Mallory Cooks!

Due to a fever, I was home with my baby girl this afternoon. No worries, it's only a little bit of last bit teething. She's not sick! (obviously). So after trying to make her take a nap and realizing it wasnt going to happen, I decided we should do an indoor photoshoot! It's been a while since I've photographed my baby. And man, I missed this!!! She is my inspiration, my heart and she makes me so excited to edit and blog and post and just share her with the world!!! i love this little girl!!

Today, we put on a cooking show! She loves her new kitchen that santa brought her, so we documented her cooking experience with photos! Here goes!

For dinner: Broccoli and Refried Beans....yummmo!

First off, meet the Chef. Chef Mal. She's top notch!

For dinner, first we decide what we will cook by exploring our favorite cookbook. Pioneer Woman Cooks, of course! She's our FAVORITE!

Mal thinks Ree is pretty funny, I have to agree!

Next, we gather the ingredients! First, from the refrigerator!

We've got all the ingredients we need!!

Then, we get our pots ready...and put the food on to simmer!

Open all the ingredients, and dump them into your pot....

Now, stir!! (and dont forget to have fun!)

And taste often to see if you need a pinch more salt or not!

When all else fails, do what Mallory's mama does, and stick it in the microwave!! (she learns quick!)

Or....another trick mama uses, call GG or somebody for some help with remembering what to do! LOL

Mallory's a great cook! And she loves her little kitchen and her fun little day at home with mommy!!!

These are a few fun shots we took for her upcoming cook book!!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday with frineds and family and everyone took lots and lots of pictures!!!

I had a great holiday, celebrated my sons 4th birthday in Natchitoches, which we have made a tradition in our family. This year, my inlaws, both of my sisters and my brother and their families came along! It was a great trip filled with lots of laughs and fun. And even SURPRISES! My baby sister got engaged during the fire works show on the river!! It was an amazing experience to be a part of. I've never actually seen anyone get engaged (except on the movies) and that's what it felt like....like I was watching a movie scene. He got down on his knee, she was shocked, she cried, she said YES, they kissed and hugged and we were all so happy for them! We spent the night in our hotel room talking about weddings, while the boys were watching football, eating pizza and drinking beer. Typical, right?? But it was a perfect weekend!

Christmas was a blast as well. Maddox is at a great age and he understands what he wants and the gifts he is given. And he was given WAY too many! But he is so happy with everything he received. It was so great to wake up Christmas morning and see their happy faces and play with all of their new toys with them! In fact, I woke up first, and I was so anxious for them to see their gifts, my husband and I decided to wake up both kids from sleeping! I mean, it was 8:00 anyway, they needed to get up, right?! Believe me, they werent groggy for long! Once he saw his new 4-wheeler and all of his new games and books, he was in heaven! And Mallory went straight for the treats in her stocking (sister loves to eat!), but once she had her 'breakfast' of ritz crackers and applesauce, she was ready to cook up some wooden food on her new kitchen set!

Now, this weekend brings also alot of excitement, but alot of thoughtfulness as well.

New Years.

The time for me to make some changes in my life, and do my best to stick to them. I always have great aspirations and try my best to be serious about all of them, but they never seem to work. This year I am looking back on the past year and acknowledging all of the amazing things that have happend for me, all of the great times I have spent, and taking big notes of what I would like to repeat this year. I am also taking notes of the little things I'd like to do better, or make changes in the next year to come.

I have enjoyed my family so much this year. Our vacation to Florida with my entire family....Check....that will be repeated this year for sure! Lance and I had an AMAZING anniversary trip alone to Rosemary Beach.....I wish I could do that every year, but this year I will definitely make time to at least have a weekend away, just he and I and spend some quality time together doing something we dont get to do everyday (like the bike riding on the coast, that was amazing!)

Every year I vow to spend more time with my family and less time stressing and working and staying up all night. This year, I intend to make that a serious resolution. In the past 2 weeks I have slowed down, sat down, and taken it all in. I have realized, I dont take the time to do the simple things I need to do with my family. My husband and I used to watch movies together all the time. Now I tell him I cant, because I need to edit. My son begs to read books before bed, I hurry and read him the shortest book possible so I can get back to my computer. And my daughter, well, she's growing before my eyes and it's scary that she's already almost not my 'baby' anymore!

So this year....that's it. I will watch movies with Lance once a week. I will read LONG books to Maddox. And I will cook fake dinners with Mallory in her kitchen. I WILL!

I have held off on booking sessions for 2012 in order to get my life in order first. Right now, I have lots and lots of snuggly little newborns on the schedule (I love babies!!). And with the weather cold and rain, I am not booking any additional outdoor sessions until it warms up. This will allow me some time to snuggle with my little family on these cold nights! I do currently have sessions booked with existing clients, and these will all remain on the schedule! My first openings right now will be in April (when the weather is warmer!!) and Im hoping to kick off the open calendar with a set of spring mini sessions!! (Lets see what I can pull together!!)

Being that this is a side business for me, I always hope that everyone understands why I choose not to book sessions too far in advance. I dont like to schedule myself too tight for 3 months away, because I dont know what I will be doing or will need to be doing in 3 months!

This year will be a big year for me. My baby sister is getting married!! So there will be lots of shopping, planning and parties! And my baby boy....yes he's my baby always....will be starting PRE-K!!!!! I cant believe it, but it's true. So with all of my personal changes for the year, I feel it's best for me to only open my calendar a few months at a time. Right now, I have decided I will open up April at the end of March. (After Mardi Gras and all of those fun balls I will attend!! yeah!!!). I really hope everyone understands. I had intentions of opening up my calendar for January, but between all of the cold outdoor weather and existing client sessions already booked, I do not want to overbook this early in the year.

Thank you ALL for your amazing support along this journey of photography I am taking! I hope that I can meet lots of new people this year, and catch up with LOTS of great friends I've made through the past few years in the business. All of my clients are not just 'clients' to me, they are my FRIENDS! I only wish I could throw a huge party and invite all of you to have a great time and celebrate....but maybe one day!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

-Michelle

This is my new years card!!! (too bad I ordered it 5x10 for some crazy reason and it's larger than life!!....but that's ok, just dont laugh at me if you get this enormous card in the mail. It was not intentional!!)

Our pictures this year were by Jennifer Patin Photography. A great friend and a great photographer! If your really looking for a photo session and Im not available, please contact her!! You wont regret it for sure! Her work is amazing. Bright, fun, colorful and exciting! What more could you want!!

Thanks so much Jennifer! We love all of our pics!!!

Christmas Card Designs 2011

It's that time of year!!

And since I've had to limit my mini sessions this year to only a select few clients, I've decided to offer another option for my existing clients who are not signed up for the mini sessions. If you have had a session this year and you would like to use some of the images from your session as your christmas card, you have the option to choose one of the following designs and choose your favorite pictures from your session, and I will design a custom card just for you!!

Email me for pricing options for card packages. All cards come with white envelopes, all are 5x7 size, and all come in sets of 25 cards (multiple sets can be purchased). Also, all are customizable. If you'd like to add wording, images, etc....I will work with you to create the perfect card.

For those of you that are signed up for a mini session....simply select your favorite card option and favorite pictures when you receive your slideshow, and I will also work with you to create the best layout for your Holiday Cards!

Im very excited about the layouts this year and I think they work so well with the style and coloring in my images!!

Big thank you to Socially Inked for working up 2 of the available 4 Holiday Card layouts for this year!

Top Ten Things you can expect from your photoshoot....

I've had this post on my mind for a long time. Just haven't had the time to sit down and put it on paper (or computer).

This is my list of the top ten things you can expect from your photo shoot with me!!!
These are all little truths that have become part of my life through Mdesign. Little things, some brought to my attention by clients or people around me, and some that I think about after a shoot and they always make me smile. These are the top ten reasons I love what I do!!!

If you schedule a photo shoot with me, you can expect:

1. I WILL.....hold your baby.
Ive been known to hold someones baby while shooting older kids (Im a mom, I can multi-task like that!). If you are a return customer or a friend, and your baby knows me, the first thing I want to do is hold them and give them a hug when you show up for a session! If mom forgets something in the car, I'll gladly volunteer to hold the baby!! And my favorite moment....if there is a spider or other scary friend interrupting our shoot, I'll happily hold the baby while someone ELSE fights that battle!! LOL
I love all children, and I really love children who love me back! If you child is shy or timid, I wont push myself on them by any means, but if they reach their arms out, I'm all over it!!!!

2. I WILL....tickle & tease.
Or do whatever it takes to get those smiles! I'll tickles the little ones, make all sorts of funny noises and even sing songs (badly!!!). And for the older ones....I'll tease them. Sorry mom!! I will probably mention boyfriends, silly words, OR their underpants....or mine! And I will might even talk about bodily functions! LOL, but it's all in good clean fun, and the smiles we get are SOOO worth it!

3. I WILL......put your newborn to sleep.
No matter what it takes! My favorite is to hold them tight, wrap them up and shhhhsh them quietly until they fall asleep. (Again, because I love to hold them!!) But I will do anything it takes, including sweating my butt off in a house with no AC on, or outside in 100 degree weather (where those crazy newborns seem to melt into a deep sleep!). I have never left a newborn photo shoot where a newborn did not sleep. I have got some serious patience! And I will do whatever I need to to get the shot! And (knock on wood)....it's worked every time!

4. I WILL.....gush about a shot.
Yes, when you child makes a perfect face, or turns a certain way, or the setting is just so perfect....I will look into my camera and get so excited. I will squeal and say about a thousand times "I love this!!!....this is so perfect!!!....I'm so excited!!!" Yep, and I'll smile the whole way home and immediately edit and post on my page. Because I'm a freak like that! LOL

5. I WILL......overshoot.
I learned this one from a child who was old enough to see through my tricks. I always say "one more time"....or "lets try this one last thing".....because I can never get enough, especially when I have a cooperative child! And once, a 5 year old called my bluff and said "YOU said ONE more....that was like 10!". Ha!! Right. I mean one more x 200!! That's what I meant! But when I'm on a role, there's no stopping me. And I'll always have just one more idea....always!!!

6. I WILL.....fulfill your child's request.
Sorry mom. But if your child wants a sucker, I'll use it for bribery during the shoot, then I'll give it to them! I once had a child ask me for a butter sandwich in the middle of the shoot! Luckily, we were at my aunts house, and I gladly went inside and fulfilled her request. And when she was done, she smiled and posed and did what she needed to! So yes, if they have a request, I'm there! And if they want Ice Cream after their shoot......heck, I'll take em!!! Ice cream always sounds like a great idea to me after a shoot! I get jealous when the parents say "Great job kids, now mom will take you to get some ice cream for being so good".....I wanna go too!!! LOL

7. I WILL....understand meltdowns and bad days.
I have 2 kids myself. And believe me, they are not 100% angels everyday. To tell you the truth, they're not 100% angels ever! So I understand the bad mood, the runny nose, the cranky day, or the meltdown. Do NOT be embarrassed, do not feel guilty. It's all about raising kids, and I'm with you!!! I will wait out a meltdown, or I will find a way to remedy a bad mood if I can. I will give your child time and space and try my best to liven the mood. Again, I'll do whatever it takes!!! But mostly for the parents, I'll understand!

8. I WILL.....Take my time.
You should know, my sessions aren't quick, unless they need to be. I take a lot of time planning each session in my head and packing my car and my camera bag just for your session. So no, I wont get there, take some shots and head out the door. Not me! I'll (hopefully) be there early, set up my shots, and take my time with your child. Im not crazy either, children don't last for hours, so I'll do my job quickly, but if they are willing to keep going, so am I!!! The session isn't over until they say so! LOL

9. I WILL.....chat it up.
Most of my clients know me, through mutual friends, facebook, or our past. So I will catch up with you during a shoot. I will learn more about your kids, and you will probably learn more about mine too! I kinda like to talk! LOL

10. I WILL......have a new friend when I leave.
This is my favorite one. I consider all my clients 'my friends'. And I will always remember you and your child and everything about our session. All my existing clients know that they have now become my friend. I will keep up with you and your kids as much as I can! I really really love when old clients send me pictures of their children by email to keep me updated with their lives. It's so sweet and really makes me feel like they appreciate me and include me in part of their child's lives! I love to hear back from old clients, and I really really love repeat sessions! They're my favorite! I love seeing how the kids grow and change, and getting to catch up with them and learn what's new!
THIS is why I love what I do. Because of the people I meet and the friendships I've made. MY FAVORITE PART!!!!

Styled Shoots!

So.....what would you think?

What would you think if I started to offer 'styled shoots'. I've done them a few times, but I'm thinking of offering them as a service to my clients! Just looking for a little feedback first!

I have 2 thoughts. One is for an additional fee, you could have your session 'styled' incuding consultation for clothing, and a certain style selected with you and created at a location chosen. This could be a 'tea party' a 'vintage picnic' a 'movie night outside'....or TONS of other ideas running around in my brain!(And I'd even like to hire help for more ideas too!!!)

My other idea is to create a 'styled shoot' of my choice, then book multiple sessions in a day for a certain style. This would also include consultation on clothing for the styled mini-shoots of the day!

.....just some thoughts running around in my head right now!

Take a look at THIS STYLED SHOOT! I love it! This mom has the other half of my brain! We think SOO much alike and this little collaboration couldnt have been more perfect!! This little girl is adorable, the dog is a dream and mom has SUCH amazing ideas and props and everything! Little Loas daddy built the lemonade stand! And her mama painted it so perfectly! Then she showed up in the most PERFECT little outfit fit for the the lemonade party! Add in a couple pinwheels, an overflowing bucket of lemons (once again, a shared idea!) and a few sips of lemonade, and waaa laaa! PERFECTION!

Then, a little idea for a tea party.....a simple table and chairs, a paper flag banner, the PERFECT china tea set (from Loas mom!) and some pretty amazing hats....and once again, PERFECTION!

I cant get enough from this session! It was so much fun, and the pictures can prove it!

ENJOY!

Mallorys Birthday Party

It was themed: Vintage Lemonade & Pinwheels!

And my thoughts were budded on Pintrest!

My sweet baby girl had the perfect sweet little first birthday party! I had so much fun planning, creating, decorating and enjoying it all! She had a blast too (as you can see!) Thanks to everyone who helped out! And everyone who came for the fun. It couldnt have been a more perfect day!