by Shelly | Oct 23, 2015 | business, women |
These ladies make people look fantastic — hands down — every single day. But not long ago I got to be the one who captured their personalities and made THEM look fabulous too. Turnabout’s fair play, and it’s FUN!
Confession time! I’ve never been one of those women who gets a regular manicure or pedicure.
I used to make an effort to get my annual spring pedicure every three or four years, and I might have sprung for a luscious bottle of lacquer at the grocery store if I thought I needed a treat, but it might have been a month or more before I ever opened it up and slapped it onto my nails. Yep — that’s just how it shook out.
Perhaps I never joined the ranks of manicure mavens because I never had any daughters to share the bonding experience with. Maybe it’s because I figured my relentless gardening habits would wreck a new paintjob before the first day was out. Mostly though, I never took especially good care of my nails and feet because I didn’t have a place where I felt like the staff cared if I was there or ever came back again.
After all, our city has a nail salon, a donut shop, and a dry-cleaners on every corner.
That’s how it used to be until I discovered Sweet Three Nail Lounge here in Katy. Owner, Kristina Luong has built a lovely little welcoming retreat. She and her staff take the time to get to know their clients, and they don’t cut corners on products or cleanliness either. No WAY NO HOW!
Sweet Three is a place where you are just as likely to find yourself sitting next to a Houston Power Broker and talking business as you will be to find yourself seated between teenage sisters and engaging in a lively discussion ranging from rescue dogs to glow-in-the dark polish to tales about the escapades of learning to drive. You are as likely to seal a contract in the pedicure chair as you are to meet a new friend who thinks just like you do.
Instead of meeting for lunch or coffee, Sweet Three has become the place for networking meetings and business collaborations.
Don’t think that Sweet Three is just a ladies hangout either. If a man is man-enough for a pedi, he will soon become a devotee of this place too.
That’s right! I’ve never been a mani-pedi sort of gal, but now I never leave the lounge without making my next appointment. I love this place and you will too.
So, as Kristina says, come have a glass of wine and get your nails done. Tell them that Shelly the photographer sent you — and that you want that glass of wine
— as long as you are old enough to legally partake. Insert smiley emoticon here!
by Shelly | Jul 28, 2015 | senior gals, senior portraits, sports |
I don’t know where to begin when I talk about Chloe. Maybe this is one of those times where a picture really is worth a thousand words.
For a little background, I’ve known Chloe’s family for quite some time, and was honored beyond belief when I got to accompany them to the airport with my camera several years ago to pick up her dad after he finished his final overseas military deployment. Those old images still bring tears to my eyes when I go back through them!
And then a year ago, I got to create Chloe’s sister’s senior portraits.
So, you probably can imagine how much I was looking forward to this photoshoot.
Chloe’s a natural beauty in that fresh-scrubbed girl next door sort of style, so even when she arrived bare-faced after school, she looked gorgeous.
Then, but after a little time in the chair here at the studio with hair and makeup artist, Cintya, she absolutely GLOWED!
We built a lovely portrait album from her session, and Chloe chose some scriptures that are special to her for several of the pages. 
Won’t she have fun looking at these and sharing them with her children and her nieces and nephews one day?
Oh, the leaf-drop! We threw leaves in the air over and over again until we could get a frame where the leaves were in the air but not blocking her face, and her eyes were open.
Of course it took us even longer because we were both laughing so hard!
In addition to being a very bright student, Chloe also runs cross country.
Chloe is a young woman who sees God’s love everywhere she looks — and she reflects that love and joy back to others thousand-fold. She’s spent her summer serving as a youth-group intern for her church, working with kids here in town and on mission trips.
Before long she will be on her way to East Texas Baptist University in Marshall where she will continue to grow in grace as she continues her education.
by Shelly | Jul 16, 2015 | dance, musician, senior gals, senior portraits |
Okay y’all, stranger things may have happened, but I believe I might be losing my mind. At least I’m a little bit sick to my stomach.
When I sat down to write my latest blog post, I realized that my site was missing a ton of senior portrait posts for the class of 2015. I blogged and posted these during the school year before graduation. I KNOW I did … but they are missing without a trace! Gorgeous kids. Fun anecdotes from our sessions. Gone. All Gone. Cyber-Gremlins, I”m sure. I don’t have an answer, but I have some calls in to some folks who know what to do in a situation like this.
I DO KNOW PEOPLE!!! We will figure this out.
In the meantime, I’ll be keeping a very close eye on my security as I bust out a few of the images from my favorite sessions of the year for a blog marathon which will probably last several weeks. Today we’re starting with Nicole!
Beautiful Nicole, a dancer, a Cinco Star, and a 2015 graduate of Cinco Ranch High School.
Hair and Makeup by Cintya Velderrain at SPCcreative Photography Studio
Oh, we had fun together. I was so glad I got to know her.
She’s smart too. She’ll be studying this fall at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Oh, Nicole. You were a joy to work with. I have to be sappy now. As you go forward into life, I hope you dance.
UGH! Did I really just say that?
Thank you Nicole! Have a great year at college!
by Shelly | Mar 5, 2014 | senior guys, senior portraits |
It’s official! My seniors simply have the most beautiful smiles. That’s all there is to it.
Meet Maggi. Taylor High School Class of 2014.
I’ve known Maggi for several years. She is one of “MY” Color Guard Gals, and I’ve always been in awe of how photogenic she is from that movie-star smile to her sparkly eyes. You can imagine how thrilled I was when she called to schedule her portrait session.
We had a little bit of fun. Maggi is quite the fashionista!
I fell in love with her gold and taupe maxi dress. It’s dressy and casual at the same time. She could wear this absolutely ANYWHERE and be the picture of class. It looked great both in the indoor studio . . .
and outside in the warehouse.
Even out in the garden . . .
Then after a quick change we hit the SPCcreative Beach House. Quaint, huh?
Her breezy orange and white top, paired with white jeans, was perfect for the beachy setting, but I’ll never be able to look at these pictures without suddenly craving a big juicy Whataburger.
Yep — Whataburger . . . that was her word, not mine. Cutest Whataburger gal I’ve ever seen.
Maggi has a style and personality that can pull off any look, from Golden-Globe-Worthy couture right down to Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Chic, and it’s been a joy to follow her through her high school career and to create her senior portraits for her.
Congratulations, Maggi, on your upcoming graduation. Spring break is just around the corner, and I hope you have a FABULOUS time and that you get in some good R&R.
The next few weeks will be a whirlwind, but at least your senior portraits are one thing that’s in the bag and crossed off your to-do list. Now, go have some FUN!
by Shelly | Jan 21, 2014 | family, kids, special project, women |
“How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it.
How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it.
How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live ’em.
How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give ’em.” — Shel Silverstein
Kathe and Shelly have been best friends just about forever. And talk about coincidence, they grew up in my old hometown of Midland, Texas but I never knew either of them until Kathe moved to Houston. We met in Bible Study and bonded over our Midland roots and Kathe’s wonderfully wise and witty take on life in general.
These two amazing ladies take the time to get together several times a year, despite the eight hours of Texas Highway stretching between their homes — AND they’ve created a tradition of celebrating their daughters’ tenth birthdays BIG TIME. So, when Shelly’s youngest girls who happen to be twins were turning 10, Kathe decided that a spa day followed by a special portrait session would be a great way to cap off their week in Houston.
What a special time in life. K & K are definitely not little girls anymore, but they’re not quite teens yet either. The lingering sweet innocence of childhood still fills their souls, but if you look deep into those eyes you’ll see the gentle unfolding of strong and wise young women.
We focused most of our session on the birthday girls, but would have been amiss if we didn’t capture this precious sweet relationship that weaves its way through two generations
— mothers, daughters, sisters, friends.
Oh what a treasure! I’m so glad that I got to be a part of their celebration.
