capturing the sweet life.

Refocusing

'Tis the season...let the madness begin, right?!

The holidays have lately been a mixture of crazed travel, last minute spending sprees, gluttonous binge eating and sheer exhaustion.  And this year was poised to be no different.

But I've decided to  change that.  Starting with Thanksgiving this year, I'm committed to focusing on what really matters at the holidays - my family, my friends and my many, many blessings.

Because truly, that's what Thanksgiving and Christmas should be about - not bickering with Brian about how NOT to fix the garbage disposal, not running to 20 different stores to find the perfect gift for everyone on my list, not focusing so much on WORK that I don't even have energy to read the kids a story before they go to bed...

If at no other time of the year, the holidays shine a light on what it means to be a family.  What it means to have tremendous friends who are there for you in good times and bad.  And how fortunate we all are to have each other.  

Our time here is never guaranteed - so I'm going to try living like tomorrow isn't a given.  Loving my kids for who they are today, not for who I hope they'll be tomorrow.  And reminding myself that work/cleaning/email can wait - but my kids will only be 3 and 1 1/2 once and I don't want to waste that time in front of a screen.

I hope you, too, find what's truly important to you over the holidays and resolve to spend the next month and a half celebrating that.  Give some extra hugs, show some extra kindness, spread a little good karma around.  And let that keep you warm when the weather gets cold.

Wishing you a peaceful and thankful beginning to your holiday season!!

The Faces of KC

A few weeks ago (okay, over a month - man this balancing act is WAY tougher than I thought), I had the opportunity to photograph another friend's son.  Laura & Allan's son, KC, has been Natalie's friend almost since birth so it's really remarkable to see him turning into this handsome little man.

Photographing boys is really so much fun - it's as if they're daring you to keep up with them!

We had a great time, had gorgeous fall weather and I was lucky enough to discover my new favorite photo locale - downtown Rockford.

Here's some of the many fun faces we got out of KC that day - gotta love the dimples!!

  

   

 

  

More images from the shoot can be found in the "Recent Photo Shoots" album on the left side of the page.

Thanks, again, Laura & Allan for letting me borrow KC for an afternoon!

Latest obsession

Hello my name is Stacy and I'm a real estate junkie.

I want to move.  DESPERATELY.  And now that the government is extending the tax credit to current home onwers, too?  Well, that just has me especially intrigued.

I browse the local real estate website like it's my job.  There's so many lovely homes out there.

Here are my current favs...

The Cherry Valley

 

The "Green" home

The Riverfront

Which one's your favorite?

Now if we could just figure out a way to sell our house...

Daily Funny

Need a good laugh?  I've never been a huge fan of Dennis Quaid, but he just scored some major cool points with this effort.  So funny!

The Email of Brotherly Love

Upon seeing my post the other day, my brother felt compelled to send the following email:

I like the purple kids jacket on you blog page....looks like something Jimi Hendrix would have worn.....wait he did.

Touché, my brother.  Touché.

Now, if I could just find a pair of those pants in a 4T...

Autumn in Michigan

Autumn is my favorite season - to me, it's always signaled a sense of renewal.  I still equate it with the beginning of year, obvious leftovers from my school days.  And, of course, hockey and football seasons begin!

But more than that, living in Michigan, we get to bear witness to what I consider to be some of the most beautiful natural beauty anywhere on earth - deciduous leaves changing colors...

I think growing up and living in Michigan all my life, I've often taken this spectacle for granted.  But I know that if I were to ever move to a warmer climate, I would desperately miss this seasonal show.  I still catch myself marveling at the beauty of the trees that line the roads and highways I travel so often.  

The single most amazing gift photography has given to me is the ability to see the beauty in some of the everyday things I've taken for granted.  I often catch myself looking at the world as if I'm looking through my camera's viewfinder - I frame shots, notice color patterns, examine things more closely...at no other time of year do I notice it more than in the fall.  When even if you've never picked up a camera, the incredible beauty of nature is impossible to miss.

 

 

Natalie likes fall, too ;-)

Stylish Tots

I have to say, I'm in love with Gap's current winter line for kids!  How cute are these?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll take one of each!  SO DARN CUTE!

Flood Gates

Okay, so within the past few weeks, I've really started putting it out to the universe that I'm starting my own photography business.  I've actually said the words out loud, to others beside myself - shouted it from the rooftops, in all actuality!  

And man, let me tell you, when you start putting out those kind of vibes, that you're open and ready for what's next...?  Hang on to your hats, people!  'Cuz the universe has a funny way of delivering!

I've done 2 photo shoots in the past 2 weeks, have 3 more booked before Christmas, have been asked to photograph a friend's daughter's 1st birthday party (how fun will that be?!), and have a friend who may have opened the door for me to start doing some freelance work for her employer!  It's a bit of a whirlwind, but I'm really diggin' it!  The faith that people are showing in me and my photography is really humbling.

The flip side to that, of course, is that I've been playing the role of bad mommy a bit as I struggle to find the balance between "working mom" and "fun mom."  I need to allocate a specific time to do my work, instead of just trying to piecemeal it throughout the day.  But I'm so happy to be doing something creative and feel like I'm on my way down this really fun, exciting, challenging path.  Here's to balance!  Cheers!