Father’s Day is coming!
By Deanna | May 13, 2008
So did Dad do a great job on Mother’s Day? If so, time to return the favor (if not, time to show him how it’s DONE!)
From May 17-31, come take the cutest shot there ever was for Dad’s big day! Bring your little ones, some of dad’s shirts and ties (or borrow some of ours–we have plenty!) and put on the fedora!
Dad will be sure to love his kiddos playing dress up just for him. Mom, feel free to jump in a shot too!
This special costs $45 and includes a 5×7 of your favorite shot for Dad’s desk. Feel free to bring other outfits if you need other portraits done at the same time.
Appointments are any day Monday-Saturday, including several opportunities for school-aged siblings to jump in and get shots together during the special:
Saturday May 17
Saturday May 24
Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day)
Saturday May 31
Email Deanna or call her at 512-347-0081 to reserve your slot!
One small note: oh, man, did spammers take over my email address. I’ve been getting as many as 1,000 “mail not delivered” and spam hatemails a DAY. If I do not seem to return an email to you, first check your spam filter as I’ve probably been blacklisted and thrown there with the other scoundrels (and victims). Second, CALL me. I may have accidentally deleted your email in the torrent of junk I’ve gotten. I’ll be creating a new clean, unstolen email address shortly, but it’s a long process to switch over. (OOOOH, those dirty rotten spammers!)
Topics: Photography--Specials | Comments Off
Veggie Wars: A New Beginning
By Deanna | May 12, 2008
So, when we last visited the front line of the veggie wars, Mom was losing, big time. We’d discovered Elizabeth was hiding her veggies under a side table (and not thinking to go back and throw them out later.)
I didn’t blog about the veggie wars for a while because I was, well, despondent. Failing.
But I regrouped, and with some luck in the form of Luby’s veggie plates, we went through vegetable after vegetable to find something, anything, this child would eat.
Our next breakthrough was sweet potatoes, a favorite of Elizabeth’s when she was little, but somewhere around age 3, she lost her way. Around then, actually, we lost everything that wasn’t yellow–mac and cheese, bananas, apple sauce, and chicken nuggets were our only friends.
The trick to the sweet potatoes was to let her make them. We boiled the fresh sweet potatoes, peeled them, mashed them up, then added a little bit of butter and just a touch of brown sugar (literally a teaspoon per potato), and topped them with just a few marshmallows. Bake it for about 15 minutes, and yep, she’d eat it. With relish.
We’ve added french fries and mashed potatoes to our veggies as well, even though fries aren’t my favorite. She’ll also eat some whole kernel corn. We no longer offer carrots after discovering the stash of dried ones. Too easy to hide.
Elizabeth is six now and I never thought we’d be fighting this hard, this long. Emily is an excellent eater, adding a new food to her diet every few weeks. But we keep plugging at it, enduring the dinner time tears when necessary, breaking out the dessert bribes without guilt, and wishing Deceptively Delicious was just a tad more deceptive, as it hasn’t worked once on this little princess who may not be able to feel a pea under a mattress, but can spot a veggie at 20 paces.
Topics: Life with Kids | Comments Off
Slow and steady
By Deanna | May 11, 2008
For those who know me well, “slow and steady” are not two words you’d pick to describe my personality. I’m more hare than tortoise, more leap than look, more speak than wait until spoken to.
So while, the third grade musical by Emily’s school was wonderful and funny and the kids did a remarkable job, I’ll admit to feeling a little sullen as the words to “Bebop to Aesop” hammered in lessons that I never did much buy into:
- Slow and steady wins the race
- Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
- Look before you leap
- Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today
The costumes, the pageantry, and the reminder that these tales had transcended their era were all well and good, but still, grumpy old me kept thinking–these expressions are for people who do not have normal lives! My version of Aesop would go something like this:
- Slow and steady means you get interrupted by telemarketers and laundry. Hurry up!
- If you don’t count your chickens, the crib will be on back order and won’t come in until your baby is in college.
- Really, people, if you look before you leap, you’ll never have the guts to sky dive or bid on that 2-2 bungalow in Travis Heights. Life is freaking scary.
- As far as getting everthing done today–prioritize. Some of it is better off not done at all. (Does anybody wash their windows anymore? I didn’t think so. Mini blinds.)
After the play, I hugged Emily in her farmer outfit (she was involved in not counting chickens), and hustled home to get some work in. On the counter sat a fortune cookie I’d ignored for a couple days, as I am a little superstitious about fortune cookies–reading one is like a court order to me–a hard-core imperative.
But as I roamed the house, the unread fortune stuck in my mind, so finally I snatched it up. As I pulled away the plastic wrap, the cookie fell to the floor and smashed. Another symbol, I knew, the shattering of illusions? Breaking rules? I don’t like the taste of fortune cookies, so I did not mourn its loss and tugged the slip of paper from the crumbs.
What lay inside validated all my feelings for the day. Gotta love the people who write these fortunes.
Good things come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.
I’m off to hustle, unsteadily, without looking, and counting embryonic chickens all the while.
Topics: Humor | Comments Off
A Smashing Party
By Deanna | May 7, 2008
Spring is a busy time, and certainly no less so with the parties of both my daughters with birthdays in April and May.
Elizabeth’s Libby Lu fete was quite the bash. My little diva took the fact they were out of “Rock Star” make overs in stride and went the princess route. It took over an hour to turn nine six-year-olds into royalty, but the girls knew exactly how to party down while they waited for their up dos.
Emily’s bowling party was also great fun. Highland Lane has a great set up and it’s easy on everyone.
Now I just have three weeks until summer and full-time mom-ness again! Ack!�
Topics: Life with Kids | Comments Off
10th Anniversary of Baby Casey
By Deanna | April 28, 2008
Ten years ago today, at this very moment, I sat in a waiting room at my obstetrician’s office, flipping through baby magazines and occasionally glancing at the pregnant women around me, trying to decide who was the farthest along, and if I was above or below the curve in getting too fat, too fast.
I was 20 weeks pregnant. I’d just taken a half day off at the high school where I taught. As I walked away, my newspaper staff was making a big chart on the board, and all my students were placing bets on whether I was having a boy or a girl. I was instructed to call the room after my sonogram, and they’d be there to answer and announce the winners. Many a Dr. Pepper was riding on the outcome.
My husband John came out of the coffee shop with bottled water just as they called us back. I commented as I stepped on the scale that lately I had felt skinnier, which I thought odd. I had been so concerned about it that a few days ago I’d gone to the nurse’s office at my school to be weighed.
“Nope, you’re growing plenty!” the nurse said, jotting down the number. I felt relieved and sat on the exam table. She pulled out a Doppler to get the baby’s heart rate and I automatically tensed. She had struggled with this at both my previous visits, so when she kept moving it around and around and found nothing, I didn’t worry as much as I might have.
“No worries,” she said. “We’ll see it during the sonogram.”
But when my doctor arrived seconds later, rather than after what was normally a lengthy wait, I knew something was wrong.
And when his first words were, “Try not to worry,” this set my pulse flying.
He immediately flipped on the machine beside us and laid the sonogram paddle to my exposed belly. He grimaced as he worked, and John held my hand tightly. I was already crying, but not really noticing as the moment was so intense, so long, so agonizingly slow.
Finally the doctor said, “There’s no heartbeat.”
The rest of the words sort of slurred in my mind. The baby was measuring out at 16 weeks, so had died shortly after the last visit. I remembered that sonogram so well, his heartbeat and the shifting of his shoulders making us realize he was alive, so alive, and going to be with us soon.
The rest of my story is well documented on the site. You can read it here.
So much has happened since then. My life has gone in many new directions. I quit teaching. I had surgery to fix my uterus. I had two lovely girls among complicated pregnancies where I lost other babies.
But today is about little Casey, the reason my Facts about Miscarriage web site exists. It has been a long labor of love, at times causing me great anguish, but mostly being a source of strength and pride and comfort for both myself and the wonderful mothers who come here–this site takes 25,000 hits every day.
I am doing a number of special things to commemorate this day.
Early this morning, I created a Facts about Miscarriage Facebook Group that women may join so that we can create a community of women united in our losses, to tell our stories, leave our pictures, and find each other. If you belong to Facebook, join the group and invite others. If you don’t belong to Facebook, take a look at it. It’s sort of a “myspace” for grownups, with fewer glitter graphics and pounding music, but all the utilities for sharing as much, or as little, of your life as you like. Feel free to friend me there.
I will also add to my Miscarriage Sympathy Card series. The first one was a baby sliding down into clouds. This new one will include Casey’s sonogram. A third one, later this summer, will include Elizabeth and her angel twin Emma. To check on those, you can always follow this link.
Hug your kids today. Some of us never get that chance.
Topics: Poignancy | Comments Off
Nature Photography for Kids
By Deanna | April 22, 2008
Before April is out, pick up a copy of Austin Family Magazine. Inside is an article I wrote about teaching your children to take nature photos.
You can read it online in their PDF version through the end of April. My piece is on page 22 of the online version.
Here are some highlights from the article:
Familiarize yourself with a few basic settings so that you may assist in a pinch. First, find the tulip icon, which marks the macro setting on your digital camera. If your child will be shoving the camera within inches of a flower, the only chance for getting the image in focus is to use this setting, which is designed for close-up shots. When you press the macro button, a small tulip should appear on your screen to let you know you are shooting in this special mode.
Learn how to turn off your flash. If the camera is closer than a few feet from the subject and the flash fires, the image will be blown out with light. Repeatedly pressing the lightning bolt icon should toggle you through the “auto flash,” “flash on” and “flash off” settings. Shutting off the flash also saves battery power.
Take time to reset your image size if you have a small memory card with limited space for photo storage. The kids will take pictures in rapid succession, easily going through hundreds of snaps in half an hour. Since you aren’t likely to be making poster prints of their efforts, you can safely set the image size to “fine” instead of “superfine.” This often doubles the number of images you can save on to a memory card.
Shutter lag — that time between when you push the button and when the camera fires the shot — can frustrate children, especially if they are duck chasing. Teach your kids to push the button only halfway down to focus. That way, when the animal is in the shot, your child can press the rest of the way down for an instant snap.
When your children are confident with taking shots, you can show them how to use the zoom feature to get in extra close. Also, remind them that not all pictures have to be taken with the camera set on a horizontal angle. Many images look best if you turn the camera sideways for an up-and-down vertical shot. If your children are experimenting with horizontal and vertical shots, it’s smart to loop the camera straps around their wrists in case they stumble, get startled or let go of the equipment.
In the article, I also describe two very fun art projects to do with their photographs. Pick up a copy of this amazing free parenting magazine before they are gone!
Topics: Better Pictures How To | Comments Off
Bluebonnets Now and Then
By Deanna | April 9, 2008
I am probably getting near the end of bluebonnet season (although my newest patch is pretty packed with blooms still, and I’m shooting Sunday.) If you’ve waited to call, it’s your last chance, as I think most of them will be gone by the end of next week.
I took my very first bluebonnet baby shot a very long time ago, when I was pregnant in 1998, by taping a sonogram image to a bluebonnet. I was so jealous of everyone nestling their little ones in the blooms that I couldn’t wait! It’s a good memory, before the bad ones came, and I still have the photo framed on my wall with bluebonnet shots of the girls.
My next baby, Emily, arrived at the tail end of bluebonnet season in 1999. I dragged her out into the bluebonnets for a squinty unhappy newborn picture–but yes, I had it! My baby in the state flower!
Elizabeth arrived just after bluebonnet season in May 2002, so by the next year, I was ready for a spectacular shot. I had seen many professional images by then, and I knew exactly what I wanted. This was a stellar year for the blooms, and they prolifically filled a spot in Zilker Park. We did an amazing shot of Emily’s entire playgroup joining hands, and I also snapped the one of Emily and Elizabeth laughing at the tea table.
The next year, Zilker mowed the field and it didn’t bloom at all. Then they began using it as a shortcut, so tire tracks wrecked most of the blooms. While this year wasn’t stellar, they were enough that I returned to that spot to take portraits of the girls. Those blooms waned quickly, so I’m not using it for others at this point, but I have always loved the trees at the edge of this patch and it is a good memory for me!
I’ve felt very honored to take so many family bluebonnet portraits this year. It’s is such a wonderful tradition.
Topics: Photography-Kids | Comments Off
Oh those bountiful blues!
By Deanna | March 31, 2008
We are having a GREAT time in the bluebonnets! They’ve been slower to bloom than last year, but they are coming all the same.
I have opened up a second weekend for portraits. (Click to see schedule.) I haven’t even photographed my OWN girls in the flowers yet!
These shots were all taken last weekend. The photograph of the triplets has been rendered as a painting instead of a simple photograph, one of my favorite techniques with bluebonnets. I inserted a close up as well, so you could see the detail. These make ideal enlargements for fireplaces or dining rooms or entry ways—classic, timeless, and a sweet memory of our children when they were little.
A little history: the bluebonnet officially became the state flower in 1901. The name comes from its resemblance to a woman’s bonnet. The two primary species of bluebonnets grow natively in Texas and nowhere else in the world.
Bluebonnet seeds are carefully made by nature to only germinate 20% of the time. This way, if one year is bad for the blooms, the majority of the seeds are still waiting in the ground for the next season. This is why the patches cannot be predicted. Too much rain in the spring is actually bad for bluebonnets, as they rot easily, although extra rain in the fall is exactly what the seeds need. Fall rain is a better predictor for a good patch than spring.
Scarified, or specially treated seeds, can be germinated in ten days for those who forget in the fall, but it is too late and too warm now for them to bloom. Buy your seeds in September, rake a sunny spot, and lightly cover the seeds with 1/2 inch of soil. Don’t just scatter them as you will be feeding the birds!
Topics: Photography-Outdoors | Comments Off
Awesome Children’s Books and a Great Lady
By Deanna | March 27, 2008
Among the greatest of the great in children’s literature is Verla Kay. She is not only a well-respected children’s picture book author, but she is the the kindly mother figure to those of us trying to get our children’s and young adult books in the hands of publishers. The writing forums she runs are a godsend to those of us seeking support as we send our manuscripts out into the world of agents and magazines.
Today, her own publisher decided to take the majority of her picture books out of print. Because of the way book selling works, they may remainder many of her wonderful and treasured books.
Verla wishes she could buy up all the copies herself, but with so many books out there, it isn’t economically possible. So those of us who have been touched by her graciousness, her time, and the amazing community she has built for writers are banding together to get her books bought and in the hands of readers.
If you have children or grandchildren, if you go to birthday parties and bring gifts, consider purchasing some of Verla Kay’s books. Many of them are so beautifully suited for us here in Texas. If you go to a library, buy a copy to donate there, or to the children’s hospital or book drives.
Here is a quick Amazon box with the listing of her books. Her most recent is not going out of print, but by purchasing it, we can help make sure it doesn’t!
Topics: Writing | Comments Off
Mamas and Babies
By Deanna | March 18, 2008
At last! I finally got to practice the new “holds” I learned at the Babies and Bellies workshop in San Antonio. Camille was a great sport as I fumbled around and showed her (while referring to my spiral notebook) the new poses.
And boy did they work. I mean amazing. Easy to hold baby. Easy to maneuver to just the right spot. Easy to light perfectly so mom looks as beautiful as new moms do (yes I know, everyone thinks they look awful, but just look at Camille! She didn’t even know she was going to have her picture made!) I only took maybe ten shots and almost all were keepers. I am so pleased!
It almost makes me want to have another baby! (Okay, maybe not. Tomorrow, I get another year older…)
The first pose is called the “Bird’s Nest.” The second is the “cradle.” The third one, where showing mom is optional (and looks awesome if dad is willing to hold baby without a shirt and we print it in black and white) is called “the football.”
I still have two more new holds (designed for newborns) to try!
Topics: Photography--Fun Stuff | Comments Off
Reflections Tour
By Deanna | March 6, 2008
My most recent Reflections Tour was so fun! Perfect weather and my students were awesome. We started ad-libbing it and walked through the Warehouse District after shooting the cityscapes on Town Lake. I can’t wait to do it again!
Topics: Photo Classes | Comments Off
Hooray for rain!
By Deanna | March 3, 2008
I was so thrilled to wake up this morning to a raging storm! I’ve been a little worried about having enough of a waterfall for the Bull Creek Outdoor Portrait Special coming up.
And here it came! I didn’t even mind getting out in gale winds and a downpour this morning.
If you’ve never seen the images I take at Bull Creek–you’ve gotta go look. It’s an amazing location. I even held a Nature Write In there with some fellow NaNoWriMo novelists last November that was featured on About.com.
The special is $95 and includes a portfolio of images that you get to keep. It runs from March 8-20 and April 18-20. There are so many options at Bull Creek–towering rocks, the creek itself, long sections of grass, and of course the waterfall.
Go look at the appointment schedule and find yourself a slot!
Topics: Photography-Outdoors | Comments Off