Are you ready????

I have been working hard the past few weeks on a BIG secret!  My business is having a little makeover, I'm so excited!  My goal has been my birthday (July 7th) to have it all ready.  I think it will be mostly ready by then, so I'll post it anyway (on the 7th).  Does anyone want to volunteer to do some pre-proofing for me?  You know, check for spelling or grammar errors or offer suggestions?  What is it you want to see when you go to a photographers website?  What questions do you want answered before speaking to the photographer?

Here are the quick details:

• New Logo
• New Colors
• New blogsite

Not sure what a blogsite is?  I will no longer have a website and a blog, but a merging of the two.  More of a suped-up blog in a website format.  My logo is being designed by a friend and she may be out of town until the 7th, but I made a little one up for the time being...the colors...SO excited about the colors--they are more "me" than what I've got now.

Let me know if you want to help!  Leave a comment with your email.  I'm hoping to be able to merge this blog for back entries, but trying to figure that one out.

So colorful! ~Round Rock Family Portraits

Nevermind that this is my good friend and I've infiltrated her brain to dress colorfully in their family portraits.  They rock the color and truly, the COLOR is happy, right?  I tried out a new location, and it was fun to discover texture and well, color.  She and I were pregnant together, due just one day apart with both of our baby #4's.  Our older children swap Pokemon cards with each other (though mine are boys and hers are girls, so far they are all ok with that).  And the youngers dress up fancy together.  Plus, she rocks big time in my book because she helped me pack my home before moving. She claims to love it, and as I stood there staring at the piles of stuff I had to do, she was over throwing it into boxes or asking me to decide in 5 seconds if I wanted to keep it.  She SAVED me on that front.  So, I owed her big time!  I present to you, my friend Tamiel and her cute fam.

Love ya, girlie!

Self Portraits with my Kids

Equal to my passion to decorate with portraits is my desire for moms to get out from behind the camera and to be in pictures with their kids.  I wrote an extensive blog post over at The Idea Room, so go check it out.  In the next week, we are having a link up party to share our creative efforts to have pictures taken of us alone or with our kids. 

Here are 3 self portraits I took with my family:

This first one, the kids were gathered on the laps of myself and my husband as he read through a book we gave him for Father's Day.  I had to jump up and get my camera when I saw our reflection in the glass of the fireplace.  My baby isn't in it, and I am barely seen (camera in front of my face) but I have a teal blue shirt on.

This next one was my effort to try for a "Got Milk" ad.  My baby also not present, and I wish I didn't have my hair slicked back after a shower, but oh well. 

I took the kids to downtown Austin to check out a local cupcake shot, polkadots.  The cupcakes were delicious and the atmosphere was charming. 

Now, go to The Idea Room and share your self portraits from your blog, or email them to me and I will include them.  Contest and Giveaway ends Wednesday June 30th at noon.

Fancy Birthday Festivities

My daughter had a birthday party and I got really excited about decorating for it--I wanted to share.  It was a "fancy" party (because she loves Fancy Nancy) and she chose purple, pink, and orange for me to make a cake with and decorate around.  I love making my kids birthday cakes--though it isn't something I'm great at.  I took a fondant class a few months ago and made the marshmellow fondant (quite yummy).  It fell apart a few times, but I feel good about my first fondant cake.

So swamped! 2 quick sneak peeks combined

The first set is a fun family I know from my kids elementary school. They have 4 beautiful girls, and it was a beautiful evening. Though it was warm (of course it was, this is June in Texas) they were all troopers!

Pssst...the 2 girls on the left are twins!

A little dip in the water to cool off...

Next set is my 3rd newborn in one week! My style with newborns is a lot of photojournalistic.  I like to capture the scene--the nursery, the parents, their home.  I love little Emerson's nursury!  So colorful!   She was also super alert--since she was born quite a bit early, she is still newborn size, but her eyes can focus and everything at the age of 2 months.  Oh yeah, and I did her moms maternity portraits here.
Introducing baby Emmy...

For now...the sneak peek!

Another sweet newborn~Round Rock Portraits

I got to travel out into the country for this session. Mom is a veterinarian and dad trains race horses, and this baby is destined to be a cowgirl for sure!   She's already got the boots!

The animals were all very protective and loving with this family, it was sweet to see.

Bartering

Are you local and have a professional trade you'd like to barter for photography?  Right now I need a painter and would be nice to have someone mop my floors every once in a while (since I don't seem to get to it).  And now that I think about it...a facial would be nice...or a massage....the list could go on, but you get the picture.  Email me if you have a trade you'd be interested in bartering, and I'll let you know if it will work out.

On a side note, I keep neglecting to mention the series I have been doing over at the Idea Room for a few months.  We have a joint blog button!




And my craftiness got featured... check me out here:



And tomorrow, I'll be in another spot on the web...but you'll have to wait for that one.

Baby Locke~Round Rock Newborn Portraits

I love these two family pics below--can't decide which one I like better.

I do love orange, too.  This rug made me happy in little Locke's room.

I love the wonder, the joy, the newness of a first born to a family.  This baby is loved, and its so sweet to witness as a fly on the wall.