I first met Kyla when she was just three days old (you can see her newborn session images HERE) and oh what a difference a year makes!  She has grown and blossomed into such a character.  Her mommy and daddy have done so well with her; she is ssooo smart and such a sweetie!

I had so much fun with Kyla and I got tons of wonderful pictures and had a hard time narrowing them down to share, so here is a oversized sneak peek of the pretty pretty princess’s first birthday/cake smash session.

Thank you Brandon and Amanda for once again making the drive down for Kyla’s session.  Adam and I are looking forward to meeting your family and friends as we help celebrate your wedding day.  Just a few short weeks : ) I’m so excited to see you Amanda and of course Kyla in your pretty dresses!

I’m in awe at how much my life inspires my work, and my work inspires my life.  I feed off of the people around me, learn from them, and take all that I’ve gathered to then grow, bloom, and now share with others.  It is a never ending cycle of being inspired and inspiring.  Seeking mentorships and then in return becoming a mentor.

See that’s the wonderful thing about love. When love is given sincerely, it multiplies, bounces around and spreads.

The more I strive to be a purer conducter of this positive energy, taking all that I absorb and giving it back freely, unconditionally, the more love I receive in return : )

As you can see I’m posting this a day late.  I was out of the office most of the day yesterday and then spent the night hanging out with the family playing Cayen’s new Lego Creationary game.  He purchased the game with the money he saved up in his piggy bank!  I love how he is learning that you have to work hard and save up for things before you buy them.  That is a hard lesson to learn in a society where buying things on credit and taking out loans is common practice.

I have a very important session later today, so I’m just going to answer one question this week…

Q – Are you on Pinterest?  Don’t you just love it?!? Have you seen the picture with _________?

A – Yes, I have a Pinterest account and yes I love scrolling through all the amazing food, cleaning, organization, kids room, gardening, and DIY ideas… but I avoid the “Photography” pin category like a plague.  Why? Because, there is a very very fine line between inspiration and imitation and there is nothing worse then having an idea and then seeing it done already and re-pinned a zillion and one times.  That is my short answer.

To dive deeper, I will show you one of my very first pins.

**** This terribly cute DIY play kitchen was shared on the wonderful Create: blog and can be seen HERE. ****

I pinned the above images after I had been racking my brain trying to think of the perfect Christmas gift that could work for both Cayen and Ellie.  Adam and I had expressed interest in keeping the year’s toy gifts to items made from natural materials or buying used when possible.  I had a few ideas, but was having a hard time coming up with something that would be fun for a boy and a girl (one four and one just over six months) till I saw this play kitchen!  Most of the play kitchens I had seen in the stores where made of plastic and the ones I found made of wood where way over my budget, so the repurposed wood cabinet idea was a perfect compromise.  So there it is.  This idea spark or jump start is what I love Pinterest for.  It is a jumping ground for creativity, a starting point to get your own creative juices flowing.

I didn’t set out to remake the above kitchen. Instead I used that idea and ran with it. Bending it, twisting it, and adding my own parts and pieces till it was something that was my own.

I have to give most of the credit to Adam, because he did amazing, bringing my ideas into a realization.  We used items we already had on hand from our ever ongoing home remodel and then collected pieces as needed here and there to come up with what I consider to be a pretty amazing play kitchen, complete with a “working” oven (made with a red rope light) and lite up fridge.

In photography it is hard to be unique.  It takes time and lots of days dreaming to come up with new ideas, poses, and set-ups for sessions.   Sometimes I will stumble upon a prop or location and build a session around it and wait for the perfect client to come along, but often it is a calibration between my client and I.

I pull inspiration from everywhere, but never set out to imitate anyone.  I do this because this is what I love to do.  And I’ve learned as long as I shoot what I love-how I love, I will produce the results that you see on here.  They say, as long as the only thing your trying to do is be yourself, you can never fail : ) So far it feels like truth!

PS. – Santa gifted the kitchen set to our children so *wink wink* don’t out us!

I still am in awe over little Zoey and how alert she was during her session.  It is such a rarity to catch a newborn during one of their short content alert moments, but Zoey spent the greater part of her session just happily absorbing all the sights and sounds of the studio.

I’m pretty sure this is the moment my heart stopped : ) when a four day old baby stares straight into your lens you take notice!  I’m not sure who was more intrigued by who at this point.

And I’m convinced Zoey was just pretending to be sleeping, listening to us talking about how cute she looked all tucked into daddies arms.

Yep, it ’s no secret that Zoey is a daddies girl!

When Yadira and her daughter Michelle walked into the studio, I could have sworn they where professional models!  Yadira is absolutely stunning and had the perfect baby bump and Michelle was adorable with the sweetest smile!

I think Michelle had fun posing with mom during their girl’s afternoon out.  She will soon be welcoming a baby brother, so it was extra special to be just the girls one last time!

Isn’t she adorable!?!

Yadira – this one is for you!  I wasn’t lying when I said you looked sexy!

Stay at home moms will look at this picture and gasp at the fact that I let my baby climb the stairs and then took the time to take a picture of her cleaver use of my step ladder to gain access to my desk before moving her to a safer play area.  And moms who work outside the home will look at this, laugh, and ask me how I plan to get any work done with a baby crawling all over my desk…  But then there is me and I just smile.

Yes, I let Ellie climb the four steps from the studio to the kitchen.  And yes having a baby pawing at my keyboard makes replying to emails very slow going… yes it may not be ideal for most, but it is for me.  I get to see Cayen and Ellie learn to do things like climb the steps and build a lego boat that can withstand a fall from a waterfall (aka the kitchen table.  It was very impressive to watch the testing process he came up with for these boat creations).  I get the best of both worlds really.  I get to be part of and help capture and commemorate amazing life moments for other moms all while being part of my own kid’s lives!  It’s a win-win!  And no matter if I’m at home editing with the kids playing around my feet or out shooting a session; I am constantly surrounded by people I love and I’m forever grateful to my clients for giving me this opportunity!  I say it all the time but just in case you missed it, I LOVE MY JOB AND I LOVE MY CLIENTS!!!

And just to clarify – Cayen and Ellie stay at home with Adam or play at grandma’s during sessions.  I’ve shown up for sessions and had clients surprised when I get out of my car and don’t have them with me! Not that I couldn’t rock a session with Ellie tied on my back and Cayen holding my camera bag, I just don’t think they would have as much fun tagging along with mom as they do with dad or grandma!

Well make that, all about me and Ellie Monday!

I had an abnormally busy week/weekend with Cayen’s birthday and sessions, so it was nice to spend a few extra minutes snuggling in bed with this little munchkin this morning.  As you can see she’s proudly showing off her grubby drool chin.  Ugh, if any of you moms out there have a cure for the rash mess caused by constantly drooling please let me know.  I have been trying to keep Vaseline on it, but it doesn’t seem to be making a difference.

This week I’m going to try to be better at taking more pictures of what is all going on, so I have more images to share next Monday besides just pictures of my camera magnet aka baby Elinor.   And for those of you who haven’t picked up on that yet Ellie=Elinor.  Her full name is Elinor Mae Swierczek (I had to pull out her birth announcement to be sure I spelled her middle name correctly how bad is that!?!), but we call her Ellie Mae or Ellie for short.

Well off to finish working my way through the emails that pilled up over the weekend and then start in on edits.

I’m really excited to implement this weekly question and answer posts into my blog.  I think these will grow and become a valuable resource!

I’m going to pull questions from my business Facebook page, emails, and from the comments here on the blog.  I will pick and choose and try to answer a good mix of business, photography, and life/personal questions each week, so send them my way!

We are going to jump into this with a big one…

Q – How do you manage to do it all (asked in reference to being a stay-at-home/work-from-home mom and running my photography business)?

A – The simple answer to this is – I DON’T.

I don’t “do it all”, in fact I’m not sure if I honestly ever had a day where I got everything done that I wanted to, let alone needed to do.

I’m a perfectionist by nature and I’m not one to (sorry for lack of better terms) half-a** anything.   My mind set is always, if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability and do it right even if it takes me all day!  This way of thinking is a good thing in that it has got me to where I am today with my photography skills, but it is also a curse as I will devote far to much time seeking perfection where greatness or “good enough” would do.  I hold myself to the highest standards in both how I run my business and how I care for my children and the amount of dedication involved in both is often overwhelming if you try to take it on all at once.  But maintaining this level of service and care is important to me (again back to the “if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it right” mentality).

After months of kicking myself out of frustration for not getting everything imaginable done, I had to be realistic with myself and find areas that I was comfortable making sacrifices.  For me on the business side of things, it was taking on less sessions in order to give my clients the amount of time they each deserve.  And on the home front it came in way of lessening the load (laundry pun intended).

So without going into great detail on the play by play of what my average day looks like, I will say this: I start each day with a to due list and prioritize based on what’s important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important but urgent, and not important and not urgent.  Sometimes I kick butt and have enough time at the end of the day to devote some time to non important non urgent items like pulling weeds in my garden or watching the latest funny video on YouTube.  But other days I have to walk away in the middle of replying to emails to tend to a sick child.  It all about prioritizing based on what is most important to you* and what you are willing to sacrifice.

To be quite frank much of my day is spent in my pjs editing while Cayen and Ellie play around me in the studio.  Stopping often to throw a new load of laundry in, nurse Ellie, or check out the latest creation, song, or dance move Cayen’s came up with.  It isn’t the most efficient way to work, or the easiest way to parent, but I get to have my cake and eat it too.  I get to be a mommy and be a photographer and do so both at a level that works for me.

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Q – Where do you get all your props?

A – Anywhere and every where.  From Walmart to auctions, garage sales to antique stores, I am ALWAYS looking for new and interesting items to use for pictures.  The joke around here in regards to if I would want something is, “If you can put a baby in it or on it, I’ll take it”.

Some of my favorite pieces have actually been props that have found me in a sense… I love getting phone calls from people who have seen my work, got a idea of my style, and managed to come across an item that they think would be great for pictures.  As crazy as that sounds it has happened a lot and I’m now getting to the point where I’m going to have to start weeding things out to make room for any new treasures that come me way.

I can’t believe I’m sharing this as my craft/prop storage room is the messiest room in my house, but it’s the real behind the scenes of SLP.

When I asked Adam for a hammer and some nails to hang a few chairs and basket from the ceiling to make more space, he made the comment that I had taken my prop addition to a new height.

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Cayen asked to paint his room for his birthday and I wanted to take his birthday pictures that I took yesterday with his new painted room as the background, but the storms cut my natural light and we had to keep close to the windows.  When I went upstairs this morning I found him already up, playing with one of his new toys.

I think grandma and grandpa’s gift is a hit.
I will have to try for a better picture of his new room, but as you can see a little color went a long way!

Five years ago this little guy made me a mom and it has been a wonderfuly crazy fun ride ever since.

- Cayen’s 5th Birthday Interview -

Five.
What is your favorite color?
Ugh.. I don’t know, I like more then one color.   Blue and red.  Wait! No. Purple and red.
What is your favorite food?
Food?  That is easy! Macoroni and Cheese!!!What is your favorite thing to do?
Play my computer.
Who is your best friend?
Jesse.
What do you like to do with mommy?
Help make food.What do you like to do with daddy?
Help him paint.
What school do you go to?
Saint Anthony’s
What is your favorite thing to do in school?
Play.Who is your teacher?
Mrs. Duran
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Ugh… well there are two things I want to be when I grow up.  A builder and a puppet maker.
What makes you sad?
I don’t know….ugh… when people don’t share their toys with me.What makes you happy?
When I get something, when I want to.
What do you think about before you fall asleep?
What a great day I had.
What do you want to do this year that you are now five?
Get some five year old games.

Happy Birthday 5th Cayen James!   Keep growing, keep learning, keep smiling!

- I’m in a continuous cycle of learning, improving, growing, staying inspired, and being creative.  Every new session builds upon and tops the one before it.   I am always pushing myself to the next level.  Challenging myself to do better, to be better.  Why, because I owe it to my clients, they deserve the best I can give, it is why they come to me… but more importantly, I strive to reach new heights because I simply want to see if I can. -

I grew up in a home where I was always told I could do anything I set my mind to.  I was constantly reassured that yes, you can be anything or do anything as long as you believe in yourself (big thanks to my mom and dad).  Because of this upbringing I dreamed big and made fanciful plans for my life that often included living in far away places, using my creativity, and straight up taking on the world!  And then POP!

Somewhere in middle school I let the world redefine my dreams.  I let others tell me what was realistic and all of a sudden my open future with endless possibilities became defended by limitations and boundaries.  You have to go to school here which cost THIS much, so you can get THIS degree in order to make THIS much, to be able to afford THIS lifestyle.  I remember walking into my high school guidance counselor’s office and asking where the information was for people who didn’t necessarily want to go to college.  She handed me a military information packet and laughed.  Now, don’t get me wrong I value higher education, and did indeed attend college.  But there in that small office on the second floor of my high school, I let someone else paint my horizon.  I knew in my heart what I wanted to do, but just didn’t know at the time how to make it happen.

I have always been very creative and can do just about anything crafty.  I was good at a lot of things (painting, drawing, sewing, pottery, crocheting, etc. etc.) but I hadn’t found a medium that I was great at yet and I knew art school wasn’t for me.  I didn’t want to be an artist… no, I knew I wanted to be a trades”wo”man.  I wanted to learn how to make something from nothing and do so just as well as the masters of that trade have done for years before me (but of course with my own little creative flare and twist added in).  I tryed to verbalize this and expand this, but I was constantly met with opposition and given a “reality check”.

Sooooo I changed my dreams to fit within the boundaries that had been set for me.  I worked at becoming something that I wasn’t and tried to convince myself that I was okay and even happy with my new life path, but I wasn’t and I got bored.

Luckily, whenever I find myself  lost in life I magically (you can read this as “with divine intervention” if you’re of faith) from within myself come upon a life changing realization.  It has happened far to many times to count and continues to happen more and more now that I actively seek these inner revelations.  But I stuck my foot in the ground and said I’ve had it (Dave Ramsey shout out), and from that day forward I started rekindling that desirer to do whatever and be whoever I wanted to be.

So why share this?!?  I have had several people share their desires to improve their photography and even possibly pursue photography as a career someday.  Now society would dictate, me being in the position I am to be a nay sayer.  To protect my piece of the pie, but who am I to tell someone no…  Who am I to impose boundaries on someone else’s dreams?!?  No, I always answer their questions with a big smile.  The truth is yes, you can do it!  You can take pictures as good if not better than mine, you can too have your own business and be a work at home mom just like me!  As long as you have the drive, the passion, and the dedication, and are willing to make sacrifices, work hard, and devote hours a day to reaching your goal, you can succeed!  The truth is I did it and I’m not extraordinary, so you can too.  You can truly be anything and do anything, as long as you set your mind to it.

- you are the only one who can define your own horizons -