It’s always been the assumption that I got the creativity gene from my Aunt Karen. (Even though technically, it would have run through my dad’s genes as well) She’s the artist….. a stinkin’ good one. Many fond memories from my childhood are the times Auntie Karen taught me how to make something cool….. like an origami jumping frog and how to hold a paint brush when I watercolored. She’s pretty  much the epitome of Creativity… and I LOVE IT!

She recently had a milestone birthday and asked me to shoot some pictures of her in this new stage of life. We laughed as she got used to having a camera in her face… and enjoyed the crispy colorful winter weather. The colors were delicious and I wanted to soak up as much of them as I could!

Here’s just a few shots from the afternoon…

In going shopping for a proper birthday gift, I came across a beautiful card with a pink glittery bird on the front. One the inside, it said simply, “You’re a rare Bird.” It was the perfect card and I couldn’t wait to give it to her! As I continued shopping, the creative gene kicked in and I decided I was going to decorate in a “Rare Bird” theme (since it’s my job at family parties to add my artistic flair to the decor)… and I found some sweet decorations. I used some old teacups, some branches and flowers from the bushes outside our house, an old jar, lots of candles, some super cute magnetic glittery birds from Papersource, string and paper hearts, and some fake daisies.

Here’s a collage of the birthday party and decor….

Be like Aunt Karen.

Be your beautiful self.

Do the things you love with all you’ve got in you.

Choose to Love…. always.

Be joyful in all circumstances.

Have the courage to jump off your branch… take risks.

You might just find that you remember how to fly.

Nowadays, There aren’t many birds who have the courage to do what they were made to do.

Be a Rare Bird.

January was full of new and exciting things. It was the first month of the 2010, thus serving as a perfect starting place for improvements and ideas. And although January isn’t prime wedding season, it’s definitely a big wedding planning and booking month…. which is exactly what’s been keeping me busy lately. In talking with my brides for this year, I’ve noticed a common point of frustration… there’s just SO much out there, it’s hard to choose what… and where …and how …and what colors …and what music …and what venue… etc. There’s invitations to write and design, there’s venues and vendors to book, there’s dresses and tuxes to pick, and then there’s the smaller details like whether or not to include RSVP cards with return stamps… or not. And even though I’m not a bride yet, I sympathize with their frustrations and feeling overwhelmed…. there really is a LOT out there.

So this year, I’m excited to offer something that eases just a little of the frustration and overwhelmed feelings my brides have voiced. This year, I’m offering personalized wedding websites for every wedding I shoot this year! Wooohoo!!!

Wedding Websites are a great way to hit several birds with one stone….

* Save money on paper RSVP cards and postage…. and request that all your guests RSVP directly on the site.

* Have a centralized location where your guests can view directions, view wedding details, and your engagement/wedding pictures

* Direct people to a Registry page on your website where your guests can see where you’re registered, click on the link, and start online shopping right then and there

*  Create a cool and super fun way to share your love story and excitement with your family and friends

Pretty much the best idea since sliced bread, if you ask me…

Here’s a few pages from a site I just finished for Billy Jack and Alissa, whose wedding in May is going to be super fun It features their wedding colors, their story, picture galleries, their wedding, registry, and vendor details, directions, times, and addresses, a place to find them on the internet, and a place to RSVP…. basically everything they could want in one stop! Check it out…

You can view more here.

Like I said before, It seems like there’s a million possible ways I could make myself and my business better… the trick is finding what fits who I am and what my business is about. I could offer infinite possibilities to my clients and become something like a Walmart style wedding photographer…. something for every common man… but I’ve chosen not to, for the sake of creating a “one of a kind” type of experience. And today, I’d like to show you yet another tremendous product I’ll be offering this year…. Renaissance Albums.

What do you think of when you hear the word “Renaissance”? Classic…. high class… romantic… with an artistic flare. That’s what I think at least. And really, truly, that is what this Renaissance Album is. All that in one beautiful experience. Renaissance blends a high class album experience with a modern, romantic, and artsy overtone. The unique high point of choosing this album is that it’s completely customizable…. to make an wedding album that is…

Truly Yours….

Upon opening the box, you will find this high class beautiful black leather box. Such a great way to store your treasured memories!

Once you slide the lid off the box, the first thing you see is the Renaissance slip cover…. another very cool way to keep your album fresh and new looking through the years…

And Voila! How cool is the customized cover? I absolutely love it…

What’s cool about the cover, is it’s got a modern spin on the concept of a timeless heirloom. There’s no leather cover… it’s Acrylic (so it’s super durable and easy to clean)… and I have the creative ability to design it however I want. I like that…

The cover is held together by a black silk brocade (you have different choices of color and style)….

And this album has the “layflat” binding with premium pages for enhanced book structure.

Another cool thing about this book, is it opens to the first page spread instead of leaving a blank first page…

The photo prints in this book are 2 pages wide, and there is no break in the page… which gives Ahhh-mazing full panoramic page spreads.

You can see the middle of the book here…. the print is seamless…. and the paper they print on is resistance to fading and wear/tear.

Like I mentioned in the other Album post, print quality is a huge factor for me… it makes or breaks the album (in my opinion). And I’m proud to say that these prints are beautiful… and immaculate. Top notch print quality if you ask me…

Basically I’m in love with this wedding book… and I think you will be too! If you’d like to view the entire album design, I included it below… enjoy!

And if you’re interested in a custom designed album, email Kate here.

It seems like there’s a million possible ways I could make myself and my business better… the trick is finding what fits who I am and what my business is about. I could offer infinite possibilities to my clients and become something like a Walmart style wedding photographer…. something for every common man… but I’ve chosen not to, for the sake of creating a “one of a kind” type of experience. It’s your wedding day. You get one shot to make it everything you’ve hoped and dreamed. You may be on a budget, you may not be. But what matters is getting something, an experience, a product worth saying “Wow.” This has been my perspective from the beginning because I, myself, would want nothing less than to be forever stoked on the choices I make for my wedding day.

So in deciding what I would be offering in 2010, I really wanted to find some serious “Top of the Line” products that would be the timeless and classy chic heirloom I’ve been craving to put my images into from the start. KISS Wedding Books is just that…. timeless… classy chic…. and more than that, it’s beautifully simple. My first KISS book was delivered this week and in all seriousness… it made my week. I knew that wedding pictures were better in print and in albums, but FOR REAL… this wedding album ROCKS! For any of you brides out there who are contemplating not getting an album this year… I would seriously reconsider… it’s worth every penny to see your beautiful images grace the pages of a newly delivered sturdy leather bound “smells like new” album to have and to hold for the rest of your life. Seriously. Reconsider. Albums are AWESOME.

You’re probably itching for a peek at what all my raving is about…. so here we go!

Here’s all the color choices for the leather cover. I chose the “Virgin White” leather cover for this album because I love its clean crisp look.

Each album comes in an awesome slipcover just like this one… this 10×10 album fits perfectly!

KISS Wedding Books boast the use of only 100% full grain natural leather in their books… fake leather just doesn’t have that quality feel and durability that real leather does. And it smells H-E-A-V-E-N-L-Y!

Something that KISS prides themselves in is their “no cut, lay flat” binding, which makes for beautiful 2-page wide spreads that are seamless…. no line down the middle. Each 2-page spread is one big picture print that lays completely flat for seamless panoramic images… (happy sigh…)

And the thing I love most about these albums are the prints. Some album companies print with the type of printers that leave “dots”… like they used a simple home ink-jet printer or something. I hate “dots” in my prints. KISS books don’t have any dots… and the prints are super clean and crisp looking…. Plus, the paper they use shows significantly less discoloration and deterioration over the years… which means these babies LAST!

And in case you wanted to check out the whole album design… you can view it below, thanks to Album Exposure. Enjoy!