The Color Run | Summer bucket list

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013

On mothers day this year I got to celebrate being a mother by running a 5k. It was my first legit 5k and it was a blast! I was one of the luck 10,000 to run in The Color Run- Seattle. There were SO many people there. I loved that we got to be in Seattle. I seriously love Seattle and I wish we lived closer and that I got to go up more often. I was a tad bit sad we didnt run through Pike Place Market but I get why we didn’t. Who wants color all over their produce and beautiful flowers?! It is on my bucket list that I run a few 5k’s (or something like it) this summer and this is the first on the list. The next one is a mud run and its in June! I cant wait!the color run with toddlersI do have a few tips for you especially if you’ll be strolling along a baby.

1. Cover your stroller. There will be WAY less clean up AND the kid will get more color thrown on them. Now.. if you think your kid might not like it.. dont cover it. During the run Jack got a LOT of color on him and Chloe didnt get as much and I think it had to do with the sheet. I got mine at a thrift store years ago and we used it as a beach sheet. It was perfect.

2. Bring wet wipes. The color still doesn’t come off all the way but it helps.

3. If your kiddo just wants to walk/run it. Do it still! There were plenty of kids on shoulders and walking the path. I was so excited to see them all. Our friend Mike even had fun High 5ing them with color in his palm. They seemed to get a kick out of it.

4. Dont forget to get your free photo at the end of the run. You get one free digital photo to download. :)seattle color run5k the color runIt was so good.. I had to show that one again. Look at all that beautiful color.. especially with the EMP in the back5k in seattleThe only photo I got of the two of them not being held.the solor run seattleand my favorite from the day. :) I think he had a lot of fun, I know I did.

Thanks for taking photos of us Amanda and Mike, I really appreciate it!

Oh and these werent taken with my dslr but my Canon G11 with waterproof shell instead.

 

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Something to touch | Blurb Book Review

Friday, May 17th, 2013

I have been meaning to write this blog for a while. I was just waiting for me to be done with our families 2012 album. I knew it was going to be our largest album yet and I knew this post needed it. All the time I get asked who I print my books through. If I like them and if they can hold a lot of images. I print my annual albums through blurb.com. I heard about them a while ago but only last year had my first album printed. My first was Jack’s first 365 album and I loved it. It was exactly what I wanted and I know when he is older he will love (and hate) it. I hear this all the time, “I haven’t even printed a single photo from our wedding off the disc I got.” As a photographer and more importantly as a mom I feel so sad! How are your kids ever going to see their mommy and daddy getting married?!? Or pregnant, or when they were dating? Hard drives and discs don’t last forever. When your kids are older do you really want them not able to see their baby photos because we don’t have that technology anymore? I know a ton of my moms baby films aren’t even able to be viewed because we don’t have the type of film projectors to show them. But she DOES have prints so I can see what she looked like growing up and what my aunts looked like and how silly and adorable they ALL looked. You don’t have to print through blurb, all I’m getting at it how important it is for you to be printing these precious images for your future family to see. Right now there is a post about a missing cell phone with a fallen soldiers images on it. How I wish she had printed those off her phone! I can only imagine how she is feeling. With blurb, they actually have a way for you to connect to Instagram and make a book. Uhm hello! You don’t even need to download anything or even get on your computer. EASY peasy.

There photos look the same as they do on my monitor. Nothing is overly red and the quality is awesome, especially when you pair it with a sale. It is SO much easier then printing out a bunch of 4x6s and shoving them in an album. Blurb can hold a LOT of images. My 2012 album has the maximum amount of pages (something like 430) and it looks awesome. Its got an entire years worth of images. Can you imagine just HOW MANY PHOTOS OF JACK are in it?!? Hah. Seriously, he’ll love AND hate me I promise. I love that he will get to see everything about his life. I only wish I could have had the same as I was a kid. It was one of my favorite things to do, looking through my moms old photographs. I loved being able to see who she was before I came along. So really, why is the disc SO important if you never even print anything off!? Get on it before your hard drive crashes or your phone is stolen!They make it so easy too. You download a program called Booksmart and they have layouts and different designs to choose from. I do wish they would get a few more aesthetically pleasing ones but that’s probably only because I am used to wedding design. Oh, and you can TOTALLY do your own design in InDesign or Photoshop, I’m just too lazy for that for our family albums. I do have a template I use for my 365 albums though. (Vol. 25 Digital Eye Candy)blurb book reviewI am not being paid by them to write this blog. (I Wish!) I just like to spread the word about a good product.

Also, they are incredibly fast at turnaround and ALWAYS ship before they say they are going to!

Oh and if you sign up through me, you’ll get $20 for free! Heyoo! Ill also get $20. Its really a win win.

Are you ready to make a family heirloom? Blurb.com

oh, you want to know where my 2010 album is? its still in the works. waiting on 2 shots from a photographer that seemingly lost the photos. :( But they are probably my favorite photos from the year so I want to hold off. the “pre the mercer’s” are also in the works.

 

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Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | Summer Bucket list

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

Apparently the Dutch moved here to WA back in the day and they like tulips. So, up in the Skagit Valley every April tons of people flock up North to see the daffodils, tulips and iris’. The tulips definitely steal the show though. There are rows and rows of tulips in all sorts of colors. These were all taken at RoozenGaarde. We hit traffic on the way down and hit Tulip Town first but they were closed before we got there, luckily RoozenGaarde was still open. Yay for them staying open a little later on a beautiful spring day!tulips.comtulip festivalreflection

Skagit Valley Tulip FestivalNeil grabbed a shot of me :) That never happens. Well, at least this good.

Next years Halloween costume. Tulip!

tulip festival washington

 

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Little Picasso | Summer bucketlist | DuPont Childrens Photographer

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

A while back I saw this idea on pinterest. For some reason I never thought to photograph his painting in the studio so when it came time to have some fun and paint a few canvas’ we brought him into the studio. On pinterest, the pin said, “something to do with a 2 year old instead of a cake smash” and I thought it was a fabulous idea. I love it when kids get messy. That way you know they’re having fun.. that is if they enjoy being dirty. This one also happens to be on our bucket list. BOOM. Check this off!dupont childrens photographer2 year old sessiondupont childrens photographertoddler finger painting

I cant get enough of this adorable little boy.I love that he stepped on all of them at the end. <3

 

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Buckets of Fun! 2013 Bucketlist Challenge

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

So Ive been saying a while that “I’m all booked up on the weekends” and well, I am. Its not photographing families though. Last year, I was busy. I was WAY busier than I planned. I got pretty behind and I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do. Yes, I wanted to photograph people but I also wanted to see this beautiful state I live in and I wanted to hang out with my baby turned toddler. I did see a lot last year and I spent some time with him, but I spent a lot of late nights up, editing. Don’t think I’m complaining. I did it to myself. I am so flattered you want me to be your photographer and sometimes its hard to say no, I’m busy with Jack or with my family. This year its different. Potentially we have 2 years here left and somewhere in there will be 9 months of pregnancy. We have a lot of sites to see, mountains to hike and beaches to camp before we move. This is what we have planned for this summer and I know, its a LOT. We might not cross everything off but I think based on what is already on our calendar, over half will be crossed. I also want to make sure I am out and about with Jack. I don’t want him to stay at home and watch “Choo Choos” all day long. I want him out seeing them in real life and seeing green things and plants and live fish and throwing rocks and sticks and playing outdoors when the weather allows. Even when the weather is bad I try and at least have 15 minutes of outside time with him.. even if its just to check the mail. I think he really appreciates it and I do too. Its so nice to get out. So, I’m doing this because I have a lot to see and Jack does too. For a while I tried to keep my “personal” work and family photos away from the blog but apparently, everyone loves Jack and would actually love to see all of our adventures we go on so from now on, you’ll see a lot more personal work on the blog as well.

bucket list in the PNW

I’m also writing this blog because I am not the only one doing a bucket list challenge this summer. You can too! There is a whole bunch of  families participating and it’s not too late for you to start.

Head on over to The Happy Family Movement and check out the challenge.

Oh, and if you want to see what any of the above places look like, Ive probably got them pinned on pinterest. :)

Our trip to the Seattle Aquarium and riding the great wheel! #29 & #30

Jack getting his finger painting on #27

 

 

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