Today it’s My Birthday…

I will admit, Birthdays have never been a big thing for me. I am sure when I was really young they were more important, but as I grew I just really didn’t put much thought into them.
It is not that I do not like getting old, in fact I LOVE getting old. I loved my thirties, more than my twenties and my twenties more than my teens. I believe that as we age we become more like the person that we really want to be. We worry less about what people think about us, and we think more about others. I do not mind the wrinkles and grey hair either. I consider it all part of life’s crowning glory. Sure, I would love to have the energy that youth brings, but wisdom is more precious to me by far.
Even though I usually ignore my birthday, I just had to share my special day. Today was very different from all of the rest. As always, I received a wonderful breakfast in bed, and several very nice gifts. My car was also decorated inside and out with silly string and about 39 helium balloons. That was all great but it was a special gift that my family prepared that was so touching, I just had to share it with everyone.
During my breakfast, they presented me with a special video that they had created for my birthday. Before this video was over, I was in a pool of tears. I cannot begin to describe the love I have for them all. I am so grateful for their love and patience with my crazy life. They are really the reason I live.

Part 1
Now, for those of you who have about 17 extra minutes, I thought I would share the video.



Part 2


It is a bit long, but many of you know my children. I hope you will find this as funny and touching as I did. Thank you for indulging a proud mom!
I know Thanksgiving is tomorrow…but today I am most grateful for all I have.

(Oh and Thank you to Erin and Brandon for making the video magic- you guys rock!)

2008 Santa Charity Event - A Success!

Santa Charity is one of our most favorite yearly events, and this year was a blast! We always marvel at the magic that happens when kids get to spend time with Santa.

There were 107 families that joined us to have memorable holiday portraits taken.

Now, when you read through this post, please do it with the tune of "Let it Snow" running through your mind . . .


Oh the weather outside wasn’t frightful, 

And the studios look delightful,

And yes it was the place to go,

For a photo! For a photo! For a photo!

Santa didn’t show signs of tiring,
And the sets were great for posing,
The lights were arranged just so,
For a photo! For a photo! For a photo!

Oh, indeed it was the perfect sight,

How they loved the jolly old elf!

And the images of that special night,
All will be sent on their cards!


The charity was great again, friends,
And, my clients, were busy buying,
But we hope they still schedule soon,

For a photo! For a photo! For a photo!


We hope you enjoyed our lighthearted look at Santa Charity 2008. Here's some more great portraits for you to enjoy . . .


On of the best things about our Santa Charity is that we raise thousands of dollars to help support The Children's Hospital in hopes that more parent's and children's dreams of good health come true.


We wish you a wonderful holiday season filled with love, joy, hope, peace, and sweet memories.


PS: Now if the tune to "Let it Snow" is not letting you go, below are the actual words. After all, we don't want to mess with your head during the season of light and love.

Oh the weather outside is frightful, 

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we've no place to go,

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!



It doesn't show signs of Pausing,

And I've bought some corn for popping,

The lights are turned way down low,

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!



When we finally kiss good night,
How I'll hate going out in the storm!

But if you'll really hold me tight,

All the way home I'll be warm.



The fire is slowly dying,

And, my dear, we're still goodbye-ing,

But as long as you love me so,

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Santa Charity Event

This Friday, Saturday, and Monday we’re hosting our annual Santa Charity Event.

It’s a crazy, busy, hectic time that’s also loads of fun, full of great moments, and blesses us with a warm sense of gratification. Not only are we providing our clients with great Santa portraits, but we’re able to raise thousands of dollars for The Children’s Hospital in Denver.

This time of year when everyone’s beginning to think of the perfect gift, we can rest in the assurance that we’ve found it—capturing enduring, family images and providing funds to help make sick children well.

Isn’t that what the spirit of the holidays is all about?

The Crazy Cab Ride

I had the pleasure of a quick trip to NYC to meet with several of my tour sponsors. While I was there, I was able to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, have a quick dinner with old friends, and I even squeezed in a few plays in the evenings. 

It sounds like I was playing, but other than the evenings, both days were full of scheduled meetings, so a lot of work got done as well.  I was really excited to get back home today. It was only 2.5 days, but I really missed my kids.

I have to mention the harrowing cab ride to the airport. For some reason, I accidently scheduled the return flight out of Newark. If that was not bad enough, the cab ride was the single most frightening car ride I have ever been on. The driver was dodging through traffic, and at times he went well over 90 miles per hour. Whiplash and fear were my two companions the whole way. I found myself thinking about life, my children, how much I would miss them, what the crash was going to feel like, etc. It was awful.

What I found most interesting is that when I got to the airport,  I felt so relived I almost cried. I thought about those emotions and wondered why at anytime I did not just ask him to slow down. For 30 or so minutes, I had allowed myself to be put in a potentially dangerous situation, but it never occurred to me to speak up for myself. In stead, I prayed, worried, and made myself sick. I have not figured out exactly what this means, or how I am going to apply it into my life, but I know that there is a lesson in there somewhere.

I am also convinced that most cab drivers were professional racecar drivers before they came to America!

Ennice the Menace

While in NYC, I made it a point after each busy day to see a play at night. The first night I saw August in Osage. This was an incredibly powerful play that just took my breath away. It was 3.5 hours long and included two intermissions. I was blown away at how fast it went and how much I was sucked into this poor family’s struggle. Although this family was plagued with drug, alcohol addiction, suicide, and many other twisted and perplexing problems, I felt a kinship to many of the characters. I saw many resemblances to every family’s struggles in the way we love, hurt, and help each other.

The second night I went to see Gypsy. I figured a musical would be light and fun and a good way to end the NYC trip. First, I must say, I don’t get it. The musical was more annoying than enjoyable, and although in the end both plays ended in sadness, this one seemed to have no point, and by intermission it felt like a complete waste of time.

That is the very moment that I met Ennice. Ennice was seated to my left. She made a comment on how she felt like she was at a bad high school play. I smiled, glad to know that I was not the only one who didn’t like it. Soon we were chatting, and she started to share a bit about her life.

Ennice is 87 years old. She travels all over the world. In fact she just got back from a badminton tournament in Australia (That she competed in!). She shared with us that her husband died in 1995. She had me in tears, and she described their wonderful life and how the night he died, he had asked her to check the passports, ensuring that they had two years of travel before they needed to renew. They sat together and planned a wonderful world excursion before they went to sleep.

At some point that night, her dear husband left her. She said that as sad as it was, it was the most beautiful ending that she could have wished for. He died dreaming of traveling with his one true love.

Ennice did not let that stop her. She has traveled to every country in the world except China. She wants to walk the great wall before she dies because it was on she and her husband’s list.

At 87, this woman had no aches, pains and takes no medication. She told me that she attributes her good health to eating well and keeping her mind and body healthy. She reads, translates books, and exercises. She said that people call her Ennice the Menace because of her tenacity.

The most poignant moment was when she shared her feelings on mankind. It was like looking in a mirror as she described her true love of others and how no matter where in the world she goes, she meets amazing people that inspire her to be a better person.

My friend Dave even said, “Wow, you two are kindred spirits.” I will be honest, I would have adopted her in two minutes. I was so sad when the intermission was over and the play started again. I wanted more time to absorb more from this wonderful soul.

At the end of the play, she wished us all well, and as we started to leave, she looked at me and winked. I could not help but think that someday, maybe not in this life, we would get the time to share more life adventures.

Ennice, thank you for sharing you heart. Enjoy the Great Wall. I have been there, and it really will be worth it!

ROWDY RAMPAGING ROADIE REUNION

This weekend was particularly fun. About 21 of our wonderful tour Roadie helpers flew in from all over the country to enjoy a weekend of education and fun. It was wonderful to see some of the many faces that helped us while we were on the road.

This class was dedicated to working with children, tips and tricks, better posing, workflow, and artwork. Almost ever attendee has been in the business less than three years. They are so full of energy and excitement, it really was contagious.

Yesterday, we did a complete studio walk-through while we explained in detail why each system we used was created. I was surprised how well received our organizational systems were. Everyone loved the way we handle and file our client information.

After the walk-through, we had two live sessions. Our first session with Kaitlin and Jacob was awesome. They had me using every technique in the book to get the job done. It was an excellent session that showed exactly how photography is 20% photography and 80% psychology.  Our second session with Miles, Kianna, and Avery was wonderful as well. Here we were trying to show how to pose older siblings with a baby. The models were wonderful, and many of the newborn techniques came into play as well.

Last night’s activities included a great dinner at Three Margaritas, and then it was off to bowling in our pajamas. We had a ball the whole night. It did get a little crazy when someone taught us how make an inappropriate noise using a straw and your armpit. It was hilarious watching 25 people running around blowing air through their pits.

Today was spent concentrating on sales, workflow, and imaging. We are also taking a field trip to look at a park and discuss where and why we choose locations.  Everyone LOVED the Ron Nicols Pallet, and I think each of them will create a better and faster system for workflow. I also embarrassed myself by showing years of bad images, and we discussed how they could be improved.

The best part of the whole trip was in the very first hours. As we were introducing ourselves, each person had to tell a little bit about themselves and why they were here. One wonderful attendee started to share how much attending the Bellies and Babies tour meant to her. She had become so motivated that she had lost 30 pounds, built a studio in her home, and raised her sales average by $200. She then proceeded to tell us that the reason she was able to do it was the quote I had used in the show that said, “What you do today is important because you are exchanging day of your life for it.” 

There was not a dry eye in the room until she said what really motivated her was something else I said during the tour. I had stated that if I lived to be 70 years old, I had 1,500 days left. Well, what I said was that if I lived to be 70, I had about 15,000 days left. She misunderstood and was totally motivated by the thought of only living 1500 more days. We all died laughing when she realized her mistake. She had worked SO hard because she thought she had so little time. She had never thought to do the math!!

This was probably my all-time favorite in-studio workshop because everyone was SO passionate about his or her craft. We have already decided that a second reunion will be necessary.

Chiaroscuro ~ A Store is Born!

Happy November!

Summer’s over, only the most stubborn leaves are clinging to the trees outside, and the days have gotten shorter.

If you're in the portrait photography business, you're full swing into 2008-holiday-insanity mode. Right now we’re busy preparing for our Santa Charity event, taking indoor family portraits, helping our clients select their holiday cards, and planning our move to our new location.

It’s such a busy time of year, and in many ways that’s too bad. The holidays are rush, rush, rush. We would like to invite you to take a moment to relax and reflect. 

Life, in all its magnificence, is swirling and pulsing onward. Are you caught up in the whirlwind or are you enjoying the little moments, small accomplishments, brief conversations, stolen kisses, and joyful grins that come your way?

Take a moment to b-r-e-a-t-h-e, and thank God for the year you’ve enjoyed. Today our nation voted, and regardless of who your candidate was, it’s incredible that such a strong country can peacefully pass on its leadership for another four years. Be grateful for that.

Soon it will be Thanksgiving, the eating holiday, but this year remember it’s the holiday that all you need to bring is your presence, your gratitude, and your love for friends and family. You don't have to trek through stores and shopping malls searching out the latest and greatest gadget to impress anyone, like we do for Christmas. This Thanksgiving give a piece of your heart to those you hold dear. Be deliberate, and thank someone for being a part of your life with a thoughtful reason for your gratitude.

And once you catch on to that line of thought, please carry it through to the end of the year. 

Don’t let this be the beginning of a hectic holiday season. Let this be the beginning of your best holiday season.