Last year all my children were assigned a kitchen chore.  Not long ago, the six year old was upgraded to wiping the table after meals.  The theory is that he’d learn to keep his food on his plate if he’s the one who has to clean the table.  Anyway, here it how he cleans our table…

It’s better than nothing, right?  LOL.

I did something huge this month.  I applied for a photography scholarship.  I had to write about myself and submit a 2 minute video that was creative and out-of-the box about why I would be a good recipient.  All of that is scary enough on it’s own.  However, all the videos were posted publicly for others to be able to view!  That’s pretty nerve racking too.  But, I figured what was the likelihood that anyone I knew would happen upon my video?  Pretty slim, right?  Unless I post about it on my blog or something….  Then the unthinkable happened.  They added a comment forum under each video so people could post and let the judges know which applicants touched them in some way.  That means that outside opinions would be considered by the judges.  Judges like Carey Schumacher from San Diego Barefoot Memories (a photographer I’ve admired for some years now), along with representatives from Sony and Adobe, in addition to MeRa Koh and her husband Brian who started the whole scholarship.

This scholarship is an opportunity for three women to be mentored in growing a photography business.  Mentored by women who have families they balance along side ultra successful businesses.  It means business coaches, tutors in post processing, new equipment, workshops, website and blog hosts.  The list goes on.  Things I’d love to have but will be slow to achieve on my own.

As most of you know, I’ve begun a journey into starting my own business.  My original goal was to have a business up and running when all my children made it to school full time.  What a blessing many of you have been!  I’ve had more opportunity to build a portfolio and it’s happened much more quickly than I anticipated.  So, here I sit at a crossroads.  Hoping to be more than I am on my own with the help of this scholarship.

So, from a place of total vulnerability, I am going to do the hard thing and show you my application.  Well, actually I’m going to direct you to the link where you can see it for yourself.  My hope is that you find it humorous and creative but also serious and empowering.  If you feel lead to comment on my “photo” (you’ll see a drop down menu that offers you the chance to post on the photo or the gallery - pick photo) telling the judges why you think my video suggests that people would want to follow my journey this year, I’d surely appreciate it.

http://www.soarwithmera.com/Galleries/Submissions/10499462_eeZj4#738173786_bt2CW-A-LB

I hope it makes you chuckle.  Thank you all so very, very much for your support.  Regardless of the outcome.

Cheers!

Last weekend I had the opportunity to fill in for a photographer buddy of mine.  He is the annual Santa photographer for the folks at Stoneleigh Country Club but this year he was off watching the Dallas Cowboys and asked me to take over for him.  It was such a great time!  Santa and Mrs. Claus were superb.  It was unlike any other Santa experience I’ve ever had.  Each child was allowed to linger with the Claus’ and talk to them as long as they wished.  Since it was a brunch, each family took their time eating as a family and visiting with Santa when he was available.  It was wonderful!  And I got the best seat in the house as I watched each child light up with wonder as he or she talked to Santa and Mrs. Claus about what they wanted and listened to stories about the North Pole.  Mrs. Claus even told several children about her head elf named Lucy who helps her run the homestead up there.  It was completely delightful! 

I’d planned to send out a Christmas card from our family with a picture of my three children with the Claus’.  My youngest son was not interested in the least to sit next to Santa unless I was in the picture too.  So, my sweet husband and I ended up in the picture this year too.  Here is our Christmas picture we sent out on our card.

So from me and mine to you and yours, Merry Christmas!  May all the joy of the season rest in your home and in your heart this week.

Cheers!

being a photographer’s kid.  The light in my dining room was so beautiful the other day.  The two big kids were in school so I said, “Hey, Mason!  Stay right there and let me take a few pictures of you.”

Hmmm.  That’s not going to do me any good.  “Please smile.  I’ll give you a lollipop!”

Happy kid, happy mommy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

Earlier this year, I had the chance to photograph this super fun family.  Mom and Dad, their four children, their son-in-law and their grandson.  It was such a great time for me!  I picked out my absolute favorites to show you.  I hope you enjoy them!

I’ve neglected this ‘ole blog ‘o mine for too long now.  You’ll be seeing more of me in the coming days.  I have a backlog of sessions to share with you so I hope you’ll stop in again soon!

Cheers!

This is Clyde.  Isn’t he the sweetest little puppy?  He belongs to our neighbors and the entire neighborhood is smitten with this guy. 

I was testing out some new photoshop actions earlier today on some pictures I took of Clyde this fall.  I thought you might like to see a little cuteness too.

Thanks for visiting!

Cheers!

I miss summer.

Are you looking for some ideas on handmade gifts for this Christmas? Cindy at Skip to my Lou is hosting a month of ideas that will soon be compiled into a neat little gift giving guide. Follow along with me.

I don’t know about your house – but at my house, it’s time to tone down Christmas.  I wish I could find you a picture of Ashlee’s second Christmas.  Honestly, the gifts filled the little room where we had our tree.  Granted she was our first child so we had virtually no toys for her and granted most of them were purchased second hand at a thrift store or consignment sale.  Also, a lot of them were big toys that she would use for several years.  Still – it set a precedent that I maintained.  I will never forget having my in-laws here last Christmas and when we were still opening gifts at 11:00AM, my father-in-law commented, “I’ve never Christmased all day long before.”  In the past, we’ve had to take breaks from gift opening so that the youngest child could nap.  It’s a bit much.  No wonder I was relieved when the day was over instead of having enjoyed the entire season like I should!  I’d started buying early and tucked things away.  Then as I got closer, I’d panicked that I didn’t have enough because I couldn’t see it so I bought more. 

This year is going to be different.  I say that every year but this year I’m making it public.  I’ve heard of a few suggestions that make Christmas more manageable.  One is that each child only gets three gifts from mom and dad because baby Jesus only got three gifts.  I liked that idea and was planning to use it as my guide until I stumbled on the want, need, wear, read idea.  Then I added made-by-me as an item too.  I like the idea of getting each of my kids one thing that they really want.  One item that might cost a little more but will get thoroughly used versus a bunch of little toys for me to step on.  One item that required a lot of thought to show my children that Dad and I know them and care about their interests.  I also like the idea of giving them something they need.  Face it, there are plenty of kids in the world who would love to just get one item they need as a Christmas gift.  It’s a good reminder that we are so, so blessed.  Wear fits our pj tradition.  Every year, Santa’s elf stops by our house on Christmas Eve to drop off a new pair of pjs for everyone in the family.  I started this back when Ashlee was born so no one would be wearing ratty pjs in my Christmas morning photographs.  I am a photographer at heart afterall.  The read part appeals to me because I have so many “disposable” books around my house and half of them are crummy writing.  I like the idea of buying a nice hard backed classic that is age appropriate and reading it over and over to my children.  I like the idea of having it last and perhaps reading it to Grandchildren some day.  And I added the made-by-me part because I want some of our Christmas to be heartfelt and handmade with love.  I want my children to appreciate handmade gifts and know that sometimes they can be the best one of all.

To see where all this started, you can visit the original blog post here.  http://dandeedesigns.blogspot.com/search?q=nifty+gift+tags

The other helpful Christmas tip I can provide is to start a notebook.  I’ve been doing this for several years now and it’s made my Christmas season much, much easier.  Naturally, I had to decorate mine after a few years of a regular old blue binder…  but you can just have a regular binder if that suits you.  The front of mine has a reminder to me to “savor the magic”  because “they grow too fast”.  I have sections in mine for for recording Christmas cards – both the ones I sent and those we received, for traditions, for each member of our family where I record what I’ve purchased for them how much it cost and where I stashed it along with a section for receipts.  My binder is more than just Christmas.  I also use it to plan the two children’s November birthdays and parties along with Thanksgiving and my husband’s January 9th birthday.  I expect yours won’t encompass all that so just Christmas is what we’ll focus on here today. 

As mothers, we are typically responsible for creating all the magic of Christmas in our home.  It can be quite daunting to hand make the cards, decorate the house, take the picture, bake the goodies, wrap the gifts, maintain the traditions and cook the meals.  This is my way to track it all and prioritize what sections of that list get skipped from time to time.

If you are considering making a binder for your family, I’d encourage you to skip the $25 and up “classes” you can take on making one.  Consider visiting Organizing Your Way where Mandi has just completed a two week series about Organizing Christmas.  In her series, she included Christmas Printables (http://www.organizingyourway.net/home-management-notebook-printables/christmas-planner-printables) that are free for you to jumpstart your own binder.  I haven’t visited all of them but it’s a pretty comprehensive list. 

It’s time to start thinking about Christmas.  I highly recommend visiting Mandi’s blog where she has a wealth of offerings in her series that will help you have a calmer, happier and more joyful Christmas season.  So, step on over and check it out.  http://www.organizingyourway.net/featured-posts/organizing-your-way-to-a-simple-christmas

Happy Halloween!

Have you ever wondered how to dress your family for your photo shoot?  Here are a few suggestions for you.  Pick out clothes that *go* together but are not identical.  Allow everyone in your family to have their own outfit but select things that coordinate with the rest of the family.  If you are purchasing new outfits for the photo shoot, consider visiting a store that carries clothes for the entire family and select items from the same line.  This will guarantee that they all work together yet you’ll be able to wear them in real life after your perfect family photo has been created.  If you are thinking of a shoot this fall or Christmas, consider pieces like these below.  They would look great hanging on your wall year round yet they would also be suitable on your family Christmas card.  Additionally, all these pieces are very wearable all winter instead of just during the month of December.   Consider these things when you are dressing your family for your next family photograph.