Okay…okay…I just had to share… I love how it looks like he’s throwing up some homie love.

It’s that time of year again!!! Can you believe how fast the year has gone by? I do apologize for the delay in posting my holiday schedule. Everything has been happening so fast! I had my schedule all planned out and then several things changed it around. Then my holiday schedule started getting booked before I ever had a chance to think about announcing it! Crazy and such a blessing.

Here’s the low down:

• Oct 4th- Mini Sessions in Louisa
• Oct. 10th- Mini Sessions in Richmond (This will probably be my biggest day of mini sessions. It will be held on a farm with a beautiful barn, tall grass, a huge field, and all my vintage props! Oh…and my favorite part…my wonderful, beautiful, awesome favorite family is letting us use their Grandmother’s old white iron bed! I’m getting white bedding for it! That in the middle of the field…wow!)
• Oct. 11th- Mini Sessions in downtown Lexington
• Oct. 31st- SESSIONS NEEDING IMAGES FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS MUST BE DONE ON OR PRIOR TO THIS DATE. Only a very few full session spots are available in October. September is full! Sessions after Oct. 31st will not be guranteed holiday delivery of orders.
• Nov. 30- All holiday orders must be in.

Here’s what you get with a mini session:

• 20 miniute mini session
• 8-10 images on a password protected online gallery
• printed 5×7’s of each image
• high resolution digital cd of all images with unlimited printing privelages
• $30 off custom designed holiday cards, printed on fine quality linen paper

High resolution digital cd’s give you unlimited gift possibilities! Here are just a few ideas:

• print images from your favorite store or online vendor (www.mpix.com is recommended) and frame for beautiful, inexpensive gifts to family and friends
• create personalized 2010 calendars (www.shutterfly.com is recommended)
• create coffe table books (www.blurb.com is recommended)
• you can even create your own holiday cards or have me do them for you and receive $30 off!
• www.shutterfly.com also has lots of little fun gifts like ornaments, personalized story books, notebooks, notepads, keepsake boxes, and even totes (can you imagine how cute with your very own picture on the front!)

$300

ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF THESE SESSIONS WILL BE OFFERED! BOOK YOUR SESSION NOW TO HOLD YOUR SPOT!

***SNEAK PEEK OF PRODUCTS***

Oh and and just because I am in love with our products…I thought I would share our PRODUCT CATALOG Enjoy!!!!

And here are just a few of some of my new holiday card designs. Remember everything is customized to you and your session! Cards come in 5×5 and 5×7 flat and folded, as well as 5×5 trifold!

Where to even begin. Well, first for any of you who don’t know my story, you can go here to get caught up I am so blessed to have such an amazing family. Now, we have a new addition! I have a new baby sister, Macy Grace. She was born on July 13th (I know…I’m a bad sister for just now posting ) at 9:11 a.m.

I arrived at the hospital about 8:30. I was running late, as usual (not sure when that started happening) and scared to death I was going to miss it. There was some talk of me being in the delivery room, but since Macy would be delivered by c-section, we didn’t think they would let me. So, I’m going on the assumption I’m not going in. I had my tiny red camera all prepared for Mikie to take a few pictures. We went over the tutorial of how to use it.  Of course, I had my big bag of cameras and lenses just in case Everyone was excited…mostly Myca. She has been excited, and partially dreading, this for a while now. Before Erica found out she was pregnant she kept asking for a baby sister. She has said so many cute things along the pregnancy. It makes me tear up thinking about one of the stories Erica told me where she had to ease Myca’s worries with “Are Sissy and Sis good big sisters? Well you just do what they do.” Aaawww! Myca had been giving Mikie strict instructions that she was to be the first one to hold Macy!

At 9:00 the nurse came in and said “who’s the one that was going to take pictures?” They pointed at me and said “but they’re not going to let her go back.” The nurse said, “You’re going in. I’ll be back with your gear.” Okay…so I’m not sure “gear” is what they called it, but it’s the crazy space man uniform they give you before you can go in! You’ll see a picture shortly My stomach dropped. I immediately started going through my bags trying to decide on the perfect lens, going over all this technical stuff in my head about how to make these pictures turn out just perfect. I have to tell this story. I have to make this turn out perfect. The pressure was on. I went back and forth between two lenses until I finally settled on one. Of course, I SQUEEZED the other one into my jean pocket just in case. I mean squeezed, along with batteries and memory cards. I have no clue how I thought I was ever going to get it out. Then they rolled Erica out of the room to the operating room. Tears started rolling of excitement, and possibly a little fear that always comes along with a surgery. Then came the wait. Mikie and I kept wondering if they had forgotten all about us. I just said “Erica would never let that happen.” I know Erica and through the drugs she would still be thinking of Mikie being with her and the pictures (I am lucky enough to have family who are as obsessed with pictures as I am). The longer we waited, the more nervous I got. Then FINALLY the nurse came. She said “you’ve seen stuff like this before, right?” Ummm…you kidding me? NO! I nervously squeeze out “well…no…” She gives me the look of “oh no…we have a fainter”. She said “well have you eaten?” So, then I tried to remember if I had. Well, yeah…of course…oh wait…I had powdered donuts and a Pepsi…does that count? lol.

We get to the room where Erica is. It was just so surreal. The nurses immediately start giving us instructions and telling us what’s going on. I was told to stay in one little spot, and I have to admit, I was thrilled to stay there. I was told I couldn’t take pictures of the actual surgery. No complaints here! I just can’t believe how fast everything went. Here they are jerking Erica around and I can see her body moving, then I’m looking at her face and talking to her, asking if she’s in any pain. Next thing we know they’re showing us Macy for the very first time. Saying it was amazing is simply an understatement. Seeing all the emotions, the relationships, being there to witness a true miracle…words really cannot express it. For Macy to even be a possibility is a miracle, for Erica to be able to carry her through out is another miracle, and to see her here in front of us….is breath taking. So…since this is something I could never express through words, I will share with you the story of Macy’s birthday through pictures This slideshow has pictures from before her birthday, her big day, and a few of her newborn pictures

 And here are some of my favorites!

Love at first sight…

A mother’s first touch…

The first day a little sister becomes a big sister…

The first time a Mother holds her baby…

A Father watching his little miracle when he thinks no one is around…

A newly big sister singing to her little sister…

My absolute favorite newborn picture ever….

Ladies…when you hear this story, remember, he’s taken, but I’m sure there are still a few good ones out there. John Henry called me a while back and I was so excited I almost cried. He wanted to include me on a very special surprise to his long time girlfriend Katosha. I just wanted to scream “yes…I’ll do it!” as soon as he started talking! He began by telling me that Katosha has always wanted me to photograph their one day wedding and how he was planning on proposing…he even had the exact date he wanted to propose…and he wanted me there to photograph the whole thing! We immediately started planning one huge, well, lie to feed Katosha in hopes she would believe us! I contacted her and said there was this location in Danville that I had always wanted to do a session, but I could never talk anyone into and I would really love it if they would model for me (well, all of that was true). Okay…I made it sound better than that And as a gift for modeling for me, she could pick a location for the second half of the shoot. I wanted the proposal to happen in a place that was more them then the junkyard I wanted to go to Then we waited. Was she going to buy this? Did I make it sound believeable? I was so nervous! Well, she bought it! We then planned a beautiful session on July 3rd…oh and we said that was the only date I had open for a very long time and we had to do it then!

The proposal was beautiful. We had the exact pose picked out. I would have Katosha in front so she couldn’t see John Henry get on one knee. Then I would smoothly have Katosha turn around. It took a little bit for her to notice he was on one knee. She looked at him…thought he was posing….looked at me….then he said “Katosha”. She looked back at him and said “what are you doing?” She couldn’t believe it. It was amazing. I was so nervous I wasn’t going to do this moment justice with my tears getting in the way. He had counted exactly how many days they had been dating and she had been waiting. It was so romantic. I think the most romantic part is that he listened and knew she would love to have these pictures to last forever and remember every moment of it. They are such a beautiful and happy couple. I know this is one that will also last forever…

I’ll stop rambling and show some pictures. Here is the full slideshow of the day!

And some of my favorites

An

Hello again! Can you believe? Two entries in one week! And there’s more to come I’m *almost* caught up! Here are a few more from most of my recent sessions . Again…less talk and more images. Don’t worry, you will get to read my ramblings soon…very soon!

Parker’s senior session (okay…so, this isn’t really a “recent” session). We’re working on something that I can’t wait to show!!!! Can you guess what it is? Be sure to check out Parker’s website at www.parkerwyoung.com. Inspiring story…tons and tons of talent…a true gem of Lancaster.

Little Miss Payton. 7 months is my absolute favorite age to photograph!!! Can’t you see why!?! They are always so happy and can sit up, but not run from me!

Colt…oh how I feel so old. Colt is my best friend, Andrea, little brother. I have known him since he was around 7! Crazy!!! I’m so proud of him!

I know you have to recognize this little beauty Here she is over a year ago! I cannot believe it’s been so long since we’ve done a session. She’s grown so much and is such a big girl now. Don’t you just love her blonde curls and big blue eyes?

Oh…squeeze her cheeks! This next picture is one of my favorites ever. She was such a happy baby! Her Momma and Dad are friends of mine from way back when. I haven’t seen them in so long. I was completely honored that they were willing to drive all the way from Louisa for a session with me! I’m so glad they did

A few more from one of my Seniors that Rock! sessions. They get a choice of a full session or two mini sessions. Here are a few from his first session. I love so many of the ones we got during the second session! Hayden was such a trooper, despite how tired he was This next picture is probably one of my favorites…ever!