More Holiday Deals :)

Where oh where has November gone? It feels like it was just yesterday that we were putting up our fall / Halloween decorations and carving pumpkins! And now it's already... December! Yikes. Well, I guess time flies when you're having fun, huh?

With a change in my schedule fast approaching (I'm going back to school in January!), my photography is soon going to be taking a backseat to studying, studying, and... More studying. Yes, I will still be taking on a few shoots, but for anyone considering a session I'm going to strike a deal with ya... In order to get in some shoots while I still have some free time, I'm going to extend the Holiday Mini Sessions through the month of December. (Click here for details.)

Also throughout the month of December, I'm going to be discounting my regular session fees. For $200, you get up to two hours of shooting time anywhere in the Seattle metro area (weekends only), and approximately thirty-five to forty artfully edited photos on a CD with full, unlimited printing rights. (My name won't be on 'em... They're all yours!)

So there ya have it. Feel free to contact me with any questions!

** This offer is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
** If the location of your choice requires pay-for-parking, appropriate fees will be added.

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"All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it."
-- John Berger

Especially Thankful For...

... People who pursue their dreams.

To me, there's nothing more inspiring than watching others run down their dreams. Go after their heartheld visions with enthusiasm and gusto. I love seeing people (some I don't even know personally) smile against all odds, hold their heads up high, and declare their dreams to the world. "This," they say, "is my dream. My life. And this is how I chose to live it."

Danie is one of those people. (Just see my previous post about our session together to see what I mean.) She dreams. And, more importantly, she follows her dreams.

And just where would the world be without people willing to follow their dreams?

So here's the deal. Two of Danie's original songs made it to the top of the "Fire" chart on Song Circle. (Woo-hoo!) And I'm here encouraging all of you to click on the link below, and listen and rate Danie's two songs - "All I Got To Give" and "Candela" - to help her move up the ladder. ("Candela", by the way, is a hauntingly beautiful song that I can't seem to get out of my head. Absolutely breathtaking.) So please click here and help a sister out! :)

P.S. - I know my "thankful for" posts have been MIA over the last few days, but I was busy enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with Chris (who had that week off) and was, thankfully, indulging in mucho family time - which mainly consisted of lounging in front of the fire, reading, eating, and watching movie after movie. As I always say, the simple life is never dull. :)

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"We need to give ourselves permission to act out our dreams and visions, not look for more sensations, more phenomena, but live our strongest dreams - even if it takes a lifetime."
-- Vijali Hamilton

Day 24: The Night Before Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving Eve closing in, I find myself gravitating toward the fire - glass of wine in hand, husband and dog by my side, and preparing for my absolute favorite part of the holiday.

And no. It has nothing to do with food.

A holiday tradition, started wayyyy back in the late 80's, is what I look forward to the most. On the night before Thanksgiving, as the pies and desserts warmed in the oven, my mom, dad, and I would dim the lights, gather around the television, sip hot chocolate, and watch Plains, Trains and Automobiles. Every year. Without fail.

Now, all these years later, I share that same tradition with Chris. We hunker down, dim the lights, sip on wine, and laugh along with that classic holiday film. Relaxing into the sights, smells and sounds of the evening, the night before Thanksgiving is still one of the things that I'm most thankful for.

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Neal: "Del... Why did you kiss my ear?"
Del: "Why are you holding my hand?"
Neal: [frowns] "Where's your other hand?"
Del: "Between two pillows..."
Neal: "Those aren't pillows!"
-- Plains, Trains and Automobiles

Taryn, Djordje & Kaia: Lifestyle Portraiture

Picture perfect. That's how I describe Taryn and Djordje. Just take a look at the pictures below to see what I mean. Gor-geous. And then add in Kaia - a beyond adorable one year old cockapoo - and you have all the makings of a Hallmark card.

Beauty comes naturally to Taryn - and it's a good thing, too. She's a fitness model - not to mention a positive role model - and, I think it's safe to say, an inspiration to everyone she comes across. Her vitality is almost palpable, and you can't help but feel energized just being in her presence. I mean, I left our shoot wanting to strap on my running shoes and hit the treadmill. Or, you know, something active like that.

So enjoy a few shots from my recent session with this amazing couple. And, for a little inspiration, make sure to check out Taryn's website. It'll have you up and off the couch in no time!

** Thanks, Taryn, Djordje and Kaia for a great (albeit it coooold and windy) time! :)

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"My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass."
-- Terri Guillemets

Days 18, 19 & 20: Good People

Three things I'm thankful for:

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
2. Harry Potter Movie Weekends
3. Good People (see below!)

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"I don't want to live. I want to love first, and live incidentally."
-- Zelda Fitzgerald

Day 17: Dance to the Beat

Music, I feel, is a direct link to our souls. A few melodies from our favorite tunes can transport us to a higher realm. A lively song that vibrates down to our very cores can turn an abysmal day into an absolutely awesome one.

So I'm especially thankful when I run across a new (well, new to me) artist that plays to the beat of my inner drum. V.V. Brown is amazing, and her song L.O.V.E makes me want to stop whatever it is I'm doing and bust a move.

Okay, so maybe it's not a pretty sight. Me bustin' a move. But the only one who sees me is Dehlia and well, let's face it, she's not exactly light on her feet either. Eh, but we have fun. And that's the important thing, right?

So enjoy L.O.V.E by V.V. Brown. And feel free to dance to the beat. :)

Find more artists like VV Brown at Myspace Music

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"What we provide is an atmosphere... of orchestrated pulse which works on people in a subliminal way. Under its influence I've seen shy debs and severe dowagers kick off their shoes and raise some wholesome hell."
-- Meyer Davis, about his orchestra

Day 16: Thankful for No :)

"No!"

It was the word of the day. And try as I might, every time I heard it I had to laugh. I normally don't have the opportunity to hang with kiddos all that much, and I never knew the word could sound so.... Adorable.

Makela is almost two (her birthday's this weekend!) and already she knows exactly what she likes. Halloween. Pumpkins. Leaves. Her bear, Charlie. And... Christmas trees. In fact, Christmas trees, I think it's safe to say, hold a very special place in her heart.

And for almost being two, Makela is smart. Like I said, she knows exactly what she wants. When, after answering no to practically every question we threw at her, her dad asked (half in exasperation, half in jest), "Makela, can you say 'no'?", she pursed her lips together and shook her head. Seriously? How clever is that?

So enjoy a few shots from my recent session with the Williams Family. And on a side note... I think I need to get me a two year old. Something tells me I'd be in much better shape! ;)

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"While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about."
-- Angela Schwindt

Day 15: Big Balls

Wipeout. Is coming back. This winter. The fact that I don't have to wait until next summer to laugh at the expense of others is priceless. For this, I give mucho thanks.

Back to you, Johns.

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"Goodnight and big balls!"
-- John Henson

Day 14: Williams Family Sneak Peek

Today I'm thankful for not only another dry shoot (yes, that's two in a row!), but also for a super-fun session with the Williams family.

Seriously... Can you get any cuter??? :)

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"A two-year old is kind of like having a blender, but you don't have a top for it."
-- Jerry Seinfeld

Day 13: Weather Appreciation

It was supposed to rain today. A lot. But, lo and behold, the weatherman was wrong. And I couldn't be more thankful.

** Thanks, Julie, Grant, Gregory, and Victor! (And pets!) Always, always a pleasure!

** To see more of Julie and her fam, click here. :)

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"A laugh is a smile that bursts."
-- Mary H. Waldrip

Days 11 & 12: Beach Therapy

It's often said that a dog is the best sort of therapist. And to that statement, I'd have to agree.

But I also think the beach does a great job as well. The soft sand beneath your feet, the rhythmic pouding of the waves, the haunting cries of seagulls as they soar overhead... Mmmm.

So what happens when you go to the beach with a dog?? Well, in my opinion, you catch a glimpse of heaven on earth.

Today I'm thankful for dogs and beaches... And that I can visit that sandy, saltwater oasis anytime I want - with dog in tow.

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"It’s hard for me to put into words why I like the beach so much. Everything about it is renewing for me, almost like therapy...Beach Therapy."
--Amy Dykens

Days 9 & 10: Antlers and Rice Krispies Treats

Tucked away in our storage closet, in a box marked x-mas stuff!!, is something that Dehlia hates more than anything in the world. More than not getting scraps from our Chinese take-out. More than having to share her toys with other four-legged friends. (Yeah, she's kind of spoiled that way.) In fact, she even hates this item more than she hates my camera. (And, let me tell you, she really hates my camera.) The worst thing in the world, to D, is this...

An old pair of stuffed antlers, which we subject her to every single year. Without fail. In fact, she's the first holiday "decoration" that we attend to.

Dig through box. Removed said antlers. Place on wriggling dog. Take picture.

Whenever we pull out that box of holiday decorations, she cringes. Literally. Instead of bounding across the room and pouncing on it (like she normally does whenever we bring something "new" into the house), she hangs her head, tucks her tail between her legs and, with a resigned grumble, skulks away to her bed. Because she knows. Knows exactly what Mom and Dad are going to do to her. She knows this like she knows the scent of broccoli. In Dehlia's experience, nothing good can come from either.

Stay away from the dinner table when they're having broccoli. It's bad.

Stay away from that box of decorations. It's really bad.

Well, I beg to differ.

So today I give thanks for Dehlia, and for all the entertainment that she provides us with. Honestly folks, life with a dog is so much more fun... ;)

Oh, and since I skipped yesterday, I'll also throw in that I'm thankful for Rice Krispies Treats. I mean, who isn't, right?? Yum.

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"The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too."
-- Samuel Butler, Notebooks, 1912

Day 8: A Walk to Remember

A walk through the woods on a crisp, sunny autumn day is pure heaven... And definitely something to be extremely thankful for. :)

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"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."
-- Andrew Wyeth

Day 7: Daylight Savings Time :)

I don't use the extra hour to sleep in. I use it to just... Be.

To me, Daylight Savings Time means an extra hour of lounging around on the couch in my pajamas, drinking not one but two cups of hot tea, and - perhaps the best part - absolutely reveling in the Present Moment.

Today I'm thankful for Daylight Savings Time, and for the luxery of an extra hour to be... Still.

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"There is a great difference between being still and doing nothing."
--Chinese Proverb

Day 6: A View

Even though we've lived in the beautiful Pacific Northwest for close to four years now, the views out here still give me the chills. And this particular scene from the top of our hill absolutely makes my heart sing.

To be honest, I utter a little prayer of thanks every time I see it.

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"From my first hike I learned that the Cascades [mountains] deserve their name. The sound of falling water rings everywhere. It murmurs in the forest and roars down cliffs. Tiny rivulets trace eccentric paths on the surface of glaciers, plunging into crevasses and joining one another to become torrents carrying powdered rock to the Pacific. The range harbors tremendous quantities of water in its glaciers, icecaps, and snowfields. When the warmth of summer arrives, the frozen reservoir releases its stores and the mountains sing."
--James Martin (North Cascades Crest: Notes and Images from America's Alps)

Day 5: My Dad

I was all set to be thankful for something else today. I had the picture ready, and my heart was overflowing with appreciation as I logged on and began to write. But when I typed in "Day 5", my heart skipped a beat and suddenly I remembered. Remembered the significance of this day.

The 5th of November.

On this particular date nineteen years ago, my life stopped short. Everything I had known up until that point was gone. As quick as the blade from a guillotine slices through the air and severs flesh, I experienced the same sort of tearing of my soul. Suddenly I was thrust into a world that - at the age of fourteen - I just wasn't ready for.

My life up until November 5th, 1991 wasn't a bed of roses. But it was good. Aside from a few baby robins that, throughout the years, I was unable to coax back to health, I had absolutely no experience with death. Even my goldfish seemed to live extraordinarily long lives. (Although, now that I think about it, I'm sure my mother had something to do with that.) My closest experience with death was through other people's losses. And while their situations did sadden me, I felt no real grief. No real despair.

So when death took the form of cancer and wrenched my father away from this world that dreary November evening, I was in no way prepared to deal with it. In fact, to this day, I honestly don't know how I did deal with it. I think, at first, I was in shock, and for years all I could really remember about that night was the overwhelming feeling of loss that I experienced as I held his hand and watched his life drain away.

But this is not a blog about death. (On which I could write pages.) It's a post about being thankful. And what all this rambling has been leading up to (most inarticulately, I have to admit) is that, even though my father was taken from me so early on in my life, I'm thankful for the fourteen years that I did get to spend with him. I appreciate all that he did for me, all that he inspired in me, and all that he taught me.

Spending most of his youth in an orphanage before securing a job and his own apartment at the age of fourteen, my dad never really had what you would call a constant father figure in his life. His family - or lack thereof - was by no means normal, and I'm always amazed when I look back on our time together that he, having had no positive parental influence in his own life, could have had such a profound effect on mine. In fact, I think his determination to rise above his upbringing was one of the things that made him such a great father.

What I remember most about my dad, aside from his love of softball, was his love of art. Not many people probably knew this, but my dad was an incredibly talented artist. When I was little, we would draw together, and his sketches of houses, landscapes, and people would amaze me. It was through him, I believe, that I discovered my own creativity and, as a result, a lifelong appreciation of art.

So today I'm thankful for my dad, and appreciate the time we had together. I'm thankful for how he raised me, and for all the wonderful memories that I'm, fortunately, able to tap into anytime I want. He owned his own drywall business, taught me everything I know about softball, and sacrificed a lot so that I could be, well, one happy kid. :)

Charles Wickey
May 18, 1935 - November 5, 1991

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"I used to think anything over $40 was an exorbitant price for a ball bat.
Now the contents of my daughter's equipment bag are worth more than everything else in the car together - including clothes, jewelry, watches, and laptop computer."
-- From "Then I Became a Softball Dad"

Day 4: Packages & People Who Care

There's nothing quite like receiving a package in the mail. Opening your mailbox and seeing that wonderful, brown-manila-white bundle with - wait for it - your name on it. No, it's not a bill. It's not junk mail / advertisements. It's not even a free sample of a new brand of detergent (that you didn't even request in the first place but really comes in handy when you realize you're out of soap at ten o'clock at night and your gym clothes for the next morning are beyond smelly). It's much, much better than that.

It's a present.

A lovely little gift, for no reason at all, sent by someone who cares. About you.

And knowing that someone cares? Well, that's quite possibly the best thing to be thankful for.

So today I'm thankful for my sister-in-law, Ellen, who lives on the other side of the country and always, always remembers us on her travels.

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"The manner of giving is worth more than the gift."
-- Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur

A Month of Thanks :)

Well, better late than never.

For obvious reasons, being thankful is so important. So, with November upon us and the delicious Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner, I've decided to dedicate this entire month to being as thankful as I can possibly be. A post for every day of the month, honoring something (or someone!) in my life that I truly appreciate.

Lately I've been busy. Preoccupied. Determined and focused and... Forgetful. To put it bluntly, I've been slacking. Taking way too much for granted and not appreciating as much as I should be. I'm looking to this month's exercise to get me back on track.

Since we're already on the third day of the month, today's post is going to come in threes. So without further ado, here's a quick shout out to three things I'm thankful for...

1. Facebook. I love being able to reconnect with old friends, classmates, co-workers, etc. Yes, the site is a bit addicting, but the ability to stay in touch with people that our crazy-busy schedules wouldn't otherwise allow is something that I'm truly, truly thankful for.

2. Second chances. More on that later. :)

And last, but certainly not least...

3. Where I live. Enough said.

** Thanks for the inspiration, Ang! :)

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"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
-- G.K. Chesterton