Fiesty

This was Bianca after school today. Taking pictures only lasted a few minutes until she abruptly informed me it was potty time.

World Traveler

This was Ivan after picking him up at school. (And then spending an hour adding effects and vintage papers and retouching and you get the idea...) I just loved the soft window light on his face in the hallway when we came into the building. So precious.

Album: San Antonio Trip - January 2008

San Antonio Trip - January 3-7, 2008

Click on the Alamo thumbnail photo above to see the whole album. As of the time of posting I have not put captions on the photos. I'll get around to it, someday, just like I finally got around to posting the photos. :-P Anyway, in brief, these are photos from our mini family vacation at the end of Christmas break for the kids. Also note the river, as in the Riverwalk River, was drained while we were there. You know, they don't give you a heads up about that when you book your hotel. *blah* At least it wasn't crowded then, but the kids were sure ticked off that they didn't get to do the river ride with dinner. Oops, maybe next time.

Old Pics, New Looks

 

 

 

These are vintage family photos circa fall 2003. I was digging through some old photo archive drives and some of these really tugged at my heart strings so I paused for (*ahem* an hour or two) and did some quick digital scrapbooking. It's not like the old days of craft scissors and double-sided adhesive runners, but I can still feel the TLC going into the work. Just wanted to share some memories - enjoy.

Western Day

 

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is in town this month. The kids got some coupons for a free visit to the stock show from school, and there was some buzz about no school this Friday. (As if we're going to take our kids there... well, I would, but Michael is anti-rodeo because he thinks it is animal cruelty.) Anyway, I wake up at 7:05 this morning to hear the kids telling their father, "We can't wear our normal school uniforms because it's WESTERN DAY today!" Oh my. I didn't get much notice on this one. Last night I was out at a photography seminar late and didn't get home until midnight. Then I wake up groggy and have to think fast... the kids each have cowboy hats and I gave Bianca a genuine Panhandle Slim cowgirl shirt for her birthday last year. But Ivan's cowboy boots are a few sizes too small now.... hmm.... well, this was the best I could muster. Ivan had to wear his normal shoes, but at least they were black and sort of blend in with his outfit. (Sorry for the sock feet in the photo. I wasn't given much time to capture this before they had to head out for school.)

A Purse By Any Other Name...

...or in this case it really is a tote bag...

I did some portrait sessions with my own kids this week to prepare Valentine's Day promotional materials. We had gotten into a conversation about how children in clothing and toy catalogs and commercials always look like they are having so much fun, that is what makes you want to buy what they are selling. So then they started asking about the advertising that I did for my portrait studio and, long story short, they decided that THEY were going to be my models. They didn't want me putting other people's children on my purses and totebags! It was a classic, memorable moment. It also prepped them to be oh so cooperative and we had great artistic collaboration. They enjoyed coming up with posing ideas and it became one grand party.

For anyone interested, I have a catalog page of handbags and prices online. Sizes range from cosmetic bags and lunch boxes up to pretty satchels and baby bags with everything in between. Email me for details!

ALBUM: "Urban Kid" Photodocumentary Series

Urban Kid

{{{ click on the photo above to see the whole album }}}

I've been promoting my idea of taking kids out on the town for cool, splashy color, urban-themed action photography. It's portraiture after a big guzzle of Dr. Pepper, bouncing off the walls, and loving every moment. (No, I don't actually give your child caffeinated soda to drink. I don't even give my kids Dr. Pepper. :-)

Ivan loves to have his hair spiked into a faux-hawk, as our barber once called it. I thought it would be a perfect fit to take him to this restaurant where all the walls are bright graffiti and let him show me his sillier side.

Enjoy!

Ivan's First Photos

Ivan's First Photo Album

I bought Ivan a sub-$100 HP digital point & shoot camera for Christmas. The first couple days the box didn't even get opened. He didn't understand why he needed a camera because MOM is the one who takes all the photos - she's the photographer. It took a brief conversation with him to open his eyes and his mind to the idea that he could take his own photos and show his own perspective. Suddenly he was excited about it. This morning we decided to walk down to the school so they could play on the playground and explore around our neighborhood a bit. I suggested to Ivan to take his camera along and he really enjoyed his hour of photodocumentary work. *cheer* I'm so proud of him. (I took the first few photos and I put a caption where his work begins.)

Christmas at Home - 2007

Christmas at Home - 2007

Click on the photo above to be magically whisked away to view my photo documentary of our family Christmas at home. Our first holiday season in our hip, happy little apartment overlooking downtown Fort Worth. Smiles and Season's Greetings to all from our family to yours.

Christmas in WF

Christmas in Wichita Falls

After we had our Christmas at home, we loaded up and headed out to visit Michael's family in Wichita Falls for the rest of the day.

Christmas Snazzy

 

I took the kids to see the Nutcracker ballet put on at Bass Hall by the Fort Worth Ballet. They were tickled to get dressed up "fancy," as they put it, after being dressed up just two days ago for their school winter program. (Ooops, did I get photos of the kids together that night!?) Anyway, we got in the doors late and were seated at the back of the floor. Those were good seats -- and since they were in the center, the kids enjoyed the view there. But during intermission we went to find the seats to match our tickets and the kids were at first annoyed that they were stage-level the first box to the right of the stage. They complained that they wouldn't be able to see anything from that angle. *giggle* I assured them to TRUST ME... and when the curtain rose again and the Sugar Plum fairy, et. al. came twirling on stage they were transfixed. I wish I had pictures of their expressions and their cute excited child-applause. It was PRICELESS! So, when we came home, I made them stand in front of a backdrop for a quick portrait to commemorate the evening.

 

Gift for my kiddos

 
Ok, so I'm a sucker. I couldn't stand making all these posters and prints for the school and not putting up a little extra effort to make a poster for my own kids to put up in their bedroom. I think they'll be tickled to add to their own private art collection. :-) Smiles to all - time for this tired crazy momma to go to bed before the sun comes up!

Turkey Trot Poster

 

This is a sample of the posters I made for the kids' school to make a new display in the front entry way of the school celebrating the students doing the Turkey Trot the day before Thanksgiving break started. Note that is Ivan in the squad car... he fell down on the first stretch of the race, but when the car drove up to where I was I encouraged him to get out and run the last bit of the race. So, imagine me in my bright red winter jacket running down the street holding my big work camera in one hand and Ivan's hand in the other hand bounding along together... once we got to where the spectators were I let go of his hand and I jumped up to the sidewalk and let him run by himself to the cheers and clapping and urging of everyone from his school. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life to be there hearing every student, every teacher, and every parent present cheer each and every child across the finish line -- from first to last. It made me well up alternately with tears of pride and awe. The race had nothing to do with the running. I hardly sensed competion there at all. It was all about cheering for the others, about community and team-building. I am grateful to have been there to be a part of it and witness it with my camera that chilly morning.

A Sweet Character

 
Now that we're in the midst of the holiday season, you can bet my photography schedule is heating up. I just had to post a couple of my favorite heart-tugging shots of this little guy. He had the sweetest personality of any 1 year old you could meet. I think if you look into his eyes you'll know exactly what I mean. This is the sort of thing that makes me love my job and thank God for putting me in my right place in my life at this time.

 

Quick Pic

 

I know I will have to work hard to get some of the great photos of the kids from Thanksgiving Break up on the blog here. I am tremendously busy with photo work right now, but believe me I never forget that it was my own children who inspired me in the first place. Here's a photo of Ivan that was love at first sight for me last Tuesday when I took it at our MOMS club Thanksgiving party. Hugs to everyone and hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Digital Scrapbooking

 

Although I have a few bins full of manual cut 'n paste scrapbooking gear, I haven't used it too much. I had to make Ivan's "all about me" kindergarten book and aside from that I have a very thin 8x10 album of pages. So you can imagine how exciting it is to me to use my photoshop skills and tricks to scrapbook... and no mess to clean up either. I used elements from Chocoberry Creme from digital freebies online store. Cool stuff. This is my first "real" digital scrapbook layout complete with embellishments and page transitions that I cooked up all on my ownsome.

Ivan's Halloween Page

 

Since I made a foofy page for Bianca, I had to make one for Ivan too. It was tough coming up with elements that were not too overly feminine. I guess scrapbooking really is by girls, for girls. ;-)

Halloween Quick Album

 

I got this 4x6 layout from retrodiva's online digital scrapbooking store -- just had to get that in there so I keep with Terms of Service! (Same with the layout below.) All other layouts I'm uploading tonight are my originals... yeah, and I'll bet you can tell the difference. *giggle* - - - - - - - - About the image.... these were a sampling of the pix I did of my friends' kids the night we went trick or treating. They all got pretty goofy for the camera, and I had so much fun with it.