OBSESSION.

Have you seen Mary Swenson lately? Magic.

PROUDEST MONKEY PHOTOGRAPHY - BOSTON EDITION

My amazing friend Domenica was in Boston this spring and I couldn't resist whisking her away for a roaming photo shoot of my children while she was here.


As we wandered the waterfront and the streets of the North End, Dom tucked the kids into alleys and on doorsteps, capturing glimpses of their personalities around every corner.

Seriously! I am blown away by her talent.

Domenica, I can't thank you enough for this once-in-a-lifetime capture of my littles (who are getting big faster than I'd like to admit!)



{wardrobe notes - because I love that you always ask! Pumpkin: polo and shorts Lands End, Red Sox necklaces phiten.com; Petunia: dress and headband crewcuts, jean jacket Macy's; Kristin charm necklace and stackable bracelets Stella & Dot; Peanut: dress Liberty of London for Target, straw hat Gap, Kristin ring and bracelet Stella & Dot.}

GIRL, YOU ROCK!

I am so excited to share this amazingly fabulous Rocker Girl party with you! I worked on this party for the beautiful and talented Domenica of Proudest Monkey Photography and her adorable daughter Isabella and have been waiting on the edge of my seat to see photos of the big event! (I'm gushing, aren't I? Well, you're about to see why!)

invite front

invite back

The tone for every party is set with the invitation and these concert ticket invites hit the perfect note. Of course, having amazing photos of the birthday girl makes the design job a piece of cake!

Here is the beautiful Isabella - ready to rock the house!

Upon arrival, each guest was given VIP status with their backstage pass. We don't let just anyone into fab parties like this!

The awesome cake and cupcakes were made by Sugar Shack Cakes who never disappoint with their incredible creations.

Custom water bottles for the party guests because Rock Stars stay hydrated in style!

The birthday girl went eco-friendly and chose a custom, aluminum water bottle to match her party theme!

Dom thought of absolutely everything, including hanging concert posters of her little Rock Star all around the party scene (seen here in the background, printed at posterjack.ca.). Everyone needs a cool mom like Domenica, don't you think?

Each guest left with a rockin' cool gift bag stuffed to the brim with rockstar essentials...

...like a cd of the birthday girl's fave tunes, a pocket mirror to remind them that they ROCK not just on party day, but every day!

... and this super cool, super hero Rock Star cape (from Custom Kids etsy shop).

I think Isabella had a good day, don't you?!

For more of Domenica's beautiful photography, be sure to check out Proudest Monkey Photography. Prepare to be inspired!

I ♥ THIS FACE

I ♥ Faces is celebrating their first birthday with a Best Face Photo challenge. I always hesitate to play along because the photos entered are always ah-mazing! Being a self-proclaimed hack at photography, my photos just aren't in the same league as the other entries. This week was particularly challenging because the photo had to be taken in the last 6 weeks, so I couldn't search my entire library for a photo where all the moons and stars were accidentally aligned and I actually captured a quality shot.

So what made me enter this week, other than the opportunity to show off this sweet little expression on Peanut's face? Well, I ♥ Faces has a new logo and I just love it. So much so that it inspired me to give this week's challenge a try. Truly. I know. Geek-alert! But I do love a good logo.

To see all of the beautiful faces in this week's challenge, just click on the heart!

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

Having trouble getting that "perfect" Holiday card photo? Well, you're obviously not alone and to prove it, here are some of my personal photo shoot rejects.

But have you ever noticed that it's the "rejects" that really capture the spirit of the day?

All the funny, serendipitous moments?

So before you dress up your kids yet again and drag them out for a retake, take another look at the photos you have.

Because the silly one...

The one that shows their personalities in all their crazy glory...

May just be the ONE.

OK, maybe not this one.

FINAL DAY FOR 50% OFF!

Today is the final day to take advantage of our 50% off Holiday Card Promotion! If you do not have your photo yet, no worries. Simply go to the Holiday Card section of our shop and place your order using the design that you think you prefer. If your design choice changes once you have your photo, no problem! We'll switch out the design to your new choice when your photo is received.

To take advantage of the 50% discount, simply choose a design and enter the quantity desired. During checkout, enter code EARLY50 to apply the discount. Please note that this offer cannot be combined with other discounts or offers and is only good toward holiday cards.

Place your order today and feel good about the fact that you have at least one holiday errand under control. To get all of your holiday plans in order, be sure to check out Giverslog's holiday checklist. AmberLee of Giverslog is going to help us all stay ahead of the holiday rush this year. I can't wait!

HOLIDAY 2009 AND 50% OFF

Holiday 2009 is here! After a bit of a delay from an embarrassing circle cutter injury, I am back and ready to hit the holidays full tilt. This year, all photo cards are available on both Kodak Professional Endura Supra Matte Paper and as Cardstock Panel Cards. Panel cards will be sold in sets of 50, 100, 150 and 200 and will be added as an upgrade to your order.  As always, photo cards on Kodak matte will be available in any quantity (need 88 cards exactly? no problem!). Premium envelopes are always included. (do I sound like an infomercial yet?)

More designs will be added here and there as I begin to design around the orders that I receive, so keep checking back.  Like my style but don't see a design that exactly suits your photo, not to worry! I always design around the photo. I'm obsessive that way; physically incapable of just dropping a photo into a design without tweaking it to suit the photo perfectly. Just drop me a line and we'll work together to get just what you want.

Oh, and I almost forgot. You still have two days to take advantage of our 50% off early bird discount! This promotion is not to be missed. See full promotion details here, then email me here to set up your order reflecting the discount. Then imagine the thrill of having your holiday cards all wrapped up by October 1st!!!

DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU

Once you start playing at this site, you will not want to stop. Create a polaroid collage of your photo, then shuffle for a new combination every time. Hope you didn't have anything else that needed to be done today.

Similar time waster here.

LOVIES

{photo via Labor of Love}

Thinking about Valentine's Day? Me too! I'm planning an entire week of Valentine ideas including some fun downloads and diy projects. To get us all geared up for the week, I thought I'd provide some inspiration. Check out Our Labor of Love's blog for a photo journal of the truest love on earth - a child and their lovie. Be warned: the awwwww factor is as intense as the photography is beautiful.

STRESS-FREE HOLIDAY CARDS

Well my friends, it's that time of year again! Time to coordinate those outfits, decide on a location and cross your fingers that no bumps, bruises, black eyes, rashes or major illnesses plague your children just before the big day. What big day you ask? The big holiday photo shoot! And yes, all of the aforementioned ailments and deformities have struck my own children just as I was hoping to get that great shot for my holiday cards. Actually, 4 of those five occurred simultaneously just last year. But not to worry, all was well and I managed to snap individual shots of each child between illnesses and injuries, resulting in this:

Not too shabby considering that we were in the midst of strep, violent reactions to medication and little miss peanut stumbling around like a drunken sailor! I have higher hopes for this year, of course. I always have high hopes. It's October 1st after all. There's plenty of time to capture that one great shot that will be mass distributed in our one big family press release of the year.

So here are my tips for a great holiday card victory in 2008!

Number One: start early! And by early, I mean now. Right now. Drop what you're doing and run!!!! No, just kidding about the running, but do start now. Figure out what everyone will wear, decide on a location or even better, scroll through some of your photos from summer vacation or days at the beach and see if you already have that one great shot.

Number Two: Don't stress! Your photo does not need to be perfect. It just needs to capture the essence of your family. You want your childrens' personalities to shine through, you don't want stiff little robots saying "cheese!" Because let's face it, that is probably the only moment your children stood still all year. That's not them! 

Number Three: Choose a card design that suits your photo and your family's personality. Or, if you find a card design that you love, keep that in mind during your photo session so that you get some shots that will suit the design. But if you do this, remember to be flexible. The best shot may not suit your chosen design at all, but if it's "the one" let the shot dictate the design because in the end, it's the photo that's important.

Number Four: Can't find a card design that's just right? No problem! I love to design a card around a photo - it's one of my favorite things to do. Just let me know which designs you prefer, send me the photo and I'll use that as a jumping off point for creating the perfect custom card for your family.

Number Five: Read this fantastic article with loads of tips for photographing children. 

Number Six: Remember, this is supposed to be fun! You have a wonderful family and you want to share that with the rest of the world (or at least 100 of your nearest and dearest) along with your best wishes for a wonderful holiday. This is about taking the time to connect with family and friends; keep the spirit and purpose of the cards in mind and be happy. 

HOLIDAY 2008 HAS ARRIVED!

I am thrilled to announce that Holiday 2008 is now ready and available on my website! This year, all photo cards are available on both Kodak Professional Endura Supra Matte Paper and as Cardstock Panel Cards. The new panel cards will be sold in sets of 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 and will be added separately to the shop later today. As always, the photo cards on Kodak matte will be available in any quantity (need 88 cards exactly? no problem!). Oh, and premium envelopes are always included. (do I sound like an infomercial yet?)

I will be adding more designs here and there as I begin to design around the orders that I receive, so keep checking back.  Also, if you like my style but don't see a design that exactly suits your photo, not to worry! I always design around the photo. I'm obsessive that way; physically incapable of just dropping a photo into a design without tweaking it to suit the photo perfectly. Just drop me a line and we'll work together to get just what you want.

So there you have it folks, browse at your leisure.  I'm off to take a nap...(don't I wish!).

P.S. Check back later for tips on getting that great shot for your cards!

SEEING IN TECHNICOLOR

When it comes to photos of my children, I have always been drawn to black and white photography. There was something about the quirky expressions and creamy skin of a newborn captured in black and white that made my heart skip a beat. But lately, I find myself drawn to the other side. No, not the dark side, the bright and fun side of full-color photography.

This change has been reflected in my professional life as well. Where I once designed photo cards almost exclusively in black and white, I am finding myself creating designs around color photographs more and more. There was a time in the very recent past where I would create a group of prototypes around a client's photo that included just one, obligatory design based on a color photo. Now, I am finding myself designing around full-color photos more and more. This change has come about mostly due to client preference and client request. At first I resisted, wishing they would choose my favorite designs that seemed to always focus on black and whites. 

But now, I'm wondering if my signature style is evolving into one that embraces the vibrancy of color photography. I have a feeling that Holiday 2008 will feature a record number of  full-color photo selections as I see the preferences of my clients evolve. Where they once considered black and white photography "something different", the sweeping popularity of b&w has caused the tide to turn and full-color designs are quickly becoming the new something different.

As for my own personal preference, the jury is still out. I have to admit that I still almost immediately convert my favorite photos to black and white. The difference now is that, once the photo is cropped and edited, I am sure to save a copy in full-color as well. Looking at them side by side, I'm still torn and am not sure which way my heart is leaning.

So what do you think? Do you prefer the color or the b&w photo of each of my girls? And in general, is it black and white or color photography that has your heart? I'd love to hear! ♥