Fun changes for 2008!

The year is coming to an end and what a fabulous year it has been! I have been working on goals for next year and have put a lot of thought into what direction I want to take my work in. My two main focuses next year for my children's work will be customization and quality. I would love to be more involved in styling my sessions and giving each session a custom look. I am working on getting more vintage props, awesome new fabric backgrounds, and I am always on the lookout for wonderful urban locations. As far as quality, I will be focusing more on a select set of images from your session and really perfecting them to their potential. Pricing structure will also change with more focus on prints, custom collages, canvas gallery wraps, flush mount albums, and other quality products. I am looking forward to seeing my work really come alive and being able to hand over a real work of art vs. just a CD of files.

Here is an example of a little custom collage I put together.























The sky is the limit with these and each one will be one of a kind!

Jack and Olivia

I shot my little website cover girl this evening! You may recognize Olivia as the little girl on the main page of my website. She and Jack came down for a special photo shoot and her mom (bless her heart) brought down some fun hats! Aren't they the cutest?!

Playing around in Photoshop... you like???

Henry

Henry lives near Brainerd so it was an honor to take his photos while his mom was down in the cities. He has the most beautiful eyes and was a joy to photograph. Henry is 15 months so it can be a challenging age, but once you are able to capture that natural smile- nothing beats it!

Donovan and Nolan

Nolan was just a teeny, tiny baby when I first met him and now he is 7 months! They brought along their uncle and aunt who are expecting their first baby in April. We shot out at the Arboretum which is decked out in Christmas decorations. It was really beautiful out there despite the cold weather. We had to make a few trips in and out to get warmed up.

My BFF!

I had a pretty amazing day yesterday! I took my kids to the Nutcracker display at Macy's downtown. I love being able to take them there. I try to do it every year and hope that someday when they're older, they'll have fond memories of the tradition that I've created. We pretty much spent the day downtown having lunch and taking in the sights. I haven't been downtown in months so it was nice to be a part of the hustle and bustle once again.

Now for the exciting news! I ended up being able to catch up with my friend Nichole, who lives 12 hours away in Indiana. She was my BFF through junior high and then she moved away in 9th grade. Besides a brief visit 4 years ago, I hadn't seen her prior to that in ages! Anyway, we wrote letters for years after she moved and have since been keeping in frequent phone contact. She happened to be in Wisconsin today attending a funeral and we were able to catch up this evening at her hotel since we were only an hour apart! It was so fun, I got to see her mom and dad, who I haven't seen since 1991 when they moved away. I also got to meet her new baby, who isn't so new since he's now 15 months! I am so grateful that we were able to connect today. I'm sorry for the loss in the family, but it ended up being a tiny blessing in disguise.


Here is a picture of us from our 8th grade formal. Starting at the left is my friend Kelly who I still keep in touch with. I'll be doing her son's photos next month. I haven't seen her since she was pregnant with him. The second girl in the back is my friend Nicole. I just shot her wedding back in August! The blonde in front, second in from the right is my friend Nichole from Indiana, who I just saw last night. The girl on the far right is my other best friend Jenni, who moved out to WA two years ago.

Isn't this hilarious?! I remember I got that dress at Dayton's and I think my mom bought it for me for $75 or so. That was a lot of money when you're only 13!











































































































































Owen took that picture of us, he didn't want to take another one so this is it!

Holiday Wish List

I did this last year and thought it would be fun to do it again this year. I hope to get a few of these things next year for my business but if Santa thinks I have been good and wants to get them for me this year, I won't complain! :)



























































































































































































What do you hope Santa brings you for Christmas?