Although I am not done shooting 2009 Seniors, I decided I needed a little excitement in my quite uneventful January and thought, hey, I’ll have a contest!  I am crazy about Senior Portraits and I absolutely LOVE shooting Senior photography.  I have met some of the coolest cats this past year and had some really good times traipsing all over Kansas City…from the Country Club Plaza, to the Rivermarket, to the fields of Southern Johnson County and everywhere in between…it was a blast!  I am seriously missing it right now with the cold Kansas days keeping me cooped up inside. 

Okay, so here’s the dealio:   Each Senior has a number up in the upper left hand side of their picture.  Leave me a comment voting for YOUR favorite and tell me why it’s your fav.  The contest will be over at Midnight on January 31st.   The Senior with the most votes is going to win 10×20 Wall Collage with their 3 favorite shots in it!    So, call your grandma, email your friends, yell at your neighbors as they’re pulling out of the driveway to head over to this blog and vote! 

So, I have been tinkering around today with a new logo for Thrive.  I’m just not sure….so, I thought I would see if I could get some feedback from my blog friends.    When I visualize the word “Thrive”, in my mind’s eye I see a tree or plant that is flourishing, growing, abounding, thriving.  When I started my business, I actually got this word from the Lord about both my home and my business.  God isn’t interested in us just “surviving”, but “THRIVING”.  Hence, came my studio name….Thrive Creative Studio.    I am planning on taking my packaging up a notch in 2009 and decided to revisit my logo and see if I could turn it up a notch too.  I would so appreciate your feedback.  I have listed below the two new designs and #3 is my current design.  What do ya’ think?

#1.

#2.

#3

I have three teenagers.  Three.  Sometimes getting affirmation that you are loved, appreciated and valued is hard to come by.  Anyone out there feeling me?   Now, I know deep down…deep, deep down…I am truly loved by my kids.   I remember the days when they would make beautiful finger paint artwork and rush to present this treasure to me…mommy, the love of their little lives.  I’d gush and cover them with kisses and hugs and proudly post their gift on the fridge.  Days of watercolors, finger paints and Mother’s Day gifts they made at school slowly came to an end.   In our house, we tell each other every day, probably several times a day, that we love each other.   But, sometimes, out of the blue, something very magical happens in the life of this old mom; one of my children will present me with something straight from their heart. 

I had to share a picture of this Christmas gift that Brandon gave me.  Wow!  How can I explain a 19 year old college freshman (son, no less) taking the time to write a poem about his mother and then having it engraved for me?    It was so personal and so touching.   I can’t tell you what it meant to me.   Of course I cried and of course, it sits proudly on my desk where I can remember that I must be doing something right! 

Here’s my favorite senior picture of Brandon.

“Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Count your blessings. See what God has done. Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God has done.”  The words of this spiritual were written in 1897, but rang in my ears this morning while I was composing these blog collages.    These gorgeous families, babies, couples and graduates were my awesome clients in 2008.  As I pulled each pictures into the collage, I remembered specific things about each shoot and I smiled and smiled at my computer screen.  What a fun year it was and how blessed I am.    Thank you to each and every Thrive client who allowed me to capture beautiful images that will last forever. 

Well, actually, favorite people!  2008 was a huge year in our home; unbelievable transitions and changes took place in almost every single one of our lives.  God, as He always is, was utterly faithful to us.  We walked through some tough spots, but also rejoiced on some high mountaintops.  I love my family.  I am very thankful for them.  I think they are beautiful…inside and out and today on this blog entry, I present them to you! 

I’m already gearing up for another stellar  year of Senior photography!  Doing senior shoots has become my absolute favorite.  I had such an incredible time this fall meeting so many sweet and gorgeous young ladies and a few outstanding young men.  Several of my clients came directly from the referrals of my 2009 Spokesmodels and I am so thankful for their representation.  They earned some great free stuff, which definitely helps out during that expense senior year!   

I am getting an earlier start for my Spokesmodels for the Class of 2010.  I am so excited to see the awesome young people that join up with me.  If you are a Junior right now, or know a Junior, are outgoing, love being photographed, willing to share my studio info on a personalized Rep card and  want to earn some great credits towards your Senior Pics, then comment on this blog or email me and I will send you the application right away.  I only have limited spots for Reps and will be taking applications until February 1st. 

I had the distinct privilege of being hired to shoot images for Kele & Co.’s  2009 jewelry catalogue.  This incredible company is in it’s 2nd year of business and has the awesome support of an entire family of gorgeous women.  What a pleasure to photograph several generations of Kele & Co.’s family wearing the beautiful, handmade jewelery that you can find through a Kele & Co.catalogue or representative.    I had such a blast with everyone and absolutely loved every piece of jewelry I saw.