Gorgeous Fashions from Two Elles – West Houston Fashion Photographer

This fall I’ve had an opportunity to do a little bit of photography for a trendy new  boutique called Two Elles.   Oh my goodness! Talk about FUN and CUTE STUFF!!

The hardest part for me has been staying disciplined, because I would LOVE to keep nearly every one of their absolutely ADORABLE clothes and accessories for myself.  Well, maybe not the short dresses because, face it,  My time for those has passed and  nobody wants to look at my white 50 plus year old legs — but the rest of it ….. Oh YEAH!   Check them out!  You’ll find some great gifts as well as a few goodies for yourself!  I promise!

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Their ever-evolving selection is always available online at twoellesboutique.com, but you’ll have a chance to see and touch these gorgeous fashions  for yourself this weekend and on into the holiday season at several area market events!   Starting RIGHT AWAY they’ll be at the Celebrations Gift Market at The Great Southwest Equestrian Center right here in Katy  on October 24 and 25.

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When you stop by, Tell Meredith, Hannah, Caitlyn, and team that Shelly sent you.  And if you want a sneak peek at the newest fashions as they become available, be sure to follow all the latest news at their facebook page!

 

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If you miss out on this event, you’ll also have a chance to check out the Two Elles goodies at the following Holiday markets thoughout the season.

October 24-25 – Celebrations Gift Market  – The Great Southwest Equestrian Center, Katy, TX

October 29 – Beth Yeshurun Day School Market – 4525 Beechnut, Houston, Tx

November 1 – Wilchester Market – 13618 St. Mary’s, Houston, Tx 77079

November 15 – 2014 Mom’s Holiday Market – The Woodlands College Park High School, The Woodlands, TX

November 21-23 – Home for the Holidays Market – The Merrell Center, Katy, Texas

December 5-6 – St. Nick’s Market – December 5-6 – 7901 Bay Branch Dr., The Woodlands, TX

I have had the best time EVER in my Two Elles  photography sessions, and I feel like they help me stay up to date on the latest trends that my portrait clients — particularly high school seniors will want to know about. Can’t wait until our next shoot date!

 

 

Boots, Buckles & Bolos Gala for HNWCC- Houston Event Photographer

I’m so proud of the people I worship with.  They saw a dire need in the area surrounding our church building a few years ago after a local  social services organization closed its doors, so they stepped in and started helping out as they could, eventually creating an amazing locally-driven non-profit resource.  The Houston Northwest Community Center is only about  five years old and is probably best known for its neighborhood food pantry, but it also hosts GED and English as a Second Language classes for neighbors in the area.   In the summer, HNWCC provides day camp activities for children and now  it’s starting up an after school reading and learning program for middle schoolers.

It takes more than good will and good hearts to keep an organization like this running, and just this past weekend, HNWCC hosted its third annual Boots, Buckles & Bolos Fundraising Gala.

What a lovely evening.  I got to hang out with some great friends and make even more new friends over good food, fun and games, and of course a competitive live and silent auction — all to raise money for the programs at the center.

While HNWCC is  heavily based on and around the campus of Bear Creek United Methodist Church, it  is not strictly a church-ministry.  It’s a community organization dependent upon widespread  support from , health and civic organizations, other churches,  scout troops, etc.  And they would be THRILLED  for you to become involved as well. To learn more about HNWCC and how you can help, just visit their website by clicking  anywhere on this  page where it says HNWCC!

Here are a few photographs from the  gala evening. To see more, CLICK HERE

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This is the gala committee and these are also some of the HNWCC's hardest working year-round volunteers

This is the gala committee and these are also some of the HNWCC’s hardest working year-round volunteers

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Looks like fun, doesn’t it?  Learn more about how YOU can get involved by visiting HNWCC.org or just come on out to Bear Creek UMC any Sunday morning to get acquainted with these smiling faces in person!

Check out the rest of the photos from the Gala HERE — and order your favorites to help provide support for the wonderful programs of HNWCC

Happy BIRTH Day – Katy Houston Maternity Photographer

What’s on my  mind tonight?

It’s this super sweet family.  Tomorrow they will increase their family size by FIFTY PERCENT!  2014-10-14_0003

That’s right!  Fifty percent!  Sometime tomorrow Baby M and Baby H will join their two big brothers in one of the sweetest young families I’ve met in a very long time.

"OH Daddy, what have we gotten ourselves into?  I don't know, but it's going to be SWEET! "

“OH Daddy, what have we gotten ourselves into? I don’t know, but it’s going to be SWEET! “

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Tomorrow is going to be  a great day for being born!  Friends, please join me in praying for a safe and healthy delivery for two new little Aggie Girls!

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Every Woman Needs To Do This – Katy Houston Photographer

Ladies, I’m going to ask you a very important question.

When is the last time YOU took the time to have photographs taken of yourself?

I don’t mean just a quick vacation snapshot or a bathroom selfie.  I mean, when is the last time that you put the effort into it and worked with a photographer who would consult with you on wardrobe then bring in a  hair and makeup artist to enhance your very best features — a photographer who would take the time to coach you on posing and who would light you beautifully?

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Chances are it’s been a very very VERY  long time if EVER!

After all, you’ve got other things to worry about.  The kids are growing up and about to leave the nest. You work full time and then you volunteer for umpteen organizations that push you and pull you every which way.  Or,maybe you think  a special portrait session would be nice, but you’re uncomfortable because this would be pampering in the ultimate form — and you would feel a little bit  narcissistic going in.  And of course there are those extra few pounds that you want to drop first.   — Yep.  I know. I’ve heard it all.

But think of it another way.

What would you give to have a collection of lovely photographs of your own mother or your grandmother at the age you are right now.  Being photographed at your best — at the age you are NOW is probably one of the greatest gifts that you can give to yourself AND to the people who love you the most.  HECK!  If you’re fortunate enough to still have your mother or grandmother, wouldn’t you love to have a collection of beautiful portraits of them NOW?

So…  let me tell you a story about something that happened not too long ago in my studio.

Thanks to the social media phenomenon, I reconnected by Facebook over the past few years with some people that I had not heard from in a long time. Among them were people that I went to high school with.

One night I received a private message from one of my classmates asking if I would take pictures of her.  Honestly, I didn’t think it would happen.  We went to high school together in Midland, graduating about 35 years ago.  She’s a nurse, living and working in Fort Worth.  My studio is in Houston.   Texas is a huge state y’all.  That puts us at about a five hour drive apart.

We talked, and she confided that she was nervous about the whole concept but  that she felt like she could TRUST ME with her image.  Like so many women, Tami is very good at caring for other people  as a critical care nurse.  She has spent countless years putting  the needs of her patients and her family before her own. She had not been good about treating herself with the respect she deserved.  She was one of the myriad of women who struggled with body image and with not feeling pretty — OH MY does that sound like YOU?  I can certainly identify!

We scheduled an appointment, and consulted further by phone.

AND THEN —

IT DID HAPPEN.

Tami took my  advice. She shopped for new clothes and accessories. She had her hair cut and colored and she got a manicure too.  She made arrangements to come to Houston and to stay in town the night before and the night after our session so that she would be rested and relaxed the morning of our appointment.   I cleared my schedule so that we could preview her portraits before she had to go back home.

AND THEN She drove from her home in Fort Worth to Houston.

BEFORE — well sort of. This was actually a snapshot of a happy Tami the day AFTER our portrait session. This is how she looks on a normal good day. Don’tcha just love that sweet smile?

A huge part of our Elegance portrait sessions at SPCcreative Photography  is a professional hair and makeup session, and one of my favorite makeup artists is  Rachael Elise Walker, owner of Elise Artistry.  Rachael comes right to my studio where she brings her sweet calming personality, her airbrush makeup tools and her arsenal of colors and brushes  and hair tools and her amazing skills.  Her work is nearly magical!

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As we previewed the photographs the next day, I caught a tear sliding out of Tami’s  eye, and my own heart danced as I reached for the Kleenex box.   — YES!  Tami finally saw how beautiful she really is and THAT is the most joyful part of my job.  THAT is what I strive for every day.

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It was so much fun catching up with Tami after all those years. Yes, we both still have remnants of our 17 year old selves, but we both have developed deep rich character traits that only come with age and experience.  I learned about her family, and how much she absolutely ADORES her neices.  We caught up on mutual friends — and decided that the folks who grew up with us in Midland, Texas back in the 70’s are genuinely a special lot — and that we are indeed blessed.

Looking at these images makes my heart happy.  I want to do it again but this time I want to do it for YOU.  Give me a call. Let’s talk!

Wedding Week for Hollie and John-Katy Houston Photographer

This is such an exciting week!

Hollie and John are getting married on Saturday, and I can hardly wait for their big day to get here.

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 It rained on us when they came to town for their engagement session, so we caught a few quick images at the park with umbrella and boots, but the skies really opened up, so we skedaddled back into the studio to finish up.

They say that rain on your wedding day is good luck, so we’ll go ahead and claim that luck from the engagement shoot as even more good luck to come.

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 This wedding is very super special to me — and NOT just because Hollie is a stunning redhead like yours truly.  It’s special because Hollie was my very first senior client EVER!

I had met Hollie and her mom through the Taylor High School Cross Country team when she was a senior and my son was running as a Freshman.  I attended every cross country meet that year with my camera and photographed the runners as if there was no tomorrow. That was when all that stood behind my photography business was a name, a sales tax number,  and a dream in my heart — I had a WHOLE LOT to learn about photography and about the business side of the art.

Cross Country meets take a long time, and you wander around with the rest of your team parents a LOT … so we got to be friends. Then, in the springtime, Hollie’s mom, Sarah, actually hired me — did you hear that???? HIRED ME!!! — for money — to take senior portraits for Hollie.   I don’t think I netted  $40 on that job, but I DID get paid!  It might as well have been a $4000 session as excited as I was.   To be honest, though,  I am very disappointed in those senior portraits when I look back at them today because –well, I was a beginner. Like so many people,  I had a great eye and a lot of passion, but I had barely started honing my skills.  Still, I will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be grateful though,  that Hollie and Sarah put enough  faith and support behind my dream to start my baby steps.

Now HERE’s a flashback!

Hollie and the other senior girls on the team started a tradition that lasted for several years.  They would run in the last “extras” race but would drop out somewhere along the course to get muddy before running in together.  OHhhhhhh how I loved their spirit!

 

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Hollie still plays in the mud, but in a serious way — now she wears coveralls and a hard hat as an oilfield engineer with Schlumberger.   I STILL love her spirit and sense of humor — oh and she snagged herself one of the sweetest guys EVER while she was studying in Kansas.

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They’ll both definitely be rocking a more formal look on Saturday, but I’m sure there will be plenty of spirited antics with these two — and I’ll be there to capture the whole event.

Did I say that I can hardly wait?!?!?!?

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