Sledding at Paradise

I Wish You Could See My Smile

So I just did something I have been yearning to do for years now! I got back from a friends house a few minutes ago after delivering my first portraits! One of my new girl friends had a baby this last weekend and on Saturday I went over to do my very first newborn shoot. It was sooooo much harder than I thought it would be. And I learned some tough lessons. But after six hours today (that's crazy I know, but they were my FIRST pictures) I got them all edited just the way I wanted them.

My friend was so gracious. I hope she liked them as much as I liked giving them to her!!! It is funny this feeling. I feel like I just swam in an Olympic event and got a gold medal! It has been so much work. And I have struggled with a ton of self doubt. But now this cheesy grin on my face says it all. I did something I have wanted to do for a long time and I am proud! Hope you enjoy the pictures of Beautiful Baby "B"!

A Smarty Pants

Chase got some great news in the mail today. He was accepted into the P.A.G.E. program at Kalles Junior High. P.A.G.E stands for Puyallup accelerated gifted education. Puyallup pulls all of its advanced learners from all of its schools and clusters them all in one school to focus on offering them an accelerated education. Chase took a six hour test a few weeks ago in order to apply for admittance. It was grueling. They administered verbal, spacial, and then regular kinds of tests (math, vocab, reading comprehension etc..). He also had to produce a writing sample. I couldn't believe how intense it was. Six hours was longer than I spent taking my ACT exam to gain college entrance! I still remember peeking at him through the window while he was working on his writing sample and seeing him sitting there with a dictionary checking all of his spelling (his kryptonite).

This was all Chase's idea. Depending on the day I feel differently about it. He will not be going with any of his friends and classmates onto Ferrucci Middle school. But then on the other hand what an amazing opportunity to go to a school where all of your peers are on a similar page and teachers are focused on pushing you to be the best you can be. So we will leave the decision up to Chase. But I am pretty sure, judging by how excited and persistent he has been thus far, that he will choose to attend Kalles.

I hope the school is strong in other areas other than just academics. I hope it has a strong student leadership program. I also hope that they offer good extra curricular programs. We will see.

But we sure are proud of our son. He is a real go getter this one! And ever since our last trip to see Great Grandpa up in Provo and having Papo talk to the kids about what a great school BYU is and how difficult it is to get admitted, Chase has had a mission. So...only time will tell. Do you think when he is 21 that he will still want to stay with his Great Grandpa while attending college?????

Running Faster Than I Should...

My mind will not slow down. Every moment of every day I am thinking about something. I have so many ideas swimming around in my pour little head. It's amazing I can focus on one of them for any length of time. At night I lay in bed thinking about how to go about achieving each and ever desire (I say that instead of goal because most of them are, well...related to money). Then in the morning I start planning out the day.

I think for most people persistence is a virtue. But for me I think it is more of a vice. It is the absence of patience in my case. I have all these things I want and I have to find a way to get them now. I think that if I were ever in a survival situation I would definitely be OK!

So here is a peek at my mind on fire...

* A Japanese garden

I have always loved Japanese gardens. I love that peaceful feeling you have while walking through such gardens. We have the perfect spot right outside our master bedroom for a beautiful private garden. So along those lines I have been collecting plants. You should see my plans. I have spent hours on the Internet reading about plants, their growth potential (space is limited), their attractiveness in each season, light requirements and lots of other little facts. I have plotted out a designs, placed my wish list of plants and have started collecting the big ones. So far I have two Japanese maples and a large Rhodie. Next and last large plant on the list - a single trunk royal magnolia. We have done tons of research on putting in a koi pond too. I am so excited for this project. I think it is the house related project I want done the most. Here is a story board of the plants I have chosen.

* Photography Business

I lose sleep over this one. Not because I want it to happen so badly. I do, but mostly I am so stinking nervous about it. I am starting my own personal studio AND going into business with two friends to do school portraits. I am reading every book I can get my hands on. Hours of my day are spent pouring over blogs, websites and tutorials on the Internet. My collection of props continues to expand. I have a story board created for how I want to put my studio together furnishing wise. But instead of buying one piece of the puzzle at a time - over time. I want to buy it all NOW! I want it to be done. I want to start practicing with the lighting setup I have wish listed. I am still so stuck on a name for my studio to be. So all day long I roll names around in my head. All day long...

There are so many other things. Remodeling the kitchen, putting in some grass for a yard, creating a kids play area on the property and so much more. Dave had me make a list the other day so I could focus better. In five minutes I had two whole columns on a sheet of paper.

I can't remember a time in my life where I have ever had the "I Wants" so bad!

Begining Photography 101 Final

For our final in my photo class we went to Tacoma to do an urban shoot. It was a beautiful day. My only complaint was that there were no people. Literally - hardly a soul. Where were all the people to photograph on such a beautiful day? So I was stuck with buildings and pretty as they are...my favorite subjects are the living kind.



The vertical format pictures didn't work well in the slide show so I posted them seperatly.

Slideshow design customized with Smilebox

Going Into Business

I have totally lost my mind. I have been considering for many years starting my own Photography business. There was always something to hold me back.

*I didn't have a good enough camera - I do now.

*I didn't have great portraiture lenses - I do now.

*I didn't have room for a studio - I'm going to soon (I'm converting my sun room...talk about amazing natural light).

*I didn't have great editing software - now I do and I am getting better all the time at using it.

*I didn't have a clear vision - I have decided that for now I just want to shoot newborns.

*I didn't feel like I had a special edge to bring to the table - I finally recognized that my photography talents might not be cutting edge but they are really good, but what I do have is an unusual ability to connect with kids. That talent is huge I have come to realize.

*I just plain didn't have the confidence - I almost there...

So I am on my way. We are converting our sun room into a guest bedroom / photo studio. It is going to be awesome. Pier one has some really amazing chairs right now. I am dying for one, but can't make up my mind. A few beautiful throw pillows for the futon, a nice table and some wall art and I will be in business.

Of course I still have to buy lighting, and design a Blog and Website!

I have been collecting props for a few months now. I have some great stuff. I am so excited.

I have already begun developing ideas for packaging and my business model but what I really need to start things off is a NAME for my business and a LOGO. I would love to incorporate a beautiful modern silhouette of a stork with my logo. But I am totally stumped on my name. I want to incorporate my name (for familiarity and recognition). But then I want something clever and cool that fits with my plan for newborn photography. Maybe:

Jennifer's Miracles - super cheesy

Tiny Toes Photography - missing my name

Sweet Pea Photography -cute graphic potential

Special Deliveries Photography - kind of a mouth full

Tiny Treasures Photography - ????

I have a favorite Baby poem - My Grandmother loved it and shared it with me when I had my first baby. But I can't find a way to use it. Do you know this poem:

Babies Don't Keep

Mother, of Mother

come shake out your cloth,

empty the dustpan,

poison the moth,

hang out the ashing,

and butter the bread,

sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the Mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery blissfully rocking.

Oh I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo)

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek-a-boo).

The shopping's not done

and there's nothing for stew

and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo,

but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?

(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo)

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

for children grow up,

as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs.

Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby

and babies don't keep.

-Author Unknown

I like the message that poem sends because the whole idea of Newborn photography is to capture those precious moments that are oh so fleeting.

So any ideas....

Please, please share!!!!

Memory Lane...

In an effort to save on our monthly finances I have begun teaching Chase and Emily piano. I don't know how long I will be able to teach them before they exceed my own talent ability. But for now we are plugging along. This last week we went on a field trip to look for new music to learn. I stumbled across these books way under a pile of old stuff. I bought level 1-5. I was so excited. These were the books I learned from (at least with one of my many teachers). I was so excited to get home and conduct a closer inspection. For a good part of the night I sat at the piano playing old songs. I remember tracing some of the pictures in the books. Several of the songs were personal favorites. It was so fun to remember and share those memories with the kids. Dave probably thinks I am insane for being so excited. But it was a fabulous find!