Girlfriends Gather to Giggle as They Fight Domestic Violence

A “Big Girls Pajama Party”  That’s how it’s touted, and it’s really a great way to describe the Girlfriends Giggle, held every year in Sugar Land to support the Fort Bend Women’s Center.

Where else can bunches of professional business-women run around in matching Jammies while they get manicures, pedicures, henna tattoos , massages, and more?

They shop, they eat and drink, they laugh . . . and of course they  all  stop by my photo booth for a group portrait.

This is one event where humor and creativity rule, and I’m so proud to be a part of  it all for three years in a row.

Some of my favorite groups at Giggle included the Village People; my Lovely Charlies Angel Assistants - Susan, Heidi, and Rebecca; The Get Your Giggle On Pajama Contest Winners; and The Charming Ladies of Mardi Gras.

Coming back to GIGGLE year after year, one of the greatest rewards is hearing people say how much they enjoyed the photographs that they ordered over the last two years. But the REALLY REALLY best part is getting phone calls from these ladies afterward when they schedule their weddings, family portraits  and  powerful-sexy lady boudoir photography parties.

Now THAT is a RUSH!

The Bale Law Firm ,  acts as a major sponsor of the event, providing  a nice chunk of funding to make the GIGGLE possible, and their ladies have come by my booth every year for pictures. Now they tell me that they have a whole collection of Girlfriends Giggle photographs on display in their office. How’s that for community spirit! I love these ladies  enjoying milk and cookies above with bright shiny smiles, tiaras and  red satin jammies.    One other sponsor that was oh-so-fun to meet was Jan Loggins of J Loggins Jewelers She provided a lovely bracelet as a doorprize, and here she is  above with her team and the lucky winner!

Okay . . . a few more  favorite groups from the evening.

Did YOU get your Giggle On this year? If so, you’ll want to be sure to pick up your Giggle Portraits before the end of March.

Just scroll to the top of this page, go to PROOFS and then select EVENTS.

If you didn’t get to Giggle this year, there’s always 2012.  Start planning NOW so that you will be in on the fun too!

We Trashed the Dress on the Vegas Strip

It’s DEFINITELY NOT your mother’s wedding portrait.

Oh my!  I can’t believe it’s already been a whole year since we ROCKED the Vegas Strip at the 2010 WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) conference and trade show. Thinking back made me want to resurrect some of the photographs I took a year ago.   I made some fantastic friends that day and just thought it was about time to share these never-before-seen images.

A  photoshoot sponsored by the Chicago Trash the Dress group was probably one of my favorite activities of the whole week.We met at the pedestrian overpass near our hotel before splitting up with our gorgeous models for two whirlwind hours of traffic-stopping fun.   Trash the Dress is  not just for models.  Every day more and more brides are scheduling after-the big-day sessions with their photographers to go out and  PLAY in their super gorgeous dress.  The end result — yummy, sexy, sultry, playful, joyful  and daring art.   Contrary to the name, we don’t actually “trash” or ruin the dresses, but they might get a little dirty or wet., but most wedding dresses today fare very well in the wash.  This is nothing like your mother’s or grandmother’s  wedding portraits.

Here are a few of my favorite Trash the Dress images from that afternoon   —  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.    Want to put on YOUR dress again and go “trashing?”  Give me a call and we’ll set you up.

A Senior Album Keeps Memories in One Place

How exciting for the class of 2011!  You have just started your final semester of high school.  It’s going to fly by too, so buckle up for the ride and have a great time.

When I get to schedule band kids for senior portraits, I always get super excited.  It means they’ll probably show up with musical instruments and maybe  even their letter jackets in addition to a great selection of clothes and personal props.  Fort he record, flute players always hold a special place in my heart. That’s because I was once one myself, — but that was back in the day when we rode dinosaurs to school.

It doesn’t hurt at all if these kids  are drop-dead gorgeous like Hillary.    She was such a natural, self-assured and fun to work with.  We changed clothes several times, and laughed  lot while we tried out some of the brand new background sets that my wonderful husband recently built for me.

The end result?  Some awesome wall portraits for her parents, personalized graduation announcements, and a beautiful hard-bound coffee table book that I am delighted to share here.

Pretty Portraits in the Park

The Waller girls and their mom were in town visiting grandparents a while back, so we met at Katy Peckham Park for a photo session.  Such pretty and very sweet little girls.

Believe For Make-A-Wish

Dear Santa,
Plese Helpe Peple.

Little Erik’s letter absolutely made my day so I couldn’t help but share it with you too. Erik was one of many kids across the country participating this week in Macy’s “Believe” campaign to help raise funds for Make-A-Wish.

My friends, Jennifer Evans and Susan Schmaeling, who are handling Houston area public relations for the Believe campaign asked me to come take photographs for their media activities. No way could I turn this down and miss an opportunity to hang out with Jennifer or Susan for the morning! On top of that, the twenty-plus years that I spent working in public relations for nonprofit organizations still courses pretty heavily through my veins.

I loved that some of the kids had started writing their letters the day before we arrived so we would have letters rather than blank pieces of paper in our pictures. I loved Erik’s letter. It was short, sweet, and to to the point. But above all, it was generous and all encompassing. I also loved Adrianna’s picture. She must have some understanding of the serious issues that Make-A-Wish kids face, because she drew children with thick healthy heads of hair, bottles of medicine, and magic carpets of $100 bills. I loved seeing the artistically talented young lady who offered to help the other kids embellish their letters with drawings of Christmas trees and ornaments. I loved chatting with the little girl who told me she had made spaghetti and meatballs for some people who didn’t have any food. I could have sat in that elementary school library visiting with my new friends all day long.


Do you Believe? There’s still time to write YOUR letter.

As it has for the past two years, Macy’s “Believe” campaign invites children to mail letters to Santa using Macy’s Santa Mail Letterboxes. Macy’s donates $1 for each letter received, up to $1 million, to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. With the help of generous donors and volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 200,000 wishes in the United States since its inception in 1980. .

For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, discover how you can share the power of a wish.

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