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1.  I am so glad to be home!!  I love traveling and I certainly love seeing old friends and making new ones (and holding new babies of dear old friends!!).  But man does it feel good to come home and sleep in my bed in my house and be surrounded by my family!!  I think they missed me too Next trip is in three weeks – I leave for Chicago on August 6th and can’t wait.  I have only been there once and I was six months pregnant.  I plan to have a little more fun this time – along with of course doing sessions for some fabulous families!

2.  I love the unpredictability of newborns.  The newborn that started my trip to Chicago in August made her debut three and a half weeks early, and the newborn I am waiting here right here in RI is going to be about a week late.  Go figure.  Thankfully it shouldn’t (I reallllllly hope) affect their sessions.  I will get an extra young one (four days) and an extra old one (four weeks).  That’s all…I hope.

3.  I will have in my hands later this morning the delicious 135 2.0 lens.  I decided to rent something a little different for two shoots that are scheduled this week with older kids (14-21).  I cannot WAIT to get my hands on it.  I know that I am going to fall madly in love with it simply because Nikon has discontinued it for the moment and there is no word on when they are going to be releasing  new version of it.  Sigh.  Here’s hoping it is as magical as everyone tells me it is.  I know that I am excited for it!

4.  For an availability update, I have July 31, August 1 and August 28 left for summer weekend sessions.  I do have some availability during weekdays but those, too are disappearing quickly

5.  One from a newborn session I haven’t shared here yet…  Sometimes they can look *so* wise for just a few weeks old.

6.  I have three new baskets that I found at my new love, Hobby Lobby.  Sadly, Hobby Lobby does not exist here in RI so I had to buy them in NC and ship them north via UPS.  But I will add it to my list of pro’s for moving to NC.  Do I think it will really happen?  Probably not.  But a girl can hope.  I the meantime I will enjoy my new baskets.  I love love love them.  I have a bad addiction to baskets.  And the ironic part is that I don’t even use them that often.  I just have grand plans to…and carry them around in the back of my Tucson “just in case”  Makes grocery shopping interesting when it comes time to put the bags in the car.

7.If you were one of the people who got in on my mini-maternity sessions I have not forgotten you, I promise.  You will be hearing from me soon, I just need to get through the thick of things here which I can see happening in the next week.  I see the light wayyyy down there at the end of the tunnel of editing but it is definitely closer than it was a few days ago.

8.  Another of gorgeous Charlotte from last week.  I did three sessions with her over three days and ONE TIME I had to shush and soothe her.  That was it.  One time.  She slept like an absolute log the entire time for each session. It was amazing.  More of her photos coming probably Thursday.  I am a *little* behind on the blogging.

9.  Have I mentioned that I have two weddings coming up in the next month with the fabulous Kristina Young of Kristina Young Photography?  I love shooting with her and I adore her as a person so I can’t wait!  Both of the weddings are in Boston – a rooftop deck and then a tent wedding.  Should be SO much fun.  Tiring, and a lot of work, but fun.

10.  Last for this week – I am starting to book fall dates already.  The cutoff for holiday sessions is going to be November 15 so please be aware of that when you are scheduling you session, especially considering that I will be taking few and far between Sunday sessions after August 1.  So I encourage you to book early

1.  I have only a few dates left between now and September 1.  Really, September 18, so don’t wait to book!

2.  If you’ve been my client recently you might have noticed that my packaging is kind of “eh”.  That is because I have been winding my way through the remaining packaging that I had from my last order – well over a year ago.  Well some new packaging is on its way to me since I am now basically out.  The first thing in yesterday were my new stickers.  Yay!!  I love stickers.  (The tins are what my lab gives with them to organize them – SO cute!)

3.  Apparently Layne likes my stickers as well.  While I was wedged between the couch on my left and the rocking chair on my right I felt a little someone pushing to get through my legs and see what I had on the floor:

4.  We are thinking of a family vacation in January or February.  The first thought was a Disney cruise before I realized that I would be in a 240 sq foot room with both kids.  Constantly.  For four or five or six days.  I nixed that.  The next thought was perhaps a Disney World vacation package.  That looks like a good option for us though we aren’t sure of Disney with a two year old.  Any other ideas for where to vacation?  It will be us, a five year old and a two year old.  Probably 4-7 nights depending on where we end up going.  Of course if it is photographically beautiful that is an added bonus

5.  One from Saturday morning’s beauty – more to come tomorrow.  Is she not one of the most beautiful little babies you have ever seen?  Those eyes and cheeks!

6.  My summer part-time nanny / babysitter starts next Monday and I cannot WAIT.  I will have three days per week where I am guaranteed someone else taking care of the kids and I can work.  I can meet clients, I can do sessions, I can do editing, I can go get a cup of coffee, I can actually run my business like it needs to be run!  Yippee!!!

7.  One from the maternity Saturday evening.  This was the first from my belly casting call sessions.  Loved her!  Is the color fabulous or what?

8.  I have a few cool macro shots that I will share with you later this week on here.  Yes, it IS a spider for those of you who saw the FB page but it was so neat.  And come on – I got six inches away from it!!  That alone should make you look (this from the girl who used to clamber up onto the couch and use the floor lamp to attempt to kill the spider that was probably 1/2 inch across….)

9.  Speaking of the FB page – I have shot UP UP UP in numbers!!  As of this moment writing (Monday night) I am at 966 people!!!!!  WOW.  I do not know where they came from or how they found me and I find it so hard to believe that they all like me enough to follow me but only 34 away from 1000.  One THOUSAND people?!?!?!!!  Like my friend Lyndsay said, “It’s like xx number of people standing in a room looking at your work.”  I can’t imagine 1000.  I dreamed of getting to 500.  Now to be so close is so exciting.  No, it doesn’t mean anything but it is really, really cool.  To me.    And to Matt when I make him listen to me and gush about it.  I am trying to think of something fun to do when I hit 1000 but I have no idea what!  Any ideas for me?  Maybe a giveaway that people have to respond to on the page…..

10.  I am going to be a busy lady coming up here soon!  I have a session possibly Thursday, I leave Friday for Philadelphia, back Monday then possibly two newborn sessions next week along with a toddler sessions Tuesday afternoon.  Whew!  Then I take off for North Carolina on the 4th.  Going to be a busy, busy few weeks but I love it!!!  (I must admit though, three nights in a hotel by myself with no early morning sessions is reallllllly appealing to me right now.)

1.  I announced it on Facebook but I have officially booked my summer travels!!  I am going to three fabulous cities – one each month as it turns out.  I do have special sessions and pricing available during these session dates.  The dates and locations are as follows, to book a session while I am in town or for more information just contact me!!  And if you want me to come to your city, just email me.  I LOVE traveling!!

2.  June 25-28 I will be in Philadelphia.  It is primarily to do two newborn sessions for former clients, but I have opened three spots for family sessions.  Only three spots.

3.  July 4-7 I will be in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Again, primarily for a newborn session but I will be glad to consider family sessions as well.  I will take sessions in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Asheboro.  I also would consider sessions in Raleigh and Charlotte.

4. August 6-9 I will be in the gorgeous city of Chicago!!  Since I am not pregnant this trip, I hope to have a bit more fun than I did last time!  I am (yes, again) going primarily for a newborn shoot but will make up to four additional sessions available in the main Chicago area.  Since I don’t know the geography, I mean not having to travel outside of the city

5.  I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend!  We were off to NYC to celebrate my mommy’s birthday (I won’t tell how old she was )  We spent Saturday and Sunday there, and drove back Sunday night.  We got to visit some family I hadn’t seen in, oh, 22 years, and take in a game at Yankees Stadium.  Before the locals start an uprising, it was my sister’s plan to see the Yankees – she is the fan, I promise.  I will say though, the stadium IS quite beautiful.  The game was quite fun even though it was about 95 degrees and we were in direct sun the ENTIRE TIME.  My sunblock, sadly, did not hold up too well for me.  Ah well.

6.  A hint of what is coming tomorrow…

7.  I am booking LOTS of newborns again recently.  I think Rhode Island is having a baby boom!  So expect to see some on here.  I LOVE my newborns

8.  A hint of what is coming Thursday

9.  Tonight is Nolan’s end of the year concert at his school.  I cannot wait to see their little program!  He has told me that they are singing songs and that we “have to clap after each song.”  I certainly will   I will also be taking pictures.  And video.  And figuring out if, in fact, I *can* survive the school concerts.  For someone who used to perform constantly, I have told Matt time and time again that i absolutely dread the school concerts.  The off key singing, the horrible instrument performances, etc.  I don’t even watch American Idol <gasp> because I just cringe watching people who are anything less than perfectly on key and talented.   But I have a feeling since it’s my kid, that will change   I’ll let you know.

10.  Jane Goodall pictures will be up later this week.  I hope!!    The Institute has everything they need from me and I believe they should have archived the shots by now so hopefully I can share soon here.