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I have so much to share it’s ridiculous!! I’m in my new studio – for a couple of weeks now. It’s SUCH a dream come true and I have TONS to share about that (along with pictures). I’ve got little newbie babies to share and so much more! It’s been a whirlwind around here. I had to drop out of my Bloom 52 project. ONCE AGAIN I didn’t commit to my yearly blog project, so I’m disappointed with myself. But something had to give!! New studio, charity event 4th Street Dreams, busy with spring sessions, Emma’s soccer has drug out a couple of extra months, tee ball has me 3 days a week – and Allison is getting her 2-year molars (which is all SORTS of fun). We’ve had another bout with the flu over spring break – we were all SO SICK that week!! Emma hasn’t been sick for more than a day since she was in preschool – so this was such a new experience for her – coughing, achiness, headaches – she really hasn’t HAD any of that in *years*. So she’s been asking for a do-over on her spring break! LOL

So…for now, I just wanted to add a picture to my poor neglected little blog – just to say I’ve posted something! I shot these PRECIOUS little guys this past week and I just had to share their sweet little faces. MUCH MUCH more to come in the next few days so keep a lookout!!

There’s SO MUCH to share about 4th Street Dreams – please if you’re in the St. Pete area and can attend on April 28th, we are putting on this event AT the studio for a sweet little girl in St. Petersburg. 100% of the proceeds go to support her Make-A-Wish! I will be posting more about this in the days to come…
Till later!

It was another easy one for me this week….Dave and I will celebrate 13 years of marriage in a few days, so capturing an image of him this week was my goal. Each week it seems I have a bump in the road though – and this week is an unwilling subject. Dave’s not all that thrilled with being in front of the camera, but then, neither am I. So, I thought I’d give him a break and photograph him snuggling with the bean before bedtime. There’s nothing like a baby on your lap to cover all your insecurites! Lol

Dave and I met 16 years ago and were dating almost instantly after we met. (After he stole me from another man, that is…) Sometimes I’ll look at him or hear a song on the radio and feel like that young girl in college and it just shocks me to look at us now and say WOW – 16 years??? In so many ways, it feels like yesterday. But then I look at him holding our youngest (and last baby) and it hits me how far we’ve come….not only that, but how much BETTER we’ve become. I can truly say all these years later that I married the perfect man for me. He understands me like nobody else could. He truly is my rock. I’ve said it a thousand times – if it wasn’t for him, my photography business wouldn’t exist.

I didn’t think about it when I was shooting, but check out who made another appearance this week! This little snowy leopard is just part of the family I guess!

Head over to see Jen’s valentine this week! Fort Wayne, IN- Jennifer Olivas

This week, my little baby turned 2 – my sweet, sweet girl, Allison Hope. I knew whatever the topic, this week would be devoted to her. It only took a second to figure out WHAT to photograph – it was the execution of the photograph that had me stumped all week.

Allie has shown an extreme over the top passionate love scary stalker hmmmmmmmmmmm can’t find the right word! Let’s just say this girl loves animals…LOVES them. Remember THIS post? Well, that was the beginning and let’s say, her first love…”berries”. Berries still holds the #1 place in Allie’s heart…he’s the one she must have to go to bed at night. But over these past few months, we’ve moved through a lot of OTHER animals… We first started noticing she loved kitties -then the accumulation began of stuffed kitties that she would cuddle, hug, fall on top of and kiss all over their furry little bodies. Then we had a purple poodle, a dog with light up cheeks, a talking bunny, a handmade doll from my mother, TAD the frog (she really loves Tad) and most interestingly a plastic petshop bunny that she thinks is a cat. She gathers all her “guys” she calls them, puts them in rows, lines them up in chairs, and goes down the rows kissing them all. It’s really the cutest darn thing – she’s just the most LOVING little thing. I’m rambling……ok back to obsession.

So I spent the entire week trying to photograph her with all her favorite animals…we lined them up, I put her on the floor in the middle of them, I put them ALL on a shelf together (that was a complete disaster)…nothing was working. SO I finally today decided, we’d just go with the CURRENT obsession. That (much to my 6-year-old son’s dismay) is Joshua’s prized Snow Leopard Webkins named Jaguar. Allie HAS to have this thing – she stalks him until he’s not looking, races up and GRABS it and takes off running and screaming away. The funniest thing is the second Josh leaves for school in the morning, she races as fast as her 12 inch legs will carry her into his room…it’s quiet for a second…then all of a sudden, she comes running out, jaguar over her head in a triumphant game-winning touchdown type pose, all the while screaming “I FONNIT!! I FONNIT!!!!!!! ” (translation…I FOUND IT!!!) Joshua has recently just given in to the fact that she just loves this silly little snow leopard…she really does. He’ll come out of his room, carrying him sullenly and hand it to Allie. Her little eyes will light up and sparkle and she’ll GASP in her most dramatic L.A. type performance…and Josh beams at being the cool awesome brother that he is…it’s kind of become a little bit of a rhythm in our house these days….this dance between Allie, Josh and Jaguar….

So…tee ball practice started today and I figured, good timing for the sunset, let’s just take Allie out to play with her current little love…there’s great light at the ball fields, I must say. Beautiful Florida evening…

I’m not sure about the rules for this project…but in this instance, I’m having trouble just posting one image…..I figured it’s kind of doubling as her birthday post anyway. I am so in love with this little girl….

Don’t forget to check out everyone else’s interpretations of “obsession”. Start here with Jennifer’s blog and continue through – this has been so fun to see each week! Fort Wayne, IN- Jennifer Olivas

So it’s been a rough couple of days around here. I wasn’t sure if I was going to participate because I’ve been pretty under the weather. I had a flu test this week – came back negative, but I’m not convinced I don’t have it. I was lying in bed today thinking I just needed to bow out this week – but for some reason I just can’t quit! So, it’s in that fighting spirit that I shot a picture of one of my favorite pasttimes – my bike. Three years ago, I was in the best shape of my life, participating in triathlons and half-marathons…but my favorite part of my training by far was the bike rides. AND THIS BIKE is just one of the things that makes me happy just to look at it. It’s the most beautiful color of blue – and when I look at it, it takes me back to flying through those races at top speed (well, my top speed…ha ha). I miss those days. I completed St. Anthony’s olympic distance triathlon in April 2007 – I always say it was one of the greatest days of my life. It changed me somehow. Made me believe in myself in a way I hadn’t before … or since really. 1 mile ocean swim, 26 mile bike and 6.2 mile run. It was exhilarating. Shortly after the race I suffered an injury to my thigh that I struggled with for an entire year. I went from doing 35-40 mile bike rides and 10 mile runs to not being able to do ride 3 miles without pain. Running? Forget about it…I couldn’t make it to the end of the block.

I fought and fought but the more I fought, the more my leg fought BACK. It was very hard to take. For those that know me, I’m NOT a quitter. I don’t give up. I push and push to make things happen. I can’t just sit still and let things go. My physical therapist told me I HAD TO SIT STILL and not ride, not run…I ignored him. My injury continued. Because…as my mom always says…TERESA knows better. She always told me I had to learn things the hard way and this was one of those times in life where that was true. About a year later, I was getting back on track…was able to ride moderate distances, run moderately – and then – SURPRISE!! Baby on board! Yup. BIGGEST BLESSING OF MY LIFE – don’t get me wrong…but I also knew, once again, it was going to be a while before I could get back to my triathlon days. Here I am three and a half years later and finally feeling that fight again. I’m ready to see these wheels spinning!! There won’t be a St. Anthony’s this year – but my goal is to do at least one smaller race this summer…hmmmmmmmmmmm Mad Dog?? Dunedin?? (that was my first triathlon). Whatever the race, I’m looking forward to recapturing that part of myself that has been missing so long…that confidence and drive and determination. I’m sure it’s in there somewhere!!

Head on over to Jennifer’s blog and see her version of “lines”! Fort Wayne, IN- Jennifer Olivas