wow. just wow. that was a whole heap o’ fun and we all did some serious damage on the charity:water front. rad.
thank you to everyone who participated in any way, shape or form. i will be notifying the donation winners tomorrow (i guess later today, it’s late) of how to make their donations and claim their gifts.
but really, it is you guys who are the gifts. truly.
xo
jenny
welcome to the jack and will went up the hill silent charity:auction for charity:water! oooooh, i’m super excited to get this going.
here’s how it will work:
1. browse through the donated items. some have reserve [minimum] bids, some don’t.
2. if you would like to bid on an item, leave a comment with your bid, or, email me your bid at apailofwater@gmail.com. i will updates the bids regularly - if you don’t see your bid right away, it doesn’t mean it’s not there.
3. at the end of the auction (midnight on january 31st), bidding will close. the winners of each items will be emailed the following morning.
4. to claim your donation gift, you will donate your winning amount directly to the jack and will campaign online on february 1st.
5. we will send your item out to you either in the mail or in person within a week of the auction close. how bout that?
quick disclaimer - i have never done anything like this before. i WILL mess something up, but i will try my very best to keep on top of things. please be patient with me and ask any questions you might have. remember, this is all in the name of good clean water ;)
i’ll talk a bit along the way . . . enjoy. it’s already blowing my mind that these gifts will translate into clean water for children and families for years and years. a donation of $20 will bring clean water to someone for 20 years. AND you will get a gift for your generosity!!
this is powerful stuff, people. thank you for being here. let’s get going!
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AUCTION UPDATE!! NEW ITEMS #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27
THIS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE SO FAR AND SOME NEW DONORS HAVE JUMPED ON BOARD!! ALL FOR WATER . . . . BECAUSE IT’S MY AUCTION, I MAKE THE RULES ;) AND I’M THROWING SOME NEW STUFF IN THERE AS IT POPS UP. IF IT IS AN ITEM SIMILAR TO SOMETHING ALREADY LISTED, I HAVE PLACED A RESERVE BID EQUAL TO THE LOWEST BID ON THE MOST SIMILAR ITEM PREVIOUSLY LISTED. JUST TO BE ALL FAIR AND STUFF. ENJOY!
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#1. our first item was donated by my mom and dad. yay for rad parents. it’s a $25 gift certificate for joeys restaurants. i love how it says “dig in” . . . . as you dig into your dinner, you will be digging a well for water. cool. love you mom and dad.
CURRENT BID - SHANNON - $20
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#2. golden greenhouses is the home to the most beautiful petunia baskets i have ever seen. it’s also the home to some very beautiful people - kev’s mom and dad. they have contributed this 12″ hanging petunia basket. the winner will receive a gift certificate for the petunia basket of their choice. no substitutions please.
golden greenhouses is located just north west of devon on graminia road. 780-987-3675.
spring is on it’s way. really it is.
CURRENT BID: CAROLYN - $75
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#3. this stamper’s grab-bag by stampin’ up has been donated by marnie, my generous sister-in-law! it includes: build-a-flower accents and elements, four mini gift boxes, a set of love and happiness rub-ons, a set of six “lots of thoughts” rubber wood mounted stamps, a pack of 12×12 designer series paper in sarah, a pack of 20 sheets of 12×12 certainly celery paper, AND the “happy me” simply scrappin’ kit including ribbon. whoa.
this gift would retail well over $60!!
CURRENT BID: LIZ - $40
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#4. necklace: water
this simple necklace drips with watery elements: faux pearls, crystalized water (snowflakes!,) and the deep blue of Turkish nazarboncu, charms to ward off the evil eye. may it bring good luck to the wearer and to the drake family’s fantastic project!
aww. gift number four comes from my friend kim of you can’t diaper their faces blog fame ;) kim also has an etsy shop called whimsy, woo me! boutique (oooohh, etsy), where she sells her whimsical and enchanting jewelry creations. we adore the fact that she designed a water necklace just for us. and we adore kim.
CURRENT BID - WENDY - $45
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#5 is gifted to us (and to you) by crystal decosta. crystal is a stella and dot stylist and blackjack player extraordinaire (i have seen her in action). this necklace is so beautiful in person - so beautiful in fact that after perusing the stella and dot site - www.stelladot.com - i promptly booked a party with crystal!
this necklace retails at over $65.
CURRENT BID: COLBY - $75
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#6. oh, this is from me. i have finally accepted that i will never be a scrapbooker or cardmaker. i had the best intentions. and those intentions included glitter apparently ?!
this stampin’ up grab-bag includes: a set of five “word on word” rubber wood mounted stamps, a snail adhesive refill, a set of five stampin’ glitter in fine cosmo, sticky cuts letter (oh, i remember when marn demonstrated the glitter on the letters, super pretty), soft subtles II eyelets, fresh favorites II buttons, and a couple sets of random but super cute tag stickers.
this donation would retail at over $60
CURRENT BID - ANNA $25
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#7. i always thought i would never have a sister and now i have four! in-laws, that is. i’m crazy lucky.
this donation is from my sister-in-law courtney who is a new mom, a teacher, and an emerging author! and look who the books are about . . . . awwww.
sleepwalking will (book one) and sleepwalking will: it’s jack! (book two) follow two little rascals on sleepwalking adventures. illustrated by the talented adrian lubbers, these books always have the kids giggling! it’s rumoured that i make an appearance in the books. you’ll have to bid to find out!
courtney’s books can be found at cdrakesbooks.ca as well as select bookstores and libraries in st. albert and edmonton. thanks courtney!!
CURRENT BID -REBECCA - $55
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#8. this is an amazing donation from amazing people. cindy and ryan sweet are dear friends of ours. they own claysmore springwater in st.albert (and elsewhere) and have offered an Oasis, Altanta series cooler. wow. it is white and has cold and room temperature.
it retails at $275 and has a 2 year warranty. ryan said that this would be a great cooler for anyone for the next ten years!
water for water. what could be more appropriate. or thoughtful. thank you sweets!
check out claysmore at www.claysmorespringwater.com and go visit ryan for all of your water needs!!
CURRENT BID - REBECCA - $190
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#9. the todds strike again, bringing you a gift card worth $25 in oil money!! for use at concession, tickets, or gift shops with oilers or oilkings merhandise. thanks mom and dad. go oilers go? no, no — go water go!!
CURRENT BID - JEN - $25
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#10. this donation comes care of my little bro (and yet another sister-in-law ;). scottie and kristy and die-hard oilers fans. i know, i know, but true fans stick through thick and thin!!
this framed ales hemsky commerative print would look awesome in any oiler-lovers den. it’s about 3×4 feet (i’ll take the exact measurements and get them on here) and is framed behind glass with a dark blue matte. he might be out for the season, but he’s never out of the game.
CURRENT BID: CANDICE - $65
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#11. as soon as i imagined having this auction online, i wanted to include kal barteski. i start everyday with kal — on her blog, she details her daily life as an artist, a designer, a mom, a wife, and a dog-lover with incredible honesty. and with - with - gusto, man. her amazing art makes me smile ALL THE TIME. please do yourself a favor and check out kal here: [i]LoveLife
this is an 8×10 print of a piece called tiny art 01. i think it’s super funny that it called to me as i completely don’t drink coffee. but i had to buy it because of what it says about “life full up.” i always intended to give it as a gift, but something about the cup and overflowing with goodness makes me want to share it RIGHT NOW. thanks for always inspiring me, kal.
p.s. kal has some awesome give[love] gifts on sale right now for valentines day and with proceeds to haiti. unbelievable stuff . . . .
CURRENT BID - GABRIELLE - $60
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okay. the rest of what follows below are offerings from me. #s 12 through 19 are mixed paper journals made by yours truly.
call me crazy, but i have always wanted to coil bind books. seriously. ALWAYS. so i finally did it. i was all inspired by my recent desire to include little pictures and mementos along with my journalling in a stick-it-all-together-and-have-stuff poking out format. that’s what these are for. i love them. i hope you do too.
i am more than tickled at the thought that they just might give clean water somewhere to a mom like me. a mom with some dreams of her own. sigh.
i call them the bugg & bean journals.
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#12 terra firma. this journal is earth inspired! filled with over 60 pages of mixed new and vintage paper, it’s the perfect place to keep all your dirt ;) measures 6×9 inches. soft acrylic cover. ribbon embellishments attached.
CURRENT BID: LISA A. $65
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#13. i heart love. a sweet little valentines-inspired journal. perfect for loving life. 30 pages of mixed paper with a soft acrylic cover. measures 6×6 inches. embellishment ribbons included to make it your own.
CURRENT BID: MINDY - $30
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#14. i want this one. 50 pages of fresh pinks oranges and blues. i’m calling it emily because it reminds me of my sweet niece. measures 6×6 inches. includes envelopes and lots of little pretty details. ribbon embellishments are included to make it your own. soft acrylic cover.
CURRENT BID: SHANDA - $45
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#15. water. this 6×6 mixed paper journal has a hard acrylic cover adorned with the words remarkable, grace, marvel, and thoughtful. it is one of my charity:water inspired journals and is filled with 50 pages of mixed new and vintage paper and envelopes. comes with ribbon embellishments to make it your own.
CURRENT BID: MARHEA - $50
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#16. this journal is named “i heart hailey”. it’s for my other niece whom i adore. it’s all about love with a little fire added because hey, you gotta have some passion in life! it’s a mixed new and vintage paper journal with a soft acrylic cover. it is 6×6 and comes with ribbon embellishments to make it your own. and p.s. miss georgia’s journal didn’t make it to the auction only because it was gifted to g with a donation from her auntie and i. so many little girls!
CURRENT BID -COURTNEY - $25
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#17. giving with gusto! this is another charity:water inspired journal. our campaign journey has taught us a lot and has given us gifts in ways we never had even considered. this 5×7 inch mixed new and vintage paper journal is full of 70 pages of goodness. and graph paper. which i love.
CURRENT BID - MONIQUE - $50
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#18. this little ditty is called “in defense of love.” it’s a bit romantic, a bit gritty. it’s full of new and vintage paper. i adore that it features both a pretty shaped heart and a rendering of the real beating mass of muscle. it has over 50 pages and is ready. love? bring it on! yeah.
measures 6×9 inches and has a soft acrylic cover. ribbon embellishments are attached.
CURRENT BID -MARHEA - $50
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#19. this journal is also water inspired. it’s called the dream:journal. it is the first one i made. this campaign has pushed me and my family to realize some dreams about growing and giving - both together and apart. this would be a great little place to record a few more dreams.
the journal is 6×6 and has 50 pages of water and earth hued papers and envelopes. it has a hard acrylic cover.
CURRENT BID - SHANNON - $40
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#20. is an incredible donation from my friend leanne over at littledreambug.com! she has gifted us the super sublime basket. it’s a fabulous all in one gift with the following contents: little dreambug comforter, little dreambug cuddler, little dreambug bag shell, little dreambug receiver, onesie, handmade matching beanie, one burping cloth, 2 wash cloths, and the newest addition to little dreambug, a cuddle buddy!
the winning bidder gets to pick either boy or girl themed color palette (little dreambug will coordinate specific item color with pizazz) and custom embroidery of a name to match. i personally crazy adore the basket which is made out of a playmat. so smart. this gift retails at over $200!
to drool over leanne’s product line and take a closer peek at all the goodies in this basket, visit littledreambug.com
CURRENT BID: JAN - $125
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#21 is a donation from my girlfriend alex. she’s gonna kill me for using her picture of the pot on her counter . . . but here it is, straight to you from alex’s kitchen! this is a brand new firenze stainless pasta cooker. awesome. maybe just what you need! actually, it is just what i need . . . .
CURRENT BID: JEN - $60
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#22. the happy journal. this one is bright and colorful and reminds me of just how happy this whole auction has made me. it’s fun! filled with oranges, greens, and bright blues, this 6×6 journal is full of 40 mixed new and vintage papers. has a soft acrylic cover and ribbon embellishments to make it your own.
CURRENT BID: CINDY - $45
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#23. the home journal. my home is my haven and this journal reflects that. you’ll see my two little songbirds sitting on the soft acrylic cover. filled with muted greens, browns and blues, this journal reminds me of well, me. it measures 6×9 inches and is filled up with 50 mixed new and vintage papers and envelopes. the ribbon embellishments are attached.
CURRENT BID: STEPHANIE - $45
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#24. pretty in pink. okay, my house is filled with a lot of blue. blue blue blue! not very much pink at all! this 6×6 mixed paper journal is filled with 50 soft and subtle pinks and whites. it’s very ladylike indeed. it has a soft acrylic cover and ribbon embellishments included to make it your own.
CURRENT BID: SHANDA - $ 40
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#25. the moments journal. i have been totally moved by all of the little stories from everyone telling me how they are planning to use their journal. so many of you are wanting to record “moments” in the lives of your little ones, whether it be in a bound letters to your children or in place that captures mementos and notes about their days. awwww.
this one is all about the moments. mixed new and vintage paper in blues, greens and chocolates, it has an owl on the front cover, watching the moments go by. measuring 6×9, there are over 60 pages in a soft acrylic book. ribbons included to embellish and make it yours.
CURRENT BID - STEPH $50
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#26. my niece pointed out that my boys don’t have a journal named after them! quite right, hailey. i had already put them together, but the names sure fit!!
these two journals resemble each other but are yet so very different ;) this is the jack journal. it measures 6×9 inches and has a soft acrylic color bursting with color - orange, green, and blue. this journal has alot of personality even if it’s smaller in stature (only 34 pages . . . . wow, someone i know weighs 34 pounds). the jack journal has a colorful map of alberta in it for the explorer in anyone. loose colorful ribbons included for embellishment to make it your own. this one is for recording all of the joy in life. it’s jack.
CURRENT BID - MONIQUE - $40
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#27. this is the will journal. only slightly bigger than the jack journal, this one weighs in at 43 mixed new and vintage paper pages (wow. that is uncanny how that happened.) the soft acrylic cover appears more conservative at first glance - but with all the personality contained quietly within. the ribbon embellishments are attached in a neat little row. the coordinating orange, blue and green colors and snippets of the alberta map keep it tied to it’s counterpart, the jack journal. this one is for those deep thoughts and belly laughs.
CURRENT BID - MONIQUE - $50
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And that’s it! Aside from a few words from our sponsors . . . well, no, from me ;)
Given the global water crisis and the recent Haiti earthquake, the last few weeks have been sobering reminders of the need for clean water in developing nations. Charity:water’s implementing field partners in Haiti (Partners in Health and Concern Worldwide) have immediately responded to the situation on the ground to provide medical care, food, and supplies. Charity:water is not a disaster relief organization but will no doubt be involved in the long-term rebuilding and restoration of safe and clean drinking water in Haiti. Charity:water decides where in the world their water projects go based on need.
How I wish there were not so much need. But you are helping us do something about it!
Please note that online donations to charity:water are in US dollars. If you win your bid, I’ll do the number crunching to let you know your US total upon your win. Fine print: you will not have to pay 5% more just because you are a canuck ;) Double fine print: Charity:water tax receipts are not eligible for tax deductions in Canada. We’ll change that someday. Added it to the list.
so much love –
Jenny [and the boys]
was un-freaking-believable. i don’t know how else to describe it.
over 40 family and friends signed up for bottle donation pick-up. many more dropped bottles and cash at our house. will handed out hand-signed flyers to every house on our block. he sent information to his kindergarten class. he remained full-on dedicated to his cause (awwww).
we had five pick-up trucks and vans and seventeen volunteers. on january 2nd, we gathered bags and bags of bottles, cans, and every possible recyclable container across st. albert, edmonton, sherwood park and devon.
on january 3rd, we sorted. and sorted.
then we counted and counted.
then, the amazing abdul from the devon bottle depot drove up in his big ole truck and picked up every last bottle that we had collected. wow.
after we did our math, we had collected $1574 in bottles and cans. we couldn’t believe it.
and . . . will’s drive was matched dollar for dollar by golden greenhouses to bring our total to $3148. then our amazing friend johnny o’neill threw in $1000 to sweeten the deal.
WILL’S BOTTLE DRIVE TOTALED $4148. because of your empties. because of the incredible family and friends in our lives, 207 people will get clean water.
we are blown away. and so grateful. and so proud of our little guy.
there is no way to describe the heart that people put behind will’s efforts. from email fan-outs and neighborhood drop-off sites to all of the little notes and “w” ’s that were left on the bags. people came to their curb to cheer will on. he had a legion of family and friends around him as he did something that he KNEW was making a difference. we will never, ever, forget it.
as of this past weekend, the jack and will went up the hill charity:water campaign has raised a total of over $15,000. that’s three wells for 750 people. that is triple what we set out to do.
and we have 36 days left.
stay tuned for more goodness.
on wednesday, in fact. come back to check out our online silent charity:auction!
and, thank you.
I’m so excited to talk about this . . .
Our little family has gotten involved with something hugely awesome.
The four of us have talked a lot, about wanting to do something – together – that makes real change in the world. Change for another mother, another father, another child. We love to help others but often the fit hasn’t been quite right . . . we haven’t been able to do enough, we can’t see or feel or embrace the change we make, we can’t participate as a family . . . but this is different.
It all started when we saw a video about water. Clean water. How we have it. And others don’t. Together, we watched children walk miles every day to get dirty water for their families. We talked about our beautiful clean water and our grateful hearts. We knew instantly that we wanted to help. Jack and Will wanted to help too. Our hearts melted when they asked how. We started making plans.
We gasped when we learned that $20 could give one person clean water for 20 years! In September, we donated to a friend’s campaign and together we gave a family of five the gift of clean water. Jack and Will were so proud. We were so proud right along side them. We’ve decided that we want to keep going!
The project is called charity:water. And it’s amazing. We have joined and have started a campaign called Jack and Will Went Up the Hill. Our goal is to raise $5000 to build a well for a community of 250 people in a developing nation. 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to a water project. In 12-18 months you can join our family and see the project we have all built together.
We know that we have a big goal. But we have big hearts and big ideas of how to get there. And we think that you do too!
So we’re starting now. Please check out our campaign at the links provided. Watch the video that inspired us to take action. WATCH THE VIDEO, it’s awesome. You can help us, and inspire others, in big and little ways. Any amount helps to give the gift of clean water. What could be more amazing than that?
And stay tuned. We’re doing this.
Donate and watch our campaign grow here: Jack and Will Went Up the Hill (to fetch a pail of . . . get it? ;)
AND our Will has chosen a bottle drive for his contribution to the campaign! Let us know that you’re saving your bottles and cans for pick up January 2nd and help him have a successful bottle drive for water!! Go Will!!! Contact us through this blog or at apailofwater@gmail.com.
FYI - We got our first donation today and almost peed our pants . . . we can’t wait to keep going!
xo — Jenny, Kevin, Will and Jack
Please note: all donations online are in US dollars. Donations are not eligible for charitable tax deductions in Canada. 
lately i have been being very hard on myself in the “good mom” department. i have been feeling, well, like a mediocre mom. and that’s okay, right? yeah, i know it is. and i think that every mom feels like that sometimes. or alot of the time. and if they say they don’t, they are lying ;)
i have learned that the trick of it all is to not try to live up to crazy expectations placed upon you by others . . the media, the books, the other moms, you know . . . them.
but mostly, i think it’s us. we need to try to ease up on the crazy expectations we place on ourselves.
but then last night, i saw this. and it was like much needed sigh of relief. a really good shake of my head, a huge smile, and a heart song that made me remember that there is not only one way to do it! not one specific thing that makes it right or wrong, good or bad. just different. so very different.
but also so much the same.
whew! i needed that ;) the two little ones in the first scene crack me up.
it comes out in april of 2010. i’m going to write it on my calendar! oooooohhh, i love babies.
time. moments. babies. life. love. all of it.
precious.
and so very sadly, sometimes, fleeting.
here is one of my precious boy, jack:
the last couple of weeks and days have been filled with gentle (and at times, not so gentle) reminders of how precious it all is.
trying to live in the moment –
xo
jenny
so the halloween candy is gone and all of a sudden i’m completely in the christmas spirit! i don’t know what it is, i just feel festive . . . .
i have lots and lots of plans of how i plan to celebrate the season in images, but to start things off, i decided to make some christmas cards available for a very short time. clients will be able to order them for the next five days only (all orders must be completed and paid by november 11th at 8 p.m.) so families, let me know if you want some very personalized christmas cards to send!
card 1 front + back (below):
card 2 front + back (below):
card 3 front + back (below):
card 4 front + back (below):
card 5 front + back (below):
card 6 front + back (below):
the cards are flat (two sides printed) and are either 5×5 or 5×7 (please remember that the square cards require a little extra postage). they will be customized to the image(s) and words you might like. you can leave space to personalize each one by hand or compose one printed festive message for all. they come with envelopes.
they are priced at $55 (+gst) for 25 cards. please email me through the contact section and specify the card design (#), the image, and the wording you would like. your order will be completed upon payment. fun!
i’m going to go find some christmas carols to listen to . . . .
. . . . how truly beautiful children are? their beauty is immeasurable. while editing this fall[in love] mini-session i was simply struck by how amazing all little beings are!
their sense of wonder, their sweet soft skin, their giggles and coos, their innocence . . .
their smiles, their energy, their love of life . . .
their sense of adventure, their laughter, their curiousity . . .
i had an absolute blast capturing these awe-inspiring little people, so a big thank you, family, for your session! you were amazing. i just have to say, i think these images of your little people should be BIG on your walls. gorgeousness.
and in other news - i am closing my calendar until the end of november! can you believe it? i’m booked to where i want to be, so how fortunate am i. i have a few exciting shoots coming up in the next little while — have i mentioned that i am expecting two, count them two, new little nieces or nephews?? yay auntie jenny! so i will be capturing those little miracles both in and out of belly!
and i still have quite a few mini-sessions to blog, i’m getting behind!
oh, and happy halloween!!! boo!
so the fall has blown by sooooo quickly. of course it was abruptly over for a couple of days while we played in the snow (?!) but i was able to squeak in my fall in love mini-sessions with only a few reschedules! i have lots of families to catch up on here on the blog so get ready to fall. in. love.
i [love] it when sessions turn out completely differently than i may have imagined. truly.
this session was cold. there’s no other way to say it. fa-reez-ing. i was a little bit worried as the little ones were, well, um, little!
brrrrr.
and yes, there were runny noses to be had. there were little hands in pockets to keep warm. there was rushing around to get the shots before we were ice cubes.
but look at them! forget the cold temperatures. they were warmth. they were laughter. they were a family in love.
these two little sweetums were awesome from the word go. they played and crawled and giggled and ran. and they smiled bright, happy smiles when they were in front of the camera because they are bright, happy children. it was that simple. sigh.
i may have to reprise my mini-sessions, folks, because the season is so short. and i could fall[in love] over and over again.
thank you, happy family.
this little guy was charming. he charmed me right from the start of our session! i was charmed, charmed, charmed. yes, i’m sure.
we did all of my favorite little boy things there are to do! we played with trucks, dug in the dirt, jumped around, counted as high as we could, and explored new cool places. it was the most beautiful fall morning and (i have to say) one of my favorite family sessions to date! his mom and dad simply wanted to capture him and all of the magical little things that make up who he is, right now.
that pretty much sums up why i do what i do.
and he helped me to get his mom and dad in some shots too. and here is the thing: odds are, an amazing little boy comes from some pretty amazing parents.
guess i was charmed by all of you. thank you beautiful family.
by jenny
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