will be teaching a "Mammarazzi" class there to teach you how to take better photos of your children (or grandchildren). The first class will be on June 20th at 1 pm and will be $45 each. Check out their site for more details.

And of course I had to take some shots of the Boutique/Studio. Check it out! It is insanely cute there!

Serious eye candy.

Beautiful spa wraps.

Gorgeous handmade handbags.

Scrapbookers heaven!

Some of the aprons you can make (or buy)!

The fabrics they are sell are so fun & funky!

To die for bird houses!The Boutique part.

The gorgeous Emily, one of the owners.

Meg, the other owner and birdhouse extraordinairre! All of the incredibly talented teachers (except me since I took the pic)

I'm one of the teachers! For those of you that know me, (pathetically) this picture is totally me..such a dork ;0)

What is the name of your business?

Pickled Tink Studio & Boutique

How did you come up with that name?

It was the name of my Grandfather’s boat

How long have you been doing this?

Our store opens today!!!

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

We have a studio where we teach classes such as sewing, jewelry, birdhouses, etc. It is also a boutique where we sell local artist’s work. It is a place where women can express their artistic side.

What makes your product/business so unique?

We offer a place where women can come together, take a class, and be encouraged to find their creative side. There is nothing like Pickled Tink in our area.

Do you have a store/website?

http://www.pickledtinkstudio.com/

Store-front location: 39 E. Taylor St. Reno, NV 89501

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

We started with an old rental house and had a much smaller overall plan of what Pickled Tink would be. Initially we thought it would take much less time to re-do and turn the building into our vision. Two months turned into seven, but we couldn’t be happier with the way it has come together.

How do you balance your business and your family?

My family is amazing and has been so supportive. I could not have done this without them. I know they all can’t wait for it to open so life can become somewhat normal again.What are some of your short and long term goals with your business? Short term we would like to have fun and get our name out. Our long term goal is to keep it simple and not lose sight of our initial purpose with all of this, to help women find their creative side.

Thanks Emily! So you guys gotta go check it out! It's total eye-candy and the Grand Opening is TODAY!

Gorgeous Damask Sofa for sale

You know how when you love something so much, you hate to part with it even if you don't need it?  That's me with this sofa.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it but I have no room for it now that we are re-decorating.  I feel like I need someone to adopt it so I know it will go to a good home.  The cushions are custom made.  I will even include this 4' shelf from Pottery Barn as your FREE Gift with the purchase of the sofa ($100 value).  I am selling it for $285 OBO.  Please email me at francephotography@gmail.com if you are interested.

I also have other home decor items for sale on craigslist if you are interested.

Beach Bum

Oh, I've been such a bad blogger but I have a good excuse.  My Mom is in town and we are busy preparing for a studio/showroom in my home!!!  We are workin' our booties off and I can't wait until it's done!

Anyhoo, this was a Model session that turned out EXACTLY like I envisioned in my head.  First of all, this little girl is one of my returning clients and is crazy-cute!  Her curls are to die for and then her chubby little bunz covered in roses is just too stinkin' cute.  Her outfit is from www.babywillows.com.  

Oh, and I have to give her props.  It was actually freezing cold during this session so she was a real trooper to hang out with so little clothes on.  *Sigh* The life of a supermodel ;0)

Urban ballerina ~ Senior portraits

I decided that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE doing Senior portraits!  I feel like it's just a big hangout/dress-up session.  Annika has been dancing for years so we thought we'd incorporate that into her session.  I love how graceful she looks.

Dare to dream

A friend sent me this and I really liked it. As a teenager, I always had big dreams and anything was possible for me. I envisioned all the great things I would do when I was a "grown-up."

I think that sometimes once we get to that "grown-up" stage, we forget to continue to dream...and dream big. We've seen so much reality that we let it get in the way of hoping for something better and thinking that it might actually happen. This year, I realized that it's those dreams that keep me going and that I still can accomplish anything even if I have a little more gray hair and some killer stretch marks. So don't forget to dream!

If there was ever a time to dare,

to make a difference,

to embark on something worth doing,

IT IS NOW.

Not for any grand cause, necessarily...

but for something that tugs at your heart,

something that's your inspiration,

something that's your dream.

You owe it to yourself to make your days here count.

HAVE FUN-DIG DEEP-STRETCH-DREAM BIG.

Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easy.

There will be good days.

And there will be bad days.

There will be times when you want to turn around,pack it up, and call it quits.

Those times tell you

that you are pushing yourself which you are not afraid to learn by trying.

PERSIST.

Because with an idea,determination, and the right tools,you can do great things. Let your instincts, your intellect,and your heart, guide you.

TRUST.

Believe in the incredible power of the human mind.

Of doing something that makes a difference.

Of working hard.Of laughing and hoping.

Of lazy afternoons.

Of lasting friends.

Of all the things that will cross your path this year.

The start of something new brings the hope of something great,

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

Male Models...little ones ~ Reno children's photographer

The majority of my Model Search sessions have been with girls so this one was a fun change with these two cute boys.  They are wearing clothing from Baboo Boutique.  So cute!

Senior in sassy sneakers

I am slow in showing these but here are some images from the Workshop I went to a couple of weeks ago.  Man, I wish I had a sweet bridge like this here!  I loved working with this senior because I knew we were kindred spirits when I saw her sassy sneakers!

Sk8r boy

My 5 year old just discovered my husband's old skateboard from the garage and now thinks he is all that with it.  He even posed on it without me asking (my kids are such hams!) That face he is making in the last photo is what I call "the look".  It's his mischievous face that he has made ever since he was a baby.  Love it!

Pimp my chair

This weekend we did some yardwork and de-cluttering and made a trip to the dump.  When we drove past the furniture pile at the dump, a pillar of light shone down on this chair.  Now, this may look like junk to some but to me, it has great potential so I took it home.  I had my daughter try it out that night in some pics and I think it will rock for portraits!  (I love the headshot of my daughter.  I was squealing with delight when I looked at the back of my camera).

Here's where I need your help.  The seat cover obviously needs some help.  What would you do to this?? What kind of fabric could I use to cover it with?  I need your help to make it FABULOUS!

Gorgeous Grads promo

Tell anyone you know that may be graduating next year!  Also, to clarify, you just have to book your session, not complete it by May 31st.

What's on your wall?

This is one of my client's walls that she has ordered and I call it "the Progressive wall". She ordered the first set of 3 squared, framed images from one session and then about a year later, ordered the next set of 3. It is the perfect solution for clients who want to come back again and again!

Mommy n' me ~ Reno newborn photographer

This little man was such an angel for his session which surprised me since he was 4 weeks old (newborns photograph best around 3-7 days).  He just curled right up and slept so peacefully.  His Mama was a really chillax Mom so I think that helps.  Aren't they gorgeous together?

engagement slideshow

Check out this slideshow from a recent engagement session that Jason from www.flowmotionmedia.com made for me.  Very cool!

Pretty in pink

I am a sucker for pink but can you blame me?  It looks so darn cute on all these girls!  The clothes for this model session come from Baby Willows.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Happy Mother's Day...a little late. I just got back from visiting my Mom in Utah (and attending an amazing photo workshop) and came home to this hilarious email where I got voted as Mother of the Year! Didn't you hear? Check it out http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=NvNHsjUJk.ZrUY0githy5TExODc5Njg2&referred_by=15849814-KN3pSix&p=moveon

I'll post pics tomorrow, just gotta catch up on everything now!

Holy smokes!!

Here's just one from another Model session we did.  HOLY SMOKES she is cute!  I am going out of state to a photo workshop for a week so I'll show you more when I get back.  Toodles!

Another Model Session!

This little girl has the biggest blue eyes that my camera was LOVIN'!  We went off-roadin' for this session. She was a such trooper to venture the rugged terrain but it was totally worth it! The outfits she is wearing are from Baby Willows in Gardnerville.