Bella Marie Design & Photography

My growing girls

2011-12-08T08:45:00.002-07:00

Whew, it has been a busy year and I have not been keeping up with this blog. My girls are growing like weeds before my eyes. I just wanted to share a few pics I took of them from our last family session. Happy Holidays everyone!

Lucy pocket pettiskirt is now here!

2011-04-20T12:58:00.003-06:00

After months of preparation, we are pleased to offer the newest addition to our ebook family! A darling twirly skirt with cute little pockets and even a pettiskirt sewn in. Any princess will be happy twirling in this little beauty. ebook has over 20 color photos, step by step instructions, and pattern pieces. Pattern will sell on websites for $9.95, but you can buy it for one week at an introductory price of $8.00! Also, my dear friend Angela has created a darling smocked halter top shown on the cover of my new ebook, you can see the front cover of her ebook on this blog page. You may purchase both our new ebooks for a combined price of $15.00.

ebook will be emailed to you within 24 hours of payment (usually much sooner unless my rascals are keeping me busy!).

Happy SPRING everyone!

I LOVE Minnie Mouse!

2011-02-21T22:01:00.003-07:00

I bet you are wondering why we visit the Magic Kingdom so much? Well, for one thing, it doesn't take too long to drive there, and for another...we LOVE Minnie! Our family has such a great time at Disneyland. So, every year I plan the "Disney" outfits. This year I think I am only make one new set (for 4 different girls) due to the fact that we have a WHOLE bin of Disney outfits from other years. I think I need to start a RENTAL shop for people vacationing there LOL! Seriously, it is getting a little crazy!

I had to have this Minnie Mouse with a parasol, and had a wonderful Liberty of London print I knew would be the perfect thing for her to wear. I think the effect is so sweet! Tessa insisted that we do a "pink and blue" color scheme, so I try to let the kids help me decide. We sketched out the outfits, and decided on this Apron Skirt and Tank/bib style tee for the older girls, and a "Peek a boo" skirt and pink tee for the 1st graders. I haven't made that version yet, but hope to this week. I am thinking about doing this new style of tee as an ebook. So cute and girly, and seems to be a popular look this spring :).

If you really want this outfit, I will make ONE more if time allows. The fabrics cost me a small fortune, so I had to price it accordingly. You can find it here in my Etsy shop BELLA MARIE BOUTIQUE

HAPPY SPRING! I cannot wait until I can take pictures outside again......YIPEE! Please, oh please SNOW melt quickly, I am going insane looking at you...

Peek-a-boo Pockets

2011-02-10T12:12:00.003-07:00

I had a fun idea or adaption to one of my favorite skirt patterns. Peek-a-boo pockets! These cute little pockets can store lip gloss, tissues, money, or hidden treasures. We also made the skirt a bit fuller than the original, and added an attached petticoat. Gosh I love that petticoat chiffon!

I also purchased a cover stitch machine, that I am loving! It is so neat for use with knits. I have been experimenting with the double fold binder attachment. It took me HOURS to figure out because the instructions were so dang vague. I love learning new things though, keeps life interesting.

Excuse the indoor photos, not my best work, but the kids wanted to stay warm!

Valentines Day designs

2011-01-25T13:37:00.003-07:00

Hi to anyone who reads my blog. I am so sorry I am such a lame blogger! My life is crazy. I have in my mind all the things I will accomplish each day and usually I only accomplish 1 out of 20! Why does time go so fast? On the otherhand, Winter seems to drag by so slowly. I am so ready for the snow and cold to go away so I have started designing for Spring. It makes my heart happy! Here are a few designs I came up for Valentine's day. Easter wheels are already turning.

Twist on Tess Ruched Skirt

2010-09-12T15:41:00.003-06:00

This week I had the opportunity to create something special for some friends of mine. In September of 2007 my friend Nikki's daughter Eliza was diagnosed with MLD (Late-Infantile Metachromatic Leukodystrophy), which is a debilitating disease that breaks down the communication between the nerves and the brain. This eventually causes the loss of acquired functions, paralysis, blindness, seizures, and eventually death. Eliza was almost 3 when she was diagnosed. She went from being a mobile happy little girl, to loosing her sight, speech, and movement. Eliza is still alive today. She is 5 years old. Her family is such an inspiration to me of God's love. They cherish each moment they have with her. She is a strong and beautiful little girl, who has touched everyone's lives that know her. You can read more about Eliza and her story at:Eliza's Wish

Nikki called me last week and asked if I would like to make something to donate to their annual 5K RACE for MLD as an auction piece. I immediately thought of using my happy Circus fabric once more. This is an adaption of my "Tess ruched and ruffled" ebook pattern. I added a petticoat layer, that has some fun chiffon ruffles to give the skirt some more fullness and bounce. I can see this becoming a new addiction! I LOVED working with the chiffon, I ended up ordering more rolls of it in every color I could ever use.

Circus Fun Fabric

2010-07-12T00:27:00.001-06:00

1007_Circusfun-025, originally uploaded by WendyHaslam.

I finally got a chance to use my new fabric collection! I had such a blast. I designed a cute skirt for Emma using my large scale print, and the blue cotton candy dot. Super fun! I can see this being very addicting. If you would like to purchase this fabric, you can find it here:
http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/bellamarie

The appliques will be sold in my Etsy shoppe here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bellamarieboutique

Little Beauty

2010-05-25T15:24:00.002-06:00

I was thrilled to do this beautiful little girl Alee's portraits for her 8th birthday and upcoming baptism. It was pouring rain, and very cold outside, but you would never know, Alee didn't even let it phase her. She is a natural in front of the camera and made my job easy. I know her mommy must take lots of pictures of her, she knew exactly what to do.

Just a few of my favorites :).

Designing Fabric

2010-05-20T17:44:00.002-06:00

Well, I am trying out a new venture. This has been an experiment. I decided to try designing fabric to match my new applique designs. It wasn't easy. Why oh why did I not go to graphic design school? It would have helped a great deal! Anyway, I have ordered my third set of test swatches from Spoonflower I am hoping the colors come back the way I like this time. They say the third times the charm right? Here are a few of the fabrics, and also some mix and match pieces I designed with the new set. Too fun and cute for summer! We added hotfix rhinestones to ours for some added "bling" and "diva-ness."

Here is the fabric, well a few of them. I had a lot more dots, but didn't want to post them all!

Here are a few mix and match pieces I made. The skirt is my bella twirl skirt ebook pattern. Pretty fun huh?

2010-05-10T08:46:00.002-06:00

Happy Spring! I wanted to make something special for my younger two girls to wear on Mother's Day. I feel in love with this "Paris in the Park" fabric, and new I wanted to make something with a bit of a vintage/retro feel. For Emma's dress I used the Oliver + S Jumprope dress pattern, and made some modifications such as sleeveless, gather pockets, and a fuller skirt. For Tessa's dress I used the Children's Corner Franie pattern. I love how everything is fully lined on the Children's Corner patterns. The end results are always beautiful. I feel that little girls should be dressed as "little girls". Modest, sweet, and fun. They grow up too quickly, why rush it?

Disney World

2010-03-29T21:41:00.003-06:00

It has been such a long time since I have posted. I feel really badly that I have neglected this blog so much. To be honest, Winter kind of depresses me, and I find I don't take as many pictures during the winter months. But now it is SPRING, and I am elated that the weather will keep getting warmer and warmer.

We just got back from Disney World a few weeks ago, and it was our first time in the park. It was fun, but Florida was freezing. The highest the temps got during our stay was 68 degrees, and a low of about 56 degrees. In the evenings it was in the 40's, and we were ill prepared for that kind of weather...leaving all our Utah winter parkas behind (come on, we were going to FLORIDA for goodness sakes). Oh well, I think the cold weather likes to follow us around. We still had fun!

In lieu of the LONG absence, I have an extra long post! I took about 400 pictures in Florida, but here are just a few that I really liked. One of my favorites was the sun flare image over the pool at the Grand Floridian (our hotel). I am finding that I get a lot of joy in taking sunset and sunrise images.

The last day, of our visit we went to breakfast at the Cape May Cafe. The characters Donald, Minnie, and Goofy were dressed in 30's beach attire. Goofy was a riot,and even played Tic-Tac-Toe with Emma, Sarah, and Tessa. It was a nice way to end the visit, and then we were off to the airport. All and all I will have to say.....I still like Disneyland better! (Except for the Animal Kingdom Park). What can I say, I am a Southern Cal girl all the way :).

Oh, and yes it took me 2 months working everyday to make all the outfits, but it was worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Warning.....this post is IMAGE heavy!

Mom's Funeral

2009-12-19T18:07:00.002-07:00

Mom's Funeral was today. It was a lovely and touching service. My mother will truly be missed. I will miss her friendship, her compassion, and her love. She had Alzheimer's Disease for 11 years, and died at the young age of 68. I know we will see her again someday, and I look forward to the day when I can see her healthy, and free from pain. I love you mom, families are forever.....

Belle Ame Pettiskirts

2009-11-17T23:15:00.002-07:00

Well, we froze to death in 40 degree temps, but the girls were really brave and modeled some Belle Ame Pettiskirts. It is always fun to get the box in the mail, and the girls oooh and awww at what the will get to model. This time Belle Ame has some new tights that match their pettiskirts, which I think are an adorable touch! Check out the Belle Ame website by clicking here

Presenting the newest eBook ~SARAH~

2009-11-14T11:05:00.002-07:00

After much sweat and exhaustion, I have finished another eBook pattern. This pattern is my personal favorite, and I was so reluctant to let it go to the public, but I guess I can't hoard it forever! I love this pattern because you can wear the top all year round. It looks darling alone, or with layered short sleeve or long sleeve tee shirts or blouses underneath.

It is for sell right now through me, but will be available through S.W.A.K. embroidery and Nobbie Neez kids soon. Eventually, I am going to have to set up my own website for all this stuff!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my fellow sewers!

This was the VERY first "Sarah crossed ruched top" I ever made. My sweet Tess was wearing a 18-24 month size. Looking back, I cannot believe how much she has grown, and this pattern has remained a favorite of mine and my customers for 4 years :).

Halloween

2009-11-04T22:57:00.002-07:00

This year our Halloween costumes were a very "mixed" bag. We had a Vampire, Baby, Nurse, and Belle (Beauty and the Beast). I think it was good we had a nurse on hand for all the bites the Vampire took out of the Baby, and Belle. This year was unusual for another reason...I didn't make a single costume (gasp). It was really nice for a change. Tessa's Belle costume was one I made for Sarah when she was three. It is nice sometimes to recycle all the dozens of costumes I have made over the years.

I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of miss "T" and her best friend miss "A" together. The have such a sweet friendship.

Lyssa looked hauntingly beautiful as a vampire. She also looked very hungry, which scared her sisters LOL!

Sweet little Newborn

2009-11-04T13:50:00.002-07:00

I was thrilled to take pictures of this darling little baby Rachel. She was so alert and wided-eyed the whole time. She stayed awake the full two hours I was with her.

Here are just a few from the session, that I loved :).

Halloween Parties!

2009-10-21T22:36:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, we had marathon Halloween/Birthday parties for two of my daughters. I had about a 2 hour gap between parties to get ready for the next one. It was very exhausting, but the kids had a blast. I am not sure if it was worth doing both in one day,but at the time it seemed like a good idea. In our city, they had a mass H1N1 vaccine clinic the same day. It was our only chance to get the kids vaccinated. Soooooooo, my dh stood in the long line at the clinic while we were having our first party. He got to the front of the line and called me on the cell phone and said "come now". I was rather embarrassed when we had to leave our party 10 minutes early, and my next door neighbor came over and waited for our guests to be picked up by their parents. Too many things going on in one day!!!!!!!!! Oh well :).

Here are just a few snapshots from the parties. Nothing fancy, but we had fun. My brother Jared came dressed up as a scary hag, and told the girls a story with gross things in paper bags that the girls had to reach in and feel. It was funny to watch their reactions. Have a wonderful and safe Halloween!!!!!

Polar Escape

2009-10-15T11:07:00.003-06:00

Here is a sample of my new Polar Escape applique designs. They will be available on Nobbie Neez Kids soon. No snow is on the ground yet, which is FINE with me. I really don't enjoy Winter after Christmas Day. I am a barefoot summer gal through and through! I think I live in the wrong state LOL!

Here is a Birthday shout-out to my sister Christi. I love you!!!!!! I hope you have a wonderful day today :).

San Diego

2009-10-14T23:12:00.004-06:00

We got home from a little family vacation down in San Diego. We had such a blast! It was fun to hook up with some extended family for part of the trip. I couldn't get enough of Tess and her little cousin Jake. They are about 2 years apart, but Jake is catching up to Tess in size. The sunsets were beautiful, as well as the sunrises. I just posted a few of my favorites, but there were so many! I loved the sunrise from our condo on the morning we were leaving. It was as if the city was saying "farewell." Until we play again...Thanks San Diego for the memories!

New for Fall

2009-09-16T21:45:00.002-06:00

I designed these fun pumpkin appliques for those trips to the pumpkin patch, or Grandma's house for Thanksgiving. You child will love seeing their initials appliqued onto their personalized tees. The applique set comes with a full alphabet of appliqued letters that can be used on other projects as well. These are coming soon to a few websites that sell my designs, but for now they are being purchased through my yahoo group, email me if you are interested.

Happy Fall everyone!
Wendy

Good Bye to Summer

2009-09-05T16:05:00.002-06:00

I have noticed the leaves showing signs that autumn is coming. You can see them slowly change color daily. I wanted to do our family portraits this year in white dresses and bare feet, so I grabbed the girls one day after school and headed out. Here are a few of my favorites.

I did two different crops of the kissing photo. Which one do you all prefer?

Now is the time to take those summery portraits for Christmas cards before it starts to get chilly in the evenings :).

A dress for Emma

2009-09-01T10:44:00.003-06:00

Well, all the hours and hours of embroidery, and smocking have finally paid off. I finished Emma's Silk Dupioni dress to wear on her baptism day. She looked like an angel in it, and it made my heart skip a beat to see the finished garment on my sweet child.
Emma has a very sweet and sunny disposition. She is very kind and considerate to others. I cannot believe she is 8 now.

Sorry for all the photos, but I had too many favorites to even post :).

Milestones

2009-08-26T11:15:00.002-06:00

Well, it's official, my youngest child started Kindergarten. I am so sad in a way. I will miss her cute little chubby hands, and checks. I will miss how she mispronounces her "r"s. I will miss her sunny happy face, and companionship each day. Once they go to school, they start to loose their innocence. I have seen it happen with the other three. I wish I could freeze time, so I am hoping these images will do just that for me because soon these times will be nothing but a memory....

Here is hoping you squeeze your little ones today, time flies too quickly, and then they are grown :).

2009-08-18T12:30:00.002-06:00

After 1 1/2 years of retiring from selling my designed clothing on eBay, I am excited to participate in a one time guest launch with the eBay design group Sugar3. Thank you to my dear friend Tracy for inviting me, she is the creator of "Creme de la Gems" jewelry. You can find her listing here: Harvest Cottage jewelry.

I put a lot of thought and time into this creation, and I hope you all enjoy it. I will make it for one special little girl that wins the auction. Thanks so much for your support!

Please email me at:bellamarieboutique@msn.com if you are interested in joining my yahoo group.

You can view the "Harvest Cottage" outfit by clicking on this link.

Back to School in style!

2009-07-24T14:58:00.002-06:00

I can't believe school is starting in three weeks. My goodness how time flies! We have had lots of fun this summer, too fun to even post pictures on this blog! I just finished some back to school Applique embroidery designs for school. I just finished my first monogram applique set, which had a very pleasing result. I love to combine classic styles, with a twist of whimsy. You may purchase these designs from me directly (bellamarieboutique@msn.com) or in a few weeks they will be available on NobbieNeezKids, and S.W.A.K embroidery.

Hawaiian memories

2009-06-22T13:23:00.002-06:00

Okay, I am happy, happy happy that photobucket is working again. I resized these images from our Hawaiian vacation. These are just a few of my favorites. It was really hard to narrow down the choices!

I love Digital scrapbooking!

2009-06-22T13:15:00.001-06:00

Okay, I really am having fun creating memory photography books. I
have just started our Hawaiian memory book from our trip in March. I
have always used photobucket to upload images, but for some odd
reason, the image links aren't working. Is anyone else having this
trouble that could clue me in on how to resolve it? This is an
experiment, and I am posting this message from my email. I really
hope the images work, and are nice and large as they have been in the
past. Someone help!!!!!! I don't know why all the sudden things are
so difficult between photobucket and blogger, but I have to find
another way to post my images. I would do it directly through my hard
drive, but when I post that way the images are small, about 400 px wide.

Here is the cover of the book, it turned out fun. I used scrapbook
elements from www.twopeasinabucket.com.

A Father's Day tribute

2009-05-30T20:30:00.003-06:00

The girls and I thought of the idea to create Geoff a book for Father's day. We used photos from the past year. I had so many photos where we had just captured "life", and so many of them emulate what a wonderful Father Geoff really is. The book ended up being 30 pages long. The girls wrote poems, and thoughts of their Dad down, and I re-typed them using their own words. It was a such a rewarding project, and I hope that it will mean a lot to Geoff. I am so proud of what a wonderful husband and father he is. I feel so lucky and special to have him in my life.

This is the cover and spine of the book. I have also included the 2nd page. Shhhhh, nobody tell him!

New Fairy designs

2009-05-30T20:08:00.003-06:00

Tessa just had her 5th birthday. I wanted to create embroidery designs that were unique. I came up with the idea of fairies having a birthday party. Complete with a snail hauling all the gifts in a basket on his back. It turned out super cute, and Tessa was very pleased.

Birth of a new Pattern

2009-05-01T13:58:00.004-06:00

I have been super busy for the last three weeks on a new ebook pattern. The "Emma swing top." It has truly been a labor of love. So many have encouraged me to share this unique pattern, and I thank those of you have have been so supportive. What I love about this top is that it is a perfect back drop to darling appliques. Another thing I love is that the top is fully lined on the inside, which means that children are more comfortable without all the itchy applique threads against their skin. It is the perfect summer top, but can also be layered with tee shirts for the cooler months. The pattern is currently only for sale through me, however it will soon be offered on a few websites! Please contact me if you would like to join my yahoo group, where you will be informed of the newest offerings from our design studio :).

Going to Disney!

2009-04-01T09:41:00.002-06:00

Okay, I have had it up to here with the snow so we are heading to Disneyland this Saturday to catch some warm California sunshine. I wanted to make something cute and simple for the girls to wear, as well as all my neighbors kids who are going too. I am making 6 t-shirts with Minnie and their names on them. Tessa jumped with glee when she saw her name on the shirt :)

I also have some new embroidery applique designs up at Nobbie Neez kids, check them out under "Bella Marie Boutique" If you are interested in joining my yahoo embroidery design group, please email me, I'd love to have you.

Darling jewelry

2009-03-23T13:40:00.003-06:00

I have a really sweet friend named Tracy. She designs hand made beads, that she sells on eBay and itsy under the business called Creme De La Gems. She designs the most precious jewelry sets, and is great at matching my art work.

This is my Mermaid applique design, which now being sold on the S.W.AK embroidery website, as well as Nobbie Neez kids. We are getting excited for more of my "Mermaid" collection to arrive on the websites. Currently the collection only contains one Mermaid and a fish! Stay tuned...

Belle Ame

2009-03-06T09:14:00.003-07:00

We just got home from our visit to the island of Kauai. What a beautiful place! We had so much fun, we really didn't want to come home. The girls did some modeling for Belle Ame Pettiskirts while we were there. Here are a few of my favorites! I will post some trip pictures later, I took over 600 pictures....YIKES!

Ski Utah

2009-02-17T22:03:00.002-07:00

Okay, I admit...it has been a LONG time since I posted. But, life has been so busy with the holidays and everything. The entire month of January, and on every single Saturday I spent the day with the girls on the ski slopes. Dear hubby enlisted us all in ski lessons so that we would be "worthy" to ski with him. But, the weather was beautiful most of the days. Everytime I entered the canyon, I almost drove off the road looking at the most incredible half-frozen water fall I have ever seen. The last day down the canyon I pulled off the side of the road to snap a picture of it. I still don't think I even did it justice, but I tried. I am excited to take a few pictures of some tropical (instead of arctic) waterfalls next week when we visit Hawaii. We have been looking forward to that trip for a year! It will be nice to soak up some warm sunshine and see green grass for a change. Happy Day everyone :)

Wendy

Christmas Angels

2008-12-04T21:33:00.002-07:00

I was so excited to take pictures for some of my dear friends. They have a beautiful family, with a newborn baby as an addition. She is only two weeks old, and is so precious. She is a beautiful angel,as is her siblings. Thanks to Katie and Jason for sharing your children with me. I love them to pieces.

The funniest part of the morning, was when Katie and I tried to shimmy little J into a stocking that was a little to small for her. She ended up looking like a mermaid LOL. Needless to say, I had to "X" that idea. It was funny though :).

Bear with me, there are lots of images. I just couldn't help myself!

'O Christmas Tree

2008-11-29T09:12:00.002-07:00

We the Haslam family decided that it would be fun to cut down our own Christmas tree this year. We arrived at the Christmas Tree farm, and let's just say that these trees had a lot more "character" than the typical Christmas tree lots. They came in all shapes and sizes, some so fat they resembled something closer to a bush, to others that were so tiny they could have been dubbed the "Charlie Brown" tree. We searched and searched until we found the one that we liked best. Dad carried the saw, and set to work. His form was really technical, as you will soon see in the pictures below LOL!!! It was really fun, I highly recommend getting trees this way.

I especially love the way our fearless hero braced his leg on the trunk of the tree. He had me laughing my head off :)

The true "Family Man" being roped into something he didn't want to do in the first place. Poor guy, it isn't easy living in a house full of opinionated women.

Here is hoping everyone has a wonderful holiday season, sharing it with those you love and creating memories that last a lifetime :)

Johnson Family

2008-11-07T10:07:00.003-07:00

On a sunny morning, I was excited to shoot family portraits for this darling family. Kids love being in nature, and we had quite the time chasing after them. Persistence pays off, and luckily we were able to capture a few precious moments. Thanks guys, I loved working with you!

Somewhere over the rainbow

2008-11-04T13:02:00.002-07:00

My older two daughters never get any costumes made for them, so this year I decided to indulge them in their wishes. Sarah wanted to be Dorothy, and I thought she would make the perfect Dorothy. Alyssa was the Queen of Hearts, and went around saying "Off with their heads" to everyone.

All in all the kids had a wonderful holiday. After a week of wearing their costumes every single day for various dance and school parties, I was more than ready to put all the Halloween decorations to bed :).

Tessa and Emma were darling little pixies, we even put "pixie dust" on their checks.

Happy(belated) Halloween everyone, from our house to yours...

Sisterly Love

2008-10-30T23:38:00.005-06:00

My good friend Carin and I took our girls out for a photo session, and lets just say it was not their most co-operative day. Nevertheless, I was amazed that some of the pictures turned out great. I love how their personalities just shined through. I just cannot decide on which one to use for our Christmas card. Any input would be great :).

Here are a few of my favorites, I do want all four of them on the card though!

Two is better than one

2008-10-19T14:32:00.004-06:00

Two is better than one... (most the time, lol). These two little cutie pies had us on the run for hours, but persistence pays off and we were able to capture a few precious moments. Thanks Debbie for sharing your darling twins with me, and letting me capture this special moment in time on film. They reminded me so much of my own twin brother and sister when they were young.

My sister Jaime was always the ring leader, and Jared was the "squeeky wheel" and momma's boy. Jaime always stared at him like "what is your problem?" Oh man, I would give anything to have a photo of them looking at each other like that! If only I was into photography back then ((sigh))

I hope you like the sneak peek Deb, and THANK YOU!

A few more Pettiskirts

2008-10-17T17:54:00.005-06:00

We modeled the last pettiskirt today. This one was delicious pastel rainbow colors, that made me think of cotton candy. We headed to the nearest ferris wheel for pictures. I hope you enjoy them. Check out Belle Ame for some fun pettiskirts :)

City Girl

2008-10-14T22:27:00.002-06:00

Modeling for Belle Ame again. Emma did a great job, and is very creative with her poses. She climbed up so high on the fire escape, that it was making me nervous. It did make for some neat pictures though :). I am loving the Urban/City feel to these!

Belle Ame Pettiskirts

2008-10-10T11:52:00.004-06:00

Oh how fun these pettiskirts are for ANY little girl. They will twirl and dance and come to life, enchanted by wearing the fun and swingy skirts. My friend Tasha owns the Belle Ame Pettiskirt company. If you haven't checked them out before you should. Here is the link:BELLE AME

Tasha asked me to photograph a few of her skirts, we had a blast. Thanks Tasha :).
Here is Tess wearing one of the styles we modeled, more to come!

Erskine family

2008-10-05T22:21:00.006-06:00

I had a blast with my cousins, the Erskine family taking pictures in the beautiful fall leaves. I must say, that my cousins have turned out some pretty dang cute offspring. I am proud to say they are family. Here are just a few sneak previews of the grandkids from our session. These are some of my favorites. I am always a sucker for kids, that is my passion and heart of what I do. Enjoy :O)

BURNT!

2008-10-03T22:16:00.003-06:00

Okay, so this is really funny to me. Tessa wanted to roast her own marshmallows all by her self when we were up in the mountains of Kamas last weekend. When they came out CHARCOALED I couldn't help but laugh, and the expression on her face was priceless. Needless to say, she didn't try this particular batch lol!!!

Don't you just love the puzzled look on her face! I know she was thinking "hmmm, this isn't the way they are supposed to turn out." Aren't kids great?

Fall Magic

2008-10-01T11:37:00.002-06:00

There is something magical in the air when the temperatures turn cooler, and leaves turn to vivid shades of red, orange, yellow, and citron. Last night we had a cook-out in the canyon and the kids enjoyed running freely through the beautiful leaves. I couldn't help smile watching the joy on their faces as they would scoop up massive piles, and hurl them into the air. Emma and her cousin Jake must have done this for 3o minutes straight.

We have been busy making peach jam, and canning peaches. Peaches are the nectar from heaven. We can't seem to get enough of the wonderful taste and aroma. I just LOVE autumn :).

Little Hedgehog

2008-09-12T13:52:00.004-06:00

With the kids in school most of the day, I have had some free time to create a few custom outfits for some of my favorite customers. This little Hedgehog set was created for my friend Heather's daughter Makayla, who lives in Alaska. We used wool felt, buttons, and ribbon to really bring little "Hedgie" to life. The skirt is my Bella Twirl Skirt, the instructions to it can be purchased on the website www.youcanmakethis.com.

I still am loving me some SUNFLOWERS which have sprung up EVERYWHERE around my neighborhood. If any of you want a lovely bouquet for your home, come on over!!!!! I will be sort of sad when houses are built on these lots, no more wild Sunflowers. I went on a jog on Bonneville Shoreline Trail, and they were everywhere in bloom there as well. I understand why VanGogh loved them so much. Yellow is such a happy cheerful color. I am without doubt a person who enjoys color. It makes me happy...Earth tones make me go BLAH!

Sunflowers

2008-09-05T22:13:00.002-06:00

We have a field of Sunflowers right next door to my home. From a glance, it isn't the prettiest sight, but sometimes the best photography sites aren't the most aesthetically pleasing from a distance. Emma was in a golden yellow dress that day, and I couldn't help luring her over to the Sunflower field for a few shots. I am also experimenting with some overlays that give images a more artistic look. What do you all think?

Down on the farm...1930's style

2008-08-28T13:56:00.004-06:00

I just created this darling vintage style set for a dear customer. It turned out so fun and sweet. I am excited about a new photo location I found, it is PERFECT for vintage styled photos. So, I admit...I sometimes have to still design outfits for two reasons. 1)I really enjoy the creative outlet it provides, and 2) I have to support my photography habit. The lenses aren't cheap LOL. This outfit is so perfect for fall with touches of deep brown corduroy...so soft and luxe. Thanks Melissa for the inspiring idea. She said she wanted a farm outfit, and this is what I envisioned :).

My sweet vintage baby, who is always a willing and gracious model....

By the way, if anyone knows how to fix the borders on my template I would be so happy! Part of the right side of my pictures are still being cut-off. At least I have bigger photos now. It seems like it is always one thing or the other LOL...Thanks in advance to whoever is brilliant enough at html to help me :)

Earth Angel

2008-08-22T07:53:00.002-06:00

I have a sweet angel that lives across the street from me. He was born with Downs Syndrome, and fought against all the odds to make it here. He has three holes in his heart, and a variety of other problems, but he is a fighter. Since birth, he has had a feeding tube, and oxygen on him at all times. My dear friend (his mother) called me and said that the feeding tube temporarily fell out, and would I please come take photos of him without all that stuff taped to his face.

It was a golden moment, he was so happy and calm. He is truly a tiny miracle!

Good Bye Summer, we LOVE you

2008-08-17T15:20:00.008-06:00

Summer is closing, time for a new school year approaching. As our last summer good bye, Sarah had a Hawaiian party to celebrate her half birthday. We ate fresh fruit, sipped on cooled drinks, did the Limbo and the Hula. Summer we miss you! We would love to know what you all are doing to bid farewell good bye :).

Oh, on a possitive note, I figured out how to enlarge my images yipee!!! Thank you to those that have helped me figure that out. You are the best! Now how do I fix the missing border on the right side? There is always something to learn isn't there?

Bathed in light

2008-07-26T08:11:00.004-06:00

We just got back from a family vacation in Sun Valley, ID. For those of you who have never visited this resort, I highly recommend it. The area is so beautiful; mountains full of lush green pines and aspens, streams and rivers, biking/hiking trails galore. I have to say out of the 200+ pictures I took, these ones of Tess playing in the water fountain are my favorite. I love the moody feel, mixed with golden sunshine of the evening.

BTW, if any of you know how I can make my images LARGER in this blogger template I would be happy to know. If not, I might be switching to typepad....grrrrrrrrrr :).

Young Love

2008-07-14T10:49:00.009-06:00

When my daughter is with her little boy friend Cole, I am always amazed at the genuine love and affection they share. They truly have chemistry between them that is not usually seen at such a young age. I wish I could describe the way they look at each other, and interact with each other. It is really touching. Here I captured them sharing a seat on Tessa's tricycle, and sharing shaved ice. I can't help but wonder if they were just made for each other :)

Beautiful Destruction called Horned Tomato worm

2008-07-08T23:02:00.006-06:00

This Horned Tomato Worm was found by my little friend Clara during my chidren's swimming lesson session. I couldn't stop staring at it. It was just so LARGE and FAT! The color of this worm is such a beautiful lime green. I think poor Clara thought I was stalking her. Another funny thing was that I had this pretty hot pink polka-dot fabric down at the pool because I was showing it to another mom. It made the perfect backdrop against the lime green bug.
I have been told that these little beauties can devour and entire Tomato plant like there is no tomorrow. Beautiful, yet destructive!

God Bless the U.S.A.

2008-07-07T08:41:00.005-06:00

Okay, so it has been a while since my last post. We have been super busy with swim lessons every morning, and relatives visiting. On the 4th of July we had a wonderful party with our neighborhood, and also our family. I must have taken 200 pictures yikes! I have been enjoying taking "story telling" photos. It is so much more fun to take pictures of people when they don't notice, or maybe give you a quick glance, and that is when I capture them. My neighbors thought I was silly taking pictures of the food, but the presentation was so lovely, it could have been right off the pages of Martha Stewart Living.

Oh, and on a design note, I have something I am really excited about! It is in the beginning stages, but if it ends up developing I will let you all know :)

Just a few from the 4th:

Beautiful Mexico

2008-06-17T12:30:00.007-06:00

Geoff and I just returned from Mexico. I was blown away at the beauty that surrounded us. The color of the water was unreal, I have never seen water that color. I was excited to capture unique beautiful animals. If anyone knows the name of the black bird with the yellow tuft, please let me know. I have never seen anything like it, and it nearly attacked me taking its picture. I used my 85mm lens, so I was closer than I should have been. I really need the 70-200mm lens for stuff like this, it just might save my life in the future :)

This Iguana was basking in the sun at the Mayan ruins of Tulum. I loved the puffy clouds and blue sky behind the capture.

More pictures to come!

S'Mores anyone?

2008-06-05T21:28:00.006-06:00

Awe, who doesn't love s'mores in the summertime? We spent last Sunday evening with Grandma and cousins having a little campfire. Tessa can't eat the Graham crackers because she has Celiac (which is an intolerance to gluten). Grandma made her a special "chocolate sandwich" which was a marshmallow smashed between two chocolate bar pieces. We had a great time, and the lighting was beautiful as the sun slowly faded away...

Great Salt Lake

2008-06-03T13:05:00.002-06:00

I dragged my girls Sarah and Tessa to the Great Salt Lake for some sunset photos, needless to say we should have brought along some bug repellent. There were mesquitos and nats everywere. We suffered many bug bits, but the ending result was worth it.

Blondies

2008-05-21T11:49:00.001-06:00

I had fun taking Mr. D, and Mr. J's pictures. They have so much love for each other. They have a beautiful backyard, perfect for photography. Here are a few from that day :)

Cold Weather Bridals

2008-05-19T17:48:00.006-06:00

I have been really busy, so I am just catching up on posts. I was honored to take a few bridal pictures for my dear friend's daugther Megan. It was a FREEZING cold day in April, my hands were so cold I could hardly push the buttons on the camera. Megan was a trooper! We were able to take a few shots inside to warm up a bit, we were both greatful for that LOL.

Little Miss Ladybugs

2008-05-19T16:11:00.005-06:00

I snapped a few pictures in my neighbors beautiful yard of Tessa and Abby, who are having a join birthday party this Saturday. I can't believe my baby is almost 4! I absolutely had a blast creating these little Ladybug ensembles for them to wear to their party.

My Beauty

2008-05-14T15:27:00.002-06:00

Alyssa is getting so grown up, it actually scares me. I love the way this photo turned out. So dreamy with a soft warm glow, taken in my living room, using natural window light.