Going through the Big D

We started our day in Dallas at Wal-Mart. We were able to pick up all the essentials we had left at home and have a little fun. Sam & Kendall were also able to use the parking lot to fit in their workout. We did lose Christine for a little while because she doesn't do Wal-Mart, so she took the opportunity to go for a walk. She eventually turned up again and we headed off to the Steak 'n Shake for lunch. Sam had the ultimate dilemma though, when we discovered a Popeye's Chicken right next door.

The Dallas show was our biggest yet. We had a great turn out and the crowd was really enthusiastic. We also taped this show so we can offer it to our attendees later as a reference to the seminar.  

Once again, we had great models. Our two brothers, Hayden & Evan were quite the hams and put Sam through her paces. 

Twelve year old Karen was absolutely gorgeous and was able to demonstrate all the traditional poses Sam was teaching.

We wouldn't be the pirates we are without a little madness. After the show we were loading the trailer and Sam came out of the bus in her super hero cape and climbed up on top of the trailer for a little surfing. She wanted to scale the bus as well, but we were able to talk her out of it and get on our way.

Quote of the Day: "I can only fly when the bees are out."

OKC or Bust!

When we arrived in Oklahoma City and were attempting to unload, we encountered a bit of mutiny. One of the security guards didn't want our ship to park in his dock, but our captain had words with him and we were able to get our stuff where we needed it to go.

Our event was in the middle of downtown OKC and several of our crew took off to explore before the show. Natalie & Kristin encountered the Lakers, or rather their security detail, when they crossed to the wrong side of the red velvet rope during their walk. They were also able to walk through the Oklahoma City National Memorial which was created to honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The memorial was absolutely stunning. There is a chair sculpture for each person who was killed in the bombing. It was extremely touching and the girls left a puddle of tears behind them.

Matteo and Ashlynn were our awesome models tonight. The show went well and we really started getting into our groove. The venue was beautiful and we loved all the space we had for the trade show.

Back on the bus, we headed out and Erin made everyone s'mores in the microwave with the supplies previously pillaged from the local market. We kicked back with our snacks and watched Moulin Rouge, which some of the male pirates did not fully appreciate. Not everyone appreciates fine cinema, apparently.

Quote of the Day: "Since when are Lucky Charms and Count Chocula healthy breakfast choices?"

Tulsa

Our second show was in Tulsa. We woke up in the parking lot of our hotel and hopped off the bus to load in. The show went really well and the hotel staff took good care of us.

Our models were adorable. Chance and Isaac entertained us with their antics and Alexis was a posing princess.

After the show we headed to Denny's for some grub and our crew got a little wild. Between whipped cream facials and ice cube table hockey, it was a good thing we were in a corner by ourselves.

We also picked up a stowaway. Nate from GNP joined us on our short trip to Oklahoma City, but after hanging out with this crew, he opted to walk the plank when we arrived.

Quote of the day: "How many more days?"

We're Off!

After the kick off show in Denver, it was time to point the pirate bus toward Tulsa, OK. We made it all the way across the street before stopping for lunch. Walter was discovered in one of the bunks so we fed him too. After some wings (and salads for the non-meat eating pirates) we dropped off our stowaway and headed out.

We passed the day exploring our new quarters and getting some work done. It quickly became apparent that this is a pirate bus full of computer geeks.



Dinner found us at the Golden Corral in Hays, KS where there was plenty of brussels sprout goodness and banana pudding too! (Sadly, there are no photos of this fun event because it turns out you have to put the memory card in the camera for the images to record.)

Quote of the day: "No, I never rode a sheep, but I wanted to!"

Tots 2 Teens Seminar Tour

Last Friday Sam’s current seminar tour, Tots 2 Teens officially kicked off! The seminar covers all aspects of creating, executing, and marketing a successful portrait program for children preschool age through high school.

For the first time ever, she started her tour here in Colorado. The venue was the beautiful Belmar Event Center in Lakewood. Also included in the evening was a mini-trade show with photography industry vendors.

To celebrate the commencement of Tots 2 Teens, Sandy invited her staff, clients, and even offered a discount to local students.

The show was amazing! I had a blast finally seeing my fearless leader on stage, teaching, entertaining, photography, joking, laughing, and generally having a great time.

If you’re interested in catching one of the Tots 2 Teens shows, there very well may be one in your area within the next few months. For more info, go to Tots 2 Teens.

Here’s Sam’s schedule (isn’t she a BUSY girl?):

Denver, CO February 20, 2009
Tulsa, OK February 22, 2009
Oklahoma City, OK February 23, 2009
Dallas, TX February 24, 2009
San Antonio, TX February 26, 2009
Houston, TX February 27, 2009
Baton Rouge, LA February 28, 2009
Tampa, FL March 2, 2009
Miami, FL March 3, 2009
Orlando, FL March 4, 2009
Jacksonville, FL March 5, 2009
Columbia, SC March 7, 2009
Raleigh, NC March 8, 2009
Charlotte, NC March 9, 2009
Atlanta, GA March 10, 2009
Nashville, TN March 11, 2009
Memphis, TN March 12, 2009
Phoenix, AZ March 15, 2009
San Diego, CA March 16, 2009
Irvine, CA March 17, 2009
Los Angeles, CA March 18, 2009
San Jose, CA March 19, 2009
San Francisco, CA March 20, 2009
Sacramento, CA March 21, 2009
Portland, OR March 28, 2009
Seattle, WA March 29, 2009
Salt Lake City, UT April 1, 2009
Kansas City, MO April 4, 2009
St. Louis, MO April 5, 2009
Louisville, KY April 6, 2009
Indianapolis, IN April 7, 2009
Pittsburgh, PA April 10, 2009
Washington, DC April 11, 2009
Richmond, VA April 13, 2009
Philadelphia, PA April 15, 2009
Boston, MA April 16, 2009
Hartford, CT April 17, 2009
Long Island, NY April 18, 2009
Newark, NJ April 21, 2009
Cleveland, OH April 23, 2009
Detroit, MI April 24, 2009
Grand Rapids, MI April 25, 2009
Chicago, IL April 26, 2009
Madison, WI April 27, 2009
Minneapolis, MN April 29, 2009
Des Moines, IA April 30, 2009
Lincoln, NE May 1, 2009

We've Moved!

Yes! We've finally completed the move to our new location at 7201 South Broadway in Littleton. Our phone number has remained the same, 303-730-8638.

Stop by soon to see how wonderful our new location is. We look forward to helping you create many beautiful memories at our new studio.


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NILMDTS Reaches Out to Teen

Most people know Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep as an organization that exists solely to assist families losing babies to early death. But NILMDTS has made exceptions in the past to assist families with older children facing death, and now they and Sandy have extended their help to an Arizona teen, Jennifer Marlow.

Jennifer is battling a rare form of cancer and is only expected to live a few more months. Her dream is to document her family in portraiture before she dies. NILMDTS and Sandy have partnered to help Jennifer meet her goal.

Check out this Denver Post article that tells this moving story.

NILMDTS in Newsweek

The journey of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep from its inception in 2005 until now has been amazing. In just four short years the organization has grown from one photographer in Colorado to an international force of over 7,000 volunteer photographers.

This past week, NILMDTS was featured in Newsweek Magazine. Please take a look at this well-done article, and consider passing it along. After all, the more people who know about NILMDTS, the more families will be comforted with beautiful portraits of their dear babies.