The Long Road to China

My Name is Not Reagan

2013-05-17T06:37:00.001-04:00

About a month ago, while I was with the ladies who attended the workshop weekend, Pat introduced Sarah and Reagan to the movie Mulan.
I came home that Sunday late in the afternoon to find both of the girls curled up in my bed watching it.
Since that day, I think it would be safe to say Reagan has watched it no less than 25-30 times.
She is completely obsessed with it and now actually recites parts of the movie as she is watching it.
It is cute and kind of scary at the same time...... we call it her "Mulan trance".
The other night, way past her bedtime, I caught her at the foot of my bed once again mesmerized by Mulan.
I called her name and she would not answer me. I thought it was that selective hearing again,
but a few moments later she turned to me and said, "my name is not Reagan, my name is Mulan".
So I guess if I want her attention, I have to call her by her new name.
Oh this girl....she keeps us on our toes and makes us smile at the same time.
I see a trip to the disney store in our future.
This is a costume we have yet to add to our collection.
Happy Friday Friends!
~Hope you all have a wonderful weekend~

For those of you that are photography fanatics, settings for this photo were f1.4 SS 1./100th and ISO 10,000
It is really amazing what some of these cameras can do in extremely low light conditions.
The room was literally pitch black, except for a small ray of light coming from the TV.

All That Spring Brings (iPhone style)

2013-05-14T06:46:00.002-04:00

Frappacino's mid afternoon for a little pick me up, digging in the sandbox, playing in the driveway after dinner, fields with "flowers"... okay, some might call them weeds, we call them flowers, beautiful blooms on trees, soccer practice, scrumptious salads, farmers preparing the fields, Friday night adventures, and some "monkeying around" at sunset!!

All of the fun things we look forward to in Spring!
Although this morning it almost feels like winter again here in the northeast.
The temps have dropped and there is even a touch of frost out there!!
I can hardly believe that we are in the final weeks of school.
This year flew by in the blink of an eye...but I know three people in this house really looking forward to their summer break.
I just wish I got a break from work to enjoy all of those weeks with the kids.
Instead, I am going to have so look forward to a one full week of vacation and a few extra days here and there:)

A Mother's Love

2013-05-09T17:04:00.000-04:00

"A Mother holds her child's hand for just a short time, but holds their heart forever"

"I received a gift on that faithful day
Of which I know I could never repay,
Just as God came down to say
He just gave one of his Angels away.

Little did I know, the test this would be
To prove to him and make him see,
That this angel was my destiny
Of that I’m sure a guarantee.

To hold her forever and never stray
To be there to comfort her pain away,
To see her through even the roughest of days
And teach her to be stronger along the way.

I was told one day, from a friend of mine
That God just gave me the gift of time!
Confused, I asked her to define?
And what she said never left my mind…

She said to watch her as she sleeps
It was then it became so plain to see,
How TIME STANDS STILL when she is next to me
Whether in my arms, or in my dreams.

Now watching each day as you grow
The changing of features from head to toe,
The smiles and giggles that make you glow
And the way you let your spirit show.

So, I’ll make a promise to you now
To raise you the best that I know how,
To teach you to always be confident and proud
So that you always stand out above the crowd!"
~Author Unknown~

May is a special month...
Not only is it the month we celebrate Mothers, but it is the month that started us on our adoption journey.
Seven years ago today, we were officially DTC(Documents to China) and our application was logged into the system just days later when our wait truly began. What we thought would be a 12 month journey to one daughter on the other side of the world, took about 5 years.

During that time, God opened a new door that was unexpected and now we have two beautiful girls.
One adopted domestically and one from China.
At times the wait was frustrating and the not knowing what the future held was painful.
Through all the ups and downs during those five years, I tried to remain optimistic and finally had to have the faith to put it in God's hands.
Only he knew when the time was right and which angels were meant to be our daughters.
Now on the other side of the adoption wait, I am reminded of that daily as I look into the eyes of all three of my children.
Each one came to us in their own special way, but there is no question in my mind that I was picked to be their Mom.
I have many jobs and roles in life, but there is nothing more rewarding and fulfilling, than being a Mom.
It is the best job I could ever have and I thank God for the three blessings I stare at each day.
To all of the Mom's and Mother's to be.... Happy Mother's Day!
~Enjoy your special day~

Favorite Photo Friday - "A Spring Night"

2013-05-03T06:39:00.003-04:00

I am just popping in this morning to share a few snapshots from last weekend.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I think it is safe to say that Spring has finally arrived.
It has teased us a bit this year with a few warm days then back to cold, but it has been beautiful and everything is finally in bloom.
Lots of pretty colors sprouting everywhere you look.

We attended the annual carnival that takes place in the town where I grew up.
Not much changes from year to year..... same rides, same people, but the girls LOVE IT and always look forward to it.

In less than an hour the girls dizzied themselves silly on all the rides and even tried a few of the games.
We burned through the cash quickly, but the last $5 went towards the ball toss to win a fish.
Lucky for us, that $5 got us the family sized container so we could "help" to win the girls a fish.
Mimi had the lucky toss..... and we came home with three goldfish.

The girls were so excited and spent the first 2 days mesmerized by the fish bowl.
Unfortunately, the fish did not have much life left in them.
By the Fourth day, we had our third and final funeral, where we flushed our last slippery friend to fishy heaven.
Both Sarah and Reags handled it well and I was secretly relieved that I was not going to have to keep up with cleaning a fish bowl.
Having a dog for a pet is enough for me:)

~TGIF...Have a wonderful weekend~

Very Proud of "the Girls"

2013-04-26T06:59:00.002-04:00

My original plan was to share the rest of my workshop photos with you all, but as the week progressed I had a change of heart.
The ladies that attended have been sharing their photos with me and each night after work as I viewed them, I was truly blown away by what I saw. So much that I decided to share their photos with you, instead of mine.

I guess you could say that I am just a tad proud of what these ladies have accomplished. Many have been with me from the moment they turned their camera dial from Auto to Manual and to see the progress that can happen in such a short period of time, just blew me away. Hands down my favorite photos of the week are the ones they produced

Since posting about our weekend I have received emails with interest and questions about future photography weekends.
Each of the ladies have not only shared their photos, but their thoughts on the weekend as well. For anyone who was wondering what the weekend was about and what they could take away, you might want to read what these lovely ladies had to say.
I promise, I did not pay them to say all the kind things they did..... these are their words, not mine:)

"Our weekend was absolutely incredible. We had a diverse and talented group of women, and we had such a fantastic time together sharing our passion. I already knew that Lisa is an extremely talented photographer, but getting to work with her in person reinforced that she is also an extremely gifted teacher." ~ Emily

"Undoubtedly the best workshop! Every detail was well thought out and executed perfectly. Lisa left nothing to chance, her number one goal was obviously providing an unforgettable experience, which was definitely accomplished! The location, models, instruction, food and materials were top notch. Highly recommend!" ~ Shasta

"Attending Lisa's Spring Photography Weekend was such an amazing opportunity, both professionally and personally. Seeing Lisa in action at multiple photo shoots and learning from her classes helped push my photography to another level. I also gained much needed information that will help me grow and sharpen my skills. I am especially grateful for the friendships formed with Lisa and the other talented and passionate photographers who attended her workshop. It was an inspiring weekend!" ~ Hannah

"Lisa has a natural gift for capturing the essence of the soul in her photos. Each picture tells a story and has a magical feel that leaves you in awe and wonder. After two years of online classes and mentoring with Lisa, I had the privilege of meeting her in person at our recent photography weekend. Throughout our time together I had countless "ah-ha" moments watching her at work behind the lens, seeing how she interacts with her clients to achieve a natural pose and learning more about the business side of photography. Lisa's talent doesn't stop with photography…she can even do a grand jete with perfect form in boots and jeans! We had six unique photo shoots all with different locations, models, weather and lighting conditions which put the skills she has taught us to the test. I learned more about myself and the importance of staying true to my vision as a photographer. I also met some wonderful ladies that share the same passion for photography and adoption. Lisa covered every detail... the hands-on experience was really a dream come true. It isn't what you see but how you see it that makes a difference. Lisa has taught me to see life through a different lens and for that, I am forever grateful." ~ Amy

"The weekend was more than I ever expected. Lisa is really the most amazing teacher. She has the most incredible ability to present things in a way that makes them understandable and exciting. I had many "aha" moments during the workshop with regard to things that I never even thought about. I left the workshop with a new excitement for photography! Not only did I learn a tremendous amount about photography, I learned that women can come together with a common purpose and support each other in kind and loving ways. The workshop was an incredible, life changing experience and I'm grateful to Lisa for every second of it." ~ Laura

"Lisa’s weekend workshop was so helpful to me as I was able to see in person the way that Lisa stylizes the models, poses them, picks a location, and then switches things up based on the model and other circumstances that were planned or unplanned. Now I feel so much more confident when photographing people. Lisa and all the wonderful ladies who participated in the workshop made the weekend so fun and memorable!" ~ Lauren

"Where do I even begin?!? The workshop was an incredible learning experience! There is something about taking a weekend to focus on photography and surrounding yourself with talented, supportive photographers. Lisa put together an incredible agenda with a mix of information and photo sessions with different subjects and locations. I know that the quality of my pictures will forever be changed from what I learned at this workshop. And boy, did we have FUN!" ~ Kelly

"Going to out to Lisa's workshop was like a dream to me. To be with Lisa in person and watch her work magic at each session was amazing. She was very gracious with sharing all her little tricks while helping us all to become better photographers. It is hard to put into words this experience. It was a time with women who shared many of my passions. Lisa's guidance as our leader allowed us to come away with new friends and photography skills that will change our lives and dreams!" ~ Teri

"I can not begin to put into words how much Lisa has done for my photography skills! I have loved her on-line classes, but I am a hands on learner. In one weekend with Lisa things just clicked and my photography has changed in amazing ways. You then add in the awesome women, the bonding, the fun times..... a photography weekend with Lisa....PRICELESS!" ~ Sandy

"I cannot express how incredibly blessed I feel to have had the honor and pleasure of attending your Spring Weekend. You are an amazing photographer, teacher, mentor and host. Your Workshop reached far beyond my expectations in learning so much more than I ever thought possible. I had the best time EVER connecting to photography and friends all in one fabulous weekend. In true “Lisa style” you made everyone feel so comfortable in this beautiful picturesque setting that is any photographer’s dream. Whether we were shooting on location, dining in fantastic restaurants or spending time together at our hotel, you made us all feel so special. I found myself in constant awe as I watched you go above and beyond in creating an intimate and personal experience for each and every one of us. Thank you for allowing me into your world and inspiring me to continue on my photography journey. I will "forever" be grateful for this wonderful weekend!" ~ Diane

It's hard to describe how much it meant to me to work with these fantastic ladies face to face after working with so many of them online.
It was almost surreal to have an entire weekend to shoot together. We accomplished A LOT and had a ton of fun at the same time.
Every moment was accounted for and unfortunately the time flew by way to quickly.

As much as these ladies feel I have provided them with a learning experience, they have also provided the same for me and SO MUCH MORE.
I sure hope to see this group of talented women again very soon and in the meantime, I will enjoy watching their photography grow.

A special thank you to all of our beautiful models who braved the cool and very windy weather to help make this weekend complete!
Without you, we could not have done it!!!

~Happy Weekend Everyone~

Triple the Fun

2013-04-23T16:58:00.001-04:00

This weekend was a complete blast..... words cannot even explain how much fun we had shooting at all the cool spots around town and spending time with each other talking photography and adoption. Most of the ladies who came to visit are also adoptive Moms and I absolutely adore them.

It has taken me a few days to recover from our action packed weekend.
Seriously, I can't believe how much we fit into two days.
You all have heard me say that I require very little sleep, but the last two nights I have been in bed by 8pm and slept straight through until 6am. When I do that, I know I am REALLY REALLY tired.

I woke up this morning feeling energized and finally ready to start sorting through some of my photos.
We had 6 shoots in total. All of them took place in Bethlehem except for our triplets. The girls and I took a field trip.... literally:)
We went to visit the field of dreams because the blue bells were still standing tall!!!

A few months back, I put out a note on my facebook page looking for models for this particular event.
As soon as I saw this darling trio, I knew we needed to fit them into our lineup and I am so glad we did.
These adorable little ladies totally knew how to work it for the camera.
Their momma is also an aspiring photographer and it did not phase them in the least to have 12 ladies with big cameras pointed at them.
In fact, they totally ate it up! I have never seen so much personality in my life. I have a new found respect for Maria, their Mom.
Keeping up with them on a daily basis must require some stamina.

One of the many things we learned this weekend was how to deal with things that happen that are out of your control. Early in the morning I was talking about ways to improvise when things happen that are unexpected. We had a couple things crop up that reinforced this lesson. This sweet girl was in tears just a few minutes before because she stepped on a little twig that scratched her foot. She was also a bit chilly (it was really windy all weekend) so we wrapped her up in a pretty blanket and gave her a break. As I saw her sitting there with the blanket wrapped around her, I thought it would make a great photo. Funny that this was never part of the original plan, but it is now one of my favorite photos of the day:) She was also ready to ditch that blanket and get back into the limelight with her two sisters moments later. What scratch?

We had shoots with a gorgeous ballerina, pretty little girls, a couple of cool dudes,
and a beautiful child who is about to receive her First Holy Communion.
On Friday I plan to share more photos..... I have only just begun to go through them.
I have also received a number of emails and messages about future photography weekends.
This weekend went so well and the feedback was very positive..... I am thinking about doing it again in the Fall when the leaves change.
It is my very favorite time of year for our area.
If you have an interest in attending, please email me as I have yet to firm up dates.
(visions by lisa at gmail dot com)

Hope everyone has a wonderful week....we are almost halfway through already:)

Dreamy

2013-04-14T08:58:00.000-04:00

The light was not quite the same the evening I went back with Reagan. The clouds were beginning to roll in, but we managed to get some photos and now I am pretty sure I can fill up an entire wall in our home with this series of photos of Sarah and Reagan. Only kidding:)

We had a few hair malfunctions, so we went with the flyaway messy hair look.

For the last 2 years, I have had the privilege of working with some incredible women through photography.
There is a core group that has pretty much been together from the beginning and they were asking for a weekend together in person, so now that the warm weather has arrived, they are coming for a visit!!

There will be 12 of us spending an entire weekend together shooting in all of my favorite locations around town.
I have some SUPER CUTE and BEAUTIFUL models all set up and have tried to stylize the clothes for each session.
Everything arrived about 2 weeks ago and I decided to give one of the props a test run on Reags Wednesday night.
Although it is quite lovely, it was a smidge too big for her tiny head.
Our model is older, so hopefully it will fit her perfectly!

Well, all of this to say, this week will be more hectic than most and I am anxious and nervous at the same time.
I can't wait to meet these super sweet ladies. I just hope the weather will cooperate and the sun will shine down on us like it did on Sarah this week! And that the bluebells make it until Saturday.... they all want to visit the "Field of Dreams" :)

Have a wonderful Sunday and a terrific week!
We are headed to the soccer field today!
Sarah traded in her yellow jersey for a blue one.
It's not pink, but we are getting closer:)

It has been a while, but I am participating in my friend, Stef's, Sunday Snapshot today.
Take a minute to pop over and say hello!

Magical

2013-04-11T16:42:00.001-04:00

It is safe to say that you might be seeing a lot of "blue" around here the next two weeks.
Spring has sprung and so has the famous field of blue bells in the neighboring town.
Those of you that have been following the new "2 Hip Chics" photography site, have seen more than a few of these photos already,
but since this is where I document for our family, I wanted to post them here as well.

Sarah was the first one to go running through.... She looked so stunning in the light she literally left me breathless and I could feel the tears welling up when I looked at her. Reagan is not the only one that is looking very grown up these days. I can hardly believe how mature Sarah is looking as well.

The girls got these light pink night gowns for Easter and I thought they might look pretty out there in the field.

It seemed like it was one of those evenings where everything lined up perfectly.
The light was simply AMAZING and I have never seen Sarah look more radiant.
She must have picked about 100 flowers... all for her Daddy:)

Needless to say, I was kicking myself for leaving Reags at home...and I made a return trip the following night.

You know what that means, right?
Yep, you got it... more photos, but since I have already packed more than a few photos into this post, I think we will say:
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

But I will leave you with just one teaser:)

~Have a fabulous weekend friends~

A Taste of Spring

2013-04-08T18:54:00.000-04:00

Thank heavens it finally warmed up around here...
We had temps in the high 60's on Sunday, so Reags and I headed out for a morning walk to bask in the bright sunshine.

Nothing is bloom yet and it was a little windy, but that did not stop us from enjoying the fresh air.
We are so ready for Spring and all the fun things it brings like bubbles, sidewalk chalk, trips to the park, and our favorite, Rita's Italian Ice.

It has been a long winter and I don't think Reags remembered what it felt like to have sandals on her feet.
She has been keeping her tootsies warm in her boots for the last few months and I think those toes were in shock to be out in the open.
Every time I looked down at her feet, she had her toes all scrunched up!!!
Something tells me by the end of the week, she will be loving her sandals and won't give those boots a second thought.
Weather forecast says a high of 79 Degrees tomorrow....HOORAY!

The Only Proof of Easter Break

2013-04-04T17:57:00.001-04:00

I really seem to have fallen off the wagon lately when it comes to picking up my camera.
For a while there I was in a good groove and making an extra effort to document the little moments.
I sure have gotten lazy about it and would you believe never picked up my camera once over the Easter Break?

Luckily I snapped a few iPhone photos, so I do have proof that the holiday existed, jut not in the normal fashion.
Nothing fancy about these.... just the girls for the most part loving their time off together.

It sure was hard for everyone to go back to school and work this week. No one wanted to get up and go their separate ways.
Too much fun and a lot of sugar. Trying to detox everyone this week.
I moved the Easter baskets out of plain site, but the little one found them in the dining room and plunked right down and helped herself to the chocolate. That girl will stop at nothing when food is involved..... especially when it comes to the sweet stuff:)

Happy(almost)Friday friends.
Hope you all have a nice weekend.
It sure would be nice if Spring would finally arrive.
It is still quite cold here.

Another One "Bites" the Dust

2013-04-02T08:18:00.000-04:00

We have a little domino effect going on here....
Guess who lost another tooth?

We knew it was on it's way out, it has been so loose, but she would not let any of us get near her mouth to pull it out.
For days I have been watching her eat carefully using her side and back teeth, so it would not come out.
On Easter Sunday, it was a major topic of discussion because we could all visibly see it moving when she talked or opened her mouth.
She was still adamant that no one was going to pull it.

Around 8pm, after everyone left the house, she came over to me and said, "Mommy, I want you to pull it".
It took a few wiggles and it popped right out so the tooth-fairy could make a visit!

The girls were both off yesterday and playing in Sarah's room(their usual), so I asked Sarah if I could quickly take a picture to document the occasion. I don't know about you, but the toothless years are some of my favorite to look back on.

Someone wanted to get in on the action.....

I am thinking they were both still on a sugar high from all the Easter Candy:)
They were as giddy as could be!

We had a wonderful Easter... I hope you all did too!!

Happy Easter

2013-03-29T07:10:00.000-04:00

About two weeks ago we attempted to do a photo-shoot to be used in some marketing material for the 2 Hip Chics Boutique.
Shelly started getting some of her new shipments in and these cute little aprons and matching hot pad sets immediately jumped out at us.
They are absolutely adorable..... made of vinyl so they clean very easily and the straps are totally adjustable.
Not only do they come sized for children, but for adults as well.

The shoot did not exactly go as planned.... one of our happy bakers came down with a belly ache,
so we bailed on the project. Our other pastry chef did not want to give up so easily and said she wanted to keep the mixer going, so we let her have some fun solo.

The end result... not exactly what I set out for in the beginning, but the pics were too cute not to share.
We staged the pastries to make it look like they were making them and placed them on the pedestals that are also from 2 Hip Chics Boutique. These are the pastries I brought home from the Italian Bakery you saw in my instagram photo, La Dolce Vita.... everything is so incredibly good, but my favorite indulgence is their cannoli.
Remember the no sugar streak?
I broke it that day.... It was St. Patrick's Day and I had to have one of those Cannoli.
I did not regret it.... not one bit. It was worth the cheat!
So much so, that I am headed back there tomorrow and we will be enjoying more of their goodies on Easter Sunday.
We are hosting and look forward to seeing our family and will be praying that the weather holds out and the kids can have an Easter egg hunt outdoors. Looks like some rain is in the forecast, but we are crossing our fingers regardless.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and a Blessed holiday.
~Happy Easter Everyone~

iPhone Photo Dump

2013-03-25T07:11:00.000-04:00

Good Monday Morning!
I thought we might be waking up to snow on the ground, but there is nothing out there....so off to school and work we go.
It has been a while since I downloaded my Instagram stream and shared here, which I like to do from time to time.
Really... if you are not on instagram, you might want to check it out.
It is so much fun and amazing what you can do with a phone camera.

Just a few snippets about the photos above.
At some point very early Saturday morning, Reagan snuck into Sarah's room and this is how I found them when I woke up.
Such a sweet sisterly moment....it totally melted my heart. And the morning light pouring into her room was quite beautiful.....as is the handmade artwork adorned on Sarah's door. Placed (with a lot of tape) by her so everyone would know it was her room:)

You will see various photos of landscape... was hoping that was the last of old man winter,
but it appears more of the white fluffy stuff could be on the way today.
We had Fajitas for dinner last night and the peppers looked so pretty in the sauté pan.
Last weekend we made a pitstop at our favorite Italian Bakery for a few incredible pastries...
you will see more of those later this week. Prepare to drool.
Everyone in the family got hair cuts. The girls and I got trims.... and Rudy made a trip to the groomers.
I snapped this shot of him under the bed in the dark(hence the grain) It took a little coaxing to get him out.... he thought he was going to the Vet, so he wasn't budging. Will have to share an after picture later this week. He does not even look like the same dog.

Okay, gotta get this show on the road and wake some sleepy heads.... but maybe we will all be coming home early?
Wouldn't that be great on Monday!!

Have a fabulous week friends~

Be Still My Heart

2013-03-22T07:13:00.000-04:00

This a very special precious little one.
He is one of my cousins...a very distant one, but all the same, he is the newest member of our family.
I did this photoshoot back in January at my cousin's house and it was certainly an event.
Both sides of the family came over to participate and jump in a few shots with their beautiful grand baby.

My cousin Vicki was so gracious about letting "move in" with all of my gear and totally take over and rearrange her living room to make it my mini studio for the afternoon. Even though I was armed with many different baby blankets, hats, and props.... what we settled on was something that Vicki already had in her possession and was a very sentimental item.

It was an afghan that her Mother made.
Unfortunately, Aunt Lulu(that is what we called her) is no longer here to meet her Great Grandson, but I know that she was smiling down on us that day while Benjamin snuggled up and fell asleep on the blanket she made with her very own hands many years prior.

Thank you Vicki and Joe for opening your home and allowing me the pleasure of photographing the family's newest blessing.
You know I have been sitting on pins and needles waiting to share the photos, and now that the baby announcements have been circulated, I knew it was safe to hit the publish button:)

Berry Delicious

2013-03-18T07:46:00.000-04:00

Have you ever tried a Starfruit?
When Pat and I were on our honeymoon in St. Lucia, they had it everywhere.
It has the consistency of an apple and tastes more tart than sweet.
When shopping this week, I saw our grocery store carried them....had never seen them in the produce section,
so I decided to pick up a few to take home.

Reags was the only one brave enough to try it and she did in fact like it....then again, there is not much that child doesn't like when it comes to food. The starfruit went perfectly with our berries and yogurt for our Sunday morning breakfast. Sarah is more of a pancakes and bacon kind of girl.... so she politely passed on the fruit and waited for Daddy to cook her up her favorite breakfast:)

~Happy Monday Everyone~

Super Healing Powers

2013-03-15T07:54:00.001-04:00

Today is two weeks from the day that Reags burned her poor little hand and I am just amazed at the progress she has made in just 14 days.
On Monday we stopped wrapping it and just covered it with a special breathable sleeve to protect it.
As of last night, she is free of all bandages and coverings and we are really happy with what we see and so is she:)

Trust me when I say, this is a million times better...
Up until about three days ago, Reagan could not even look at it and cried hysterically every time we unwrapped her hand.
We are in a much much better place now and the sight of it, no longer scares her.
She is brave little super hero:)

TGIF everyone!
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and to some, a great spring break.
In other breaking news, I officially opened the website, "2 Hip Chics", you might want to stop by and take a look.
www.2hipchics.com

Someone Lost Her Front Tooth. . .

2013-03-12T19:38:00.002-04:00

The girls were putting together a puzzle and all of a sudden I heard Sarah scream, "MY TOOTH"
Reagan went to grab for a piece of the puzzle and bumped her in the mouth and the tooth that has been "wiggly" for some time, just popped out right on the floor in front of them.
I think they were both shocked by it at first because it was so unexpected, but before long, Sarah was giggling and the thought of the money that would be left under her pillow by the toothfairy had her grinning from ear to ear.

There is nothing like a cute toothless grin:)
I remember when Nick lost his front teeth....seems like yesterday, yet it was 10 years ago.

Lost in the Archives... Bedtime Stories

2013-03-08T07:45:00.001-05:00

Our nighttime routine has sort of changed a bit and instead of us reading the girls a bedtime story,
Sarah has been the one who wants to do the reading.

Since starting Kindergarten, Sarah has become quite the little reader.
She is very into her books and is always up for the challenge of learning a new word or two.
It makes us proud to see her so interested in reading, writing, and spelling.
When these two are not reading books, they can be found playing teacher!
Guess who is the teacher?
You got it... Miss Sarah:)

I took these photos a few weeks ago and have had them sitting on my computer....
thought today would be a good day to share since my camera has not come out since Alys Beach.
We are headed back to the dr with Reagan to have her hand checked. Hoping to get a good report.

Have a fabulous Friday friends!
xoxo

Catching Up and More Savvy Photos

2013-03-06T19:32:00.000-05:00

I don't even know where to begin with all that has transpired since my last post.
Reags had a little accident Friday evening while we were at my parents house that landed us in the ER around 8:30pm.
Long story short, she suffered a second degree burn on her hand.
They took great care of her in the ER... cleaned it, put medicine on it, bandaged her up, and sent us home.
I was given instructions to follow up with our pediatrician on Monday morning and by Sunday evening, she had started with a fever.
The minute the doctor's office opened, I called to make an appt.
Once we were there, they said they did not want to check the wound for fear of infection and they sent us to the hospital's burn center.
Everyone was very concerned about her high fever, but upon checking under her bandage, there was no sign of infection...thank heavens.
They told us it could just be a reaction to the burn, sort of like shock....since her body is so small.
While at the pediatrician's office, they checked her ears, throat, and listened to her lungs, just to make sure that the fever was not being caused by something else.

Here we are Wednesday night and the poor thing is still battling this fever.
I am pretty convinced she has some sort of viral thing running through her system.
The timing is just coincidental and for all I know, she could have picked this up while waiting in the ER Friday night.

Anyway, we have not gone too far from home since this all happened and obviously she is not going to school this week.
I just hope she is feeling back to her happy go lucky little self here soon.
It is not fun watching her like this and those bandage changes are tough on her....and on me.
Friday morning we head back to the Burn center at the hospital so they can re evaluate her hand and make sure we are still heading in the right direction.

I have so many things on my to do list but everything has pretty much taken a backseat.

There is a new website coming here in the next week or two at most.(that is why you see the 2 Hip Chics watermark)
A few months ago I started a 2 Hip Chics website but have never liked it enough to get it out of the draft mode.
After attending the Savvy Workshop, I came home inspired ready to get back at it and so I can get that baby up and running.
I will be unveiling it very soon. Things are finally coming along...finally.

I don't have any new photos of the girls to share, but I did finish up more of the workshop photos.
We had some incredibly beautiful models to work with.... and we were not going to let a little rain get in our way!

Aren't they so beautiful?
We were so lucky to have these wonderful and outgoing models all weekend.

They were not the only ones that had to step in front of the camera though...
All of us who attended the workshop had our photos taken too.

That is right, I actually had to put my camera down and let someone else photograph me.
(Eeeek.... I am much more comfortable behind the lens)

Thank you to the fabulous and super talented Kara May for taking my head shots.
I typically hate having my photo taken and am very self critical, but she worked some serious magic behind the camera and probably a little photoshop magic too because I am not sure this is exactly what I see when I look in the mirror, but I love the photos and will proudly display them where I usually post the photos of me with the camera in front of my face:)

Well, I think that was quite an update and enough for one post.
Thanks to everyone who has been checking in on Reags.
We have certainly appreciated the well wishes and the prayers that were sent her way.

Our Savvy Weekend

2013-03-01T08:09:00.001-05:00

I am just getting my feet back underneath my from our fun and fabulous weekend in Alys Beach at the Savvy Workshop!
It was a jam packed trip filled with lots of valuable information and I left feeling completely inspired and rejuvenated.
The accommodations were top notch.... I felt like we were living in the lap of luxury for a few days.
Marsha spoiled all of us and left no detail unturned.
She escorted us to our rooms upon arrival and our swag bags were on our beds waiting for us.
Lots of great goodies in there :)

The speakers all knocked it out of the park with their presentations.
It was wonderful to hear how they approach the marketplace and they all shared what led them to be the successful photographers they are today. Each one of them shared the do's and don'ts they learned along the way.

We had two photoshoots scheduled with some super gorgeous models that live in the area.
Unfortunately the weather was not as cooperative as we would have liked and we never made it to the beach for photos.
All of our shoots were done in our houses or on the patios......
and a few times we dodged the raindrops and made it out to the courtyards to snap a couple.

In addition to all of that, our talented speakers, took head shots of all of us so we could use them for our websites.
I will share those when we get them. I was so excited, not only did I get head shots taken, everyone there knew the special bond and friendship that Marla and I share, so they took beautiful photos of the two of us together as well. I am so glad that Marla came along with me.... the trip would not have been the same without her.

Our time together seemed to fly by and before we knew it, we were all saying goodbye.
I hated to leave Marla and my new friends, but hope that one day we will all get to meet again.
There is already rumor of a Savvy Retreat for all attendees..... hope that is more than a rumor:)

When I arrived home, I had to jump right back into work mode which left me little time to edit or play with the photos.
Last night I edited just a few of these little cutie pies.
There are many more to come...

Thank you Marsha and the rest of the Savvy team for a wonderful weekend full of photography talk and friendship.
I am so thankful I was part of it. I also want to give a special shout out to my sister in law, Mary Pat who came to town and stayed with my husband and the kids to help him hold down the fort while I was gone. It definitely gave me peace of mind to know that there was an extra set of hands at home to help out. Everyone was sad to see you leave yesterday.... we hope you will come back to visit again soon.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Favorite Photo Friday - "Alys Beach-bound"

2013-02-21T20:27:00.003-05:00

It has been a wild week here...
I did not intend to completely disappear, but life got a little crazy and I just have not had the time to really get online.
In addition to the normal every day life craziness, I am getting ready to leave town.

Some of you might remember the photography contest I entered a few months ago for the Savvy Sisterhood Workshop in Florida.
Well, the big weekend has finally arrived and I will be getting on that plane bright and early tomorrow morning.

Not only am I super excited to learn a lot and meet some extremely talented photographers while spending a few days in paradise, I am beside myself with giddiness(is that even a word?) that with a slight twist of the arm, I convinced my friend Marla to come along with me. It will be a super quick trip, but I am thankful that we will get to see each other for a few days and soak up all things photography related.

I have not picked up my camera since Saturday when I took pictures of the precious bundle of joy, but I have had this one sitting in my blog draft waiting to post since Chinese New Year.
I am in love with the look on her face and her messy hair.

Okay, sorry to post and run, but this girl has got to get to bed.
I have to be in the car headed for the airport by 4am.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I will be back on Tuesday.... hopefully with many photos to share!

Baby Love

2013-02-17T11:10:00.000-05:00

Lucky me...
I got to spend a few hours of my Saturday with this precious bundle of joy!
Isn't she adorable?
I grew up with her Daddy and her Grandma and my Mom are very good friends.
It was so special to be the one to photograph her just a week after she was born.

There is nothing like holding a baby that is just days old.
They are so soft and smell so good.
She is such a beautiful little girl and I look forward to watching her grow up.
Needless to say, I left the house with a major case of baby fever...
Just thought I would spread the "fever" and share some of the baby love this morning as I finish up her gallery.

Winter Beauty

2013-02-16T07:35:00.000-05:00

The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination.
~Terri Guillemets~

It is a bit frosty in our area this morning.
And since Spring is not arriving any time soon,
I figured I would embrace some of he beauty winter has to offer.
Happy Saturday...
Have a wonderful weekend!

Sugar Rush

2013-02-15T06:31:00.000-05:00

The girls had a wonderful Valentine's Day.
Sarah got home from school much earlier than Reagan and could not wait to start making her chocolate covered marshmallows.

Can you tell she was totally in her element?

Two of her biggest loves are... Candy and Crafts.
Put them together and you have one VERY EXCITED LITTLE GIRL!
She had so much fun making these treats and was kind enough to save a few for her sister to enjoy when she finally came home.

Hope everyone had a special day yesterday filled with lots of love and a little chocolate too!
~TGIF~

Happy Valentine's Day

2013-02-14T06:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!
The girls are up and ready to head out to school where they will be delivering their Valentine's to all of their friends.
Both of the girls have parties today and then tonight when they come home we have a special edible project to do thanks to a thoughtful friend who sent them a surprise in the mail.

Since Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day were in the same week, we sort of combined holidays for Reags.
The "Special Delivery" theme worked well with her Chinese take out box:)

Alright, time to get these giddy girls dressed in their pink and red and get them off to school.
Hope you all have a super sweet day!