This little cutie was so fun to photograph.  She has so many adorable expressions and she ain’t afraid to use em’! 

I got to create one of my favorite things, name art (or whatever you want to call it).  With Jillian’s pics, I designed a display for her room with her initials.  So cute!!

Even though, with three kids it can be a bit chaotic, we ended up with some great shots.

Thanks Anne for allowing me to take my time to get great shots and for being up for anything!  You are awesome.  Will and Jeanne, you are such cool kids.  Thanks for doing such a good job.  Tell your mom that you deserve an ice cream for being such great kids.  Jillian, you are just adorable and such a treasure.  Happy first birthday!!

What a fabulous way to end my Tulsa visit.  Getting to see old friends and making new ones made for a wonderful weekend.  Meeting the Baugnon’s ended it wonderfully.  We had a great time hanging in the backyard taking portraits of Benjamin and he couldn’t have been in a happier mood.  I don’t think this boy ever gets grumpy!!  Look at these grins!

And I LOVE when babies will blow bubbles for me.  Adorable!

The Baugnon’s had a fabulous vintage baseball glove and wanted to run down the street to take some pic of Benjamin with it.  What a wonderful idea!!  I think he’s destined to be a pitcher.

It was so great to meet you guys!  Thanks for the fabulous ideas and locations to shoot in. 

These little boys love love love their train tracks.  So much so that their parents even planned a weekend vacation around a train ride.  So when it came time to plan their portraits, we couldn’t resist heading out to the train tracks out by the Tulsa Zoo.  They were just about to burst when they hopped out of the car and took off for the train tracks.

We had a great time playing and roaring like lions.  The boys were full of energy bouncing from here to there.  Luckily, they froze a few times for some fast shots.

The best part was that we got to get the whole family in on the fun for an impromptu family portrait.

 

Cindy, it was awesome to see you and the boys again.  I can’t believe how they have GROWN!  Bryan, it was great to finally meet you.  Hope you all enjoyed your trip down here!!  Cant’ wait to see you all again!

We met up at Woodward Park (a favorite portrait location in Tulsa) early Sunday morning.  The sky threatened rain, but we got lucky.  Finally, the weather was going to cooperate. Soon we were strolling through the park and chit chatting about Tulsa.  One thing I love about Tulsa is it’s a small town in a big city so it doesn’t take long to find common bonds (like we all are big OSU fan, Go Pokes!).  Alli, Damien, and Drayden were all completely natural and stunning in front of the camera. 

Drayden was such a happy baby!

Oh, baby!  This one is a little sweet and a little sexy all at once. 

Spending the morning with them, you could feel the love their gorgeous family shares.

Drayden has the best expressions ever.  To showcase his personality, I created a “faces collage”. I often do these for clients, but will all of Drayden’s expressions, he gave me the perfect opportunity to showcase this display. 

Alli, Damien, and Drayden, it was wonderful to meet you.  I had such a hard time picking favorites from your session because you have such a beautiful family!!

One of my favorite kids to photograph, little Ava.  I’ve been shooting Ava for several years now and I’m always so excited to hear “Miss Katie, I miss you.”  Ahhh, she melts my heart!  Then I start taking pictures, and “forgetaboutit”!   What personality!

Look at those eyes. 

Thank goodness she thinks I’m funny.

I had so much fun with you guys again!!  Who knew a little trespassing, scaling walls, and risking jail time would be so fun!  I kid, a little.  Thanks so much for always being up for anything.  It’s always wonderful to hang with you guys!!

Every once in awhile you stumble on remarkable stories.  This family has a remarkable story, although it is not mine to tell.  All I can say that I was blessed in meeting new clients, the Thomason family.  Mark and Susan are angels on earth.  Even though this family has endured unspeakable hardships, the children’s eyes sparkle with light, hope, and joy.  It is clear that Susan and Mark have created a home full of love. 

Chloe was fearless of this crazy lady with a camera.  I even got several hugs and cuddles, and I LOVE hugs and cuddles. 

Devin was so interested in what I was doing and he never stopped smiling the entire time I was there.

Of course, Tessa Mae could’ve modeled for me all day long.  A girly girl after my own girly girl heart. 

I love this pic.  It kinda reminds me of old Hollywood for some reason.

Thomason family, it was a pleasure to meet you ALL.  I love when clients become friends and hope that’s the case here.  You have an exceptional family.  Thank you for inviting me into your home so that I could capture these adorable personalities!! 

Yep, they’re family!  Brad, Jamie, and Brandon braved the gloomy weather to meet me downtown Tulsa for some family pics.  We couldn’t do family pictures without Molly, their german shepherd who is so pretty.  Look at her little face. 

Brad and Jamie have volunteered endlessly for german shepherd rescue.  Who knows how many lives they’ve saved.  Very cool!  They’re good peeps.  

Also check out Brandon’s killer band Six Degrees of Separation. They are AWESOME and Brandon ROCKS out on the drums!!

So we wandered around downtown until the sky opened up and started raining BUCKETS!  I’m talking thunder, lightening, and the whole shebang.  So what did we do? We high tailed it to Utica Square to hide under the awnings to finish their family portraits.

Brad, Jamie, and Brandon, thanks for being so flexible and patient!!  You guys are such a cool family and I’m glad that you are part of mine.  *Hugs*

Here they are again!!  One of my favorite families in the whole world.   We had a fast and furious shoot this time in downtown Tulsa.  It was drizzly and chilly, but the girls were troopers.  We had to cut the shoot short because the weather was just nasty.  Luckily, I was still able to capture a few fun moments.

At this age, Kennedy doesn’t stop moving.  She’s fiery and full of sass.  I love it!

Addy is an old soul.  She’s always seems more mature than her actual age. 

Matt and Nicole share constant laughter.  I love this pic because it shows their personality to a T. 

Best of all they are a family full of love.

(Nicole- can’t for you and Katy to come visit next month!!  So looking forward to some girl time.)

Ella (my daughter) was lucky enough to have the very best Kindergarten teacher ever last year.  Everyone was super thrilled when Glenda found out she was expecting!  Avery and Dalton were getting a new baby sibling.  So exciting!!  So when Glenda asked the kids what they thought she should name the baby, Ella came up with *Sparkles*.  From then on, Erin (her real name) was known as *Sparkles* to the Miller family.  

During my trip to Tulsa, I was tickled to finally get to take *Sparkle’s* pictures.   

Glenda scouted out a really cool place to do the portraits.  It was this very old rustic red barn.   It also provided some refuge from the rain.  We worked it out though.

Erin was so happy until the very end of the shoot where she was just tuckered out and needed a nap. 

But look at this sleeping princess.  Adorable!!

Glenda, it was so nice to catch up with you and Erin!  We miss you bunches!! 

Clients become friends and friends become clients.  So when I had the chance to go back to Tulsa to take pictures of lots of old friends and a few new ones I was so excited. 

Joanna and Davis were my first appointment for the weekend and they started it off with a bang.  The last time I saw them was at Davis’s newborn  shoot several months ago and he’s gotten so big!  He wasn’t too sure of me at first.

But big sister showed him just was to do. Again, with those gorgeous blue eyes!!

We traipsed around Woodward Park and marveled at all of the gorgeous flowers.  It’s so lovely out there this time of year!

Eventually Davis warmed up and even snuck out a smile here and there.  Cutie!!

Near the end of our shoot, we found a “fairy bed” (known to many as a dandelion, but at my house we call them fairy beds) and Joanna got to make a wish.  I wonder what she wished for.

Erin, it was so wonderful to see you all again.  The kids are growing sooo fast, but still as adorable as ever!!  I'm so thankful that I got to be there from the beginning and watch them grow.

Yea!!  Today is the 40^th anniversary of the very first Earth Day.   What makes a healthy earth makes a healthy person.  I mean that’s really what it all comes down to, right,  making the world a better place and in turn making ourselves better and healthy because of it!  Even better, by saving resources we save our hard earned cash!  So think about what today represents and try to make everyday Earth day!  Here are some tips.  All of these save $$ and help the earth; WIN WIN! (I know you’ve heard them all before, but I’m just gonna say them again):

Reuse water bottles- the US consumes 1500 plastic water bottles every SECOND!!  You can even personalize yours with your pic!  How cool is that!!

Reuse your bags at the grocery store- 14 plastic bags contain enough petroleum to drive a car a mile and 380 BILLION are thrown away in America each year.

Use reusable containers in your (or your kiddo’s) lunch instead of Ziploc bags.

Turn off the LIGHTS!!  This is one I repeat to my children every single day.

Speaking of light, replace your old bulbs with cfl bulbs.

Plant a tree or lots of trees. 

Carpool or ride a bike.

Recycle!  And if you are in Frisco it is soooooo easy and free!

Go vegetarian (even if for only one day a week)- It takes 1857 gallons of water to produce 1lb of beef and 109 for 1lb of corn and 55 for 1lb of oranges.  The UN says eat less meat to curb global warming.

Use less “stuff”; check out this video The Story of Stuff

Do the "Go Green Jig" (yes, I make up my own dances all of the time- I'm THAT cool.  My kids love it)

Go GREEN!  What are your super groovy go green tips?  How do you celebrate Earth Day every day?

Since our first shoot, Campbell’s mom and I have been counting the months, weeks, days, until Campbell’s first birthday and her 1st birthday photo shoot.  And as is typical with children, time flew by and her birthday got here quicker than we expected.  We headed out to Frisco Square  to take some pictures with all of our girls in tow.  Kaly, Hannah, and Ella were such good little photographer’s assistants.  And I couldn’t help but snap a few pics of the gorgeous sisters.

They had Campbell giggling and smiling most of the time. Except of course, when the crazy grown-ups, Jennifer and I, thought it would be a fun idea for Campbell to wear a party hat.  She didn’t think it was so fun.

When we got back to my house Jen brought out the cake and I got to try out my new barnwood floor rug!    Campbell dug in and had a blast. YUM!

 

 While the girls played, Jen talked to me about how the year before, she would’ve still been pregnant with Campbell and late that night she discovered that it was TIME.  Troy and Jennifer rushed to the hospital, and not long after, in the middle of the night when the whole world was still, they met their third daughter, Campbell.  Each day goes by and Campbell grows and learns something new.  Now she’s toddling around into her next stage of life, and her parents have memories.  I think I saw a tear in Jennifer’s eye when we were visiting about this, and I totally understand.  Our children’s birthdays are always a little bittersweet.  Yes, we are so proud of the people they are growing to be, but a part of us is a little sad that they are one year older.   As parents, we can truly understand the saying “the days are long, but the years are short”.

I love to read, but over the last several years I haven’t been much of a reader. I, like so many of you mom’s out there, often put off my own indulgences.   The few times I lost myself in a book (Twilight Series, anyone?), I felt guilty sitting on my bum reading when there were dishes in the sink, the house needed cleaning, and the kids were running around like banshees.  (Fyi- my house always needs cleaning so if cleaning is your thing, stop by anytime!)

Well, NO more guilt!!  Experts say that reading to your children is important, but also that your children seeing you read is just as important.   It actually motivates them to become better readers.  So with that frame of mind I set a goal for the year to read a book a week.  With so many books out there, I was inspired to share with you the books I’ve read over the last several weeks (and I threw in a few old favorites just because they are so fabulous)! 

From top to bottom:

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

My little brother’s favorite book and such a classic.  I’d never read it before and am so glad I did.  The old man has a beautiful spirit and I fell in love with him.  It’s a short and sweet read.  Definitely recommend it!

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Should be titled “how to deal with people”.  First published in 1937 and considered the “grandfather of all people- skills book”.  Great concepts and common sense info that people tend to forget, especially now-a-days.  If you deal with people in any capacity, I recommend this book.  If everyone read it, the world would be a better place.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

I love Nicholas Sparks and this book fit his style perfectly.  Such an easy read.  It will make you swoon and your heart ache.  So romantic and all about the sacrifices of love.  Expect laughter and tears.  Haven’t seen the movie yet, and can only hope they did the book a little justice.  If romance is your thing, read it!

Skinny Bitch by Freedmon and Barnouin

Skinny Bitch: A No-Nonsense, Tough-Love Guide for Savvy Girls Who Want to Stop Eating Crap and Start Looking Fabulous- that’s the entire title….  Pretty much says it all.  Love the naughty humor and straight up sassiness of these gals!!  But the real meaning of the book is to teach us how to eat right and be healthy.  These chicks are hard core and I love them!!  If you care about your body (or just want to look hot) read it.  Oh! And don’t forget Skinny Bitch in the Kitch (has awesome recipes) or Skinny Bastard for your hubby. 

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young 

I read this book last year and it’s a FAVORITE!!  I don’t even know what to say about this book, except will affect you!  No words can do it justice.  It’s more about spirituality than anything.  A man faces a most horrible tragedy. Then he gets a letter from God inviting him back to the scene and what he finds isn’t what he had expected.  Seriously, when you open this book be prepared to journey beyond this life.  I have bought several of books of The Shack to give to friends and family.  It’s fabulous- READ IT!!

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

My friend, Debbie, loaned me this book and sung its praises.  Well, she wasn’t wrong.  It’s a memoir about a girl who grew up in extreme poverty.  Though through her struggles, she never complains about the life she was dealt.  She rides the rollercoaster of life with zeal.  It’s also a story of acceptance.  She admires her parents’ beauty and forgives their faults.   Her story will inspire you. 

The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Read the book before I saw the movie.  The book is so much better and a little easier to follow.  Very sweet and a fun read.  Just don’t forget your tissues.

Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD

Not necessarily an easy read, but an important one.  The book is Skinny Bitch- scientific version.  Through years of research, Dr Fuhrman explains (very scientifically) what we should put in our mouths and why.  If you are really interested in nutrition, how to prevent or even treat disease with food, this is a great book for you.  We could all live long healthy vibrant lives if we took his advice. I would by this for all of my family (if I thought they would read it).  I’m now reading his book about kids, Disease Proof your Child, as well. 

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I’m not into dark books.  Some may say that this book was very realistic and that’s just how life is. Some parts were sweet, but mostly it was a sad dark book that brought me down.  Don’t recommend the book and not planning on seeing the movie.  Sorry folks.

A Good Talk by Daniel Menaker

I got this book with the idea that it was about conversation and how to be a better conversationalist.  It’s more about the structure, history, and types of conversation.   What purpose conversation holds in our society and stuff like that.  Kinda dry.  Not what I’d expected (or wanted).  Don’t recommend.

A Lotus Grows in Mud by Goldie Hawn 

Ahh, and oldie and a goodie!!  I’ve never been a fan of Goldie Hawn’s movies, but she wrote a fantastic autobiography!  She just bubbles out goodness and sunshine.  I love how she describes her childhood adventures, moving to the city to become a go-go dancer, and eventually becoming a mother. I definitely recommend this book.  In fact, I’m going to go read it again!!

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin 

I always strive to be a “spreader of light” (as I tell my husband) or a person who spreads joy.  This book reminds me that to spread light you must be full of light.  It’s ok to think of your own happiness.  Many people say “I’ll be happy when…”  But in truth we need to attempt to be happy now, in the present with what we have and what we are attempting to do.  It’s the journey not the destination.  That is what Gretchen explores in her book and on her blog.  Great book, recommend it! 

The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

Maybe my favorite nutrition/ food book.  Not overly scientific, but definitely has good factual information.  Just written in a “let’s all love the earth and each other way”, which I dig.  I also love that even though Alicia is recommending a vegan or vegetarian diet, she has suggestions for “flirts” as she calls them. People who want to eat healthier, but just can’t give up the meat so they flirt with the idea.  Often, vegetarian books can get a little preachy, but this one is the opposite of judgmental.   I don’t think there is a single negative comment in the entire book.  She also has created a fabulous blog to go along with the ideas from the book!!

Feel free to comment below and recommend any other books that you’ve read lately!!  I’m going to go let my children wreck their rooms while I curl up on the couch with a good book.

Not often does one get the pleasure of taking newborn portraits for a new member of their very own family!  So as soon as I heard that my sister-in-law was pregnant, I insisted on going up to Tulsa to take the baby’s pictures as soon as she was born.   January 27^th, I got the call.  She’s HERE, weighing in at 7lbs 8oz and 19.5 inches long:  Addyson Shea has entered the world!!!  Hooray!!  I immediately started making plans to visit, take her portraits, and get some cuddle time with my new little niece.  She was 10 days old by the time I got there. (fyi- for other mom’s the best time to do newborn portraits is within the first 2 weeks).  10 days old!!  I swear, one of the closest things to God, is the precious innocence of a newborn.  Addyson was so fabulous!!  She let me mold her in crazy poses and didn’t seem to mind at all.  We only stopped for an occasional diaper change, feeding, or some snuggles with Aunt Katie (and that snuggle time was much more for my benefit than hers).  

Thanks Kimberly and Lance!!  It was so wonderful to see you guys!  Hailey- you are a remarkable young lady.  Addy is so lucky to have you as a sister!!  Love you guys.

Oh dear internet, I’ve missed you.  I must apologize for leaving you alone so long.  In the winter months, I’m like a bear and tend to hibernate a little.  So in an effort to ramp it up a bit for spring, I’m back!!  I’ll try to be lots better about blogging.  What have I been doing (while neglecting you), you ask?  Well,

In a recent email, I received this chart that shows what people think a photographer’s life is composed of…. 

 

 

 

And what the reality of a photographer’s life….

 

 

 

And that’s really what I’ve been doing.  A lot of tax preparation, bookkeeping, and marketing revisions, paper and computer work.  Not a lot of partying like a rock star.  But all of this is necessary, to be able to do what I love best TAKE PICTURES!! 

 

 Ok, and of course I HAD to play in this crazy Frisco snow with my kiddos.