W.I.N.T.E.R.

It's cold.

I don't like cold.

I'm ready for warm summer days, but I'm not ready for the stuff that comes with summer…

It's nice just 'being' for a change!

It's nice having Hubby around in the daylight hours!

It's nice having hot meals and warm blankets.

I guess I do like winter, because everything is bright and simple and clean… refreshing.

 

I don't mind the 'slow' season, either. It gives me a chance to think creative thoughts and day dream and do crafts…

January – before you're through… Thanks for giving me time to ponder and reflect and look forward, too.

 

 

 

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Ok.... where has the time gone?

Wow.  I have been TERRIBLE at staying connected to this BLOG!

I'm hoping to have all the updates from all summer / fall up here soon!

Right now I'm working on a few sessions to get out to clients and also contemplating how I can get a {large} handful of TuTu's made up so I can get them on the storefront for other fabulous photographers to purchase.

The super wonderful thing about them is that they are totally original pieces.  No two will look alike as I'm not focused enough to make a pattern!  Of course they will be cute enough to duplicate, but still... they will be somewhat different!

Check out our site to purchase the TuTu's....

This is a sneak at the set to be given away on the PhotoProp Floors & Backdrops Giveaway!!!  So excited to be part of such a WONDERFUL vendor pool... 

October? Really?

I looked at the date of my last post on this little ole' BLOG and about died! OOPS! Seems these days between 3 kids, Fall Sessions, editing said sessions and of course those mommy duties... like FEEDING THE KIDS! I can't even keep up with Facebook! How sad is that?

OK. But bonus for me, I envision being able to have something to blog about for a couple months while I get all my summer sessions on here plus lots of new photos on the website! PLUS all those model sessions I sneaked in for my new Baby Portrait Collection! YAY!

Exciting times!

Hubby is in between harvesting beans and corn, so hopefully this year will make good for harvesting before the snow flies! Nothing like harvesting corn TWICE in one year! Yes... Really. It got too wet and too late last year, so this spring before anything else, they had to combine corn... before all the spring tillage and planting... UGH. It was a long spring... especially when Maya was born literally the day before they started in the field!

...Harvesting this spring... and hopefully this fall too!
ANYWHO! Here's some Sunday cheer to the fact that I'm still alive and the kids are well {minus their snot noses} and hopefully I can get on here more than what I have!

My little nephew... {perham, mn photographer}

I just want to eat him up.

Believe it or not, he and Lilly are 6 months apart, funny thing is... they could really pass for twins. Brother/Sister/Fraternal twins... but hey, who's keeping track!?!??! :)

Anyway, just had to show this one from earlier this summer when ALL the kids were over one evening... which doesn't happen often enough.

...sitting on Uncle Dean's tractor, of course, was a HUGE hit.

A little reminder for ya... {perham, mn photographer}

The Fall Portrait Special is planned for September 27th - October 8th...

FACEBOOK

... the most distracting thing on the PLANET.

Oh well, it's a fun way to connect with clients and old friends and be nosy.... uhm, yeah.

Regardless.... be a sport and 'LIKE' studio 60 on Facebook. For the person who suggests the 325th 'LIKER' {I hate how they switched that from 'FAN'} there is a super cute Custom Sterling Silver Holiday ornament and a MINI Session to fill said ornament with a cute photo for them!

Some BABY LOVE for you this morning.... {perham, mn photographer}

I'm photographing the different stages and ages for my redesigned Baby Portrait Collection... and I had this little sweet heart in the studio...

Not quite two weeks old and she was WIDE awake! What a little beauty with all that dark hair!

Goodbye Skye.

Our beloved dog, Skye, passed away yesterday. She was a rescue from the Humane Society that didn't go near men until she met my dad; she was as skittish as the day is long and a FANTASTIC hunter... although, not on command but by her own right. She never played fetch and we always dubbed her a 'ditzy blonde', but she was pretty and loving and always crossed her paws when she lay down, like a princess. A great traveler and a not so great listener. Afraid of thunderstorms and over the years suckered 'Grandma' Paulette into letting her sleep in the house in the winter. She made the perfect house dog. Protector. Lovable girl. You will be missed old friend...

SEPTEMBER? {perham, mn, child photographer}

I have not been abducted by aliens. Really.

I have a FULL schedule of things to do and suddenly have this overflowing urge to do CRAFT projects. Uhm, yeah. I know what I'll be doing this winter, THAT'S for sure!

Anyway.

I totally SUCKED at keeping up with the 365 project. I think I made it.... what? 5 days? Geesh.

Yes, I photographed lots of things between then and now. Yes, I have lots of stuff to show off. Yes, I'm behind on most of my stuff. Yes, my life is crazy with Faith going back to school. Yes, my husband is gone again harvesting the crops in the fields. Yes, it sucks being a stay-at-home-mom-with-two-small-kids-who-don't-nap-whilst-trying-to-run-a-business-while-trying-to-suffocate-the-urge-to-do-CRAFTS and yes I have lots of sessions lined up this month, too.

Did you catch all that?

Photo #5

My baby girl.

This is her batting around the dangly things on the bouncer chair. While her child-endangering-parent-who-leaves-her-in-said-bouncer-unstrapped watches, thinking that it's just too cute to see her toes and her hands flailing about. Also, 2 seconds prior to her flipping herself nearly out of it.... Don't call the police. I do watch her....

Her rock hard gums sprouted sharp little fangs today... I'm not ready for those either; amongst the 100 other things she seems to be doing at break neck speed. :( Where is my sweet baby going?

Photo #4

I bet you thought I'd already be a day late with a photo, huh?

I bet you thought that this would be a showcase of my greatest images?

Well.... nope.

These are what I see, hear, do, and accomplish on a daily basis. Sometimes it's not always work, but that stuff always takes a back burner to my children and their doings.

Today was exceptionally chaotic for some reason, yet I managed to sneak in a little nappy when the two little ones did.... YEAH for me!

We had breakfast with Jen and Kadence and then went to town to drop Faith off for band practice... Have I mentioned that she took up the trombone?? Yep...

THEN back home, lunch, naps, wake up, supper, wash all the dishes, feed baby, put babies to bed... and well... here I am.

Regardless.... this photo is of my little peewee who is getting to be more of a chunky monkey... pissed at the world because she's hungry and I wanted to grab a photo. Dean wasn't impressed. :) What do you do?

Photo #3

There are people whom you know all your life and love just because they are family. Such is true with a lady that I want to be when I'm 90+ years old.

My Great Aunt. My dad's aunt. My Grandpa's sister. A spitfire to say the least and never lacking for conversation. If you showed up at her house in the morning, you were guaranteed a cup of coffee. Show up when lunch was ready and you were sure to get your own plate... To make a long story short, due to some health reasons I got to spend lots of time with her, helping her and doing some daily chores in exchange for not only a little pay, but wonderful conversation and stories about my dad and grandparents growing up...

This Christmas Cactus is a branch off of the one that was in her sunroom for YEARS. It is actually a plant that my GREAT Grandmother had... It's trunk resembled a small tree and looked like it had actual bark on it. This thing was huge! So when she passed away last winter I wanted a little part of her but didn't feel it was my place to say anything because she had her own kids and their families and such... I cried like a baby at her funeral...

However, I was surprised to know that the Cactus was split between a couple of us green thumbs and THANKFULLY it is growing and looks wonderful. It means a lot to me to know that with umpteen others to think of, that her immediate family thought of me too...

I know it's kind of dumb to rely on physical, material things to remind you of someone, but every time I look at it I think of her and all the stories she shared with me. Hopefully this can last as long as the next generation and I can pass it down to my girls...

Photo #2

I absolutely love my little Maya.

I don't know if it's because my husband and I have made a mutual decision to not have any more children... and this may be the last time I get to snuggle this little baby chub. She's growing up too fast! But how I love her huge grins and her hearty giggle and the way she wiggles her way to somewhere she wants to be {yes, already at 4 months!!}

Anyway... this morning before her nap when she was getting comfy, she found her fingers and within a couple minutes dozed off...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

It's my 31st Birthday today.

Somehow, I still think there's a slight chance that the balloons and confetti will fall from the ceiling when I wake up and there will be the smell of coffee and breakfast in the air and a vase of flowers on the nightstand, with all my children sleeping peacefully so as I could have just a few minutes of quiet before the house erupts.....

Sadly. That doesn't happen!!

It was a whirlwind LAST minute decision to have 9 extra people over for supper last evening for my in-laws anniversary and leaving to go shopping at 5pm when supper is at 6:30... well... let's just say my husband is amazed at my efficiency! :)
We stayed up WELL past {ok, midnight is late for me} our bedtimes... especially since I wanted to hit the flea market this morning. However, Maya was up at 3 because she was hungry and then decided that she wasn't going to be happy at all for a couple hours. Lillly was up at about 6 because she had a little accident, which is like... the third since she's been wearing those 'big girl' panties for the last 2 months... grrrrrrrr. and Maya is awake again. Hungry.

The house is a wreck and the kids need baths and I'm sooooooooooooo tired!

I might just attempt to make it to the flea market yet this morning... and the thought that my Momma baked me a cake makes me smile! {Of course, it could have been the wining about not having a birthday party planned that did it... } LOVE YOU MOM!
Oh well, all is not lost.

Today I'm starting a 365 project. Nothing new for the world, except that I've never done one. A photo each day to tell a little story. Probably about the kids. A personal 365 photo journal of what will happen up until I turn 32...

Here is a photo of a canvas from my office that is going to find it's way back to Wisconsin where this pretty lady lives... that peewee of a baby was only 8 days old in the photo, and now she's expecting a new brother or sister soon! Can't wait!So, for now, it's off to the races and I really gotta find that cup of coffee! :)

Happy Anniversary...

My in-laws are celebrating their 40th Anniversary today! Congratulations and thank you for not killing your eldest child so I could marry him. HAHA!

That's not nice!

It's been just crazy around here lately! Although I almost feel like I've been on a vacation because I have had 3 weekends now in a row without weddings scheduled. It's been kind of nice! Next weekend starts the weddings again and then all of a sudden it'll be September. Yikes!

Last weekend was my Mom's birthday and we thought it would be nice to head out, just the two of us and do something together. Usually if we do something, there's a mission involved, not just going with the flow... We decided on Carlos Creek Winery near Alexandria, which is totally different than what I expected! It was wonderful! However, it was hotter than hell outside and that just drains your energy... so after the wine tasting we probably would have been more in the mood for naps, however we drove into town and scoped out a couple antique/junk shops. Saw lots of great stuff that I would have been MORE than happy to drag home with me had I had a larger vehicle and a fatter wallet!

Oh well!
On the plus side, we RARELY stop at random garage sales because well... it can be a total waste of effort, but on the way towards the winery I saw a garage sale that had paper lanterns hanging in a tree... and I made the off comment about how I had a great idea for some of those things and needed to find some... Mom said to turn around and go back because they may have been for sale... Now normally, I would have just said forget it and kept driving but this time we DID turn around and head back only to find a WHOLE BOX of paper lanterns {which was exciting to me} and other miscellaneous wedding items that were from a pretty upscale wedding {we got to see photos} and we called my cousin who is recently engaged and told her about all the stuff and to make a long story short... we ended up getting some stuff for her. YAY for not paying full price for silly things like candles and and paper lanterns! :) LOL!

As for my idea, you'll have to wait until I get all my ducks in a row... It'll be good, I promise!

But alas, I'll leave you with a photo of Mom at the winery... It's 6am and I have to go and pick 12 dozen ears of corn for a gal, and then meet a lady in town and then bake some cupcakes and probably let 'the Lilly' go swimming a little in her pool... Tomorrow is my 31st Birthday! The crazy deal of the day is if you book your SEPTEMBER session TOMORROW {August 15th} you will get your session for only $31! But just by booking it tomorrow, Sunday!

Have a great weekend!

Facebook | Zorbaz on Little Pine Lake's Photos - Wall Photos

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Dum, de Dum....

Good grief! July is on it's way out the door... Where did the time go?

I feel totally scatterbrained today for some reason, like I can't concentrate on any one thing too long for fear I might forget the other million ideas running around in my head...

For instance : A photographer friend and I are exchanging photo sessions for our families because well... DUH. Like the proverbial mechanic who always has a broken down car, we never have family photos. We have photos OF our family, but rarely are we IN them! :) So, then that took a turn to, 'Hmmm... what are we going to wear?!?' and holy Moses, either I'm really lacking in the clothing department, or I'm over thinking this WAY too much. More than likely the former because I see myself buying a whole new set of coordinating duds for this adventure...

AND then there's the trip Mom and I were planning for this fall. Nothing fancy, but just to get the heck out of dodge for the weekend... However, due to some procrastination on my part, we might have to rearrange plans a smidge. Well, really, there are a bazillion things to do in this beautiful state, so where to start has my brain a mess! Any suggestions welcome!

Then there's Lilly who's been wearing big girl panties for a week now and doing MAGNIFICENT! Wow, total 180 degree change from NOT wanting them 8 days ago.

Maya is rolling around and getting so much bigger and I'm sad to say that I haven't scheduled her baptism yet... Maybe today I should get on that.

I haven't talked to Faith in almost 2 weeks... Thankfully {for me} she'll be home in two weeks-ish and I'll get to finally talk to her!
Dean is STILL busy all the time and I'm craving some adult time {aka: DATE NIGHT} with him, since that hasn't happened since before we were married I don't think. Even for our 1st anniversary we already had Faith AND a new baby, so being relaxed and enjoying our time together hasn't happened in eons.

So! Now that you know my life story in a nut shell! Add in all the weddings and other studio 60 sessions that are happening and it seems like life is whizzing by at break neck speed...

Here's a little photo of Maya and my VERY sad attempt to do her '3 month' photos. Trust me. This is one I adore, but that's all I got and it really does take 12 hands to get things done... I swear! LOL! What a little ham, though. She's already giving me that... 'MOTHER' look.

Tyler + Andrea {Perham, Minnesota Wedding Photographer}

I wish all weddings and wedding parties were like this one. Super sweet, super nice and just plain super... HA!

It was just a perfect day that started out with the uncertainty of rain, but we lucked out and got great cloud cover instead that held off the sunshine long enough to get some great photos at the family farm.
Andrea did her best modeling for the camera with the coaxing of her friends and myself doing some fancy maneuvers and if I do say so myself, she is just gorgeous!
What a sweet couple!
Tyler and his men doing the 'flying V' as it was referred to.... what a bunch of handsome guys! Love the gray suits! They were a nice change from super formal black and they made the metallic purples pop!

Hellooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

Oh my GOSH. I am so behind on sneak peeks and posts it's not even funny! However, those are usually the first big chunk of computer time to go when I'm busy and can't get everything done.... Imagine that! But I did feel the need to stop in and say that I'm still alive and that there are some GREAT photos coming this way!

Tomorrow I have a NEW project that I will be tackling... so excited to share it with you as I've never quite done anything like it before, but it should be fun! Can't wait! You'll see what I'm talking about later in the week I'm sure!

studio 60 definitely has some GREAT things in the works lately, like.... the month of July is FAMILY month! What a great thing to have memories of your family. Truly, very important... and also, in July, FAMILY sessions are only $59! With that you receive a complimentary proof book of your session! How great is that?!?

Hmmm... other that that... I'm still missing my Faith as she is in PA with her grandparents. Actually as we speak, she is at a horse camp getting all learned to come home and beg for a horse, I'm sure of it. Not out of the question, but maybe out of the budget a little! HA! Someday!

Went for a boat ride with my mom and brother the other day. Strangely, it was just so nice and I know my mom really enjoyed herself. Since when do both her children congregate in the same place, let alone in the boat. ;) It was absolutely the perfect evening and the weather was glorious. God how I miss living there and boating all the time. Took some photos and I'd love to put them on here for you, however... they're on my mom's camera.... duh.

Anyway! OK! Gotta get on it! Enjoy your day!