Since it is getting closer to the holidays, it means that it’s time for holiday portraits!! Gotta have something for the Christmas card, right? This is the first of a two part series. I’m waiting until I can see how the fall colors are going to look before I announce the 2nd date for the nature setting. It’s been so dry lately. I’m really curious how are fall is going to be this year!

Take One:

I’m doing a bit of a hybrid approach this year by doing both digitals and including tangible cards. I want you guys to have a great looking card this year but still have the opportunity to be able to print some off on your own if you decide that you need more. And since you’ll have a printing release for the digital images that are included in your collection, you can have amazing stocking stuffers for the family, too!

There are a limited amount of openings available, so contact me as soon as possible!

You started Kindergarten last week.

Be still my aching heart.

Yay! I worked really hard yesterday in order to get a sneak peek up for them to see first thing when they arrive at their house. Which should be any moment now.

I can’t wait for the wedding!

You see, some of my closest, dearest, best friends were met online. We came together in a photography forum many years ago and have grown together. Shared together. Discussed ideas, critiqued work, told stories, grown into a family. These girls are so special to me, they know more about me than some of my ‘real life’ friends, and the closest one is five hours away. Last year we decided that we were going to get together for a weekend of shooting, talking, bonding, and discussing business. Two condos were rented a gorgeous beach in North Carolina. A handful of us had meet before last weekend, but the majority had not. You know those friendships that can pick up right where you left off no matter the time span? That’s how it was for us. It was like we had always been able to talk face to face instead of through forums, texts, emails, IMs, and facebook. And now it doesn’t seem fair that we have to wait until next year to see each other in person again. It’ll be well worth the wait.

Our host, the fabulous Dana Jackson, managed to schedule four different time slots of sessions with multiple subjects while we were there. We did maternity, a hot couple, newborns, families, siblings, and seniors. It was simply amazing. There was little sleep, lots of learning, and so much talk.

Here are a few of the images from the ‘hot couple’ session. Amanda and I lead the majority of this session since we do more couples than some of the other girls. The couple’s goal was to have ‘something hot for the bedroom’ and I think we got it!!

They are such a gorgeous couple.

Now, since they said they wanted something hot, and we were on the beach, what else could we do but get them on the waterline?

Um, meow. These next two are totally hot.

It’s been really interesting to look through my friends’ versions of all the sessions that we did. I love being able to see the same scene through their eyes. I wish it could happen every day!

Part 2? Seniors!

My friend Bonnie  married the love of her life last year.  If that wasn’t enough, she also became the step-mom to two beautiful girls.  She adores them soo much.  I decided that instead of just doing photos of the girls, wouldn’t it be really fun to take photos of all of them together?  I’m so glad everything fell into place when it did because not only did I have a lot of fun, but just look how gorgeous they all are!  I could have taken a million more frames.  Annnnd I sorta had a hard time narrowing things down.

Enjoy!!

Hear that? That is a big ol’ happy sigh coming from me. I’m so happy with these.

On another note, I shall be hopping on a plane eaaaarrrlllyyy Friday morning (like five in the morning early. I think I’m crazy) to go to a workshop in North Carolina. The beach, amazing photographers and good times are coming my way. I can’t wait!!! Please note that any emails or phone calls will not be answered until Monday morning. Thanks!!

A grand feast was prepared.  Fish heads, cupcakes, a sewing tomato, potato chips, and what we are fairly sure is a head of lettuce sat prettily upon the table.  The table, as was the fort, was made from milk crates and blankets.  Blankets made by the hands of grandmothers, which make them extra special!  (The mother actually has no idea why her family possesses so many milk crates, but she is happy when they come in handy!)

Dollies, ponies, and bears were invited to the tea party.  A grand time by all.  Well, mostly all.  The Princess P, who was a bit of a grump, remember, decided that this tea party was for the birds.  She found a better use for her fork other than pretend eating plastic grapes.  As the mother happily snapped photos while having tea with Pirate Pony, The Princess P decided she would rather dig a hole in the yard.  And the Pirate Pony decided to join her.  And then the Itty Baby slipped to the bottom of her bassinet and tried to eat grass.  This is when the mother decided it was time to go back inside for a real snack.

It was such a hot, muggy day, but they were willing to go wherever I wanted and smiled every step of the way.  I love that. 

But this isn’t about future sex talks.  This is about my baby boy.

My gorgeous, smart, hilarious baby boy.  The one that isn’t quite a baby anymore.  The one that is actually oh so close to being a teenager and a young man.

He likes Legos.  And video games.  And his dogs, Tuff and Jax.  (A Rottweiler and a Chiweinie, respectively.  You should see them play together.  Hilarious.)  He takes being the big brother to three little sister in stride and does so well with them.  And they adore him.  A.D.O.R.E him.  I can’t help but smile when I walk into the room to see them playing with the girls’ dollhouse, only using Lego Starwars figures and dinosaurs instead of dollies.

He let me take some photos of him during his most recent weekend.  I love them.  I can’t wait to hang them up in the house, but they also make me sad.  He is growing so fast.   Soon the the little boy who plays with Legos, calls me an old woman while playing Just Dance with me on the Wii, and who is interested in the guitar will be replaced by a teenage boy wanting car keys and dates.  I can see it in these photos.

This was one of the first we took, next to the truck.  You can tell he wasn’t toooo into it yet. 

The truck is John’s hobby/baby.  Blaze hopes it will be his when he gets older.

And while he was letting me take photos, I managed to get this one of almost all my babies. This one will be big in the house.

Here are a few of my favorites from that day.

First up, my niece and nephews.

These are two of the only times that she would slide on her stomach.  Normally she likes to slide on her knees like some sort of dancer in a musical.  It’s pretty funny.

Bwahahah!! This one cracks me up! I happened to snap the shutter right when Autumn got him with the water hose. I guess it was cold.

He’s good, though. See?

He’s hardcore.

And now some of my girls.

Poor Paeton. She fell on her bum during one of her first turns and didn’t want much to do with the slide after that.

She is so silly.

I didn’t get any of the baby. Bad mommy. She is officially eight months in half an hour, so I need to just take some 8 month photos tomorrow for a future post.

Why am I blogging? Because one of my new goals for my business is to really start pouring ME into this blog. To show more of Cherron and what makes me tick. I’ve wanted to do this for some time now and things seem to get in the way, but it is never going to happen if I don’t DO it. So here I am. Doing.

I would like to do some sort of weekly theme as well, but I’m not really sure what I would like to do. Maybe two? One more for the business and one more for personal fun? I’m at a loss. Suggestions are always welcome!

Since photos always make things better, here are two from a couple of weeks ago. Dance is over for the summer, but here is a snapshot of Tatum in part of her recital costume. She didn’t have the bows in her hair, so please imagine adorable red bows in the pigtails. Cute!

And here is one of Paeton as a faerie. This one will soon be printed out to hang over her bed. She loves it. Maybe one day I’ll show the one where I turned Tatum into a kite.

Now that a little wee baby is asleep (I’ve been typing this as she was nursing. The joys of a multitasking mama, eh?) I can put her down in the crib and tackle some of this housework. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.