Life's Lens

I am on a mission in 2012

2012-01-18T21:38:00.000-05:00

I have been waiting to send out this post for a while. I wrote it a few months ago, was going to release it, but then started working with someone to re-design my blog, so I thought now that it is finished that this would a perfect time for this post. Fresh new blog, fresh new year...rolling out my mission.Special props to my new friend Margi who rocked my design for my blog!. If you have a blog you would like designed, she is your woman! So, now onto the meat and potatoes of this post...

I believe that mission and vision statements are an important part to not only a business, but also to different aspects of your life. Brian and I wrote a vision statement for what we wanted to create for our wedding day and in the midst of planning all the details we often went back to that vision to make sure it all worked with what we wanted to create. So when the day before our wedding and things got a little hectic, he reminded me of that statement and everything calmed down. It kept us centered and focused on what was most important.

Therefore I wanted to write a mission statement for my business so that I could do the same with my business. I took a lot of time to brainstorm, write down different words and phrases, focus on what kind of environment I want to create for my clients and who I want to be as a photographer in order to come up with my mission statement. I wanted to make sure that it reflected what I really wanted to strive for in my business.

Here were some of my thoughts that came to me as I was coming up with my mission statement:

As a wedding and portrait photographer, I desire to use my gifts and talents that God gave me to provide an experience for you to feel free to be comfortable as yourself. I am passionate about my love for God, my family and capturing the moments of life that so quickly pass us by. I desire to know each person I meet as the unique person that they were created to be. I strive to keep things simple so it is only the moments of life you remember.

Simply capturing the art of life

Life is a masterpiece! A beautiful work of art made up of small, simple, and meaningful details. They all play a role in who we are and where we are today.

A playful smile,

a contagious laughter,

the softness of skin,a loving embrace…the art goes on and on.

Why Simple heART photography:

When I was thinking about a name for my business this name came to me quickly, but the meaning unfolded as I put more thought into it. I love the idea of things being kept simple. Life is complicated enough on its own, it is nice to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life that so quickly pass us by. I do not like to carry around a lot of extra equipment, 17 lights, and 14 different lenses to a shoot…I have my camera, my flash and a small collection of lenses that allow me to get the job done…simply. Also, photography for me is art that comes from my heart. Whenever
I deliver and image to a client, I am sharing a piece of my heart with them Hence, the word heart with ART emphasized.

The end result: the mission statement of Simple Heart Photography:

I desire to provide my clients with high quality and affordable photography to simply capture life’s special moments that reflect the person as they were created to be. Using the talents and gifts that God gave me I put my passion in all of my work. You are more than a client...you are friend.

In 2012, I am looking to take my business to the next level. I would like to increase my client base and serve my clients with a customer service that will leave them excited about coming back for their next portrait session, or eager to pass my name on to other friends who are getting married. I am excited to hear the stories about clients who smile every time they see their portraits hanging on their wall, that captured that memory as if it happened yesterday.

As with most businesses...it's is all about who you know. You, are who I know! Therefore, I am wondering if you are willing to pass my name on to who you know! I am hoping that the relationships that I cherish with you will bear the fruit that grows my business this year.

I look forward to seeing you and your loved ones in front of my lens, and I share a piece of my heart from behind it.

Generations

2011-12-29T14:42:00.007-05:00

One of my most treasured photographs is one of my paternal grandfather, Poppa and I. I was probably about 6 months old when this photograph was taken in my grandfather's backyard. This photograph hung in my grandfather's house for year's and it moved to my possession after he passed away several years ago.

While I was growing up I fondly remembering seeing Poppa hold all of the babies of the families and how much he loved holding them. My fondest memory is of him holding my baby sister, and I saw him rocking in the chair and he was crying as he was holding her. I remember asking my parents why was he crying? They said it was because he wished Grandma could be here to hold her, too. My grandmother had passed away about a month after my sister was born, and only got to see her once right before she died. I dreamed of Poppa being able to dance with me on my wedding day, as he did with my older cousins, and to hold my children like I saw him do with all the other babies in the family. I am grateful for the memories and I now rock Jacob to sleep in that same rocking chair!

So, I have decided to recreate this photography with my boys and their Poppa...so when Jacob was 7 months old, we recreated the scene with my dad and brother. (in the original, the guy in the background is my cousin Steve. I wanted him in the picture, but he was not around at the time, so my older brother Adam was a great stand in.)

My dad, brother Adam and Jacob (7 Months).

Then this Christmas, I thought I need to do this again with Luke, and this time, I am able to get Steve in the scene this time!

My dad, cousin Steve and Luke (1 year).

I know that my boys will treasure this picture with their Poppa as much as I treasure the one with mine!

In the spirit of recreating pictures, we also re-did this one of Brian, Jacob and I.

The original was taken when Jacob was 5 months old and it just made us laugh so hard, because of the face he made.

We took this one this Christmas and were again surprised at the face he made without being prompted.

Introducing the Tradition

2011-12-22T14:50:00.005-05:00

My mom came into town last weekend and we decided to make all the Christmas cookies while she was in town. We particularly wanted to introduce the oldest grandson to the tradition of making Christmas cookies. Jacob had a blast and was for sure excited about being a part of the whole process. I, of course, could not resist to document the event of our little chef! I am excited for Luke to take part in the action next year. This year he just supervised.

2 for the cookies, 1 for me. 1 for the cookies, two for me.

He took his job very seriously.

Who needs frosting? I think the snow man wants to go for a ride

He was very intent on the cookies being in order before decorating them. All the bells together, all the trees together.

Traditions

2011-12-14T07:01:00.005-05:00

I would venture to guess that most family traditions are surrounding Christmas. Some as simple as getting up before the dawn to open Christmas gifts, or the order that the gifts are opened in. Or as elaborate as getting all the Christmas lights to synch perfectly to the tune of "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" so you can hold the prestige of your neighbors as having the best lights in the neighborhood.

For me, our family tradition is Christmas Eve dinner. My dad's side of the family brings our Italian heritage to life every year. My earliest memories of Christmas was our family of 7 driving from Wisconsin to Cleveland to be with family for Christmas. Christmas Eve at my grandparents house was full of the sights of pasta being made by hand, smells of halibut cooking in the oven and sauce simmering on the stove, and the sound of the china rattling in the china cabinet every time someone walked a little heavy footed through the dinning room or a small child making a quick dash.

All hands were on deck to make the mouth watering meal, complete with the aforementioned homemade pasta, made with the pasta machine that our great uncle invented, and the feast of the 7 fishes. (although I don't think we ever had 7 fishes...maybe 3 or 4). The kids all waited to see if any of us had graduated to the adult table or which older cousin would move to the kids table to keep us younger ones entertained during the meal. After our bellies were full, all of us grandkids were chomping at the bit to rip into those perfectly wrapped packages that were under the tree. But the tradition was, no presents until the kitchen was clean! So, again, all hands on deck to make that happen as fast as possible.

One more tradition before we got our hands on those new toys...some sort of performance by us grandkids, of course perfectly directed and produced by our older cousins. Whether it was the story of the Nativity or how Santa wasn't going to make it to Cleveland this year, we entertained every one with our cute and adorable antics.

Finally the moment we all had been waiting for...the presents were opened...excitement bursting...wrapping paper everywhere! And ya know....I don't remember any presents I opened all of those years...(ok...except one..a knock off Cabbage Patch Doll). All those years of anticipating those moments of opening presents and what I remember most...the tradition that still lives on...the tradition that I cherish and want to pass on to my children....is all that time spent in the kitchen to prepare the meal, and then to enjoy the meal together as family!

It has now evolved to the tradition of my dad and I cooking Christmas Eve dinner together, from planning the menu, to shopping at the West Side Market, to cooking all day to the tunes of Carpenters Christmas (this album is it's own tradition in our family) and then sitting back and seeing everyone enjoy the fruits of our labor. Last year was the first time in my life that I was not home for this tradition (as our second son was just born we decided not to travel) and so now....I am chomping at the bit to get home to Cleveland start planning, shopping for food and cooking with my dad!

Here my dad is preparing the smelt fish and pasta is drying on the rack, waiting to be cut

One more tradition that is pretty common with most families is the tradition of taking a family portrait to record in time how great everyone looks! How fun it is to look back at those photographs over the years and see the hairstyles, the clothes or how much the little ones have grown. So, how long has it been since you have had a family portrait done? How long have you been putting it off to freeze those smiles in time? Don't put it off any longer, don't wait another year!

Get out your best Christmas sweater, put on the Christmas cheer smile and say CHEESE!

For those of you who live in the Cleveland area and are ready to renew that family portrait during the Christmas season, contact me today! It's not too late. I am going to be in Cleveland from December 21-at least December 27. A family portrait doesn't take long, I come to you and I can wrangle those little ones quick to get them all together to look at me, smile and show those adorable faces! (For those in Indy I am available New Years Weekend)

Small Business Saturday

2011-11-22T13:41:00.003-05:00

I have been seeing commercials on TV for "Small Business Saturday," which is a day where people are being asked to support small business this Saturday, November 26 by making one purchase at a small business. Guess what?....I am a small business!

So, to save you from having to go out shopping before you have even recovered from the crowds of Black Friday Shopping, I am offering some opportunities for you to take advantage of supporting a small business and getting a great gift for yourself or a loved one. I am making these deals available starting today and in honor of Cyber Monday, I will extend these deals until midnight on Monday, November 28. (Happy Birthday Mom!)

Opportunity #1: go to my website and click on "proofing" at the bottom and it will take you to my Pictage proofing site. Find your previous event and order some prints for yourself, mom, grandma, best friend, maybe even the mailman.

Opportunity #2: Book a family, baby or senior session with me and get double the amount of print credit! (normal sessions include a $50 print credit, you would get $100!) Session Fee: $175
(Session would have to be booked before midnight on Monday, but could take place anytime in the coming months.)

Opportunity #3: Purchase a gift certificate for a family member or loved one. Gift certificate is good towards a family or baby portrait session or can be used as credit towards a senior portrait or wedding package. This will also include a doubled print credit of $100! Gift certificate will come framed and gift wrapped, so low maintenance on your part.
Gift Certificate cost: $175

I hope you consider supporting a local small business this Saturday and I would love it if you would choose mine! If you are looking to take advantage of opportunity 2 or 3, please e-mail me or call me right away to lock in one of these great deals. Time goes by so quick, kids grow up so fast, photographs of our loved ones are some of the things we treasure the most. Create those memories today!

You can reach me via e-mail at: rachael@simpleheartphotography.com or by calling 317.219.7574

*For my clients that live in Cleveland, I will be there for the Christmas holiday, so I will have a few spots available for portrait sessions during that time.

Indianapolis Senior Portrait Photographer: Anna 2012

2011-11-16T13:31:00.004-05:00

Another great senior session! Anna and I had a lot of fun creating her images for her senior portraits this fall. We caught the tail end of the colors before the rain and wind set in this season.

As I took her pictures I was reminded of my own senior pictures. That was just a few years ago right? Believe it or not I graduated over 15 years ago and who knew that now I would be taking senior portraits many years later. Truly a dream come true!

Indianapolis Senior Portrait Photographer: Olivia

2011-11-01T14:29:00.005-04:00

It sure is a pleasure when you get to photograph a beautiful senior, and it is even more of a pleasure when it is your niece! Olivia and I had a lot of fun playing in the fall leaves as we did her Senior Portrait session. I was so excited about all the images that we were creating that I took so many and made it difficult for myself to go through them and pick my favorites.

Fall truly is my favorite time to shoot and I think you will see that in these images. I also have decided I love doing things that are out of place. Who climbs trees with kickin' high heels? OLIVIA DOES! Maybe someday I will photograph a piano in the middle of a field!

Indianapolis Senior Portraits Photographer: Let the fun begin

2011-09-12T15:45:00.004-04:00

Fall is always my busiest time for portrait sessions. I can completely understand why...fall is the best time of the year as God paints some of His best work on the trees for our viewing pleasure! I love the fall...the colors, the warm yet cool weather, the smells that fill your nose with autumn aroma and pumpkin spice lattes! (Oh sorry, must be time for a coffee pick me up!)

While the fall colors have not made their season premier yet, Kevin has made his! Starting his senior year off with his senior portraits. We had a fun afternoon as he showcased his crisp clothes and spotless shoes! Here are some of my favorites from our time together.

If you are hoping to get your senior portraits done or update your family portrait, contact me to schedule soon, as my fall spots fill up very quickly!

Foodographs Volume 1

2011-08-16T21:31:00.007-04:00

I love to read food blogs, get great recipes and drool over their images of the food as they make it...but what baffles me is who has the time to stop and take beautiful photographs in the midst of cooking?! My kitchen gets pretty messy and so do I for that matter, so getting my camera out is the last thing I want to do. Yet, I have always wanted to create some images that make you want to lick the screen in hopes to get a taste of what your eyes are enjoying. I have decided to call said images..."foodographs!" (not sure if I coined that word, but either way, I like it and will use it!)

So...yesterday I had my chance to take some foodographs! I help out with a women's group for high school girls, and three of the seniors of the group are heading off to college next week, and after tasting my homemade hummus they asked if I would teach them to cook. I, of course, said SURE! None of them had much knowledge of cooking at all, so I was excited to impart some of my humble wisdom onto them.

I taught them what I have learned over the years from my parents, friends, reading in magazines and watching all those fun cooking shows. (I am listening to the season finale of Master Chef in the next room as I write this). Therefore, while they cooked and got messy....I took foodographs!

So, we will take full blame if you feel the desire to lick your screen or if you are drooling after looking at these pictures, because I must admit, it all tasted pretty yummy! I think we went through 2 full heads of garlic, and I might still be tasting garlic in my mouth as I write this! (Italian and proud!)

To get the full affect of the foodographs, click on the image to enlarge it.

I also added the links to the recipes if you can't help yourself after seeing the foodographs.

I printed recipes of what we were going to make, had ingredients and utensils

all laid out for them when they arrived--aprons tied on and ready to go!

The girls said that you really know how to cook if you can bake bread!

With Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day, anyone can bake bread!

Making homemade pasta is one of my favorite things to teach people.
My great uncle invented the homemade pasta machine, so I feel like I am carrying on our family history and heritage every time I teach someone. The girls were so fascinated by how we made dough and then cut it into pasta.

Nothing beats homegrown tomatoes, except the recipes you make with them.
Thanks to my father-in-law's abundant crop, we made some amazing
brushetta, on the homemade bread of course!

Keeping with the Italian theme, we had to make some meatballs to go with the pasta.
Again, with so much enthusiasm and excitement, the girls couldn't wait to get their hands in the bowl to mix up the ingredients for the meatballs.

And who doesn't love some chocolate cookies for dessert! (Please don't judge my imitation vanilla, I must have been low on food budget money at the time. I prefer pure vanilla extract!) The reason I chose these cookies to make was because I wanted to teach the girls simple recipes that would be easy to follow and create some food that is quite tasty. These are cake mix cookies and can be whipped up in no time when you have a craving for chocolate and only take the ingredients that you see in that bowl! (and any additional mix-ins you want to add--we went for reese's pieces)

We then had the rest of the women's group over to sample all of our hard work and all mouths were happy! The girls were so proud of what they made and were so excited to share the information that they learned.

I had a blast with these ladies yesterday and can't wait to do it again with the next batch of seniors, or anyone who asks..."Will you teach me to cook!?" I am no Master Chef, or Iron Chef...just a woman who loves to share her love of food with others. I did win the way to my husband's heart through his stomach when I made him homemade lasagna with homemade noodles just a month after we met!

As my mother says..."anyone can cook....If you can read, you can cook!" And of course, it just takes practice, practice, practice!

Mange! Mange!

Saying YES!

2011-08-10T10:50:00.008-04:00

I had the honor of being the photographer for two beautiful women as they took their first vows of profession for the Franciscan Sisters of the Third Order Regular.

This is the 3rd time I have been asked to photograph an event for the sisters and every time it is such a joy! These women exude so much love and joy you can't help but be in a good mood when you are around them.

So many people think that living the life of a sister, taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience is bound to be a life of boredom and sorrow. I mean how much fun can you have being poor, chaste and under the rule of someone else, right?! WRONG! What is so beautiful about them is that it is not about saying no to money, or possessions. It is not about saying no to having a husband or children. It is not about saying no to being able to go and do what you want when you want. It is about saying YES to so much more.
Yes, to having all of your needs taken care of. They have a roof over their head, clothes on their back and food on their plate. They may not have a savings account full of cash, but they have everything they need to be sustained and do not concern themselves with the prestige of gaining material things. They live a simple life as to be able to devote their time towards what God is calling them to.

Yes, to giving their lives totally to God as their spouse. God fulfills them in a way that we will never understand. Just as a husband wife compliment each other so that they can fully be the person that God created them to be, the same is with the sisters....God as their spouse compliments them to be the woman they were fully committed to be. While they do not have biological children of their own...the many people they serve become their spiritual children. They are able to love and serve an abundant amount of God's children in whatever their needs are.

They say yes to trusting that God has placed them under the direction of others who will make decisions that is best for them. If the Mother Superior gives a sister a role in the community, the sister will know and trust that the Mother Superior has prayed about that position, not just arbitrarily placed her there. There is freedom in knowing that someone is looking out for you and your best interest and how you can best serve God and the community. It is not a master and slave relationship like so many people can perceive "obedience" to be, rather it is a loving relationship that is fulfilling for both the sister and the community.

I love this image because of how the older sisters are making sure every detail is perfect for the newly professed sisters in their new habits!

That being said....it is so beautiful to witness these women on their journey to saying "YES" to what God has called them to. You can't help but jump for joy when you see their faces...as you can see...they do!

Too cute!

2011-08-01T13:57:00.006-04:00

My brother and sister in-law came over to visit the other day, while they were in town. (They are currently living in Topsail Beach, NC). They have a son, Grant, who is almost exactly one month older than Luke. We had a fun little play date with Cousin Grant! Jacob was very excited. He sees pictures of Grant on Facebook all the time and says "GRANT!" So to finally see him in person was really fun for him.

I, of course, had to get the camera out to see if we could get some good pictures of the boys...the little guys wouldn't cooperate so much for me to get a good picture of the two of them together, so here are some individual shots.

And a nice one of Grandma with her son and grandson!

Then taking one of the three of them...was amusing! Jacob would get all excited to hold them both and give them a big bear hug, and then drops them like hotcakes after about 3 seconds....he pushes them away and backs outta there! So, as you can see Grant and Luke were not too thrilled after about 4 attempts! They were catching on to his tactics! We all had a good laugh and so will they some day!

Crumbs on the floor bring me to prayer

2011-07-26T20:38:00.004-04:00

I spent the good part of the afternoon yesterday cleaning the kitchen while my two boys napped. Gave the counters a good wipe down and even swept the floor. Which this task has become even more important lately as now my 7 month old is mobile and will often crawl his way to the kitchen. So, as we were eating dinner last night, my two year old, being the parrot that 2 year olds are, was doing as daddy did and was crushing his crackers with his hands to put them in his soup. (Note Jacob had no soup, but he was imitating Daddy.) As I was cleaning up after dinner, I found the pile of cracker crumbs on the floor from Jacob's demonstration and was frustrated, because I JUST SWEPT the floor...(moms, you understand, right?! ) But, then I quickly stopped myself....I get to clean the crumbs off the floor because I have a son and he is here!

God has recently placed two very special families in my life...and we all have something in common....we all have two boys...we all have lost a child...the difference is...their youngest boys, Christian and Logan, are in heaven and mine is still on earth.

I have written before about the organization that I volunteer for called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (also know as NILMDTS). It is an organization that does remembrance photography for families who have lost or will lose a child to illness or stillborn. I got involved after we lost our daughter Therese Marie to a miscarriage and wanted to be able to honor her through this ministry. I have only done two sessions on my own so far, and it is amazing how God has orchestrated them so perfectly. I am so honored that families would invite a stranger into such intimate moments with their family, and I am so grateful that we are able to provide them with the gift of images of their child to have forever.

I have connected with both of the moms from the sessions that I have done, and am honored to call them friends now and I hope they could feel the same way. My heart aches for them as I rock my son to sleep knowing they long to have their child fall asleep in their arms. I pray for their little ones as I hold my crying baby, because I know they would give anything to hold their son one more time. I know God gives them special graces to get through each day, but that doesn't make them miss their child any less.

Brian and I went to the funeral for little Logan this past weekend and I cried with them feeling just a sliver of their pain. I couldn't wait to get home and hold my boys...and I cried more knowing that Jennifer will longingly wait to hold her son in Heaven.

I know I can't take away their pain...but I want to thank them for sharing their life, and their son's with me so that I can appreciate my children more and more each day. It is such a reminder that we all need...life is short....cherish every moment. Life is too short to get caught up in the frustrating details....instead count your blessings!

So, Erin and Jennifer I count you as blessings...it was your sons and my daughter that brought us together...and as we know we would do anything to bring those children back to our arms on this earth, we rejoice in the hope that God gives us that we will see and hold them again and thank God for bringing good out of all situations. It brings me joy to think that they are all playing together in heaven as Chase, Landon and Jacob play together here.

Know that I think of you and pray for you as I clean up the crumbs on the floor!

On the Fast Track

2011-07-14T15:12:00.001-04:00

Last week I finished reading a book called “Fast Track Photographer” by Dane Sanders, and the ironic thing is that it took me 2 years to finish the book! I wouldn’t say I am a slow reader, just life happened…. We had a baby, I left my job, we moved to Indiana, we lived with friends for 10 months, we bought a house, we had another baby and here we are 2 years later!

The book was great and I highly recommend it to aspiring photographers. One of the things I liked about it was it gave some great questions to help think about what kind of business you want to have and what kind of clients you want to serve.

Here is an opportunity for you to get to know a little more about me. These are some of the questions I used for brainstorming.

Strongest aspect of my personality: joyful—approachable

Defines a celebration: family and friends present—laughter and memories being made

Food and beverage I identify with: home cooked food and a big glass of red wine

Spiritual outlook: We are able to love, b/c God first loved us. We are all loved and are worthy of it!

Thoughts on marriage—two lives coming together as one to share in the love that God gave them and to love each other to Heaven.

These Things best gels with my personality:

Car: reliable. Gotta love Honda!
Restaurant: casual and warm—with food full of flavor—feels like home
Magazine: one that makes you want to keep reading and brings the humor out of life. And you want more after you have reached the last page
Writer: one that is insightful and makes you think about aspects of life.
Musical instrument: flute—beautiful, simple, and complements the other instruments
Musician: one that makes you want to sing along…especially in the car on a sunny day with the windows down

I desire to market myself to the average person. I believe that everyone deserves to have professional quality images of their wedding that capture the essence of the day so that the story of the day is retold just by looking at the images, so they can tell that story over and over again for generations to come, even after they are gone. I believe that wedding photography should be affordable, and understood as an investment in more than just the wedding day. A wedding dress is worn once, the food is eaten while it is hot, flowers are the most beautiful when they are fresh….your photographs will allow you to re-live all the details your day for years to come, especially the emotions.

What does the color red say?

2011-07-07T14:50:00.008-04:00

There is no question that I am a passionate person. When we moved into our house I insisted on painting something red! It was just a matter of which wall my husband would agree to. When I was watching the Nate Burkus design show this morning he talked about how your house should reflect your personality, and so I stopped to think about our house and how the one thing I knew I wanted both in the first house I bought and this one…I wanted red walls! Red is the color of passion and I have passion! So…which wall got adorned with a beautiful deep shade of red? My office! I love it! You walk up the stairs and your welcomed into the warm, deep hue that draws you into my passion of photography. (I am actually doing some re-decorating and will post pics when it is done)

There is also no question that I have the ability to multi-task and would rather do that most moments of my life. Life is too short sometimes to just do one thing at a time! Perfect example…my old housemates used to tease me, because I could never just sit down and watch TV, I always had to be doing something while I was catching up on the latest sitcoms. Scrapbooking, editing photos, writing thank you notes, framing pictures, folding laundry….the tasks go on and on. Even as I set and write this, I am drinking tea, eating a light snack, and well I decided to finally turn off the TV because it was distracting my thinking. I will admit, after playing with 2 small children all day, while cooking dinner, cleaning up toys, editing photos, and doing laundry, now when I sit down to watch TV at night after the kids are in bed…I often just watch TV.

The other day I was chatting with a children’s portrait photographer and I told
her that I was a primarily a wedding photographer and she got this crazy look on her face. She said life was too short for her to ever consider doing wedding photography. I on the other hand, love them! And I realized how my passion and my multi-tasking really comes in handy for shooting weddings. You have to be passionate about weddings in order to give up your Saturdays to take part in someone else’s wedding day. You have to be passionate to enjoy experiencing all of those special moments over and over again with a new couple and a new family every time. You have to be able to multi-task as the non-stop schedule of the day keeps you on your toes! Taking pictures of the flowers while making sure you are listening to the conversation of the bride saying she is ready to put her dress on and watching the clock to make sure she is at the end of the aisle when needed to meet her groom at the top. I thrive off these kind of fast-paced days! Good thing I am a mom of two little ones!

Who is going to tell your story

2011-06-27T11:17:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago I had a friend e-mail me and ask for some advice as she began her search for a wedding photographer. She asked me some really good questions about what to look for when looking for a photographer, and I realized while I was writing her back, that she can't be the only bride out there asking these questions, so I thought I would share my answer here. Maybe you are a bride looking for answers or you know a bride who is looking for a photographer and doesn't know where to start.

ALL day long
One of the biggest pieces of advice would be to make sure you interview the photographer ahead of time and make sure you see their work of RECENT weddings. You have to like this person because this is the one vendor that you are going to spend your WHOLE day with from beginning to end. You want to make sure that your personalities mesh well. Your photographer may see you as you get emotional when your dad sees you in your dress for the first time, or are there as you get a little stressed out when your flowers don't show up on time. You want to feel comfortable and free to be yourself around your photographer.

I have found that being a wedding photographer I also play another unique role on the wedding day. I am someone who has "been there, done that." My brides have never been brides before and may have never even been in a wedding before, therefore it often helps to have a seasoned traveler along for the day. I have painted a bride's nails, fixed a bridesmaids dress, put flowers on groomsmen, and dried a mother's tears as she saw her daughter dance with her new husband. I get to not only capture all of these tender moments with my camera, but I get to be a part of these memories with the couples I have the honor of photographing on such a special day. This is something you may want to consider when meeting different photographers.

Input, input input!
With the internet it is so easy to research photographers and their work before you meet them. Ask other brides who they used. Look at their pictures and see if that is the same style you want for your pictures. Once you have narrowed it down, talk to other brides that have used that same photographer and get their input as to how the photographer was on the wedding day, final prints, and time frame working with them. Ask them if they felt like they got a good value for their money.

What's included?
Make sure you understand all that you are getting in your package...how many photographers will be there? How many hours will they be there? What will you get? Proofs? An album? What kind of album? Ask to see samples. Images on DVD? What is the turn around time? Are there other expenses such as travel?

The less expensive or more expensive does not make them a bad or good photographer. I will admit though you sometimes might be cautious of the photographers that are really cheap...why are they cheap? Are they new and trying to build their business? Are they no good and that is the only way they will get hired?

Once upon a time...
How many images will they give you? Do they sort through the images before giving them to you or do they give you every single picture they took regardless of quality. A photographer can shoot a lot of images in a day, sometime a 1000 or more, which can be overwhelming for you as a new couple to go through. It would be more advantageous to have them choose the best of the best of the day. This is part of their job as the one telling the story of your day in pictures.

Your personal storyteller
I personally believe that a package that is just a photographer for the day and then they give you all the images on a CD is not the best value for your money. In my opinion then you are only getting a portion of what the photographer has to offer. You are going to be a newly married couple and that alone will consume your thoughts and life for the first year. Making your own wedding album is not going to be top on your list.

Like I said, the job of a photographer is to tell the story of your day and if they just burn all of the images on a CD or DVD for you after they are done, then essentially all they have done for you is give you the rough drafts to a great novel or all the rough footage to the next big blockbuster movie! I now offer album credit in my package. I don't want any couple to be without their great storybook to show their children's children!

Also, I have found that often just having the CD they rarely seem to getting around to printing pictures. So, having an album guarantees your story is written and you have pictures to show.

Not just another item on the budget
People often ask why wedding photography is so expensive. They are just pushing a button, right? I wish it was as easy as that. Your photographer is the one vendor who will be working for you long after the wedding day. After spending the day capturing all of those special moments, then comes the time to string the story together with pictures to tell 1000 words. It takes the right person to capture those moments so they are captured naturally so that when you show your wedding album to your children all of those same emotions are felt all over again as if it was yesterday.

Hours of time go into picking just the right images, editing them and putting them together in your album. The reason it is not just another line item on the budget, is because it is an investment. You will wear your dress once, your flowers are only fresh on your wedding day, the food is enjoyed while it is hot, and music is over when the last song is played...but your wedding pictures and album will be enjoyed for years to come. You are investing in the story of your first day as husband and wife.

I hope that this information has been helpful and that you feel more confident as you begin or continue your search for your photographer and storyteller for your wedding day.

So...you're a Senior in High School

2011-06-23T16:19:00.004-04:00

I can remember my high school years and looking forward to becoming a big bad senior! Ok--really I was just looking forward to getting my senior pictures taken. My very own photoshoot! How fun is that?! But before that could happen I needed to have a very serious conversation...with my orthodontist! I got braces on the fall of my junior year and the only way I would agree to it was if they could assure me that they would be off in time for me to get my senior pictures taken. They held up to their end of the deal and in the fall of my senior year I had a pretty smile to show off!

So, being that I had to get my pictures taken later in my senior year, I was unable to be a rep for any of the area photography studios and had to pay full price for my senior pictures. Now granted my parents did pay for a good portion of the pictures, but I can remember pitching in some of my hard earned money, because I wanted more wallets to hand out to all of my friends. =) If I had the opportunity to be a rep, then I would have earned as much as I could have to get more free photos to hand out.

What is my point in telling you all of this?

I need reps!!! All of you rising Seniors who are ready to tackle your senior year in high school (braces on or off), I need you! I am looking for one male and one female rep from the area high schools in the Indianapolis area. It is first come, first serve, so contact me right away! I already have some people lining up!

If you don't live in the Indy area and still want your senior pictures taken, I am willing to travel to you! I will be in Cleveland in the August and September, and in Steubenville in August. I am also planning a trip to Columbus, OH sometime this summer, so let me know if you want to get in on that schedule.

See below for my deal for the reps. It is a great deal that you don't want to pass up. Contact me ASAP at rmeier@simpleheartphotography.com

Look who's 2!

2011-05-26T20:27:00.007-04:00

I can't believe 2 years have gone by already since Jacob was born! Time flies when we are having fun! He turned 2 a week ago today and I am amazed at how much his language skills have picked up in this past week! He is now putting two words together and my heart melts each time as he says "Please, Mama!" or "Thank You, Mama!

Along with being a parrot and repeating everything we say, he is picking up actions very quickly as well! In one day he learned to do "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and he loves it, always asking, "Again?"

Another thing that I have loved to witness is how much he loves his baby brother. He has become even more aware of Luke lately, and gives him hugs and kisses, and even wants to hold him. Hence, I finally got a good picture of the two of them. One of my favorite sounds is, there is a certain laugh that Jacob does when he is playing with Luke, so when I am in the other room and I hear that laugh, I know exactly what is going on. But, I do have to peek in, not only to catch the brotherly love that is going on, but to make sure that Jacob is not smacking Luke in the face! =)

We did a two year photo shoot today, so here are some of my favorites! You can check out the rest on my Facebook page.

Jacob got lots of trains for his birthday, which has resulted in hours of entertainment!

Last Minute Portrait Sessions Available!

2011-05-04T11:03:00.004-04:00

I will be in Cleveland this weekend and I have 2 portrait sessions left open for Saturday morning.

Do you need a new family portrait? Do you want to surprise Mom with pictures of her kids for Mother's Day? Did you just get engaged? Did you just have a baby?

A quick 30 minute portrait session will get you some great images for whatever your needs!

e-mail me or call me soon to get one of these two sessions that are left.

email: rmeier@simpleheartphotography.com
cell: 818-917-5724

Looking forward to working with you!

Easter on the Farm

2011-04-25T14:00:00.008-04:00

Happy Easter! We spent Easter at my in-laws farm for the annual Meier Easter Egg Hunt. It was a lot of fun and were glad the weather held up long enough for the kids to hunt for those eggs and time to hang out with the horses. I decided to bring my camera along for the festivities and I am glad I did. I got some great image from the day. These are just a few of the many fun moments. Stay tuned for some another blog post dedicated to our laughter for the day!

A Special Evening

2011-04-15T15:44:00.007-04:00

I will never forget the day that my mom called and told me that my aunt and uncle had just found out that the baby my aunt was carrying had Downs Syndrome. I can honestly say, I was so excited! I believe there is something so special about a child with Downs Syndrome...so beautiful, innocent, honest and pure. I couldn't wait to meet this beautiful child! My cousin Carmen is such a special treasure! I can remember one Thanksgiving I was teaching her a few words in sign language, and at Christmas time she was so excited to show me that she remembered the signs I taught her.

Why do I tell you all of this about my cousin? What does this have to do with photography you may ask? Well, I have been asked several times to photograph several events that the Up Sides of Downs, a non-profit organization that gives support and provides a community for families with Downs children. It is a great organization and I am blessed to help however I can.

This past weekend we headed to Cleveland to document their annual fundraiser, a Reverse Raffle. It was a lot of fun and so beautiful to see over 650 people in attendance to support such a great cause!

I hope these images can give you a feel of the spirit of the evening!

LaMalfa Center puts on a serious spread!
The fruit was quite the enticing display, as the desserts were irresistible!

This couple just had a baby with Downs about 9 months ago and were welcomed into the USOD community quickly. Matt, with his proud niece, received recognition for the work he and his sister have been doing for years, speaking to people of all ages about Downs Syndrome to educate others and share about their community.

Many people walked away happy winners all night long
from the Reverse Raffle and the Chinese Auction.

Not gonna lie, would have loved to brought both of these home to Jacob!

Everyone couldn't help, but cut a rug on the dance floor,

thanks to the great DJ'ing by the Marino Brothers!

A Blessed Journey

2011-04-04T20:13:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from a woman named Erin who was writing to me about a very sensitive situation. They recently discovered that the child she was carrying will be born with out kidneys, therefore will not live much past birth. She and her husband, Wes, have decided that she will carry the baby full term and cherish the time they have with their child before their child will experience the glories of Heaven. What a gift as parents to honor their child in this way.

The reason she contacted me is that she learned that I was a photographer for a non-profit organization that donates photography sessions to families who have children that are either still-born or are sick at birth and only live a short time. This organization is called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. While each situation is unique and difficult on it's own level, the ability to provide a family with cherished images of their child as a memory and keepsake is a priceless gift that we as photographers can provide.

Erin decided that she would like me to be there after their baby is born to capture those precious moments that they will have with their child on this earth. She said even if she never looked at the pictures, she wanted to know that she had them. She also said that she wanted to do things as normal as possible with this pregnancy as she did with her older son, who just turned 2. I offered to do a maternity session as well, at no charge. I did the maternity session last week and it was a blessing to meet the Buente family and I am honored to be able to journey with them in this way.

These are a few of my favorite images from the shoot. The book she is reading is called, "On the Night You Were Born" and she plans to have the baby's footprints placed in the book and to read the book to her son, Chase in years to come. The bunny is something that she got, as suggested by other parents who have gone through the loss of a child, so that while she will not be able to bring her child home from the hospital, this is a keepsake that she has for comfort.

Erin is a beautiful mother inside and out, and her strength, and her husband's strength is truly a witness of how we need to rely on God during the hard times. How God really does carry us through the times of suffering. It is never easy, and we always say that parents should never have to bury their children. Yet, as we learned, when we lost Therese Marie, God makes good out of all situations, and God knew we needed a saint in Heaven praying for our family. Baby Buente, we pray for you now and ask for you to pray for us when you are in the arms of the Father!

You can keep updated with the Buente Family on their blog.

Walk on the Wild Side

2011-03-31T20:42:00.001-04:00

Mardi de Montfort is our church's annual Black Tie Optional fundraiser and always promises to be an evening of fun and this year lived up to that! The theme this year was "Walk on the Wild Side" and it was really fun see all the fun animal print attire that showed up that evening!

They do a silent auction as well as a live auction. If you have never seen a live auction you are missing out on some fun times. The auctioneer that they use really gets into it with everyone, sometimes even getting down on one knee if necessary. This plea was for a Safari trip to Africa, which was the highest bid item of the evening, going for over $17,000!

We are honored to donate our services to this event for the second year in a row and experience a walk on the wild side! To view all the images from the event, see them here.

We will miss working with Mary and Jill who have stepped down from their posts as chairs of this committee for many faithful years. You ladies are a blessing!

Jeff + Donna: Finally Married!

2011-03-30T20:26:00.006-04:00

Not only were we blessed to share in the wedding day of our good friends Jeff and Donna, who after many years of being together, finally tied the knot, but they asked us to be their photographers. This was a gift for us to document their wedding day for them.

The wanted a picture of everyone that attended the wedding. Being that it was a semi-small gathering of people, we were able to pull it off in no time flat! Everyone cooperated and it went smoothly

One of my favorite details of the day is that Donna had the same prayer book that her mother carried on her wedding day. So of course this afforded me some great photo ops with her and Mom. This one is my favorite.

Props to the bride for finding a deal! She ordered her flowers from Sam's Club, and they were beautiful!

It was a beautiful day and we are soo excited for our friends and wish them many blessings in the years ahead!

A man with heart!

2011-02-23T19:50:00.006-05:00

Steve Angrisano is not only a Catholic musician, speaker and a man after the heart of God...he is an amazing husband and father, and a man that I am honored to call my friend!

I first was introduced to who Steve was when I was in high school at a Franciscan University Youth Conference. He sang a beautiful song that is still special to my heart. It is called "How Could You Say No" which is talking about after knowing all that Jesus did for you, how can you say no to Him. Take a listen....maybe it will become a special song to you to!

I got to know Steve personally when I worked for the Youth Conferences at Franciscan University for 5 years, and I saw first hand what kind of man he is. I was always greeted with a big hug and a smile! (He has a contagious laugh and a contagious smile!) We had many a conversations over coffee during drives to and from the airports. He was there for me to be a listening ear during a rough time in my life, and he has become a confidant, a friend and someone I truly look up to.

One of my favorite things about Steve is how much his face lights up when he talks to, mentions or even thinks about his wife! During his busy schedule traveling all over the world, speaking to thousands of teens, you know after God, his wife and kids come first! His wife is his number one fan and prayer warrior and keeps him grounded during the craziness of his speaking engagements, traveling from airport to airport, living a testimony to the life God has called him to. I have always said that Steve is one of the few men that I got to know over the years that I looked up to for qualities that I looked for in a husband. Those qualities are evident in my husband and I know the prayers of Steve and his wife Jenni are to thank for that. They prayed for him before I met him and still do today!

Steve--you and your family are a gift in my life and I am so honored to know you and I am so grateful that I got to capture you on camera! Here are some of my favorites from the shoot we did this past weekend. Check out the rest of the images here!

I love this one, because we were talking about his kids, and he was trying to make a serious face like one of them was in trouble and he couldn't help but smile...and this is what came out!

The little things

2011-02-21T21:59:00.003-05:00

I have been having a lot of fun with my camera lately with the boys, and got some great shots the other afternoon as we had some beautiful afternoon sunlight spilling in the windows.

There is just something about the little feet of little ones that is just so cute, that it needed to be captured! And nothing beats smiles and contemplative looks of your kids!

Life as a mom...PURE JOY!

Special Moments that inspire...

2010-12-03T13:06:00.002-05:00

When I was about 18 months old, my dad took this picture of my mom and I when she was pregnant with my younger brother, Ryan. This picture hung in our house for years, and it is one of the images that inspired me to want to go into photography. I desired to capture those special moments that pass by so quickly in life that we want to cherish forever. This tender moment of my mom and I as I was maybe feeling my brother stir in her womb has become a treasured memory that I wouldn't have with out this image that my father captured.

This past Thanksgiving, my parents were in town and I wanted to re-create that image. Jacob is now 18 months old and we are about to welcome his new sibling into our family any day now! So, what a blessing to capture this moment to create a memory for him in years to come!

Thank you Daddy for inspiring me with your cherished images!

Mary & Phil are married!

2010-12-01T11:01:00.003-05:00

Mary and Phil got married in October and it was a beautiful fall wedding! I love fall weddings and it is not just because I got married in the fall! The colors are just so warm and cozy, and the weather is like a comfy sweater on a cool day!

It was a perfect day for a wedding and we had a lot of fun capturing this happy couple on their special day.

Congratulations Mary and Phil! Thank you for asking us to be a part of your day!

Double the Beauty, Double the fun!

2010-09-13T16:07:00.004-04:00

I have known the Poyo Family for 8 years or so, and therefore have watched their 5 beautiful daughters grow into 5 beautiful women! The 2 youngest...the twins...are now Seniors in high school! Where has the time gone! I have been honored to photograph daughter number 3, Leah, for her Senior pictures, as well as granddaughter number 1, Ella, when she was only 4 weeks old!

This past week I had the honor of photographing the twins for their Senior portraits and we had a great time up at Lake Erie...Thank you to Papa Poyo for driving them up to Cleveland to meet me to make this photoshoot possible! Since we couldn't find a time that worked to schedule it with fall colors, we decided that the lake was the next best option. We had a great time, worked with the wind and enjoyed the gorgeous sunset as I captured these beautiful women!

Looking forward to some more shoots coming up as the fall colors emerge!

Enjoy some samples below from our our time at Lake Erie!

We've been a bit busy...

2010-07-23T09:01:00.004-04:00

We finally moved into our new house, so we have been a bit busy, therefore I have not been making time to update my blog....I have been busy painting, cleaning, painting, unpacking, organizing, cleaning, laundry and so much more!! We are soo excited to finally be in our own place and making it our home!

Soon, I will have the office all set up and Simple Heart Photography will have a new home! I am so excited!! Stay tuned for more updates about me really setting my roots here in Indy and photo session specials to go along with it!

In the meantime here are some photos of what we have been up to...

This is the office space!

My brother's wedding

2010-06-23T10:26:00.004-04:00

Beautiful Bride, Good lookin' groom, fun wedding party and an all around wonderful day!

Here are a few favorites from the day.

Congratulations Jarrett and Colleen! And welcome to the family sister!

One year old and Big brother!

2010-05-27T10:50:00.005-04:00

So, Jacob turned one last week and had a great time celebrating with him last week! I made his birthday cake...

he got a great new shirt and we announced to our families that he is a BIG BROTHER...

he got his own cake to make a mess with and loved every second of it!

And then here he is all cleaned up! He is growing into such a little man and we couldn't love him more! We are excited to meet his new sibling in December!

On year later...

2010-05-20T14:30:00.004-04:00

I still can't believe it, but our little boy is now 1 year old!! Jacob Henry turned 1 yesterday!

That year flew by! I think I have mentioned it before, but I was taking a picture of Jacob every day for a year, so that we could see all the changes he made the first year of his life. So, here is the beginning and the end. I have sorted all the pictures, and found that I have all but one. I am still looking for the missing day. I know I didn't miss a day! And a few of the ones in June, are corrupted files, that I am trying to repair. I haven't decided yet what I am going to do with all of them, but for now they will be on a sideshow at his birthday party on Saturday.

Day 1

Day 365

He's learning so fast

2010-05-11T21:42:00.002-04:00

Had to show off a new video of our son Jacob. Brian taught him car noises!!

KISS me!

2010-05-05T09:12:00.010-04:00

I finally found an album company that I really like, and have created my first two wedding albums with them for two past clients. KISS Wedding Books is a great company that makes the ordering of wedding albums so easy, that I want to do it all the time!

I have recently discovered that past clients that got their images on CD without ordering an album, are still without an album years later. (self included!!) So, hence these albums from couples that got married back in 2006.

A few weeks ago I shared with you the layouts from the albums, but now, I have the real thing! When the albums arrived, I was so excited to see the end result! They came out great! Here are a few shots I took of the albums, before sending them off to their rightful owners! (note the cute black and white cloth covers that come with them!)

There are two different styles. One (the white album) is leather bound, with thicker pages, and the other (black album) is a linen cover, with thinner pages. All pages are high quality printing on photographic paper.

Itty Bitty!

2010-04-30T23:11:00.002-04:00

This past fall I had the honor of photographing little Hannah with her Mom and Dad when Mom was pregnant with Hannah's twin sisters. The twins have arrived and I had the honor once again to capture these beautiful faces on camera! The little ones were among the smallest babies I have ever held, each weighing in a little over 5 lbs! (Abby may have been 6 lbs!)
To see more images from the shoot go to the proofing section my site and click on "Senning Family"

Mother's Day Gift

2010-04-14T15:44:00.004-04:00

What mother wouldn't want some great portraits of her beautiful children? I know I would!! Oh...I took some myself! See below!

Want a great gift Idea for mother's day? Get portraits done of her kids! Are you a husband or child of a great mother?! Contact me now to get portraits done in time for Mother's Day!

If you live in the Cleveland or Columbus area, I will be in Cleveland (driving through Columbus) the weekend of April 23-25th.

Those in Indy, schedule anytime between now and Mother's Day.

Schedule your session now! Mother's Day is only a few weeks away!

Gift Certificates also available!

Exciting news!

2010-03-24T22:38:00.003-04:00

We placed an offer on a house!!! It will be sent to the bank first thing in the morning! We just met with our realtor at 8pm tonight and signed all the papers for the offer!!!

Tomorrow is the feast of the Annunciation, which is a great feast day!

Jesus, Mary and Joseph pray for us!!!

The story of a wedding day

2010-03-17T21:47:00.005-04:00

I can remember many times as a young girl looking through my parents wedding album and loved looking at the dress that my mom wore, and her long beautiful veil, (which I wore when I got married) and the pretty blue dresses and tuxes (blue too!) that the wedding party wore! I have looked at this album so many times, I practically felt like I was there that day!

I recently discovered that I have clients who just received their images on CD instead of ordering an album, never get around to making themselves a wedding album, and are left with out the book to tell their wedding story with! That's sad, isn't it? Imagine their little girl in a few years, not having her mommy and daddy's album to look at?

Therefore during my downtime lately, I have been designing albums for some past clients. It is giving me the opportunity to finish telling their story of their day as their wedding photographer and I am glad to provide such a timeless keepsake for them and their family.

Since attending a workshop by Gary Fong, I have decided to revamp my wedding package, and re-work it so that I only have one package, and it will INCLUDE an album! I no longer want to have a bride who is "book-less" for their children when they ask, "Mommy tell me about your wedding day!"

Here are some album pages of the albums I am working on. If you are a past client of mine and are still "book-less" let me know! I am offering a discount to past clients who didn't order an album previously.

Every wedding day has a story to tell! I as a wedding photographer get to be the illustrator that captures that story! No wedding story should be with out a book!

He's going to need a helmet!

2010-03-12T20:53:00.002-05:00

My friend said today, children from about 6 months to 2 years old need a helmet on their head! After this week..I fully agree!! Poor Jacob has had several bumps, knocks and crashes oh and rubs to the head this week!

First, daddy was using a ladder to change lightbulbs, and since Jacob is quite the mobile one now, he wanted to try crawling up and around the ladder. I was right there watching him, but just as I was about to go pick him up from under the ladder, because I didn't like how close he was getting, he slipped on the hard wood floor and bumped his head.

Then yesterday afternoon, the adorable little 3 year old that we live with was trying so hard to be helpful as Jacob was trying to quickly escape from the living room, and he pulled on his pajama pant leg and dragged him backwards...mind you Jacob then face planted into the carpet and got a nice rug burn on his forehead.

Five minutes later, the same 3 year old, again just trying to play with Jacob, and Jacob was very amused as Nicholas was making circles around him...Nicholas clocked him in the head with the toy he was holding. I guess 3 year olds don't have depth perception yet, huh?

And for his final bump of the week (thank God it's friday!) He was crawling over a couch cushion, and was having a fun time doing it, until he reached the other side that landed on the hard wood floor...he did a nose dive, or maybe I should say forehead dive onto the hardwood floor. I won't blame daddy for this, but daddy was the one that was letting him climb over the pillow and wasn't there to catch him before he made contact with the hard wood! Jacob was just too fast for daddy's reflex's! (that one left a small bruise!)

so..If I could just create a shield that would protect this guys little forehead, we would be set.

He, of course, was happy and smiling minutes after each of these incidents and he gets cuter everyday! Bruises, rug burn, bumps and all!

Are you a fan?

2010-03-08T19:53:00.002-05:00

I am using technology to my best ability to allow it to help me with the marketing of my business....first I decided to use Twitter, now I am using facebook to more of my advantage by creating a fan page. Again, I wasn't sure how i felt about this at first, but then i have soon realized there is a benefit to to using these as marketing tools. So...I created a fan page on facebook....want to be my fan?

I know this will help me get my name out to a broader amount of people and hopefully generate some more work for me in the area. My goal is to have 100 fans by the end of month, so feel free to invite friends of yours to be a fan too!

Little blue bird

2010-03-06T08:29:00.002-05:00

Isn't that little blue bird of Twitter kinda cute?! I must admit, I am not 100% sold on the idea of Twitter....when my friend Bob Rice first told me about it and he was trying to get people to jump on the Twitter bandwagon, I kinda thought the idea was funny and of course didn't load up on that bandwagon. As time went on and Twitter became more and more popular, the more and more I honestly thought it was pretty silly, and as I just said I am still not 100% sold....but I have found many other photographers have been using Twitter as a part of their marketing for their business and I thought I would give it a shot.

So...click on the little blue bird on the top left of my blog if you feel so inclined to follow me and see if I Tweet anything....right now I am jumping into the back seat of the bandwagon...we'll see if I take shotgun after a month or so...

Funny story about all this Twitter, facebook type stuff.... Conan O'Brien did one of his "In the Year 3000" skits and said....In the year 3000 YouTube, Twitter & Facebook will merge into one super time wasting website called YouTwitFace.

This made me laugh so hard and still does! Who would have thought 10 years ago, such sites would exist and take up so much time in our lives!

Keep on shooting...

2010-02-28T22:35:00.003-05:00

When I am low on shooting jobs, I want to make sure I keep on shooting! So, who better to shoot than my own son and his "best, good friend" Kiki. (Kiki is the little girl of the family we live with and since the day we moved in these two have been like "peas & carrots!") She is my best helper with Jacob and loves him to pieces, and his face lights up when she walks in the room. He could have tears rolling down his face, and if Kiki wakes in, they dry up like rain on a sunny day! We often wonder if God has plans in store for these two.... ;)

I decided to take some pictures of them one afternoon, and I was very pleased with the results and had to share!

A new way to get the word out

2010-02-24T22:44:00.004-05:00

I have recently shot two corporate/fundraiser type events and it was a lot of fun! Not only did I get to meet some fun people and capture them all dressed up fancy and enjoying a fun night out, it was a great way to get my business card in the hands of bunch of new people!

I also set up a new proofing section on my site, that connects to a company called Pictage, that does all of my order fulfillment for me. This is not only a great time saver for me, but a great and convenient way for my clients to order their prints.

Here are a few of some fun images from the two events I did. One was the annual fundraiser at our parish called Mardi de Monfort. It is a silent and a live auction, and of course dinner and dancing. It was the first time I saw a live auction, and it was really fun to watch, and photograph. The other event was for the Indiana Surgery Center, (where my sister-in-law happens to work!). They had a fun Casino night for their annual banquet. They had a fun set up of life size dice for people to get their "prom" pictures taken. Fun was had by all!

To see more pictures from these events go here and click on proofing. If you know of anyone with upcoming events, that need a photographer, let me know!

My Own Son...

2010-01-26T23:30:00.002-05:00

Not that I don't have thousands of pictures of our 8 month old son, but not very often do I take pictures of him like I would a client, and as I have been encouraged by other photographers to not forget to take some nice photos of your own children...so I decided to do a fun little photoshoot with Jacob.

Here is a collage of a few of the pictures I took and you can see the rest here on my facebook page.

So....see I can take cute pictures of my child....want me to take some of yours?

A little over a year ago...

2010-01-24T00:37:00.003-05:00

I was blessed to shoot the wedding of Liz and Neil Sellers a little over a year ago. I was recently working with some of their images and came across this collage that I put together for the couple. Lounge Leo is a bar that the couple frequents and they wanted to make it a stop on their wedding day. So, the owners of the bar had the bar closed for them for the afternoon and we headed over for some fun pictures, and a little celebration! This wedding took place in Cleveland, OH in Little Italy, downtown. It was a fun day and a day of beautiful snow fall. See some more images from this day here.

Photoshoot with the nieces

2010-01-19T21:11:00.003-05:00

I had my brother-in-law in the Christmas gift exchange this year, and so I decided I would take some fun pictures of his daughters for him. In a quick 45 minutes I had 235 awesome pictures of these beautiful girls to choose from to give to their dad. We had a lot of fun and laughed a lot. These two are natural beauties and naturals in front of the camera. Watch out world, here come Olivia and Sophie!

These are the three I chose to give to my brother-in-law, and then the collage I made for the girls.

Beautiful Baby on Regis and Kelly

2010-01-15T11:52:00.003-05:00

People keep telling me that we should enter Jacob in a baby contest....and so what the heck...we entered him in the Beautiful Baby contest on Regis and Kelly....of course as of right now there are over 11,000 entries...but our kid is the cutest right?!?! We'll see!

Here are the pictures we entered, I am not sure if they accepted both entries..but it was worth a shot! Tune in March 1 to vote! I am sure it will be the final selection on March 1, but here is to hoping Jacob makes it that far!

He would win a photo shoot with Parenting magazine and a $125,000 college scholarship! Wouldn't that be awesome!?!? then he won't be 33 and still paying off his college loan debt like his mom and dad!

Referrals, referrals, REFERRALS!!

2010-01-12T21:00:00.003-05:00

REFERRALS, REFERRALS, REFERRALS!! Kinda sounds like, Location, Location Location...which I guess could work, because since I have changed my LOCATION, I need some referrals here in Indianapolis. I would like to get the word out that I am here, and I have a photography business and I would like to share it with others in the area...so here is my deal for you!

If you refer to me two customers that live in the Indianapolis area and they both book a session or event with me, then you will receive a gift certificate for a free session, with 2 free 8x10's. See, this works even if you don't live in Indy area, but you know people who do, because there is a good chance I will some day visit where you do live and you can use your gift certificate, or you can give it to someone who would use it as a gift. (just not to the people you have referred.)

Please pass on my website to your family and friends so that we can start capturing their beautiful faces and events for memories for years to come. www.simpleheartphotography.com

I do senior portraits, family portraits, including newborn sessions. I have also been shooting weddings for the past 5 years, and love capturing this special days for the special couples.

Thanks in advance for your help, and I look forward to sharing my passion of photography with you, your family and your friends!

See how excited he is to get me some referrals!

Couldn't resist

2010-01-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

I am going through some old photos....trying to clean up our iphoto files....by strong encouragement from my loving husband! And I found this picture, and I had to post it!!

Praying for the Grace

2010-01-08T22:12:00.003-05:00

We have been here in Indy for 4 months now, and I while it has kinda sunk in that we live here, it still feels like we are on vacation, living with just a few of our own stuff, living with friends, and still trying to find my way around this city. We have been blessed beyond blessed to live with some friends of ours for the past 4 months, and it has been so much fun to live with them. Yet, as the months go on, our little family is ready for a place of our own. Jacob is almost 8 months old and he is ready for his own room, or maybe I am ready for him to have his own room. (I know Mom, you have NEVER had your own room!)

Brian's parents have graciously allowed us to store all of our belongings in their garage! See below. (Thanks Mom and Dad), although every time I see our stuff piled in the garage, I have to pray for the grace to know that God has a plan for us. It is hard for me to see our stuff collecting dust and being unused.

I thought we had plans to move somewhere in March but those plans recently fell through....so now we are back to looking for a place to live again. So....I am praying for the grace to understand Gods' plan....

We do have renters for our house next semester ,which is great! Although what would be best is if we could sell the house! Anyone want to buy a great house in Steubenville. As much as it will be hard to let the house go...I will pray for the grace!

Vote for your Favorite

2010-01-05T20:19:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile since I have posted anything...sorry..I will try and do better in 2010!

So...people keep telling me that I should enter Jacob in some cute baby contests, so my mom heard on the Regis and Kelly show today, that they are having a "Beautiful Baby" contest, so what the heck...let's enter! The problem is I just have a FEW pictures of this little man and can't begin to pick the best one.

So..PLEASE HELP US CHOOSE! Go to this link on my facebook page, and post a comment on your favorite image. If you don't have facebook, you can still look at the album, but will either have to post a comment on my blog or send me and me an e-mail. THANKS!

What once took hours...

2009-12-04T10:05:00.004-05:00

In the early days of Jacob's life it would sometimes take hours to put Jacob down for a nap, now 6 and a half months old, it brings me joy in my heart, when I can put him down for a nap in a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds now!!!

This has not only made it easier for me to put him down for naps when we are home, but when we are on the road. When I went on my trip a few weeks ago by myself, he did great in the car for me, taking his naps. When he was getting tired...paci in mouth, cuddle with burp cloth, dark blanket over his car seat, and he was out! Easy nap times also makes it easier for people other than Mommy to put him down for his nap!

I went out shopping with the in-law women on Black Friday, and Brian and Jacob had some quality father/son time and Brian successfully put him down for two naps! Ta Da!

We have been helping out with the family we live with and their 5 kids, sometimes Brian and I alone with the 5 kids and Jacob...and this experience has given me hope! Hope that we really can handle multiple kids. Not that I ever really doubted our ability, but during those first few weeks with Jacob, I wondered how people ever had more, when one was so much work.....WHAT WAS I THINKING?! Must have been delirium from the drugs of labor! =) We can so do more kids...especially if they are all as easy as Jacob!

I feel as if I should post a picture...well cause he is pretty cute...awake or asleep! (although, he is not really sleeping in this picture...just blinked! haha)

One more

2009-11-30T16:57:00.002-05:00

I forgot to post this one. There is one daughter and her family missing, since her husband wasn't there the night of the photoshoot. (maybe next time!)

Cleveland Family Photo Shoots

2009-11-29T23:54:00.005-05:00

I had a great weekend up in Cleveland last week, and it wasn't just because I got to spend time with family and friends. I was honored to be able to photograph several families in order to get their pictures out in time for Christmas. (I wonder if I will get a picture of my family taken in time for Christmas, heck I still haven't sent out Jacob's birth announcements, and the kid is 6 months old!) Anyway, I have been working hard all week to get the proofs done for all the jobs I had last weekend, and so they are now all done and CD's will be in the mail this week to my clients. Here is a sampling of the great families I had the pleasure of capturing. (if you click on the image it will enlarge for a closer look)

If you are in need of pictures of your family during the Christmas and New Years holidays, please let me know. I will be in Cleveland, driving through Columbus and of course around Indy in between!

A whole new outlook

2009-11-15T21:58:00.006-05:00

Friday night I went to a workshop with local photographers and listened to an amazing presentation by photographer Gary Fong. Being that I am just learning "who is who" in the photographers circuit, before I arrived at the this workshop, I had no idea who this guy was. By the time I left, the way I was approaching my business was turned upside down and I am SO EXCITED!

I will blog more about it later...I need to take some time to process more. What I can say now is that it makes me more excited about my passion for my photography and serving my clients!

I drove home from the workshop thanking God for my passion for photography, for allowing me to pursue my photography business full time, and for being able to work with such great clients over the last 4 and a half years!!

Thank you Gary for your inspiration!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Think he's hungry?!

2009-11-15T21:18:00.004-05:00

We fed Jacob his first meal of rice cereal yesterday. It went well, and was quite entertaining!

check out the video too!

Family Pictures in time for Christmas

2009-11-05T13:18:00.005-05:00

I am now booking families for portraits in time for those annual Christmas cards! I just finished up the cards for a family and thought I would share with you the final product!

I can print wallets for you to include in your own cards, or I can create custom cards for you.

I will be in Cleveland Nov. 19-22 and am now scheduling sessions!

Sessions are only $65 and with that I will take numerous shots...whole family, individual, just the kids, just the parents, whatever you want! We can put the print packages together with whatever your needs are..wallets, cards, 5x7's or other enlargements.

I love to make it personal by coming to your home so your family is comfortable in your own surrounds, or we can go to a local park for some great outdoor fun!

Contact me now to schedule your session!

A full cup of coffee...

2009-11-05T10:49:00.002-05:00

For the first time in a long time, i finished a full cup of coffee, and I enjoyed it while catching up on my friend's blog!! 7 months pregnant and she traveled to Beijing by herself (note: she is living in China) and I was glad to enjoy reading the stories while enjoying my full cup of coffee! i usually don't get to finish it, as i am sure other mothers can relate, b/c i have a cute little boy to attend to! With just a few sips of coffee left, I heard him stirring from his nap and I was little sad, that I couldn't finish reading..but i went and checked on him, put his paci back in his mouth..and he was back out!

Well...i am embarking on an adventure myself this weekend...with said cute boy in tow...I am heading to Tiffin to go to a friends wedding. Brian can't come with me because the wedding is on Friday and he has to work, so I am making the 4 1/2 hour drive by myself with Jacob...this will be the longest we have traveled together without Brian....I am excited and a little nervous...long car drives usually consist of me being in the back seat at some point soothing our dear son! But i have been doing really good about getting him down for naps lately...sometimes in less than 30 seconds!!! Partially swaddled, paci in mouth, cuddling with burp cloth, lay him down and he is out! So, let's hope it goes as well during the drive.

So...wish me luck tomorrow morning as I begin my adventure...I am excited about seeing old friends, and meeting up with some professors from college.

**Cute little boy update: he is getting big! For those of you on facebook, check out all the new albums I recently posted**

Fall in Indiana

2009-10-27T15:05:00.003-04:00

When I lived in California, one thing I really missed was fall and all the fall colors! So, my husband and I recently moved to Indiana, and I never realized before how beautiful Indiana was in the fall!! We decided to take a trip down to Brown County last weekend to get a good fill of the fall colors! And of course, I couldn't resist taking some pictures of Jacob in this huge trailer of pumpkins!! The nice old man that was selling them was kind enough to let me snap a few pictures, and so we thought we would buy one, too! He kinda looks like he "owns" these pumpkins doesn't he?! =)

I am so glad to be back on the eastern side of the country to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage. When I lived in California, I wish I would have know about the Leaf Cam of Indiana, so I could enjoy the colors as they changed.

Website Updated

2009-10-15T16:11:00.002-04:00

www.simpleheartphotography.com is updated!!

When I first launched the site I just plugged in a few pictures into the wedding galleries. I finally got them all loaded with over 100 of my favorite images! There are 5 galleries to look at. I hope you enjoy them!

On the "life" tab there are newborn images and high school seniors.

Enjoy and I would love to hear feedback!

haha

2009-10-14T15:13:00.003-04:00

Well...I didn't win the contest....maybe it was because about 36,000 people entered....that's right thirty six THOUSAND! That's a lot of people reading her blog....I dream of the day that I have 36,000 people reading my blog in a 24 hour period! Heck, at this point, I'll take 100! haha!!

How about I just post some pictures of our cute kid and one of my hubby and I, so the 20 people that read this blog can enjoy!

Thought I would share...

2009-10-13T20:05:00.002-04:00

My friend Liz, turned me on to a great blog site, called The Pioneer Woman. And I finally started checking it out. And I happened to see she was having a contest today for a great set of cookware. And I thought "what the heck, I'll send an e-mail!" All you had to do to enter the contest was to tell her what you had for dinner last night.... below was my email to her. I thought it was funny, I thought you might get a laugh out of it too!

A friend of mine turned me on to your site, b.c she knows I love photography and i love to cook! Great site! i am still new to it, but i am excited to check out more of it! I actually own my own photography business (www.simpleheartphotography.com)

Well...so i happened onto your site tonight and saw the contest and got excited...and then i saw that you asked for what we had for dinner last night...

you had to ask about last night, huh?!! My husband and I recently moved and are living with friends, and the wife and I have been having a blast cooking together for the past month and a half...finding new recipes almost daily! and some yummy ones at that..... but you had to ask about last night

you couldn't ask about the venison steaks that we had simmering on the stove for the last hour for dinner tonight (it was real yummy by the way!)

you couldn't ask about the chili that i had brewing all day on friday and the sweet cornbread that went with it perfect for the cold rainy day

you couldn't ask about the apple spice pork chops that were finger lickin' good that we made with onion rice

you couldn't ask about the roast that bubbled in the crockpot all day and fell apart on our plates with tenderness that we made a few weeks ago

you couldn't ask about the chicken teriyaki that was the first dish I made here, that the sauce was so good that we wanted to eat it with a spoon

no...you asked about last night....sloppy joes... from a can with french fries... from the freezer! that's what we had last night! What can I say...it was monday!

Hope you are getting some fun entries for this contest...and i hope I win!

5 years in the making!

2009-10-05T21:27:00.002-04:00

I started my photography business 5 years ago, and finally I have a website! Thank you to all who have been a support to my dream of doing my business. Thank you to all of my great clients who invited me into their lives during those special moments.

Feel free to pass my website on to those you know need a photographer or just to someone you know who may be interested in photography.

(if you are going to check out the pictures from Jake & Alicen's Wedding, it is on the "Client" link. These are not the full proofs, rather a sampling until all the proofs are ready. Check these out now and then check back later to see the rest of the pictures from the beautiful day)

http://simpleheartphotography.com/

Jake & Alicen Teitgen=Married!

2009-09-28T21:47:00.006-04:00

What a beautiful day for a beautiful couple to be married! Jake & Alicen were married on Saturday and it was a blessing to be a part of this special day! Brian was in the wedding, so I was without a second shooter for the day (except for my friend Katie who helped me out during the ceremony-THANKS KATIE!).

Jake, the groom is a funny, witty guy who always has a good story. (he was a groomsman in our wedding, despite the fact that it was his last ND/USC home game of his senior year!) He always has people laughing around him. His beautiful bride Alicen is a a trooper putting up with all his antics They had a great crowed with them in their wedding party, who had us all laughing at the rehearsal dinner.

Jake is a recent Notre Dame grad, and Alicen a recent St. Mary's grad. They have been dating since high school, so you can imagine that everyone was so excited to be there to see them finally head to the altar!

With perfect weather, great colors and fun people, this fabulous couple completed the day to make it memorable! I was just there to take some pictures of it all! =) (click on the image to enlarge it--it's worth it to take a closer look at the jumping picture, just for the great faces!)

They wanted to have some fun with their pictures, so we went to the Fall Festival happening in the church parking lot, to check out the mechanical bull. Went to Coldstone for some ice cream, Starbucks for some Euchre and then finally made our way to the reception at the elegant Mansion at Oak Hill.

Congratulations again Jake and Alicen. Thank you for letting Brian and I be a part of your lives! We are so excited for you two! Know that you are in my prayers as you start your new life together!

Is Drooling Appropriate?

2009-09-26T00:07:00.003-04:00

Or professional for that matter?! So a the family that we live with is great! We get along great with them and have lots of fun! The husband was thinking about buying a camera, and over casual conversation one evening he mentioned he was looking into buying the new Nikon D700. (Mind you I didn't even know that this camera existed, and mind you I DO NOW!) Again, casually we said, well, hey if you want to get it before next weekend, maybe I could test it out for you as I have a wedding to shoot! (or something to that effect). Well, he called me the next day as he was leaving the camera store, with said camera in tow, along with two fabulous lenses! One of which, I have been told is the one of cream of the crop lens to have for a wedding.

So, as I headed off to the rehearsal tonight, with said camera in my tow, I was pretty excited to put this camera to use. It worked great in the low lighting of the church. Because I can't use a flash, I need to bump up the ISO and even at a high ISO the shots come out with not much grain at all.

I am soo excited to see how these images turn out tomorrow! You can be sure to check back here for full results.

So, again, I ask the question, is drooling over a camera appropriate or professional? I am guessing, not! So, I will leave the drooling to my son. (Who I happened to take just a FEW shots of tonight at the rehearsal...how could i resist this face!?)

Wife, Mother...then photographer

2009-09-21T22:50:00.003-04:00

Jacob is now four months old and I have had the joy of experiencing a new role in my life that I longed for, for as long as I can remember. I have wanted to be a mom since I was a young child.

As we all know with becoming a mom comes, lots of new routines, schedules and ways of doing things. All exciting and new. When I was home on maternity leave, I loved it! Not having to worry about work, and devoting time to our son. As the weeks of maternity leave went faster and faster, I felt like I needed to get more and more done around the house, on my photography business, sending thank you cards, downloading pictures of Jacob...etc..why couldn't he take longer naps?!?! After a conversation with my loving husband and some prayer time I realized all the other stuff didn't matter...I got to take care of my son! That gave me peace.

Now, I am a stay at home mom, and I couldn't love it more! Getting to experience all the smiles and giggles, putting him down for his naps and being there when he wakes up...words really can't explain. It is something a mother's heart just understands. Although I am also working my business full time, so again the other day I found myself asking, "why can't he nap longer so that I can get some work done!?"

So, as I was enjoying another tender moment with him asleep in my arms, I was praying and asking God to shed some light on my dilemma. He reminded me of my vocation....I am first a wife, then a mother and THEN a photographer. That brought so much joy and peace.

As I put my whole heart into my vocation as wife and mother, He will bless my gifts and talents as a photographer so that I can have a business that contributes to our family.

So, I am enjoying watching the Colts game with husband (wife: check), I just fed our son and put him back to bed (mother: check) and I want to let you know that I will be in Steubenville Oct. 3-4 if anyone wants family pictures done for Christmas (photographer: check).

**if you want to book a sitting for that weekend, please e-mail me at simpleheartphoto@gmail.com**

Ok, I couldn't resist!

Getting on Schedule

2009-09-14T12:05:00.004-04:00

As I am getting used to be a stay at home mom and a business owner, I need to get myself on a schedule in order to get work done on the business during the day. Jacob is down for a nap and I am excited to get going on my website. I spent all last week sorting through my images of past weddings in order to pick just the right ones for my portfolio. I have narrowed it down to about 260 images,(see a few below) so now I need to break it down from there.

So...on schedule this week...

work on website
make DVD's for clients
put together promotional materials for an event I am doing in a few weeks. (a Mom's Brunch, and they will have vendor tables, so I will be advertising my services. YEAH!)

I will keep you posted on the progress!

Another Baby....

2009-09-10T13:28:00.002-04:00

No, I'm not pregnant!! =) I had the privelage of photographing another baby! (and her big sister!)

Check out more here!

Wedding complete

2009-09-07T09:48:00.002-04:00

Here is the full wedding website of the shots I took for my best friend's wedding. Remember, I was not the main photographer, so there are not images of the whole day. Some of the pictures are ones that my husband took on our point and shoot and others are from the fancy shmancy camera. =) Enjoy here!

Adorable, Precious and bugs...?

2009-09-07T09:33:00.004-04:00

Before we decided to make the quick decision to move, I had committed to a few photography jobs in Steubenville. One of the jobs was of the Lee children. They are so very cute, great facial features and full of joy! Although boys will be boys! As we were outside taking pictures, Michael and Elijah couldn't help but be distracted by the praying mantis that was crawling around in the grass. I took a picture for them and promised to include it in the pictures that they received. So, don't be confused thinking that the bug you see see in these images was a new member of the Lee family...it was just boys being boys!

Check out all the images here from the shoot and find the bug! Here I will showcase the girls!

Not on vacation

2009-09-07T09:24:00.002-04:00

We have been living in Indiana for just over a week now, and I came to realize yesterday...we're not on vacation, we live here now. This was kind of a surreal realization. I was feeding Jacob yesterday, and thinking "soon we will be back in our regular setting in our room." Then I realized....no we won't, we don't live there anymore. I admit it was a bit sad. At the same time we are surrounded by great people and great opportunities here.

This week alone, I have gone to a friends house for coffee, went to Mom's group, went walking with a friend of mine and her kids, and got coffee. Went out to dinner with Brian's family and went out on a boat, where we took Jacob for his first speed boat ride!(which he seemed to enjoy!! So much that the movement of the water put him to sleep several times)

I have started to get little projects done to get my photography business moving, and hope to get my website project underway this week. I am also looking into networking with some local photographers around here. There might be a photography workshop in the area that will get me hooked in with some local photographers.

As I continue to realize this is our new home, I must admit to myself that I miss our house in Steubenville, and our friends there. God is blessing us with many things here, and is helping me to realize that He had plans for us!

Subscribe to Me!

2009-09-04T14:48:00.002-04:00

Being that I am moving in the direction of taking my photography business full time, I wanted to make an avenue for people to stay in touch with what is going on in my business. Therefore I have added a feature to my blog to allow people to sign up to receive e-mails every time I post a new blog.

So, I would invite you to sign up!

See the form in the upper left area of my blog!

THANKS in advance!

Packing up and moving on...

2009-08-22T22:09:00.002-04:00

For those who haven't heard yet...we are making a big life change...in 7 days!

We are moving to Indianapolis! I got let go from my job at Franciscan and being that the job market isn't the greatest for Brian in Steubenville, we decided that he would follow one of his passions and go back into construction.

It has been a hard decision, because we love our community in Steubenville, love our house and love the life we have begun here..but we are following our hearts and following God to make the best decision for our family.

The construction company that Brian used to work for in Indy has re-hired him and I am planning on taking my photography business full-time and stay home with Jacob. This is something I have dreamed of for many years, but never new if it would be able to happen right away. God knew the desire of my heart and even thought it was a painful process, I know it is what is where God is calling us.

So...b/c the construction company wants Brian to start right away, he suggested we take them up on that and get there as soon as possible. So, we decided last Saturday we were moving and hittin' the road next Saturday. It is a whirlwind for me right now..packing, taking care of Jacob, looking for renters for our house, finishing up working, doing photoshoot, being in my best friend's wedding....are we crazy?!!?

We might be....i guess I will detox after we get settled in Indy!

Please keep us in your prayers during this transition....I have been in Steubenville for the last 7 and a half years, and I am quite sad to leave and I am really excited for all of the new possibilities to come. I am especially excited for Brian to have his community back, which has be become a great community for me, too! And we will be near his family, which will be fun. Although I know my family is really sad that we will be an EXTRA 3 hours away...

Good thing God is in control!

Thomas the Train and Jacob

2009-08-22T22:01:00.004-04:00

My dad is orgainizing an event in Downtown Willoughby this weekend, called "Last Stop Willoughby." It's all about trains and the history of Willoughby and he asked me if I wanted to create a photobooth with Thomas the Train. I agreed, being that I am planning on taking my photography business full time, I thought this might help generate some new business clients. If you live in the area..come on down!! We will be there from Noon-5pm tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 23.

So, of course we had to test out the props with the cutest subject!!

My Best Friend's Wedding

2009-08-22T21:49:00.003-04:00

I have known this girl since she was 12!!! and now my girl has gotten married....we were attached at the hip through most of high school, and even though we live in different cities (and soon different states, again) our friendship will always be strong.

well...as the subject of this blog says...she got married yesterday!!! Thought I would post a few pics of the beautiful event!!

Here she is hiding from the Groom as we moved from the hotel room to the bridal suite before the ceremony. Talk about a covert operation!

Do you Think they like Ohio State? (this is what Andy got the groomsmen. Notice the numbers!)

It was a beautiful day and we all cried!! I did stay dry eyed during the ceremony...until they did a family commitment with Jacquie's daughter. Alex is my Goddaughter and is growing into such a beautiful little lady. Jacquie and Andy did a family commitment with her at the ceremony and Jacquie read a little "vow" thing to Alex and they gave her a necklace. As Jacquie was reading it Alex starting crying....and well then the whole place was in tears!!! So precious!

In true Jacquie style, there was lots of dancing at the party, and we had a blast!! Singing and dancing to a lot of the songs from the good 'ol days!!

Love you, Jacquie MACUGA!!

Newborn Photography

2009-08-06T21:38:00.004-04:00

As you should know by now, I started a photography business 4 years ago. I do engagements, weddings, senior portraits and family portraits. I have recently done a few newborn shoots and discovered I really enjoy this as well! (despite the fact that I haven't done a full photoshoot of my own son yet! I actually plan to do this this week.)

Please feel free to check out these two sites of the beautiful babies I have had the pleasure to capture.
www.simpleheartphotography.com/ella
www.simpleheartphotography.com/burke

Therefore, I am starting to build my newborn portfolio, and I want to offer a special. Anyone who would like to have a session, I am offering it at a discounted rate of $50 (a $90 Value) if you book a session with me before August 31. For these sessions I will do any age babies or children (including multiple children, all for one price).

I look forward to capturing the precious moments of your precious little miracles!

Little Man

2009-07-25T13:26:00.003-04:00

It's about time I post some new pictures of the little man. Can you believe it he is going to be 10 weeks old on Tuesday?!?! He had his 2 month check up this past week, which meant vaccinations! He didn't like it one bit, nor did mom and dad! But after some soothing from both of us, he calmed down.

He has been smiling soo much, but conveniently removes the smile when I get the camera out. But we have managed to catch a few.

I did a photoshoot of my friend's little girl the other day (pictures coming soon) and I snapped a few of Jacob as well.

He is holding his head up really well these days, and able to sit up with some assistance. He's growing more and more each day! So fun!

Fun in the Hospital

2009-07-25T13:17:00.003-04:00

We have been "living" in the hospital since Thursday. Brian had his colon resection surgery on Thursday morning and came out with flying colors! The doc was able to perform the surgery mostly laproscopically, but had to make an incision below his belly button in order to get his hand in there to reconnect the remaining colon to the proper "exit point." The good news is that he will heal as if it was a full laproscopic surgery.

His pain level has gone down since Thursday, so we are grateful for that. The doc says the biggest problem from now until he is discharged is that he might start getting really bored, because he now just has to sit around and wait until his system turns back on and things start moving back through it.

Jacob and I have been traveling back and forth to be with him as much as possible. Brian's parents were in for the first few days, and now his oldest sister is here with us, but really she is more about seeing Jacob than she is Brian and I...which is good, because this is the first time she has met the little man.

We should be here for a few more days before we can have him home. Until then we will enjoy the comforts of our private room and the good care of the nurses and doctors.

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!!

Rough Housin'

2009-07-07T20:56:00.003-04:00

Our good friends Liz and John Michael were in town visiting with their son Leo. They have been living in China for the past year and a half. It was a GREAT visit!!

We definitely learned how our house needs to be childproofed for a 2 year old! It was so fun to get to know their little boy Leo, who is a boy with a great exploring and joyful personality!

Brian also got some "rough house" training in, so once Jacob gets a little bigger he can play with our little boy!!

7 weeks

2009-07-07T20:40:00.004-04:00

It is hard to believe, but Jacob is 7 weeks old today! Where does time go?

We are settling in well to being a family with Jacob on the outside. He is a good eater, a good sleeper and just plain cute!

I started back to work last week and to say the least, work isn't as much fun as staying home with Jacob! I was happy to find out today that I will now be working from home half the week, so that will be wonderful! I start that new schedule tomorrow.

Jacob is already becoming a good traveler like his parents. He has not only been to Cleveland and Indianapolis to visit our families and meet all of his aunts and uncles and spend time with the grandparents, but we also traveled to DC a few weeks ago. He does really well in the car! (Unless of course he his hungry or OVER tired.) Brian and I are very grateful that he travels so well!

Here are a few pictures taken lately.

Bath Time

SMILE and Wave!

Vote on facebook

2009-06-30T22:03:00.006-04:00

Check out my facebook page, to vote on some pictures that I took at a workshop...i get to enter one in a contest and I am trying to decide which one. Click here to see the album.

Jacob used the toilet!!

2009-06-30T21:56:00.002-04:00

A good friend of mine started potty training her son at 3 months, and needless to say I was fascinated! I read the book, and realized it would take a lot of work and unless I am staying home with Jacob, this might not happen. But the idea of saving a TON of money on diaper and wipes really intrigues me!

Liz and her family were in town for the week and they babysat Jacob yesterday afternoon while I went to a photogrpahy workshop, and I came home to some good news....
JACOB USED THE TOILET! He went #1 and #2!!!

Liz went to change his diaper and saw that he was dry, so she thought..."Why, not, let's try!" And he went in the toilet!

I was so excited and proud of our little man! So, today after I fed, him, I thought I would try...and he pooped in the toilet!!! 6 weeks old today and he used the toilet!!

Chamy Wedding

2009-06-25T14:03:00.003-04:00

I know I probably need to write a blog about little Jacob Henry...and I will soon, I promise, but in the meantime I thought I would post a few images of the wedding I did in Washington, DC last weekend. It was Jacob's first big road trip, and my first wedding shoot since he was born. We all fared well! Including Daddy! We had a friend of ours who helped out for the day taking care of Jacob's needs as Brian and I worked! Here are just a few of the many shots taken of the day!

It was the Wedding of Chad and Amy...hence "Chamy" (as their friends have decided to call them). I like to call Amy..."Roomie Smalls!" It was a beautiful day and an even more beautiful wedding with a wonderful couple! Congrrats Chamy! I am so glad we were able to be there to share the day with you!

Labor of Love!

2009-06-02T22:39:00.006-04:00

Finally, I have sometime to put this story together. I actually started writing this a week ago, and kept forgetting to come back to finish it and actually post it. The little man is now 3 weeks old!

So..here goes...

So, despite my hopes of goober arriving early, at the latest, on time...Goober did not cooperate! As my due date of May 10th, came and went, each day came with "maybe today" and each day ended with "maybe tonight" and each morning started with "still not yet!" It was a long 9 days! So, as we got further along, our doctor advised us that he didn't want me to go past 41 and a half weeks to avoid concerns for the baby. He encouraged me that he was confident that I would progress well with being induced, because I was already 1.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced. I was worried about being induced, because I was afraid that if it didn't go well, then I would end up in a C-section.

Well, after some time to think and pray about it, I was finally at peace with the induction. I really do trust my doctor and know that he would not move forward if he wasn't confident that it would go smoothly. One thing I love about our doc, is that he is really middle of the road, and confident. He doesn't lean towards the extremes, which is comforting.

Anyway..we did have a non stress test and a bio-physical profile done on Monday, May 18th. At that ultrasound the Tuesday morning.

Bright and early, after a stop at McDonalds for my last meal, we were at the hospital, with our friend Allison, who was our Doula. (Basically servant to the parents during labor and delivery). After all the paperwork and basic set up...they started the pitocin at 6:30am. Ok...now just time to wait.

The doctor came in at 8am to break my water...there was no turning back at this point. I hadn't progressed much by this point.. I was still only 2 cm!

I labored from 6:30am to 2pm with out the epidural. I knew I would want it at some point, but wanted to go for as long as I could with out it. I was glad to have labored with out it. I was able to offer up the pain for family and friends, and know what it feels like to go through labor.

But, finally...it was time for the epidural. The nurse checked me one more time, and I still hadn't progressed at all!! WHAT?!?! All that pain, and I hadn't progressed at all?!?!?! Ok--we are in for the long haul, we are going to be here until midnight, at least!

I was worried about the pain of getting the epidural...but I am glad to report it wasn't all that bad after all. Once we got it timed between the contractions, I did fine! And can I just say...epidurals are my friend!! I was so much happier once I had the "hapi-dural" as my doc called it. From that point, I was awake, alert and talking fine through contractions. My legs felt like they each weighed about 100 pounds, but I didn't care, I felt no pain.

I was all ready to take a nap after my doc came in at 5pm to check me...well, he comes in, checks to see how far along I am, and he proceeds to tell everyone else (nurse, med student, etc) to get their gloves on, so they can check me as well. He had a funny look on his face. As the nurse checked me she got a huge smile on her face, and Dr. Ballas, told her not to say anything..he wanted the med student to check me and tell him what she discovered. He is a great teacher (at my expense), good thing we liked this med student. I was COMPLETE, 10 cm and ready to push! I couldn't believe it! (So much for that nap I was hoping for!)

I started pushing at about 5:15pm, and by 6:20pm we had Jacob Henry in our arms! Dr. Ballas ended up having to use the vacuum to get him out, because he was stuck on my pelvic bone.

As soon as Jacob was out, they gave him to Brian and I...we were in tears right away! It was the most amazing moment! I couldn't believe I was holding our child in my arms! We asked them not to announce if the baby was a boy or a girl, so that we could discover it on our own. After enjoying the moment for a bit, I finally checked to see if we had a Jacob or an Abigail...clearly it was a Jacob! We got to hold him for about 15-20 minutes! It was great!

Then after they took him to clean him up, weigh him, measure him, all that good stuff, they wrapped him up and handed him to Brian. Allison was there to capture that "Golden Minute!" These pictures still make me cry! As Brian picked him up, he said "Hello son! I'm your Dad!"

So, there you have it...our family has begun a new chapter and we are so blessed!

One year ago...two weeks ago...

2009-06-02T22:30:00.003-04:00

God is good! Even in the midst of something so painful He bring so much good. One year ago today, was when we lost our Therese Marie in a miscarriage. It's hard to believe that it has been a year since we went through that experience, that was one of the hardest things I have experienced in my life. But even through that we knew that God would do good things, and He did. It was amazing to see how many other women I connected with through having shared this common experience. My heart went out to parents who lost children in a new way, and I have gained a deeper understanding of what it means to lose someone, and also to see how God works good in ALL situations. That all being said, and again remembering that God makes good out of all things...two weeks ago today, we welcomed our beautiful son Jacob Henry into our arms!

Our friend Allison (who was also our Doula during labor and delivery) told us that when you see babies looking off past your should or in another direction, their innocence allows them to see angels. This morning as I was holding Jacob, he was gazing over my left shoulder, and he had a new look on his face, with eyes wide open. I wholeheartedly believe he was seeing his big sister, Therese Marie. As I held him later this evening, I looked at him and was overwhelmed with the amount of love I have for him! I am so in love with this bundle of joy, it is amazing how you can love something so small, so much!

On the outside!

2009-06-02T22:26:00.004-04:00

So..here is the final picture in the belly picture series!!

Goober (aka Jacob Henry) on the outside! YEAH!!

First things first!

2009-06-01T11:44:00.005-04:00

Ok--before I get to the whole labor story, it only seems fit, that I finish the belly pictures! So,here are weeks 40 and 41. I was then induced on Tuesday May 19th. Now that Jacob is almost two weeks old, it is hard to remember even being pregnant. The fact that I can bend over and put socks on my feet or pick something up off the floor is miracle! I do have one more fun picture to add to this series of belly pictures. Stay tuned!

**this was taken at 40 weeks, when I was hoping this would be the last belly shot! Goober had other plans!**

Jacob Henry

2009-05-30T22:26:00.005-04:00

Ok..I promise to post the whole story soon...but until then, here is the story in pictures.

Jacob Henry was born Tuesday, May 19, at 6:20pm 7lbs. 14 1/2 oz. 21 inches long!

We are blessed!

Check out pictures! www.simpleheartphotography.com/jacob

God alone suffices...

2009-05-17T14:56:00.003-04:00

An update on the latest with Goober..we are now one week past due date and I actually was really struggling with it and was really frustrated and wondered why God wasn't letting this baby just be born!! =) We had a doc appointment on Friday-- i was only a little more progressed than the previous week...and so we started talking about induction...which I would much rather wait for the baby to arrive naturally...that being said, i really do trust my doctor and his opinion. He is really down the middle when it comes to the decision of being induced, and not into the two extremes of "i'll induct early or i'll let you go forever" He doesn't want me to go go past 41 and half weeks. Another thing that does bring me peace if I do end up having to be induced is that if I don't progress at all, our Doc will not force us into C-section, as long as I and the baby are doing fine. A friend of mine went in yesterday to be induced with the same doc, and are now sending her home, b/c she wasn't progressing. So, that gives me peace knowing that if Goober really isn't ready to come out..Goober won't come out!

We are going in tomorrow for a non-stress test and a bio physical profile, which will check the amniotic fluid, the baby's organ's, movement, etc. Then we will make a decision about induction. My prayer is that I go into labor today or tonight, and then the baby will be born tomorrow (Monday) John Paul 2's birthday!!!! Wouldn't that be great!!! So, i am asking for his intercession all day today!!!! PLEASE JOIN ME!

So, after the appointment on friday i was really just bummed, and took the afternoon off to relax, pray and figure out why i was so frustrated..i had a great afternoon....reading this book called "God Alone Suffices" and God just revealed a lot to me about where I am at, and how selfish I was being in my impatience...and realizing some of my fears with all of this..I realized I wanted this pregnancy to be over, b/c i wanted everything to be ok, and know that the baby is fine and healthy and in my arms...being that this is around the same time that we lost Therese Marie, all my fears were creeping up....God just gave me a lot of peace...and reminded me not to grasp at this child, but to receive it as a gift. Prior to friday afternoon, every morning I would wake up frustrated that I didn't go into labor the night before...now I wake up at peace knowing it will happen when God wants it to.

All that being said...in today's gospel, it said "What ever you ask in My name will be given to you!" Therefore, in my faith and confidence in God, I ask that I go into labor naturally, before induction is necessary. I have faith that God will hear my prayer through the intercession of His Mother, and JP2!

Please keep the prayers coming!

Shower in Cleveland

2009-05-05T21:13:00.003-04:00

My mom and best friend Jacquie threw me a shower up in Cleveland back in March. It was great! Lots of fun and lots of creative things.

My sister made the invitations... I love them. (I can't get the pictures of the invites to upload. I will try another way to do it)

Here are some of the pics my dad took of the event!

Fun Photoshoot!

2009-05-05T21:02:00.005-04:00

When we were up in Cleveland a for the shower a few weeks ago, I had my dad do a fun little photo shoot for us! I have always wanted to do a full blown maternity shoot! It was fun. Thank you for humoring me Brian and doing it! =)

My belly seems small to me in these pics, it was over a month ago that they were taken. It would be fun to do it now!

Heartbeat and Hiccups

2009-05-05T20:45:00.003-04:00

When we had the ultrasound last week, and the baby had the hiccups when she was checking the heartbeat. It was funny. She had a hard time getting the heartbeat because of the hiccups.

Check out the video!

Not much belly change

2009-05-05T20:37:00.003-04:00

So, I am finally updating the posting of the belly pics. Maybe it is just me, but I don't see that much change in these pictures, but I am remaining faithful to taking them to the end! Someone suggested I start taking them in half-weeks until the end.

The waiting game...

2009-05-04T21:24:00.003-04:00

I went in for an ultrasound last week, and according to the ultrasound measurements, the baby is weighing 8lbs, 3 oz, and the femur bone is measuring to be that of a baby at 40-41 weeks. Also, according to how the baby is measuring on the ultrasound, they have estimated the due date to be Wednesday. Granted...this is all guestimated, and who knows how accurate it all is. So, we are still waiting. Although Brian and I are guessing the baby will arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday....OF THIS WEEK!!!! Is that crazy or what?!!? We could be holding this little one, in a matter of days!!!

Also, on the ultrasound...we saw hair on the head!! YEAH!!!! I really hope it has dark hair...I know it seems obvious that our child would have dark hair, but Brian was born with blond hair and my younger brother was born with blond hair, so it is in both of our genes. So, anything is possible...

So...we wait...I will keep you posted best I can...I have more belly pics to post, I just need to download them.

Until next time...

Aren't they pretty?!?!

2009-04-21T21:43:00.003-04:00

My husband let me indulge myself and get my toes done!! Being that I couldn't cut my own toe nails anymore, it was imperative to have something done!

Getting a pedicure really makes me happy! Thanks, love for letting me indulge!

Isn't he cute?!?!?!?

2009-04-21T21:33:00.003-04:00

As some people know....Brian loves to have the remote in his hand...He was really tired on Easter Sunday night..and well...he decided to cuddle up with the remote and catch some zzz's!!

Love you honey!!

a little closer to being ready...

2009-04-20T22:39:00.003-04:00

I got a few more things organized in the nursery, and my bag is packed for the most part!

This past weekend, we went and got a few more things for the nursery...crib mattress, changing table pad, etc. So, now we have a few more essentials.

Like, I said my bag is packed for the most part...I will just need to put a few last minute items in there, when the time comes.

I have 20 days left until my due date. I am measuring 1 week ahead..but ya know who knows if that will make a difference in when Goober will show his/her face!

36 weeks

2009-04-20T22:33:00.003-04:00

So, I am now 37 weeks..clearly I am little behind...again...but well better late than never!

So, here is my 36 week picture...I also thought it was time to take a picture in a Notre Dame shirt. Being that when I told Brian I was pregnant, I also told him that we were going to a Notre Dame game for his birthday. Being that it was 7am, I don't which shocked him more....that I was pregnant or that we were going to Notre Dame for a game!

My Penance...

2009-04-15T20:18:00.002-04:00

I met with my spiritual director last week, and it was my penance to put this verse on my desk. He asked if I did calligraphy...I said, "No, I do photoshop!" So, this is what I created!

I really love this verse, because it reminds us that the "fear of God" is not "fear" as we often define it, rather it is a canopy of blessings! God has taken me through many series of events over the last few months, and even if there are trials...there are blessings in the midst of them. This I need to remember!

As we await the arrival of our little miracle, I revel in the canopy of blessings!!!!

Thank you Lord, for the miracle within me and all the blessings that will continue to come with it!

This is just funny!!!

2009-04-12T12:07:00.001-04:00

25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL .
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
" Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7... My mother taught me IRONY
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING .
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18.... My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand..."

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE

"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.