My niece, Taylor Jade was born early at just 24 gestational weeks.  Not something anyone thinks will happen and not something that could have been prevented.  Not only was my beautiful niece born into this world much too early, but she came with a host of problems.  Taylor had a hole in her heart, partial cleft palate and since she was not full term not everything was fully developed.  She was months behind in every milestone and had to have therapy.  It was absolutely heartbreaking to see her walking around pulling her tiny oxygen on wheels.  She had this tank until her heart could be fixed.  Despite so many obstacles God granted our family a miracle.  Taylor will have her eleventh birthday this May.  Isn’t she beautiful?

This is my inspiration for my single parent contest.

I think about my life with 3 children.  Doing laundry, cleaning the house, making sure homework gets done.  I think about getting my kids involved with activities, giving them my undivided attention.  I think about running a business.  Then I imagine not having my spouse to fill in the blanks.

If you are a single parent or if you know one that could really use some good news pass this post along.  I want you to email me their story.  Tell me about their life as a single parent.  I will be accepting stories throughout the entire month of March.  I’ll be looking for these stories to be genuine and heartfelt.

What will they win you ask?  I’m so glad you asked. 

Like last year the winner will receive a complimentary session along with a $500 print credit! This credit may be used towards prints, proofs, albums…whatever.

BUT….

This year I’ve gone one step farther.  Trudi, at Illusions for Hair in Bentonville is giving the winning single parent a complete hairstyle.  Cut, color, whatever you want.  Not only that, but she will also do the children’s hair!  My kids and I go to Trudi every month and I gotta tell ya…she’s good!  She even has a stash of suckers in the top middle drawer. 

See, told you my kids love her. 

So start sending in those emails!  In the subject line write ’single parent contest’.  Here is a sample of last year’s winning session.

Can’t wait to start reading!

M

In honor of Spring I’m going give a FREE 8×10 print ($50 value) to the next 3 clients to schedule their spring session.  (offer can not be combined with any other discounts.)

I’ll be blogging about the Single Parent Contest in the next few days.  Not only will this year’s winner get an amazing package from us, but I’ve gone a bit farther this year to include something else.  I will reveal that in the next blog so stay tuned. 

What’s a blog without a picture??

Yesterday was Ben and Abby’s Valentine parties at their school which I *promised* to get to.  Ever hear of that expression ‘Life happens’?  Well It did because Levi, the toddler started with a small fever.  This is when the whole backwards potty training started to make sense to me…he must not feel good.  Needless to say I couldn’t take a possibly sick child into my son and daughters class right?  I swore I’d never be that parent, you know, the one that doesn’t care if your kid gets sick?  So I didn’t go.  I tell myself this is okay because we got to do the whole Valentine card/box thing the night before.  Of course Abby’s class was going to make their boxes as part of their party so she only had to write out her Valentine’s, which she separated the dog cards out to give to the boys only.  (I’m trying not to read too much into that gesture.)  Ben on the other hand got to make a box.  He wanted something ‘cool’.  You know, like the iPOD looking one that his friend made.  Seriously?  Whatever happened to sticking hearts all over your box?  So this is where dad comes in because I can’t make stuff like that.  At all.  He ended up with, wait for it, a DS box.  Yes, I know.

I think tonight I may take the oldest out for a date night, just him and I.  Undoubtedly we’ll end up at Borders because we both love that place!  They hold most of my spending money I must admit.  My only complaint is that they don’t stay open real late, you know, like til midnight.  How relaxing would that be?

So here are some fun little iPhone Polaroid pics I snapped over this last week.  A few may need some explaining.  The top middle, if you look at what he is holding.  Ya, that would be a whole lot of Levi’s hair on UPS tape.  Boys will be boys right?

Til next week

Mindy

So welcome to the new site!  I really hope you find it easy to navigate and full of great images. 

(drum-roll please)

Congratulations to the 2009 winner!  I contacted his mother, Angel, some time ago with the news so now it’s your turn.  This was the winning image…

Keep an eye on the blog in the coming week for information on our 2nd annual Single Parent Contest and how to enter yourself or the single parent in your life to win big!

How many of you have a personal blog?  A website?  Don’t raise your hand, it’s not like I can actually see you.    If you are a past or current client you already know that every time you send a new client my way you’ve earned a $25 credit.  So here is the experiment part.  Listen up because if this works it’s going to make some of you very happy!

If you put a link to my site up on your blog or website you will earn a $35 credit for every referral that comes from you.  So let me break it down like this:

• client must complete session before credit is given to you
• 6 referrals that come as a result of your link will earn you a free session plus the credit you’ve earned.
• 12 referrals gives you a free session, 10×10 album plus the credits you’ve earned.
• link on your site must be a static link.  It can’t be a link in one post.

What is a referral?  A referral is when a new client books, completes and orders from their session.

Let’s see if all this hype is real.  It’s going to be interesting as so many people have blogs anymore.  If you add a link let me know where it’s at and make sure you let all your blogger friends know about this! (or you could not tell them and earn all the session credits for yourself!) 

Happy Blogging!

On a different note.  I will be launching a brand new site hopefully (fingers crossed) in the next couple of weeks.  It’s going to look very different so don’t think you went to the wrong site! 

I will be doing the Single Parent Contest again this year.  Keep your eyes open for information on that towards the end of February and start thinking of some deserving single mom’s and dad’s.

Rules:

• Only 1 vote per IP address.  And Yes, I can tell. (if you have a lot of friends voting from work that happen to run off of one IP address and they have trouble just shoot me an email.  I’ll make sure their vote counts.)
• Repeat rule #1. 
• Contest runs from right NOW til midnight on the 24th.

Remember to tell everyone you know to vote.  You can use email, facebook, twitter, personal blogs and even the telephone to get your message out.  The image with the most votes wins.  The winner will get a $200 credit on their next session so let the voting begin!

Thank you to all of my clients.  It is because of you and your loyalty that I get to do what I love.  May you have a very blessed year in 2010!

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I hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas.  No matter where you are or what your circumstances are this year remember this…if you are reading this it’s because you have Internet.  If you have Internet you are very blessed in this world.  As you do your last minute shopping maybe you should check out an Angel Tree and see if some child needs something this year.  God Bless and I’ll see you next year!

Angela at Gala Girlies is responsible for all the decorating, set-up, clean-up, etc..  She does a great job, so if your looking to actually enjoy your child’s party instead of working it give her a call!  I thoroughly enjoyed photographing this birthday!  I am available for parties, but only through Gala Girlies.

*if your pregnant and want newborn pictures please don’t wait til after your baby is born!  Call during your last trimester.  Newborns are photographed between 5-10 days old.*

Proof that he is a thumb sucker!