January 4, 2010 – 6:09 pm
What a happy little guy…even in this silly hat that his favorite Auntie gave him…
And, I can’t let the Christmas Blizzard pass us by without some mention. The boys didn’t have to wear their pajamas inside out and sleep with a spoon under their pillows to know that school was going to be canceled the Monday before Christmas break. Oh what fun! I used to scrapbook all my photos, and needless to say, most of them are still sitting in their beautiful archival boxes. The last 3 years I’ve been making a GLP custom coffee table book with all my favorites from each year. The world of digital scrapbooking is a bit daunting, but very fun if you’ve got a few extra hours to kill on vacation!
December 17, 2009 – 11:10 am
My kids do pretend to suffer from having a mom who is a professional photographer, but I know better! The first few shots are always goofy smiles and annoying looks, but after they warm up to the camera we get TONS of amazing shots. I could wallpaper my house with their faces and I just love it that way!
First is last year’s Christmas photo - we love to go cut down our own tree at a great farm in Cream Ridge, NJ. The people there are so nice, there’s hot chocolate waiting for us after we spend time searching for the perfect tree and then the nice guys there bind it up and put it on top of the car for the ride home.
and this year’s photo:
I LOVE taking the photo in similar surroundings year after year. It really shows how much they’ve grown. These photos truly showcase their personalities and when they’re all grown up, I’ll be able to look back to see they’re so much like their inner child.
Just love Sam’s dimple below…and yes, I let him dye his hair blue over the summer and this is what remains. I want him to express himself and be happy with his appearance, even it means taking him to a salon to have his hair dyed different colors. I’ve never even dyed my own hair! But expressing yourself is priceless and I’ll do whatever it takes to help him out. Of course, it’s on our walls for posterity now…but that’s ok by me even if some other parents think it’s crazy…
Thanks for a great 2009! I’ve already begun booking into 2010 and can’t wait to start the year off right! Enjoy your families this holiday season.
December 17, 2009 – 10:45 am
For some reason I always like this family’s card more than my own… Guess I love the pink and green, which I certainly can’t do unless Nicholas lets me…
They sure look like best friends here…
And since I know mom has already sent out the cards, I just have to showcase it here. I just love having creative license to do whatever my heart desires when designing cards. I think this one matches the photo perfectly. Very Lily Pulitzer…which very much matches this family!
December 17, 2009 – 10:38 am
The holiday season is zooming by! Christmas will be here before we know it. I think most people have sent out their Holiday cards so I’m confident I can publish some quick peeks…We had a lot of rain and wind this Fall, but the days we could go out afforded great light and colors, and the sky was just to die for!
October 22, 2009 – 10:51 am
The photos of the pigtail beauty below inspired me to post about What To Wear. She put those tights on after mom helped her pick out the outfit. They make the pictures even better! Everyone is always nervous about patterns and bold colors, but I’ll tell you to take it from a 6 year old: The best pictures are the ones where YOUR personality shines through, whether you’re 6 or 65! Lots of color brightens your face and just makes everyone seem happy. There’s more to you than khakis and white tees, I promise! Be creative! I like bright colors for contrast against the sand, but try to coordinate them. One thing I do not recommend: LOGOS! Unless, of course, you’re a die hard Phillies fan and don’t mind looking at their P on your wall! Try to stay away from GAP logo shirts and shirts that will act as an advertisement for a company or a TV show. If you’re not into green, try red! And, blue is always beautiful against the ocean, too. The following guides feature clothing from Boden, Mini-Boden ,and Old Navy. Crazy8 is another great place to shop, too, and there’s one at the Freehold Mall. If you click that link, they have a great coupon! Have fun and make sure that YOU shine through your clothes!
Thanks so much to another Photographer Friend who so graciously went out to buy these clothes and photograph them for use by other photographers!
Below are some family pictures of our trip to The Adirondacks last week. What a beautiful showing of fall colors this year. We came home to some really green trees, but hopefully NJ will catch up soon! The first 2 pictures were taken only 3 days apart. I think it’ll be a great Ski season at Whiteface this year! The snowy tree is the view out our dining room window and about 30 yards up the hill to the left is where we had our first ever MOOSE sighting! She was so beautiful to see through the snowy autumn colors. My husband has gone to very wild parts of the Adirondack Park and he laughs that his major wildlife sighting is right out our front door! Alas, for all those who ask where my Moose pictures are - those are ones that I’ll never show to anyone. It was a moment I took all for myself and truly enjoyed it. Yes, it is captured (kind of) on film, but I’m not sharing 
October 8, 2009 – 11:17 am
What a great day it turned out to be for the 3rd Annual Big Hearts to Little Hearts walk-a-thon to raise awareness of childhood heart disease and funds for research at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). 1 in 100 babies will be born with some kind of heart defect. Please visit their website at Big Hearts to Little Hearts. This wonderful organization has raised over $450,000 since it’s inception in 2003. These extremely important funds have been used for research, education and community outreach at CHOP. This Jersey Shore based charity also hosts an annual blood drive and the annual Heart Ball every February at the Eagle Oaks Country Club in Farmingdale. Below are some some of the great volunteers and participants at the Walk.
September 29, 2009 – 2:32 pm
UPDATE: DUE TO THE THREAT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE FUNDRAISER HAS BEEN CANCELED. IF YOU PURCHASED A SESSION THROUGH THE ST. DENIS PTA, PLEASE CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL TO DISCUSS YOUR OPTIONS FOR A FALL SESSION AT ALLAIRE STATE PARK OR A SPRING SESSION AT ALLAIRE STATE PARK. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS FUNDRAISER AND APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCES.
The St. Denis PTA Fundraiser is to be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009 on the beach in Belmar. Please print a copy of the PDF from your school’s communication envelope available on your school website and return as directed. There is more information about rates and packages available on the GLP VIP Lounge website. Please click either the sticky note or CLICK HERE to be redirected. Thank you and I’m looking forward to meeting you and your family!
Special packages and pricing are available ONLY to St. Denis families and only during the PTA fundraiser.
If you cannot attend the beach sessions, consider purchasing a gift certificate that may also be used for Communion Portraits next Spring at Allaire State Park.
CCD Families: If you would like to participate in this Family Portrait Day, please fill out the paperwork that was given to your child, and return with your payment to the Religious Ed. Office. It will be forwarded to the PTA.
September 27, 2009 – 4:05 pm
Seriously, is there anything better than a little girl with pigtails? There was quite a bit of bribery pleading on mom’s part to get Queen MAB to wear her hair this way, but all’s well that ends well. And, she sure is adorable even though she’s growing up so fast.
Did anyone get my Shakespeare references? I’m feeling a little campy this morning. This kid’s initials are MAB and Queen Mab is a fairy referenced in Romeo and Juliet in which she’s described as a tiny creature who flies her chestnut sized chariot over sleeping star-crossed lovers delivering nighttime dreams of wish fulfillment. She’s also known to bring on the plague. (Not our Maggie Alice, of course!) And All’s Well that Ends Well is yet another play by the Bard. Let’s anon, and without further adieu, some photos from yesterday’s session before the rain…
September 25, 2009 – 8:42 pm
Christmas in October! Every few months I post about our Christmas and Holiday Collections. Please see below for the new designs for 2009. Garden Lane Photography is now booking into November for holiday sessions, but please remember that all orders must be placed by November 20 for delivery by December 5 for your cards and photos. Orders for cards and prints that are placed after November 20 will be delivered in January 2010.
The last two below are my own family’s Christmas Cards from last year. We can’t wait to go back to the farm to pick our own tree again. They were printed on metallic card stock and were beautifully thick and lush. The images looked like there were about to jump right off the paper. For a few more, please see this post.
Also, if you’re looking for the information about the Saint Denis School PTA Fundraiser, please click here or the chalk board below to be redirected to the VIP Lounge. You’ll need to scroll down to see the post. I will be updating it with the information regarding packages and pricing within the next few days.
September 21, 2009 – 11:54 pm
Today is September 21, the International Day of Peace which was established by a United Nations assembly in 1981. The idea of Peace is hardly new, but it has taken on a new meaning to Americans in the last 8 years. The U.N. has resolved to use this day to “be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples…This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace.”
We strive for Peace within our families, our neighborhoods, our schools, our government, our nation, our world; but it must begin within ourselves. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal”. I love to read The Peace Book by Todd Parr to my kids every year to prove to them that Peace is not just an abstract idea to be talked about without action. Peace is about making new friends, keeping the water blue for all the fish, helping your neighbor, thinking about someone you love. It’s planting a tree and sharing a meal. It’s loving and hugging your kids and showing them it’s OK to be the nice guy.
Our school decided to participate in the Pinwheels for Peace project this year to commemorate this special day. It was a school wide function with 700 kids, 700 pinwheels, great music, beautiful sunshine and lots of moms and dads who were on hand to show our kids that together we can stand for Peace.
Who knows, maybe Jimi Hendrix said it best: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, our world will know Peace” … Or maybe that was Plato?
