I’m alive.

I can’t lie.  We pretty much slid from a dead sprint right into Christmas from an absolutely crazy Fall and I’m literally just now finally beginning to peel myself off of the floor.

So, first of all, I have to say that I surely hope that everyone had a perfect Christmas and that you’ve greeted the new year with a smile.  No real crazy resolutions over here.  Surely, I have “goals,” which I guess are the same thing; however, it seems that resolutions are destined for failure so I think I’ll just keep calling mine goals.  Nothing too crazy…pretty much the same as everyone else, lose a bit of weight, simplify, and ride a vespa motor scooter.  We’ll see how things pan out…I’ll keep you posted.

In the mean time, just a heads up…some changes are going to be made in how I’ll be booking sessions this year as well as the quantity of sessions I’ll be putting together this year.  More to come soon on this.

For now, I’ll get going on one of my goals to begin sharing images from my 2011 sessions…lots of fun to share.  From a sure favorite…love this family!

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Dear Blog,

Oh, how I’ve missed you so.  Yes, yes, I have a smorgasbord of random ramblings that is not technically expected to make you smarter.

1.   First and foremost, because we are creeping so very close to Thanksgiving, AND because this has been on my “to tell” list for far too long, I must let you know of yet one more carbohydrate addition that simply must be on your dinner table this year.  If you haven’t yet ordered your dinner rolls, do you and your sweatpants a favor and pick them up at Great Harvest this year.  They have five different varieties (Buttery Basil Oregano, Honey Wheat, Honey White, Cranberry Orange, and Sweet Challah).  The Hattens will be enjoying these this Thanksgiving as well as their pumpkin swirl bread, which is a must-have.  Oh, and don’t even get me started on their service…they’ve mastered it.  So go, GO, run fast…thank me later.

2.   Speaking of food, we’ve been having soup at our house lately and in case you haven’t been on All Recipes lately, you ought to try the Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice as well as the Delicious Ham & Potato soups.  Both of my kiddos loved these.

3.   And now, speaking of soups, today was THE “Bowlful of Thanks Soup Feast” put on by Little Man’s preschool.  The kids walked from the school to a church nearby where several different soups, breads, and desserts were served.  I feel that my day was complete at the sight of that cute little line of 3, 4, and 5-year-olds headed into their “Feast,” of which they have spent so much time preparing for.  This has been quite the topic in our house as this was an event meant for each preschooler and two guests.  “Tactful” wouldn’t be the word I would use for his approach at mentioning this to his sister, who was in school anyway.  I’m quite positive this won’t be remembered as the thankful card he prepared said this…

Moms dig these kind of things.

4.   Speaking of the little guy in this household, there was a week or two where he was saying this:  “What the…(long pause)…heck…is that?”  I was just waiting for that to surface at the most opportune time.  This would have just been gravy to the times he’s showing his muscles to the grocery store clerk or telling random people how fast he is.

5.   One more discussion worth repeating…
Little Buddy:  I needed to rinse my mouth out or it was going to “pell” gross.  (still getting a kick out of his lack of “s” sounds before certain words)
Me:  What was it going to smell like?
Little Buddy:  Coffee.

6.  Little Miss and I attended the Nutcracker Tea Party on Saturday.  It’s funny because as a mom, I simply go to these types of things to watch her.  I looked at her at one point during the performance and she had one leg crossed over the other like such a little lady and had her hands clasped together right center on her lap and she was just watching the dancers in such admiration.  These kind of moments really do it for me…love that little girlie.  Oh, and I suppose it’s a good thing she doesn’t sit like her mother.

7.  And while we’re talking about Little Miss, we had her parent-teacher conference a couple weeks ago.  Her teacher said that she was her favorite child in the whole school EVER and that she is gifted and charming and absolutely MUST take after her parents.

8.  Okay, her teacher didn’t say exactly that.  However, she did say that she’s doing well and that she’s great at following rules and directions.  On a side note, we adore her teacher and to give you a bit of insight, this is from an email she sent today:

“As I reflect on Thanksgiving, I feel blessed that I have the most wonderful job in the world.  Every day I am allowed to work with your children, watch them grow and learn, share in their joys and small sorrows, and learn from them.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to touch your child’s life and for sharing your child with me.  Children are the most precious beings on earth, and yours are super special to me.”

I think that Little Miss is in good hands.

9.  Do you know a LEGO lover?  If so, this set completely caught my eye…it’s awesome.

10.  I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said “I wish Morgan Freeman narrated my life.”  Not sure if I’m just easily amused but, well, I was pretty much amused.

11.  “Country Girl Shake it for Me”  Has anyone heard this song?  Seriously.  Wow.  Such touching lyrics.  Where do people come up with this stuff?  Needless to say, I do not plan on perfecting my line dancing skills with that one.

12.  On a music note, my favorites lately have been this and this.  I’ve been listening a whole lot by way of Pandora lately.

13.  I’m still doing a bootcamp fitness class in the mornings and can I just say one more time how much I love it?  I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a class nearly as much as this one.  The wee bit of sanity I have managed to maintain during this crazy time of year can easily be partially attributed to these workouts.  Mr. Hatten has been able to help retain the major bulk of my sanity this year.

14.  We made these the other day…I thrive on good quality time and this ended up being one of those times.  Loved it.  Little Miss put my place card together…

15.  So, it’s been pretty stinkin’ busy around here these last several weeks and so much ends up being a bit of a blur really.  A vicious circle, I would say.  It’s so very important to just pause a second and look around and see, really see and appreciate, all that we are grateful for.  This Thanksgiving, I’m going to do just that and my wish for you is that you’ll do the same.  Embrace the moment.  You’ll thank yourself later. 

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Yes, there really are just some people who exude a level of infectious energy that brings out the very best in those who surround them.  Miss A is one of those people…she’s vivacious, energetic, funny, and just full of spunk and style.  People just like to be around her.

If you’re a blog follower, you may recognize a couple of these faces below from here and here, which ended up being a session that resulted in some of my favorite images.  We met again this year, with now one more addition!  Well, two more if you count the ring that goes with.   Yes, it’s official, someone is engaged!  I have to say that they were each a kick in the pants for this session but I also have to say that the three of them together were just sweet.  I loved this gathering…THANK YOU “A” for again, allowing me the opportunity to put a session together for you.  Lots of images headed your way soon, however, just a few to share for now.

This is my little joker friend…sheesh, you would have just gasped if you knew how many Halloween jokes this little guy could so fluently recite.  AND they were funny too!  Truly, one of my favorite kiddos…impeccably sweet!

Are they not just cute together??!

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<Gasp!>

I wouldn’t dare to even THINK about offering a candy incentive right before lunch in exchange for just a few pictures.  AND my children ALWAYS get along just delightfully.  They always hold hands, frolic, and laugh when they’re together and they most certainly DID NOT get on each other’s nerves ALL day today.

This is MY story and I get to tell it how I want.

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

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Today is October 26, 2011.  Did you read what I wrote?  OCTOBER 26^th!  This means that it is the END of October!  And do you know what this means???!!  It MEANS my cutoff date for orders must be approaching.  And it is!  This year, I have set my cutoff date as November 9, 2011, which isn’t all that far away.  What does this mean for you?  It means that if you were thinking of ordering any Christmas gifts, Christmas cards, or any other items, November 9, 2011 is the last date to order to guarantee you receive all of your images and goodies by Christmas time.  Just a heads up, I do take all of the month of December off to enjoy the season with Mr. Hatten and our crazy kiddos.  Important note for those who haven’t received their galleries yet:  For those who are at the tail end of the season, this cutoff date does not apply to you.  I’m currently in the midst of proofing and preparing a handful of galleries.  If you have yet to see your gallery, your deadline will be your gallery expiration date.

AND speaking of Christmas cards!  This year, I’m doing things a little bit differently.  In the past, I have individually designed a couple custom Christmas card options for all of my clients based on their images and unique styles.  This year, I’ve set up a large gallery of Christmas card options that now offers more to choose from including both stylistically as well as the type of card.  This year, I’m also just tickled to be offering a luxe boutique line of cards, all die-cut for just a little something different.  These are offered in a flat double sided version as well as a tri-fold, which is downright amazing.  And yes, if you remember from here, the Hatten family is indeed the snobby sort when it comes to Christmas cards.  I’ve emailed each of my clients this year all of the information necessary to view these incredible cards.

AND since no blog post is a blog post without an image or two…

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Okay, can I just tell you something?  Well, I guess I’m just going to tell ya.  I have some seriously amazing clients friends.

I’ve been the lucky person to get to see this little crew grow from a new little girl to a family of four and what a kick to watch!   We met the other night  for our session and fortunately, had just the most perfect weather.  Oh, and they ended up not only signing up for a photo session but also combing the site for my lost wedding ring…yikes!  We found it AND all the while I got to see all of this happen…

Thanks C family!  LOTS more to come!

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So, the conversation after dinner went as follows tonight…

Little Miss:  <insert boys name from class> said something bad.  He said the “C” word.
Me (just a smidgen concerned):  What word is that?
Little Miss:  I’ll whisper it to you so he (little brother) doesn’t hear.
Little Miss (cupped hands around my ear with a whisper):  He said “crap.”
Me (relieved):  Oh, that isn’t a nice word…we shouldn’t say that.
Little Miss:  He also said the “S” word.
Me (now just curious):  What word was that?
Little Miss (same routine):  He said “stupid.”
Me (just simply overjoyed inside):  That isn’t a very nice word either, is it?

As for other funny things I’ve heard lately.  I had the pleasure of spending some time with these girlies and when I asked them what they had eaten for lunch that day…well, they said “The King of Burgers.”  I said “Oh, where’s that at?”  Mom then says, “Burger King.”  I LOVE that their family refers to it as The King of Burgers!  Yes, life’s simple moments can offer pure entertainment.

Just wanted to share a few images from their session…nothing but lots of sweetness!  Thanks R Family!!  More coming at you soon!

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Okay, I tried to get this completed yesterday…honestly, I REALLY tried so we’re just going to go with it today…

1.  Yesterday, my alarm went off at 5:50 AM.  I turned it off, briefly paused, and opened my eyes and it was 7:17 AM.  Don’t ask.

2.  To take this one step further, may I just tell you how much I appreciate Mr. Hatten?  I leaned over and said “oh gosh, it’s 7:20.”  He just so nicely tells me to take my shower first and he’ll make lunches.  There is a slight possibility that if this happened the other way around, the wife in this household may have been snotty.  MAY have been.

3.  I realized that I failed miserably at getting out thank you notes from my recent July birthday.  I’m usually much better than that as I feel that thank you notes are still so very important.  Honestly.  I’ve been pretty much the pits at certain things such as these this year.  WHICH, I’m cutting myself a break on this one.  I also typically hand-knit thousands of wool slippers during the year to mail to cold-stricken fisherman in Greenland but it didn’t happen this year either.  My friends don’t really read the blog but just in case, thank you for your gift and next year for your birthday, I might make you some wool slippers.

4.  I started a “Boot Camp” fitness class three weeks ago.  I feel so much better when I’m working out and this is no exception.  I feel like this class is the best thing I could have done for myself right now.  Especially during the very busy pre-Christmas season.  On a side note, I still don’t look much like Jillian Michaels but I also don’t look much like Richard Simmons either so I’m going to just go with it.

5.  On a more depressing note, I’m also eating better…ugh.  Very soon though I’m going to be making these...yummy!  ALSO, I went into Great Harvest bakery today and they had pumpkin bars that looked absolutely amazing and they had cinnamon chip scones that I nearly paid for ten and ran fast to a quiet place and gobbled them up.  I refrained though…what a drag.

6.  I read this post yesterday and loved it.  A fun blog to follow and I’ve heard nothing but good things about her workshops.

7.  You know, ever since she was a guest judge on American Idol, I’ve kind of tried not to like Katy Perry (she was a bit on the snotty side).  I just wish she would quit coming out with catchy songs that I end up liking.

8.  Don’t judge but if you must know, American Idol is the only show on tv I even watch a bit of during the year.

9.  I took fall pictures the other day of my kiddos.  Gosh that made my heart happy.  No matter how busy I get, this is always something that is such a breath of fresh air.  Yes, one day I will share…

10.  With the entrance of Fall, also comes the entrance of the season for wearing Gap long-sleeve t-shirts.  Yes, I do indeed have nearly a color for each day of the week and don’t you even think for a minute that I won’t wear one each day of the week.  I recently opened the drawer to my long-sleeve shirts and it was like glitter fell from the sky, harps played, and each shirt gleamed with the brightest smile and welcoming arms.  They said to me “hello, mommy” and oh, how I have missed them so!  We belong together.  With that said, I have images to share of a lady who shares my love for the Gap long-sleeve t-shirt.  Although she didn’t wear one for our session, she surely was thinking of them.  We put this session together for just her and her girls, which I can’t help but think how much these will mean to them when they’re grown.  What a fun evening…thanks so much girlies!  Just a few of many more to come soon…

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As I write, I’m strongly reminded that the weekend is over (boo hoo hoo).  Puh-leeeaaase!  Just one more day!  Okay, back to reality.

This little family of four has been with me since the beginning (back when they were a newly family of three!) and I’ve truly loved seeing them grow.  I present to you a peek at a few images from our session over the weekend!  THANK YOU “F” family…I had the perfect time and you make being in front of the camera look so very easy!

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Happy Thursday!

Just sharing a few images from this session…this little crew were most certainly troopers on this one.  Although it was mentioned that dad has some “Chandler Bing” traits (any Friends fan knows what I’m talking about) when getting photographed, they pulled through!

Oh, and I must let you know that mom runs  this charming running gear store in town…she doesn’t just sell shoes but sells you the correct shoes.  Definitely be sure to stop in, it’s a must see.  In fact, I bought myself a new pair of running kicks today…and they’re fast.  SO fast.

Thanks S family!!

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