A New Beginning...

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm 2 weeks into the workout/diet routine and so far so good. I haven't missed a day, I feel like shit, everything in my body hurts. This sucks, but it's good. I've lost a few pounds, that keeps me motivated! The smoking, to be honest I'm doing terrible. It may be the hardest thing I will ever have to do. I've done it before, I know I can do it, I just have to want it more.

Other changes for this year.... this is a hard one. I'm going to make an effort to be a better friend and to make new friends. I have a lot of online friends. Online friends are people you can keep at arms length, tell them what you want, keep from them what you want. I've closed off a bit on "real" friends for the last few years. I've had a wall up, I've been hurt and it's hard to let people back in. To have a real relationship, but this year I'm going to make that effort. What I've realized is that you can get hurt and you can rebound and move on, forgive, get over it. That's another big one I'm working on, forgiveness. I have learned that real friends can hurt you and you can forgive them and still have a relationship. I have lost many good friends by not forgiving, you hurt me and your done has been my attitude and I really miss some of those people that were in my life and I'm going to make an effort to not let that happen again. So call me miss friendly, because that's who I will be this year, instead of running down the other aisle at the supermarket to avoid real life conversations I'm going to stop you and say hello!! I'm going to make plans to see friends more often and have some girls nights. I'm going to try to call rather than text (it's so easy to hide in this digital age). I'm going to let the inner me out in public, so beware!

So if you haven't spoken to me in a while, we had a falling out along time ago, you miss me... call me, ok, you can even fb message me, text me or email me. Just reach out because I will extend my hand as well.

Hugs!

Stacey

A photo shoot out, woot woot!!

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I attended a workshop run by Natalie Licini with Natalie teaching as well as Neil Van Niekerk and Jennifer Goldberg Rozenbaum from Jenerations Boudoir at the beautiful Casa Belvedere in Staten Island, NY.

The triage was broken up into 3 areas, Boudoir, Families/kids and off camera lighting. Each instructor being an expert in their field and there were gorgeous models for each part of the day. I learned, I photographed, I networked with other photographers and I came home exhausted, inspired and refreshed (yes, exhausted and refreshed!). Here are some of the images I captured that day. There are a ton of images here, I just couldn't scale it down. I renewed my life for boudoir and child/family photography, I got a better grasp on off camera flash and I'm excited to play!

Can you tell I love Boudoir, the light was amazing, the models... all legs! What fun. I can't wait to put what I learned into practice! Bring it on 2012!!

Hugs,

Stacey

The Favorite Picture of 2011...

2012-01-13T17:05:00.000-05:00

Drum roll please....

Donna Fingerlin:

I've known Donna for about 3 years now. I met her when she signed up to do a Boudoir Session at Bella Rose Salon with me. In walks this stunning blonde with probably the bluest eyes I have ever seen. Not only is she gorgeous but she is really, really nice and so are all her friends. This makes my job a breeze!

Then she contacted me for a family beach session. She mentioned that she had a daughter with a disability, when I asked what the disability was she told me Rett Syndrome. If you click on the link you can find out more about it. Well, they came to the beach, not the easiest place to get a wheelchair on, but Donna's husband Rich lifted Kaitie so gingerly and put her down for her photographs. Then he stood behind me and made so many funny faces, making all the girls laugh. It was so touching, how warm and tender he is with his girls!

At this session Donna told me about the walk-a-thon, all donations and money raised went to the New Jersey Rett Syndrome Association. I went and walked and got to spend more time with Donna and her beautiful family and friends. The support that everyone around her shows her is just amazing, which says so much about what kind of special person Donna is. I just thought maybe you too would want to make a donation, so here is the link to donate.

Of course another year went by and Donna called me again to do her family session. This year we picked a field and did a "sofa session". I think the whole family enjoyed this, the weather was perfect and they are one of my favorite families to photograph.

Have you ever seen bluer eyes than this family?? So, that was 2010, 2011 Donna contacts me again. Let's do our family photo and that brings us to our winning favorite picture of 2011!

Donna's girls. Kaitie recently had surgery and she is doing well, this picture is going to hang in her room. Donna's girls!! Here's a few more from this session, these girls are so amazing. Livvy and Vanessa have such a wonderful sense of humor and zest for life. The love in this family is so evident and I'm so glad I get to capture it for them!

So there you have it, Congratulations to the Fingerlin family!

Now, I also want to congratulate the Principato family, who gave those Fingerlins a run for their money. They were neck in neck the whole time, and although they did not win the 16x20, they had amazing grace and kindness, so they are going to get an 11x14 print of their gorgeous kids.

and our family that won the free session is Argie Panzarino. Congrats Argie! I want to thank all of you who took the time to vote, I know that everyone drove you crazy, but it much appreciated on my end and I know it is very appreciated on your friends and family side as well. To thank you for voting, if you book a session between now and April 30, 2012 you will get 1 free 8x10 print. Just mention favorites of 2011 and that you voted when you book your session. I'm also going to give away one more session on my Facebook Fanpage, the post will be coming later this week.

Look for so many fun things this year, more updates on my changes and goals for 2012 coming shortly. So thank you again, love to you all and I hope to see you in 2012!

Hugs,

Stacey

Changes for 2012...

2012-01-09T11:55:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are. One week into the new year and I've set some goals for myself this year. I haven't shared them as of yet, I was still rolling them around in my head, thinking about where I want to be at the end of the year.

I think I have a better idea, so I figured I would share some of it here, maybe someone else will feel motivated as well. The 2 top things on my list is to loose weight and to stop smoking. Wow, I hate even saying publicly that I still smoke, but there it is, I smoke. You know, most women look in the mirror and think about how bad they look, not me. I just don't see the weight, I see myself at like 22, 23 years old. You may say, wow, she has such great self esteem... and well, in some ways I do. I feel like I still have a pretty face, there are a few more wrinkles there now than there used to be, but overall I don't feel like I look my age. Some may say I live in denial, that's probably way more correct. I live in denial, I don't want to see the "body", I stick with the face. Of course, certain things make you face reality. Bathing suit season is one of them, having to buy clothing another size up, your zipper may get tight. Having to put a dress on for an occasion and you hate the way everything looks on you. That's pretty much where I'm at now. I hate the way everything looks on me, huge dose of reality. A dose of reality set in, I see the real picture in the mirror. I am way, way overweight. I am in the worst shape of my life. There are a million reasons I let myself get this way, and I'm sure I can list a million reason why I want to change.

A letter circulated around some of my photography friends. Here it is:

There will be no portrait photos in this post. This letter wasn’t mailed – it was at my doorstep when I got home a couple months ago. I read it, I cried, and read it again – probably a hundred times by now. It wasn’t easy to read – and honestly, as much as it validates what I do for a living – I wasn’t sure I was going to share it either. If you choose to read through the letter, you will know why I’ve finally chosen to share it.

July 2nd, 2011

Jeanine -

Today I am writing for a couple of reasons. I have some quiet time at the moment and need to get a couple of things off my mind. I will leave this for my husband to deliver to you when he is ready.

You photographed my wedding, you photographed my first pregnancy and my first baby. I contacted you awhile back to photograph my 2nd child and family. After getting prices and realizing I would want all of the pictures as we love your work – I decided against spending $500+ – which is what I normally spend for portraits and prints with you.. Please know it is not because I don’t value your amazing eye, or how much we love the experience.

That week that I decided to NOT do a session with you, this is how I spent some money.

On Sunday I called and cancelled our session. Monday I went out and got my hair cut ($39+tip), and colored ($65), Thursday I had my nails done ($24), my family went out to dinner at a somewhat expensive restaurant for no particular reason costing us $79 + tip. This was just 4 days since canceling our session, already totaling over $200 for un necessary things. My nails only lasted about 2 weeks, my hair is gone, and seven weeks passed when I got the phone call from our doctor. It was not something I expected and the cancer has spread very quickly. I will be leaving my husband, my 6 year old girl and my now 2 year old – not by choice. It is very hard for me to talk about it which is why I need to write you.

I watch your Facebook page and your posts about the value of a photo and if I could give back all of those things that I purchased this few weeks after I cancelled my session with you, knowing what I know now, and have that session, well… I would do it in a heartbeat.

Now my time is done and there are no more chances for me. The next time someone cancels a session – my wish is that you forward this letter to them. Time is fragile, it is gone before you know you had it. If you charged $200 for one print it wouldn’t be enough for what it is actually worth. I cringe to think that my priorities were a manicure over a memory to pass onto my babies and husband.

My love and thanks for what you have given us from past photos. I am so sorry that I did not see it as more than paper until now.

Karen L.

I read this letter and of course I thought about how important it is to be in pictures, whether you get professional portraits taken or you take your own. But what I found more important is that I want to BE THERE! I want to be there to watch my kids grow, I want to be there to hold my grandchildren, I want to be there to celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary. I don't want to miss a thing. I know there are some things with our health that we can't control, but there is so much we can control. The biggest killer of women is heart disease, here I am a smoker and overweight. I'm a ticking time bomb. I know that I maybe can't prevent certain diseases but I can take preventative measures for heart disease. This is the time, I'm going to do it. I started by joining a group called Max Fitness which is a 10 week fitness/diet program. Today was day 1, I hurt. I came home and I wanted to throw up, no joke. I was worried that I would literally drop dead in the class. But guess what, I didn't. I made it through. I am following the diet plan and my goal is to lose at least 40 lbs. maybe more. My other goal of course is to stop smoking! I'm starting by cutting down, hopefully I can consider myself a non smoker in the next 2 weeks or sooner.

So, there it is. I put it out there, I'm going to change my life. Although I'm not quite ready to share my before picture, but I took it and I'm sure I'll post it when I start to see a change.

As for my other new year's plans, well you'll have to wait to the next blog post. This is too long already! Wishing all of you a happy and healthy new year! Set your goals and make it happen!

Hugs,

Stacey

The 2012 International Charity Model Search

2011-12-29T16:09:00.002-05:00

The Memory Studios is participating in the Charity Model Search to select America’s Cutest Kid and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation. (NILMDTS.org)

Is your child America’s Cutest Kid? We’ll give you the opportunity to prove it! The prizewinners will receive a generous savings bond and gift cards!

Model Search Special:

$50 entrance fee includes a 30-minute model session and one image submitted to the international gallery.

Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS.org). The top 25 vote receivers will move on to the final judging round to determine the winners.

Grand prize winner and runners up will be determined from the 25 finalists. The winner and runners up are selected by photography experts.

Call 732-688-3678 now to enter your “Cutest Kid” in this exciting contest.

*Contest open to residents of the US. For more information, visit http://www.charitymodelsearch.org.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing many of you again this year, let's hope The Memory Studios can get a winner!

Hugs,

Stacey

My favorite pictures of 2011

2011-12-25T10:56:00.000-05:00

As this year comes to a close, it's time for The Memory Studios favorite pictures of 2011. I have so many favorites from this year and I've loved getting to know and photograph you and your families this year!

So, how do you vote?? Go to our facebook fan page and like our page. Then click on photos and look for the album that says favorites of 2011 and click "like" on the pictures you like.

Here are some of the rules:

1. If you've had more than one session with us this year, we will only post from one session.
2. If you've had multiple children we try to post a picture with all your children so you don't have to split your votes.
3. You must like both the memory studios fan page as well as the picture for your vote to count.
4. New accounts on FB will not account, must be an existing account.
5. You can share this with family and friends to vote, but this is not a contest run by FB.
6. Winner will receive a 16x20 print of the picture in the album, there are no substitutions or cash value in exchange for print.
7. Contest will end Jan. 10, 2012.
8. Comments will not count, only "likes".
9. You must have made a purchase in 2011 for your picture to be used in the favorites of 2011 contest.

Here are some of my favorites, but be sure to go on Facebook to view and vote on them. Winner will be announced on Jan. 12,2012.

I want to thank all of my amazing clients, friends and family for making 2011 such a great year. I am looking forward to 2012! Wishing all of you a happy and healthy new year!
Hugs,
Stacey

I can cry if I want to...

2011-09-09T08:21:00.001-04:00

Yes, I find crying kids funny. Now, please don't hate me, I don't mean anything bad when I say that. I too had crazy new mom syndrome with my first and I couldn't bare to let him cry. Of course with my second I had crazy go cry where I can't hear you syndrome (he was in his terrible two's- now) when I started to feel that way. Now that I am older and calmer (maybe just a little calmer) I actually find crying kids adorable.

All kids cry, we don't live the perfect lives that we want everyone to think we are living. Especially when you a child is having his/her picture taken, well that sounds like I don't want to look at the camera and maybe even a good tantrum time to me, and yes, I will continue to take pictures, and yes, that will make them scream even more! I am that cruel, not really, but it does make them even more hysterical. (I love that mom bought this picture below).

Yes, I know parents, you are starting to feel that panicked feeling, that feeling that I paid for this session and my kid is going to cry or not co-operate the whole time. I too have felt that way. Sometimes kids cry because they are babies, and babies cry. Especially during a newborn session, we undress them, put them in positions that are weird, move them right when they settle in. They are going to cry and it's ok.

It's who they are, it is part of being a kid. Babies and kids cry, sometimes for no reason at all. And guess what, I still find it cute. Something about that baby scream, hands flailing, mouth open wide. It's a baby scream, and guess what, I want to remember that. Maybe not in every picture, but one, I want to remember it!

Sometimes, you are just too crowded and you have to cry. Cute, and I want to remember it!

Now, if you wait, let them calm down, maybe even leave the room and let me hang out with them, they will calm down. They will take a breath, relax and you will get the pictures that show the eyes, the emotion of just finishing having a good cry!

And guess what, I want to remember it! Live is not perfect, my kids still throw the occasional tantrum and I probably cry more than they do now. Even if it drives me crazy, it will pass, one day they will be grown up, married with their own kids and I want to remember all of their childhood, the cheesy smiles, the natural giggles, the tantrums and the tears. So if I laugh, continue shooting or tell you to leave the room, relax, it will be ok!

Hugs,

Stacey

Josephine & Jay Higgins Wedding | Grand Marquis, Old Bridge

2011-09-05T11:04:00.000-04:00

Where to begin... I met Josephine at Bella Rose Salon a few years back. She is so bubbly and full of life and so in love! When she got engaged to Jay she immediately called me to book The Memory Studios for her wedding. We scheduled her engagement session and I could tell that Jo & Jay were a perfect match. They compliment each other perfectly and he absolutely adores her. We met several times to go over details, etc. and they were even my guinea pigs for an interview video that I wanted to play around with. Everything was planned perfectly, everything except the one thing you cannot control, the weather. Who knew that Irene was heading our way on their wedding weekend?

Now, I must admit, I think I had more anxiety than Josephine, I knew how much went into this wedding, the planning and prep and here we are in the path of destruction, but Josephine, she handled it amazingly well. I think have Jay their to support her, they knew it was out of their control and they weren't going to let anything like a hurricane stop them from declaring their love to each other and the world! It was a beautiful and very emotional day. The love from their families was felt from getting ready to the party. I even shed a few tears! More importantly, the love they have for each other was felt by everyone. Thank you Jo & Jay (or as I like to file you as J&J) for letting me capture the moments of your special day! A huge shout out to my second shooter Jennifer Tu for taking some amazing pictures!

Enjoy!

Hugs,

Stacey

Bigger is better sometimes...

2011-08-17T20:10:00.000-04:00

Ordering prints can be one of the hardest decisions to make. I suggest that prior to the shoot you look around your home and try to get an idea of where you want this art to hang. Is it your bedroom, over the fireplace, perhaps the babies room? Will you need prints for grandparents, aunts and uncles and other extended family? Having this in mind will definitely make the decision making process go a little easier.

So, once you know where you want to display the art, how big do you go?? Many of my clients are afraid to go big, they think an 8x10 is a large print. Let me show you what a framed 8x10 looks like:

Looks a bit small, don't you think. Let's try an 11x14, many of you think that is a really large print.

This definitely looks better, but it's still lacking impact.

Here is a 16x20, looking much better. This has some impact, but believe it or not, this space can really handle a larger print.

Here is a 20x30 framed print, looks great. Much better impact, fits the space and makes a statement. That is what you want your art to do, and images of your family, that is ART! Believe it or not, we can even go bigger....

Here is a 30x40 canvas gallery wrap. We can go large with this because you don't need a frame. I actually ordered this image for my house, I did a 20x30 canvas gallery wrap and the size looks really good, but I could have gone bigger. I know that 30x40 sounds huge, but depending on your location it really isn't.

So you see, bigger can be better.

Hugs,

Stacey

Happy Birthday to little "B"...

2011-08-16T21:33:00.001-04:00

I have been lucky enough to be photographing little "B" since before he was born, all the way up to that 1st birthday and some pretty special milestones in between! It seems as though I have known his mom forever, we first met at Bella Rose Salon. I was doing some portfolio work for them and I believe mom was one of the models. She was so much fun and full of life, we had already scheduled an "engagement" type shoot, just because she was so in love with her hubby and I knew they would be fun to work with!

Here is mom at the portfolio session, she has the most infectious smile! A few weeks later we did the "engagement" session with their baby at the time...

Aren't they a stunning couple, and how cute is that "baby"??

Then Mom contacted me to tell me she was pregnant, Yeah!! I knew they would make a beautiful baby, but first we needed to capture the pregnancy.

They both had that glow and they were all set for Little "B" to arrive! I couldn't wait to meet him!

They are just so incredible, the love that they felt for this child was so apparent, it was beautiful! Not to mention he is a great little model, even if he's only a few days old!!

Along the way I saw baby "B" for Halloween and our annual model search. His piercing blue eyes just melt me. I saw him able to lift his head, sit up on his own and start to move!!

The difference in him is amazing, watching him grow has been so special for me. He's a part of my heart!

Well, big 1st birthday, it's here! He is more than a baby now, he is a toddler and toddling he was! Baby "B" was on the move, walking, talking, being shy, being happy, being adorable!

His birthday theme was sailor/pirate and he is so sweet in his little sailor suit! You are only 1 once and it has to be special and you definitely have to document it, whether by a professional or if you do it, just make sure to break out that camera and capture these precious moments!

You can really tell he's a man when we got "B" on the couch, I can just picture him watching football with dad, let's hope he's a JET fan!!

Can you just melt, he is so sweet! Thank you to "B" mom and dad for letting me capture all these special moments and allowing me to watch "B" grow. I have enjoyed every minute I've spent with him and you know I love the two of you!!

If you are interested in information on our Baby Plan, or our Baby Plan referral program (a great and affordable way to give it as a gift) contact us. We are also putting into place our graduate program to cover 18 months, 2 year and 3 years at a discounted rate. You can reach us at memorystudios@optonline.net or visit our website or fan us on Facebook.

Hugs,

Stacey

Loaded with wonderful things!

2011-06-20T20:16:00.001-04:00

Yes, I've been busy, so so busy with all wonderful things. It of course has made it impossible to blog and work has been pushed a bit to the back burner, but I can't complain.

First I had my son's bar mitzvah. It was everything I hoped for and more. A joyous occasion to celebrate with family and friends, what's better than that? I am so proud of Tyler, words cannot even express!

Plus, I got some family photos and I'm in them!! I'm surrounded by men, just the way I like it!

Then Tyler had his eighth grade dance, which in eighth grade is very exciting. After that he had his middle school graduation. It was amazing. The superintendent talked about filling your jars with the big rocks first, the important things in life like spending time with your family, your education, etc and I feel like Tyler is filling his jar with some pretty big rocks. So proud of him!

I can't leave Jesse out, he had some pretty big rocks this year as well. He had his fifth grade play in which he sang a duet. He was terrific and the show was seriously one of the best I've seen an elementary school put on. The he had his fifth grade graduation, next year middle school for my baby, I can't believe it. We ended the school year with a little pool party at my in laws house for him.

The grand finale for the school year, Jesse's team won the World Series for his little league division, go Marlins!! The were in second to last place at the end of the season and won the world series, unbelievable! The game was so exciting, the play-offs were so exciting. Again so proud of him and his whole team!

So, there you have it. I've been pretty darn busy with some pretty darn wonderful things. Filling my jar with some great big rocks and I am so thankful that I can do it, that I'm here and present to enjoy these moments. Looking forward to a fun summer!

Hugs,

Stacey

Some recent thoughts...

2011-05-11T13:50:00.000-04:00

I am currently preparing for my son's bar mitzvah. He recently decided to be Jewish (or at least a practicing Jew) and has been studying very hard for the last year and half to make this happen, for which I am very proud of him! Anyway, so many thoughts have crossed my mind as we get closer to the event, which is just days away.

One of which is how amazing my husband is, we are an interfaith marriage and he has been so supportive of my son as he prepares for his big day. Coming from an interfaith marriage we had discussed religion prior to having kids, we had agreed that they would be raised jewish, although I haven't done a very good job of it. We have pretty much been raising them on holidays, both jewish and catholic ones and honestly that has been just fine with me. I was raised in a pretty "traditional" home and did go to hebrew school, I myself was bat mitzvah'd, but I always felt that hebrew school was torture. My husband was also raised fairly religiously, went to church, had his communion and confirmation, yet both of us had no interest in pushing any religion on our kids. This of course has bothered people, everyone feels that kids should have a religion, something that they can claim. So of course, I have been weighing this and how I feel about it and honestly, I don't think it's necessary. I think it's nice, but not necessary.

All my years of hebrew school, have they changed me as a person? Made me better in some way because I could claim I was Jewish?? They did give me pride in my heritage, but I would have had this anyway, my grandparents survived plenty and we heard about their hardships as children. I think that teaching your kids about your past, about your mistakes, your accomplishments, your history, that makes them better people, not necessarily their religion. I do however think it's terrific that my child has figured out on his own what he wants to be, I don't think most kids would be able to make this decision. I also love that he is honoring my father, who is very happy about him continuing the tradition, so is that what it's really about, tradition?? If that's it, then yes, I'm all for it. Tradition, but tradition can be anything, from religion to dinner at the table, game night, etc. So, I am going to try to incorporate more traditions in our day to day family life.

One tradition that I will definitely try harder to do is to capture more of MY family in photographs. While preparing for Tyler's bar mitzvah I put together a slide show of old photographs and I realized a few things, I have stopped taking out my camera at home and capturing their lives now. I also haven't taken as many pictures with loved ones as I would like and I am in very few pictures. Not good!! It was fun to go through the many albums I have, but it stunk to have to go through all my digital files, so as I take more of my family pictures, I will print them as well, even put them in albums. One day I'm sure computers will be gone and something new will take its place. Will my great, great grandchildren have a way to look at all their family photos if they are stuck on the computer??? Print, print, print, a new tradition! Maybe we will even all put them in albums together, reminisce!!

Anyway, I wanted to share a few pics that I found of when I first had Tyler, we were so young!

So, make yourself a promise or two, start some family traditions and print some of your picture that are on your computer!

Hugs,

Stacey

So, I turned 40!

2011-04-26T09:14:00.000-04:00

Yup, I did. I freaked out, I tried to fight it, claimed I was going to be 39, but the truth came out. Yes, I am officially now 40. It's kind of strange, looking in the mirror and seeing a 40 year old woman looking back. My husband is now married to a woman in her "40's" my parents youngest child is 40. I am 40! I wish I was the type of person to embrace this, but the truth is, I'm not. You may see me around town with no make up, hat on and looking like I just rolled out of bed, but I am vain. 40, just seems likes it's not possible, but it's true! I figure now would be as good a time as any to start a bucket list, so here goes:

40 things I want to do before I die

1. See my kids go to college
2. Go to Italy
3. Open a photography studio
4. See my kids get married
5. Become a grandmother ( but not be called grandma)
6. Take a vacation with some extended family
7. Go to France
8. Go to South Africa
9. Walk a red carpet
10. Have a photograph published
11. Take a ride on one of those fan boat thingies in Florida
12. Live in NYC for a while
13. Live in Arizona for a while
14. Foster either dogs or kids
15. Have a showing of my photographs
16. Try snails
17. Learn to like red wine and maybe give up vodka for a while
18. Quit smoking
19. Learn to play an instrument
20. Learn to edit and take video
21. Host a talk show or be on a talk show
22. Write a book about my triumphs and failures
23. Be a better speller (would help with the book writing)
24. Do stand up comedy one night somewhere (Yes, I think I'm funny)
25. Go to Israel
26. Renew my vows after 25 years being married
27. Be a better blogger
28. Go back to school
29. Finish school with a degree
30. Clean out my closet
31. Buy a home again and live there the rest of my life
32. Be more forgiving of myself and others
33. Eat healthier
34. Go back to the gym
35. Go camping
36. Drive the Pacific Coast Highway with family
37. Go autograph hunting in Hollywood
38. Photograph a celebrity
39. Get into great shape again
40. Be happy in my life with no complaints and know it

So, maybe not a real "bucket list" but a list none the less. All in all life is pretty good, of course there is always something I feel I can improve on, but other than turning 40, I'm not complaining! lol! Will try to blog more, I'm so bad!!

Hugs,
Stacey

My sister had a baby...

2011-01-08T14:43:00.001-05:00

Trying to upload this larger, but here is a slideshow of my nieces birth, I am so proud of my sister, after almost 3 days of labor she had a C-Section and my niece was born at 8:56pm on 1-7-11. Congrats guys, love you!

Hugs!

Stacey

Halloween Freebie and what to wear update....

2010-10-18T11:04:00.000-04:00

So, Halloween is just around the corner. It's one of my favorite holidays. I love the idea of dressing up, of course my kids usually only want to be something scary which I'm not that into... But I loved dressing up. I love creating a costume out of boxes and what not and I really love to see all the kiddo's dressed up! So fun. This year, I decided to do a little Halloween Freebie.

Since most people don't want a full session of their little one's in costume but still want that picture of them all dressed up I'm offering mini-mini sessions for FREE! Yes, free, only one condition, you must bring a canned food item per child/person participating. Let's do something good together, all canned food items will be donated to the local food shelter. I'm doing this on 2 dates:

October 20th from 10-1 (you must email me at memorystudios@optonline.net to schedule a time) and on October 31st from 11-3pm ( you must email me for my address at memorystudios@optonline.net) I will not be scheduling times on the 31st since it's Halloween and it's too hard to nail down a time. You can just stop by, there may or may not be a wait, but I will be there waiting for you!

Don't forget your photo subject must be in costume, you must bring a canned food item and you must contact me for a time on the 20th and location for either date since I don't want to post my address for the whole world to see!

I will be offering 5x7's at $10 (a $40 value for these sessions only).

Okay, now on to what to wear:

I love the combination of the plum, brown and orange. Everyone goes well together, but they are not all wearing the same outfit. Fabulous fall colors!

Hugs,

Stacey

Holiday card set from Marketing by the Memory Studios...

2010-10-12T12:05:00.000-04:00

Finally, we have our first card set and we are giving one away! Just post on our Marketing by Memory Studios blog and we will pick a random winner tomorrow. Be sure to check back there because we have more coming...
Hugs,
Stacey

Standing on my soap box....

2010-10-06T14:42:00.000-04:00

I want to talk a little bit about cyber bullying. With all that's in the news lately I feel like I can't keep my mouth shut about this. As someone who has been cyber bullied, I know how painful it is. The Internet, facebook, blogs are all wonderful things if we use it for good, to share out stories, to entertain, to teach, but to use it to destroy people, especially kids, is just horrible.

When I experienced being bullied I felt like the whole world was against me. For almost a year I cried every day, I thought about suicide... I just wanted it to end. I was an adult, I can't imagine going thru this and being a teen with hormones and emotions going crazy. I knew in the end that 1- I needed help to get thru this and 2- suicide would not punish the bullies but punish the people who need and love me. I can't even imagine now what this would have done to my children. I can guarantee now 100% that those bullies never even think about me now, wouldn't have cared if I had killed myself and could care less about anything about me... I would have destroyed so much and ruined lives because of the pain they caused me and they would not have cared. You must not give them the power to control your life in any way!

The lesson here, it does pass. It does end and taking your own life for any reason is wrong. Get help if you need it, do what you have to do but you can get thru it. It does eventually go away. You are so much stronger than you know, have faith in that! The scars from these experiences will fade, they will never be completely gone, and they will make you a better and stronger person, but they will fade. I haven't even thought about these people in so long, but news stories like the recent ones bring it all back, but you will start to heal. Remember if you are bullying anyone that the scars you leave may be more painful than the physical ones. We are all humans, with feelings and emotions and we must be kind to each other. We must make this world a better place, not a place of misery for each other. Your life is worth so much more than you know!

Please take this opportunity to talk to your kids about bullying, what it does to people, how wrong it is. Please talk to your kids and find out if they are being bullied and talk to them about how you can get thru it together. Remember that the Internet is written in ink and think before you write about who would be hurt by it. Words can hurt, believe me, I know. Think how you would feel if someone wrote or said the same things about you and how you would feel. Peace and love people, peace and love!

Hugs,

Stacey

Birthday Celebrations | child photographer | Monmouth County

2010-09-26T15:58:00.000-04:00

Well, I figure we should celebrate my 200th post with some photos of a celebration. What better to celebrate then turning 1!

Is she not a total cutie! You only turn 1 once, and I am so lucky that I get to capture it for such a great little family. This cutie pie has the most amazing eyes, lashes, lips, dad you better watch out when she's a teen because I can tell the boys will be swarming your home!! I love the way little girls just daintily pick at the cake. So sweet! You can see more photos from this session on my facebook fan page.

So, to help celebrate 200 posts, book a cake smash and get 2 free gift prints with your session. Just mention celebration when you book. This offer expires on 9/30/10.

Hugs!

Stacey

What to wear for fall sessions...

2010-09-22T20:48:00.001-04:00

Well, it's official, Fall/Autumn begins tomorrow. I am sad to see summer go but looking forward to cooler weather, pumpkins, the leaves changing color and trick or treating. Don't even ask me about winter because honestly there is nothing that I look forward to for winter. I am also really looking forward to my fall family sessions. While I love newborns and kids, maternity and boudoir my favorite is Family! Everyone together, especially extended family, such as grandparents, brothers and sisters with their kids, cousins. Yes, the whole family together! So, what do you wear when the whole family is getting together?

Well, you can go the traditional route, everyone where matching outfits, although to be honest this is not my favorite. You never all leave your home in matching outfits, so it would seem kind of weird to be photographed that way. Of course, if that is what you had in mind, you need to do what you feel comfortable with and what you had imagined. I personally prefer co-ordinating. Pick a color and everyone wears something in that shade, or you can all wear bright colors, love that too.

Here are some great examples of that:

Everyone is wearing jeans and some shade of blue/brown, the all look great together but no one is wearing matching outfits.

Again, all shades of navy and grey, coordinating!

I love this look, everyone in bright colors. Just pick a palette, either brights, pastels or earth tones and you can't go wrong.

I suggest starting with the hardest to dress, if you have a family member that only wants to wear a specific color, start with that person and work around them. If it's pink you can all find something with some pink in it, magenta, burgundy, or even red. Your day will go smoother if the hardest to please is happy!

Here are some more ideas for fall:

If you look at this storyboard, it started with the little girl dress and everyone else's outfits were pulled from there. Mom has the green sweater, older sis has red, the men are in grey and red. This is a great look, everyone will photograph well together.

Other things to think about before your session... is everyone groomed well, nails are cut, polished and looking clean? Kids that need haircuts schedule it about a week prior, do you have roots? This are all things you will regret if you don't take the time before your session to take care of. Lastly, don't forget about footwear, you don't want ratty dirty sneakers in the pictures. If all else fails you can always go barefoot, but make sure your toes look clean! Worse case if you are overwhelmed with all of this you can always call me prior to a session and I will come by and help you look through your closet and we can figure out some options together.

Looking forward to seeing many of you again this holiday season, please don't forget that this is my busiest time of year. There are still spaces available in both sofa sessions and the one beach session if you are interested please contact me for more information or look here on Facebook for some more details.

Hugs,

Stacey

The growing "L" family | newborn&maternity photographer

2010-09-20T19:29:00.000-04:00

Can you believe how much I'm blogging? Yes, blogging about the happy families that I get to photograph does make blogging easier! If I had to talk about the crap in my life, well, it would not be so fun, so I'll save that for another day! lol!

This cute family came to me with about 2 weeks to go until their little bundle of joy was due. They were the first belly I photographed that didn't know what was in the belly... yes, they knew it was a baby but we had no idea if it was a girl or boy. I did think she was going to go early and I was right! Not even a few days later I got the call that their little GIRL was born!

I loved that this couple are Elvis fans, or at least half this couple is an Elvis fan. The Dad to be came with costume in hand and we got some really cool silhouettes with him as Elvis. So fun and personal! They even had a little Elvis onesie for their baby girl!

I have to say that I do love my job, I meet so many really nice people, I capture a little glimpse into their life (when it's a baby it's a really special glimpse!) I get to cuddle and coo and spend some quality time talking to new parents as they are just beginning to make the adjustments of what this new life is all about. It's a really special experience for me too and I'm so thankful for these wonderful families who contact me! Thank you!!

Hugs,

Stacey

The "J" Family/Family Photography Monmouth County

2010-09-17T17:05:00.000-04:00

I was asked to photograph a newborn by an old high school friend of mine. Little did I know I what a fun day I was in for. The minute I got there big sister "M" showed me her princess stickers and I got to pick out my favorite princess (Cinderella of course) as well as some glitter letters and more to wear for our session. I know that it is about the baby... but little "M" was such an extra treat! She showed me her room, she has really cute tattoos which I think show of her fabulous personality! She even got peed on by her little sister and she was a good sport through it all!

Not an easy thing for a little girl to handle! So, on top of her being terrific baby "L" was amazing too. After she filled up on a bottle she slept like a champ. I was able to move her around, change her and position her just about any way I wanted to and she barely opened an eye! It's rare that you get babies like that, but I have been very lucky lately! You can really see just how happy this little family is! So thank you to the "J" family, for letting me be a part of this special time. It goes fast and I am glad I was able to capture a small moment in time! Enjoy those sweet little girls and I hope to see you all again!

Hugs,

Stacey

The "T" Family/ Family Photographer

2010-09-15T12:43:00.000-04:00

This was such a cute family, they hired me for I think their parent's anniversary. What better gift than pictures? It really is the gift that keeps giving, I know they will enjoy looking at these pictures for years to come. We had 3 families here, and 3 generations... Mom and Dad, their daughter and her family and their son and his family. Did I mention what a good looking family they are?? Wow, hard to narrow down my favorite pictures from this session. Thank you to the "T & L" Families for letting me capture your memories!

Hugs,
Stacey

The "P" Family/Family Photographer

2010-09-13T20:52:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know, it's been a long time. Blogging... it's so much pressure. I'm a Facebook addict, I love the 1 line updates. But, here is some recent happenings:

This is the Postorino Family. I have known this family, not these kids, but most of the parents for over 25 years! Yes, it's crazy. One brother graduated high school with me, one with my husband and then I believe the last brother is a bit younger than me. It's so strange to me to think that since I was in middle school I've known them and now I know their kids! Crazy! Anyway, their kids were so adorable, with a wide range of ages from 15 to a little over 1! The love between cousins was quite apparent, between siblings... let's just say they are a typical family! Just like my kids, they don't want to be too close to each other, but you would never know it from the pictures! They were willing to do what I asked of them and they are all so photogenic and cute! This was a gift for their mother's birthday (grandma of these kiddo's) which I just love. I know how much grandparents treasure these special moments of their grandkids together! So, thank you to the Postorino Family for letting me capture this moment for your mom and for each of you! It was so much fun to do!

Hugs,

Stacey

Check out Business Cards, Postcards, Flyers, Brochures, Letterhead , Greeting Cards & Envelopes Overnight

2010-08-13T12:24:00.001-04:00

Check out Business Cards, Postcards, Flyers, Brochures, Letterhead , Greeting Cards & Envelopes Overnight

Ho, Ho, Ho... yes the holiday sessions are here!

2010-08-12T21:58:00.000-04:00

You'd better not pout, you better not cry, you better not fight, I'm telling you why... The Memory Studio's holiday specials are coming to town! The holidays will soon be here, and we've got some fantastic events, specials, and exclusive sessions in store for you!

Cyber Monday Sale

Our Cyber Monday sale is Monday, November 29th. Purchase $100 gift certificates for only $50 each! Order by phone at 732-637-8533 or email at memorystudios@optonline.net any time on Monday, November 29th! There are no limits per person, so stock up and get ready to check those names off your shopping list, or purchase some for yourself!

Birthday Special

Boys and Girls: You don't have to use that birthday wish on a perfect portrait session, because we've got you covered! Through out the month of September, enjoy a complimentary portrait session and 1 sheet of keepsake wallet size photos to share with family and friends! Sessions are in studio only and on specific dates in September. Your birthday must be in September and session must be scheduled for September.

Holiday Session Specials

We have a few new additions to our holiday sessions. Our first is our "sofa session" where I take a vintage velvet sofa out into a field for a vintage"y" feeling family photo. Great for kids and entire extended families. Imagine that little girl in my ivory petti skirt on that couch...

We also have Santa sessions... do you feel like your 2 minutes at the mall is not enough time to get that traditional Santa picture? How about a picture of Santa reading to your little one, or helping them unwrap a present or go over their Christmas list? Well, we'll have Santa in our studio, this is a wonderful holiday tradition, one that I am sure will sell out quickly.

We also have Halloween mini sessions as well as a beach day and studio sessions... Dates and times are limited, so please book quickly, the holidays are around the corner.

Here are the details on session products as well as how to book your session:

Sofa Sessions:
August 29th with a rain date of Sept.5th Sofa Session
September 25th with a rain date of Oct. 2nd Sofa Session
October 10th with a rain date of Oct.23th Sofa Session

You can book your session here:http://thememorystudios.brownbookit.com/schedules/sofasession

Options for this session:

Option1: 20 minute session for up to 6 people & 75- 5x7 flat holiday cards $200

Option 2: 20 minute session for up to 6 people, 75- 5x7 flat holiday cards, 1 silver photo ornament, choice of 1-8x10 or 2-5x7's, 1 set of 8 wallets (same image), 3 digital images and 10% off all additional purchases. $350

Option 3: 20 minute session for up to 6 people, 75- 5x7 flat holiday cards, 1 silver photo ornament, choice of 1-8x10 or 2-5x7's, 1 set of 8 wallets (same image), 1- 16x24 canvas, CD of edited images from session (20-30 images) & 20% off all additional purchases. $600

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Beach Session: I do this session in Long Branch, with the gorgeous ocean and sand, not much more is needed. I recommend coordinated clothing rather than "matching" bright colors look great, jeans always look good too!

October 9th with a rain date of Oct. 16th (this will be in Long Branch, NJ)

You can book your session here:

http://thememorystudios.brownbookit.com/schedules/beachsession

Options are same as above

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Halloween Mini Sessions: Costumes are required for this fun mini session, we will have a Halloween themed set for this session only. Please bring a canned food item as we are doing a fund raiser for our local food bank. Pets are welcome (in costume of course) but you must notify me of what type of pet you are bringing.

Oct. 3rd, please bring a canned food or pay extra $10 to be donated to local food bank

you can book your Halloween mini session here:

http://thememorystudios.brownbookit.com/schedules/Halloween

Options for this session:

Option 1: 15 minute session for 1 child & a $75 print credit $135.00
Option 2: 15 minute session for 1 child, CD of all edited images from session (15-25 images) $250.00
Option 3: add additional children for $10/child, adds 5 minutes per child to each session.

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Santa Days: Our Santa sessions are a bit different than normal sessions. To begin with we will have a newly decorated set, unique to this session only. Santa can read to your child, we have a gift box for them to look thru on while on Santa's lap, your child can bring his wish list for Santa to read. We recommend wearing reds, blacks, greens, whites and other holiday colors or have your child come in PJ's for a night before Christmas feel. We also recommend parents come dressed in their holiday best in case kids are afraid of Santa. Due to this, we may fall behind on scheduled times as we don't like to pressure kids. Please be patient if you schedule this session.

Nov.20th

You can book your session here:

ttp://thememorystudios.brownbookit.com/schedules/Santa

Options for this session:

Option 1: 15 minutes session for 1 child & $125 print credit $200.00
Option 2: 15 minutes session for 1 child, CD of edited images from session (15-25 images) & silver photo ornament $300.00
Option 3: Add a child at $10/child and adds 5 minutes per session/child added.

Once you book your session I will email you further info with regards on what to expect, what to wear, etc.

Diva Holiday Soiree

So, how's that for a big blog update! More to come!
Hugs,
Stacey