Memories for Mia

moving.....

2007-09-17T22:03:00.000-05:00

to a new blog....NOT a new house, or a new town. Thanks goodness. I plan to stay right where I am for a good long time. However, I have moved to a new blog. A better blog. A more friendly blog. I have integrated it into my website and it is so much more user friendly and easier to navigate. It's also MUCH easier to update so I hope to make more frequent posts.

This blog will stay online and my new blog also has an archive of all my blogger posts.

So change your bookmarks and come on over and check out the new place!

www.cindymillsphotography.com/blog

Worth the wait.....

2007-09-07T16:42:00.001-05:00

I know...I've been an awful blogger recently. Hopefully what I have to share will make it worth the wait though ;)

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to second shoot a wedding for the first time. I think I LOVE IT! It was so much fun. Josh Littrell of Littrell Photography was gracious enough to give me the chance to tag along with him. He was extremely helpful and generous (letting me borrow several of his lenses) and I really appreciate the opportunity. Check out his blog and website when you get the chance!

So here are just a few that I've finally had the chance to play around with. There are SO many more, but I have tons of portrait client stuff to work on also so the wedding pictures will have to wait a little longer.

First a few getting ready pictures:

The bride had her makeup done by the talented Felisha Mims of Transitions of Beauty.

The beautiful dress:

This is one of my favorites! The brides son walked her down the aisle. He was the cutest thing! The wedding was at the beautiful First Christian Church in Plano. The stained glass windows are GORGEOUS!!!

A few fun portraits in old downtown Plano.

Then on to the reception

The first dance. The brides son was so sweet watching from the sidelines.

There are many more, but these are a few of my favorites so far. Now to get back to work ;)

Look who is getting older.....

2007-08-25T20:08:00.000-05:00

You might recognize this cutie patootie from a previous session I did with her family back in March.
This time we stayed at the house and little Mia (that's right same beautiful name as my little one) and I had a GREAT time playing and taking a few portraits of her as a big TWO year old. She was just the perfect little model and did just about everything I asked her too.......which any of you that have a two year old know does NOT happen very often. I know her mom and dad are dying to see some so here are my favorites.......well, so far anyway. It was hard to choose.

See isn't she beautiful???

So if I had to pick between this one and the next one as a favorite we would be here ALL day....maybe all week. I LOVE them both!!

Santa Clause will be here before you know it....

2007-08-17T16:44:00.001-05:00

I know it's hard to think about Christmas in August, but it pays to plan ahead. I have finalized a schedule for my Holiday Mini-Sessions. So here is the scoop:

The days scheduled for the mini-sessions are:

October 13th-McKinney Historic Square (for an Urban look)
Times available are:

8:00 am
9:00 am-BOOKED

October 20th-Mandalay Canals in Los Colinas (more traditional look)

8:00 am
9:00 am
5:oo pm
6:00 pm

The cost of a Holiday Mini-Session is $375 and includes:

30-45 minute session
(50) 5x7 photo cards with envelopes (choose from a variety) *see examples below.
(1) 11x14
(2) 5x7's
5x5 mini brag book with Holiday theme (similar to card styles)
approximately 20+ images in an online gallery to choose from(family and friends can order also)

Here are just a small sample of the many cards you will have to choose from:

And this is a sample of a 5x5 trifold that you can get if you would like to pay a little more to upgrade to some cards that will REALLY impress everyone! Also, the sample pictures just happened to have been taken at the Mandalay canals in Los Colinas.:

There are only 4 sessions available on each day so if you are interested CALL QUICK (a 50% deposit is required to reserve your spot, the remainder is due at your session).

Of course, if you would like the royal treatment you can schedule a full session also. All sessions that require delivery before Christmas MUST be scheduled for NO LATER than November 10th. I can not guarantee that you will receive your portraits back in time before Christmas if your session is scheduled after this date.

Watersliding and some exciting news.......

2007-08-13T10:47:00.000-05:00

Fun at the beach club:

On Thursday Mia and I joined some friends at the Beach Club in McKinney.
They have just added a sprayground and Mia and her buddies had a GREAT time on the waterslide. I just can't get over how cute Mia is in these pink sunglasses. She puts them in her little purse and slings it over her shoulder and says "Let's go to the pool, Mom." How could you tell her no?

And the exciting news:
I am the proud new owner of this:

24" iMac and I am IN LOVE!!! It is taking some time to transfer all those client files etc. over and there is a bit of a learning curve as I switch from a PC, but I love it so far. It is amazing all of the stuff it does that I didn't even know existed. Like last night I synced calendar and phone numbers on my phone with my Mac and I didn't even have to plug it in. (For those who don't know what that means like my mom (love you mom) ;) that means I copied all the events on my computer's calendar to my phone and all the numbers on my phone to my computer automatically) It uses blue tooth technology to "talk" to my razor phone. Cool huh? I know someone out there is saying "Wow, Cindy, you're impressed with that?".......and I say "Yes, yes I am!" I've finally LEAPED into 21st century and boy am I excited about it!

I'd better get to work! I'm behind on editing client sessions!! Now, if I can just figure out where they are hiding on this computer. :)

FOUR!!!!......

2007-08-06T09:48:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning I went over to this family's house for a little playtime. They have tons of windows and that made for some great photos. Four kids at once gave me a run for my money that was for sure. Even though it was a little crazy rest assured mom and dad that we got some GREAT pictures of your kids. Here are a few of my favorites so far.

Check out these eyelashes! And I loved the polka dots!

Oldest sister and let me tell you there is no way you would know she is about to be in only first grade. She is so helpful and mature. And she was a great little model too.

Such a cutie, but not my biggest fan. He was not all that happy with that big black box thing I kept sticking in his face. Little did he know that I got a good picture of him.....more than one actually. ;) I'm really sneaky like that.

And the baby.......hands down the easiest newborn session I've ever done. She just did whatever we wanted and slept through the whole thing. She cried a little, but was pretty content with whatever we wanted to do. Mom requested a bowl picture and I was beyond THRILLED that we were able to get many of them for her. LOVED the red carpet as a background too.
And in their formal dining room they had this awesome antique sofa. I have been dying for someone to have a beautiful sofa and a newborn that I could photograph together.
and one last one that I thought was kindof cute. I enjoyed playing with this one and adding a mood and texture to it.

New shoes......

2007-08-03T18:58:00.000-05:00

We got Mia a new pair of shoes today. It has been quite the quest to find these! Mia's Nana got her some shoes for her birthday back in December and she is outgrowing them and we have looked and looked and can't find anymore like them. So today, finally, we found a pair of shoes that are worthy of replacing the "cat shoes". Meet "heart shoes." And we love them!

a little fun with a texture on this photo.

The well loved cat shoes.......her new ones are SO different aren't they?

No title needed......

2007-08-01T10:20:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to write a post about Mia for awhile now. Afterall, she is the ORIGINAL reason I started this blog! So here goes:

Recently Mia has been so fun! I think that even though 2 1/2 is a difficult age and she is quite the handful these days this is my FAVORITE age. Well, so far at least. Mia is at the age now that she is fun to actually hang out with. If you don't count having to watch "Cars" over and over and over and over and over.........Recently, we went to Targer to celebrate her first poop in the potty (I know, stop laughing) and we picked out her "prize" and then went to get a slushy. I couldn't think of anyone I would enjoy going to get a slushy with more. It reminded me of my good friend Rachel and our quest for the perfect slushy back in college. We went to at least 15 7-11's in one night to find one that had red, white AND blue so we could mix the perfect one. Mia would totally be up for that! See what I mean about hanging out. If I want to go to the mall and just look around and then eat at the food court then Mia is always ready to go. She is always ready and excited to do things as mundane as going to the bank, the grocery store and the post office. She is a great little sidekick.

The other thing I have been loving about her recently is how she pronounces words wrong. There are a few words that I never correct her on because I don't want her to ever stop saying them in her cute little Mia way. My absolute favorite has to be "pollypop" (lollypop). She loves them and will ask in the sweetest voice "Mommy, Mia wants a pollypop?" Now who could resist that? That reminds me, she does talk about herself in 3rd person which is at the same time endearing and also extremely irritating. Irritating because we then also use 3rd person. "Mia, mommy and daddy are tired and are ready for bed. Daddy are you ready for bed? Mommy is ready for bed. Goodnight, Mia. Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight, Mommy." Just kidding it's not that bad, but I am ready to hear her say "I" or "me" once in awhile.

So back to cute words:
marshmelon(or sometimes watermelon)=marshmellow
tamorning=tomorrow
toast office=post office
mecinine (meeh-cin-ine)=medicine
Dora M=dora shaped vitamin
hold you=means will you hold me
soap=soda (Dr. Pepper)
and ANY grocery store is called Wal-Mart.

I won't even talk about the things I don't love about this age because the things I talked about above make it worth the other stuff!!

P.S. I'm sure you are wondering as you look at the pictures of Mia on this blog "Does this kid EVER wear clothes"? and the answer is NO. She doesn't. At least not at home. We trip over her getting undressed in the doorway as we come in the house. We're going to have to break that habit before high school. ;)

Joy......

2007-07-27T18:04:00.001-05:00

Want to see what PURE JOY looks like?

This is a snapshot of how I want Mia to remember her childhood.......carefree and magical.

Now with bigger images.....

2007-07-27T17:48:00.000-05:00

I took family pictures for my good friend Alisha, a fellow photographer, last Saturday. We had a blast and talked shop and even took a few pictures of her family. These are just a few that I've had a chance to play with.

And my ABSOLUTE favorite!!!

The ladies of PAWYLIE......

2007-07-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had a quick photoshoot with the ladies of Pediatric Associates of Wylie. They were a lot of fun and handled the wind and heat very well.....better than I did. I should have taken a picture of how RED my face was when we finished the shoot. Love that Texas weather!

I just wanted to post about how great these women are. If you are in the Plano/Wylie area and are in need of a pediatrician these are definitely the guys......uh...I mean girls to go too. I take my own daughter to Dr. Lanman and I just think she is wonderful. The minute you walk in the door you are greeted like you are a member of the family. They are all three very sweet, caring and attentive doctors. The nurses are awesome too!!

I highly recommend them!!

Thanks Dr. Lanman, Dr. Hayes and Dr. Ahad for a fun lunch hour photoshoot!

it's alive.........

2007-07-18T18:14:00.000-05:00

So here it is officially........my new logo.

Designed by one of my fabulous clients Matt Poe. I just love it. Also, I'm very excited that my new website is finally up and running. I've been working on it for about a month between editing client sessions and it is finally done. Leave me some comments to let me know what you think! Same address as before www.cindymillsphotography.com

sweet baby boy.....

2007-07-16T16:27:00.000-05:00

I had the honor of photographing the first pictures of this precious baby boy last friday. We set up in the living room and had a great time getting some really sweet pictures. It really was a very laid back session with lullabies playing in the background. I got to chat with mom, dad and nana while I snapped away. I know I keep saying this, but I LOVE my job!!!

Check out those adorable little feet!

I love this one where you can see his perfect little belly button. The little guy is only 1 week old and his umbilical cord had already fallen off! I was so excited because it's great to have a cute belly button in a few of the shots!

So far this is my favorite. I love that little sleepy yawn!

And one of the new family. Congratulations!

This could be a long post......

2007-07-13T16:26:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday I headed north to this awesome family's beautiful home for a little fun. We started off inside, but quickly moved outside once we realized that it was going to be a great evening. We had SO much fun! I even got in the sandbox and brought a little sand home with me. Not in my camera, but there was plenty in my clothes. Scroll down and see the shot I got and you'll see that it was TOTALLY worth it!

There were SO many that I loved that I couldn't just narrow it down to 3-4 this time so here is a super long post. Can't wait to show you the rest!
Thanks for the fun evening!

and a different version......as requested ;)

and I just to make sure I don't leave out ANY family members......isn't this the cutest dog EVER?

Just for fun......

2007-07-09T10:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I played around with my flash and backdrop and Mia was more than happy to pose for me.....FINALLY! I've been waiting 2 1/2 years for her to willingly model for me. I took about 150 pictures of her that look pretty much the same, but this one I just love! If she would have let me fix her hair and put clothes on her it would have been tons better, but.......NO WAY! Mia had just gotten up from her nap and she was ready to play and that means...diaper ONLY! Silly girl! Where did she get such expressive looks? Click to see the larger version. It's much better larger. ;)

July 4th

2007-07-09T10:41:00.000-05:00

So I'm a little late with this, but it was a busy weekend!

We had a great 4th. Saylor and I made kebobs on the grill and just hung out and did a lot of nothing. In the evening we went our friends Jill and Brian and their daughter to watch the fireworks. We had fun and the girls had an absolute BLAST! They got to ride in the wagon....that's Jill pulling it and they even ran around in the street........calm down MOM the street was closed and we set up our lawn chairs on the grass median and watched the girls chase each other. It was a great time!

Horrible street lamp lighting, but I still love this picture!

There are lots more, but I have work I should be doing right now instead of blogging!!

So behind I'll never catch up......

2007-07-01T16:14:00.000-05:00

I have had quite a busy week. I don't think I will ever be able to blog it all. First we had Saylor's Grandmother and Aunt visit us from Maryland. I have pictures of the stockyards, and Ft. Worth zoo that need to be put on here. Then my mom and dad came and stayed with us for 4 days. Mia LOVED all the attention she got and I LOVED that my Dad (mom and I helped) fixed my garage door for us. YEAH DAD! Then Saturday morning I had a session with a FABULOUS family. So we'll start there and work backwards. ;)

This family are good friends of mine. They go to church with us and Dr. Lanman was nice enough to let me put a display of my photos in her pediatric office. I just think this is about one of the NICEST families I have ever met. The kids are pretty sweet too. We met at the Mandalay Canal in Los Colinas and had a ton of fun. We just missed the rain too, because it started to pour as I was leaving. Here are just a few of my favorites.....it was REALLY, REALLY hard to choose just a few.

As always....click the pic to see it larger!

Little Miss "K" she is so cute. She is very girly and I just LOVE that about her!

"B"........My daughter's future husband. Hee hee ;) Just joking, but isn't he the most handsome little boy you've ever seen?

The whole family.

And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one. The were talking about their kids and laughing together. I tried something a little different with my post processing......I think I like it!

Have a great week everyone!

Cool Mia.......

2007-06-21T15:43:00.001-05:00

Need I say more?

Want to get trashed??????

2007-06-13T15:43:00.000-05:00

Trashing the dress........
This is a trend that is just starting to take off and I just really LOVE the whole idea and concept behind it.

Want to know more about it read this:
New York Times article about Trashing the Dress
Also check out the official blog:
Trash the Dress Blog
And for High School Seniors (really, really love this idea):
Let's get trashed Blog
this could also apply to school uniforms, graduation gowns etc.

So if there are any Brides (or Seniors) out there that want some AWESOME images in that beautiful dress that you obsessed over finding, spent a fortune on, and will NEVER wear again then give me a call and we will set up a super fun Trash the Dress session. I will be doing these for 1/2 off my regular session fee for the rest of the summer. So book during June, July or August and your session fee is just $50!!!

Hey, even if you've been married for a few years drag that dress out of moth balls and go get trashed and then give the georgeous images to your hubby for an anniversary gift. Now THAT's a creative gift!!

trying something new.....

2007-06-07T17:46:00.000-05:00

For awhile now I have been playing around in photoshop trying to figure out how to get my pictures to look similar to the old polaroids that my baby book is filled with. Something about them are just so cool and well.....vintage. I came across an action, that is an automated set of conversions for those who don't speak photoshop, that kind of does what I have been looking for. So I made a few adjustments and I'm starting to love how it looks. Here is an example:

This picture is from a few weeks ago after church. It's Mia's Easter dress which I didn't actually take a picture of ON Easter because.......well, I'm lazy. ;)

Also, another little sneak peak of my new look coming soon.

Here is a comparison so you can see what it looks like right out of the camera, how I would usually process an image and then with the new polaroid treatment.

And one more because Mia is just so darn cute in her dress!!!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Should I keep it, tweak it or scrap it?????

new look.....

2007-06-05T08:14:00.001-05:00

I'm sure you noticed the change in background colors. This is part of the new look that Cindy Mills Photography has coming very soon. I am so excited about some of the changes that I will be making in the look and branding of my business. I have an AWESOME new logo that I can't wait to share with everyone. There will be new colors, a new website and all new marketing material (business cards, brochures, even an exciting product catalog).

So for now here is a little sneak peek of a tiny little portion of the new logo. Can't wait to show you the WHOLE thing!!

Princess Mia.....

2007-06-04T11:15:00.000-05:00

Mia is so funny. She thinks any little girl that twirls and her skirt flairs out is a princess. She hasn't shown much interest in playing dress up until last night. We watched "The Wizard of OZ" and shortly after it was over she went running back to her room shouting "princess, princess." A few minutes later she came out of her room with this outfit. The broom is for riding.....I guess in Mia's world princesses ride brooms instead of witches.

Check out that tummy sticking out. ;)

a blog addict........

2007-05-29T12:59:00.000-05:00

This post is for my good friend, who may or may not want to be outed as a blog addict so we'll just call her "Sally". We've been watching a lot of the movie Cars around here so that is the first name that came to mind. Anyway, Sally knows who she is. Sally and I recently talked about how we both have a serious problem that is know as "blog stalking". We talked about someone that we have never met in person like we've know them for years. I'm not sure if Sally does this, but I am about to admit just how serious my blog stalking is. I check all my blogs first thing in the morning. If they haven't been updated I will check them again later in the morning. I check over and over through out the day until.....FINALLY, the blog is updated. It is like watching a soap opera. You just HAVE to know what happens next. In my case, I read a lot of photographer's blogs and I want to see their newest work. I get really frustrated when I check and check and they haven't updated. I need my fix! I know it is crazy and a little weird, but at least I'm not addicted to something worse. ;)

So for all those of you who are dying to know who I stalk the most here is my list of favorite blogs. I love enabling others. "Sally", have fun checking these out (because I know you will) and don't worry there is nothing wrong with blog stalking!!! At least I hope there isn't!! :)

Ali Edwards -amazing scrapbooker and I love her design style
Tara Whitney -unbelievable photographer and scrapbooker and I love to see the sneak peeks from her sessions
The Image is Found photography -this husband and wife couple are my photography superheroes!!! My dream is for my husband and I to have a fun wedding photography business like theirs someday!
Fred Egan -an amazingly talented photographer and a really nice guy. I seriously stalk his blog because I can't get enough of his images. They blow me away! Plus, I check often to see when "The Misfits" (a Dallas area photog group) will get together again.
Daily Relish -this blog is awesome. Love the photographer's style and creativity. One of my favorites!
Amy Coffey -just added her to my favorites. I just enjoy reading this one
Jessica Claire - WOW!! Check it out!
The Weibners -another wedding photographer couple
Juxtapose Photography -Kate's writing is so funny. I love her images also! She is a fellow member of "The Misfits" too.
Boutwell Studio-yet another awesome husband/wife photo team!
The Poe Family -a client of mine. I really enjoy reading this blog and keeping up with The Poe Fam!
Emory and Blaine's place -a friend of mine. I love to see the pictures of her kid's and hear what they are up to!

There are SO many more!!!! I have probably around 50 blogs that I read regulary. The list above are my favorites. The ones that I check over and over.
Enjoy blog stalking today!!!

A ton of fun.....

2007-05-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

That is the best way to describe this family!! I had an absolute BLAST with them. With my experience of having taught high school I find that it is rare to see a family with teenagers that actually, truly ENJOY being together. This family really has FUN together. They reminded me of my own family with Dad cracking jokes and keeping everyone laughing. Thanks for making my job so easy.
You may also recognize them from a few weeks ago. I did the senior portraits for the daughter. I was excited that they wanted to get a few more family pictures.
So here are just a few. I'm saving my favorites until later ;) Can't show you the best ones just yet!!
ENJOY!

a tiny little miracle..........

2007-05-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

I had the great honor of photographing this beautiful little girl yesterday. Her mom and dad are dear friends of ours from church. Little Miss "E" is quite the fighter. She was born about 10 weeks early. Her original due date is May 21st but she was born back in March. Almost 2 months ago!!
I have been amazed at the strength that her parents and big sister have shown during the whole ordeal and continue to show. I am proud to call them our friends. I am also amazed at the power of God and prayer. This little beauty has had many prayers offered in honor of her and her family and they are being answered!

We had a lot of fun taking pictures yesterday and I just couldn't wait to show these. I had a hard time picking just a few but here are my favorites so far.

And big sister.......she invited me to tea ;)

This may be easy for some, but for me it's an accomplishment.....

2007-04-27T13:13:00.000-05:00

I know that You Tube is not the newest, latest, coolest thing out there, but I have FINALLY figured out how to share a slideshow with you.
So without further ado.....Here is a recent client slideshow.
Enjoy!! :)

Jumping for joy.....

2007-04-24T16:05:00.000-05:00

We had a ton of fun in downtown McKinney with this great Senior. She was very brave and up for anything! I even made her climb up a creepy fire escape with her heels on. :) We got tons of great images from the session and here are just a couple of my favorites so far.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one. :D

Busy, busy bee...

2007-04-19T08:52:00.000-05:00

I have been knee deep in senior, newborn, and family portraits for the last few weeks. I am about to get caught up finally. I haven't gotten to post anything of my own in a few weeks so here are some recents so you can see what has been going on outside of "photography land."

First up.......COLORING EASTER EGGS!

Then we had to take a break because the easter bunny came by....

The finished product.....see where I poked a hole in the zero in "2007"....oops!!

Next we hunted eggs. This was Mia's favorite part. She is still talking about it a week and a half later!

Then my mom and dad aka "mom-mom & pop-pop" came by for a quick visit on their way to Wyoming. By the way if you are reading this, mom could you call and let me know you made it safely. Thanks ;)

and now for your laughter...........

FISHEYE CINDY

and FISHEYE SAYLOR

I rented a 16mm fisheye lens and a flash for the weekend and we (or at least I) had a blast with it. I may have to get one someday.

So have a great day I have to go back to editing. Ahhhhh the glamourous life!

teeny tiny.....

2007-04-07T11:59:00.000-05:00

..........and SWEET! This was a great family! I had a wonderful time with them and their new precious addition. I've said this before and I'll say it again. Newborns are my biggest challenge. The amount of patience it takes to wait for a baby to go to sleep is not something the Lord blessed me with, but I am learning. :) And as you can see good things come to those that wait!!
So for this great family....a sneak peek.
Enjoy your first Easter with little baby "Q". He is such a blessing!

a spring family.....

2007-03-31T21:02:00.000-05:00

Here is a little sneak peek for a sweet family:

FOUR girls....and each one had a unique personality and each one was beautiful as you can see in these images. They were quite the challenge, but aren't girls always a challenge ;)..... (see any post I've made about MY daughter)! We had fun climbing and sliding and dancing with parasols.

Thank you for a fun afternoon "B" family. Can't wait to show you the rest! :)

Fun Seniors

2007-03-25T20:14:00.000-05:00

I had a GREAT time yesterday with these two. I did their sessions back to back and was completely EXHAUSTED by the time I made it home. It was totally worth it though because we got some awesome images.

I just have to say that these two Seniors have A LOT going for them and I just know that their parent's must be so proud! If either one of these "kids" were one of mine I know I would be a proud parent. :)

We spent all afternoon running all over taking pictures and they were total troopers. We battled wind, heat and some REALLY bright sun and they were smiling the whole time.

Thanks Rhett and Amber for a great afternoon and I hope you enjoy your little sneak peak. Wait until you see the REALLY good ones.

Bath....

2007-03-21T23:18:00.000-05:00

I hate giving Mia a bath. I mean really, really hate it. She screams the WHOLE time I am washing her hair. She also splashes and gets water everywhere. I've started sitting in the hallway so I can still see her, but I don't get wet.

I took these tonight while she took her bath. I must have taken about 80 pictures to get these four that I really liked. That girl will only look at me when the camera is NOT pointed at her. Silly Mia!

My favorite session so far....

2007-03-11T00:52:00.000-06:00

I just have to say that this was probably the BEST session I have had since beginning my business. I had an absolute blast with these two. They made my job so easy. I didn't have to pose them or anything. I just love these images so much that I am MAKING myself go to bed so I don't stay up all night editing. I just couldn't wait to post a sneak peek for this great mother and daughter.

Thanks for the fun afternoon girls!! Can't wait to show you the rest ;)

Sweet baby.....

2007-03-09T15:50:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to share a few of these from yesterday. I love newborn sessions, but they are a lot of work!! This one was for a good friend too and so she fed me lunch and I took Mia with me to play with her other kid. :) I did learn that taking Mia along is never, ever, ever in a million years an option for clients. Boy, was she a brat. I can't tell you how many shots where her head was in the way. ARRRR!!!
Anyway, these are my favorites so far. Better finish them up!
Have a great weekend.

bubbles

2007-03-06T14:50:00.001-06:00

I just got a new lens for my camera. It's an 85mm f 1.8. I have been saving up for this lens FOREVER it seems like. I finally got it yesterday!!! YEAH!
I can't wait to use it with all the sessions I have coming up. Especially the 3 Seniors I will be photographing in the coming weeks. I also have a mother/daughter session this Sat. that will be really fun! Not to mention the family of....SIX!!! Busy month coming up.

Here are the first few pictures I have taken with the new lens. It is SO much sharper than the 50mm that I have been using primarily. I LOVE IT! Well worth the wait.

a new way to waste time.....

2007-03-05T08:47:00.000-06:00

Came across something cool to play with

http://www.mystarbuckstshirt.com/

What's your drink?????

I'd better stop dreaming of expensive coffee and go work out!! If I only knew how to make this at home....I've got a espresso machine!!

Also, I wanted to share some pics of my friends Brodie and Lindsey's new baby Bryer. Went to the hospital and took a few for them. She is just BEAUTIFUL!! Can't wait to see her some more:

Her morning snack...

2007-02-16T09:31:00.000-06:00

I was just on the phone and when I got off I found Mia in the kitchen like this:

She was in the kitchen eating Ovaltine by the spoonfuls!!! As you can see on her face she ate quite a bit of it. Glad I had my camera handy :)

I guess I had better go to the store and get this kid some milk to go with her "cocoa"!

Our trip to Lubbock....

2007-02-15T16:57:00.000-06:00

I took so many pictures that I figured this would be the easiest way to show them......

We had so much fun:

1. seeing old friends

2. eating, eating and more eating

3. feeding the ducks at the park

4. JUST HANGING OUT!

Another one....

2007-02-13T14:29:00.000-06:00

Here is another page that I just finished. I have found a new way to procrastinate AND get something done at the same time. :)

paper and info tag from www.designerdigitals.com

the notebook paper I scanned in myself.....I'm really getting into this!

My first digital scrapbook page....

2007-02-13T10:51:00.000-06:00

My friend Samantha has inspired me to give digital scrapping a try. Here is my first shot at it using the photos I shared a couple days ago.
I have to say...I think I may be hooked. I really love traditional scrapping, because I like the messiness of it. The paint and the paper and the rub-ons........I REALLY love the rub-ons!! Although, this method was SO easy and didn't take very long and I didn't even have anything to clean up afterward. I may actually be able to catch up on our family story this way. I am considering making a coffee table book of digi-pages from Mia's second year. I will still do some regular scrapping with some of my favorite pictures, but I would really like to get some of the pictures and stories from the past year in print!

So here it it........What do you think?

By the way......I downloaded the paper for free at www.twopeasinabucket.com and I got the brush surrounding "snow day" at www.designerdigitals.com
I created the snowflake brush myself from a clipart snowflake. The fonts are Butterbrotpapier and Times New Roman. The journaling is from my blog entry accompaning these pictures.

Tomorrow....

2007-02-08T15:32:00.002-06:00

Mia and I are off on an adventure. Just the two of us. We are going to Lubbock to LCU's 50th anniversary homecoming weekend. We are going to hang out with the girls (Rachel, my college roommate, and her daughter Kelsey) and see some old friends. I haven't seen some of these friends in years! I can't wait to introduce Mia to them. I will have my camera in hand of course so will be sharing once I return.

In the meantime, think of me tomorrow around 1:00 as I fly with a 2 year old alone for the first time. It is only an hour flight, and she will be in her carseat, but still I'm a little nervous.

Well, I'm off to pack clothes and the bag for the plane with lots of goodies to keep us busy!

By the way...I have updated my website with new pictures and a new shopping cart for my photo jewelry. It is not completely finished (still a few items to add) but still functional!
Go check it out:
www.cindymillsphotography.com

It snowed....

2007-01-31T10:00:00.000-06:00

Not for long, but it did snow at our house this morning. From the time I noticed it to the time I could get Mia dressed and out the door it had almost completely stopped. If you look very close you can see a few snow streaks in the background of these pictures. At least I finally got Mia to put on her cute hat! She was super excited about the snow even if it wasn't much. Now we are inside staying warm. Hope you are all staying warm too. Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Bad blogger, but I have an excuse.....

2007-01-19T10:21:00.000-06:00

O.k., O.k. I know I haven't posted in .......well awhile. I do have excuses though. And the main one is that I have been running. Well, mostly walking really fast, but I have actually been running some too. We got ourselves a treadmill for Christmas and I have been using it every other day since. So far I have lost 2 lbs. Too bad that I gained 3 over the holidays. Thanks for the GIANT TIN of Christmas candy mom!! I'm pretty sure that is where the 3 lbs. came from. It was TOTALLY worth it too.

Also, I am proud to announce that as of today I have not had a Dr. Pepper for 1 week! I have had a Dt. DP, but that doesn't count.

Anyway, since I haven't posted in awhile here is one of Mia with her birthday "cake" and I will post more Christmas pics soon.....I promise.

2 years ago....

2006-12-29T09:48:00.000-06:00

.....at 4:52 pm Mia was born. She was 7lb. 2.8 ozs. and 20 inches long. I can't believe it has already been 2 whole years, but on the other hand it seems like she has ALWAYS been with us. It's hard to remember our family without her. Mia has always been a very busy kid. As a photographer I have learned that taking pictures during the first two weeks of life is best because the newborn will still curl up and snuggle. Not Mia! We tried to take her pictures at exactly 1 week and she wiggled so much we only got 1 good one! She was already pushing with her feet trying to move forward. She started crawling at 4 1/2 months and pulling up at 7months. Mia took her first steps at 9 1/2 months and she hasn't stopped moving since. I tried VERY hard to get a picture of her this morning and she was NOT happy about it at all. I got one decent one but might try again later. She runs from me everytime she sees the camera now. Maybe I'll get a great birthday pic next year!

Here she is on her birthday less than an hour old.

Mia on her 1st birthday........Queen for a day.

This morning........The big TWO!

We are off tomorrow to visit my parents. Have a Great NEW YEAR.

An early Christmas present......

2006-12-18T12:40:00.000-06:00

Remember the family that I took maternity portraits of last month???? Well, here is the newest member of their beautiful family. He is just the sweetest baby. I know they are really excited to see a some of the pictures since they are going to have to wait until after Christmas to see all their pictures so here are just a few.......

Dad and baby........one of my favorites :) Ha ha.

Mom and baby by the tree

The whole family snuggling.....

and the one we waited, and waited and held our breath and were oh so still and quite until WE GOT IT!!!!!

Totally worth it!!!!!

There are so many more that they are just going to LOVE, but I can't show them all. It will give the family something to look forward to after the wrapping paper and bows have all been thrown away.

And since I have a few minutes to share.........here are some of my little one (who is not so little anymore) These are from last weekend, but I haven't gotten a chance to post these until today.

Getting the tree

at our church Christmas party.......Mia getting her first tattoo....aaahhh!

Mia waiting patiently to see Santa

meeting Santa......still happy.

but when it came down to it, Mia was not all that happy to meet Santa this year!! This one is priceless!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Run, Rachel, Run.......

2006-12-14T12:42:00.000-06:00

My college roommate came to visit us this past weekend. She was here to run in the White Rock Lake Half Marathon. I had the honor of taking her and documenting the day for her and her friend Lauren. I am SO proud of Rachel for doing this. She really makes me want to run it with her. The beginning of the race was really exciting, with confetti and the national anthem complete with a jet fly over. Here are some pictures from the day. Way to go Rachel and Lauren!!!

Synchronize your IPODS

Just minutes before the start of the race

Crossing the finish line.....in under 2 1/2 hours. Great job!!

The medals. Don't they look great for having just run 14 miles?

The proverbial frost on the pumpkin.....

2006-11-30T13:42:00.000-06:00

Texas weather is so weird! Yesterday it was 80 degrees and now it's sleeting. I just had to get one more pic of my pumpkin before it turns to frozen mush. Notice this year I put it on the concrete which will force me to remove it before it thaws into a slimy mush. Some of you may remember last year's pumpkin's which literally rotted into our flower bed. I like to decorate, but I don't like the clean up. Which is why when we finally get our Christmas tree up it will probably still be there until mid-January. I have lots to do so I'd better stop procrastinating and GET TO WORK!

This is going to be a big one.......

2006-11-28T10:09:00.000-06:00

For Thanksgiving Day we went down to visit my parents in the Hill Country at their deer processing place. Here are just some random pictures I took while we were there. I had planned on making a mini book about our whole Thanksgiving vacation, but I'm missing half the vacation. We spent Sat. with Saylor's family and I had the camera IN THE CAR and didn't take ONE photo. I am so mad at myself. Shellee and I did have a great time shopping in downtown McKinney though...........Maybe I can draw pictures of everyone for that part of the book. Ha ha. That would be funny. Oh well.....on to the pictures I DO have.

Mia Cheesing for the Camera

My Sweet Mom

My Goofy Dad....can you belive Mom puts up with him? :)

My brother....Ed.....there's a better one later......sortof better I guess.

Saylor and Mia pole dancing????? Mia LOVED this big area to "walk".

The Star of the Show........The TURKEY!!!!

and making the stuffing.........

Mia "eating"......this is the most she ate the whole time we were there and she was just pretending in this picture.

Mia's Great Aunt............I mean my Aunt Rena. She's not old enough to be a GREAT AUNT.

Rena's youngest.......My cousin Brandon. He looks so grown up to me now! He also bears a striking resemblance to the guy in the next picture...

My goofy brother Ed.......If you want to know why he is this way see the picture of my Dad above. :)

and my Granny Davis. It was nice to have her there for a holiday!

And after lunch because there is not much to do and Cara (my cousin) and I had some time to do our favorite things.........She modeled and I photographed her.

The rest of the maternity from a few posts ago...

2006-11-19T17:55:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to share these. I'm really proud of them.....and the good news is the family loved them too. They were full of praise over these and it really felt great and just makes me LOVE THIS JOB!
Here is the rest of their gallery:
www.cindymillsphotography.com/ross

A family....

2006-11-18T10:41:00.000-06:00

These were last Sunday at the Arboretum. I really love the Arboretum for pictures. There are SO many great spots to take them. This family was fun. Each of the kids had such different personalities as you can see from their individuals below. I really enjoyed the one on one pictures with the kids. I usually photograph toddlers and infants and it was so refreshing to work with some older kids in the last few weeks.
Well, that's all for now I have so much editing to do it's not even funny! I hope to be all caught up after the Thanksgiving holidays though. If I can just make it until Wed. then I will be in the clear!

*click to see larger

I really love this one. It TOTALLY shows that misheviousness of a 6 year old. I think I really captured his personality in this one. I hope mom and dad love it because I do!

Finally getting around to these.....

2006-11-15T15:12:00.000-06:00

I have been so busy with editing and jewelry and photo shoots my house is about to disappear under a mound of dishes and toys. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.......it's a short vacation I call THANKSGIVING. WE will be going down to visit my parents and help out with some deer processing. I can't wait to get out of town. And I bet Mia can't wait to see me without the computer mouse permanently attached to my hand. So on to the photos. These were from a shoot on Oct. 4th. It was a perfect overcast day for photos. The three girls were fun and loved posing.....well two of them did anyway. Actually all three did by the end...........Can you believe two of these girls broke their arms a few days before the shoot? Anyway here is a sneak peek for them to check out. Sorry it took me so long to get to it and thanks for being so patient!!!

I'm not getting pregant again until I can look this good.......

2006-11-07T13:35:00.002-06:00

Seriously.........although it made me feel better that she still needed help getting up off the floor. :) At one month before Mia was due the only shoes I could put on were flip flops and I couldn't see my feet so I had to feel around until I found one and slip it on hoping I got it on the right foot.

Anyway, I had so much fun with this session. I had so many more ideas of things we could have done once I left, but I think we got some really great images. I tried out a lens that I almost never use and found out it is not quite as sharp as my 50mm so I was a little disappointed in that. Also I have a few that are pretty grainy because it was really cloudy out on Sat. morning and I had to use the highest ISO my camera has, but I really like the feel of these. The first is my favorite. I love, love, love that her husband and son are having breakfast in the background. That was totally unplanned by the way. I also had to throw in the two in the nursery. It has the cutest Hawaiian theme. I wish I had gotten one of the surfboard that was handmade and painted by grandma. I could go on and on. Anyway......here they are. Enjoy!

2006-11-01T08:34:00.000-06:00

journaling reads: This was a great Halloween. I didn't stress over Mia's cosutme this year like I did last year. She was a princess made from left over craft stuff. We went to Mckinney with Lindsey and Deacon and trick or treated and had a blast. Then we went to the church and played and got more candy. Mia had fun this year and I think she loves Halloween as much as I do.

Mia's friend as Pochohontas

This is my favorite. I might have to have it enlarged! Maybe a canvas!!

Another sneak peek.....

2006-10-30T15:04:00.000-06:00

I had a lovely afternoon at the Dallas Arboretum yesterday with this very cute, very fun family. Their son....WOW....look at those eyes. He is adorable! They were so friendly and made my job so much easier. It was a nice relaxing afternoon. I suggest the Arboretum for your family's pictures too. I'm sure you will want them there after seeing these!
I promised them a sneak peek and here it is. And these are just the beginning. We got some GREAT images!!!

Welcome to the YUCK....

2006-10-25T16:26:00.000-05:00

Have you seen Jarhead? This is my variation on the motto from that movie.
Yuck is definitely what our house has been for the past few days. Mia got it then me and then Saylor. We all threw up and worse. First Mia was sick all day Sunday and then just when I thought we could go back to life I got sick and then just as I was beginning to feel better Saylor was sick too. Then at 1 am on Tues. morning Mia started again. So here we are on Wed. and everyone seems back to normal. Saylor is back at work and I am trying to catch up on all the stuff I've got going on. Auctions and craft fairs and sessions to proof......OH MY!
The past few days definitely makes me more aware of germs and just what you can catch when you are around other people. This is the first time Mia has been sick (other than a fever) since she was born. It is NOT something I want to deal with often.
Anyway.....if anyone is interested in something to do on Friday evening I will have a table at the Carlisle Elementary Fall Craft Fair in Plano 5:30-8:30. I'm taking orders for photo jewelry. There is also lots of other crafty stuff and fun games for the kids. Come by and visit!!

Trying to catch up...

2006-10-22T16:19:00.000-05:00

This morning Mia woke us up at 4 am crying. Saylor went to check on her and she had thrown up all over herself and her bed. By 6 am she had had 3 baths and thrown up 3 more times. She was sick about every 30 mins. until around 11:00 when she finally feel asleep again. We went through about 10 towels and I am worn out. Poor baby. She is sleeping again right now (past out on the blanket in the living room floor) and that's the only reason I have time to post this right now. As soon as I post I'm taking a much needed nap!

So on to the good stuff.......

I am overwhelmed with how busy this month has been. I am so thankful for all the opportunities that have been presented to me. I am also really blessed to have a supportive family and friends that have encouraged.....if not pushed me into this photography thing. I am so glad they did. I truly love it.

These are from a session I had yesterday. She is one of my Senior Reps. Lucky me. What a cutie! Her mom told me she is photogenic and she wasn't kidding. We had a great time and a long session. 2 1/2 hours! I was exhausted and was pretty sure that this georgeous senior had had enough too. I looked through them when I got home and these were the first few that jumped out at me. I have lots more to go through, but I wanted to share a sneak peek for senior and mom to look at.

One of my favorites so far....

2006-10-10T11:32:00.000-05:00

I had a shoot with the cutest couple on Sat. afternoon.
Here is a little sneak peek for them. I think this is one of my favorite images for a client since I started. I seriously LOVE this picture. I hope they like it too. I really had a great time with them and their adorable dog. She was the sweetest thing. She kept crawling in my lap to snuggle. I will post some more when I finish editing. I don't want to show too many until the client gets to see them, but I wanted to share just one.

tea for two in tutus......

2006-10-02T12:05:00.000-05:00

*click to see larger

We had a tea party friday for Mia and her friend Emory or.....Mimi and Emmy as they call themselves.
They had SO much fun. The girls were just so cute in their tights and tutus and.....those fairy wings. I hope they don't hate us when they grow up. They twirled and skipped and ran all over the front yard. They definitely brightened up the front yard more than dead grass.
We can't wait to do it again!

twice in one day????

2006-09-27T17:51:00.000-05:00

I know I never post twice in ONE day, but I just had to share this link........
in case you need a little something to pick you up. Well, it made me smile anyway!
http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/

This is ALL I have been doing for the last 2 weeks....

2006-09-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

Or at least it feels like the only thing I have been working on. I still have two more orders to fill as soon as the customers get their pictures to me. Boy this jewelry making thing is TIME CONSUMING! I do feel really proud to have finished the whole process though. I am going to deliver the orders to the party hostess tomorrow and then my part is all done. Overall, this is a pretty great little business. I get to spend a couple hours at a home party then the rest of the hard work is done at home. PERFECT.
I have another party on Oct. 9th. Keep your fingers crossed for me that is goes as well as this one did. And if you are interested in hosting.........you know where to find me! :)

September 21st 2002

2006-09-21T11:15:00.000-05:00

Our wedding day.....It was so much fun. I loved everything about my wedding. Planning it, looking forward to it and the actual day of the wedding was perfect. I got to spend the day laughing and decorating with my three best girlfriends and then at the end of the day I married my very BEST FRIEND.
So many things have happened in the last four years. Both good and bad, but we have gone through it together and I know the next 40 years will be just as great.

Now that I got the sappy stuff out......isn't this the funniest picture? Our photographer told us to look at each other and we couldn't stop laughing because we thought it was so silly. Now it's my favorite picture from our wedding.

Two little cuties...

2006-09-15T14:06:00.000-05:00

Mia and I went yesterday with our friends Lindsey and Deacon and took some fun pictures. Here are just a few of the first to get edited. I will post the slideshow when I get them all done. We had so much fun doing these. Deacon is such a little model. He hams it up for the camera .......as you can see.
Enjoy!

*click on pic to see larger version.

Take a look at this...

2006-09-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to share a link to a slideshow I created. I will be using it as a video business card/portfolio type thing.

I had so much fun making it and can't wait to make another.
Click on this link and then a window with the option to download will pop up. Choose run.....Enjoy.

http://www.cindymillsphotography.com/portfolio.exe

Christmas sessions....

2006-09-06T09:53:00.000-05:00

I know it's only September, but I know that not everyone is a procrastinater like I am. So here it is....... click to see larger.

And this is just one of the card designs to choose from.....and it comes in blue and green and I guess purple if you want it purple. I prefer RED for Christmas though.

Joshua comes to visit.....oh and Ginger too

2006-09-03T23:52:00.000-05:00

This is Joshua.

He is the son of my old roommate......you know from before we all got married. Ginger and Joshua came to visit us for a few days. I was lucky enough to get to take some pictures of him. We had a great time! He is such a happy baby. Mia just couldn't leave Josh alone. She was very sweet with him. It was fun to watch her play with Josh. Ginger and I had a long visit and talked until we couldn't talk anymore. It was so nice to catch up on all the stuff that has happened since we last saw each other in December. Neither one of us is very good at keeping up on the phone. It is so cool for us to sit and visit while our kids play together on the floor. I hope that one day we will still be talking all we can talk while we watch our grandkids play on the floor.

A few more of Ginger and Joshua.

My favorite......Love the expression. These were not my best pictures, we waited until too late in the day to do indoor pictures, but I hope Ginger will like them.

Muddy girl....

2006-08-29T08:20:00.000-05:00

Mia was playing in her pool on Friday and I was talking on the phone with Saylor. Before I could stop her she was in the dirt throwing it up on her back. She was SO DIRTY and muddy. I washed her off and took off her diaper.............That's dirt I promise.

GROSS

Of course then I had to get a few of her running
around naked. I hope the neighbors couldn't see
her. She sat in the grass and posed for me. I swear I
didn't tell her to do this. Ha ha ha.

And of course my favorite......

Minature model....

2006-08-22T09:13:00.000-05:00

I took these yesterday for Mia's 20 months pictures. Can you believe she is almost 2? This year has gone faster than the first did.
I really love the first one. That is such a typical expression on her face. She usually makes it when you ask her to do something she doesn't want to do. It's like she is pretending she doesn't understand you. Boy I can't wait for the teenage years!

Just a few recent ones....

2006-08-16T17:41:00.000-05:00

I braided Mia's hair for church Sunday morning. I love having a girl! She was so good and sat still while I braided. I almost didn't take a picture...so glad I did.
A couple weeks ago. Painting. She loves it. Notice the pen marks on her stomach. She likes drawing too!
Yesterday in her pool. I've been working on getting my focus right and getting my pictures tack sharp. I think I may have the hang of it finally!

Bad, bad, blogger....

2006-08-14T11:47:00.000-05:00

I have been so bad recently at blogging. I just can't seem to get around to it. I have been out of town for a few days and then, just busy, busy, busy!

Some exciting news.....
I have a display going up at a doctor's office. I can't wait to get the prints back from the lab. I will post some pictures when I get the display installed.
I have also added Senior Portraits to my business. I am hoping I can get a few interested parties. I think I would really enjoy Seniors....and no chasing them around with the camera.....they take directions. So needing a few for my portfolio I got my little brother who actually graduated in 2005 to pose for me. It's like he is all grown up all of a sudden.......when did that happen?
Here is another of my favorites from the past week. My friend Lindsey's baby Deacon. Isn't he adorable on that fur rug?

Cute...

2006-07-25T10:21:00.000-05:00

If I had a million dollars. Hey if I even had everything paid off and a thousand dollars THIS is what I would buy for Mia TODAY!!!!

Pottery Barn Kids Kitchen Set

You just have to go look at it. It is the cutest thing I have EVER seen. It would be so perfect for her too. Mia loves to help unload the dishwasher and is constantly taking dishes out of the cabinet into the living room, stacking them up and putting them back away. She likes to sweep, and clean. That gene definitely skipped a generation!!

Just thought I would let you all know about it just in case someone is thinking about christmas........ :)

Sprinkler fun......

2006-07-24T07:54:00.000-05:00

We got a new sprinkler for our yard yesterday. It is about dead....as you can see in the background. Saylor got it all set up in the yard now we have to sit and wait for our official watering day. Don't tell anyone, (because I am sure this is against the water restrictions) but we turned it on just enough for Mia to play in the water. We had originally gone outside to swing, that is why she has on a diaper instead of her swimsuit. Those Luvs diapers will hold A LOT of liquid!!! Look at the bottom picture where Mia is just about to lose it because the diaper is SO heavy. She had so much fun playing in the sprinkler. Mommy had fun playing with her camera. I haven't done much "just for me" pictures recently. These were a lot of fun. Mia has finally realized what I am doing with the camera now I think. When she sees me with it she will look at me for a second or two longer than usual. She has even started doing a cheesy smile when she sees me pointing the camera at her. GREAT! I thought I hadn't taught her that. I guess it's just instinct for her to be cheesy! Last night I was asking her "Mia, can you try to drink some more water from the sprinkler for me?" AND she said "YEAH" and did it again!!!! Finally, I feel like we are communicating. It's about time, Mia! When she did drink again I got this:

Cute little girl FUN family....

2006-07-17T14:59:00.000-05:00

I just finished these proofs from last weekend. This little girl was SO cute and the family was really laid back and fun. See the rest here www.cindymillsphotography.com/images/bishop

watch this....

2006-07-13T07:28:00.000-05:00

I came across this on someone else's blog but it is a must see.....

If you ever feel like giving up then watch this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjPrL3n63yg

That's all for today.

Brothers....

2006-07-11T11:08:00.000-05:00

I just finished proofing these this morning. These boys below to a friend of mine from church. They were so much fun. They were even disappointed when we were done taking pictures. I think these could be my best session yet. You can see the rest here http://cindymillsphotos.photosite.com/ The album titled "brothers." .

Also I think I forgot to mention that I have my new official website all updated and in place. www.cindymillsphotography.com
I have taken the advice of my "mentor" and my prices and polices are now in place. I think I am starting an ACTUAL business.
On another note I am teaching an art camp this week for 7 4-5 yr old girls. FUN, FUN, FUN. So I'm off to prepare for today's lesson.

Bride on a bike.....

2006-07-03T09:41:00.000-05:00

EDITED TO ADD: you can see the rest here http://cindymillsphotos.photosite.com

I took these last night. It was SO MUCH FUN! The fake tattoo was my friend Ronna's idea. Thanks! She loved it. I did the engagement photos for this couple back in April and I knew she would be just as fun for her bridal photos. She just wanted 12 good ones to make a calendar for him as a wedding gift. This is his motorcyle and he has NO IDEA......he was out of town for the weekend. I was feeling really uncreative when we started, but got into by the end. I hope I can do more photoshoots like this. It was so much fun. I really struggled with the sun being in the way on this one and I learned alot about working on my exposure, but I think overall it went o.k. I hope she likes them.

Our trip....

2006-06-28T10:24:00.000-05:00

Mia in the airport waiting for our rental car. She was WIPED out. She did pretty well on her first flight. She was tired of sitting in our laps though......we were pretty tired of it too.

This is Mia with Saylor's aunt Debbie. Mia just loved her and Debbie spoiled her rotten. Mia didn't sleep very well in the evenings while we were there, but Debbie had the magic touch of getting her to sleep. I didn't pack very many toys for Mia so she had to make do with what she could find to play with. Saylor's aunt Kathy taught her to roll cans across the floor. It was hours of fun.....and we kept finding cans in odd places. :)

We took Mia to the city park on Sat. and they had a merry-go-round. We just had to take pictures on it while it was going around.
She LOVED it.

Our trip continued.....

2006-06-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

The drive to Gettysburg.....BEAUTIFUL. The museum
Some reenactors. This will look good in Sepia.
Me on top of a monument. Yes....I climbed the spiral staircase.

Some of the national cemetary at Gettysburg. I couldn't resist taking this with the flag.

The big monument that we climed the stairs to get to the top of. Saylor took this picture. He's getting pretty good!!!
On the drive BACK from Gettysburg. There was a lot of beautiful trees, rocks and....MOSS.
The Marine Memorial. It's HUGE.
Arlington National Cemetary

Saylor and Mia in front of the Washinton Monument

and finally........after hours of looking for a parking spot and a LONG, LONG walk and a short downpour of rain........THE WHITE HOUSE.

It's hard to believe that we were just here on Monday and today (WED.) the city is flooded and the Mayor has called a state of emergency.

Sand.....

2006-06-20T16:18:00.000-05:00

Saturday we went to our friend's farm. Their parent's live there part of the time and they have a nice little farm house. On the porch there is a screened in area just for the kids and it has a SAND TABLE. Mia had the best time playing with her friend Emory in the sand. They were so cute playing together. Mia really liked the country and evidently has NO fear of donkeys.....Unfortunately I had left the camera at the house when we walked out to see them. She ran after the donkeys like they were a tiny dog or something. She didn't even get scared when they started running back at us. I did though and that was enough of visiting the farm animals. We had a great time at the Oldham's farm!

Mia and Emory on the Tractor

Handsome Blaine....

2006-06-15T17:31:00.000-05:00

I FINALLY finished proofing these photos of my friend Zac & Ronna's newest addition. He is precious. I loved taking his pictures and had a great time hanging out with my friends too. You can see the rest here.....http://cindymillsphotos.photosite.com/

For the past 3 days we have been living and breathing VBS pictures. It was a fun, but extremely tiring job. I'm glad it's a whole year until I have to do it again. Mia had a great time. She was wiped out though and I don't think she got enough mommy time from me. I didn't realize just how much work taking the pictures for VBS would be, but I'm really glad I did it. It was a great opportunity for me to practice portraits of children. Lots, and lots of children. Here are some of my favorites.

Movie Star....

2006-06-06T08:51:00.000-05:00

I have had so many problems with uploading photos recently!!! I'm sorry this one is SO tiny. Click on it to see it bigger...I hope.

I took these yesterday. Mia's sitting on her new purple IKEA chair. It was FINALLY on sale. I have never seen a kid that likes chairs so much. Our house is becoming overrun with them.
Doesn't she look just like a little movie star? I tried to get her the black sunglasses, but NO...she HAD TO HAVE the pink ones with the rhinestones. Diva in the making.

Today Mia and I are off to Grapevine to Auntie's Beads to buy supplies to make jewelry samples. A friend of mine is going to host a home party for me for my photo jewelry. I am so excited. I hope it goes well. I have a lot of work to do before next month. I have been working on my website also. I have a "real" domain name now and can't wait to get it all updated and "go live." I have so many things going on right now I can barely keep up. I ordered postcards to promote my photography business and they should be here any day. I am very excited to see if we can't get this business off the ground. I have been corresponding with a local photographer who is giving me some advice. She's great. Her website is really great too you can see it here SUGAR PHOTOGRAPHY. She is currently the featured photographer for Dallas Child magazine. Very impressive!!!

Well that's all. Off to jewelry parts land with an 18 mo. old should be an adventure!

bad blogger....

2006-05-30T17:58:00.000-05:00

O.k. so I know I have been a BAD blogger lately. I just seem to ALWAYS have something to fill up my time. It has been a really busy month. June will be even more busy.

My sister-in-law and her family have been here since Wed. and we FINALLY got some pictures of the kids together. It was fun....but challenging to say the least. I would say these were my hardest "clients" yet, but definitely the cutest so far!!! :) Soon my friend Ronna is having her baby and I JUST CAN'T WAIT to take some newborn pictures!!!!!

My cousin graduated.....

2006-05-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the real world Cara! She graduated yesterday she is only 19. I was still a Fresh. in college at 19. A long time ago. I am really proud of her. She didn't know I was coming and didn't see me until she was up on the stage and her mouth dropped open. Cara was really excited to see me there. We had a great afternoon. After some pictures (below) I went to her apartment and hung out with the family and then to dinner at Razzoo's. Great day!! Mia had a blast too.

New pool.....

2006-05-15T10:37:00.000-05:00

Mia got a new swimming pool yesterday and a new bathing suit too! I just love the colors in these pictures!!! The top is my favorite!!!!
She wasn't quite sure what to do at first in the pool since the water was pretty cold just out of the hose. She got into in just a few minutes though and was trying to splash and play even though she was shivering so bad she could barely stand up. Poor thing. Remember not wanting to get out of the pool even though you couldn't feel your lips.

A family.....

2006-05-09T15:20:00.000-05:00

This family was my first try at using the full manual settings on my camera. I had to choose the shutter speed and f/stop number. I have been practicing, but was really nervous about it because it takes alot of concentration to check the light meter and make sure everything in set right AND focus AND get everyone to look at the camera. I think I did o.k.

One thing that made the shoot difficult was about 10 mins. into the little girl (19 months) hopped out in the water on the waterfall and slid on a rock and started sliding towards the edge of the fall. It's about an 8 ft. drop. Her mom dove for her and caught her in plenty of time, but it scared me to death. The mom also only managed to get the bottom of her jeans wet so we finished up, but the parents seemed to be really nervous about letting the girls get very far from them (don't blame them) and I had to edit the dad's hand out of just about every shot. Very Stressful, but overall came out o.k.

You can see more of their pics HERE. It will only be there for a few days.

Wearing mommy's shoes....

2006-05-04T12:02:00.000-05:00

I took these last week of Mia wearing my shoes. She has a bit of a fasination with shoes. She always plays with Saylor's boots when he takes them off after work and she always trys to put on my flip-flops. She also very paitently trys to put her own shoes on all the time. This morning she wanted to go into the backyard to play. Since it rained last night I told her she had to put on her shoes first. She disappeared into the other room for a few minutes and reappeared with her tennis shoes which she put in my face and said "shoes (?)". Actually is sounded more like chews, or juice, but I knew what she meant.

cool quote...

2006-05-01T11:37:00.000-05:00

I came across this quote today and just had to share it......

"If you follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say follow your bliss and don't be afraid and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be."
Joseph Campbell

This is so true! It is just perfect that I read this quote today, because this morning I received an e-mail from a woman that wants family portraits this weekend. She was referred to me by another photographer........It took me awhile to figure out who the other photographer was. She is the sister of a girl who was my cashier at Barnes and Noble over a month ago. I noticed the cashier had a cool picture of a little boy on her name tag and I asked about it. She said it was her nephew.....her sister...or sister in law?....is a photographer. I said...Oh really...so am i...i am just getting started etc. and she asked if I had a business card. Evidently her sister was about to go on maternity leave and looking for another photographer to refer her clients to. I was sure I would never hear from her but......today I did. Well, from someone referred by her.

See.....I'm following my bliss and doors are being opened for me! I am sharing it with everyone I know and meet and doors are opening where I had NO IDEA they would be. I can't wait to share with more people.

American Idol fan.....

2006-04-25T20:14:00.000-05:00

Mia likes to watch American Idol. Notice the blue glow from the TV. When someone starts to sing she stops and watches intently. When they stop she goes back to playing. If she really likes a song then she will dance .......usually something with a super fast beat. She really shakes those hips too! I don't know where she learned to do that. It was NOT from me, that's for sure.

Having a Wanda moment....

2006-04-21T16:15:00.000-05:00

Whenever Mia does something that reminds Saylor of my mom he says she is "having a Wanda moment." We have always teased my mom about how much she sweeps. She use to come over to my house when we lived just down the road and before I knew it she was sweeping my kitchen. Even if I had just done it! Mia likes to drag the broom around and this morning I caught her sweeping. She even was trying to use the dust pan! Now if you could just fold the laundry!!!

FUN couple......

2006-04-20T10:13:00.000-05:00

*Click to see larger
These were taken Sunday afternoon. The couple was REALLY fun. I had a blast taking their pictures. The were pretty much up for anything I wanted to try. I LOVE that. They even crawled out on the waterfall. These are a just a few of my favorites. I really had to fight the sun and several pictures had a lot of shadows but I think they turned out pretty well. I hope they like them. These make me want to go back and take engagement pictures.

And on a different topic......Today is my 30th birthday. BUMMER! I just DID NOT want to be thirty!!!! I know I should have a positive attitude about it...you know the next 30 will be better than the first 30. But I just can't get the thought that I am no longer in my 20's anymore out of my head. So I have decided to do a pro and con list comparing 20 to 30.

Age 20 (1996)

Pro's

I was skinny
I was in college havin' fun!!!
I had NO stretch marks or C-section scars
I was single
I could function on less than 4 hrs. of sleep a night

Con's

I THOUGHT I was fat (wish I had dressed cuter)
I was in college writing papers and stressing over exams
I was single but wished I wasn't (if I knew I would meet HIM in just a few years I wouldn't have worried about being single SO much)
I had a roommate (who I loved) but could function on LESS sleep than me and we ALWAYS had people over.

Age 30 (2006)

Con's

Post baby fat and fatigue (I can barely walk up the stairs with out getting winded)
wishing I had the opportunity to do the things I had plenty of opportunities to do in college (Now I would take better advantage of that ceramics class I took and spend more time learning from that photography class instead of rushing off to hang out in the student center) I took them both the semester I pledged.
wishing I had gotten my degree in something besides art education....like photography or graphic design. (YES, DAD YOU WERE RIGHT....sorta)
knowing that 30 is that magic age were doctors believe you are now a high risk pregnancy or you are more likely to develp osteoporosis or whatever is included in the deteroration of your body. (I watch too much daytime talk shows)

Pros

I have a great husband and daughter
We have a house we love, the nicest car I have ever owned and we can pay ALL our bills.....on-time.
I have in-laws that treat me wonderfully and they live JUST down the road, but don't drop by unannounced.
I have parents that love my husband and actually ENJOY spending time with him and they are proud of us.
I have great friends that mean more to me than I can ever express
The most important of all......I really....really love where I am in my life right now.

So I guess turning 30 is not so bad......but can I just call it 29 +1?

Easter and a family....

2006-04-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Mia from Sunday. Hunting Easter eggs. She had the cutest green dress, but we took it off her to take a nap after church and her pigtails came out when she was sleeping. By the time we got around to hunting eggs she was so excited I didn't care about the dress anymore. At first she didn't know why we were all in the backyard watching her but after her dad showed her a few eggs then she couldn't find them fast enough.

Here are a few of my favorites from the family photoshoot I had on Friday. My favorite of course is of the baby feet and the one at the bottom of the family holding hands. It was a lot of fun. The kids were great considering the heat. I was EXHAUSTED when I got home. Who knew taking pictures was such hard work!

This should need no explanation.....

2006-04-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

All taken this morning.

Adorable little Luke....

2006-04-12T14:26:00.000-05:00

I've been working on editing some of the pictures from my photoshoot from yesterday and these are my favorites so far. He was so much fun. These are his one year pictures. I hope his parents are happy with them. His mom seemed thrilled and she hasn't even seen the pictures yet. The pool table pictures were her idea. Really cute idea. They will be great for them to enlarge and put in their game room. I can't decide between the first and the second yet as to which is my favorite, but I really love mom and baby pictures so I am leaning to the second. I'll share more later.

New outfit.....

2006-04-06T17:07:00.000-05:00

Just had to share this also. I made this for Mia yesterday. I saw one at a kid's store and they wanted $40 for it!!!! I spent less than $3.00 buying the stuff to make it with. I think it is SO cute. It is made from bandanas by the way. My poor kid is going to have a whole bandana wardrobe! I'm trying a dress next.

This afternoon....

2006-04-06T16:52:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to take pictures like these for a LONG time. I finally did it this afternoon. The one in the middle is my favorite OF Course! Thanks mom...for the use of the tub. The picture was taken in my dining room. I never have tried photos there because while my other camera is really good it just couldn't get the lighting right to get anything but dark pictures in the dining room. I love my new camera and can't wait to share more pictures.

A few from the weekend....

2006-04-04T15:17:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures from the weekend. Hopefully I can post more soon. This was at the Dallas Arboretum. It is beautiful. A perfect place for pictures. Saturday is NOT the day to go for pictures though. There were a ton of people there. I had to spend a lot of time editing people out of some of the pictures. Overall, I am really happy with the pictures and hope Rachel will be too. Rachel was my college roommate and it is so cool to watch our daughters play together. It was a good weekend!

* I think if you click on the picture you can see a larger version.

The first pictures....

2006-03-30T16:03:00.000-06:00

I got my new camera yesterday afternoon. Here are some of the first pictures taken with it. What a difference. I love the camera I already had, but this one just does amazing things. It makes yellow, overhead lighting look like natural light. I have almost NO blurry pictures. Even without the flash and very little light I can still get it to take a picture worth showing to someone else. AMAZING!!! I haven't gotten to play with it that much today. I have been cleaning house. I have company coming tomorrow. When I started the dishes this morning I discovered we had NO hot water. So tomorrow Saylor is taking the day off to fix it. I hope it is just the heating element and not something more serious. Cross your fingers for us that we don't have to host our guests with no hot water. More pictures coming soon.....

Coming soon......

2006-03-24T10:52:00.001-06:00

To my front door!!!!!! Ordered it yesterday. We have been waiting for the right time to order it. After setting up 3 photo sessions in the last 2 days we decided it was the right time. I also have 2 more people that are interested they just want to wait for warmer weather. Once I have the scheduled appointments paid for the camera will also be paid for. I am so excited about my new hobby/business. It is such a difference from teaching high school. I have had so many people that are excited for me and I appreciate their help getting started. Keep Mia in mind....the poor child is going to be blind from the flash. She will probably have to see a therapist later in life and her session will begin with......"my mom would NOT stop taking pictures of me so I am terrified of cameras...."

Early Easter pictures....

2006-03-13T16:04:00.000-06:00

Yesterday after church we took pictures of Mia. I wanted some "Eastery" pictures to put on my website. It was SO windy I didn't think I was going to get any good ones, but I got a few. I tried using Photoshop to tweak the color a bit. I think they came out o.k. I am really pleased with the one below. It's my favorite. Quite a different twist on the normal Easter picture. I will of course take some with the eggs, etc. I just though the bunny sculptures would be really cool. I might have to blow the bottom one up to frame for the house. It is just screaming to be a HUGE framed photos.

Poor Thing.......

2006-03-10T10:53:00.000-06:00

Need I say anymore? This poor girl is tired of having her picture taken. At least she was this day. I just can't help it. She is the cutest little model I can find.

My first PAYING customer.....

2006-03-08T15:28:00.000-06:00

I think they turned out well. Not bad for a point and shoot. Can't wait to get my SLR camera. Imagine the pictures I can take with that! I have had a few people contact me about doing weddings. I think that might be fun. I'm just nervous that I might mess it up. I will definitely make sure I have my backup point and shoot and I will probably take a couple disposable cameras just in case. Ha, ha. That's funny to think about. I'm the professional photographer that takes disposable cameras as a BACK UP.