Justin Hackworth.

I am usually the one in the photo who is hiding behind someone or something. I've always hated photos of myself. My flaws seem to scream to me. My pores and lines and limpish hair. My husband often stands by me as I upload photos off our camera so he can "save" photos of me. I'm known for deleting all photos with me in them.

I've always wanted to love a picture of myself. I knew that if anyone could capture a picture of me that I liked, it would be Justin.

I was lucky enough to acquire one of Justin's portrait sessions. I was excited and nervous as I arrived at his beautiful office, not far from my home.

I've never quite had a photography experience like this before. I walked into Justin's office and he sat me down to "chat." He asked about where I grew up, what I did for a living, how many kids I had, why I blog. He laughed at my jokes. He put me completely at ease and made me feel like he cared about what I had to say. It made the photo session much more fun.

Justin's photo studio is unique. No props. No poses. No nonsense. Clean. I like that the pictures are about the people; not about the setting. The faces are the star. That's rad. 

A huge "thank you" to Justin Hackworth. I had a wonderful experience with the photo session yesterday. I'll be back. (With my family next time. I much prefer pictures with my kids in them. They are way cuter than I am.)

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Canon Lens for Sale

I'm using my blog as a marketplace for one of my favorite things today.

I'm sad to party with this beauty, but it must be done. It takes the sharpest pictures I've ever produced. 85mm is the ultimate in flattering lenses; your subject will look its best. You wont be disappointed.

I'm selling it for $340. Please email me if you are interested.

Thanks for all your inquiries! The lens has sold. (Thank you, thank you!!)

12 on the 12th.

I played along again. I love when I do. Even though our days are less then exciting, I'm sure I'll love looking at them and remembering what an average day in 2010 was like.

01. Baby is 6 months old. Boy has time flown with that sweet bambino. Weighing in at 17.15 lbs. That puts him smack-dab in the 50th percentile.
02. E at swimming lessons. This girl is a fish.
03. C at swimming lessons. Running away from them, actually. This boy is naughty.
04. My lilies are in bloom! Sunshine yellow. My favorite color. They make me smile everytime I walk out the door.
05. Potty training. Not fun. Not fun at all.
06. Snacking on raspberries from our very own bush. YUM.
07. Tomatoes are blooming even though I planted way too late. So. Excited!
08. My new favorite toy. (Spica Glitter Pens)
09. Designing wedding announcements for my brother and his beautiful fiancée.
10. My favorite time of the day! Hubs is home from work and comes in to chat.
11. Why, yes. I AM sewing something out of IKEA dish towels. They are cheap and cute!
12. Dinner.

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12 on the 12th...er...13th.

Inspired by Miranda who was inspired by this site. I've always thought this looked like a fun project, but it took me until May to actually whip out my camera on the 12th. I may just do it again next month.

A Day in My Life: (un-chronologically)
01. Lilies from Mom's Day opened today. Thats what I love about them. They take a few days to strut their stuff. It's always a welcome surprise.
02. Cute little toesies. These digits receive thousands of kisses a day.
03. Papa! My daddy arrived from Hawaii.
04. Meet my dog, Maggie. She's a character and enjoying the sunshine.
05. Rows of pretty buttons. Spent some time organizing the colorful buttons I inherited from my grandma in cute little IKEA spice jars.
06. Dad shot this picture of me and sleeping Baby D per Great-Grandma's request. I'm not sure why I keep posting my unmakeuped self on the internet. Maybe because pictures of me a few and far between. (I think about 6 were taken of me in 2009.)
07. Crazy son received a black eye from doing a daring stunt. He is very proud. I keep catching him smiling at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
08. Proofs! Went into the office to review the July issue of CARDS. It is a fabulous issue!
09. Bought some fabric at IKEA. Actually, they are dishtowels, but I am going to use them to sew something else. Maybe a bag?
10. Stopped into Michaels. Looking for something that wasn't there. Bummer.
11. My princess. She is really into dressing herself. Wish you could see the whole ensemble because it is a sight to behold!
12. Came home from work to find a fajita dinner prepared by my husband. What a sweet surprise. Delish too!

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...photography tip

DISCLAIMER: By sharing this "tip" with you, I am by no means making the claim that I am a fabulous photographer. :) Just a wanna-be.

This tip may not be revolutionary, but it works wonders for my little Sue. My daughter is the queen of fake smiles. (I think that comes from having a mom who pulls out the camera a little too often...) If you tell her to "smile" at the camera...this is usually what you will get:
Uh....not totally cute. Not natural. This is the "Mom! Seriously??? Another picture???" face. Maybe it is just my kids, but natural smiles aren't exactly easy to capture...

So, to get the smile that I love from my little cutie, here is what I do:

Step 1: Tell child to make her silliest or scariest face at the camera. Start shooting like crazy...child will love it.

Step 2: Keep shooting until child is just giggling and laughing...then shoot that natural smile that you love.
Step 3: Delete 100 unwanted silly/crazy pictures on your SD card. (Maybe keep a couple for use as blackmail when child is a teenager.)

Do you have some good tips on photographing kids? I would love to hear them!

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...escaping reality for a weekend

Life is hectic. The to-dos pile, the work stacks and the pressure thickens. On days like that, which seem to be more and more common these days, I dream of my parent's little cabin in the Uintahs. I love that little house. I have been going there since I was a wee one. It is an escape. When I am there, I forget about the crazy life and schedule awaiting me in the city. It is just me and nature. The clean air is refreshing; the company inviting; the views invigorating. A visit there leaves me rejouvinated; ready to face the bulging to-do list that awaits me.

My parents are in town this week and rounded up their rowdy crew for a family reunion at my favorite little retreat. J and I were both in need of a lazy getaway, so we were so excited as we headed out on our 1.5-hour road trip to the cute little house. The views were spectacular! I couldn't keep myself from snapping shots of the beautiful colors and views as we approached our destination. It was a little chilly and the leaves were just beginning to change; I could feel fall approaching.

We spent the weekend building tree houses, fishing behing the little house, playing on the tree swing, exploring meadows, reading, laughing, playing games and eating really good food. It was beautiful...every part of the trip.

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...why I love my husband

Check out what my sweet husband bought me! A new lens to help beautify my blog. (This really isn't the reason I love my husband, but it certainly didn't diminish my feelings...) I would never admit to being a great photographer...but maybe I will get a little better with this pretty piece of equipment ...

Expect a lot of photography in posts to come...cause I want to test it out! (Now...if any of you have photography tips or sites you love...let me know!)

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...pretending to be a photographer

Occasionally, people ask me to pretend to be a photographer and shoot family photos/portraits. This is my little sister and brother in law. She is 7 months pregnant and wanted the picture to hide her cute bulging belly. I think we were successful, no?

Aren't they pretty?

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...photography contest

So...I entered a photo contest for fun. I didn't think I would even be considered...seeing that it is an untouched, photoshop-free picture that I snapped of my daughter one day. I was one of 400 submissions and was chosen as one of the top 20! I am kind of excited...even if my photo isn't even close to being the best one...ha.

I need your votes! And I will be so grateful if you would tell your friends to vote, too!

Go HERE and vote for #17. Hannah.

http://www.5minutesformom.com/4053/finalists-summer-2008-photo-contest/

Thanks so much!!

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...photography!

One thing I have always wanted to be able to do was take good pictures. I am a little embarrassed to show you these, but here are some pictures I took at a shoot after taking a 3 week photography course from Nicole Hill. I still have a lot to learn, but at least I know how to use my new camera now...

Oh...and just a random piece of information about one of these people... The guy in the pictures is going to be playing Link in the Broadway touring cast of Hairspray. He was trying to get a headshot for the playbill...

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