we are family

Here is another iheartfaces photography challenge. The theme this week is "we are family". So cute to see all the links to family photos! This is a photo I took this past Autumn. I love the way that little Alyce's eyes sparkle as her daddy looks on so proud and adoring. She was a so sweet and joyful. It was so OBVIOUS the love that this family has for each other!

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?