The Wise 5

so lets try this again

and of course we will work in a bit about the Nutcracker!  we survived another year of the ballet.  and truly we had so very much fun! but the day to day work schedule i have had plus the rehearsals and the challenges of three growing kids just pushed blogging way into the background.  but we are going to try it again.  and we may even pull out the old sewing machine this week.  i know.  don't be too shocked!

hair guidelines for the 2010 nutcracker

 

 only serious ballerinas need apply.

   yeah just kidding on that one.  i had a house full of ballerinas getting their pictures taken for the new hair guidelines for nutcracker.  you know, so all of the buns and such look the same.  pizza was involved.  insane chocolate cake was involved.  parker playing limbo and nearly knocking himself out on the corner of my desk was involved.  yup.  serious times.  i think we had 3 hours of constant giggling.  the evening ended in this pose.  yup.  those are my girls. 

 
 
 

cheating a bit

every once in while when i am on a shoot i have to sneak away to take a few pictures for myself.  i found this fabulous chair in a tiny shop and wanted to take it home!  since it was huuuuuge and a thousand dollars i thought that taking a picture of it instead.  i love how the paint chips off of it.  i adore the colors.  swooooon.  i suppose i will have to settle for the picture!
 

grape escape

 i absolutely had a blast taking pictures for grape escape at the Topeka Performing Arts Center friday night.  the food was unexpectedly good.  i don't want that to sound bad.  but it does.  topeka is not a huge market with lots of chichi restaurants and uber fine dining.  but there it was.  friday night.  amazing wine (which i could not taste being as i was working) and food that was out of this world.  the caterers in this town have true talent.  so do some of the restaurants.  just need to take more time in being selective i suppose.  a great night to benefit the arts in topeka.  

 

work is fun

it sure is when you can talk an engaged couple of opera singers into taking their photos in kansas city at the nelson and union station!  selfish...maaaayyyybeee.  totally fun though.  i am so happy these days that i can work from home and take pictures full time.  is it a real job?  really?

that being said there are a few drawbacks. being a mom to the kiddos is still my first and best gig.  ballet practice and school and homework and teenagers...oh my!!  plus the board of directors of ballet midwest and my last few months on the church vestry.  ok...that should keep me busy, right?  but editing till the weeee hours of the morning and again in the sparkling first moments before the kids get out of bed are odd hours at best to get used to.  

i think i may just need more coffee.  oh yeah.  gave up coffee.  i think i may take it back!

 

so its not quite been 3 months

once upon a time i blogged 2..3..even 4 times a week.  that was long long ago in a land...in the other room.  i used to get so very upset with my parent when i was young every time they said "time just goes so fast".  yeah right.  i never thought i would get out of middle school.  this summer has officially flown by.  i want to grab a little bit of it and just put it in my pocket.

we were so very blessed this summer.  miss morgan spent a month in new brunswick with her very best friend walking on the beach and digging for clams.  miss abby spent a month in jackson, mississippi dancing her heart out and learning to show God's glory through her art.  mr parker got to be an only child.  he was equally as happy!  and as dad started a new job with better hours our lives found a strange and fun new rhythm.  i jetted (and by jetted i mean drove 14 hours each way) 3 times to mississippi and had some of the most gratifying work opportunities this summer.  busy...but amazing.

it wouldn't be summer without guacamole (top pic) and a good summer storm.  should be back to blogging now.  i hope.

 

 

squeezing in my own kids

have you ever heard the old saying, "the cobbler's kids who have no shoes"?  yeah.  that's my kids.  i do all of these neat mini sessions and shoots and can't seem to get my own children in the picture!  not this time.  abby and her friends plus morgan and her best bud tagged along on a photo shoot over the weekend.  i had 30 minutes before another session and snagged my sweet girls.  i seriously, have you seen prettier eyes than these girls have anywhere?  they had a blast.  i had a blast.  and now i have some decent pics of the girls.  now for parker...god help me.

 

palm sunday

so over the past few years we have had a palm sunday in a tent, in the pouring down rain, and through a gauntlet of protesters (fred phelps).  it was looking a bit sketchy this morning with wind a chill, but as we marched down to the first christian church from our own newly built space, the sun peeked out.  then it warmed us full on.  like the warmth of a new day.    

i'm not gonna lie.  this year has blessed us in so many ways.  i love this week.  holy week.  time to be centered.  time to reflect.  time to pray.  i wish for you all the peace that comes with connecting.  try to be grateful for every moment.

  

ps...just wanted to say that i shoveled 7 inches of snow and mowed my lawn this week.  i love kansas.
 

hello, my name is heidi

so after testing the waters of the blog world again, here i go.  i can't even begin to tell you how much my life has changed over the past year and a half.  since going back to photography full time my perspective and outlets have all changed.  as much as i have always loved to take pictures, i never viewed it as a job.  this job runs me more hours a week than i care to count.  after the bridal fair and a few other events in the recent past, i realized something.  i was truly viewing this as my job for the first time.  granted it is an amazing job.  but it is also my passion.  my outlet.  my art.  i need to remember that.  can you all help me?

any ideas?  i attended a seminar in wichita this weekend hosted by the kansas professional photographers of america.  it was amazing event.  the level of talent and truthful art was awe inspiring.  how did i not know all of these amazing artists before now?  regardless, it has given me a new sense of urgency to get back to why i am doing this in the first place.  

cool flickr groups?  fun projects?  bring em on!

 

exciting news

 we have had a whirlwind past few days around here.  my dear friend allyson,  owner of daddy cakes cupcakes here in topeka, has been chosen to be a part of "cupcake wars" on Food Network.  pretty cool huh?  she bakes the most insane cupcakes (and other stuff) i have ever had!  all natural ingredients.  no cake mixes here.  just a lot of butter and sugar and awesome.

how does this involve me you ask?  other than being over the moon about the whole thing, i was able to provide the pictures she needed to send to the food network and we taped the most fun video ever to send in.  wanna see it?  FYI...kinda PG13 with the language.  don't say i didn't warn you.  and be ready to laugh. a lot.  way to go allyson!  we are all so proud of you!