Minted: Save the Date...

10 years + one month ago to this day I married my best friend.  

It's been a (gasp) a decade since I planned my wedding (oh my... I was so young or I am so old?) and oh how the times have changed. I remember ripping out pages of extra large bridal magazines that I would pack around along with a gigantic binder that I would keep all the loose clippings, inspirations, and contacts.

It was a process.

Pinterest, wedding blogs, or facebook pages didn't exist and I had to actually pick up the phone and call vendors... and then make an appointment to meet with them one by one to see what they had to offer!
EXHAUSTING!
Brides have it good these days... real good. And being a wedding photographer- I know.  Everything is at our fingertips- including save the dates and invitations. Not only that but there are some real rad designs out there that are easy to make your own!

I have had my eye on Minted for some time now and have really loved all the different occasions and products they offer. They have a TON of Save the Date options {here} with some creative ways to let people know about the couple and info about their wedding. From postcards and magnets to mini books that tell all about the way the couple met. LOVE! So clever.

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So Valentines is approaching... And you know what that means.... Our Annual Valentines cards!! I have been browsing through Minted's Valentine's section and need some help in deciding! I am narrowing it down to three options...will you help me choose?? Stay tuned to see what I have in mind!

besitos, xo


This post is  brought to you by Minted. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

Teaching your children GRATITUDE through photography.

I just love when I can sit here in silence while BOTH my kids are sleeping. MMMM.... so refreshing to just be alone for a few moments before these two wake up and life gets hustling and bustling again. We all need a little moment right? I can actually hear my thoughts in my head.
Well...I have a thought I have been wanting to share for some time now and that's teaching children how to have a grateful heart.

Want to incorporate gratitude in your child's life? Give them a camera.

Ask them to snap shots of things they are grateful for and see what they come up with. Heck- do it yourself and see what you come up with! If they are too young to really get what gratitude means- tell them to shoot things they love and that make them happy. Most kids can understand that. 

Babbaco has their gratitude boxes you can buy which includes this camera. Little man snapped shots last week...

And I am just DYING to see what is on this camera! With being sick all week we haven't left the house much and I haven't made it to drop off this disposable camera! Sheesh-I forgot what photography was like back in the days when you had to WAIT for your photos! It's so hard!!

Anyhow- we are going to paste his photos in a little mini gratitude journal. So, get a camera and start letting them take some photos. I will show you what we come up with once the photos are back!

besitos 

xo

Talking Photography at Evo

Much traveling this summer has left little time for some blog love... BUT...with so much needed break- I AM BACK and feeling more energized than ever!  I'm ready to share great photos and stories that have come my way.

Most recently, I had the honor of attending and teaching photography workshops at the Evo Conference in the beautiful mountains of Park City, Utah last week. Being new to the mommy blog world- it was quite a fun experience being surrounded by social media power houses tweeting and instagraming their experience of the conference.  Together these women came to enjoy a weekend full of great company, empowering speakers, fun activities, amazing sponsors, and delicious desserts. Who could as for anything more?

Well, besides blue wigs and superhero capes...

and maybe mickey mouse. 

Little man couldn't believe his mom was so lucky. 

I just adore teaching! 

The topic I was asked to speak on was "Getting your Camera off AUTO and onto MANUAL."

Sounds scary for some I know... but I am here to tell you to DO IT- take off those training wheels! Remember that you are in fact smarter than your camera and that it's not as scary as it may seem. I dare you...double dog dare you. 

Why do such a thing you ask?

#1 reason for me is to become a more mindful photographer.  You will become in tune with your surroundings and subject and begin to feel instead of just looking through your viewfinder. 

Questions to ask yourself to evaluate as you set your camera settings is: Is your subject moving quickly or standing still? What is the quality of the light like? What are you wanting to portray in your photograph? What story are you telling?

After our presentations- we were able to take a group out to downtown Salt Lake City and downtown Park City to practice some hands on. We gave them the assignment of looking for lines and circles in their surroundings. 

Here are some I snapped along the way. 

"Don't forget to get down on the ground- What does the world look like from that view?"

  

"Pay close attention. Lines and circles could be right under you."

 Someone asked how to get blur in the background. 

"I like to open up my aperture which means lower the number. Remember: The LOWER the number- the MORE light is let in. So, an aperture of a 1.4 let's in MORE light than a 7.1."

"Look up."

"Or right in front of you."

 

More lines and circles

Don't be afraid to take photos of random scenes. Each tell a story and leave the mind thinking and feeling something about that scene. For instance, in this photo- I am left wondering what the waiter by the door is thinking and who left their bikes out, what is that man looking at on his phone?

Hope you had a great week!

Look forward to an amazing product review coming up next!

besitos, 

xo

P.S. I have to give a shout out to my friend Kris who came out with me...well actually drove and assisted me as I was sluggish and loopy from pulling an all nighter the night before. 

Friends don't let other friends drive drunk  sleepy.

 Kris- you rock.

and that is exactly what I did....

I told you I was in the mood to art journal... and that is exactly what I have been doing lately. 

I decided to make this new little journal (check out here how I made it) my Gratitude Book. It is a place where I can put all the daily things I am grateful for. I printed off my Instagram photos and decided to use those to represent all the things I am grateful for.

I am grateful for being able to make a wish on a dandelion every time I see one.

 I am especially grateful Little Man also loves to stop and blow dandelions with me. 

 

I am grateful for my education. 

I am even more grateful that I get to spend the majority of my time home with my little man.

I am grateful for my husband and his ideas. Crazy and not crazy.

I am grateful for being able to enjoy downtown Boise. 

I love going to the farmer's market.

I am grateful for autumn walks.

I am grateful for being a mother.

 I am especially grateful that Little man still lets me hold his hand. 

 I am grateful for cupcakes and Oreos. 

Especially when it is an Oreo cupcake.

I am grateful for my art gratitude journal.

 Read more on how I made these pages here on Howdoesshe.com

xo

Gift# 5- Laugh out loud.

Warning: You are about to see an OVERLOAD of photos from a photo shoot that little man and I did. 

We did a photo shoot for How Does She  (over here) talking about  how to coordinate wardrobes for family photo shoots. My sister-in-law Dar and I have been swapping taking each other's photos for How Does She and then editing them ourselves...so thank you Dar for taking so many great ones!   I had a hard time narrowing down which ones to choose for my out-takes. 

Speaking of out-takes. I feel like each day is one huge out-take. Looking through these photos I am reminded by all the laughing I do on a daily basis with this little man. He surprises me every day. 

We started the shoot off right with some frozen yogurt from Goodies in Hyde Park.

 

However, little man for some reason wasn't into ice cream that day. Who isn't into ice cream?

But he sat long enough to get a few shots...

 

...well almost. 

Random moments caught on film:  Like when Little Man ran through my legs. Awkward. 

Or when he randomly semi kisses or more like semi licks my face. Awesome.

...and moments like these where he'll look everywhere BUT the camera. 

 

...Or when he hides behind you and points to everything he knows how to say. 

  

 ...Or when random people in the street want to pick up your kid and raise him over their head. No, I don't know this man.

Or when the ice cream idea failed and we had to put it down for a brief moment.

But within in the five minutes of leaving our ice cream, a stray dog came and ate it. I am not lying. A random street dog came out of nowhere and snatched our ice cream.  :( 

Or when you think that you are going to have a cute moment holding hearts for a Valentines photo and Little Man uses that opportunity to run away instead.  

Or when you let him have bubble gum (a no no when taking photos btw) and having him drop it and then pick it up from the sidewalk and eat it.

Having him give you spontaneous hugs and kisses. He may have said he "loved me." It may have melted my heart. 

It is moments like these that make buying this ridiculous balloon and having two ice cream cones go to waste all worth it.   

All in all it was a great day. 

 I got to love on this kid.

Who could ask for anything more?

Gift #5: Laugh. A lot.

besitos, 

 

Gift #4 FORGIVENESS

Yesterday was not my proudest moment. Not as a mother. Not a wife.

I had been putting off editing a wedding for so long and had a deadline to complete by yesterday afternoon. So, in desperation, I invited mickey mouse to come and play (AKA sat him in front of the TV to watch Mickey Mouse Playhouse) and there he sat sipping on chocolate milk (his heaven on earth) and gold fish while I continuously stared at the computer screen ALL DAY LONG.  The sun was shining and I could hear children playing and riding their bikes outside.

Outside was the only place I wanted to be and this made me grouchy...which brings me to also winning the double award of "grouchiest mom and wife award."

The end result? The photos were completed on time... and little man's obsession for Mickey Mouse and chocolate milk grew.

 Getting down on my knees, I  looked at him in the eyes and asked little man for forgiveness (although to him, he had the best day ever) for ignoring him and being a very grouchy mommy and I put everything aside and we played.  Mister came home and we went to Carls Junior (because they have the BEST play place) for a night of jungle gyms and good conversation over turkey burgers. I may have snuck up to the top once or twice to ride down the slide with little man.

My conclusion?
Although I am technically working from home... and I really home?

You know that Snicker Bar commercial- "You are not You when you are hungry?" Although that statement is very true of me as well- I am also NOT ME when I have endless hours of photo editing to do.

So...

 I have come to the conclusion that I am taking a break from shooting weddings....and we are cutting cable. End of story.

Mister doesn't believe me. But I pinkie swear.

GIFT #4 ASK for FORGIVENESS 

PS. There is a GIVEAWAY for an amazing product going on at my other blog here.

besitos,