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Lauren+Tony – {St. Louis Maternity Photographers}

Posted on February 21, 2010

Meet Tony and Lauren.

Tony was C’s best friend in college. His roommate. His fraternity brother.

And I loved him too!

He was the best man at our wedding and took the roll so incredibly seriously. He was amazing that entire weekend! Tony is just the kind of friend you pray to meet one day. He’s a GOOD friend. Always thinking of others and ready to have fun. I feel blessed to have him in our life. And to ensure he just HAD to stick around we asked him to be Bailey’s God Father! Now he’s officially family and stuck with us Allen’s!

So we love Tony.

But then we met Lauren.

And OH MY GOSH do we love Lauren!

We love her because although we’ve really only gotten to hang out a handful of times in the last five years (they live in KY and we’re in MO), it feels like we’ve known her forever. And I think that’s because her and Tony were made for each other. Honestly, I have never met another couple more perfect for each other!

So when they called to tell us they were FINALLY expecting their first baby we were beyond excited for them! And for us b/c with our three coming so soon after our wedding we’ve been waiting for them to catch up! HA! Little Charlie is due in April and I will make the drive to Louisville for the birth! SO EXCITED about that! And they came in town this weekend for their maternity session, which was AMAZING b/c not only did they rock it, it was FIFTY degrees today! I can’t tell you how good it was for my soul to feel the warm sun with my camera in hand. Oh man. Goodness.

Thanks for coming in town you guys! We had a blast and I’m so glad Kim got to meet you! She’ll be chiming in later this week with HER version of your sneak peek! Oh yes! These are just a sample of my photos! I’m telling you, the sun+warmth+beauty+belly had me snap-happy! We just couldn’t stop! Everywhere we looked we wanted to take more photos!

Spring is seriously calling my name!

the creative mess.

Posted on February 19, 2010

I am really sick today. And I napped while the kids napped. Which is soooo unusual. But soooo needed. And when I woke up, when they woke up, Oprah was on so I gave them chocolate milk+snack and laid back down on the couch. Knowing full well there would be a mess somewhere in the house if I left them alone for an hour, but not caring one single bit because my head felt like it would explode if I got up. So I laid there. And watched Oprah. And said yes to any question they asked me, not really paying any kind of attention to what they were asking but knowing a “yes” answer would get them away from me faster. Did I mention my head was about to explode? Seriously.

Eventually I got up and found them. Bailey was coloring, Parker was doing an art project and Gray was moving between the two rooms scattering things as he went.

And there was a mess.

Pretzels all over the floor, buttons scattered everywhere, glue and modge podge dripping, crayons scattered on the floor. And I almost freaked. I almost made them stop what they were doing and clean up.

But then I remembered THIS blog post I read yesterday.

And I slowed down.

And I watched.

And I grabbed the camera.

And I started capturing the moment.

The moment when my sweet little 3 year old got my glitter modge podge down off my table, got her little cup out of the drawer, unscrewed the cap, poured the glue, got a paint brush, found my jar of buttons and started creating.

All by herself while I laid sick on the sofa and watched tv.

And as I snapped I watched her. Her concentration. Her thoughtfulness.

Her creating. Her joy.

And I remembered we can clean up the mess later.

There is always time to clean.

So I watched my little man put buttons in and dump them back out.

I watched the girls laugh together.

Create together.

And through the fog of my cold I had never been happier we turned our dining room into an art room.

With art supplies at their finger tips whenever they want them. Even the messy ones like scissors and glue and modge podge and glitter and markers.

And do they make messes? Am I cleaning that room up everyday? Do I find crayons all over our house? Have our walls been colored on and hair been cut and glue been spilled? YES.

But what’s the first thing my kids do when they can do anything they want?

They create.

And if I didn’t let them make messes everyday things like this may never have come to be. This beautiful picture Bailey drew of herself with “Mommy I drew my eyes! Do you see them?…one is hazel one is blue, you are pretty, I love you…”

I write this because I might have missed this today. I was on the verge of missing it actually because my eyes focused initially on the mess. And I was sick and tired and angry at the mess. But luckily I remembered Becky’s words and I instead picked up my camera. And I just thank God that I did.

Wishing you a happy weekend of noticing. Of letting them create. Of accepting the mess. The beautiful creative mess.

St. Louis Kids Magazine – {St. Louis Photographers}

Posted on February 18, 2010

We’re so excited to share with you the article from St. Louis Kids about The Fresh Reflection!

Go HERE to read it!

A big thanks to Nicole for writing the article and including our little project! We are so honored and so passionate about The Fresh Reflection that it’s amazing for it to be getting some recognition already!

And if you haven’t hopped over there lately to leave those ladies some comments PLEASE DO! THANKS!

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I am sick. I hate colds. Kim is busy. I mean duh, she has seven kids! We’re working feverishly to get this new software up and running for our business so it’s consuming us right now. And my sister is in town so we’ve been having lots of family time. I am about 50 emails behind and I appreciate everyone who is being patient! We booked 6 sessions yesterday for March! SPRING IS COMING! Our March dates are limited because of spring break so please email soon if you want on the calendar. I have so much to say I think I might do a stream of consciousness post soon! Are you up for that? HA!

anyone want to help us shoot?

Posted on February 17, 2010

We have a newborn session this weekend for triplets and we’re thinking it might be good to bring someone with us to help with posing. You won’t be shooting at all, just helping with other stuff. The session is Sunday morning at 9am… could last all day.

If you’re interested email me at jodie@freshartphotography.com please!

THANKS!

How do you get five kids under five in one photo?

Posted on February 16, 2010

CHEAT! HA!

Gotta love photoshop!

Kim came over this morning to do these for us so Abbie and I can give this print to my mom as a surprise… but then of course I had to share it with you, blog world… so SURPRISE MOM! A new print, a new BIG print, for the kitchen! Hope you love it!

Miss Gretchen – [St. Louis Baby Plan Photographers]

Posted on February 16, 2010

Kim and I got to hang out with sweet Gretchen today, you know, the baby wearing the cute home made heart glasses from yesterday? We love Gretchen because we’ve become good friends with her Momma since their maternity and newborn sessions. Maggie is awesome and every time we’re with her we have more fun chatting than anything!

Today was Gretchen’s 3 month mini session which is a part of her Baby Plan session! But oh man was she not liking us today! We had to hold her mobile over her the entire time or she’d scream and if she even noticed Kim or I she would start crying again! It was actually really funny! And in the end, while we were chatting, she fell sound asleep in Kim’s arms… so by the end we were buddies again!

Of course we got some cute ones of her too!

Her t-shirt is from Alison Berry at Initially Yours and was perfect! Shirts come with your Baby Plan!

If you look closely you can see how Gretchen REALLY feels about us! HA!

Valentine’s Day 2010. Or the day we locked Gray in the car.

Posted on February 14, 2010

Oh yes. I’m serious.

Except it wasn’t really a WE as much as a HE, since it was Chris that accidentally locked Grayson in the car all alone! But of course, as you can imagine, it could have as easily have happened to me so I can’t rub it in for too long! HA!

We were having brunch with my parents/sister/kids after church and C took Gray with him to go pull the car around b/c it’s COLD here today and snowing. While we were still getting coats on the rest of the kids he came running back in to tell us that Gray was stuck in the car. We all rushed out and I called AAA who said they would take too long and it’d be better, in the weather conditions, to just call 911. So a quick call to 911 and soon THREE police cars were there trying to break into our car where a very confused/fussy/stuck/cold Bubba was anxiously waiting!

It took about 10 minutes, 20-30 total and we had our guy on the way home! What a way to celebrate the LOVE holiday then to lock your sweet boy in the freezing cold car!

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If you haven’t been following the Staker Family story, go HERE and watch the video… it will explain everything and WHEW DOGGIES it will make you cry! A good good cry though. Perfect for this holiday is a true miracle!

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And to finish off this random post a hilarious photo our little Valentine, Gretchen, sent us!

She will be in front of our lenses tomorrow when we do her 3 month photos, part of The Baby Plan and we can’t wait to see her! Maggie is so great and sends us photos via her iPhone to show us what Gretchen’s been up to! SO fun to watch our babies grow!

And in case you’re wondering about the super cute craft.. Maggie used craft foam for the heart glasses and pipe cleaners to connect it all! SO CUTE!

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I hope at least some of you are doing something WITHOUT your children tonight! Chris has a game and I’m taking the kids (after naps) to the wake of my mom’s cousin.  Neither can be helped but I will admit I’m wishing we could go see a movie or something at least!

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