I know, I know we just came off Christmas Mini Sessions, but around here things are starting to move fast. In 2015, much like 2014, there are going to be many new things popping up. The first one being Hugs and Kisses Mini Sessions! YEAH!!!! I am a hopeless romantic and adore all things red. So it was only a matter of time before I added this to my calendar. Like always, it is going to be a simple set up with a few props on hand. I want showcase your fun loving child. To spread the love with this session you are going to receive a digital file that includes a customized printable Valentine bookmark that your child can share with friends. Is your heart all warm and fuzzy now?
Book your session today! It has become and annual tradition that on New Years my son picks a Christmas card from all the cards we have received from Thanksgiving til New Years Eve. First I put a number on them and then ask him to pick a number from 1 to XX. This year he picked number 13. He wanted 31, but we didn't have that many so he reversed. I wish everyone could win, but it could not have gone to a better family. Not only is this one of my favorite images of 2014, but this card design is also a Monique Curry Photography exclusive. I totally understand the desire for my clients to want to print their own cards through various retailers, but I just love being able to order these for my clients. And the best part they are a little cheaper, how awesome is that?! This family is welcoming a 3rd bundle of joy in Spring and I can't wait to capture all the sweetness. Congratulations "Y" family! I hope you enjoyed your New Years Day!
Did you make it to midnight? Not me, after a few trips up the stairs to attend to children. I decided it best to just climb in my bed and least be on the same floor when they started beckoning! THANK YOU FOR A GREAT YEAR! I can not believe it has been so long since I posted. I was so busy with Christmas Mini's that I neglected the blog. Why is the blog always the first thing to get neglected? Well there are so many new things in store for 2015 and if you are a VIP subscriber you are going to receive those fun tidbits in your email. If things look a little strange here it is because in my down time I am going to be working on giving the website a little makeover. For now seeing as Christmas is over and most of the cards have gone out. I am going to share some of my favorite photos from December over the next couple of weeks! COMING SOON..... VALENTINES DAY SESSIONS!
Seems like it was just yesterday that I traveled to Rochester, MN, on the windiest day EVER, to spend the afternoon capturing some precious moments of sweet Silas and his giggly brothers. Since then Silas has turned one and has made other physical improvements. His family is back home after a 4 month stay in Rochester. However, they recently traveled back to Rochester for a MRI to evaluate the new treatment Silas is undergoing. Here is an excerpt from a recent CaringBridge update. "All in all a great day for our family. This is the first time since getting the diagnosis that we've been able to take a breath and feel somewhat positive about our future. There is still a long road ahead, but today was definitely a turning point. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and well wishes! They do a lot to help raise our spirits, especially on the down days. Yesterday in the waiting room I was reading a book that said "sometimes God shows up and sometimes God shows off". I couldn't help but feel today that God showed up, now I am hoping that He will show off on the next MRI results! Continue praying for a miracle!" If you would like to read more about Silas please visit his CaringBridge page. Please take a moment to say a prayer for the Willey Family ~ It is a week of my faithful clients. The "S" Family has been with me for 3 years also. In those 3 years we have had 6 great sessions. We have added little ones along the way. Had a few hiccups and whole lot of laughs. Three boys would keep anyone hopping. It has been such a pleasure to watch them all grow. I can't not thank you enough "S" family for sticking with me all these years! Baby it's getting cold outside. Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest so I can see all the yummy comfort foods you are pinning this month!
This is my the 3rd Fall photographing this family. 3rd time was a charm as far as the weather was concerned. We have added a little one along the way, reused a sweater and have had lots and lots of laughs. Miss E always keeps me on my toes and her not so little sister is going to soon follow. Ok the time is flying by way too fast. This was actually my 4th year photographing this family! Thanks for the update Mom! I put mistakes in there to make sure you guys are reading the blog ;) Thank you again "P" family for choosing me year after year to preserve your family's memories. Do you reflect on what you are thankful for a little more this month than others.
What are you thankful for today? Leave me a comment below. Day 7 of the Blog Challenge "Write about a HOT TOPIC. Something that people hold strong opinions about. So I had lots of ideas on this. The purpose is to evoke some sort of following based on your opinions on a topic if I understand the course materials correctly. Sorry peeps, that's not what this blog is going to be about. If you want to get into some weird never ending debate with me on whether or not I think you should be depressed if you had the opposite sex baby than you wanted. You are going to have to "friend" me personally. Bottom line, I have super strong conservative values, not a real shocker if you have read any of this blog. I respect the rights and opinions of each person and try not to judge. What works for me may not work for you and visa versa. There now that is over with. BUT it's the last day and I am not giving up! So instead I am going to answer a reader question. "What are 5 things that every photographer wishes/wants their client to know before beginning a session?" Because I am ME I took this question 2 ways. So I am going to answer it this way, because in this post Preparing Children for a Photo Session I think I have covered 5 things that are important before each session.**UPDATE** The reader who asked the question confirmed with me I went the right direction for her question! I had to think long about this, because truthfully I have some freaking awesome clients. I really can not say that enough! However, in the super secret underground photographer society...hahaha (hear my witchy laugh) these are some of the things that get tossed around and usually make me go Yep I can relate! These are in no particular order....And please know if you have ever fell into one of these categories, it's Ok I still love you! Please, please stand DIRECTLY behind me. Not to the left of me, not to the right. Right behind me, like we are awkwardly one person. Don't worry I won't be weirded out. I totally get it. You are just trying to help. Sometimes it is essential and other times just standing behind me relaxing is fine. I love a picture where a kid is not looking at the camera. What I don't love is a forced smile directly at me and eyes totally somewhere else. "Photoshop" is not a miracle. Adobe Photoshop is a wonderful tool and can be used to adjust and fix different issues however, if you want the LA model experience you have chosen the wrong photographer. And guess what you probably don’t realize is that you’re already gorgeous & that your children love you for who you are. So just embrace it and don't spend your whole session going on and on about how much you hate how you look. Every session is different. As is every photographer. Photography is a form of art no different than a commissioned painting, we just use a different type of brush. Each photographer has their own style and if you don’t like what you see on my web site chances are that I am not a good fit for your family. While I love, love Pinterest, she and I have had our rough patches. I do encourage people to share their boards with me to help me understand their vision, but it has happened that I am hired by client and then forwarded a Pinterest board that does not reflect my style or visions as a photographer. Please, don't expect me to change my style to match your Pinterest board. Please choose your photographer based on their style. There is just no reason I can come up with that you need to see all 250 snaps taken at your session. Trust me, I pinky promise I won't keep any of the good ones for myself. Please don't sweat the small stuff. If little Lilly has a hair out of place, but is finally sitting nice like you want her to. Now is not the time to start fiddling with her. Don't worry I will tell you if I want you to adjust something if I am unable. We all have vision of exactly what we want, but reality is that it is just that a vision. Sometimes when dealing with children it's best to just roll with it! Well there is some of the not so glamours part of being a photographer. Above all when my clients come to a session I want them to relax and have fun. I want them to leave thinking that was not bad at all. When ever I take my own children's pictures it is a HOT MESS! They don't listen. They give me the smile they know I want but their eyes and minds are elsewhere. One is always off cue. The list goes on and on. They know all my tricks, so that is hopeless. They know all buttons, so that is just annoying. Some years I hire a photographer to take them and other years I don't. Well last night after a particular "vision" I had in my head went down the toilet I was feeling a little defeated. I was like really, how bad is it going to look if I can not even get a decent picture of my 3 kids together for a Christmas card ? Well by the time we got home and I was backing them up and looking at them. I was just laughing at all their crazy little faces, the attitudes, the 2yr old glares. Yep, these are my 3 crazy's. Would they have done better for someone else? ABSOLUTELY! Will I accept that an imperfect group photo shows how we lived? You betcha! Thanks for sticking with me through the 7 Day Blog Challenge. I look forward to many more posts. I would love ideas on what you would like to see on the blog.
Leave me a comment if you have an idea. Many Many Blessings ~ Monique My inspiration for today's post comes from this article that crossed my Facebook news feed earlier today. 20 Things to Remember If You Love A Person With ADD. (Click the link to read it). Some years ago I went to the Dr for some concerns I had. While I was waiting in the waiting room I was reading, All You Magazine. I started reading an article about a woman who was suffering from Adult ADD. Initially, when I started reading the article some very stereo typical thoughts had buzzed through my head, but the more I read the more I felt I was the woman in the article. The woman and I had so many of the same issues. By the end of the article I was a little bit in shock, but at the same time I could remember myself thinking "Really Monique adults do not have ADD" and " I am not even sure half the kids who have it have it" . I ripped the article out of the magazine and tucked in my purse. During the Dr. visit I sat there nervously trying to get up the courage to ask him about the article. I figured he would also think I was being a hypochondriac. I mean I am a fairly together person, right? I finally pulled it out and quickly said, " Don't think I am a hypochondriac, but I read this article and what do you think? He said, "What do you think?" I remember it so clearly cause I was so embarrassed. I said, "I think people say they have ADD but very few people do" He said, "very polity that is one of the dumbest things I have heard". He went on to set me up for the necessaries and low and behold the diagnosis that come back was in fact that I had Adult ADD. After reading many articles on the subject leading up to that, I thought how ridiculous am I to form such an opinion on a subject I really knew nothing about. And again felt embarrassed and ashamed. I like to think I grew from that and try not to do that anymore. Although, all these years later I am still on the fence about it. Acceptance of imperfection is always hard. However when I read an article like this and I can literally check off ALL 20 things relating to me it makes me wonder. I mean really, I started getting anxious just checking them all off. Well there is my story. I hope it was vulnerable enough. Whatever the heck that means, but I do feel stripped down and naked. Geez, I hate talking about myself! I sent the article to the hubs, just as a little friendly reminder. Think I should make him a life size poster? ;) One more day of these crazy topics! Blessings ~ Monique **1 am update** 3 Times since I wrote this blog post I was going to delete it for one reason or another. Then this popped up in my FB news feed. I am wondering if FB has to much influence on me ;) Was it a sign? Who knows? Either way I read the message from the perspective of me telling myself this as I thought about how people might perceive this post. Happy Friday ~ Chow! Day 5. Post something that will help your readers. There were actually a few examples of the route you could take with your post. I chose the inspiring route. I love to be inspired and I love to inspire others. About 6 years ago I received a little multi-folded pamphlet that was titled 100 WAYS TO SHOW YOUR KIDS YOU LOVE THEM. This was before the time of Pinterest and pinning everything, so I literally pinned it to a wall next to my treadmill. I figured it would give me time to memorize it. Memorizing the list was easy. Remembering to put them into action was another story. Half of the list was things I think as parents we already do and the other half was just a nice reminder of purposeful things we can do. As the years went on I would move the list around to different areas of my home. After about year 3 I typed it into my computer so that if the sheet every got lost I would have it (yep it got lost). It currently hangs in my office near my printer. Don't mind the wall graphics. This used to be Baby Girl's room and I left up the sticky's as I thought they brought a little cheer to the space. Typically I am at my computer when most thoughts creep into my head. Some good, some bad, but if I look at the list and feel like I am purposefully doing these things we are all going to be OK. I created a list of 5 things I think are simple, but make a huge impact in our house. My boys love to tell me stories and lucky for me both at the same time quite often. So much that now their sister has started to tell "stories" over them to try and chime in and compete. I try to remind myself to make a conscious effort to listen and ask questions, even if I have no idea what the heck is going on in the latest Minecraft book. If it happens to be during a time I don't think I can give them full attention, I have learned to be honest and tell them now is not a good time. Otherwise I get the "you never listen to me"! My boys love when I ask them to help me cook something and I enjoy showing them how to cook. As a child I was never allowed in or near the kitchen during the preparation of a meal and thus took til my thirties (eek) to learn how to cook. Of course displaying their projects. Who does not like their work on display? And last but not least keeping promises. Ugh my nemesis. I of course always intend to, but occasionally it just does not happen. Even though I rarely use the words "I promise", just telling my kids I will do something is a promise to them. I know my kids feel awful and I feel like I have failed if I can't keep my "promise". I try to be very careful in my wording when it comes to telling my kids I will do something. When I do fall short, I use it as an opportunity to show them we are never guaranteed but one thing in life. Move on and make the most out of each day! I hope this inspired you to think of the 5 simple things you do to show your kids or anyone for that matter that you love them.
Tell me something you do to show your kids you love them in the comments below! As always much love and blessings ~ Monique Day 4 of the Blog Challenge. "Post 10 things most people don't know about you" Ok, so this topic should be super easy, right? Wrong! I think I am a pretty open book so I feel like writing 10 things is kind of redundant, but in the spirit of things I dug deep. In no particular order, enjoy this randomness! #1 My middle name is Michelle. For some reason people are surprised by that. I always ask people what they thought it was or should be and they always answer "I don't know, but I didn't think it would be that" #2 I have 3 older siblings and 3 younger siblings. #3 I attended 3 different Kindergartens as a child. #4 As a child growing up in Green Bay in the 80's, people thought my Dad was a Green Bay Packer. We used to go along with it. To be fair my Dad had a few Packer friends and we lived in a neighborhood of apartments where a few of them resided during the season so you could see the mix up. #5 I always wanted 0, 1 or 4 children. I have 3! #6 No matter where I sleep, I must always sleep closest to the wall in case there is an intruder. Yeah, I still don't know the logic to that. #7 I hold my breath when I open the fridge. I hate fridge smells. #8 I totally believe in signs. I believe we just miss them or we realize them after the fact,but I believe there are little signs everywhere! #9 I am a super emotional person, yet I am super bad at showing emotion. Just know I always care and probably too much. #10.....oh what to write..... I am seriously paused here.....5 minutes later, Ah Ha! I am 50/50. Yep it is true. For some it's obvious and for some it's not. I am 50% Caucasian and 50% African American. For some reason I get "Spanish" a lot. Can we all say Seinfeld ;) Well there you have it! True story! Today I was driving along with my Diva, it is not often that it is just her and I, I was thinking about how big she is getting and how soon we will be able to do more things like story time,etc... Then I started getting super sad ( #9 ) and feeling so bad that she was getting big, really that all my kids were getting big. We stopped at the library and as I looked over I saw my little Diva reading this book ( #8 ). I grabbed the phone so fast and snapped a picture. I mean, a real sign right there for me. I read the book a few times to her with tears in my eyes and I can't say it made me feel any better, but I felt blessed to be there in that moment with her. Thankfully my phone worked fast enough, which rarely happens, so that I could capture this moment. Thank you for stopping by! 3 more days of the blog challenge and then I will leave you alone for a while!
Blessings ~ Monique |
Archives
April 2020
|