iheartfaces - "best faces" challenge

While enjoying my coffee this morning, I stumbled upon what I can only describe as a little treasure of a blog called:

This is photographer's dream. Each week there is a photographer's challenge in which you can submit photos from your recent archives to be judged by uber wonderful and famous photographers! (and yes I did say uber... I'm from Minnesota, and thus am allowed to use such phraseology!) The theme this week is "Best Face Photo" and the photo has to have been taken in either Dec. or Jan. After perusing my recent archives, it came down to a photo of sweet little Callie in her Santa Hat, or (at the risk of sounding "egocentric") the photo of Bluejay and me that we took for our Christmas Cards. I ended up choosing the later of the two. As adorable as Callie is, I think that Bluejay is making the funniest face in this photo. It was hard enough to figure out using a tripod to capture both of us, I couldn't help but giggle when I saw the reaction on his face when I threw a snowball at him. 

He already looks like Charlie Brown because of his hat, but every time I see this picture, I hear the depressing Charlie Brown Christmas theme song too! Gotta love it!

20% and Traditions

This has been a slow season for me business wise. I'm not really surprised since I live in the frozen tundra. Who really wants to take photos OUTSIDE in -15 degrees?!?!?! I adore booking weddings and I have been blessed already with some wonderful brides for 2010 weddings. The only thing that I don't love about booking weddings is that I have to wait months and months before I get to shoot those couples. Maybe the Lord is teaching me patience? So, knowing I have several weddings to look forward to this spring and summer, but this is the first time since early fall that I haven't had a portrait session booked. No families or senior portraits. No engagement sessions (although I know I get to do engagement sessions before the weddings, they probably won't be until it get warmer!). No children or baby portraits. I feel strangely free! That being said, I LOVE getting people in front of my lens and photographing moments that become memories! While I count my blessings to have some time to tackle some "projects" and spend time doing ministry with Campus Outreach, I have to ask-

Anyone need portraits? Anyone know of someone who is recently engaged? I am offering 20% off a portrait session to anyone who refers clients to me and they book a session! This offer is only available until the end of the month! So spread the word! Tell your friends, family and co-workers! Just make sure that when they contact me, they let me know who referred them, and you'll be on your way to your own portrait session!

As I mentioned in this post, my family has a tradition of eating fondue on New Years Eve. Here are some pics from that day!

 

Our NYE was spent eating swiss fondue, playing board games, and celebrating the birthday of my sister-in-law, Bethany, my niece, Eliot, AND nephew, Olivier. January is a BIG birthday month in my family. Bluejay's mom also celebrates her birthday in January! I decided to use all that extra time I had over the holidays to make Eliot's and Olivier's gifts this year. Eliot LOVES her baby doll. All she wanted from Santa this year were things for her baby doll. Food for her baby doll. A stroller for her baby doll. A bottle for her baby doll. She's so cute! For Christmas we can her a little wooden bed for her baby doll. She was SO excited! This was her "excited face" as she was opening the doll bed. Goof ball. So, for her birthday, I made there this little blanket and pillow for her baby's bed.

I just love the colors in the fabric! For Olivier I made this car "tote" for his matchbox cars. I thought it would be a cute idea to make a little street for him to drive his cars on when he's "on the go".

It folds up neatly for easy travel. The kiddos seemed to really like their gifts. Eliot even brought her's with to our house when they stayed the night a couple days ago. When they were over, Bluejay woke up early with Eliot and was so proud of himself for getting her up and ready and they had oatmeal together and read until Olivier and I were awake. He's so sweet! He's going to the worlds best Papi someday!

What did you do for new years?

January first

The first of January is an important day. It's the first day of the year. It's a day to look back on where you have come from and ponder where you are going. It's a day to set "resolutions". It's a time to spend with family and friends who are dear to you. In my family, it's traditionally a day to eat fondue (yum!). Two years ago, January first took on a whole new meaning for me. Two years ago, Bluejay proposed! As a surprise, he took me out to the VERY FROZEN lake by my parents home. He told me we were going ice fishing. He lied. But lies are okay when you are proposing! Instead, he has a table set up with candles and wine glasses and we had a lovely meal on the ice. I had no idea what was coming. I thought he was just being sweet and romantic. Then he set up the camera to capture the "momentous occasion" of my first ice fishing experience. He got down in the snow to show me the different hooks and such in his tackle box. All of the sudden, I heard him say that he had a special hook to catch the catch of his life! And kneeling in the snow on January 1, 2008, Bluejay asked me to be his wife and I couldn't wait to say "YES!" I was so excited, I shouted to the ice fishing houses nearby, "We're getting married!". To answer your question, no, we didn't actually go fishing. For one reason, it was -15 degrees! And for another, I had plenty of ice on my finger to show off!

Each January first, Bluejay and I return to the "scene of the crime" and take pictures out on the lake. It's a fun way to remember how far we've come and how blessed we are. Bluejay- I love you so much. Lord willing, I hope to spend decades more together! You are my best friend, my missing puzzle piece, and my love. Thank you for being the best husband that I could ever hope for! XOXOX

Before the proposal. Notice my confused look and cold hands! I couldn't figure out why Bluejay INSISTED that I take off my gloves while he showed me the hooks.

But it turned out ok. I forgot my cold hands because I was ENGAGED!

January 1, 2010! Two years later: