The Real Deal

Yes it is true I am officially married!!! Emily and I had an absolutely beautiful wedding in Grand Cayman at the Grand Old House. We did not just have a normal wedding, we took a full blown vacation with a hand full of our friends and family. We took a 7 night Royal Caribbean Cruise on the Marnier of the Seas. There were 39 total on the trip including 4 photographers not counting myself or Emily. Between Michael and Tina Timmons, as well as Angela Talentino we have tons of awesome images from our wedding. The fourth photographer John Marion did not take very many images at all however had a very important role in our wedding. He actual became an ordained minister so he could perform our ceremony. After all he was the one responsible for Emily and I being together!!! It was a very special week for both of us. I am also excited about having new step children Alex 11 and Gabriella 6.

We have Images!

This is just a teaser, but I wanted to make sure I'm keeping you informed :)
We just got some images from Andrew and Emily's wedding and I can't wait for you to see them!
Andrew still needs to figure out what to write about the wedding, so that might take some time. Here's one image that is fabulous!

More to come! Thank you to Angela Talentino from Essenza Studio in Cincinnati

Kid's Contest Voting

Well tomorrow is the day that voting begins for the Kid's Contest! Last year was the first year that we did the contest voting online and it was great! We got over 2000 emails, voting for their favorite kid! That's a lot of emails! I opened and counted everyone. Every morning and evening I tallied votes, and everyday someone new was in the lead. It was neck and neck until the very last hour!
I'm excited to see what happens this year. I know some of the entries are VERY determined to win. I'm sure they already have their mass email sent out to all their friends and co-workers. It's going to be an exciting week!

Although we didn't meet our goal amount for The Children's Miracle Network, we did raise $500. I want to thank everyone who did enter! I had a great time working with everyone! So many cute kids. I will have to vote for someone new every time. I just can't pick :)

I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weekend! I know I did!

May the voting madness begin!

Photographer of the Year!

Andrew doesn't like to talk about all his award winnings, so I will. This year I got to hand out the awards at the banquet. It was fun because Andrew got SO many of them. This is the big one though. Take a look at the video!



Sorry about all the movement. My video skills still need some work:)

I know you're waiting!

We are waiting to tell you about the wedding until we have images! There were 3 photographers at Andrew and Emily's wedding and they only took 3000 images!
So I am waiting to get a few for the blog!

Let's just say that Andrew had an amazing week! As if getting married wasn't enough,
he also got Photographer of the YEAR at PPM! That's the biggest honor you can get!
I will have video and tons of images soon! Hang in there!

An Amazing Family

I am truly blessed! Everyday I am surrounded by amazing people and great families. The great thing about being a photographer is that people come to see you because of LOVE. We photograph the love between newly married couples, the love between siblings, the love of a family, even the love someone has for their pet. I can't even explain how much it brightens my day to be surrounded by this love all the time!

This was one of those families that just love hanging out together. They make each other laugh, give each other hugs and have fun together. We had a great time photographing the twins, and their big sister.

Thanks for bringing that LOVE into my day!

Happy Birthday!

We have had a lot of First Year Birthday sessions the past few weeks!
I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to you all!
I think the best part about my job, is seeing these little ones grow up. They come in as little tiny babies and then before you know it they are talking and running around the studio! It's awesome! I love their hugs and smiles. It's just the best to see them change and their personalities develop.

Let the Countdown Begin!

April 12th is Andrew and Emily's BIG DAY! If you haven't heard already, they are going on a cruise and getting married on Grand Cayman Island. I will be sure to post images as soon as they get back! I will get Andrew to write the wedding blog with all the stories from the wedding. They will have a great time I'm sure!

This is a Test

Ok, You all know that we are holding our Kids Contest right now and I just wanted to find a better way of voting. Last year we posted the images in one of our galleries and then we had you email me with your vote. That worked fine, but it took a lot of time to talley all of the votes. So, I am trying to find an easier way.
So this is a test run. I know this isn't the real thing, but if you could vote here and let me know what your favorite season is, I can see how this works!
Thanks,
Happy Sunny Sunday!

Road Trip!

Andrew and I just spent the past 3 days in Decatur, Illinois. We went to speak at the APPI convention and had a great time! We love to go speak at these conventions because we meet so many great people and we get to see amazing images!
Yesterday when we got to the airport to go home, we found out our flight had been canceled and nothing else was leaving. So we decided that we were going to drive home. We hitched a ride with Dennis Craft and Barry Rankin. Now, we all went to this convention to speak so we all had laptops, prints, and lots of luggage! So the Explorer was a little packed. We almost stopped at a truck weigh station just to see how much the truck weighed. It was an adventure to say the least. But, overall the crammed car ride home was enjoyable and we had plenty to talk about on the 6 hour ride home.

Here's a picture of us after we got to Craft Studio. A little tired...



It's good to be home!

Home Show Cont.

Well it's the 3rd day of the home show and we expect today to be the busiest day of the weekend! Thank you to everyone who has stopped by our booth! Today I'm bringing my camera so if you stop by, don't be surprised if your picture ends up here tomorrow!
Monday, Andrew and I leave for Illinois where we are speaking at a photography convention. We will be back Thursday and playing catch up on everything that we missed during the week.

And...the count down begins. Andrew and Emily get married in less than a month now! It's coming up quick!

See ya at the Home Show!

Home Show!

Come and see us at the Home Show at the MSU Pavilion this weekend! It starts tomorrow (Thursday) and goes through Sunday! We were there last year and it is a great show!
So come over and say Hi!
We'd love to see you there!

Dance!

The girls from the St. Johns High School Dance team were just here! We look forward to when they come because they bring so much energy to the studio! 17 high school girls in one room, you can image the excitement! Here's Andrew working his magic.
We'll show the final product later!

I went to Ikea this week and bought some chairs for the Children's Studio! They are so cute. Small, yet sturdy.
I'm getting ready for the kids contest that starts next week, and as you can see I still need one more coat of paint on the orange wall. But after that we'll be all set! Can't wait to see all the great colorful outfits!

Have a great weekend!


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Hannah Banana!

I love this girl! This is Hannah and she is so much fun!
We played dress up yesterday so that I could show some of the new colors for the Kids Contest! We danced and sang during the session and had a great time!
Here's a couple images of her showing her charm!

Thanks Steph and Wally for letting her come over!

Kids Contest!

The Kids Contest is on it's way! We are starting March 13th and going thru April 13th! This year we are doing things a little different. Instead of $150 retainer, we are only collecting the $50 session fee. And there's no minimum purchase!
So, sign up today! Your session fee will go in full to the Children's Miracle Network! Our goal this year is $2000!

Look for your flyer in the mail with all the information! Or if you are not on our mailing list, send me an email and I will send you one!

Also in the month of March, we will be at the Home Show in E. Lansing! We will be showing some of our newest products there. So come and say hi, we would love to see you!

PPWM

I got the opportunity to speak in Grand Rapids on Monday for the group PPWM!
There were a lot of new faces there and some famliar ones. I just wanted to thank everyone for coming out and attending.

Also, be careful today out on the roads. It's not a nice day to take a drive!

The Secret

I just watched The Secret and I wanted to share something I took from that.
We need to be so grateful for the things that we DO have instead of dwelling on the things we don't.
Take 10 minutes out of your day sometime soon and start writing about the things you are grateful for! It's amazing to see all the blessings that we are surrounded with!

Have a great Sunday!
Oh, Click here to watch The Secret. It cost a little, but I found it very insightful.

Thanks Shannon!

The Party was Great! I just want to thank everyone for coming last night, and a special thanks to Shannon for bringing all those wonderful clothes!
We are hoping to do this again sometime soon!



Even the kids had a great time! Thanks Ashleigh for babysitting!

Matilda Jane!!!

We are having our Matilda Jane Clothing Party tomorrow night! We still have room for a few more. So, if you already planned on coming and you want to bring a friend or family member...please do!! And if you want to make a last minute RSVP we are waiting for your call!!
It's going to be a great time!

Big Big News!
Matilda Jane just got the opportunity to be a part of the Oscars baskets. Their clothes will be in the gift bags for celebs such as Reese Witherspoon!!
Go to their Blog and tell them Congrats!! Matilda Jane Blog

See you tomorrow at 6pm!!

The girls have it!

These are some of my favorite clients! I have a lot of favorites really, but this is a great family! These 4 girls belong to 3 different families but are all cousins.




Can you see it in the eyes? They all have those big bright eyes.
They have had two 1 year birthdays recently and they have just been a blast to photograph.
Thank you Paula, Kerri and Sara for always bringing in lots of positive energy to our sessions! I always look forward to see you!

Happy Birthday!

This little girl came to the studio last week and has a birthday today! I just wanted to wish her a Happy 1 yr Birthday!!!

Introduce Yourself

I was looking at our site map and noticed that we have people from all over the world looking at our blog! It makes us so excited each time we get a new dot on the map :)
I was just wondering if y'all could leave a little message about where you're from and what the weather is like or something. I would love to meet some of you!
Sometimes it's easier to write something if I know who my readers are!
So leave me a note..pretty please!

It's been a busy week. We have quite a few things in the works for this winter. First of all, we are having a PARTY! It's just for the ladies....and it has a lot to do with clothes! We are having Shannon from Matilda Jane come to our studio February 22nd at 6pm for a trunk show. Matilda Jane is a children's clothing company (just girls) that is SO CUTE! Check out her website..I promise you will love it. Anyway, we are going to have a lot of fun! Door prizes, food, and great company! We will even have babysitters here if you need to bring the kids! The invites are in the mail, but if for some reason you don't get one, just email me and I will send you one!

We are also having the Kid's Contest again this year. We will be raising money for the Childrens Miracle Network. There will be more information on that coming soon!

Have a great Friday everyone!

A Child in Need

This is Madeline Thelen and she needs your help!! Madeline has T-Cell ALL Leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Her family is hosting a benefit dinner to raise money for this procedure. The dinner is Saturday February 3, 2007. It will be held at St. Mary's Parish Hall in Westphalia starting at 4pm.

There will be a Live/Silent Auction, a raffle with Cash prizes and door prizes! The silent auction ends at 7:30 so don't miss it! There are some great items such as MSU basketball tickets, Massage packages and even a few complimentary sessions to Canfield Jenkins!

So go attend, buy a dinner ($10 for adults and $5 for kids) and get something from the auction!!
Click here to see her website.

Most importantly...put Madeline on your prayer list for a full recovery!!

New Friends

I just wanted to dedicate this entry to all the friends that we hung out with at PPA! Heather, Bryan Cox, Bryan Welsh and Allison Watkins and Angela Talentino...it was great to hang out with you and get to know all of you better.


The great thing about being a photographer is the relationships that we create. And although we love the relationships that we have created with our clients, we truly grow from the people we have met that are photographers. It's a blessing to have people in our lives that have the same passions that we do. And to have the opportunity to share and grow with photographers from all over the world is a wonderful gift!
I look forward to seeing all of you again soon!

Winter Blast

Andrew, Emily and I came down to San Antonio this week to go to PPA (Professional Photography of America) We were hoping for warm weather, but instead we got a big winter storm! Well BIG for TEXAS!
On Monday it started getting cold and rainy and by the evening everything was closed! It was the chance that it was going to freeze that got everyone scared. They closed roads, restaurants and shops! So everyone stayed in their hotel lobbies to hang out and visit.

Tuesday morning we get a call from Northwest saying that our flights were canceled and now we weren't scheduled to leave until Thursday. This is when the panic struck. By the time the first seminar was over, everyone was on the cell phones trying to make arrangements. Hotels were booked up and prices were sky-rocketing. Flights were rescheduled all the way out to Saturday and photographers everywhere were panicking. We have sessions, weddings, team pictures... but most of all family members expecting us to be home mid-week!

Andrew and Emily got a flight out yesterday and since I have friends here, I decided to stay one more night and hang out. So for me the storm was a great excuse to have an extended trip and to get to see my friends one more time.
Overall I would say that we had a great trip, made some awesome NEW friends and had a great time catching up with our old friends!

See you Tuesday!!

A New Place for A New Year!

SIP IT!

I just wanted to let everyone know about a great NEW little coffee place.
It's called SIP IT and it's located on Marsh Rd in the Sav-a-Lot parking lot.(Near Bus. 69)
It's a drive thru coffee hut that has great coffee and wonderful fast service.
It's so nice not to have to get out of my warm car, freeze to death on the walk into a coffee house and then wait in line for my coffee and then freeze to death getting back to my car and then waiting for it to warm up again! You know what I mean?

So anyway, go and visit this great new place. It's perfect on the way to work, and perfect on the way home from work. And it's even better if you're coming to visit us because you can get a coffee for the road! By the way, my favorite is a white chocolate mocha...just in case!!

The Moment We've All Been Waiting For!

We get at least one call a week asking the same question.
When is Andrew going to pop the question? Well, he finally did it!
He and Emily went to Hawaii for Christmas. On Dec. 28th they went for a walk along the beach and Andrew's best friends Micah and Ashleigh set up a blanket with flowers and champagne. When Andrew and Emily got there, Emily thought it was for someone else. She was pleasantly surprised when Andrew got down on one knee and asked her to marry him! After jumping up and down for awhile, Emily finally said YES!

Congratulations to you both!!!

Last session of the year

I've been home this week with my hubby. He had knee surgery on Monday and everything went well. Thank you to everyone who were praying for us! He is recovering well.

So today I am back at work for a few hours and I had my last session of the year!
Abby and Amy came in for Abby's 8 month session. She is so adorable! The biggest blue eyes you've ever seen. She loved the Christmas lights! (so much that she kept trying to eat them)



I also want to thank everyone that has come to our studio this year! We truly believe that we have the best clients in the world! We consider so many of you family and friends and we just want to thank you for being a part of our lives!
We look forward to a wonderful new year with all of you!
Love,
Jackie, Andrew, Barb and Penny!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!

St. Johns Volleyball!

The SJ Volleyball Team came in today for their team picture! 13 girls and only 2 mirrors! It was a blast! These girls are a fun group! We are hoping for 3 wins tonight from these ladies!
Good luck girls!

One Cool Cat

This is Jamison and he's awsome! Andrew photographed this high school senior and couldn't stop talking about how cool he was. He said he was fun to work with and a super nice guy! Jamison is a drummer and was named after the dummer from the Allman Bros. Here are some more images from his session!

The Huckleberry Railroad

Well, did we get all that snow that they predicted?
No, we got maybe an inch of snow and an inch of ice. We were lucky not to get all that snow. We got just enough that it looks really beautiful outside.




This weekend, the Palmer family ventured out to Crossroads Village and went on the Huckleberry Railroad! This was my first time to this place, and I thought it was so great! The lights were beautiful, and the train ride was fun! This is a great place to take the kids. My nieces loved the train and all the lights that we saw.
There is even a store that is filled with all trains! I have never seen so many Thomas trains in my life! But all the kids in there were having so much fun playing!

Click here to go to their website and get their schedule for Christmas!

P.S. Make sure you bring all your winter gear! This is not an indoor adventure!