platypus platypus everywhere!!

Ok so when someone finds out my business name, they typically repeat it back to me very slowly, as if trying to make sense of it.

purple.... platypus pictures???

Yes. Purple Platypus Pictures. Actually, anyone close to me would find the name perfectly normal. My oldest daughter Olivia has a purple platypus that she carries everywhere. I mean, she lives for that platypus. She latched onto him when she was seven months old, and has never let go. Since January 2007, she has accumulated a total of five platypi - always purple pus (as she calls him) being the most important.

Earlier in the year, while looking at a camo bandana, I suddenly wondered if I could make a platypus. Don't ask... I tend to pick up random crafts here and there. Once I determined that I could in fact make them, I made fancy pus' for everyone for Christmas.

Olivia was in heaven!

and of course the tree

Sure I could put everything into one post... but what fun is that. ;) Our tree this year... I do need to get back to watermarking my pictures!

Our card this year

Since Christmas is literally around the corner, I figure I can share our card without ruining the surprise. The most commen response upon seeing the card... "Are all those kids yours?!?!" My answer is always the same "Every single one of them" :D I don't know how I'll ever top it! Merry Christmas!!

Awww the family

Why I attempt to take family pictures is beyond me sometimes. This isn't the one the family is getting, but come on, it sure is funny, right!?!!

the best of the rest

Alright now, I've tried to upload these pictures now for a full day, and of course my computer is acting a little crazy... perhaps the holidays are getting to it as well?

But anyways, the rest of the photos from Claires party.

Before I got the speedlight out, Tim took some pictures... and I made my appearance. Claire looks so confused by the cake!


The most common way Claire ate her cake: no hands. She actually never really even got into the cake - more just ate the icing.


Some pictures of Olivia, since she is quite lacking in the blog. She also ate her cake icing first - but she finished her whole piece. Oh and its my mom trying desperately to lean out of the picture. Lesson to everyone who hates being photographed: You thinking you look bad in pictures is all in your head. You don't. You look bad when you try desperately to get out of the shot. Everyone is most critical of themselves in a photo. You look fine. Trust me.

And one last extreme close-up of Claire. She's so cute!

Sorry for the lack of posts! The holidays are always a little crazy for me... with the working and the baking and the gift making (yeah I'm one of those people.)

We had Claires first birthday party, so it's official - she's one. She didn't dive into the cake like I thought she would... mainly just licked the icing off the top. Though her eating style was precious... hands out, face directly into cake. I only have one picture ready to show... I'll show more here either tonight or tomorrow. She's so happy!

There was an accident

Tim and the girls were in a pretty gruesome accident this weekend. Everyones ok, but the car is far from it. I figured I'd blog the pictures here, since family frequents it. I apologize for the blood.... thats Tims coat that he left behind. I'm not sure where the action figure came from - it's definetly not mine, Tims or the girls!

Purple Platypus and Green Platypus both made it out of the accident relatively unharmed... but Mickey.... well he lost a foot. Olivia keeps asking where his shoe is, the poor thing.

My baby is really one!

So here's Claires invite I made for her (I think all of the family has gotten theirs by now... if not, SURPRISE! This is coming in the mail to you!) Just in case the quote is too small to read, it says:

Girls are made of sugar 'n spice

Everything sweet & everything nice

Girls are ruffles, bonnets and bows

Dimpled smiles and dancing toes

They're tears and giggles, dolls and curls

Thats how it is with little girls

When I showed Abby the card at Thanksgiving, she said she wanted the same thing for her graduation invites... she meant the naked pose, but the more I think about it.... How cool would it be to do it with all your school pictures! Like in this card, we have one picture for every month of Claires life... we could do one school picture for every year! And the center picture be the senior picture! Abby you reading this??? I know Mema makes you ... I think it's an awesome idea, and we should run with it! And if you say no, I'll just drive to Upper and get the pictures from Mema herself (she'd hand them over, I'm sure of it!)

I'm Thankful

For being a photographer, I'm terrible at taking pictures at family events. I tend to leave every holiday thinking to myself Man I didn't take any photos! I think it's because I like to be in the party... and the photographer tends to be on the outside of the party. That, and my family just hates having their pictures taken (so many people glaring in one photo... it's scary man!)

I took out my camera with intentions of only photographing the rare-Abby sighting... but had to take pictures of Claire and the dishwasher. It was like her and the dog Nubie were fighting over it. She kept that spoon the rest of the day.


While I have no photos of her, Olivia was very good this year. And I am so thankful for that! I love Thanksgiving, and this year was awesome! Only 28 days to Christmas!!

Abigail did dishes!

Christmas isn't the only holiday known for magic and miracles... they can happen on Thanksgiving too! I managed to capture a rare event... Abby helped out! In the KITCHEN!

I know, I know, you might need a moment to soak that all in. I'll post another Thanksgiving gem (Claire also in the midst of dishes) shortly...

the holidays begin

While talking to my stepmom on the phone about the photos she wanted to order, she mentioned ordering a bunch of this one photo to use in her Christmas Cards. I love designing cards, and don't get the opportunity to do it as often as I'd like, so I asked her if I could give designing hers a shot. She loves them!

Front:


Inside:

I keep joking that I'm going to try to insert my children in every card I make (watch out!) ;) This is actually the first time I've made a folded card, and I'm really excited to see how it turns out.

Here's a Christmas survey!

I have no pictures to share just yet, so instead I'll fill out one of those surveys you get all the time in emails. Get to know me, Christmas style!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I definetly prefer paper... actually if I could make soap opera boxes every year, I would (a box with a lid that's seperately gift-wrapped, so there's no actual tearing of the paper)

2. Real tree or Artificial? My allergies and my animals make it so real trees aren't practical.

3. When do you put up the tree? Typically the day after Thanksgiving, but we may do it this weekend this year, since I have no photoshoots scheduled.

4. When do you take the tree down? That first weekend in January.

5. Do you like eggnog? I love it!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmm, I'm not really sure. I remember the year my mom got my sister and I Cabbage Patch dolls. Santa doesn't wrap his presents, and that year he got us each a doll crib with our names painted on it, and a Cabbage Patch doll in the crib. I guess my mom searched forever to find dolls that looked like my sister and I. Well Christmas morning, my sister and I ran for the opposite girls doll (not knowing it was the opposite girls) - we saw the names on the cribs, picked up our doll, and moved to the proper crib with what we felt was the right doll. My mom was so annoyed at the time, but I think its kinda funny.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Oh my Dad hands down!

8. Easiest person to buy for? Aunt Sue.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? We have a Little People one. I think when the girls are older, I might invest in a nicer one (I'm afraid they'd play a nice one to death right now)

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Oh mail hands down - it's my favorite part of the entire season! Mail almost daily that isn't bills!!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I appreciate everything given to me, because even the not so great gifts were thought of. There was a year that every single person got me some form of scented candle... I think I still have candles left from that year.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Classic Grinch who Stole Christmas (not the remake)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Christmas very much so sneaks up on me, since I get distracted by work. If I'm making stuff, I try to start in late October, early November

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Re-gifting has happened

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I like to eat in general, so really the whole deal is awesome!

16. Lights on the tree? yes, and I prefer the multi-colored.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Mitch Miller and the Gangs "Must be Santa Claus"

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Our new tradition is to stay home for the majority of the day. We do go to my inlaws for dinner.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixon Comet Cupid Donner and Blitzen. And Rudolph. Me answering the question, though, makes it significantly easier for the next person to answer ;)

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I wish I knew what our topper was called... it's not a star - it's one of those starts as a bulb and then gets pointy at the top...

21. Open presents Christmas Eve or in the morning? Both!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? For me, it's that people don't understand how tired I am. Typically I've worked the morning of any gathering, so I got up about 12 hours earlier then you did, and haven't napped yet. It makes me more irritable then normal, and parties can get overwhelming.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love snowman ornaments for me. I get both girls an ornament from a series that started the year of their birth. My all time favorite ornaments would have to be the yearly rocking horses my mom has. I just loved them as a kid. We had most all the years, but notably missing is 1981 (my birth year)... I looked that horse up on eBay one Christmas, and it was selling at almost $200!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I like everything. I loved the year we had ribs - so fun!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Oh I'd love a lense... I might get it... I'll have to be good :)

Little 'D'

I met D's mom at an online community, and have had a couple playdates with the two of them. Little D is the same age as Olivia, but is far from the same personality. He is about the sweetest little boy ever! He was kinda shy to me at first, but loved running around the giant tree with mom. Thanks a lot you two!!

She's a pretty pretty princess

I did a photoshoot with Claire a couple afternoons ago, because I needed a center picture for her birthday invites. I'll show off the invite after I send them out (I'm way proud of how they came out, and want it to be a surprise for the family) But here's a peek at the theme of the center picture. I can't believe she's turning one!!

The Best of the Rest

So the session with my parents is officially finished. I've decided that I love their backyard... its a gorgeous backdrop, and couldn't be more convienent! The littlest kids are mine... and I just want to put out there - I did not take into consideration that my parents might want them in the photos... I swear Olivia doesn't wear that loud of clothes on a regular basis (who am I kidding... we wear that outfit once a week!!)

4th in 4th

Another person posted on their blog, a game they had seen on someone elses blog. You go into your picture files, go into the fourth folder, and then post the fourth picture. Me being curious (and having tons and tons of folders of photos) decided to give this a try.

I took pictures of Claire in my wedding dress when she was just over 6 months old. I shoot Olivia every year around her birthday in my wedding dress, and decided that I should shoot Claire on her half years with her. Don't love this shot - but hey, thats what you get when I post the fourth picture in the fourth folder.

If I can shoot them...

...I can shoot anyone! Photographing my parents is nervewracking - not because they're not loving and supportive... it's just... well I see them pretty regularly, so if I mess it up, I'm most likely going to hear about it... a lot.

but I don't think I messed it up at all! I've only been able to get to this one photo so far, but Karen, I think you're going to like a lot of them! (at least I hope so)

Five girls, oh my!

Jeni and her family were the first "strangers" I ever photographed. So when Jeni approached me at work about another shoot with just her daughters and her neices, I jumped at the chance. The girls ranged in ages from 11-18, and were crazy gorgeous! They braved the cold in short sleeved shirts for me... Thank you ladies!!