CATHY ZARAGOZA PHOTOGRAPHY 817-975-5387

Keller family photography - See how they've grown! {Keller Children Photography}

2010-10-05T14:05:00.012-05:00

I have had the pleasure of photographing these two Keller kids since they were a baby and a toddler...so hard to believe they are now 5 and 9! The little boy is not so little anymore...he's got braces and has lost all his baby faced features...Mom and I both got a little sad ruminating over that, he's such a young gentleman too and always has been great to photograph. Little Sis has hair to die for...she has got that gorgeous curly hair that the rest of us wish we had and drool over...but I hear from Mom its not too much fun to brush out. Ah well, beauty always has a price!

We were trying out a new photography location in a gorgeous neighborhood in Southlake. It had some cool features like this huge fallen tree perfect for posing, a nature made "teepee" of fallen branches and for fun, a great wood swing. Fall is a great time for some fresh looks of your children, memories you can hold in your hand, family pictures by Cathy Zaragoza Photography.

Southlake Family Photographers Meet the oh so gorgeous D Family {Southlake Family Photography}

2010-10-05T13:57:00.015-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing this Southlake family a few years back when their son was an adorable six month old cutie. I was happy they called me again to come to their home last weekend and meet the newest addition...an adorable girl "K" who is now 9 months old. Mom and Dad make beautiful babies...I was kidding them they should try to outdo that family in Arkansas but they thought they'd pass on that one!

Their home had beautiful decor so every room was a dream to work in as far as beautiful backdrops and surroundsings and they had great lighting. We took some pictures inside and some photos outside around their beautiful pool and palm trees.

Mom saw her portrait gallery and had this to say (thanks Mom for the kind words!)

"Thank you! You got some great photos, I can't believe it! You're good. I need to take a closer look before I start ordering! Thanks again!"

Southlake Family Portrait Session {Southlake Family Photography}

2010-09-19T16:34:00.011-05:00

Most photographers will confess to each other that large group portraits can be a nervewracking experience. You have to pose a lot of people, make sure they are all looking your way, coordinate clothing choices beforehand etc. So when I got this call from the grandmother (who by the way sounded 20 on the phone!) I admittedly gulped a bit when I heard it was 20 people!

I thrive on a challenge however; I think it gives me a secret rush or something! I got to their gorgeous home in Southlake and they had a great barn to use, an open pasture with a pond...unfortunately the beautifully landscaped front yard was in full sun so that was not going to work. But they had a beautiful front porch in shade and we did use that with gorgeous results.

Other than it being hot (late July in Texas, of course it's hot)...all went very well and they looked awesome!

Who let the dogs out??? {Keller Family Photography}

2010-09-02T12:38:00.007-05:00

Okay, I LOVE that song and got to use it for this post so sing along now....

A gorgeous couple and their beautiful boxer...he was the most well behaved and well trained dog. He loved having his picture made, when he was not supposed to be in the shot he kept wandering back in. He thought he was the star of the show! And Mom and Dad are so gorgeous and loving, they just made this a really fun and easy session. I love animals and so I was thrilled when they asked if they could be photographed with their pet. Of course!

Beautiful Baby {Dallas Baby Photography}

2010-08-31T12:30:00.007-05:00

I love the emotion captured in this top photo of mommy and baby. You can just feel the love they share for each other as they locked eyes. I was blessed to have a beautiful Dallas home with gorgeous natural light that we did the entire session in. Baby is such a cutie...I love the twinkle in her eyes and her sweet smile in the bottom color image. She was such a little trooper, 10 months old babies usually get tired and cranky by the end of the photography session but not this one...she knew she was the star of the day!

High School Senior {Keller High School Senior Photography}

2010-06-08T07:58:00.010-05:00

I photographed senior pictures for this young man from Keller at a cool, rustic spot. I've known his mom for years now, and am proud to call her friend. He is the spitting image of his mom and has her personality too so we hit it off great during the session. We bonded, laughed, cut up...seniors are fun! And when you're as nice looking as this senior guy, well, it just makes my job so easy!

Mr. Handsome {Southlake Baby Photographers}

2010-06-08T07:52:00.005-05:00

I last photographed little Mr. Handsome when he was about six weeks old...he's a doll and a true tow head. It can be a bit tricky photographing such white blonde hair in bright light but I live for a challenge! He wasn't sure about being photographed, naturaly he would rather be playing on the rocks at this cool Keller park where our photography session took place. I found the trick though...he would start shrieking and I shrieked back and that cracked him up! I was sure my vocal chords were going to be sore the next day! He was just being a typical two year old and I could have just kissed that cute little face but sadly he is at the age where he doesn't want to snuggle anymore. They get independent so fast, these little guys, and smart moms know that the only way to hold their babies in their hands forever, is with beautiful pictures.

Beautiful Boy {DFW Baby Photographers}

2010-05-08T08:06:00.005-05:00

Little B is the embodiment of a beautiful boy! He looks so much like his big sister who has been featured on my blog in the past. Mommy has strong genes! He is a sweetie, once he warmed up to the camera and studio setting he gave me the best smiles! Mom waited until he was 8 months for his pictures and that worked out great, he was sitting up much easier and that's such a good age for babies. Babies are generally very happy little campers around 6 to 8 months. I think the beautiful pictures made it worth the wait, don't you? I do love to photograph babies!

Fort Worth Photographers First Holy Communion {DFW Photographers}

2010-03-05T12:22:00.010-06:00

Throughout the months of March and April I will be doing First Holy Communion portrait sessions for a special $45 session fee (normally $75). Each session will be 30 minutes and held at the Cathy Zaragoza Photography studio.

Call Cathy Zaragoza Photography at 817-975-5387 to book your session today. Your child's First Holy Communion is a once in a lifetime event, let us help you capture those special memories in priceless portraits.

Tips for Great Family Photos {Fort Worth Family Photographers}

2010-03-02T08:29:00.019-06:00

Picture this, you walk into a friend’s living room and your eye is drawn to the happy family picture hanging over the mantel. And you’re thinking, That’s a great family portrait, I wish I had a picture just like that of my family! The portrait is light-filled; the family is smiling and their individual personalities are shining through. Are you ready to take the plunge and get a family portrait of your own? When is the last time your family was photographed together? Don't put it off, before you know it, the kids will be grown and out of the house. Schedule your family photography session today!

Here are a couple of tips for getting the most out of your family portrait session.

Eating and Nap Times

If you're planning a family session with kids, make sure that they not only have a full tummy before the shoot, but that you bring along some "un-messy" snacks such as Cheerios, apple juice, etc. I find small children tend to do better in the mornings but afternoons will work as long as they have had something to eat and a nap. Planning around naptimes is highly recommended, if not necessary with little ones!

Relax

I am not a traditional style photographer. My style of photography is fun, I like to engage the your family in activities that let their true personalities show through. I’m not there just to capture a see how they’ve grown image. I love goofy smiles, giggles, and silly faces. You may see me crawling on the ground, kidding around, and being silly and you'll end up with genuine expressions that capture your family's true personalities. Having said all that, I will of course, take a few more "posed" family pictures for the grandparents, (they love ‘em!) and usually some individual pictures as well. I mix it up a lot during a session and you typically have around 50 pictures in your gallery.

Clothing Suggestions

I think the most common question I'm asked is "what should we wear"? The answer depends on your family and the style of photo that you want. Do you want something candid and fun? Then you may want to consider something more casual and outdoorsy such as jeans and white or neutral shirts and bare feet. Not a fan of the "matchy-matchy" outfits? Then consider clothing for each family member that has the same tone, not necessarily the same color. As always, stripes, bold patterns, and large logos on your family's clothing will be a distraction from your family's beautiful faces. If you are unsure about your choices or how they will photograph, just give me a call. Many families choose to bring a change of clothes to mix things up a little, especially if they're planning for individual portraits of their children as well.

As always, if you have questions, post them in a comment here, or call the portrait studio.

Bluebonnet Portraits {Fort Worth Photography}

2010-03-02T01:40:00.009-06:00

Bluebonnets are expected to be especially prolific this year because of our record rainfalls and this spring's show of Texas' state flower will most likely be the best since 2007.

Wildflower Center officials have spotted clusters of bluebonnet rosettes ready to flower near Brenham and also noticed the wildflowers almost ready to bloom near roadways between Marble Falls and Llano.

Usually, bluebonnets begin to peak in Central Texas in late March and they'll peak in North Texas in mid-April.

We've got years of experience making beautiful portraits of families and children amid the bluebonnets. Our photographers at this Fort Worth based photography studio, can guide you on clothing choices and are happy to help you plan ahead to ensure you have a gorgeous wall portrait of your children to treasure. Bluebonnet pictures are a Texas tradition, timeless in their beauty and sure to be appreciated by all.

Call our studio to book your appointment as there will be limited availability for our clients in Keller, Southlake, Colleyville and surrounding areas.

What to Wear at your Photo Session - Newborns {Keller Baby Photographers}

2010-02-10T14:27:00.010-06:00

For newborn sessions, two key wardrobe questions significantly affect your resulting images. First, what will the baby wear? And second, what will we wear? That’s right, mom and dad . . . you’ll be in some of the photos as well, even if just as a “backdrop” to the star of the show.

Newborns are absolute perfection when they wear nothing at all! For variety and some fun pops of color, I also like to use the swaddling blankets you have at home--that also gives the baby pictures a personal touch.

There are few things as stunning as skin-on-skin shots of a newborn and the proud parents. Dad can be shirtless for some shots, as can Mom, or she could wear a strapless bra or tank top. Images for this type of shot are generally closely cropped. Also, long-sleeved black shirts for Mom and Dad provide a sophisticated, dramatic “backdrop.”

Babies - The Documentary {Keller Baby Photographer}

2010-02-08T13:23:00.008-06:00

Babies' Documentary

One of my blog readers passed this along and I viewed it...adorable! I think its coming out this spring so this "grandma" will have to check it out for sure. I love how the directors were quoted as saying "You can't direct babies!"...too true and why I love photographing them so much. You never know what they'll do but it will always bring a smile to your face!
The photo above is one of my baby portraits from the family lifestyle session talked about in the previous post, used as an illustration for this post.

Lifestyle Photography {Southlake childrens photographers}

2010-02-05T09:00:00.018-06:00

A wonderful way for Fort Worth area families to preserve childhood memories is to schedule a lifestyle portrait photography session. I travel to your home for this particular photo session and we'll use indoor, natural light photography, photographing your family in both casual and lightly posed picture styles. Kids jumping on the bed, your daughter playing with her dolls, mom and dad reading them a story... beautiful, elegant, naturally creative pictures are some of the best ways to keep those memories forever!

Cathy Zaragoza Photography also offers a "day in the life" photo sessions. This type of photography offering consists of several hours spent with your family capturing in portraits in a variety of your family's indoor and outdoor activities.
Our Dallas and Fort Worth photography studio includes a beautiful hardbound coffee table photo book to remember the day when you opt for this particular photography session. Our photographers typically serve Southlake, Keller, Colleyville, Grapevine, Trophy Club etc areas, although it should be noted that we do travel and or meet with clients at locations throughout Dallas and Fort Worth for fun and friendly photography sessions. Email or call us for more detailed information about all our portrait sessions.

The Keller family whose images are posted here, scheduled their lifestyle photography session during the latter part of winter which was great, the weather didn't even matter because it was an in home photo shoot...we captured some beautiful moments and memories.

Bella Ballerinas {Dallas / Fort Worth Photography}

2010-02-04T18:31:00.010-06:00

I'm showing this recent portrait of my beautiful little Miss G and her cousin K. We were seriously overdue for some photos and as they both just finished their ballet classes I wanted to take their pictures in their tutus. I just know these photos will be special to them throughout their lives. Aren't they beautiful?

Miss G is not doing ballet next year to devote more time to tumbling so this was her last performance. I just think little girls are so adorable with their little toddler bellies and ballerina slippers lol. Grandma, being the sentimental, gushy person I am, has kept the ballet slippers. I guess that's why I became a photographer, I love to keep those memories! Either that or Clean House is going to come calling in a few years and make me get rid of some of these "memories!"

The Allie Farris Trio {Fort Worth Headshot Photography}

2010-02-01T15:31:00.009-06:00

I am so behind on getting my sessions edited and blog postings done so I apologize to Allie and the guys! This is a wonderful trio from Denton that I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing perform last September when they were the opening act for Del Castillo in Grapevine. I was very excited to get to photograph them and we finally got to do that in January. Allie is just a gorgeous girl and the guys were so sweet (and talented!). I took my second shooter Robert along with me and it was so much fun...I love when I get the opportunity to photograph musicians, a nice change of pace for me. I am almost finished with your session guys so here's a little sneak peek in the meantime.

Look Out World! {Southlake Child Photography}

2010-02-01T15:26:00.006-06:00

We lucked out last week and got this Southlake photography session in right before the cold weather came back. It was a lovely day in Southlake and the child I had the pleasure of photographing this day was a busy little 2 year old who was the cutest little guy I've seen in a while! I could have eaten him up with a spoon. He was a very busy little man, I should have brought my faster lens...I have quite a few pictures that were a blur from his running lol. It was a good workout for me I know! Grandma, your gallery just went up but here's a few I just had to make into a storyboard because they were so precious as he discovered the dandelions.

I consider myself blessed to have families like this one, who trust me to capture timeless and precious moments such as these in pictures. Grandparents have often commented that they'd give a lot to go back in time and save these memories in pictures of their own children and that's why they're determined not to let these memories of their grandchildren go by without documenting them in sweet pictures.

Biker Chicks Rule! {DFW Photographers}

2010-01-20T07:57:00.005-06:00

Had a little fun this weekend doing some "biker" shots with my granddaughter and her cousin. My late husband was a Harley rider and I always wanted to do something with a biker theme in his honor...so I grabbed my two favorite little girls and asked them to make "biker" faces...Gigi couldn't keep the grin on her face but K gave me a hard look!

Hungry-Girl, Yay! {diets}

2010-01-07T12:48:00.007-06:00

Well, I am one happy woman, let me just say! I discovered the BEST cookbook last weekend called Hungry Girls' 200 (recipes) under 200 (calories)! I was already doing a lifestyle change for my diabetes and had recently rejoined Weight Watchers online to help me. And it was working. But I was hungry....I am definitely a Hungry Girl! I love food and always will...no supermodel anorexia for me! And I know how hard we women are on ourselves..."I'll do pictures of me when I lose 10 lbs" or "I don't like how I look in photos"...you know all the reasons we don't want to be in the portraits. And family portraits are so important. So ladies, here's a great way to jumpstart losing those pounds we all probably found over the holidays!

So I got this book and devoured it over the weekend...and went shopping on Monday. I sent my "bad" foods home with a friend on Tuesday...see how good I am being? lol Anyway, this book and author takes the stuff we really like to eat (junk food/fast food) and converts the recipes to low fat / low carb / healthy recipes.

Now I am no cook but these are easy! I made one of the breakfasts this morning (see attached image)...OMG...it was the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had! Sorry Whataburger! She has a website hungry-girl.com and if you go to youtube and goggle hungry girl you can find tv appearances etc. It's that time of year so I thought I'd pass along a great website! Enjoy!

Playa Del Carmen Mexico {DFW Wedding Photographers}

2010-01-07T12:39:00.010-06:00

This Keller photography studio had the pleasure of photographing a wedding this past fall in Playa del Carmen. Wow, gorgeous, gorgeous (but very hot) wedding location. The resort where the wedding was held, was 4 stars and out of this world. The happy couple live in Houston but the bride is the best friend of one of my long time Southlake customers and I'd met the bride several times. It was an honor take wedding pictures of their special day. Although, it was very hard to leave my beautiful suite with hot tub, 4 poster bed, room service...you get the picture.

And speaking of pictures..here's a few from their big day!

Where's Waldo...I mean Cathy? MIA that's where! {Keller Family Photographers Keller Texas}

2010-01-06T17:23:00.004-06:00

What the heck happened to me in 2009? Life got very fast tracked there for a bit and my blog got sadly neglected. Like the rest of the world I have made some New Year's Resolutions...eat better, exercise, keep my blogging up to date.

I did get a new grandson in the fall so he has taken some of my attention...he's adorable so its hard to resist him...he has big blue eyes and the sweetest smile. His older sister Gigi has not been jealous at all, what a surprise! So, my apologies on being behind on EVERYTHING...please check back - I promise to make it worthwhile for you. Meantime, meet my gorgeous new grandson.

Sweet Father/Daughter Session {Colleyville Chidrens Photographers}

2009-06-11T20:06:00.009-05:00

Aah, such a sweet father and his little girl. You can just feel the love and closeness they have for each other. I have known this Colleyville Dad about 6 years now and Mom and Dad have brought little Miss K to be photographed since she was a wee little baby. As always....love, love, love the red hair! And she has such a spunky little personality. And so well mannered, I know her parents are proud!

I love how cute she looks in my "Jose Eber" hat (that's what I always call it anyway) and the one with them snuggled up is too heartwarming. Love it!

My "fame" moment {DFW Photographers}

2009-06-08T19:25:00.006-05:00

This past Saturday was the 1 year anniversary of my husband's passing. I had planned a balloon release and scattering a few of his ashes to commemorate the occasion with our granddaughter. My good friend Amber Augustin (Extreme Home Makeover Family) was approached by the producers of that show about their new upcoming show (don't know if I can name it so I won't). Anyway, they asked her if she knew of anyone who had lost a loved one in the last year so she gave them my name and told them this weekend was the one year. They were in town filming a few different people for possible storylines and they picked me for one. It was an interesting, but difficult/emotional experience. They really know how to get you to let it all out!

Anyway, the ceremony at the park with Gigi was beautiful and very touching. Amber graciously donated her time to photograph it/us and we even managed to ignore the filming of it. I'm sure bystanders in the park were wondering why this family was having this big production! I will keep you updated if I get on the show...not really sure if I want to do it or not. It's going to be an uplifting, inspirational show so I definitely will be watching it however my moment of "fame" works out.

How do you know when a session is over? {Southlake Photography}

2009-06-07T17:08:00.009-05:00

This Keller Children's and family photographer never knows what to expect during photo sessions, especially location portrait sessions, and this picture says it all!
At this particular Southlake photography session, we showed little Mr. G the water and he wasn't doing anything else after that point! Dad spun the kids in the air (and thru the fountain)....Mom was not too happy with how wet they got because we were so not finished with taking pictures! The kids had a blast and we all had a good laugh. And mom not to worry...we got some great portraits before the children got soaked! Enjoy this sneak peek of what was a fun and fabulous family photo session in Keller.

A special session with a special family {Grapevine Family Photographers}

2009-06-07T16:59:00.005-05:00

I photographed this Grapevine family over the Memorial Day weekend at a beautiful spot in Grapevine, and was so very happy to see them again. This is the family that lost their son to SIDS and host the Holton's Drive for SIDS to raise money for research in his honor. They have an older son but after Holton's passing were blessed with another son. This was his final baby session and he has grown so much since I last photographed him. They are the sweetest family who have always exhibited grace through their trials. I told Mom she inspired me with how she handled her loss and when I lost my husband it really resonated with me. One of her friends commented on the photographs that Mom had lost the sad look in her eyes...I agree and am so happy to see all of them doing so well and feeling joy again.

Happy Mother's Day {Mother's Day}

2009-05-12T19:08:00.005-05:00

Hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Mother's Day. My family spent the day at my sister's as usual, and our wonderful sons cooked lunch for me, sis, my mother and daughter in law and assorted menfolk. I don't know who my son learned to cook from 'cause it sure wasn't me...but he and his cousin did a great job! Saturday, May 9th would have been my late husband's 55th birthday so Gigi (our granddaughter) and I decided Pops still needed a birthday cake. I decided to do cupcakes instead, not realizing my muffin tin had gone missing. So, they came out a bit wobbly to put it mildly...I wanted to show them to you in all their misshapen glory and to prove my point that a cook I am not! Oh well, at least my chocolate covered strawberries came out good!

We did a few pics in the backyard and here is one of my beautiful daughter in law with my little Gigi (who's getting a brother this fall!). She has learned to "cheese" it up (thanks Aunt Jen for that one!) but 2.5 is such a cute age and I know her Pops is smiling down on her and how much she's grown these last 11 months.

Spring Cleaning / Digital Negative Sale

2009-05-06T19:07:00.003-05:00

Okay, time to make room in my office...so I'm having a sale....thru May 20th (they'll be gone after that time, I promise!)....for sale all the digital negs (all the images you were shown in your gallery)...ready to be archived for your family heirlooms or sized at 5x7 and ready to print. If you wanted more pictures from your session but just couldn't afford everything (and who can...?) this is a great opportunity to get it all.

To get all the info you'll need (cost, how to take care of your cd of images, where to print, etc) simply email me at cjzee@sbcglobal.net and I'll get back to you asap! I have edited out in the past so I can't guarantee every session in the last 8 years is still available but I will definitely check and see!

I will tell you this much...they are dirt cheap! The sale applies to all sessions done through 2008.

Cougar Crush for Cathy! {Fort Worth}

2009-05-06T18:39:00.006-05:00

Okay, I admit it...I have a major "Cougar Crush" on Alex Ruiz, the lead singer for Del Castillo. A friend of mine introduced me to their music the week before they appeared at Main Street Arts Festival. He took me to the festival and knew someone who knew the band and I got to go backstage and meet them. I bought every cd they had and a couple of tee shirts! I believe in supporting the artists whose work you enjoy (okay it didn't hurt that they are all gorgeous and I wanted to meet them!). Alex even autographed my tee with #1 Angel...aah. I had to wipe the drool off my mouth when they were playing. My favorite song of their's is a beautiful ballad called "Castles"...there's a video on youtube but the quality is not great so check it out on Amazon for better quality. They are friends with Robert Rodriquez, the hot director/producer in Austin and Hollywood so their new video should be amazing. When its ready I'll post it here, I seem to be really into music lately. So here I am with my new favorite singer Alex....:)

A little bit of family here {Colleyville Baby Photographers}

2009-04-16T18:34:00.006-05:00

Okay, my cousin's daughter's baby and big sister from Colleyville...not sure what that makes me to them but heck, hey're family so all's good! And the mom finds me funny so of course that makes her extra special to me...anybody that gets my sense of humor deserves free pictures or something! Her son is the cutest little chunk o' monk. I seriously don't know how she carries him...he's a hefty little guy. It's so funny how in the human and animal world the males are always so much bigger! His big sister is a bit on the dainty side...he'll probably be bigger than her in just a few years so she better get her bluff in on him now! Well, he was quite modest for his "naked baby" pictures...he's got the cutest little bum around so we got a few more in before he gets too old for me to be photographing his little hiney.

A Pair of Princesses {Southlake Childrens Photographers}

2009-04-16T18:22:00.007-05:00

Here are some from a recent session of one of my Arlington families. It had been a few years since I last photographed them....wow! I couldn't believe how they'd grown. The time just flies and kids just grow like weeds! They were so cute and fun to work with...I think they had a good time being silly with me for the Southlake photography session, I know I did. They were a breath of fresh air during spring break in Fort Worth!

Meet the cousins {Keller Childrens Photographers}

2009-04-16T18:14:00.009-05:00

Two cute sisters, a handsome young man and an adorable toddler...it was an awesome Keller photography session. The baby smiled for every shot which makes my job so easy, she was adorable! These sisters worked well together...got along great and seemed to really enjoy their "model" time. This young man started off a bit shy but his family and I kept working on him; actually the family kept cracking him up so I got some good smiles...what can I say? Us girls just love being photographed and some guys...not so much. I love family photography and really enjoy learning what makes each family member comfortable so that they look relaxed and confident in their pictures. I think you'll agree that these are some great portraits!

A Recent Wedding {Keller Wedding Photographer}

2009-04-16T18:04:00.005-05:00

I haven't done too many weddings the last few years but agreed to do this one for a good friend of the family. I got to work with a friend who is also a photographer and great pack mule (he carted all the equipment around and shot the video) and my former assistant Sandy. I love working with her, she just reads my mind. I am going to start doing weddings again starting this summer so it was good to get my feet wet. So, without further ado...meet Kristi and Shawn! Their wedding was shot at a great location out by the Texas Motor Speedway and we got so lucky and had a nice, sunny and warm day (it was early March!). They were blessed on their special day by Mother Nature. And here's hoping they are blessed in their new life together!

Extreme Home Makeover - The Viewing!

2009-02-21T08:08:00.004-06:00

Well, I said I'd post when it was airing and I'm late in getting that info on here...its going to air on Sunday evening at 7pm Central on ABC on March 1st. The Augustin family as you know from my earlier posts, are long time friends and Amber and I work on some photo shoots together...we make a great team if I say so myself! I can't wait to see it...I was there for the last two days of shooting so look for me in the crowd...I'm sure I'll be teeny tiny in the big group shot and will most likely look frozen when they did the "move that bus" part of the filming. I have seen the house but can't say anything until after the episode airs...but its awesome! Don't miss it!

I Remember Your Smile {DFW Family Photographers}

2009-01-22T14:35:00.009-06:00

I am still working on my new site but wanted to give a sneak peek at what it's all about. The name I Remember Your Smile is because that is how I best remember my husband...his big smile and the laugh that went with it. So I thought it appropriate to name it in honor of him...the site/blog will have memorial/remembrance photo jewelry and ornaments and the very popular stamped metal jewelry...some will be mass produced and others will be one of a kind. I am still in the R&D phase but its been a fun project to work on. I will also be offering photography services to create cd slideshows from and photo notecards. So, without further ado...here are some of the items I will be offering.

Girls just wanna have fun...and chocolate! {DFW childrens photographers}

2009-01-12T15:13:00.004-06:00

I know you've been missing seeing her cute little face - admit it! So here is Gigi on Saturday. My brother was doing a video about love for his church and gave me a "shot list" he needed for the video. That was quite fun actually, having a list to work off of. Kind of like the shot list for a wedding I guess. Anyway, Gigi was to be "I love chocolate" and here she is. It was cool on Saturday so the candy bar wouldn't melt so we had to zap it a few seconds in the microwave. She thought her aunt was crazy when she was smearing all that goo on her face. But since she got to eat the candy she agreed to "work for chocolate"...she won't always be that cheap I'm sure.

My brother is using the picture of Gigi and her Pops walking off into the distance to demonstrate the point about telling people you love them NOW instead of waiting until they are gone. That was a bittersweet moment for me but so true. We had taken those photos about 3 weeks before my husband got sick and died so they are especially precious to me.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays (Tarrant County}

2008-12-24T10:08:00.003-06:00

This is the card I sent last year...my husband played Santa and this is Gigi...how she's grown in a year. I didn't send cards this year so wanted to have an encore presentation and use this card which is so special to me. I hope you all have a joyful, happy holiday in whatever way you celebrate and hope for a great 2009 for everyone!

Proud Momma Moment

2008-12-19T07:15:00.003-06:00

Yay! My son has worked extremely hard the last several years--working full time, being a husband and father and putting himself through college. He never dropped the ball, never gave up even though at times that probably seemed easier. I am proud to announce he got his final grades yesterday and he made all A's and B's. Not only did he graduate, he did it with a high grade point average. I'm not sure where he got his brains, so not from me!

We had a celebration luncheon with him last week and it was awesome...I just wish my husband could have been there because he was so proud of him and bragged on him a lot. He came into my son's life about the time my son entered college so he was there for all but the final part of the journey.

Congratulations son, you did your Momma proud (as always)! And my son plans to enter school to get his Master's next year...I think he just enjoys being in school! Seriously he has goals and I know he will attain them because that's how he's made. But somewhere along the line I still want that grandson so fit that into your schedule!

A Little Christmas Cheer {DFW Childrens Photography}

2008-12-18T20:52:00.012-06:00

Well, since my husband's death this year, as you can probably imagine...I am not feeling it this holiday season for myself. I haven't decorated, wrapped gifts, sent out cards or done any baking. I kind of just want it to come and go quickly. Well, my son asked me to not let Christmas die. That touched my heart a lot. Tonite was my grandchild's daycare Christmas program and the entire extended family was there for her big "broadway" debut. She kept telling us she wasn't going to do it (2 year olds...) but I asked her over french fries at McDonald's if she would do it for Pops, my husband. Now who knows if she even understood what I was saying but she agreed to do it and ...please GaGa, give me more fries haha.

I am so glad I went...I have never seen anything cuter in my life! They started with the little one year old class all dressed up as sheep and cows and other cute animals and they were adorable. I have taken photos of some of the classes other than Gigi's to share. Gigi's class wore little Christmas tree shirts and sang Away in a Manger and Rock Around the Christmas Tree. Gigi spotted me up front taking the photos and started saying "Grandma!". There were just some adorable little stars tonite I tell you. The last class of 5 year olds were so funny I took almost as many photos of them as I did my own grandkid. The little boy playing Joseph...I think we have a budding comedian in our midst. He would turn the wrong way during the number and throw up his arms or make a funny expression...a bit of Chris Farley in him I think. And the two little cowboys on one end decided they would fight over the mic even though there were no solos during that number...they just took a little bit of that spotlight for themselves anyway.

So for all you fellow Grinches out there...enjoy the photos and feel the joy come into your heart like it did mine!

Extreme Home Makeover - Update

2008-12-16T10:34:00.008-06:00

Well, its finally done! They did the "Move that Bus!" on Monday and my sister and I were in with the family at the front so we got a great view of everything going on. I won't give any details away but you can see "official" photos in the link I gave in the earlier post. My sister is a HUGE Ty Pennington fan (btw...I'm the "pro" photographer but she took all these photos with her point and shoot ha ha). She is in the leopard coat posing with the assistant director (he told us what to do and when and was really funny), me trying to thaw out for a minute in the Texas Ranger's Tent in the fur/denim jacket, and the design team in front of the house waiting for the bus and of course, Ty. Paul, the older designer on the show is a real doll! He took two of the little kids out of the friends box and took them in the house to use the restroom...how sweet! The photos as follows are: me in tent trying to defrost after the 1st hour, my sister with the assistant director she's now in "love" with ha ha, the designers in front of the home and finally, Ty getting ready for the limo to arrive.

Let me just say...if I didn't love Peter and Amber SO much I would not have been there...for 4 hours..in 14 degree weather. My feet might have been hurting, but luckily they were so frozen I couldn't feel them anyway. I am still trying to warm up. But the big payoff for me was seeing the family arrive and see their new home...we were all in tears. I can't wait to see the episode when it airs and will keep you all updated on when that is!

My sister and I went to the "event" (not sure if I'm supposed to say what it was yet...) on Sunday evening and I did get to give Amber and Peter big hugs and talk to them...they simply look dazed by it all. But huge Kudos to Amber...she is great in front of a camera!

Extreme Home Makeover and my friend

2008-12-09T08:58:00.003-06:00

I have been sitting on this information for months and couldn't tell anyone....I can't believe I kept my lips zipped! Well, the great news is that I found out yesterday that my dear friend of 8 years, Amber Augustin and her husband have been selected for Extreme Home Makeover! Their home was flooded a year and a half ago when Fort Worth had that terrible flood on Father's Day. They have been living in a condo, all the while making house payments in a home that was just sitting there, ruined. Amber is a fellow photographer and she and her husband had just built her a great studio in their converted garage so she was unable to use any of her photography studio...it has been a real mess all in all.

Amber and Peter are two of the best people you would be blessed to know. When my husband fell ill Amber is who I called to do an event for me when I realized how serious my husband's condition was. She did an awesome job - for free - and took that worry from me. And they are such good Christian people, they really walk the walk, not just talk the talk...when they came to Steven's bedside and prayed over him I felt such a relief. That is just one small example of things they have done for me, they have done so much for so many others. They couldn't have picked a more deserving family. Here is a link that will let you follow along on this story...so excited to see the episode when it airs early in 2009!

Just found an article in Star Telegram on them here.

Beautiful Family on a Beautiful Fall Day

2008-11-21T08:27:00.007-06:00

Mom did a perfect, perfect job coordinating outfits for her group and their family photo session in Keller. The clothing colors went really well together and with their coloring (beautiful redheads!) and the fall foliage. I couldn't have asked for a better wardrobe! I was thrilled to see the little redhead, middle child...he was a doll with huge eyes. His older brother informed me that he had big eyes too...he was so cute with his little braces on. The baby was just sweetnatured and went along with all the photography poses and ideas but when we did the family tickle fight was the only time she wasn't so sure about what was going on. I guess her family doesn't usually break out in tickle fights at home! So, as usual, I'm showing one in black and white but decided to grace y'all with a color image too...I do them, I just have a natural preference for black and white portraits...what can I say?

Unique Unique Design - Wow!

2008-11-20T10:25:00.008-06:00

My sister has come across some great people and finds in her antiquing trips...and I was commissioned to photograph a home show (like Roundtop in a home...). I loved everything Marcie had (she's in my links list...please go check her blog out as well). She has such an awesome eye and finds the most wonderful stuff. She does a couple of home shows a year and its a madhouse! I'll let the images speak for themselves...but if you want to have early dibs then you need to get signed up for her newsletter and visit her blog! http://blog.uniqueuniquedesign.com/

Baby, It's Cold Outside! {Denton photographers}

2008-11-19T16:40:00.006-06:00

She's too young to know that song, but it sure was going thru my head last Saturday during our photography session in Denton. Miss J was such a trooper and didn't complain about the cold...but her little pink nose gave it away. We had this portrait session in downtown Denton around the courthouse...it was so nice having a change of scenery. The only downside is the cool ice cream shop wasn't open yet, and well, it might have been a tad cold (44 degrees) for that to sound appealing!

We're Back! {Keller family Photographers}

2008-11-19T16:36:00.006-06:00

I loved photographing this Keller Texas family last year, they were so fun; I was glad to hear back from them again this year, needing another portrait session. The kids are just too cute for words. Little miss there can give me a run for my money in the talking department! She is full of stories and just sharing her view on life in general. Regular readers of this blog might remember, brother had just lost his two front teeth last year - too cute! He has his new teeth in this year....kids are so cute when they first come in, they're so grown up looking. It's wonderful that these parents are documenting all the fun stages of growing up for their children to look back on. They're a beautiful family and I absolutely love photographing them. Don't you love this family tickle picture...I like to do those at the end and get the kids all wound up and then they go home with mom and dad! I'm sure they're thanking me all the way home....ha ha.

Little Man M

2008-11-19T16:32:00.004-06:00

He is 3 and he is a delight. He had me laughing throughout the session with his cute expressions and just being a boy. You can tell he is the apple of Mom and Dad's eyes...I love doing family sessions where the love is so obvious. He did enjoy my toot machine, I haven't met a boy of any age yet that doesn't!

Last Call for Sessions!!!

2008-11-17T04:50:00.003-06:00

I am going to open up a few more slots for 3:30/4:00ish during the week so if you have been trying to get an appt and I just haven't had any....jump on 'em! As you know the weekends go really fast and I have 1 afternoon weekend slot left and that's it! That would be the Friday, Saturday or Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend so let me know if you want that one....what with my family and my customer's families all being in town for the holidays that's all that's available...don't miss out!

Call 817.975.5387 to book one of the remaining slots, thanks and happy holidays!

Meet the "M" Family

2008-11-12T12:14:00.004-06:00

This great Trophy Club family was referred by my friend Amy from Southlake...she used to babysit the kids when they were little bitty kids. We did this session in Grapevine on a beautiful fall day. Mom and Dad had the two olders girls then the boy/girl twins were a surprise 14 years ago....all in all a very fun, easygoing family. I love this casual action shot of the kids pushing mom and dad on the swing. We got the more posed ones too, but these real moments shots always seem to make the blog cut don't they ha ha.

I give the family a big thank you for being patient on their gallery...fall is always so busy and there are just not enough hours in the day!

I Need An Artist!

2008-11-10T07:48:00.003-06:00

I have a very special request for something dear to my heart. The last time my husband and I kept our grandbaby (2 days before he went into the hospital), she was sick with a cold so she stayed with us all day instead of daycare. My husband sat on the couch holding her in his lap reading to her from her favorite Elmo book. Why I didn't snap a picture of it I don't know and am kicking myself now. I can still see the picture so clearly in my head. I would love to find an artist who does charcoal or pastel drawings to put that memory on paper for me. I have an awesome older brother who is an artist but unfortunately he is one busy, busy man so I don't want to bother him with this request, he's got more plates in the air than anyone I know!

So if you are an artist or know of someone who is, I would love to talk to you/them about hiring them for this project! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Christmas Cards / Fun with Friends {Keller Christmas family portraits photographers}

2008-11-05T10:20:00.004-06:00

Here's a recent portrait of my friend Amy and her family from Keller...they came out to the park a few weeks back for some quick images for their 2008 Christmas cards. This isn't the picture she chose but its my favorite so just did one up for the blog. That'll teach her next time to pick my favorite ha ha! If you want to see the holiday card choices available this year you can see them here and the code to view is 2008cards.

Time is running out for Christmas photo sessions and holiday card orders so don't miss out!

The lovely "S" Family

2008-11-04T09:06:00.005-06:00

Here's one of my wonderful, repeat families from Southlake. She recently celebrated a birthday (see birthday blog below). And the week following that party we met up at the park to do their holiday portraits. I've been photographing this family for the last four years or so. Couldn't ask for nicer people! And doesn't dad look like Matt Damon...not a bad thing at all! He did admit he hears that quite often. I get a chuckle out of how little M (with darker hair/older girl) looks so much like Dad and C with white blonde hair is her mother all over again. They really redistributed their dna evenly!

The P Family {Keller family photographers}

2008-10-30T08:58:00.010-05:00

Creative sessions ideas are at the forefront of this Keller photographers work; loved photographing this family and their pictures are great!

I can't even pronounce their last name (and I'm sure they feel that way about MY last name...) so just know them as the "P" family. The mom's extended family was in town to celebrate her birthday...and can I just say I want some of what's she's got...she is so young looking and in the 4 or 5 years I've known them hasn't aged at all! So not fair...

They always come up with some cute ideas and this particular family portrait was no exception. This year was all about the cowboy hats, don't they make great props or accessories for photos? What better backdrop to put them against than this western looking location.

Let me help you plan your family pictures and know that Keller family photography is our niche.

The Glass Cactus Surprise Party

2008-10-30T08:49:00.002-05:00

Well, I won't say "who" and I won't say "how old" but one of my regular, great customers booked me way back in July for his wife's birthday (it was yesterday...happy birthday)! The party was about two weeks or so ago (I'm so behind right now...) at the Glass Cactus on the Gaylord Hotel property in Grapevine. I had heard about this place and it was great! L, the birthday girl, has a favorite band, the M80's, a faux British 80's tribute band and they were scheduled to play that night, so that's why her great husband picked that night. I am not a dancer - at all - but even I was shaking my groove thing a little bit while I was photographing on the dance floor. The mark of a good band is when you can actually get people on the dance floor and it was full!

So here's a shot of the M80's...got some great shots of the birthday girl up there singing with them but she may not appreciate me sharing them....so I'll be good and just show the band!

Little Man C {Southlake baby photographers}

2008-10-30T08:38:00.008-05:00

I got to meet and photograph this cute little toddler last weekend...his mom is an awesome interior designer in Southlake that I have photographed homes for, but this was the first time I photographed her family. Mom's gorgeous and her son inherited her looks obviously! He was so observant throughout the whole photo session it made me chuckle; very much observing and analyzing what was going on. It was wonderful that he was a very good sport about it all, I think he approved of it his portrait being taken. Grandma came with him and mom and got him to smile for me...but she informed me later that when they were in the car on the way home he was grinning from ear to ear...isn't that always the way? lol

I referred to him as a toddler above but he's actually only 7 months old, a baby really...already crawling, climbing and standing up...I suspect he will be walking by 9 months. I think he's got places to go and people to see and is ready to get on with it!

Same time last year - see how they've grown!

2008-10-26T18:05:00.005-05:00

I have photographed these adorable twins with their mom and dad since they turned one and its so fun every year to see how they've grown! It was a really fun portrait session this year and couldn't have gone any easier. Three year olds are delightful, sometimes the terrible two's extend into this age, ha ha, but not with these two.

They were just very excited to explore the park and they got to have some fun in the playground area during the session. I love the looks on their faces when they're trying out all the equipment, makes for great photos of the kids in action. Anyone who knows me and my style knows "posed" is not my specialty! The picture above is a great example of lifestyle photography.

March of Dimes Celebrity Chefs 2008

2008-10-20T18:55:00.008-05:00

I was 2nd shooting last weekend with a fellow photographer friend at the March of Dimes 2008 event. An awesome cause for a fund raiser and a great way to do it...awesome food and drinks, wonderful donations for the silent and live auction. I got to taste the food and it sure makes going back to Whataburger

difficult! I adore doing food photography so this was an especially fun event for me...here some of the dishes they served up. The cakes were very tempting and so beautiful!

Girl Road Trip

2008-10-01T07:40:00.007-05:00

Let me tell you a bit about Amy...we met 4 years ago when I was booked for a newborn session at her home. It could have gone a bit easier...she later told her mom (I found out) "well, that was a waste of money!" But when I posted her images...she was blown away she said and turned in to one of my very best customers ever! Over the years she is now my friend first, customer second. So besides this being a job, a calling for me...it has brought me some wonderful people who I am proud to call friends. Amy was by my side when my husband was ill and passed and just a rock for me. Okay, so there's the back story.

Amy was "Jonesing" as she calls it for a photo session...Miss P, her 4 year old, had a beautiful new dress to be photographed in. So I suggested Mineral Wells' Baker Hotel. I fell in love with it last year when I photographed it...gorgeous old hotel that is sadly, falling into disrepair and I fear will not be around for many more years. So off we go on Saturday at 8:30. We did the session (and met a few scary homeless people around the hotel..yikes!), and even hit a great pumpkin stand in Weatherford...a really fun, relaxing road trip. I'm thinking about hitting the road this weekend to check out some spots out Decatur way so you never know what I'll find!

Meet the "M" Family!

2008-10-01T07:33:00.006-05:00

This Frisco Texas family won my donated photography gift card from 2007 Holton's Drive for SIDS (see story below)...I'm so glad I finally got to meet and work with them, they were so sweet and drove in from Frisco for their portrait session. Mom's parents came in from Oklahoma for a visit so they came along and were great at helping to get the little ones smiling for the camera (and granddad brought his video camera...I asked him to please not get a shot of Miss Cathy's tush!...or at least Photoshop it smaller!)

These kids were just adorable and so very easy to photograph. You wouldn't have know big sis was in her two's because she was so cooperative - maybe she didn't get the memo on how two years olds normally act?

A hard decision

2008-09-25T11:42:00.002-05:00

I have had to decide something today and I'm still not 100% convinced its the right thing to do but suspect that is just me not wanting to make the call. My 12 yo Scottie, Duffy, or Miss Duff as my late husband always called her...she's not doing well in her old age.

Steven was dreading the day we lost her and I think that time is near. She is having quite a bit of blood in her urine and Scotties are prone to bladder cancer and all types of cancer but that one in particular is one they get. The vet said I need to bring her back in for more tests but as I was sitting here looking at her after the call I just realized how sad and old she is looking. Her life is basically eat and then sleep. She doesn't want to go outside except to potty then wants right back in so she can sleep some more. She can't hear and is losing her sight as well. Unfortunately I am not financially able to keep her health where I'd like it to be...she's more "patch, patch, patch"...I call her the million dollar dog because healthwise she's always been a challenge.

So I think this weekend I will take her to the dogpark for one last visit - she likes to sit by my feet and watch the other dogs play, feed her whatever she wants, like a good steak and just spend a lot of time loving on her and say my goodbyes. This will be very hard for me since it hasn't been that long since we had to take my husband off life support and losing her will be like losing another piece of him. I'm sure he'll be there to greet her in Heaven. I think she has missed him quite a bit.

So everyone, please say a prayer I can do the right thing by Miss Duffy.

Thank You

2008-09-17T12:22:00.002-05:00

Wanted to take a moment and give a big "thank you" to my great customers, both old and new that have been SO patient with me this summer. I truly have had a lot of "widow fog" moments...and everyone has been so patient and kind as I reinvent my life and find my way after my husband's passing in June. I normally have sessions up within 48 hours of a session and orders done and in the mail very quickly....not so much this summer. It has been a bit like having ADD all of a sudden. So I wanted to let everyone know that I am sorry I've not been myself and that I am coming out of the fog. Just in time for the busy fall season!

Doing Hard Time

2008-08-29T17:57:00.003-05:00

Well, say hello to the terrible two's! Miss Gigi aka Miss Demeanor/Misdemeanor is doing hard time in room 53 at daycare because she bit someone two times last week! Sadly she is a repeat offender...she bit someone today and Mom and Dad are NOT happy. Anyone got any great ideas on how to break this bad habit - email me! So, here is her mug shot. She did get bit herself so maybe this was just tough playground payback time...

Brother Love {Southlake childrens photography}

2008-08-26T11:54:00.004-05:00

Well, maybe brother cooties...big sis here isn't too sure of having to kiss her little brother. But turnabout was fair play so he got to do it right back to her. Siblings are so funny...don't want to sit too close, or have to touch each other or sometimes breathe the same air. Brings back memories for sure! These two are really close and love each other but it was a hot day and I can't blame them for not wanting to be too touchy/feely.

They came in all the way from New Jersey to see me. Okay, well they were in town seeing family and did a session with me while they were here. But saying it the first way sounded better didn't it? This is one of my long time customers and they moved about three years ago but we still fit a session in every August when the weather is just so beautiful and pleasant ha ha!

Sweet Babe in Arms {Keller newborn Photographers}

2008-08-25T13:55:00.008-05:00

This is my cousin's daughter and her new grandson. He is my youngest newborn yet, I believe 6 days old when we did the session. He was such a cooperative little one and slept most of the time enabling me to get this sweet capture and several others. Mom is a smart girl, her older child is 9.5 so she's got a ready made babysitter. I got some really beautiful images of her kissing her new baby brother which is sometimes a difficult shot to get when the older sib is only 2 or 3.

Delicious Baby Alert {Fort Worth and Dallas Baby Photography}

2008-08-25T10:55:00.007-05:00

Truly, this little girl is so delish I could eat her up with a spoon. And she's so good natured too! Don't you love her expression in the picture? Mom bought her this red petti and hat and I just think it looks so adorable on her! She just turned one so wetoo some pictures of her in a cute, cute little tank with a birthday cupcake on it and shorts, this red petti and hat and a little blue outfit. I will say she is one styling baby girl and she now has the baby pictures to prove it! Baby photography is a gift that parents give themselves AND their children. There isn't much thats more special than handing down beautiful baby pictures to your children so they can see themselves as you saw them when they were tiny and they can then share them with their children. Baby pictures reveal family resemblances and bring back wonderful memories of those sweet baby years.

Sweet Brother and Big Sister

2008-08-21T11:14:00.004-05:00

I photographed this little 18 month old with his big sister last week and he was fast! But a great smiler and very sweet little boy. I enjoyed watching the two of them, they were very sweet together...just enough age difference between them so that she was his "little mother" or at least I didn't get any "little brothers - yuck" vibe from her. We lucked out that it was before the rain and not as hot as it had been, so a great day for a session. How great is my job that I get to go play with kids, and take photographs, for a living!

Tiger Woods better worry! {DFW Childrens Photography}

2008-08-19T17:43:00.008-05:00

This little one has a daddy that plans to give Tiger Woods a run for the money! Daddy was a pro golfer a few years back and plans for his little girl to get a golf scholarship when she's a bit bigger. I had a blast driving the golf course over at Iron Horse - they were awesome to let us do this on the first hole! And I so didn't know what I was doing in that cart. I got so many cute ones of her "golfing"...it will be hard to narrow down Mom!

August Profile - Cari

2008-08-19T17:34:00.003-05:00

I have so many great customers that I thought from time to time I would interview them and get to know them a little better. Some own businesses of their own and I will include that in their spotlight of course.

My first customer being spotlighted is Cari and she has been with me for three years. I have had the privilege of photographing both of her beautiful children since they were born and I love that I have gotten to watch them grow. On a personal note here...Cari was so great when I was spending time at the hospital with my husband. I had spent a night there and also would be spending the following evening there. She brought me toothpaste, blanket, socks, pillow and all the personal necessities I didn't have with me. That was such a kind gesture in a difficult time and I really was so moved by that! Just wanted to let you know what a thoughtful person she is too!

So, without further ado....meet Cari!

First name & city: Cari North Richland Hills

How many children, first names and ages: 2, Lauren (3) and Grant (1)

Favorite places to go with your children in the summer months: Zoo, Pool, Bike Rides

What was the last book you read to your children? Children’s Bible

What’s on your nightstand? Bible, baby monitor and alarm clock

What are your favorite websites or blogs to visit? Craig's List

What are your 3 favorite local restaurants: Italianni’s, Chili’s and Panara Bread

What is your favorite Salon: Moutons

Who's the one person you'd like to meet (alive or dead): Jesus and my Mom

Do you have any secret "guilty" pleasures (like reality tv shows for instance?): choc chip cookies

Why made you choose to go with a custom photographer instead of a chain type photographer? (I had to ask!):
Much more laid back and not rushed. I love not being limited to 5 or 10 pictures within a 15 minute window. You know that my kids don’t even warm up until the end of a session.

Blessed Baby

2008-08-19T13:42:00.004-05:00

I love when I get to share in a couple's blessed event...and what's better than a new baby? This couple is attractive, so in love and excited to meet their little one...what more could you ask for? The only downside to doing maternity sessions is when the mom shows up with a tummy smaller than mine! The mom-to-be here used to work with my husband so I was very happy to meet her as he used to speak so highly of her and it was great to reminisce about him among other things we talked about!

Enjoy your sneak peek here!

Mr. Cutie Pie

2008-08-18T18:59:00.004-05:00

Love, love, love 6 month olds! They are usually so happy at this age and this little guy came in smiling and never let up! I got to photograph his big sister (the shoeaholic I posted about) and now I got to meet him. He was truly precious and just so agreeable. He only peed on the backdrop once but hey, what's a guy to do when you take all his clothes off for cute bootie pictures? That air is awfully cold you know...

So mom, here's your sneak peek which was awfully long in coming I know!

Let's Go Fishing!

2008-08-12T08:09:00.004-05:00

One of my baby planners....its his last session on the plan, can't believe it's already that time. They do grow up fast! His mom and dad have also been great to refer lots of their friends, always appreciated!

Little Mr. E here loved being at the park and by the water. So we gave him a fishing pole and bait bucket and he was in to that immediately! He knew just what to do...he was casting and I do believe if he'd had a real minnow on there (and a hook!) he would have caught something! We lucked out that the weather wasn't too horrible for August in Texas, love this Keller park for the variety it offers. The little ones like it for all the different things there are to explore there.

Care Bear Where Are You?

2008-08-11T08:53:00.004-05:00

Little Miss A here looooves her Care Bear...pink so obviously a girl even though I kept saying "he"...bad photographer! So we have quite a few with her favorite lovey in them. I however, did get this sweet image, she is thinking about something and has such a serious look on her face.

Mom warned me she was not a big smiler but in the end we got quite a lot with her smiling...if you want to know what got her I'll confess...she took her shoes off and I sniffed them and said she had stinky feet! She really cracked up over that (bathroom humor never goes out of style I guess)...of course I warned Mom that she would probably be doing that to everyone's feet now. Hey it works on my grandchild so figured it would work on her!

This is the sweet redheaded baby laying down on the black drop on my website in case you think she looks a little familiar, that's why! Keller

Holton's Drive for SIDS

2008-08-08T12:15:00.005-05:00

Some of you may remember that last year one of my families lost their 5 month old son Holton to SIDS. They touched my heart, and so many others, with their story. There is a saying, after a loss, you can become bitter or better. They are letting their lives go on and be "better." I so admire them for how they have handled losing their son and how they have turned that loss into benefitting a great cause. And on a personal note, they have really reached out to me during my recent loss. I so appreciate and admire them.

They held a golf tournament benefitting research for SIDS and did a great job, so many people participated and were generous in their donations, it was a great success for them and will benefit so many people. I am adding the link here so you can check it out. If your heart is touched and you feel moved to participate or donate, please do so...it will be most appreciated! I donated a gift card last year and am doing so again this year for the silent auction. Meanwhile, here are a few images of the one and only session I got to do with Holton before he passed. I feel so blessed to have been able to capture those precious moments in his too short life.

They Deserve to be Remembered

2008-08-05T12:52:00.003-05:00

I was browsing around the internet today and found this great site The American Widow Project, that was started as a support and resource for widows and widowers from the war in the Middle East. I have a project in my head and am in contact with them and will share later if it comes to fruition.

These men and women have served their country well and now their loved ones are left behind, struggling daily to make sense of their loss. If you would like to help, they have different areas you can contribute to and it's an interesting read. Pass it along if you know someone this could benefit.

I can tell you from personal experience, after the funeral is over, the calls slowly start slowing down, people go on with their own lives and you're starting to feel alone and realizing just how long forever is. I pray for all these families that have lost their loved ones serving their country. My husband was proud to serve in the Army for one tour back in 80-83.

My Brother and I

2008-08-04T09:49:00.005-05:00

Met this cute pair last Friday for the first time. They are 2 and 4 and very cute kids to boot! Very typical for that age, when asked to "blow" in his sister's ear, he instead gave her a little raspberry! Gotta love little brothers! And of course, they did not want to sit "too" close to each other on the bench. This brought back so many memories of my childhood and how my brother thought his two little sisters had cooties! I love photographing kids because you never know what you're going to get and that keeps things interesting! All in all, we had nice weather and the rain didn't stop us because it was so dry that it got soaked up immediately. It actually helped cool us off! Mom dressed her two just perfectly which was great!

Hot Day, Sizzling Session!

2008-08-04T09:33:00.007-05:00

It was another hot day in Texas! I have had several photography sessions lately at my clients homes, showing their families having a good time in their pools...I love it! It really captures some natural, fun moments and this particular family here is originally from the Northeast part of the U.S. and are choosing photos of the family in their for their Christmas cards. That will be a fun surprise for friends back home to get on a cold winter day!

It's never too hot to take your family pictures if you are willing to be a bit creative.

Just got this nice note from Mom:

Cathy,

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM!!!! Love...love...love them! So many to choose! Also, obviously I will want to use some of these awesome photos for Xmas cards. Should we do that now or wait? Also, I forget...how many images can I choose and the card will still look good? You are so talented girl! S.F.

Look out Steven Spielberg!

2008-08-01T18:16:00.002-05:00

I am so proud of my big brother...he has always been very artistic, drawing, painting and has done illustrations for several christian books by Calvin Miller. He has been able in the last few years to change his career from sales to video production at his longtime company. A dream come true for him and a lot of persistence and sweat went into it! He has now become part of a film company called Sandstone Films. Here is a link to what they just finished filming. He met with some producers the other day and they have told him and the rest of the owners that they expect their company to take off within the next year. Kuddos to my big bro!

Add 2 little girls and 1 big brother = fun! {Dallas Childrens Photographers}

2008-07-29T11:53:00.006-05:00

Take 15 month old twin girls and their big brother and you get quite a workout for a photography session! This picture give you a good idea of the energy these children had. WOW!
I photographed the big brother last year at his 15 month session while his little sisters were still in mommie's tummy. I got to meet the girls last Saturday...we didn't stay outside too long as it got hot even at 9 am! The twins had such different personalities but both were just as cute and sweet as could be during their photo shoot and big brother is such a sweet little boy, it was a fun, energetic session for sure!

Happy Boy

2008-07-29T11:45:00.007-05:00

I'm a little behind on my blogging again...gotta tell you, I love owning my own photography business and the marketing and all that goes with it but these days with FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter and all the other social networking sites to keep updated, along with my website and my blog...whew! I need more hours in the day so that I can show everybody the beautiful family pictures that I'm so privileged to take of my Fort Worth, Keller and Southlake area families!

Anyway, here's pictures of Mr. G who just celebrated turning one in June. He's such a happy little guy and that makes his photography session so easy and fun for me! He loves his Mommy...she can always get a great smile out of him!

Harlequeen's / Paige's

2008-07-11T16:56:00.006-05:00

I was recently hired to photograph two fabulous stores in Colleyville! Wow, I am so lucky I was able to leave there with any money still in my pocket...too, too much cute stuff to choose from! Paige Dixon is the owner of both stores and she will be putting up a blog soon so I will be linking them here - check back! They are having a trunk show this weekend featuring one of her artists at Harlequeens. The artist does the most wonderful art pieces to decorate your home with, very unusual.

Here's a sampling from Harlequeen's...I will try and get up the images from Paige's in the next day or so...fyi, Paige's is a boutique that offers some home accessories, shoes, belts, handbags, clothing and jewelry and much more. Harlequeen's features the work of local artists and is more decorative accessories for the home but they also have some cute clothes, jewelry and purses etc. There is something for everyone's tastes at either store and both shops are located off Hwy 26 in Colleyville.

Lots of posting to do today { Souhlake Family pictures photography}

2008-07-07T10:20:00.009-05:00

Well, I'm back at work, doing well but seriously behind in my blogging of new sessions. I'm just going to say a bit and then post them all together in one post.

The pictures of two sisters in the pool are of a family I have been lucky enough to photograph for about 3 years now. They were so much fun and showing off for Miss Cathy all the things they could do in the pool. I could have stayed by their pool all day...Dad has done an awesome job landscaping their yard so it was a wonderful location for their session and then they put on their swim suits and we did some more natural poses. The image I'm showing here is a really cute, natural portrait, unposed and spontaneous, and you know I love capturing those moments!

These two little girls here in the black and white photo don't get to see other often...one is a cousin who lives in Malaysia and they were here visiting family. We all headed to the Botanic Gardens in Fort Worth, which is a great location for family pictures and this particular picture was towards the end when they were wearing their "twin" outfits and giggling. There's nothing quite like two little girls in giggle mode...I really love this portrait from their family photography session.

I have had a couple of little boy newborns lately. The one shown laughing here started our session off by trying to "get me"....I guess he was showing me who was boss. We all had a good laugh over that one...hmm, maybe that's why he was laughing in this shot, thought he got Miss Cathy! Gotta love little boys' plumbing.

The next picture is of a newborn in black and white...he was just so gorgeous, and photographed great. His big sister did an awesome job during our portrait session doing the "kissing" shots with him, and those are sometimes tough shots to capture. I look forward to photographing him as he grows up as I have done with his big sister.

Last, but not least, is Miss C. She is turning 3 and brought all her shoes...she is starting young on being a shoeaholic. Move over Carrie from Sex and the City...you've got competition. Little Fashionistas start young don't they? I love this picture of her in the hat....she kept crinkling up her little nose at me through the portrait session and that was so adorable.

Personal Update

2008-06-12T06:31:00.003-05:00

I wanted to thank everyone for their kind emails, calls and voicemails this past week or so as my husband fell ill quite unexpectedly and then passed away at the hospital on June 6th. I can't imagine life without him and the past few days, after the funeral, have been so very quiet and lonely around the house. I am so thankful to have my four fur babies here with me. What will be hardest on me is Thursdays. That's the day I would pick up our little Gigi, bring her home for a snack and cartoons and then her Pops and I would take her to dinner. We all loved it and now I don't quite know what to do with my Thursdays. Gigi and I will have to find our way for sure. She is too young to know what's going on, but she keeps looking for him and that just breaks my heart. So again, thanks for all the prayers and support my wonderful friends, families and customers have offered up on my behalf.

That all being said...I need to keep busy and do need to support myself. So if you are needing a session please feel free to go ahead and book that. I will bring my "A" game and I really do love what I do and want to return to it.

Steven Zaragoza 5/9/54 to 6/6/08

2008-06-06T23:03:00.007-05:00

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

-W. H. Auden
http://www.legacy.com/DFW/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=111166081

Daddy's little girls

2008-05-28T07:41:00.007-05:00

I met a new family yesterday that were referred by one of my longtime customers and I was immediately in love with all of their hair. Beautiful blonde ringlets, mom and both girls had them. We met at a beautiful park in Southlake which is normally an iffy spot as it gets very bright sun throughout most of the day. We so lucked out and had some cloud cover so the light was just beautiful! And by the time we were done, it was about to rain, missed by a very narrow margin! The oldest sister "R" is so photogenic it's crazy (in a good way!). This shot of her is my absolute favorite from the whole session...it's to die for good! I did show mom on the back of the camera but when I opened it up later on my pc I was soooo thrilled, it looked even better blown up! I am showing it to mom in color and bw but posting the bw here, you know I love my black and white! The little one is 17 months old "K" and she has the sweetest little baby curls, love them and her long eyelashes. We played some in the water but she wasn't too sure about that part! Next is one of the images of the girls (shh, its a secret for daddy)...I love it, its so sweet and I think this one will melt mom's heart too!

Food Photography - Tips and Tricks that make your mouth water

2008-05-26T08:29:00.002-05:00

That luscious-looking roasted turkey has been washed in dishwashing detergent, cooked briefly, painted with ten coats of food coloring, and blowtorched (to give it that lovely roasted look!)

Those natural-looking bunches of grapes are sprayed with baby powder deodorant.

The molded cream pudding is hard as a rock, because it contains ten times the amount of gelatin than a regular pudding would. (We don't want it to melt under those hot lights!)

The ice you see in that frosty beverage is most likely acrylic "ice," that refracts light better than real ice and doesn't melt.

The rich-looking syrup being poured over pancakes? Motor oil works well here.

Like that milkshake? It's a combination of food colouring, and whipped shortening! And don't go for the ice cream instead - it's shortening too.

That great looking bowl of cereal on the cover of your cereal box is actually cereal and white glue, instead of milk, to prevent the cereal from getting soggy. (No one wants to buy a box of mush!)

Those veggies that look as if if they were just picked and dew-covered? Mix glycerine into a spray bottle with water and the drops will stay on for about 15 minutes. (Glycerin can be used to give any food a juicy, glistening appearance.)

Want your Barbecued ribs to look mouth-watering? Half-cook the ribs, paint with wood stain and BBQ sauce.

Those french fries in a carton? Each one has been individually selected, from hundreds of fries, and secured to a styrofoam base inside the package so that they stand up straight and fan out nicely.

That hamburger that makes you want to run to your nearest fast-food outlet, is the product of a process that includes:

frying the hamburger for 20 seconds on each side
using red-hot skewers pressed against the meat to give it that "grilled" look
painting the hamburger with food colouring to give it that plump, brown, juicy appearance.
picking the best out of hundreds of hamburger buns (strategically gluing on extra sesame seeds if necessary)
lining the buns with cardboard so that they don't get soggy
snipping and spreading the burger from behind so that it looks bigger in the bun
selecting only the most perfect condiments and securing them in place with toothpicks
securing the top of the bun to the hamburger with toothpicks
The finishing touch to a hot food photo-shoot? Artificial 'steam' placed behind the food to give it that 'fresh from the oven' appearance.

Look at me...I'm 3! {Fort Worth Family Photographers}

2008-05-19T07:59:00.008-05:00

Miss L had her 3rd birthday last week so it was time to capture her in pictures around that big girl milestone. I put her in these rainboots for walks in puddles (of which we found none...) and poor little thing could hardly walk in them but she was a great sport about it...she'd take a step and go all wonky then keep on going!

I do keep a collection of accessories and props for children's portraits and little girls love to use them!

We did quite a few pictures with a hat on and she looked so cute in the hat! A few weeks before her session this little girl had done a little experimenting with her bangs (much to Mom's chagrin!) so we thought we might need the hat. But they really looked okay, could have been worse! I remember the things my sister did to poor Barbie's hair as a child...shudder! In the long run, it makes this child's portraits even more special. Her parents can show her these picture memories when she's older, and oooooh, think of the fun they can have teasing her with her self styled hairdo around the boyfriends!
Life happens so fast, you blink and your baby girl is grown.

She's a beautiful little girl and it was a beautiful day for pictures at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens....what more could a photographer ask for? ;)

Scottie Saturday

2008-05-17T14:59:00.012-05:00

I do believe I am actually a "doggie doorman" more than anything else...with 4 dogs I guess that's to be expected. I was just up letting them out and my youngest dog is Brody...he cracks me up. Here's the routine...puts his front paws up on my computer chair and gives me a hopeful look...wants to go outside...check! Then we head to the back door via the kitchen...he passes 4 dog bowls and "hits and runs" each one. He literally runs by each one and must grab a bite and scatters food along the way. Oh, and let's not forget the spinning! He spins once we get into the kitchen area...almost to that back door, yippee! He makes me dizzy sometimes with all the crazy spinning. And one day he spun himself right into the bookcase...I admit it, I laughed a bit ; )

Now Max, the 8 year old is the world's laziest dog...seriously. I have to MAKE him go outside, he will sleep 20 hours a day and try to skulk off to the dog bed in the living room when I order a potty break for the group! His brother Marty has to sing and howl (the ole' Scottie arrroooo...), that's how he shows he's excited about the novelty! how exciting!, wow, we're going outside! (Like he hasn't been outside for days and days...) and he'll do this even if he just went outside 5 minutes ago.

And then there's Miss Duffy...the reigning queen and alpha dog. She will sometimes "deign" to go outside with the boys but really, why must I when the front yard is so much better and those pesky boys aren't allowed out in the front with me??? I really believe she lords it over them that she gets to go out front and they don't...nanner nanner nah! I never knew a dog could stick their tongues out and put their fingers in their ears like that ha ha!

While they do make life messier...I couldn't be without them. When I'm working on the computer too long Brody will come up and put his front paws up and whine at me...in doggie speak that means "Mama, I want to go snuggle on the couch with you. Enough work for today!" That little guy just melts my heart! They each have their own things they do that they know gets you...Duffy will come up and bump your leg with her head as if to say, "enough already...pet me!" She looks up at you with her eyes gone blue with cataracts and can't hear too much but she still knows love and knows how to give and get it. She's 12 this year and we're preparing ourselves that she is in the twilight years of her life. And Max and Marty who have been together their whole life must sleep "butt to butt"...I'm thinking Marty might not be so much into that but Max just keeps following him. Marty, who's the most "show" quality of the 4 and a big tough guy is the one who will be the scardy cat during a thunderstorm and want to sleep with you even while trying to not let on he's scared.

Oh well, they certainly keep life interesting....and yes, I need a life if this is what I'm finding to blog about on a Saturday afternoon!

Good Things...

2008-05-14T10:43:00.003-05:00

Do I sound like I'm "channeling" Martha Stewart??? Well, I just had to share a great find! A little cafe in North Richland Hills with the best tamales to be found, seriously! www.nanastamales.com. I met Michelle and her husband George recently at a friend's home and she brought a variety of tamales with her. What a smart marketer she is, just takes them around and lets you sample them...you're hooked! Maybe I could learn something from her...So last night my husband and I went to her shop and got 1/2 dozen pork and 1/2 dozen chicken. They are very moist and a tiny bit on the hot side (which I prefer) so call ahead if you want them to special make some on the less hot side and they also have specialty tamales. I want to try the cheese and jalapeno tamales, they sound delish. They also have sweet tamales which my husband says are great but I haven't had one yet.

The next thing I discovered today was wow! There is a company that is releasing in 4th Quarter 2008 a gas pump for home use...using sugar ethanol. It is $10,000 but there is a tax rebate making it $7,000. It is basically a home distiller and then you pull the nozzle to your car and fill up! Wow, I dream of the day we are greener (sugar ethanol is more efficient than using the corn) and I'd love to give Opec a "see ya!". The fuel using this system is less than $1/gallon. Here's the website if you'd like to check it out here.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T11:46:00.002-05:00

A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after.

~Peter De Vries

Beauty and the Beach {Fort Worth baby photography}

2008-05-07T13:22:00.007-05:00

I just thought that was funny for a photography blog title. I swear, I crack me up! ; -)

This is a picture of my little stinker Gigi and her cousin "K"...we were just playing the other day and I was selling this backdrop so wanted to use it one last time. I change out props and backgrounds often to keep my portraits creative and fresh.
Gigi did not like how the sand felt on her body at all, but don't you love her purple swimsuit? K was quite happy doing anything with the sand, mostly eating it. I bet her diaper had sand in it later! Wish we had all been at a real beach but for now, this will do!

A few more from last weekend's session {Keller family photographers}

2008-05-07T13:04:00.008-05:00

Okay, my fingers are rested up so am finishing my part 2 post from last weekend's portrait session.

Love this picture of the 3 sisters, the baby was soooo cute! This is an adorable age.Her two older sisters were the cutest little blondes as well. Mom had some gorgeous dresses from Easter that they wore for their photo session....loved them! Girls are so much fun to dress up and I remember my childhood, my mom dressed my sister and I alike too.

Next up is little Miss P, she's a "frequent flyer" with me! We do her and her brother's portraits at least 4 times a year - Mom said as her family photographer I am like her drug dealer...her drug of choice being portraits! We do a lot of this family's pictures on location at their beautiful Keller home and I do admit to feeling like a member of the family, I've been to the kids' birthday parties etc. As most of you know, I simply adore black and white photos so while I have this particular image in color, I really like how it looks in black and white.

Meet the "K" Family

2008-05-06T11:29:00.005-05:00

Earlier last week I got to meet and work with the K family, they are the nicest people, very easy and fun session. They are "new" Texans but have already survived one summer here so I think they'll be fine. They were referred to me by one of my longtime customers and to her I say thanks! I always appreciate the referrals and it lets me know I'm doing my job right.

I love this shot (and so do they)...very pretty day and the Botanic Gardens are always a gorgeous venue to shoot in. It was a bit of a vacation for me working with older kids, and I enjoy the older kids personalities and sense of humor. Sometimes the little ones don't get my jokes....

Thanks K family....I hope you enjoyed your session as much as I enjoyed photographing you!

Busy weekend

2008-05-06T10:04:00.007-05:00

I had quite a few sessions this weekend so be prepared, lots of blogging coming! I photographed quite a few families from Keller and Southlake in a photography lallopalooza, one right after the other. One of my great customers had several friends come over to her neighborhood and we had a good time!

One of the families had the most precious little 2 year old, who wouldn't look at me, total diss! 2 year olds have a mind of their own, especially girls! I'm sure mom was quite impressed with my "way with kids" ha ha. But we got several great images anyway. Here's one with all three girls, mom was smart and spaced them out so she had built in babysitters!

Another family (not sure what order the images will be in), the older sister, when asked what her favorite subject at school was, replied (rightfully so!)...recess! I heard through the grapevine though that she and her little sister are quite smart and do great at school! Her little sister was funny and kept me laughing throughout, you know the youngest are usually the funny ones (said by a last born)

Next we have the cousins...two families, one a regular and one I just met. Miss H (blond) has done several sessions with me and I'm thinking I need to hire her to be my assistant. She was so helpful with the other kids, knew just where I wanted them and what I was going for! Her cousin Miss C (dark hair) has to be one of the happiest people I have ever met! She is all smiles and just a sweet, sweet girl. I got so many awesome images of her with her brother (the little blond guy) it was hard to edit down! And Mr. L (bigger blond)...he asked right off the bat if I brought my toot machine (my secret weapon for smiles)...and of course I did. Bathroom humour is never out of style for guys, trust me!

The P family has R and C, R is interested in trying some modelling and I think she would definitely be good at it. Cute in real life and photogenic as well, (that doesn't always go hand in hand), she has the most gorgeous God given highlights and a skin tone/complexion I would love to have! Her brother was cooperative and a real cutie too but was more interested in going fishing in the nearby pond than being a model, who could blame him??

I think I'll post the next batch in a new blog entry....my fingers are tired! Stay tuned....

Grace, A Gift From God

2008-05-06T09:49:00.005-05:00

I was so in love with this family and their beloved dog. They were in town visiting relatives and booked a photography session while they were here. These images of Grace just melted my heart. A little back story (grab a tissue)...Grace had belonged to a woman in Nebraska and she was pretty much kept crated all day, every day. Her new owner Barbie heard about her from her sister, who knew about Grace's situation and the rescue society there talked the owner into giving her up to a new family who would be able to spend time with her. So Barbie and Mark rescued her and at first she didn't even know how to play she was so used to being crated. Barbie fell in love with her, this was her new best friend. A few months after getting her, Barbie found out she has Chronic Leukemia and I think that's where Grace comes in...Grace went totally blind not long after Barbie's diagnosis. I truly believe God sent Grace to her new family because they needed her, Barbie needed something to love and take care of so as not to dwell on her illness. A true love story of the best kind. Both are doing well, and except for a few bumps in new, unfamiliar surroundings Grace gets around great. I can tell you, she can hear a Frito bag from another room!

Family Treasures

2008-04-25T09:37:00.004-05:00

This is my Uncle Gene...a nicer, kinder man you will never meet. He celebrated his 81st birthday last weekend and we had a big family celebration out at his son's ranch. I call it the compound...many acres and several houses on the property for the various family members. It was a great day and so relaxing! I could move out to the ranch right now! My uncle is married to my mom's twin sister and he's always been one of my favorite relatives...he has a gentle sense of humor and he and my dad used to give each other little ribbings when we all got together. I'm so glad I was there and able to get this image of my uncle...we also did a "real" session for their family...all the sons, wives, grandkids etc.

On a sadder note, my cousin on the other side today said my aunt had had some debilitating strokes and the outlook wasn't good. This is the aunt that I definitely got my wicked sense of humor (and housekeeping skills) from! And my uncle by marriage on that side is also not doing well. He's another one of the great "gentle giants." I was blessed with a great family and now that I am in my 50's its sad to start to lose our elder members. Not trying to drag this post down, but I lost my dad in 1995 and I so regret that I wasn't doing photography then because we have so few pictures of my dad. It's very important to take their pictures now, while you still have them in your lives. I got a great image of my mom (77) walking hand in hand with Gigi (17 months) at the picnic...its truly priceless especially since we almost lost my mom last year. Gigi will always have that picture to remember her great grandmother by and how much she was loved by her. Images of our family are simple treasures, something to cherish forever.

So, if you have any prayers to spare, my aunt and uncle and their families would appreciate them.

Short and Sweet Session {Southlake Childrens Photographers}

2008-04-21T15:55:00.008-05:00

Sometimes you just need to capture in pictures a special milestone like losing that first tooth, a birthday or a new haircut. That's where the Short and Sweet Photography Session comes in.

It's just $75 and you get a 25 minute session and 10-15 images in an online gallery. But here's what makes it even "sweeter"...if you book and have a session now through May 15th, you will also get 20% off my normal portrait prices! Sweet!

Check my website (The Boutique gallery) for more detailed info as shown in image above and call to schedule your Short and Sweet photo session today!

New - Mommy Cards!

2008-04-21T15:46:00.003-05:00

Have you heard of Mommy Cards yet? They are the newest (and handiest) thing to hit a playground near you!

So what are they? Well they are the modern mom’s “business” card. Mom's these days not only have to keep up their social calendars, but their kids have them too! Today's Mom is constantly organizing play dates, parties etc, and need a quick and easy way to pass on their information. So when you're standing in a parking lot trying to arrange a play date with a new friend, it is much more convenient (and fun!) to pull out a Mommy Card than to dig around for a pen and paper. These are also great for leaving information when your child is at an outing that you are not, in case they need to reach you. They are business card size and easily fit into your wallet.

Mommy Cards can be ordered from your session (or a past session). Love 'em! Here is just a quick sample to give you an idea...the design possibilities are endless.

Shabby Birth Announcements - New!

2008-04-18T16:22:00.007-05:00

Love, love, love these new birth announcements! I purchased the templates from an awesome designer and am so happy to be able to start offering these. The first collection I will post is for boys...but the cool things about these is that the elements in the design (background paper/colors/fonts etc) can be changed up so you are not locked in to the design as shown...but honestly, they are so adorable they are ready to go as is!

I will post the girl collection shortly but for now, enjoy these. If you'd like more information on them simply email me (cjzee@sbcglobal.net) and I can give you the 411!

Boys and Girls and Puppies

2008-04-17T13:04:00.009-05:00

You know I love it when I get to do photo sessions where they also include the pets! One of these images is a "where are they now" shot. This boy and his dog were photographed in January and their image won 1st place in the photo contest (a previous blog entry below). Look how that little puppy has grown! She's an adorable Cairn terrier named Dixie and is a cutiepie. "P" who's her owner, has grown so much too, lost his first tooth and got $5! That tooth fairy pays way better than when I was his age.
His sister, also "P", has the most gorgeous curly hair and the tinted/sepia image her, one of my favorites from the session. Mom kindly brought her beautiful bench out to the yard and we put it to good use with this beautiful petti image.

Okay, now the other kids and dog are cousins to the first brother/sister. They just got a new puppy named Marley who's 12 weeks old and adorable! She posed quite prettily for me and was very patient...but when she was done, she was done and off that bench in a flash! Her owner "D" has just lost his two front teeth and mom wanted to make sure we captured that important milestone in his life....he's such a sweet little guy and very well mannered...mom and dad should be very proud of him! His little sister "P" modelled this hat for me before running off to go play with her cousins and the dogs. She also has gorgeous curly hair and she's the little girl that's on my blog header (I told mom I get a ton of compliments on that shot, its one of my absolute favorites ever!).

Johnny Depp comes to Oshkosh and goes back in time!

2008-04-14T14:56:00.002-05:00

My brother emailed me a link to his hometown, Oshkosh WI, where they are filming Johnny Depp's new movie Public Enemy. They hired extras from the local people and Johnny Depp (hubba hubba!) is renting a house somewhere in town. My brother is quite talented in set building as he has been an artist his whole life and does video work for his company along with the sales portion. He sent me this link...I would have loved to have seen them transform 2008 Oshkosh back to the 1930's. I so would work in set design if I was in Hollywood....love it!

Mother Nature...If Momma aint happy, nobody's happy!

2008-04-12T08:23:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm back after losing power for almost 2 days. Shades of 2004 when we were one of the neighborhoods that lost power for 5 days! Not fun! My freezer and frig are nice and empty right now so off to the store I go today. I almost cried when I had to throw out an UNOPENED box of chocolate ice cream...that's just not right...sigh.

Oh well, at least my computer didn't get fried. We had a huge bolt of lightening hit and it sounded like it was right in the back yard. Hope all is well with everyone and hope we are done with this weather!

Since we didn't know when the power would be back on, and Friday was so stinking beautiful outside, we decided to grab Gigi and head to the zoo. She had had a stomach bug a few days before so decided to cling to Grandma and not walk and was quite happy to be pushed around the zoo. Pops and I are feeling it today...this is why God doesn't let old people have kids...love to have them for visits and then we need to recoup a lot afterwards! The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the best ever! I've been to the San Diego zoo and while its great, I think FW's is just as good. We hadn't been in about 12 years (practically lived there when my son was growing up!). I couldn't believe all the changes they've made. They have a new Penguin exhibit coming that looks like its going to be really cool...think it where the old aquarium was located. Gigi's favorite animal was the elephant and she would raise her arm up and make an elephant sound...too cute! And I bought a bag of popcorn to munch on while we were there, gave her a few pieces to see how they sat on her stomach and she loved the popcorn and kept saying "more" and making the sign language sign for more when she did it! I think her daycare taught her that...how smart is she? She's point out the animals to us and say "dog!"...they were all dogs to her or maybe dog is just the same as "animal."

Okay, Grandma brag time over...I have to say I made a big sacrifice for the zoo yesterday. I decided to leave the camera at home and "be in the moment" instead of trying to "capture the moment"...its so important to do that but when I saw all the mom's and dad's with their cameras out there it was hard! I think we just need to buy a zoo membership so we can go back a lot throughout the year! See I don't even have one picture to post with this blog....

Can You Hear Me Now?

2008-04-06T14:53:00.006-05:00

My husband used to work for Verizon so of course when I saw this little guy strike this pose, that's what went through my mind. I thought it was too funny...the toddlers just love the cell phones! We got some "real" shots, this was a cute grab, not trying to be serious here at all. I had a busy weekend...5 little boys from all the different sessions. Boys are just too cute! This little one had to have a "hold" break every now and then (that's when he needed Mommy to come give him a quick hug and would ask for it by putting his arms out and saying "hold").