Picture of the Day

Josie

Click the image to view the slideshow.

These are Josie's footprints. After playing in the baby pool in her backyard, she stopped here for a moment before moving inside to eat lunch. I love how she left her little mark. :) Josie is an adorable 14 months old with a beautiful, light-up-the-room smile. It was so fun documenting a day in the life for her and her parents.

I don't often get to photograph pet cats because A) if my clients have pets, they are usually dogs, and B) they normally don't want to have anything to do with me or pictures. But Josie's wonderful cat seems to love Josie just as much as she loves her parents. The cat (sorry, I've forgotten her name!) was a rescue and really the first baby in the family, so it is appropriate that she gets some picture-love too. I just the adore the series of her with mom and Josie reading a book. Enjoy the slideshow!


Sara Speert - Decatur children's photographer, family pet photographer

Me, a judge?

On Tuesday, I had the honor of being asked again to judge the ImageMaker's Competition, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America annual photo competition. Students compete in local competitions to reach the national competition where I and two other professionals judged the entries. It is such a great complement to be asked to judge. And it was wonderful to see how young children and teenagers use creativity to see their everyday world. Many students wrote about how photography has allowed them to see the world in a different way and opened their eyes to new things. I love that photography has that power and that they've had that experience!

John Sharp (professor at SCAD Atlanta) and Connie Jackson (professional photographer) looking through the portfolio entries.

One of the beautiful images entered by a student.

Another beautiful entry - a dandelion.

Ethan & Eli

I met Jen and Adam two years ago when they asked me to photograph their wedding vow renewal ceremony and dinner. They are beautiful people - inside and out - genuine and truly nice people, so when Jen contacted me recently to schedule a portrait session for their family, I jumped at the chance to see them again and meet Eli, the newest member of the family.

On a side note, Jen has an amazing blog that I love reading. I subscribe to many blogs to keep up on my friends and other big-name photographers, but Jen's blog is different. For one, take a look at the description she's given to it:

Stories of the frazzled and funny days I spend living life with two boys. Read on about how I manage motherhood, marriage, faith, friendships and all the little twists and turns along the way that keep it interesting.

Plus, I love the name of it - Tales of a Southern Yankee. For all you mom's, I think you'll be able to relate to everything she writes about. So, if you do visit her newly designed blog, be sure to leave a comment. We blog people love comments!

Last week I posted a POTD (Picture of the Day) from their session. And today's the day for the slideshow. So without further ado, to-do or ago....

(click the image to watch the slideshow)

This beautiful scene is right in their backyard! How amazing!

Sara Speert - Kennesaw portraits, family portraits, Gwinett County portraits

Picture of the Day

Happy Belated 4th of July! Hope you had a wonderful weekend with family & friends. Nick and I had a great day on Saturday. We headed up to the north Georgia mountains to a blueberry farm and picked delicious blueberries. I had to sample them while we picked to be sure they were "ok." It was a great way to take a mini-vacation and do something different. And we've been enjoying them since. Blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes....

These pictures are from my iPhone. Not bad, right?

Then we headed back home. Parked the car and walked to Avondale Estates fireworks. Although we've been living in our house for 2.5 years, we never seem to be in town for the 4th so this was our first time going to see the fireworks there. Avondale Lake is just a mile away and it was so nice to be able to walk there, not deal with the car and parking, set up our chairs and join the huge crowd. And we had no idea the fireworks would be so good! The "show" lasted at least 15 minutes. And it was fantastic. The moon was just to the right of where the fireworks went off so it was a really beautiful sight. I took a few pictures with my iPhone and they looked amazing on the phone but when I downloaded them.... hmmm, not so great in real life. So you'll just have to use your imagination.


So here's the next Picture of the Day! Enjoy!

Grace

Grace and her parents are one of the lucky families to win a free portrait session from Gymboree at Toco Hill. So last Wednesday, we met at a Decatur park for some exploring. Grace is precious and so expressive. She had a great time exploring, collecting rocks and running around. Ok, I admit it; I was chasing her. :) I love the vivid colors of the authentic Chinese dresses she wore. And the image of her peering through the bay window is one that will be very special to dad. Everyday when dad leaves for work, Grace runs to the window to wave goodby as he drives away. How cute is she?!

Click the image below to watch the slideshow.

Sara Speert - children's photography, toddler photography, portraits at the park

Cole's 2nd Portrait

Last week, I visited Cole and his mommies for a second time. The first session was a blast and it's hard to believe how much he has grown since then. He looks so much more like a little boy now than a baby. He is learning to walk on his own and is definitely proud of this new found ability.

I absolutely love the picture below of Cole. He stopped for split second to rest while playing on the couch. It is such a peaceful moment and I love that I was able to capture his tranquil expression. And those eyes! So beautiful!

Sara Speert Photography - Decatur children's portraits

Picture of the day - sort of

After so many great responses to yesterday's Picture of the Day, I'm inspired. I have high hopes of being able to post a favorite image every day. (Those hopes may be a bit ambitious, but it's worth a try, right?)

So here's today's. Although it's not an image of a client, per se, I think it still qualifies. It's a shot of a collage in Cole's bedroom. The collage is from his first portrait session in December. I love the soft colors of the images (an effect I call "old film"), the rustic black edges and how amazing it looks on this walls of this colorful and playful room.

Sara Speert Photography - children's collages, children's room art, children's photography

Favorite shot of the day

On Saturday, I had another great opportunity to second shoot with Matt Yung in Athens, GA. I truly love second shooting weddings with Matt. It was a lot of fun to be able to take some more creative shots and move around a lot more. As the lead photographer, I generally am concerned with getting a lot of "necessary" shots, in addition to candid moments, to be sure that I cover everything. But as the second photographer, I can be a bit more relaxed and look for the unique angles and candid moments that can often be missed. It refreshed my creative eye!

This is my favorite of the day.

Sara Speert Photography - Georgia's photographer's photographer

Harper - 9 months

I visited with Harper and her parents last week for her second portrait session of the Growing Baby Collage Package. Harper is just about ready to walk which is so exciting. Whenever she can, she will walk with mom and dad's help. And just like her first session, her smile is infectious.

I started playing with some new effects during the retouching process and I love the way these have turned out. Some are a bit retro looking, like they are old photos that were taken some 30 years ago or more, and others are just different and fun. My favorite image is the one below. A tender moment of Harper and her mom reading one of her favorite books. I love that it has so much emotion and yet leaves much to the imagination.

Enjoy the slideshow below by clicking the image.

Sara Speert Photography - expressive and artistic portraits

albums, albums and more albums

I've been a bit neglectful of blogging recently. Sorry! I still love you all! I have however been posting to our Facebook page so be sure to become a fan.

I've been working on 4 album designs simultaneously, which is a new record for me, in addition to retouching a bunch of portraits and orders. I know that Christin & Jason are really anxious to see their wedding album and although it isn't complete, I can't wait any longer to show them (and you!) a few of my favorite pages. Their final albums, yes, I wrote "albums" because they're getting two to hold all the pictures from their 2-weekend celebration, will be beautiful Queensberry 18x12 Duo albums. The Duo means that the album is a combination of matted pages and flushmount/magazine pages - the ultimate in design.

Harrison

I had the pleasure to meet Harrison and his parents last week for an afternoon portrait session at their home. He is a very happy baby and seemed to enjoy everything. We started off with a bath, then some dinner (mmm, spaghetti!), and then went in to the yard to play on the new swing set. I must mention here that Harrison's dad built the swing set - very impressive! And although it's not yet complete, Harrison is already enjoying it. Just look how happy he is on the swing!

The truck that he's playing with here was passed down to him from his Great Grandfather, for whom he's named. Imagine him playing with the same toy at Harrison's age - so amazing. I love that we incorporated this special toy into the session. It makes a beautiful memory.

Enjoy the slideshow!

Sara Speert Photography - baby, children & family portraits

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (episode 7)

My vacation was fantastic, albeit too short as most vacations are, but it was great. Got to spend some much needed time with my family, including my 9 month old niece, Elizabeth Sophie. I'll post some pictures soon.

In the meantime, it's been a bit difficult to get back into the swing of working after being off for a week, so I mosied (is that a word?) on over to YouTube to watch my favorite Muppet who always makes me laugh. Thought I'd share it with you...just for laughs. Amazing how much laughing can relax a person! Ok, I mean me...

Evie, Duncan & Bennett

Saturday morning I met twins, Duncan & Bennett, and their big sister, Evie, at Piedmont Park. With all the newborn portrait sessions I've been doing recently at my clients' homes, it's been a long time since I was at the park and it was great to get back. I was reminded how nice it is to photograph there, except when there's an event going on. So it turns out that Saturday morning was the Peachtree Junior Road Race. I had no idea there was such a thing, but it looked like a lot of fun. With so many people in the park, it's often difficult to take pictures of my clients without someone in the background. But I was up for the challenge. I figured out one wonderful advantage to photographing a portrait session in the park on the day of an event - MUSIC! We had great music to listen to throughout our session and it made the beautiful day even more fun. Hmmm...maybe I should start bringing music with me on all my shoots. :)

Thanks to Evie, Duncan & Bennett for a fun morning! I definitely got my workout for the day trying to keep up with the twins. If you're a mom with little ones who are suddenly walking, you totally understand.

Enjoy your slideshow. Click the image below to view it.

Sara Speert Photography, Piedmont Park photographer

Reese

Reese has grown so much since I first starting photographing her a year ago. She is walking and talking now, and she has beautiful blond curls. I'm liking this look a lot better than the bald baby look. :)

I am really excited to start designing her baby album from all three portrait sessions. I'll be sure to post a few pages here when it's complete.

Click the image to watch the slideshow.

Sara Speert Photography, Decatur, GA baby photography and baby albums

Joshua

Have I mentioned how many of my friends are having kids? I guess there's just something about my age, but it seems like all my friends who are married are having babies. And as you'd imagine photographing my friends' families is SO AMAZING. I pride myself on getting to know my clients and knowing what moments and images will be most meaningful to them. Add that I know my friends even better, sometimes for years, and it makes the process of documenting their little ones even more special.

I've known Dan & Rachel since college. We all attended the University of Rochester (in fact, that's where they met) and I am so grateful for their friendship. Photographing Joshua was an especially fantastic experience. I can see how he resembles mom and dad in so many ways and it's so wonderful to see how much their love reflects in his eyes.

Click the image below to see a few of my favorite images from their session last weekend.

Sara Speert, Dunwoody, Georgia children's portrait photographer

Published! - Professional Photographer Magazine

I am honored to be included in the May issue of Professional Photographer Magazine. I have been reading this magazine for years, folding down page corners and tearing out articles, getting new ideas, and being inspired and re-inspired by other photographers, technical tips and marketing ideas. So to be included is amazing! Being interviewed for this piece was one of the highlights of my professional career and I couldn't be happier to, at the same time, bring some attention back to New Orleans, a place that still needs help 3.5 years after Hurricane Katrina.

To read the full article, click below.

For more information:
View my New Orleans documentary movie
Jewish Funds for Social Justice
St. Bernard Project
The School at Blair Grocery
The House of Dance and Feathers
Beth Israel Congregation

For more information about volunteering with other organizations:
Volunteer New Orleans

Luke & Clark

Spring is finally here and with it comes portraits! Yay portraits!

This morning I had the pleasure to visit with Clark again. I photographed a portrait session of him at Piedmont Park last year just after his second birthday. Now he has a baby brother, Luke. Luke has the most adorable smile and it was so fun talking to Clark. I am always so excited when my kids are able to communicate with me verbally and even use my name. At the end of the session as they were getting ready for lunch, he asked me if I'd like to join them for pizza. How cute is that?!

Here's Luke and his big brother, Clark.

Sara Speert, Atlanta baby and kids portrait photographer

Improving the Awesomeness

It's been a long 5 months....ok, not really. It's just that I've been working on a lot of new projects since January. Kinda like a total business overhaul. June 1 will be my 6th anniversary so it was really time for some changes. I've learned a lot in these 6 years and while I have been making changes along the way to accommodate the requests I've received, this time it's a big change because so many things have been enhanced.

Today is the day that the new price list is being released! I know, not something you are really all that excited about, but you should be! We now have wall art collections, an inspiration guide to help you think about the creative and attractive ways you can display your favorite images, enhancements to the Coffee Table Albums with something totally custom-made (and unlike anything you've ever seen), and so many more things. Not only are there new concepts and products, but it looks beautiful too! Here's a little glimpse.

If you'd like information about any of our services, concepts or products, please contact us. Here's our main website - click on the contact page.

Christin & Jason - wedding

What an beautiful wedding and a beautiful couple! Christin and Jason's beach wedding was just perfect. An intimate wedding, beautiful weather, and a barefoot first dance on the beach...

Looking forward to the reception on Saturday at the reception at Barnsley Gardens!

Click the image to view the slideshow. As always, the show can be purchased by clicking the DVD icon at the bottom of the show.

Thanks to Candice K for second shooting with me! It was so great working with her and her images, just fantastic.

Beach Family Portrait

On my first full day in Santa Rosa Beach/San Destin, FL for Christin and Jason's wedding weekend, I had the absolute pleasure to photograph a family portrait session on the beach for some of my favorite clients. I have been photographing Avery and her parents, Kelly & Chris, since she was just a few months old. Now she's 5 and has a sister and brother. I don't get many opportunities to photograph sessions on the beach, so it was a real treat to photograph their annual portrait in the sun and sand. The weather couldn't have been better and ....seriously, what's not to love about playing at the beach? It was also a lot of fun to come up with new ways of photographing the whole family. Walking on the beach is just so simple and beautiful, and when I saw a row of 5 blue beach chairs, I couldn't resist. I love how Jack is standing on the chair in that image. It's just so expressive of his personality and of all the fun the kids had at the beach. Next year, I hope we can return to the beach for some photos of the whole family buried in the sand!

Click the image to watch the slideshow. As always, it is available for purchase on DVD or by download. Simply click the icon at the bottom of the slideshow to purchase.

Christin & Jason - wedding sneak peek

Christin and Jason's intimate wedding (with just 20 friends and family) was on the beautiful beach of Santa Rosa, FL on Saturday. There were so many wonderful details and moments, and I am so excited to share them soon in the slideshow. But I know that Christin, Jason and their families are super anxious to see pictures, in fact, I'm pretty sure C&J are checking the blog from their honeymoon (hi!), so although I still have lots of editing and retouching to do, I wanted to share this great image. Enjoy!

More to come in the next week.

It's back to basics

The economy stinks and everyone is feeling the crunch. (As if I needed to tell you!) As we all try to make the best of this stressful situation, I'm reminded how important our families are. Remember how fun it was to ride bikes as a kid, go to the park, play a boardgame and do so many things that (hello!) cost little or nothing at all? It's those times that many of us remember most vividly because it was fun to be with our families without all the distractions. It's time to get back to basics and back to our families.

In honor of our kids, our husbands and wives, our parents and siblings, and the importance of refocusing our priorities, we have something really special for the first 5 people to contact us.

50% off our most popular ABC Storytelling Portrait session

The session includes:
A planning session at our Decatur studio
A 2-hour session at your home or local park for 3 people (additional people are $25/each)
An online slideshow of "photographer phavorites"
A Viewing/Ordering appointment at our Decatur studio
A Portrait Website for one month
And a $50 credit for the Viewing/Ordering appointment

Regular price for this package is $300 but this "back to basics" offer brings it to only $150.

So if you've been putting off scheduling a portrait session, carpe diem! This offer will only last as long as it takes 5 people to contact us.


And now for the fine print:
Portrait session must be scheduled for May 2009.
Travel beyond 20 miles from Decatur, GA will be an additional charge.
Prices for enlargements and other gift shop items are subject to current pricing.
This offer is not applicable to currently contracted work with Sara Speert Photography.



email: sara (at) saraphotography (dot) com
main: 404-966-7272

Our Cover Article in the Atlanta Jewish Times

Our article in the Atlanta Jewish Times was published today and I am ecstatic to see that it got the front cover!

The images I took, including the one on the front cover, accompany the piece that Nick and I wrote about our experience on a trip to volunteer our time to the people of New Orleans. We left with a much better understanding of the reality there, inspiration from the survivors and community organizers, and an awareness of the great need for volunteer help and donations.

Thanks to the Atlanta Jewish Times for giving this issue the priority it deserves.

Read the article here...

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (episode 6)

Just some fun that my mom sent my way...



Playing For Change | Song Around The World "Stand By Me" from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

http://playingforchange.com - From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes the first of many "songs around the world" being released independently. Featured is a cover of the Ben E. King classic by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it traveled the globe. This video and "Don't Worry" are available now at iTunes. Other songs such as "One Love" will be released as digital downloads soon; followed by the film soundtrack and DVD in stores on 4.28.09.



Pre-order the CD/DVD "Playing For Change: Songs Around The World" now at amazon.com!
www.tinyurl.com/c6mhgd

Order the "Stand By Me" and "Don't Worry" now at itunes!
www.tinyurl.com/bl7fvf

Sign up at www.playingforchange.com for updates and exclusive content.

Join the Playing for Change Online Street Team at:
www.ufanz.com/teams/playingforchange

Join the Movement to help build schools, connect students, and inspire communities in need through music.

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (episode 5)

My amazing husband, Nick Edelstein, played on Fox 5 Atlanta's Good Day Atlanta this morning! Check out the footage below. He's playing organ and guitar, and he got a lot of face time, because he's so hot. :)

The band, Connor Christian & The Southern Gothic, is playing this weekend at The Atlanta Dogwood Festival. They go on at 6:30pm on Saturday.

Portraits in Baltimore - registration open

Registration is officially open for Portraits in Baltimore. We will be in Baltimore (my hometown!) May 30 - June 3 and we have sessions available for newborn, baby, children, family and couple's portraits.

For more information, click here.

Register online now.

Because we are limited to two sessions per day (one in the morning and one in the late afternoon), slots are filling up quickly.

Contact the studio with any questions. info (at) saraphotography dot com.

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (episode 4)

Christin & Jason - engagement portrait

Christin and Jason are getting married in a little over two weeks on Santa Rosa Beach, FL. I am really excited to photograph another beach wedding and especially to document their intimate ceremony with only 20 people. The celebration will continue a couple weeks later at Barnsley Gardens so that's where we decided to go for their engagement portrait session.

They are so in love and excited about the wedding, and I loved being able to capture some of that emotion. I'd never been to Barnsley Gardens before and I really think I could have spent a week with C & J photographing them all over the grounds. From the ruins and the lush gardens, to the wide open fields and hiking paths, it's a photographer's dream. Good thing we'll be back there again for the reception. :)

Click the image below to watch the slideshow. As always, this slideshow can be purchased in widescreen DVD or downloaded to your iPod by clicking the link at the bottom of the show.

Sara Speert Photography, engagement portrait photographer

New Orleans trip - we're published!

Nick and I were flattered when we were asked to write about our recent trip to New Orleans with Jewish Funds for Social Justice in the organization's monthly e-newsletter. I totally recommend the trip and JFSJ so be sure to check out the next trips to Tampa, Asheville, Savannah and New Orleans. It was a rare opportunity to help the people of New Orleans who really need volunteer support in order to get back on their feet.

Be sure to watch the movie of my images from the inspirational and emotional weekend here.

New Orleans Movie

Click the image to watch the movie

It's hard to believe that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans 3.5 years ago. I kept having to remind myself that we were not in some 3rd world country because the conditions that many are surviving in is truly unacceptable.

So many thoughts filled my head as we met survivors of the storm, talked with community organizers, witnessed many homes still marked with an "X" indicating the number of people found alive in each home, heard about the educational, healthcare and housing conditions before, during and after the storm, and learned what a large impact we, a group of 16 young adults, could have on such an overwhelming situation.

When my husband, Nick and I, heard about the trip to New Orleans with Jewish Funds for Social Justice, I have to admit that I was surprised that there was still need there for help. I haven't heard anything about New Orleans and the recovery efforts from Katrina in a long time, so I naively assumed that things were back to normal.

New Orleans is not back.

New Orleans still needs help and I believe that it can only get to a better place than before the storm with the help from volunteers. The two projects we volunteered with are proof of that.

The image above is especially emotional to me.

Click on the picture to watch the movie and find out why I was brought to tears.

And please, PLEASE, share this with your friends and family. My hope is that by sharing my images and thoughts, that you will look into what is really happening in New Orleans and help those in need and the organizations that are there to help.

This movie has been a true labor of love and hope. So please comment if you are moved to do so.

For more information:
St. Bernard Project
The School at Blair Grocery
The House of Dance and Feathers
Beth Israel Congregation

For more information about volunteering with other organizations:
Volunteer New Orleans

Harper's 1st Baby Album

Harper's portrait a couple weeks ago was the first of the Growing Baby Package. Mom and dad decided since they loved so many of the pictures that the Carry-About Album would be a perfect baby album. And I couldn't agree more! After each session, they'll be adding to the collection and getting another album. How cool will it be to have such fun albums documenting Harper's first 12 months!

Check out this adorable 5x5 album. The colorful circles I used as backgrounds on many of the pages are actually on the wall in the nursery. I just love all the bright colors.

Margaret's 2nd Portrait

Big brother, William, has a lot to teach little Margaret, but one thing she has already mastered is looking adorable. For this 5th portrait with the family, mom had a wonderful idea to use the veil from her wedding during the session. I have mentioned toys, stuffed animals and books to parents to personalize the session and make the kids feel at ease, but this was so different and so beautiful. The soft sheer texture combined with her beautiful skin took my breath away.

And since I started photographing William when he was just a few months old, he's become quite the ham. Every time I aim my camera in his direction, he is so aware of me and looks up to give me a big smile. So cute! He had a blast in the back yard with bubbles. Bubbles have become a recurring activity at many sessions. They are so fun and encourage complete uninhibited laughter and joy. Love William's smile as he reaches for the bubbles in the air.

Hope you enjoy the slideshow. Click the image below to view it.

Michele, Hilly & Max

Ok. This portrait session is one of my favorites for so many reasons. My friends, Michele and Hilly, are so special to me. I've known Michele since before she met Hilly (which is hard to remember now because they are just so perfect for each other). Back in 2002, I photographed some family portraits for her and her sister as a gift to their parents for their anniversary. How amazing is this picture, and look at Harvey... he's hot! (sorry, bit of an inside joke.)

Soon after that session, Hilly proposed (yay!) and I photographed an engagement portrait session at Piedmont Park in the exact spot where he popped the question.

When their wedding came around, they wouldn't allow me to photograph it because they wanted me to enjoy the wedding as a guest, (which I DID!) but of course, I HAD to photograph their first dance.

And now....little Max has joined this beautiful, loving and fantastic family. We had such a fun evening - reading, jumping, eating dinner, taking a bath and generally just watching Max being a bundle of cuteness. Michele and Hilly have been blessed with Max and it was such a pleasure to photograph this next chapter in their lives. As Michele says, I will be photographing their entire lives, and I can't wait to sit down with them and go through all the pictures of their amazing little "dude." I couldn't resist starting off the slideshow with this awesome picture. You guys ROCK!

Click the picture below to view the slideshow.

WARNING to Michele, Hilly and family:
DO NOT BEGIN THIS SLIDESHOW WITHOUT A BOX OF TISSUES.

Love you guys!

a teaser

And because I know my dear friends, Michele and Hilly, are DYING to see pictures from yesterday's portrait of Max, here's a teaser....



More to come this week.

Harper's 1st Portrait

What a week! I am still working on getting the pictures from New Orleans up so check back soon. This past weekend was a busy one with two portrait sessions, a wedding consultation and a shoot at B'nai Torah for the membership directory cover. I'll start with adorable Harper.

Harper's mom acted quickly back in December when we offered discounted gift certificates for the holidays. The timing was great because Harper was born just a few months ago and they have been anxious to schedule a time for me to start photographing her. This is the first of the Growing Baby Portrait Collage series so I am really excited to see how much she changes over the next year. It was wonderful meeting this beautiful family and seeing the love that mom and dad have for little Harper.

Enjoy the slideshow by clicking the picture below!

Day 1: St. Bernard Project

So this is the house that we worked on today. It's in St. Bernard Parish. It's owned by a wonderul old man who used to be a shrimp fisherman. We spent the day insulating the house, ceiling and walls. I've never had such great knowledge of fiberglass insulation. I have a bunch of pictures but can't seem to figure out how to get multiple pictures here from my iPhone without doing multiple posts. So if anyone has an idea, please comment below. Off to sleep....

Arrived and settling in

So, Nick and I arrived in New Orleans tonight without any travel drama. It's amazing! Our group is 16 strong and everyone seems really nice and excited to start working. Our day tomorrow starts early at 7am - translation: so early that I don't remember what that time of day looks like. I am so - correction - we are so not early risers. We stay up usually til around 1 or 2am so getting up tomorrow is going to be interesting.

But I am so excited to finally get to the first project and get my hands dirty. Since all of the renovation I've done in the last 2 years has been on our house, I'm excited to put all my newly acquired knowledge to use. Did you know that I know how to do drywall, tile, paint, stain and I'm really good with a hammer? I am! They are so lucky to have me. :)

More tomorrow with some "before" pictures.

Helping Out

This week, I am headed to New Orleans for an amazing opportunity. Nick and I are volunteering to help rebuild New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was the costliest tropical cyclone to ever hit the US and is responsible for an estimate $81 billion in damage. It's hard to believe that 3 1/2 years after the storm, families and communities are still trying to rebuild. From what we've heard, the volunteer efforts have tapered off so we are really excited to help out and offer our support. Here's some info about the two projects we'll be working on:

St. Bernard Project removes barriers for families who wish to return to their homes in St. Bernard Parish. They are able to completely rebuild a house that has been gutted to the studs in 12 weeks and for $12,000, with a lot of volunteer labor. Since August 2006, they have helped 184families and recruited 10,000 volunteers.

School at Blair Grocery is a project started by teacher, Nate Turner. He has turned this neighborhood grocery into a home school for community youth. The goal is to teach the kids not only the standard disciplines, but also environmental education, community awareness, social justice and organic farming. They are even using adjacent abandoned lots for their own organic gardens. Check out the video of Mr. Turner discussing the project.


If you're interested in volunteering, the organization we're working with is Jewish Funds for Justice.

I hope to blog while we're there, with before, during & after pictures, and more information about what's needed in NO, so be sure to check back.

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (Episode 3)

This image provided by GeoEye Satellite Image shows Washington D.C.'s National Mall and the United States Capitol (top), in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 taken at 11:19AM EDT during the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The image, taken through high, wispy white clouds, shows the masses of people between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. (AP Photo/GeoEye Satellite Image)

Check out some more amazing and inspirational images from President Barak Obama's Inauguration at the 44th President of the United States. The photographs are not only from Washington, DC but from all over the world where people watched the monumental day. Thanks, mom for passing this on to me!

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (Episode 2)

In today's second episode, "episode" (kinda like a comic book, or for those more advanced, a graphic novel), I have two Finds to share.

The first I found by way of one of the many photography blogs I read, Anna Kuperberg's. She posted a link to this fantastic website that sells really cool baby, toddler, kids and mommy clothes. Everything from organic onesies to maternity shirts to cool diaper bags for dad. Check out this adorable infant t-shirt!

Can't you see trying to adjust that knob at 3am while your adorable baby keeps you awake?!

It's called www.babywit.com and if you're like me, you'll spend way too much time looking through the online catalog. But it's really fun!

Ok, the second Find I have to share is The Children's Boutique Warehouse Sale Friday and Saturday, February 20th and 21st. It's a month away so you have some time to get the girls together for a fun afternoon of boutique shopping at ridiculously low prices. A portion of the entrance fee goes to a local charity. The location has changed this year, so be sure to visit the website for directions.

Have a great weekend!

Announcing Portraits in Baltimore

For all our mid-atlantic and northeast US clients and friends, we're heading your way this summer!

We're scheduling sessions now for

May 30 - June 3
Baltimore, MD

Packages are available for baby, kids and family portraits. All portraits are done on-location at your home, at a park, at the Harbor, etc. These "day-in-the-life" portraits sessions last 2 hours and capture natural moments with little posing.

To RSVP, email us here.

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Findings (Episode 1)

It's a new year and so I thought a perfect time to start something new. I am always finding things, places and activities that I think are cool, fun, meaningful, useful, or otherwise just interesting. I keep thinking," this would be fun to share on the blog," so I'll be sharing those things with you and I'd love to get your thoughts about them. (Just click on Comments at the bottom of the post.) Hopefully I can do this once a week, but don't kill me if I can't maintain that. It is kinda busy around here.

So, being a recent Mac convert, I no longer have all the error messages, blue screen of death, or the irritating - no sound when surfing the web. (Yes, it was really time to upgrade.) This little discovery has been around for quite a while, so don't kill me for just experiencing it because work preempted any fun on the error-filled computer.

AOL Internet Radio is so awesome! Free radio from any CBS station across the country. My personal favorite station of the day is Boston's 80's Channel. They seriously play all of my favorite songs from the 80's, including the first song I ever bought on 45 vinyl, "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco. Seriously, I haven't heard that song in SO long. I have another preset to the local Atlanta station DaveFM. So when I don't feel like getting up to turn on the radio (yeah, sometimes I feel lazy!), I can still hear Mara rant about something during the lunch hour.

So if you haven't tried it out, take a spin. You can listen to any genre of music or talk radio you can imagine.

(wow, I'm listening now and you won't believe what just came on....."Joy and Pain" by Rob Base. Hello memories from junior high!)