Art, décor, family and photography- it's all part of me!
155,867. That's the magic number!
Honestly, I personally guessed over 2 million- and boy I was wayyy off. I guess I thought I worked a lot harder than I thought. :)
So, our winner is Ember Sherman who guessed 150,000! Ember won my last contest, too- she has a knack for this stuff! Ember, please email me your mailing address so I can get your gift card in the mail.
Thanks for playing, everyone!
And because I feel like this post should have a picture, here are some from Knox's 1st Christmas!
One thing that I have learned running my own business is that I LOVE closure. Like, really love it. Nothing excites me more than to see all the loose ends tied up and wrapped into a pretty package.
I've come to realize, though, that life is messy. And I'm beginning to appreciate that just the same.
I decided to do a little looking back, mostly for my sake. But I'm posting it here as well- maybe it will give you some insight as to what goes on behind the scenes. :) Here are my 2011 Accomplishments and Struggles.
• Invest in clients more- cultivate an EXCELLENT experience.
• Further define my artistic style- what I do and do not do, push my creative boundaries more.
• More focused efficiency in my workflow.
• Seek God's purpose for my little business. Nothing happens by accident.
• Keep up with friends better. Be intentional. Be available.
• Nail down a new RAW workflow. (Until now I've shot in JPG exclusively- and I'm thinking it's time to make the switch)
• Monthly Lissa Likes posts. They kind of stopped when Knox came along. :)
• Had a baby! Kept him alive and happy. :) Of course, I had a LOT of help from parents, friends, and these two- my little sister, Layne, and my intern, Casi. Thank you all for helping me with the biggest and best accomplishment of my life so far!
• Kept my business afloat and flourishing while being a Mom. This I was super nervous about. I worried about it for pretty much the entire 9 months I was pregnant. Of course, this too would not have been possible without the help of the people mentioned above.
• Was featured in The Knot Texas and on the blog One Stylish Bride.
• Took a big leap of faith with Shawn's job- more on this later!
• Stayed out of debt!
• Started to work with the youth at our church.
• Grew our marriage. A friend's Mom once told us that couples in a healthy marriage need to date weekly, retreat monthly, and vacation yearly. I think we have accomplished this almost 100%.
• Was featured as Forbeyon's photographer of the month.
• Shot 20 weddings and 94 portrait sessions. 15 of the 20 brides already have their wedding album in their hands, which is something that's been super important for me.
And now, for a contest!
How many images have I shot in the year 2011, total?
Write your guess in a comment below! The winner will get a $15 iTunes gift card and will be the one that guesses the number, or is the closest without going over. Contest ends Wednesday at noon!
Oh how I love a winter wedding. (Maybe it's because I had one myself.) There are unique circumstances to getting married in the winter- the cold, the holidays, and daylight savings time- but getting to have a lit fireplace at your reception and all of the beautiful deep colors you can use is so worth it!
Tyler and Mary Kate were wed at First Baptist Church here in Lubbock and their reception was at the Frazier Alumni Pavilion on the Texas Tech campus. Everything was perfectly orchestrated, and these two were so much fun to work with. I had *cough* several favorites, so I hope you don't mind scrolling a bit!
I got to meet up with the newly married Will and Bethany while I was in Borger for Christmas. It was FREEZING outside, so thankfully some friends allowed me to shoot in the super cool Thomas Greenhouse. These two didn't have a lot of photos of them in their wedding attire, so I loved getting to experiment with the light in the building and pose a bride and groom on a day when we didn't have a time limit. They were both so accomodating and wonderful to work with- thanks for trusting me, guys- and congratulations!
First- I have to show you Mr. Spencer! He looks an awful lot like his father, Willy (our male Scottie), and has so much of his personality. I was so glad they brought him for me to see!
The fabulous wedding of Kris + Jessica is featured on the Australian blog One Stylish Bride today. Go check them out and please be sure to leave them some love in the comments!
We had a wonderful Christmastime in Borger with our families. It even snowed! I'll be posting more pictures soon, but for now, here is our Christmas card!
These were actually magnets- cut out in this decorative shape. I'm excited to start offering them as part of my new Boutique Magnets line!
I'm not sure how to even begin this post!
I know that every child is a miracle of God, but I will always think of Hannah when I am reminded of God's miracles- because her story is one I got to personally witness. This sweet baby has been well prayed for, and she arrived two days before my birthday on November 28th. Her parents are simply amazing and so proud of her, as they should be. I got to take a few photos of them yesterday- here are my favorites:
Emily- if you're reading this- I would like to pre-order one of these onesies for my future baby girl...if we ever have one! (No, I am not pregnant!)
This bassinet was made by Hannah's grandfather- sure to be a family heirloom.
The correlation behind Hannah's name and this scripture is no coincidence. Read Hannah of the Bible's story HERE.
I always have so much fun when I get to photograph these cousins. They withstood the cold December weather for me, and made some beautiful pictures! Props to their Moms for helping out, too. :)
I have been so, so blessed this year to photograph some wonderful families- some for the first time, and some for the second!
Here are the Ziegners, who I loved getting to play with! These kiddos have grown so much since I last saw them, and I just love this family!
And here is the Jones family. who I've been dying to photograph since I first met them at church! Holy cow, such a precious family.
I had been looking forward to this wedding all year, and am FINALLY getting to post it! Brett and Ashlee are so much fun and I knew their wedding would be absolutely fabulous. They were wed in June at one of my favorite churches in Amarillo, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and the reception was hosted at a private hangar at the Tradewind Airport. It was fitting since Brett is a pilot, AND they got engaged mid-flight! You can read about their engagement in a beautifully written article by McKenzie @ Parie Designs HERE.
Ash + Brett selected some of the absolute best vendors in the West Texas area, who created a stylish and enjoyable event. We had such a blast- and it was clear that everyone else was, too.
Like always, I interviewed Ashlee who is just back from her honeymoon, so I'll be including some of her thoughts in my post.
Ceremony: Westminster Presbyterian Church
Reception: Private Hangar at Tradewind Airport
Floral, Event Design, and Coordination: Parie Designs
Wedding Gown: Melissa Sweet @ Priscilla of Boston Dallas
Bride's Shoes: Stuart Weitzman, stamped by
Bride's Exit Dress: Custom designed by Sherri Hill, sash from Bridal Boutique in Lewisville, TX
Groom's Tux: Men's Wearhouse
Bridesmaids Dresses: J. Crew
Bridesmaids Shoes: Betsey Johnson
Bride's Cake: Cakes N More, Amarillo
Groom's Cake: The Cake Company, Canyon
Caterer: Coors Cowboy Club
Reception Band: Chancy Bernson Band
DJ: All About Music
Video: Lindsey Haworth, 41 Productions
Hair + Makeup: Staci Nelson, Staci's Salon & Spa
Rings: Tiffany & Co. and Tungston
Ashlee affixed Brett's first gift to her to her bouquet- diamond earrings.
Parie and her team completely outdid themselves! So many gorgeous details.
A little touch-up before the walk down the aisle...
Words cannot describe the elegance and extravagance of the reception. Everything was perfectly executed- and gorgeous!