Need a Lola fix?

Yeah, me too. I just happened to have the right color paper and fur throw for her outfit and she had a bath and brush out yesterday. What kind of person would I be if I didn't take advantage of the stars aligning like that? Anyway, she was such a good girl with the baby I had in studio today that I had to "reward" her. She LOVES having her picture taken which you can clearly see!

More M

You know, I would be in SO much trouble if this kid had any clue how pretty she is. On the one hand, I want her to be confident in all the areas in her life and far too often too high a priority is placed on appearance especially with girls. On the other, why shouldn't be able to have the same confidence in the knowledge that she is just as attractive as some of the other girls (ladies, you remember school, you know the ones) that walk around like peacocks, better than the others simply because some prepubescent boys have labeled her "hot" and they have more ex-boyfriends then they do iTunes? If they only knew what they were trading for that stack of exes and not to mention that the prettiest peacocks are the males and the females are actually very plain. M is a classic beauty (in my eyes anyway) and classic beauty lasts a lifetime whereas "hot" fizzles and means very little. I have tried to tell her so many times that in the Lord's eyes, she is the most beautiful of His creations and this is not determined by her reflection in the mirror, but the reflection of her heart onto others and in her relationship with Him. I guess that's kinda like telling your girlfriend that the great guy you set her up with is "really funny" or the always popular, "has a great personality." Why should these statements be synonymous with unattractive? I digress. With a mixture of her schedule, my schedule and typical Houston weather, I haven't been able to get outside to get some more relaxed pics of her so I played for a few minutes in the stu...

The *stu* & Office...

So I said I would post some pics of the new stu and here it is in all it's glory. The shooting area is just as big as before though I don't have a sitting area any more and the ceiling isn't vaulted so my hairlight is an issue. I need to take that chandelier down and replace it, but I can't seem to find a fixture that I like. The room does have some terrific afternoon natural light which I am thrilled about.
All my glass that I like to use indoors right at the ready next to me...Oh and I have a really cool plaque that my sister-in-law did for me that will go right above this as soon as I crack the whip on the hubby!

My very own office all to myself!! I LOVE the black and red color scheme.

My little sitting area along with some cool shelves which hold my back-up cameras and outdoor lenses that are a bit too heavy for the shelves in the stu. I know the wall is a little barren and I am thinking of a shelf with some lighting for right there..hmmm...

My oldest...

Oh my gosh, I just love this kid so much. Even through the pre-teen angst and drama, I cannot imagine that there's a better 12 year old anywhere. Last night I started what I hope will be the first of at least a few "sessions" with her since I haven't taken any official pics of her in quite a while. You know what they say about the cobbler's children? Well, it's often true about photographer's children as well.

This one is probably my favorite :)

Since you asked...

I have had some requests to posts some pics of the new house and since I needed to take some of M's bathroom for some cool vinyl wall lettering, I thought I would post them here as well. Maybe tomorrow I will post some of the new stu and office...maybe ;-)

P.S. I am not a big fan of the fuzzy toilet seat covers, but all my kids seem to have this strange fascination with them and begged to have them for their seats...to each their own I suppose ;-)

Bounce...

Now that we have a yard with plenty of room and given the fact that according to M, EVERYONE has one in their backyard, we broke down and got them a trampoline. And when the time came to assemble it, the kids were more than willing to help. Before anyone runs out to report us as bad parents, YES there is a safety net and it was put up after I let them jump one at a time so a) they would stop asking and b) I could get some cool shots (and there are LOTS)
Our Project Manager...
And his supervisor...

Day laborer...Going over the plans...

Workin hard...

Finally, the reward of a hard day's work...

Snooping on the neighbors...

The twist...

Check out that hair...

Hang ten...

And this is why we have to make sure that Miss Lola is not outside alone...

See, I told you there was a safety net...

Looks like a great smile doesn't it? The fact of the matter is that he is so pleased with his great many talents but this one above most. You see, he was belching out the spelling of his name...niiiiiice.

She's all that...

I am seriously lacking with my studio feel lately even though I have shot it most often. I guess with all that's been going on, I feel a bit stale in the creativity department so I have decided to torture the kids more often. I haven't taken M's "birthday" pictures in so long that I have already warned her those are coming in this long weekend and last night while waiting for a client, I did some with L who is almost always willing. I am having issues with hairlight placement since the ceilings are lower in my new stu and I need to have the chandelier replaced with a more flush mounted light fixture as well. Sigh. It'll all come together sooner or later...right?