Scrapbook Retreat Weekend Nov 11-13

So what is a scrapbooking retreat all about?  To sum it up, food, friends, fun and rooms bursting with creativity.  Three days, two nights, uninterrupted scrapbooking time....what more could a girl ask for?!?  I remember my first retreat, I went late on Friday and left early on Sunday, I felt an overwhelming guilt for leaving the home-front for such a long time but I have found that with each one I am looking even more forward to the next.  While I am away from the kids and Joe, I feel like I am with them all weekend while I am working through our family photos.  I completed 58 pages from start to finish this past weekend and picked up a few new tips and tried a couple of new tools.  The cricut seems to be a hot new favorite and if you scrapbook and haven't tried one yet, you truly don't know what you are missing.  I took a newbie scrapbooker with me this time, my dear friend Michelle Watts.  I wasn't sure she could keep up or be as into the weekend as I am but she was eager and she sure held her own...and some!  We stayed up as late as we possibly could Friday (pushing 3am!) and got up about 7:30 the next morning because we were ready to get back to it.  Meals in the crop room were a great way to stay nourished and not have to stop to eat somewhere else!  By Saturday night we were so deliriously tired we laughed over and over until we cried and I even taped a picture down sideways and didn't realize it until we got home!  While Heather has always had a professional massager on hand taking appointments on Saturday, I hadn't taken advantage of this breakout until this year and I thoroughly enjoyed that perk of the weekend.  This time around we had a GINORMOUS snack table set up and let me tell you, it is going to take days to detox from the Pepsi and sweets that kept me wired and going strong all weekend long but worth every bit!  One of the last pictures on this bunch, Jennifer pulling her cart, that is the typical cart full of luggage that a woman coming to one of these retreats carries with her!!!  Thank you Heather Brooks for another amazing retreat weekend!!!

Starting her out early!!!

Make and Take breakout number 2

First crop room

The coveted snack table

This photo doesn't do Alex's work justice!  She is a talented lady!!!

This photo captures what the weekend is like, women are joking and laughing the entire weekend long! 

Me and Michelle on her first retreat

The second crop room

Typical luggage cart for a pro scrapbooker!

The Lynch Girlies

Lookout world, here they come!  These little divas know how to rock a camera!  Miss Jianna was the sweetest little ham for me and smiled and most of the photos we took that day.  At just 5 months young, she was an absolute pro.  Jordyn was a little stingy on the smiles but knew how to give the perfect pout in front of the camera.  Can't wait to take more of these precious lil ladies!

Amber and Kids

Such a fun family to work with.  I enjoyed photographing Amber, Hannah and Travis and we sure had a great time posing the kids.  One of my favorite shots was Hannah under the rock when she wasn't paying attention, I love how that one turned out!

Noah David

Happy First Birthday to this handsome boy!  Hard to believe he is almost one!!!

Flirty Self Portraits

One of my reasons for enjoying photography is when someone looks at the photo you took of them and it makes them feel really good.  I had one of those moments last week.  After having a baby every woman goes through that "funk".  That place where they feel like sexy has gone by the wayside.  I hit it for a good 9 months.  Over the summer I felt ok, down here at the beach it is pretty easy to drop a few pounds when you are out in the water every weekend but I hadn't found that "umph" back.  So last week on a whim I picked up my camera and took a handful of shots.  I was really excited about the results...and yes...if you are me a week ago, just been in a rut and feeling kinda blah, I can take some for you too!  It was an instant mood lifter.

Michelle, Spectra Home Loans

Need a quick picture for an advertisement or business card?  Check out my business special.  $30 for a quick 15-30 minute photo session.  3 edited photos will be delivered within 24 hours via email with variations done to each.  Pictured here is Michelle Watts with Spectra Home Loans.

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Baby Leah

This precious little peanut was really a sweet little pea.  What a treat to photograph such a beautiful baby girl who had already been through so much in the three short months she had already been here.  Here are some of my favorite photos from her session.

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The McDonald Family

4 Precious girls!  This longtime friend of mine has grown into an amazingly strong woman and what a beautiful mother of four she is.  It was great spending time with Tiffany, her husband Michael and their four little beauties.  Katelyn was definitely the show stealer, she loved having her photos taken.  Chasity was my perfect princess, every photo of her shows a gleaming smile and bright eyes.  Michelle was my sweetheart.  She followed every direction thrown her way.  Amber was my heart breaker.  While unsure at first she really knew how to smile and light those eyes before we were done.  What a fun afternoon at the park!