Back in a Bit-St. George Photographer

Posted on June 24, 2010

Okay friends…something had to give… with moving out of my house in another week, I am in crazy mode. I promise I will pick a winner for the Banner Boutique contest, but I just can’t add another thing to my life right now. One more week and I will breathe again. Sorry!!! Keep checking back!

Don’t forget to enter!! -St. George Photographer

Posted on June 16, 2010

I am up to my eyeballs in boxes and “stuff”. We sold our house and have to be out on the 30th of this month. We move to Ann Arbor on the 1st of August…so, we are loading our stuff into a storage unit and living with my grandma for a month.

I feel like the stuff won’t end. This is my first real move since we got married. I am a little worried about it all fitting in the moving van come August. I have too much stuff even after giving away a LARGE amount of it. Okay, I may be a little of a packrat. I come by it rightly…my mom and grandma are the same way. And, I have a lot of hobbies. That equals a lot of stuff.

Anyway, enough about that. I know what you all are really wondering about is the Banner Boutique contest. Will I ever choose a winner? Yes, I will. Continue to enter until Friday and on Saturday I will have my kiddos choose a name from a hat (I know there are the random number things online, but they only choose numbers in the middle, it seems, and I want everyone to have a good chance to win. So, I will do it the old fashioned way!)

Stay tuned. The winner will be announced on Saturday (hopefully ) . And head over to Banner Boutique and buy some flowers anyway, because truth of the matter is that $25 will never suffice once you see how awesome her stuff is.

Banner Boutique Giveaway!!-Southern Utah Photographer

Posted on June 9, 2010

I have talked about this and finally have my act together and am doing it. I found the Banner Boutique over a year ago and have been in LOVE ever since. I have a crazy number of hair accessories for my business and my daughter, but once I saw Lindsay’s flowers, I will never buy another flower elsewhere. Her flowers are so high quality, unique and absolutely gorgeous. She finishes them off so well too. Seriously…check them out. Buy some. They are amazing!!

So, on that note, Lindsay, at Banner Boutique has been kind enough to giveaway a $25 gift certificate to her etsy store. Is it sad that I am sort of jealous that I can’t enter my own contest? Before we get to how to enter, though, I want to briefly introduce you to Lindsay…

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I have been happily married for 7 years and have a 5 year old daughter, 3 year old son, and 3 month old baby girl. I am a southern CA girl and miss it dearly, but am embracing my new desert home in AZ.

2. When did you start your business?
The idea was probably born when I was five…but the actual Banner Boutique started about 4 years ago doing only wholesale to upscale boutiques. We have since expanded to do online sales.

3. How did you get into making flowers?
When I had my first baby, Kaitlyn, I searched high and low for cute hair accessories-they were always hard to find and way overpriced. When I did finally find them, they were never quite “right” as far as style…so I started making my own.

4. What is the favorite product you offer?
It changes day to day–they are like my children, I love them all! However, I would have to say “The Audrey” is my current obsession.

5. Anything else we should know about you?
I adore crafty, beautiful things! Nothing makes me more happy than to see a gorgeous baby with a gorgeous hair piece to top her off…it’s like the icing on the cake. NO ONE can resist coming up to a darling baby with a flower on her head!! NO ONE!!

So, go check out her etsy store (linked above) and her blog. Then, come on back and leave a comment telling me how awesome her hair accessories are and which is your favorite. Remember…most of the headbands can be on clips too, so they are great for all ages.

Here are a few recent pictures that I did with her flowers. Thanks, Val for letting me use your adorable baby for these shots. Seriously, folks, check out the hair on this baby!!

and thanks to my great friend, Lisa, for having such a cute daughter to model off my new purple clip!

Feel free to scroll back through old posts and see more of her excellent work! My Litttle Miss is modeling a few of her hair accessories in the last sesssion I did with her in the black pettiskirt!!

Five On Friday-St. George Photographer

Posted on May 14, 2010

Well, it has been some time since I have rambled off my five on Friday and it is even Friday while I am doing it! Hooray for me! My hubby is at a “Father and Son” campout with our church group which means the evening is mine to play…computer, sewing, taking pics of the little miss (which turned out mega cute!). It has been a fun evening. So, here go my 5…

1. If ever you are in Utah you must make a stop at Cafe Rio. It is the yummiest, best Mexican joint EVER. I am going to sorely miss that place and their delish coconut shrimp tacos they offer on Tuesday (and I eat most Tuesdays). Honestly, Cafe Rio really is reason enough to come to St. George, Utah for a visit. Oh, and Zion National Park, which is also in the running for coolest thing in my town .

2. The other joint that I frequent far too often is The Golden Spoon. Can I tell you how happy I am that fro-yo made a comeback? I LOVE it. And the best part is that a small is only three point with Weight Watchers (once a Weight Watcher, always a point counter!)

(I know this next picture looks professional, but it really is just me with my kinda long arms getting a semi okay shot after about 10 tries. Where is my dear friend anne and her long arms when I need a self portrait??)

3. So, can you tell me why, when I live in St. George, Utah…just two hours north of Vegas and very similar climate wise to Vegas, I needed a fleece sweatshirt at my son’s baseball game this week and ended up leaving early because Little Miss was a popsicle?? It is the middle of May my friends!! But don’t you fret…it will be in the 90’s tomorrow. Who wants spring anyway?

4. I have been on a fabric buying frenzy this past week or so. I love to make clothes for Miss P and have found some darling patterns lately. If you like to sew check out these…http://izzynivydesigns.blogspot.com. I bought some awesome Amy Butler fabrics and with the hubster gone, I will be up late sewing. I can’t wait!! I will post pictures when I finish!

5. I have been pretty successful keeping up on the house, though I spend around 2 hours every morning cleaning, folding laundry, dishes etc. Props to those of you who always do this! It is so hard to be so efficient. I would much rather be doing just about anything else! I do feel accomplished though that I can do it and very happy that my laundry gets folded within the same week it is washed. (Sounds like my house is a sty normally…not that bad, just not as spotless as it is now!)

And, here is a little teaser from my fun night with Miss P. We went to Cafe Rio, frozen yogurt, the fabric store (okay, I really am obsessed) and then she wanted to take pictures. Twist my arm. Oh, and a funny story…we get to where we are taking pics and of course she needs to go peepers (as we call it around here). There was no b-room nearby and I WAS NOT passing up my photo op, so we found a patch of secluded dirt and I attempted to help her go. Well, long story short, I should have put the camera down (no worries, it stayed dry). It is much easier to help a girlie so this in theory than reality. The show must go on though and the shoot was completed and P got a bath as soon as we got home!

Spring Time Finally!! St. George Family Photographer

Posted on March 18, 2010

It is so nice to finally have some warm weather to enjoy! I celebrated by photographing this gorgeous family who were in town from Reno! Their kids were so fun to photograph, not to mention darling!

I am so happy the weather is finally warming up!!

Really Cute Family-St. George Family Photographer

Posted on February 25, 2010

So, I have been MIA for some time and I have really good reasons…February was CRAZY. We had family here, twice (lots of fun!!), I taught my beginning photography class (a big success), I traveled with the hubster to Virginia and DC (a well needed escape), my J man turned 5 (can’t believe it) which included a birthday party and my little Miss P got her tonsils out on Monday (can you say LONG WEEK). Needless to say, something had to give and it mainly ended up being work. I more or less took the entire month off. Now, it is time to get back into the swing of things and finish up the ever so dreaded taxes (doesn’t it feel like we just did those??). Thank you for checking back in and I will try to get back to blogging!!

For now, here is a family picture of my brother and his cute family!

Mine On Monday-Southern Utah, St. George Photographer

Posted on January 25, 2010

This little boy…where to begin. I love this little guy. We butt heads much of the time because he knows more than I do whether he is wrong or right, but he is the funniest, smartest boy around. He loves to read, add, color, and play with friends. He loves to be hugged and kissed. He is kind to his sister (most of the time), a great helper and becomes a friend to anyone and everyone.  I sure love him!

For Sale-Southern Utah Photographer

Posted on January 25, 2010

This fantastic couch has been my companion on many a photo shoot, but it, unfortunately,  is time to let it go (for various reason). I hope it is just what someone out there is looking for. It is in fantastic shape and I actually had it cleaned within the last year. It photographs so well and is a unique and fun prop. I am asking $350 for it. Please email me if you are interested!! Thanks!

Here are a few sessions where I used it. Isn’t it beautiful?!?

BTW–I get more requests for this couch than any other prop I own!!

Five on Friday-St. George, Utah Photographer

Posted on January 22, 2010

Well, here we are again, a week later and so many things to talk about. I will jump right in.

1. So, went to Kohl’s this week to get my little boy some new church pants. As I am looking through the clearance rack and my kids were a few feet away in the toy section my son yells to me, “Mom, Paige peed all over the floor.” Sure enough, my daughter who has NEVER had an accident in public in the seven months she has been potty trained let it all go on the floor of the store…clothes soaked, socks soaked, shoes pooled with liquid. It was disgusting. I had to buy an entirely new outfit for her…panties, top and pants. Luckily I love buying clothes for the kids and found something very cute, but still, REALLY?? Sometimes I wonder why I take them in public .

2. Okay, let’s talk about “The Bachelor”. Any of you watch it? This is the first season I have ever watched and it is like a train wreck. It is so pathetic and the girls are so completely petty, yet I am still sucked in. I think Jake seems to be a really nice guy, but I think I have some issues with the basic premise of some guy going from girl to girl making out on the same day. And, let’s talk about some of the crazies they have for girls…Michelle, Vienna, Rosalind. Really, at this point I say he burn all the roses and start over. Maybe someone will end up being great, but I am not hopeful.

3. So, this,
my friends, is the bane of my existence. LAUNDRY. It NEVER ends. Never. And this isn’t all of it. Granted I should probably fold as I go, but I detest doing laundry. Some day, when I am really rich (ha!) I am hiring someone to do it for me.

4. Is anyone else having a hard time getting back into good eating habits since the holidays?? I feel like baking and eating all day. Yes, I know it is cold and dreary out, but really, I have to get out of this eating funk. Anyone have good tips? I could use them.

5. So my cousin told me about this new ticket thing she is trying with her kids. The basic premise is that you give them tickets as they do good things and they can use their tickets to “buy” things…candy, park time, toys, special times with parent’s etc. I thought it sounded like a nice form of positive reinforcement and we need some of that around here. Sometimes I feel like I spend so much time raising my voice (aka yelling) and I want to try doing something different. I would love any suggestions of things that have worked with your kids. I have my “Love and Logic” book out again and am going to reread and recommit to using it, but I always love to get practical ideas that work from other parent’s. Please share!!

Welcome Welcome!

Posted on December 28, 2009

I am beyond thrilled to “unveil” my NEW blog. I have been wanting to put a new, more professional blog together for some time and here it is! Of course, I didn’t do it myself…this whole HTML stuff is so far over my head it isn’t funny! I can’t wait to post some photos here. I have photographed FOUR baby boys this month and have some awesome stuff to preview from those sessions. I am also setting a goal this year to be a better blogger. Not only will I be posting pictures, but you will all be privy to my musings about my kids, life and photography in general. I know you can hardly wait! I am also going to have themed days and actually try to keep up with them . I will try. That is all I can guarrantee. I do have two crazy kids so life is sometimes, somewhat unexpected. Mondays are insired by a fellow photographer friend, Andrew Andrews, and will be titled, “Mine on Monday”. I will share a little glimpse into my life…and the life of my kids. I have a pretty good one for today’s first post, so hold on tight…I need to make dinner first!!

So, once again, welcome.