Time Flies Whether You're Having Fun or Not...

I remember getting the baby shower invitation. I’d met Mark and David several years before and always loved hanging out with them, although it’d always been that it was long periods of time between gatherings so Tanya & I were excited to get to see them. The shower was beautiful and they were as fun as we remembered.

I remember when our mutual friend, Carla, told me that Lorelai was born. She said that she was a beautiful, healthy baby and that they guys were over the moon excited. Our intention was to plan a time to go and see her but, like it always does, time just got away from us and she was already almost a year old when we met her.

 She wasn’t walking or talking yet. Turns out, she didn’t need to do either one of those things because she had a way of getting exactly what she wanted with just cute little grunts and pointing. Mobility was never an issue because we were always running all over each other to hold her. We were feeding her cake batter and ice cream and making all kinds of noises just to make her laugh. She'd walk through the door and we'd go from TV watching zombies to a pack of performing monkeys. 

It soon became obvious that we weren’t dealing well with limited visits and we started having dinner together once a week (at least). We’d all sprint to the door when we’d hear the dogs barking to signal their car pulling up in the driveway. There was the preemptive argument over who was going to get to hold her first. I had no problem with cheating so that I would get her. In the animal kingdom, only the strong survive. If I had to push down a kid to get to her, I was only better preparing them for the brutality of the real world. Through no extra effort on her part, she’d completely wrapped all five of us around her little finger. She started being referred to as the kid’s “weekend sister”.

She started having overnight visits and our hearts would hurt when she’d go home. Finding her little left behind items after she was gone could reduce us to big puddles of weepy! Our cabinets became jammed with sippy cups and these itty bitty t-shirts were showing up in our drawers. 

I don’t know exactly what the point was when she stopped being our friend’s cute kid and became a child that we absolutely loved but it happened.  It’s not just liking her little (or should I say “BIG”) personality, it’s loving her sweet little soul!

All of our lives have gotten so much busier and we don’t see her even close to often enough now. Still, the sight of her just makes us happy. We still run to the window and try to race to the car to get her first and when she wraps her little arms around your neck, there’s a reassurance that all is right with the world.

She walks now. And talks. And runs. And skips. And sings. She has NO trouble communicating what she wants….or getting it for that matter! She’s funny and smart. She sees clouds that looks like T-Rex dinosaurs. 

She’s still got that baby sound in her voice and it hurts my heart to think that’ll be gone one day way too soon. I’m sure it’ll be less fun to come to our house and she’ll be busy with her friends one day but, in the meantime, we’re going to savor every minute of time with her.

Lorelai….one day you will read this and it’ll be a reminder that WE LOVE YOU!!

My friend, Amanda, tries to keep me motivated to set goals. She said that a teacher told her once that the time is going to pass no matter what you’re doing. In editing the last McClure-Wolfe session, I see just how fast the time really does fly.

Tanya makes fun of me all the time for holding Victoria whenever she wants me to. She asks me if I will be holding her when she’s 40 and I can’t honestly say that I won’t be. I have a feeling that she will be 40 giving her Presidential Address to the nation but in my head, she’ll always have that little voice that couldn’t pronounce her “L” or “R” sounds. It's going to be the same way with Lorelai. If she wants me to hold her so that she doesn't have to walk down the aisle on her wedding day, I'll do it. I ain't ashamed.

 Call us to take pictures for you or make sure that you take them yourself. I can assure you that the time is going to pass fast. Make sure that you have lots of pictures to look back on and remember that the teenager asking for your car keys is the same person that used to draw you pictures and sing songs about itsy bitsy spiders.

OH yeah, save up your energy, too. There will be grandkids one day and then the payback for ruined carpet, sleepless nights and stress will be unleashed. I, for one, will be stocking up on Pixie Stix, Mountain Dew, Play-Doh and Legos (the 31,000 piece set).

I giggle just thinking about it. 

I honestly don't think that Maggie has 

a clue how pretty she really is.

You'd think that there would be no way that she could miss it but if you spend a little time around her, you'll see that she so isn't wrapped up in herself! In fact, I don't think that her looks cross her mind at all. She's too busy being 14 and enjoying everything around her and doing everything that she possibly can to make everyone around her laugh.

She is one of those kids (excuse me, TEENAGERS) that you just like right off the bat. She steps out of the car talking about a mile a minute and it doesn't seem to cross her mind that she doesn't know you. She is full of mischief and fun and if you can be around her without smiling, more power to you! She and her friend Daisy made sure that the morning never even got close to approaching dull or quiet.

You'd almost stop and ask yourself if this was the same person because we'd get her all serious and she'd strike this gorgeous pose....

And somewhere around a millisecond later, you'd get this.....

What you quickly come to realize is that Maggie enjoys the dress up part of things but she also enjoys what it feels like to be 14. It pretty refreshing to meet someone her age who seems to have a good grip on the important stuff in life. I'm sure that she's thankful for her looks but I'd be willing to bet you most anything that she's even more thankful for her family and her friends. 

Maggie is sweet, fun, grounded, energetic, beautiful and just a sweetheart overall. She seems to have a knack for choosing friends who share the same qualities, too. Our morning with Maggie, her mom Debbie and her friend Daisy, was a complete joy! 

I'll leave you with a couple of other pictures of Maggie in "model mode"........

But if you want to know what personality you'll get if you meet her, 

look here.......

Maggie, Debbie, and Daisy....thank you all for a very fun day! 

You guys are the best!

Maggie....when you're famous one day, remember me if they need someone else to pose as 

a swimsuit model along with you. Photography or stand-in model, I'm here for you!

~Smiles~

The Power of a Laugh

The older I get, the more I have come to realize the true value of laughter.

Here I am getting closer and closer to 29 years old (to anyone who may say that this isn't the truth, I challenge you to keep your opinions, and possibly copies of my birth certificate, to yourself) and I realize that true, heartfelt laughter can move mountains!

I was blessed to have been raised in a home where we laughed. A lot. Maybe not always at the most appropriate times but there was never a short supply of laughs when we were all together. Tanya and I have continued that tradition in our own home and I don't know what families do if they can't laugh at and with each other.

When we started Sweet.Happy.Life, we quickly began to realize that the pictures that we fell in love with were the ones of people laughing and just being themselves. You can almost immediately tell the families who don't sweat the small stuff and the ones who have a little more trouble letting go. Not to say that one is necessarily better than the other, I just know that--for me--laughter has helped me in more ways than I can count and I love surrounding myself with wonderful people who feel the same way.

There's no way to spend time with all of these wonderful people and NOT laugh!

I was "attempting" to organize some files tonight and move a few to an external drive. For anyone who knows me, they will attest to the fact that I'm much better known for my astonishing beauty than I am for my organizational skills but tonight I was so glad that I am messy.

 Each folder was like a little walk down memory lane.

I remembered the jokes that brought on the smiles...Some may argue that they were dorky jokes but I, of course, would beg to differ!

You can't fake true, genuine laughter. All of the posed smiles in the world will never measure up to one smile that comes from the heart!

 I know that I've said "thank you" before to everyone in these shots but I truly can't thank you enough.

Australian photographer, Sue Bryce, posted a quote by Paul Caponigro on her Facebook page that said, "It's one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it's another thing to make a portrait of who they are". That's our goal---plain and simple. 

If laughter truly is the best medicine, all of you have brought me a step closer to immortality and I thank you again and again!  :o)

Wikipedia defines Déjà Vu as:

Déjà vu (literally "already seen") is the experience of feeling sure that one has already witnessed or experienced a current situation, even though the exact circumstances of the prior encounter are uncertain and were perhaps imagined. The experience of déjà vu is usually accompanied by a compelling sense of familiarity.

I'd hung out with Rachel and Grayson before Christmas and we got rained out just a few minutes into our session. We managed to snap a few quick shots but it wasn't even close to enough time to wreak the proper amount of havoc on their parents so we decided to give it another go round this past weekend. 

You see, I grew up with Rachel and Grayson's mom and dad in South Georgia. We didn't hang out together lots of times but our paths frequently crossed and the memories of those times always make me smile. We shared lots of mutual friends and with our hometown being as small as it was, the stories of everyone's escapades were always shared.

My first memory of their Dad was in Elementary School and I remembered that he smiled ALL THE TIME. No matter when you saw him, he had this grin on his face that hinted that there was SOME thought in that head of his that was probably going to lead to trouble! 

Their mom was a wee bit more quiet (please place lots of emphasis on the "wee" part of this sentence). She was always laughing and smiling but she was a little more reserved than her future husband. She was always pretty and neat and could have a quick comeback for most any situation. 

Meeting Grayson and Rachel felt like I was experiencing a serious case of déjà vu. Grayson came out of the car, FULL steam ahead and you pretty much just had to take a chance with random snaps and pray that he was in the frame. Following in his daddy's footsteps, he had that trademark Conner smile that warned you that danger was ahead! 

Miss Rachel was another story altogether. She giggled at everything that her brother did but for the most part, she let him take charge of the entertainment and she just flashed her sweet smile! Several times, I'd catch a glimpse of her smoothing out her shirt or pushing back her hair. She has a sweet, easy smile and even though she's a little quiet at times, she can throw a quick comeback when the need arises! Reminded me of someone else that I know....

Our first session was something like what it feels like to try to catch a balloon that is deflating mid-air so I came prepared for session # 2 with my secret weapon...Tanya. I briefed her on how the operation would go down. I'd entertain and corral Grayson and she would snap. It was a foolproof plan. I knew that sweet Rachel would be where you needed her to be at all times so I wasn't too worried about that part of things. 

All I can say is that time and the promise of yogurt changes things and people. I'm standing there in full out wrestling mode and Grayson and Rachel approach me like members of the Royal Family. I sense something is up when there's no flash of blonde hair streaking past me and instead I have this newly matured gentleman offering to pose wherever I'd like to direct him to go. Rachel is just watching me and I know that she's giggling on the inside. She knows that I will keep waiting for the surprise attack that never came. Even still, I wasn't ready to let my guard down and I remained prepared to exercise my super karate skills should the opportunity present itself.

There's no way that I can easily explain the change and I still wonder if I'm just losing it in my old age. I mean, seriously, I expected Grayson to offer me some Grey Poupon and Rachel to pour me a spot of tea. I was freaked out on many levels. All I know is that the first sign that I got of a bow or a curtsy and I was out of there!

But, what I also saw (again) was the personalities of people who were familiar to me and who felt like home and it made me feel good. I love knowing that these little people will grow up and offer the world some of the things that they've learned from their mama and daddy. And, if they can refrain from those things that could have them end up in prison, well that's even better! (joking guys!) I like kids who have some personality to them and despite the polite behavior, these two didn't disappoint!

It took a little time and provocation but I knew that I could bring out the rebel in them. While their mother was talking to Tanya and we had free run of the place with no threat of not getting frozen yogurt, we were superstars!!!

Thank you, Rachel and Grayson (and a little thank you to the parents!), for TWO fun days! You two rock!!

"Boud" What?? 

It's really cute because almost all of the calls or e-mails start the same way...

"Ummm, I'm kinda nervous about asking this and I TOTALLLLY understand if y'all don't do these but I've been interested in doing some pictures for my <husband/boyfriend/girlfriend> and I don't want to do the typical kind of pictures, maybe something a little more....".

I almost start to feel a little nervous for them at this point because it's obvious that it's taken a lot of courage for them to get up the nerve to ask and that shouldn't be the case. The answer to the question is we love doing boudoir photography. 

Maybe I should clarify....TANYA loves doing boudoir photography. I love helping with the lighting and to provide a few laughs here and there but this has quickly turned into her baby. She just seems to have a knack for it and me, well, not so much. She seems to know just what angles flatter this curve or that a simple turn of your head can turn a shot from good to AH-MAY-ZING!

The coolest part of the whole process--to me--is seeing the look on someone's face when they see themselves. Everyone starts off a little bit nervous but after the first glance of how they look on camera, it's like you've got an international supermodel on your hands! They go from, "you guys will have to tell me how to pose" to "maybe it'd be a good shot if I hang onto the side of the bed like this"! 

You suddenly forget that you're chasing kids every day or getting the dog to the vet. This isn't about saving money at the grocery store or making sure that you make it to the orthodontist on time. This session becomes all about you and reminding yourself that there's still that really hot, sexy person in there! We do not care if you've had four kids and you're a size 18 or if you're rocking those size 2's, there is an absolutely beautiful person in there and I promise you that'll you'll realize it when you see yourself.

We knew that this was really going well when we got a thank you note from a husband after his wife surprised him with a session! He really appreciated that we were able to show her that she is still beautiful and can turn heads when she walks into a room! He'd been telling her that for years but it was hard to dispute when she saw it right there with her own two eyes!

The sessions start off with a little pampering. You get your hair and make-up done and you have a chance to tell us what you're looking for in your session. We want you to walk away feeling amazing and have some gorgeous pictures to boot. Every session is COMPLETELY confidential. If anyone knows that you've done it, it'll be because you've told them or you've given us permission to share some images (that you approved first) from your session. Otherwise, our lips are sealed!

The more that these sessions have caught on, the more we've come to realize that it doesn't really fit with the whole image that we've tried to develop for Sweet.Happy.Life Photography so we started a separate venture for these pictures and it's "Tanya Morris Photography". Simple enough, huh?

We will still be welcoming sessions through Sweet.Happy.Life and it will always be my passion! I absolutely love every single second of those sessions and am excited about the spring sessions that are already booking up now! But, when you want something that's geared more toward some total you time, we're happy to accommodate those requests, too.

The process of website building for the boudoir photography is underway but we have some images that we've been given permission to share if you'd like to see some samples of our work. E-mail Tanya directly or call her and she can give you more information. TanyaMorris07@aol.com or 770.561.6902.

All of your images will be available after your session in a PASSWORD PROTECTED gallery so that you and ONLY the people that you choose, can view them. 

We're excited about this project and are really looking forward to working with you! You're going to be amazed when you see how beautiful you truly are!

***ALSO, Tanya and I would like to say a special "thank you" to this GORGEOUS, funny,

 sweet, intelligent woman who allowed us to use her pictures for this post! 

We had an absolute blast with you! ***

Ever Seen a Million Dollar Picture??

At first glance, you probably wouldn't think that this picture is worth a million dollars but it is. This is a picture of my family. 

Growing up, we weren't the type of family that did the sit down family pictures at Olan Mills. Granted, my mother did hot roll my hair one time, forced me to wear a frilly dress and made me pose with my sister and my great-grandmother (who wasn't exactly oozing with sweetness) for a few shots but we didn't keep the local photographer in business. We'd moan, gripe, run and complain every time that mama would bring out the camera. You'd think that she was cutting out our kidney to make us stop for a picture. She'd tell us how we were going to be glad that she did one day and I'd silently say to myself that she must be a closet drinker if she thought that were true. For anyone who has ever seen my childhood picture, I had a tooth that was in another zip code from the rest of my face and would allow me to eat corn through a fence. The last thing that I wanted was to remember that! At least, I thought that was the case. 

We went home for Mother's Day in 2006 and, as was always the case, Tanya and I drug our cameras along. None of us were dressed up or had gone too much out of our way to look presentable but Tanya suggested that we snap a few pictures. Immediately, the griping ensued. "I'm fat. I don't want to have my picture taken". She seemed to ignore everything that I said to her and pushed us all together for a couple of pictures anyway. We made it through the whole process unscathed for the most part but I was thankful that it was over. 

Tanya played around with the camera a little more and snapped this picture of my mama and daddy. 

I liked the pictures (with my fat head and all) and we printed them and stuck them in a drawer at home. Life went on and I didn't think a whole lot about them. I intended to put them up but you know how you get lost in the mundane stuff of every day and things like that just don't seem as high up in importance as compared to the new episode of Modern Family that is coming on. I kinda forgot about them for a while. 

We went back home for Christmas of that same year. My daddy had been sick for quite some time and he died on Christmas morning. As you can imagine, it wasn't our happiest of holidays but the time together started to seem a little more special. I don't know that we took a single picture the rest of the time that we were there but I wish that we had. To my knowledge, the picture that Tanya took of all of us together on Mother's Day of that year is the only picture that I have of our family altogether and I wouldn't take a million dollars for it. (I would, however, sell reproductions of it for less than that because my mama and daddy didn't didn't raise no fool!)

I came home one day and Tanya had put those pictures in a frame beside our bed. It kinda felt a little bit like a punch in the stomach when I first saw it because it was easier to have it out of sight so it wasn't always on my mind but I truly appreciated the sweetness behind the gesture. I began looking at that picture every morning when I got out of bed and it began to make me smile more and more. I started to focus more on the happy memories instead of the sad ones. We always laughed a lot in my family and the simple things that kept us in stitches became the association that I had when I looked at that picture. I remembered my sister's impromptu clogging routine during dinner one night, when daddy tripped over the bar stool coming in the door one day and mama's nosedive when she tripped over the water hose in the backyard. Every time those things cross my mind, I can't help but to laugh out loud. It was these pictures that made me realize the power of a photograph. A quick snapshot had the power to hold a memory that could, at first, reduce me to tears and then suddenly change to offer me side-splitting bouts of laughter. Amazing that could be accomplished by an inanimate object that hangs on a wall. 

I try to remember how happy that picture makes me every single time that we go out to do a session for a family. I can compare our work to more accomplished photographers and be the first to admit that their technique is often better. Some of their images are more crisp and our color could be tweaked a little from time to time. But, I want people to have a really fun memory of the day that they spent together with us. I want them to remember laughing about smelly armpits......

or, a grandmother's special trick for evoking a laugh from her family.....

or, the occasional uncouth joke here and there......

or, the really sweet smell of a baby's skin......

or, how the very sound of your voice could make your child's face light up completely....

or, how it felt to be young and totally & completely in love....

or, how it feels to be not quite as young but still totally & completely in love.....

My friend and AMAZING photographer, Amanda Summerlin of www.amandasummerlin.com, told me that she keeps a saying taped to her computer monitor that says, "these people will be grandparents one day". What a cool thought! What we're doing here isn't just earning some extra cash for a posed smile of your kids looking all well-behaved. What we're shooting for (no pun intended!) is to help you remember the laughter and personality of the people that you're blessed to call your family. 

So, whether or not you choose us or someone else to take your pictures, TAKE pictures! Get out your own cameras and start snapping! The time is going to pass and you're going to look back one day and wish that you did. Don't gripe about the heat or the cold. Don't wait until your hair is perfect or you've lost 10 pounds. Laugh with your family and smile every time you pick up that picture and remember what you were laughing about. 

Those lines around your eyes showed that you've lived a life that gave you smiles. Those extra pounds show that you spent time around the table, laughing with the people that you love. Those hairs out of place show that little boys just aren't all that concerned with grooming but are much more serious about playing. Take the pictures that show that you're living a wonderful, wonderful life!

During the start of this holiday season, when we finally stop and give thanks for so many things, Tanya and I want to say a sincere, heartfelt "thank you" to everyone who has done pictures with us, shared your time & family with us and given us more laughs than we could imagine! We appreciate every single one of you and hope that we've given you lots of million dollar pictures, too!

Love to you all.