Before I was a Mom....

Ok, so blah blah, I don't do e-mail forwards, etc. And, I really DON'T. But, as I read this one, it really touched me. Being a mom is who I am, and I LOVE it! So, read and enjoy...and think of your cute little ones...even when they're stinkers.

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Model Search

Ok, so this is a teeny tiny poster, but basically, what it says is that we're participating in the National Charity Model Search to select "America's Cutest Kid".

We are looking for cute children ages 18 months to 14 years old to enter into a national "photographer's choice" contest.

We are doing a model search special:
$50 entry fee for a 25 minute model session and one image submission to the national gallery.

Offer expires March 24th.

Here's the details of the competition:
Opportunity to be city finalist and/or grand prize national winner. The grand prize winning child receives a $5,000 US Savings Bonds and a Canon PowerShot G10 digital camera.City finalists are determined by online votes. Each vote is $1, and all proceeds from each vote benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization (NILMDTS.com).
Photography and industry experts will determine the contest’s national winner from the 50 finalists after the closing date of April 2nd. The grand prize winner will be announced May 1st, 2009.

Hope to see you soon! (Because we all know the winner lives in Michiana!)

Bunny Kisses 2009

And just in case you eyes aren't as good as a bunny's...

Bunny Kisses...Exclusive sessions at Traditions Photography with our cotton-tailed friends. March 10th to the 13th. Sessions are $50 and are available between 9am and 4:30pm. Call us to book! Sessions are going faster than bunnyies can hop!

We're normal...just so you know

Ok, so I brought in my family for a portrait. Bad day for portraits. I thought, you know, I'm a professional portrait photographer. I should get a really awesome picture of my family for a lot of different reasons. Well, my kids are normal kids. And, it was a bad day for portraits. So, I just thought I would share with you one of my favorites from the session. Enjoy...

Are We Facebook Friends Yet?

Add me as your facebook friend and I'll e-mail you a pic we took of your family for the web!

Memorial Hospital

Did you know that Traditions Photography is now doing the newborn portraits at Memorial Hospital? Yes! It's true! Check out our site for the newborns at Memorial at the bottom of this article. Shannon has moved over to Memorial to photograph there, and we've added Jackie to our wonderful team to cover weekends. If you're going to be delivering your baby at Memorial soon, let us know! We'll look for you when you arrive!

Memorial Newborn Photography Website

I want my mommy!!!

Have you ever just felt that you need your mommy to come help you figure something out? Well, we're kind of feeling that way! We need our Mommies! So, we're asking you all to be our mommies!

Here's the scoop...We're looking for a list of Mommies (or other friends) who are willing to "work" at our studio and help us out. In return, you'll get $10 in Traditions money per hour. What does this mean? This means that if you work for us for 3 hours one week, you will get $30 in credit added to your account to spend as you like here at the studio.

So - interested? Contact us ASAP and we'll compile a list of mommies willing to help. We'll put whoever calls us first at the top of the list and go from there. There is no certain time, certain length of time, or week we're looking for. Similarly, if there is a mom who needs a certain time, we can work that out as well! We need an errand runner as well! Unfortunately, children cannot come with you to work at the studio. You may end up in the framing area and we don't want any of our little kiddies to get hurt.

Call us or e-mail! 574-271-7751, info@traditionsphotography.com

Indoor Sidewalk Sale

Ok, so we're completely cleaning out our storage. And, we've found some frames, matting, readymade frames, and some other cute items that we can live without...but maybe YOU can't! Come and see our sidewalk sale items! Everything will be priced to sell. And, whatever doesn't sell is going to GOODWILL by the end of the week! So, stop by and see what goodies we have! They'll be GONE by Friday!

(Indoor) Sidewalk Sale
THIS Wednesday & Thursday
January 21st and 22nd
9:30am-4:30pm
At our studio!

Christmas Decorations

Just in case you missed our beautiful decorations...here is a recap! We're already working on our theme for next year. I know...we're crazy!

Wild Sorbet Frames

Here is a beautiful example of our Wild Sorbet frames. A handcrafted, made in the USA, fully custom frame line that is just awesome! Tons of colors - and you can even submit a custom color of your own!

Thank you, baby Anya, for your lovely modeling skills....SO CUTE!

Almost a break!

Whew!!! We are ready for a break over here! (No worries, we're still working hard to get things in for Christmas) But man, we are bushed! Overtime...weekends...at least we have a happy UPS guy, Pat, who happily delivers our numerous boxes with smiles every time he walks in the door.

Just FYI - Christmas and the day after, as well as New Year's Eve, New Year's and the day after, we will be closed. Christmas Eve we are closing at 1pm.

We totally need a holiday break! But no worries, we'll be beginning the new year with lots of new ideas and fun stuff! Stay Tuned!

SO MUCH GOING ON!

There is SO much going on here in the studio right now. We've just announced that beginning December 1st, we will be photographing at Memorial Hospital! Yipes! We're really excited, but right now we're going crazy getting it all organized!

Shannon and our new Jackie are going over to Memorial full time to photograph babies there. And, I'll even be there every now and then as a third photographer. CRAZY!

Not to mention that Santa is coming and we're getting ready for him. Christmas is going to be so much fun this year!

We have new frame corners, jewelry, and readymade frames all in the studio. I haven't been able to get them online in the boutique yet though. TOO much to do!

Please take note that over the next few weeks our hours might be a little crazy due to Memorial. Bear with us! Thanks!

~Eileen

Did you rock the vote?

I did! And Jacob and Penelope did too! Well, they provided the entertainment for the hour long wait. What a hoot! Fortunately they were well behaved most of the time.

As we left Jacob wanted to go back and vote again. I tried explaining that voting more than once isn't legal, but it's not easy to explain that to a 3 year old.

Hope you voted! Especially for all you Hoosiers. Your vote REALLY counts!
Have a great election day!

Facebook

Are you on facebook? (If you're not, you should be. It's a great time waster and friend updater. Superfun!) Become a fan of Traditions Photography. Look us up! We're just getting started on this, so bear with us. But, let us know you love us! :)

Deadline for Handbags

If anyone would like a handbag for Christmas, the deadline is November 10th....just two weeks away! Order now!

Gallery Wrap Give Away Details!

Christmas Commandos Gallery Wrap Give Away!

Traditions Photography is sponsoring a Gallery Wrap Give Away in honor of Christmas Commandos. We will raffle off (1) 24x24 inch Gallery Wrap (valued at $1000.00) and donate all proceeds to Christmas Commandos.

Christmas Commandos is a local charitable trust. Created in 1998, its primary goal is to bring emotional support to families who have lost a child or parent. Their secondary purpose is to help financially if there is a need. The organization brings Christmas in an anonymous and magical way to families.

Thousands of gifts are purchased, wrapped and tagged. Each gift is chosen individually for each family member. The gifts bring comfort and laughter, but most of all love and support back into the lives of those who are hurting from a loss.

On Christmas Eve night the gifts are loaded up along with decorations and an angel statue and brought to each and every home, with a letter from the Christmas Commandos.

As you can imagine, the end result is worth more than I can even begin to type.



We will raffle off a 24” Gallery Wrap to the lucky winner. Wrap may be used for a past or future session, but the portrait must have been taken by Traditions Photography. Tickets will be sold between October 27, 2008 and December 19, 2008. The winner will be announced during the week of December 22nd. Tickets are as follows:

1 ticket = $10
3 tickets = $20

There is no limit! And no need to be present!

Join us! Tickets are on sale now!
Care to donate independently? Drop off a check made out to “Christmas Commandos” at our studio. Know a family that would benefit? Contact me and I will have the necessary people get in contact with you. (Since Christmas Commandos is anonymous, I can’t just give out everyone’s name!)

Thank you in advance for supporting such a wonderful cause…and good luck!
Love,
Eileen :)

Christmas Commandos & Gallery Wrap GIVE AWAY!

We'll be sponsoring a new GALLERY WRAP GIVE AWAY to benefit Christmas Commandos. More details to come - about ticket prices, drawing dates, and the amazing organization helping Michiana families during their first Christmas without a loved one.

Be on the look out!

The NEW Diaper Bank of Michiana!

Hello all!

Just a note to tell you what's going on these days! I am proud to announce that I am part of the new Diaper Bank of Michiana. Ok, so I know you are chuckling right now at the thought, but really! It's a great non-profit organization that collections child and adult diapers and provides them to other non-profits in the LOCAL community that provide them to our community members in need. What a GREAT cause. Have you even thought how much it costs to cover your baby's butt in a year? My goodness. Do the math! It's kind of scary! (Makes me want to potty train Penelope RIGHT NOW!)

Anyway, there isn't a current website right now, but we have a link on Make a Difference Michiana website - link is posted here on my blog. Be on the lookout for future postings from me about events coming up. (Like on November 18th, save the date!)

Also - this next Wednesday, the 29th at 4pm, we are looking for diaper models. (Preferably between the ages of 6 months - sitting up - and 2 yrs. Clean diapers only!) ;) You will be required to sign a release so we can use these pics in promo shots for the foundation. Please RSVP and let me know if you would like to participate. Boys and girls needed! (574) 271-7751

U93 and Chick-Fil-A

Ellen entered us into the "OFFICE INVASION" contest for U93 - and - we won! So, they brought us breakfast this morning from Chick-Fil-A. And, Rob, AJ, and the COW came! Never a dull moment!

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Yes. Christmas. Today was decorating day at the studio! I know I know, it's not even October. But you know, with the amount of time it takes to get portraits back, the deadlines for Christmas are quickly approaching!

Therefore, we took the opportunity to decorate with the AC on. We all needed a mental break anyway! :)

Come see our pretty decorations! :)