1.  Ahhhhhhh does it ever feel good to get back into the swing of things.  This time last week I was writing about how I was still on vacation.  Fast forward to today and I have done two newborn shoots and have another one this weekend.  I love it.  I missed it.  A lot.  Of course I didn’t miss the pressure (that, admittedly I totally put on myself) that comes with editing a session, getting sneak peeks up, etc.  But oh did I ever miss shooting.  And snuggling little tiny ones….sigh.  They smell so good and they are just so squeezable and lovable.  Even if they are pooping on my new white shirt which I just bought…  But I digress.  I am BACK, baby.  Okay.  Kind of.  I go on vacation in two weeks and only have a few newborns on my schedule.  But I am back.  It’s a new year.  And I am SO ready for it.

2.  I want a new camera bag.  And i know somewhere, if Matt is reading this (which he totally isn’t) he is rolling his eyes.  I just got my gorgeous Jo Totes bag which I love love love love love.  But that is my pretty bag.  My take-it-to-my-clients-house bag.  And it’s occurring to me that we are moving out of the phase slowly (very slowly judging by the 12-16 inches of snow we are getting tonight/tomorrow) and I will need a bag for running around the park.  And my equipment has now outgrown my beloved Lowepro Slingshot 200.  The mindless easy way would be to go to the 300.  And I’ll probably do that.  But I’m only 5’4″ and that bag might be half as tall as I am…perhaps I should look around some more.  Any thoughts?

3.  I love love love this shot from last week.  Yes, that is a soothie in her mouth.  She wouldn’t give it up.  But I love the little curl of eyelash.  She had the most gorgeous curling lashes.  And I just love capturing that little teeeeeeeny tiny detail.

4.  My favorite time of the year has started.  Big East basketball season.  If you know me, you know I love sports.  Especially college basketball.  LOVE it.  And I am a Big East girl so it is very close to my heart.  We may suck in football but 7 teams in the top 25 consistently in basketball, we will take your conference on any time.  😉  But every night, I sit on the couch with my laptop working and I have a game on in the background.  So exciting!!!!

5. I have a new website that I have a feeling I will be addicted to shortly.  Pinterest.com.  I started seeing it appear on my Facebook Feed and didn’t know what it is.  But then other friends started talking about it so I joined.  Oh My Gosh.  A virtual pinboard of inspiration.  Anything you see online you can “pin” it to your board.  I have one for inspiring photography, one for food and recipes, one for house decorating ideas, one for clothing and another I am blanking on.  But it’s a giant inspiration board and I love love love it.  Right now I am just loving looking at all of the people I am following on there and their boards – some of my friends have AMAZING taste.  But check it out.  And then ask around for invitations from people.  I guarantee you will be addicted, too.  😉

6.  One extra.  I have made it a personal goal to get to 2000 fans by June on my Facebook Business page (click HERE!!!!) That is roughly 420 more fans between now and then. It’s ambitious, but I hope think have no doubt I can do it.  (I think I can, I think I can!!)  So go fan me, tell you family and friends to fan me.  I provide pretty pictures and funny commentary.  Really, what better way to brighten up your Facebook feed??  😉

And this week’s questions:

7.  How did you get into photography and how long have you been doing it?

I started taking pictures when I was young – probably under ten?  My dad had a film SLR that I thought was just amazing.  And then of course my mom had the long skinny 35mm camera.  The one that looks like a flat rectangle – I think we all had them in the 80s.  I started then and just kind of kept taking photos!  I have been in business for 3.5 years now.  🙂

8. How do you archive all of the photos you take – for clients and personal ones?

Everything goes onto two separate external hard drives as well as a DVD.  Then I print as needed from there which, for my family photos, I admit is very rarely.

9.  How did you meet your hubby?

When I was at Syracuse I was in the marching band in the colorguard (flag).  Matt was also in the band at UConn (trumpet).  I belonged to the sorority associated with the band, Tau Beta Sigma and Matt was in the fraternity at his school, Kappa Kappa Psi.  The two had conferences together several times a year and we were in the middle of nowhere in Clarion, PA when I saw him across the room in his plaid flannel.  (It was the 90’s, remember)  I said to myself “I want to meet HIM.”  So when he showed up at a party a few weeks later in Syracuse I made sure I did  😀

10.  What’s your favorite day of the week, and why?

Thursday!!!  I know for most people it’s Friday but Thursday is Matt’s day off of work so I get to spend the day with him at home and the kids are guaranteed time with him.  We try to have breakfast together after the kids have been dropped off at school.  Our original goal was to try a different diner each week since Nolan is egg allergic and we never ever get to go out to breakfast, but I keep scheduling sessions on Thursday that prevent us from going.  Oops!  Then when Nolan comes home in the afternoon I have extra work time because Matt is home!

11. Do you have an all-time favorite photo?

You know, I really don’t!  I have a few that are special to me but nothing where I am like “wow, this is my favorite EVER.”  I think I suffer from the same thing a lot of photographers do – I love my work when I shoot it.  And then when I look back on it in two weeks or two months I hate it.  Not hate.  Hate is a strong word.  But I don’t like it as much and I can only see what I did wrong.  I guess for that reason if I had to pick a favorite it would probably be a landscape photo because I could find the fewest things wrong with it that bugged me  😉