just me 'n' my boys

A bridal silhouette

2010-12-13T14:20:00.001-08:00

And some more of my little guy.....

2010-08-18T14:52:00.001-07:00

Hello, All!

And here he is, the 19 month old in all his silly happiness. He's grown up SO much since his first birthday. He says words like "Baskaball" and "kitty" and "toot"(fruit), "ah-done", and of course, "Mommy" and "Daddy" we hear loud and clear. He still naps ridiculously long in the afternoon, but I think that's because we play a LOT in the morning. I think he's the coolest little guy around, but as you know, I am his mommy!

~Em

Baby photography: Zoe!

2010-08-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met up with Phil and Kim, and their gem of a baby girl, Zoe!
And you know the first thing I noticed about Zoe? Take one guess:

This little girl gives J man a run for his money on the "stunning eyes" award! What a cutie!
Oh, and her parents are pretty cool, too :)

And this shot was one of my faves of the day: can't resist a baby in a tutu!

(and I am a fan of cloth-diaper butt, too :)

Phil asked me to get a special shot, too. You see, Zoe was born REALLY early, and was so small that her daddy's wedding band fit over her fist and onto her wrist. So he asked that I get a picture of his band over her thumb, just to measure the change from her birthday. I'd say that's pretty incredible!

Thanks SO much to Kim, Phil, and Baby Zoe! You've just captured my heart!

Much love,

Em

Jennifer+Paul: Wedding

2010-07-05T10:38:00.001-07:00

The background of this couple will come shortly, but really, I am tired. And I feel like watching an episode of the Simpsons. So, here are a few of my faves from the wedding yesterday- yes, an Independence Day Wedding!

The seriously beautiful bride:

yay, Marines!

pocket dresses!!!

The boys- a great-looking group!

a packed church full of wonderfully talented singers- the hymns brought tears to my eyes!

the bridal party and ushers- totally feelin' the love!

one of my faves from the day:

More to come soon!

~Em

At the Shedd aquarium

2010-07-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

title, anyone?

18 months

2010-07-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

Eh??
What's that?

Em's actually posting something new on her blog?!?!?!

Yes, internet. That is right. I'm back.

And so is this absolutely adorable face:

No, it has not been 18 months since I've posted a personal post, but that IS how old the J man is now. And boy, he is a busy boy!

Here's a rundown of our summer so far:
Warm and sunny, with some really amazing, awe-inspiring thunderstorms. Which makes for lots of weeds growing in my garden. J man is taking swimming lessons again this year. And he totally freaks out. Yeah. Last year he was a dream- kicking his feet and swinging his arms. Now he cries.
A LOT, people.
And crying in a huge swimming pool is not by any means quiet. He did settle down when they brought out the water balls. For, Like, 5 minutes. Anyway, we're going again tonight!
We went to Noah's Ark, too. For $11. Amazing how much money you can save when you go as a church group of around 75 people. It was a TON of fun, and I even got to go down a few slides by myself! Cuz I'm a big girl....

Anywho, the photography thing is just working out beautifully this year. I have a full summer of weddings, quite a few senior portrait sessions, and a number of family photos. Enough to keep me busy, fo'sho'.

J hubby's still working the 3rd shift thing, but hopefully will be finding something new SOON. (pray for that, too, please!) This is just not easy on our marriage, and he is such a different, happy person when he actually is able to sleep. Which isn't during the day. It's at night, when normal people go to bed. But, well, he works hard, and it's helping me to keep doing what I love to do, too. I just want him to find something that he loves!

We also took a trip to TX to visit my sis-in-law and her hubby. What a great time! We went tubing, horsebackriding, saw the Alamo, remembered it, and did all other kinds of tourist-y things. And I got sun. On my skin. I don't think I've ever been this dark in my life. Dark as in, hi, I am not pale anymore, but still am white as white can be. But not pale!

J man is walking, talking (about basketball, mostly) and absolutely adores his daddy. I love the sound of him saying "daaah-deee". He says it SO clearly, and wonderfully, it makes me smile just about every time.
So, with that, I will end this post.

More to come soon, internet, have no fear!

~Em

Ben + Erica: Wedding

2010-06-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

I knew both Erica and Ben before they really knew each other. They ran in slightly different circles at the same college I went to. Ben very involved in music and academics and was very soft-spoken, and Erica a free-spirited barefoot-clad, fun-loving girl. Ben was in the college choir with me, and Erica was a suite-mate of mine (we were in separate rooms, but shared the bathroom between the two. Bathroom Buddies, if you will :).

Then, the past couple of years Ben began playing trumpet with us at our Messiah concerts, and eventually, Erica started showing up at the performances. It was a great relationship that was in bloom, centered around constant Bible studies and ultimate hand-holding. Ben asked Erica to marry him this past Christmas season, and over Facebook, Erica was excited to know that I had their wedding date open. And I was so excited, too!!

This past weekend, Erica and Ben gave their vows in front of their family and friends, and their fathers (who are both pastors!), we took a little walk down the main street of the little town, and hung out in a field of wild flowers, where they started their marriage together with a hand-holding Bible study.

There was a little rain, and the field was wet, but Erica was adventurous and felt that the pictures were worth getting the wedding dress a little messy (which doesn't show up on any pictures, by the way!)
I really love that these two found each other, and have an amazing relationship with God. Just inspiring, so thank you, Erica and Ben, for letting me photograph your wedding! You are both just stunning people, inside and out!

They knew it was meant to be.......

2010-05-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

....when they found out they both drink Tropicana High Pulp OJ. Of course, that HAD to be included in some way during our session together, so here it is!

Two people could not be more happy at this moment than Andy and Katie. I had the awesome opportunity to do their engagement photos, and look forward to capturing their wedding day in the fall.

Love you guys!!! I truly pray that God continues to bless this awesome relationship- so very, very awesome that you found each other!

One more.....

2010-04-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

.....from inside the barn. :)

Barn

2010-04-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

A perfect place to play...and take photos!

My folks just purchased some additional land adjacent to theirs, and it included a barn. A beautifully dilapidated barn. Awesome, from a photographers point of view. To a kid? A whole new world of spectacular fun.

Photo Challenge

2010-04-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

"thrift"

pics from my phone (yes, I sometimes take pictures on my phone. no, I do not carry my good camera everywhere I go. :)

J man enjoying the ride with me!

J walking, baby video

2010-04-02T08:18:00.001-07:00

This video is actually from a few weeks ago, when he just decided that he wants to walk. Yes, he is 15 months old, and yes, he has been crawling for a really, really long time (his worn-out jeans prove it!)

The day had been warm, but when we were out on our walk, the weather turned cold, fortunately we had our jackets with us, just in case! The day after this video was taken, we had more snow on the ground. Hopefully that's the last of it for a while.

Anyway, back to the video. The little guy is scared of cracks, even if the level of the cement doesn't change- he sees the crack, and doesn't want to walk over it. It's kinda funny!
Enjoy~

Em

Another warm one!

2010-03-31T13:30:00.000-07:00

So what did we northerners do???

we donned our sunscreen....

climbed some stairs....

and we went outside!

and of course, we hit up the swings....

Do you think we had any fun?
Oh yes, we did!!! Went over to NPH for story hour, where we met up with Ruthie and Katie, and then headed over to a nearby park where we hung out with ducks (yes, we had ducks sitting with us), went on the swings, went down the slides, and played with the balls we brought along. A great time was had by all!!

~Em

Guess what we did today?

2010-03-15T16:29:00.001-07:00

We went OUTSIDE!!!!

Can you tell I'm excited about the warmer weather? no?
Well, I am SUPER excited about it. Really. I cannot wait for buds to explode on the trees, and flowers to bloom. It will be beautiful soon!

Can I hear a cheer? hip-Hip- hooray ;)

High school senior portraits now booking!

2010-03-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

This is an ad I have in a flier being printed by Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee. Pretty spiffy, huh!

Here's the basic gist of the whole thing:

$175 for a one-hour on-location portrait session. On-location means I'll meet you wherever you want your pictures taken at. Usually (and preferably) outside :)
This session includes: up to 2 outfit changes, 1 8x12 canvas print, 6 months of password protected online hosting. Any additional hour is $120 per hour.

What's online hosting??
So glad you asked! Basically, I upload your photos to a private album online, and email you the link and password to get to them. You can pass the information along (forward the email) to basically anyone who has the internet and you would like to have access to your photos. Prints, photobooks, and other products can be purchased right from that site! Super dee duper easy! And, as a really cool bonus, after you buy $150 worth of stuff, you get a CD of the fully edited images, and the rights to those photos so you can then print anything extra wherever you want to, saving you lots of money :) That's always a really good thing, right?!?

I am booking now for this spring, summer, and fall.
email me ar (underscore) teest (at) yahoo (dot)com.
or you can contact me through my website, www.ebelingartstudio.com

Giddyup!!

2010-03-10T06:06:00.001-08:00

Good Reading

2010-03-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

WOW.

2010-02-25T15:08:00.000-08:00

I have been out of the loop.
For a long time.
I mean, for a REALLY long time.

My last post was about my cousin, Dustin, who died quite suddenly when a car hit him after his vehicle slid into a ditch. It was, and actually still is, quite surreal. He is (was) the kind of guy I would love for Josiah to grow up to be like. Totally smart, into music, playing different instruments, singer, really good at sports. And, over all of that, a young Christian man with a loving heart. He is truly missed by every one that knew him.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that I have a couple of things in Jonah's EB auction- they are taking bids for a couple more days, so you need to hurry and check out all the amazing gift cards, services, and items that you can bid on!

The two things I have up for auction are:

1-hour family photo session
Stained glass butterfly window panel

So remember, Hurry, and maybe you'll be fortunate to get one of these amazing things from me...er, from Ebeling Art Studio. Done by me. But I think you got that...

Dustin

2010-02-08T07:32:00.000-08:00

Last night I received a call at church that my cousin, Dustin, was severely injured in an accident. He and a couple of friends were on their way back to school in Fargo when their car slid into a ditch. They were outside the vehicle, trying to dig it out, when another car slid into them. All of them were injured, but Dustin took the brunt of it. His brain was injured, and there were issues with his kidneys. The Lord in His great wisdom took Dustin home to heaven this morning at 3:15am.
I cannot imagine what a blow this is to my aunt and uncle,who are my Godparents, and his younger sister, who is just in high school. They, and we, are a very close-knit family. However, "I know that my Redeemer liveth"- I know he is in heaven, and that assurance moves me through the grief and heartache that I am really feeling right now. I thank God for that faith that I know he had. He was in a praise band singing praises here on earth, and now he is in the ultimate praise band.
Lord, thank you for the love You have for us down below- and grant us understanding of these especially difficult things that have occurred. In Your Holy Name we praise you, along with the angels-
Amen.

Dave and Jami get MARRIED!!!

2010-02-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

It was a cold and blustery day.
Perfect for a wedding~
Although February weddings in the Midwest are somewhat uncommon, they are quite magical! Especially if you mix in international guests and some good ol' German traditions. Jamie and Dave met while over in Germany, quite the work of God, for sure- Dave was stationed over there for what was supposed to be only a couple of years, but turns out he stayed for 9 years. Good thing, since he met Jami toward the end of those years. Both are extremely fervent Christian people, and SO warm-hearted, that even I stayed toasty all day! They were definitely adventurous, wanting to take pictures outside. I am glad we did, but I know that even the 10-15 minutes we were down by the Art Museum, they were both QUITE chilled. But boy, did those turn out GREAT!
The day, in a nutshell:

Wedding Tips!

2010-02-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a little "tip" list to help your photographer have even more fun (and therefore get even more amazing photos) on your wedding day.
Of course, I DO NOT IN ANY WAY expect you to adhere to these, as there are many, MANY people who have no doubt already started giving you tips. Just keep in mind that I have been to, and shot at, far more weddings than the average person, so experience has taught me much.

these are in no particular order:

1. I love "getting ready shots"- especially of the bride- so please, PLEASE let me come early to get pictures of your dress, before you put it on, so I can get the all-important shot of you putting it on. It just seems like something is missing if I don't get these shots. And try to find a room with attractive features, if possible. Although I have managed to get some pretty great portraits in church basements...

2. Sorry, boys, I won't spend as much time with you "getting ready" cuz there's just not as much going on. But I DO want to get you getting your boutonniere pinned on- that way I have something for the "preparation" portion of your album.

3. HAVE FUN!!! Be as relaxed as possible- I know you've been planning for months, maybe YEARS, and want today to go exactly as planned, but if you are relaxed and happy, it's that much easier to get even more great photos for you to choose from. Have happy people around. And let your attendants know that they should be happy, too. They may not like having their pics taken, but hey, they are in your wedding, and they need to have their pictures taken. If they at least pretend to be happy, then they won't hate their photos nearly as much. In fact, they may like them quite a bit.

4. I like COLOR. No. That's a lie. I LOVE color. As beautiful and elegant as white may be, the white of the flowers rarely matches the white of the dress. That, and the details of the flowers are easily washed out in the photos. Choose colors that have good contrast. Say you have blue dresses- yellow and orange just POP against blue. Looks STUNNING in photos. At the same time, try to keep it simple. Having a rainbow of colors can be hard to look at, and take the focus off of you. If you have questions about colors and your wedding, feel free to email me!(ar_teest(at)yahoo(dot)com)

5. Brides, while you are at the back of the church hangin' with your dad (you know, before you're going to walk down the aisle to your soon to be hubby??), interact with him- talk with him- be happy with him. Stoic poses are tough to make pretty and fun and memorable. Maybe even hug* before you walk down the aisle.
*see number 10

6. For the "traditional" posed shots after the ceremony, try to have a family member in charge of the list of photos that you want, as well as a detailed list for your photographer. As much as I may know your family, I don't know everybody. Find someone who will know everyone, but won't be pushy with the photographer. I just need them to point out the people I need to know for upcoming pictures. (don't put any of the parents in charge of this- they have enough on their plates as it is- they need to enjoy themselves!) This helps the process to stay smooth, and not take too long, cuz I like to get to the fun stuff as soon as I can!

7. Leave plenty of time between your wedding ceremony and the reception to have at least 30 minutes of SHOOTING time (not just 30 minutes- with a drive to and from the location) with just the bride, groom and the wedding party. This is time away from all other guests and family- so the photographer won't have anyone else trying to take her angles. Yes, I am selfish with my angles! I know you don't want your guests to wait very long between the ceremony and when they eat supper, but they can handle it- maybe you can have snacks out for them if it will be an especially long wait.

8. Don't forget to have a seat at the reception for the photographer and the assistant. Most likely we haven't eaten a whole lot all day, and yummy-smelling food is torture if we aren't included in dinner. That, and it is easier to mingle with guests if we are part of the group!

9. Please don't stress out if we are a little behind- this happens more often than I can say, no more than 10 minutes, really, but again, if you are stressed, it will show in your pictures. Also, if you are a little late to the reception, they WILL wait for you. They have to. It's your day!

10. If your photographer asks you to kiss- please hold the kiss for a while. We may want to get a couple of different angles while you are kissing. Also, don't full-on make out (you know- slurpy kisses?) these are not flattering on camera. Or in person.

11. Back to the family photos. Everyone, I mean everyone, is going to want their picture taken with you. try to limit the random people on your photographer's list. Chances are, if they want a picture with you, they will be more than happy to find you at the reception and have their own copy on their own camera (the digital age makes this part so much easier!). This will also limit the amount of time needed for the family shots. The ones I would suggest to be on your "for sure" list after the ceremony?
bride and groom with bride's parents
bride and groom with groom's parents.
Bride and groom with grandparents, from each side.
Bride and groom with immediate families, from each side.
Bride and groom with large extended family, from each side.
The more random pictures added to this list, the more likely it will be that those people will not still be at the church for these photos. Then we waste time looking for them. No fun.
Try to make sure beforehand that anyone on the photo list KNOWS they are on the photo list. Again, that way we don't waste time looking for them.

12. Brides, DON'T be afraid of getting the hem (bottom) of the dress dirty. IT WILL GET DIRTY! no matter what. Dance floors are dirty. Reception floors are dirty. Sidewalks are dirty. Fields are dirty. (fields? What? I've just always wanted to do a photo shoot out in a field with a lone tree up on the hill. It just seems dreamy and oh-so-romantic to me. But I digress....) The dirt on the bottom of your dress will not show on the photos, and if it would by chance, there is this magical tool most photographers use called photoshop. mmm, photoshop. Anyway, just trust that your photographer will get good photos of you and your dress no matter what- and sometimes the places we go can be dirty!

13. Be goofy, but not over the top, with your new spouse. Flirting and snuggling is fun, nuzzling is great. Tickling is wonderful. But keep in mind what the other person is feeling when you do these things- don't annoy your new spouse!

And I cannot stress enough (although this was already mentioned) for you to have fun on your wedding day. The time flies, and all that preparation for a few hours gets captured by your photographer so you can remember those fun, awesome, romantic, whirlwind moments for the rest of your lives!

Any more questions for me? feel free to email me at ar_teest(at)yahoo(dot)com

~Em

Ben and Erica are getting MARRIED!!

2010-02-01T11:11:00.001-08:00

Erica and I were "suitemates" in college (she was in the neighboring room, and we had a shared bathroom)- and we have kept in contact since college. Her Fiancee, Ben, was in Choir with me at WLC, and now plays piano and trumpet in the productions I sing in with Mike Westendorf. It was really a great time had by all when we got to just hang out, and take pictures at the same time.
We had intended on going to the Mitchell Park Domes, which I have done shoots there SEVERAL times before, but this time the lady at the front wouldn't let us in unless we paid the additional $65 fee....so we left.
And instead went to the same spot where Ben asked Erica to marry him. Much more romantic in my book, but also much, MUCH colder. Since it was 15 degrees, with a good chill coming up off of Lake Michigan. How cold was it? The lake was actually quite frozen. That's how cold it was.
But, they managed to snuggle up close, keep warm, and I got some great shots of the two!

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~Em

Jonah's EB auction

2010-01-29T13:05:00.000-08:00

In the coming weeks, you will be hearing more about Jonah's EB auction , since I have something donated to help raise funds....here's a clue:

26 of 365

~Em

A boy and his cat.

2010-01-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

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When I was pregnant with J man, I became a little wary of how well my cats would adjust to him. There was a scary moment for me when my friend, Diana, came over to do my final maternity photo session. She brought her son, Sam, with her, and while we were taking pictures, he suddenly came screaming to his mommy, with two scratches on either side of his face.
Now, Sam is one of the most gentle little children that I have ever known, so I know he wasn't tormenting the cat. Diana thinks he was just giving the kitty a hug, and that freaked the kitty out. The cats are great around big people- in fact, the most social cats many people have ever hung out with. Really, the cats will come to any random person (as long as they are not a child) and snuggle with them. I mean REALLY snuggle. But they just don't like kids.

Needless to say, I was worried that the cats would be territorial with the baby. There was no question that if they got violent around him, they would be given to my parents or another home, but that would be difficult.

My worries were unfounded. This little boy LOVES the cats, and will come up to their sleeping spots, put his head down right on top of them, thumb in mouth, and "sleep" with the kitties. And he plays with them, and they play back. Usually. They will still run away if he gets too loud, but I'm perfectly happy with that.
They are good buds, and that's more than I could have ever hoped for!

~Em

Photo Challenge #49

2010-01-28T07:32:00.000-08:00

This week's challenge was to find faces/expressions in inanimate objects.
To see the guidelines of the challenge, to enter, or to browse other entries, please click here.

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I had a lot of fun with this challenge, but now I'm seeing faces everywhere!!!
Comments are more than welcome :) Have a great day!

~Em

Weekly Photo Challange #48

2010-01-25T15:46:00.000-08:00

The Challenge:

Do a Photo Demo

Rules:

1.) Feel free to demo any normal thing that you do throughout your day, or if your adventurous you can do an activity for the sole purpose of using it for this challenge. (Hint for those of us with children: if this seems a bit overwhelming just capture something you do with your kid..or for your kids.)

2.) Please try to limit the images to no more than 10.

3.) Tweaking is fine if you'd like to display the images differently.

4.) Have fun!

How to take a weekend vacation:

pack well.

leave on time.
(or a minute late)

stop for gas.

watch the landscape slide by.

make sure the one-year-old is happy.
ridiculously happy.

pay toll.

work on crossword puzzles together.

enter the hotel.

find your way to the room.

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follow ridiculously happy one-year-old down hallway.

enjoy the quaint features of the room.

watch the traffic outside the window.

walk into the waterpark.

play with daddy in water.

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to see the other entries of this weeks challenge, click here.

Have a great week, everyone!

~Em

A Simple Portrait of my Little Brother, Josh.

2010-01-22T20:01:00.000-08:00

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The title says it all.

Sometimes Pooh is better than None.

2010-01-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

I had a short photo shoot at my house (short as in 3 minutes)So I had to make sure that the settings were right on my camera and the lighting was good and all that fun stuff. Problem was, I had no model. So I had to be a little creative.

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But really, some Pooh is better than none.

Lashes

2010-01-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

Please, oh PLEASE do not get sick of pictures of my baby boy. I sometimes am at a loss as to what to take pictures of, and he really is the center of my day/world right now, so it is SO much easier to get him on camera than anything or anyone else.

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Mall time!

2010-01-22T19:29:00.000-08:00

An many of my close friends know, I mall walk. Yeah, I know, I'm like 80 years old at heart, but I actually like to meet up with my other mommy friends. We walk laps, and talk mom talk, among other things. We are sometimes called the "Buggy Brigade". Today we even had a random person doing play-by- plays as we were walking through the mall (3 strollers wide), as if it were a neck-and-neck race. I lost.Pretty funny stuff.
Recently, I went to the mall by myself (gasp!) along with J man, and did a bit of a photo shoot there. I thought it would be a stellar idea, since there is so much natural light in there, and a little different surroundings for the little guy (and warmer than outside). Well, he didn't really like it much, and really, only a couple of shots turned out. But, I need to catch up with my Project 365, so here is one of them.

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Those blue eyes get me all the time. Gotta love this little guy!

Em

Frost Spikes on Pine Needles

2010-01-18T20:08:00.000-08:00

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Sadie.

2010-01-18T20:03:00.000-08:00

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Contemplating Life.

2010-01-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

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Minimalist #3

2010-01-15T14:15:00.000-08:00

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To see the other entries for this weeks photo challenge, please click here.
Thanks for stopping by!

Em

Minimalist #2

2010-01-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

My second entry for this weeks photo challenge:

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Rules:
Minimalism

No rules, just do your thing and tweak if you'd like! And post as many or few photos as you'd like!

Minimalist #1

2010-01-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

This week's challenge is to take minimalist photographs. Here is my first of the series:

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This is three pictures of parts of a painting that is hanging up in my kitchen- the red is the wall.

Taking Notes

2010-01-13T14:04:00.001-08:00

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My green-eyed little one.

2010-01-13T13:59:00.001-08:00

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"I'm going to GET YOU!!!!"

2010-01-13T13:52:00.000-08:00

My Little guy loves to play, and this series was taken while I was chasing him around the house- hence the really, really happy look on his face. Generally he doesn't smile a whole lot for the camera- since he likes to point at it and say "dah?" I try to distract him while taking his pictures, so I get a more natural smile :) that, and I like to play, too!

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Photo Challenge # 46

2010-01-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

This week's challenge is:

a Self-portrait featuring a physical attribute that you find endearing or beautiful about yourself- something that you feel makes you uniquely "you".
Submit one photo.
This photo can be color or black and white.
Go ahead and "tweak" it if you feel like it!

To see this week's entries, click here!

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My physical attribute that I find endearing about myself: my super-pale (some may even call it pasty) skin.
Give me a break, though. It is the middle of winter in the upper midwest, and I come from some pale-skinned lineage. But really, I do like the fact that my skin is so white, since I like to wear black a lot :)

Any feedback is welcome, thanks for looking!

Em

Beautiful Bri

2010-01-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

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After midnight.

2010-01-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

This is another shot of the outdoors after midnight, so technically it is a photo for today :)
This was shot out of my bathroom window through one of the small areas where there wasn't any moisture built up on the window. You see, we don't have a fan for the shower, so ALL the moisture just sticks to everything in there for a really long time, even with the door wide open.
Anyway, this is 8 of 365:

Em

let it snow, let it snow......

2010-01-07T21:39:00.001-08:00

LET IT SNOW!

Today we have been enjoying the sheer beauty of the midwest winter in the fury of a true snowstorm.
So far we have at least 10 inches of snow, and right now it's beginning to blow, so chances are there will be a big drift against our back door in the morning. Goody.
It is weather like this that makes me REALLY glad that we have a Jeep. I got to drive around on the nearly deserted streets of my town today, very slowly, of course, even though I have 4 wheel drive. I traversed through snowdrifts into ghosts of county parks, looking for the perfect places to take pictures at, since the snow was sticking perfectly to every tree branch. I found several pristine locations, and got some great shots, all without leaving the vehicle. And the little J man slept snugly and happily from his now forward-facing carseat. (note: I gotta get a picture of that to share with you, too.)
I had way too many to choose from, but here is my decision for the entry for today. Number 7 of 365.

Before midnight

2010-01-06T21:40:00.000-08:00

Something I found in my bedroom that I could take a picture of.
good night!

6 of 365

Em

at 3:23 today, it was.....

2010-01-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

2922 days.

70,120 hours.

4,207,200 minutes.

252,432,000 seconds.*

Since we said "I do."

* in other words, 8 years.

And this is how we celebrated:

5 of 365.

and boy, was it GOOD.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12
I love you SO very much, Jonathan. Happy anniversary!

Em

Good Morning, Daddy!

2010-01-04T13:49:00.000-08:00

It is no wonder why little J man really likes it when Daddy wakes up for the day...

Wouldn't you be this happy?

4 0f 365

I'm pretty sure I would be this happy. In fact, I know I am this happy.
Good Morning, Daddy!

Patterns

2010-01-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

Patterns have always fascinated me. I love to mix and match patterns that seemingly should not even be thought to go together, like paisley prints and leopard. And yet, there it is, right on my very own couch.
But what I believe is even more incredible than my own sense of style (if you want to call it that) is the sense of style God puts right out there in nature. Like the run of a river and its tributaries (as seen from an airplane- and incredible thing to behold), the stripes and intersections of different kinds of rocks, the texture of a field of grain with a backdrop of heavy, rolling clouds. Just beautiful. Can you see it in your mind?
These things are all quite grand, but sometimes i forget to look at the little things. Like the shimmer of droplets of water on the grass leaves, and the minuscule paths of bugs going through an old log.
Or, in the case of today, the simplicity of frost on a window. From a distance, it seemed fogged, but once the sun began peeking through the clouds, there was a shimmer about it, and upon closer inspection was such perfection that a machine could never duplicate.
So, without further ado, number 3 of 365 in my challenge 365.

Behind Blue Eyes

2010-01-02T12:33:00.001-08:00

2 of 365

Feeling a little reflective.

2010-01-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

'Scuse me while I muse over this brand new year.
I was feeling a little lonely last night, with my hubby away at work, my son sleeping, and me cuddled up watching "Love Actually" and sipping an apple vodka in cranberry juice. Pretty sad, actually. But I did enjoy myself.
Yeah, you're right. Still sad.
I guess I just miss my hubby. A lot. I am SO glad that he even has a job, but this being away at night is pretty difficult on a marriage. But this is the New Year, so it's time for a resolution, right? That is the tradition, is it not?
A new year. A new start.
Well, I'm not resolving to start anything new, per se, but to be more to my husband. I was wallowing in self-pity last night, enjoying myself in it, of course, and started thinking of my husband. He sacrifices so much- his time, his personal happiness, his sleep, among other things. So I will make more of an effort to be more for him- more backrubs, more homemade food, more (ahem)....well, you get the picture ;)

Here's my inspiration....I figure there's no better place to look for it than in the Good Book...

Proverbs 31: 10-31

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹ "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Another thing, I like to take pictures, but sometimes I get lazy about it. A new friend of mine, Melanie, brought project 365 to my attention, and I thought it looked fun. So today, I took my first of (theoretically) 365 pictures. Pretty cool, huh?

Here it is!
1 of 365

Happy New Year, Everyone!
~Em

Family photos

2009-12-31T12:25:00.000-08:00

As a gift for my parents, I am putting together an album of each of us "kids" and our families- I tried to get everyone's pictures throughout the year, but it came down to Christmas, and we still hadn't gotten a couple of them. So here they are:

My oldest brother, Chris, and his family: Jenny, Lily, and Evie

My brother, Jonnie, and his family: Kimmy, Bekah, Alyssa, and Ben

And, of course, my parents:

aren't they just so cute?!?!

Em

Sledding!

2009-12-31T09:52:00.001-08:00

A fresh blanket of snow
A brand new world
a brand new playground.

Family Christmas

2009-12-31T09:21:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time away from home at my parent's home with all of my family.
We sure did have fun!

To my Son

2009-12-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Baby!

I have been thinking about this post for quite some time, since this is a momentous occasion. Maybe more so for me than for you, but momentous nonetheless.
I still tear up whenever I really, really think about how you have blessed me and your daddy- you certainly are a gift sent from God, one that we, at one point in our lives, never thought would actually be given to us. You have been not exactly what we were expecting, but MORE than what we were expecting.
We prayed that you would be a happy child, and seriously, we got that tenfold. You are a ridiculously smiley, happy-go-lucky little child. You laugh at the kitties, you laugh at daddy's work badge, you laugh at yourself. You laugh at mommy when she tries to crawl as fast as you. You greet me each morning with a huge smile stretched across your face. Now THAT is a great way to start the day!
We prayed that you would like music, and man, we can't keep you away from our piano. And you play it so nicely, too- you rarely ever bang on the keys- you are content to do one finger at a time. Sometimes you end up with some very sweet melodies! You love to praise God at church by clapping along and dancing your little baby bouncy dance, all the time with the biggest, goofiest grin on your face. You sing yourself to sleep- a flutey, lovely sound.
We prayed that you would get along well with others. You have more friends than we can count- people who love you for the sweet, gentle way that you are, for the hyper silly play when you are over-tired, for the love that you have for people already is amazing. You have baby Ruthie, Gabe, your cousin Evie, Noelle, Sam, Samuel, and others who are close in age that you are just SO excited to see every time we get together. Your happy squeals when you play with the other kids is really, truly music to my ears.
We prayed that you would be cute. Well, Daddy was pleasantly surprised by your handsome looks from the beginning :) Your blue eyes are something to behold- I have never seen eyes like yours- they are bluer than mine, bigger than Daddy's, and just stunning. Everyone comments about your eyes! Your constant smile makes you even more adorable than any other physical feature- you are just so cute! Your grandma says I need to be careful how often I tell you this, since it could give you a big head, but this is a special occasion, so I can say it all I want. You are just so darn cute.

Praise the Lord for answered prayers!

This past year has been wonderful. Wonder-full.

From the first time I met you face-to-face, at 4:20 am on that cold, snow-filled day in December, your tiny cries muffled by the fluid still in your lungs, that cleared out without a hitch, to the first night at home when I had the worst30 hours of my life, to the many nights where it was just you and me because Daddy had to work, the first time you purposefully cooed, then rolled over, then decided to crawl, and now to standing. The way you snuggle your used-to-be-white teddy bear when I set you in the crib for naps and bedtime. The excitement when we read "where is baby's belly button" is contagious- you have such a fun time reading that one with me. Although I think that's because you have a crush on the little girl on the front cover...but I digress.
You will soon have your first steps, which I know will surprise me. Which is incredible. But you will grow up, and that is inevitable. And normal. And exactly what should happen. And what I really do want to happen.

Please know that Daddy and I pray for you all the time, that you will grow up to be excited about Jesus, and be a great, strong, Christian man. I pray that your future holds great things for you, and at the same time, that you appreciate every little moment you have with family, friends, and the time you spend with your Lord.

But for now, little one, I love the moments we spend together: you, me, Daddy. You are amazing. And I love you.

Happy Birthday, Josiah.

Love,

Mommy.

Party it up, boy!

2009-12-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

This post is mostly pictures, so bear with me.
It was a pretty long, exciting day on Saturday- we had over 30 guests at J man's 1st b day party (the party was a week earlier than his actual b day, but really... who has time the weekend before Christmas?)
It went SO well, with plenty of Ribs (which, yes, I grilled out in the snow!) and fresh-baked carrot cake* with cream cheese frosting to go around.

*I spent 3 whole hours on that thing...

After the gift-opening, the chillens* went downstairs to play in the balloon room- we blew up almost 70 balloons, and then went outdoors to do a little sledding. Josiah even went down the hill- about 7 or 8 times- he LOVED it! He was able to manage that because he got an infant's sled- yep, you heard (read) me right- a sled made for babies. It has a super-wide base so it's nearly impossible to tip over, and it has straps to hold the baby in place, much like a high chair. Well, it worked like a dream! Hopefully I'll get a link up, or pictures emailed to me, or something- since my Dad took the pics of his first sledding experience. I was the one lugging him up the hill, so no camera for me!
Anyway, enough talk, on to the pictures! (since I promised that oh so long ago....)

*children. there were 8 of them.

The little guy had a MOUNTAIN of gifts to open. I opened all of them. Can a 1 year old really open all those gifts? No. The answer is no.
How blessed is my little one, though! We have such generous friends and family, thank you all SO very much! (yes, thank you, too, even if you got him a "noisy" toy :)

I made the sign, too, out of fabric remnants I picked up at Hancock fabrics a long time ago, and random buttons. It was totally fun!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

"ketchup" day: challenge #44

2009-12-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

The challenge:
Shoes

The goal of this challenge is to take something ordinary and make it look extraordinary.

Since I had 6 concerts last week, this challenge is a tribute to that time spent singing and performing...

to see the other entries, please click here.

"E flat"

and comments, criticisms are welcome! I really want to grow as a photographer, and any input is appreciated!
Thanks :)

Em

"Ketchup"day: challenge #43

2009-12-14T20:56:00.000-08:00

This challenge was "toys"
with a little boy running..er, climbing...everywhere, it has definitely been more of a challenge to get these done, but he definitely remains my inspiration!
We were also supposed to tell a story, but I'd like to know what you think the story is!
to see the other challenges, visit www.weeklyphotographychallenge.blogspot.com

This lovely set of wooden animals was a gift for his first birthday- aren't they fun!!

a couple firsts

2009-12-04T11:20:00.000-08:00

first number one:
we got snow last night! not that that is necessarily a "first", seeing as it is Wisconsin, and it is December, but it was the first snow of the season. I was really happy it snowed when it did, too, cuz it gave new life to our otherwise pretty drab landscape. And because I had a photoshoot this morning. Outside. In 20 degree weather. With a windchill. (not sure exactly how cold it was, but I know it was chilly, since I couldn't use my pointer finger to take the pictures near the end, and had to use my ring finger, which was a little less numb)

first number two:
I had a photo shoot with a married couple, who just wanted nice pictures of just the two of them. It was kind of like an engagement session, I suppose, but a little more relaxed. There really is a big difference in photographing young love, and those who have spent a third of their lifetime together. More comfortable, more at ease, and even more in love.

Here are some of my faves of Mike and Melissa:

Em

Photo Challenge 42

2009-11-28T19:29:00.001-08:00

Good Saturday, everyone!
I finally got my challenge done this week, despite the fact that I didn't have my camera with me.
Yup, you heard me right- I didn't have my camera. But I did have my phone :)
Today was the first time that I went hunting in over 2 years, and I decided to use my phone to take pictures of my surroundings. It's not often that I am up before sunrise (on purpose, anyway) so I used that. The sky was absolutely brilliant blue just before the sun came up, and I couldn't quite get the beautiful panorama around me, so I took a whole bunch of pics and put them together on my new laptop with photoshop.My laptop has bluetooth, and so does my phone, so I (jonathan, actually) figured out how to make the two of them talk to each other, and I could upload the photos from the phone directly onto the computer, no cords required. Whoa, how cool is that?!?!

I had to admit, the above photo was inspired by my dad's entry, with layering the sky in different angles and stuff to get this neato effect... so thanks, dad!

This week's challenge was to take pictures of the sky, and you can see other people's entries and the rules for the challenge when you click here.

Em

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:15,16

new look for Ebeling Art Studio

2009-11-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

So, as many of you know, I have my own business. And, well, I decided that it's time to update the look, get things more coordinated, more streamline.
SO I had creative time today, after J man was done with his screamfest and finally went down at 7:30 after not having slept ALL DAY...... ahem. back to creative time.
My current website is a little....dark. I had a momentous inspiration time last night (after having finished off an entire bottle of wine with my hubby... yay for date night!) and my mind wouldn't stop turning, working, thinking.
I need to brighten it up, add a little texture, but not too much to take away from the artwork and photographs, and have a smidgen of color. And here is what I came up with and threw together today while watching a dark, ominous movie (I won't mention which one, since I am not entirely sure it was a legal copy...):

thoughts? criticisms? suggestions??
I'd love to hear what you all think!

~Em

Whew!

2009-11-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

It's been a long, LONG week.
Mostly cuz I've been dealing with a sick little J man. He started a fever last wednesday, we figure. He felt pretty warm, but was acting completely normal, so I didn't really think anything of it.
But then on Thursday, while he was at the babysitter's house, he apparently tried napping on their floor and was acting kind of miserable. This is odd because he had just woken up from his nap when he got there.
We had our usualy thursday night get-together, and he was just SO clingy- didn't want to even play with the Duplos- which is also very unusual. When we finally got home, I took his temperature, and it was over 103 (under the armpit- so really we should add one more degree to that, and it was over 104) Despite alternating Tylenol and motrin every couple of hours, the fever rarely dipped blow that point. So we took him into Urgent care on Saturday, where they diagnosed him with an ear infection, which was a surprise for them, since he wasn't showing any other symptoms like pulling on his ear or runny/stuff nose.
They prescribed amoxycillan and we were good. 10 days, every 8 hours he would get a dosage of the awesome pink stuff.

But then on Sunday, the poor little guy started getting little raw, red spots EVERYWHERE on his torso, neck, face, and some on his legs. And on Monday it was worse. So I stopped giving his the amoxycillan, and called his regular pediatrician. She was able to squeeze me in right away to take a look at him, and sure enough, the red stuff all over his body was an allergic reaction to the medication. But then she looked into his ears- and said that the infection was mild enough that his body should heal itself on its own. No more meds.
I'm good with that!

So, long story short, $65 copay to get into Urgent care on Saturday, $14 for the medication, and then a $35 copay to see his pediatrician on Monday, and now we are back to where we started from. No meds, letting his body heal on its own.
Small price to pay to know my baby will be well :)

Oh, and on Thursday night, my sister, Mandy, had baby #4 :) We are SO happy to see you, Miss Jordyn Grace! Can't wait to meet you in person~
If you want to see pictures of her, just click here

Em

Photo Challenge

2009-11-21T10:01:00.001-08:00

This week's challenge is an exercise dealing with the Law of Thirds (LOT).
The rules were to take 3 photographs of the same subject in three different ways, or take one photo, and crop it three different ways.
I chose to take one photo and crop it three ways, since my little J man is sick, and I couldn't do a separate photo shoot for this assignment. So I am using little Addison, whose pictures I took 2 weeks ago, along with her family. She slept through the WHOLE session, and I couldn't resist taking one of her snuggled up, sinking into her parent's comforter.
I really enjoy utilizing the LOT in my photography, so this was a fun little challenge!

this is the original image:

this one is really elegant and minimalist-
the profile of the baby created a beautiful line from the top to the bottom

I like how there seems to be a balance of very dark on the L
compared with the very white of the baby on the R- it is more pronounced in this image.

to see the rules of the challenge, and other people's entries, click here

Thanks for the comments *wink**wink*
:)

Em

Once upon a November

2009-11-16T21:53:00.000-08:00

I had the privelage of photographing two of my very good friends' wedding this past weekend, James and Brenda.
Although I didn't have as much time as I generally do with the couple, we ended up with some really lovely shots!

My passion.

2009-11-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

I just gotta talk about stripes.
I love them
I mean, I really, really, REALLY love stripes.
I am really, really REALLY glad that they are back in style, cuz otherwise my child would be stuck wearing stripes, and being un-trendy. Which, I know if he's anything like me (or my hubby) is bound to happen sometime in his life.
But for now, he's runway-ready.
I got these awesome baby legs legwarmers from babysnazz. And, if you are interested, they are having a give-away of TWENTY legwarmers of your choice,
and all you have to do is answer one question in their survey. Just go to their site, Win 20 Pairs of Baby Leg Warmers from babySNAZZ!
And maybe your baby can be stripey, too!

(don't mind the look on his face- that's just what he does when he's out in bright light...)
Thanks, Auntie Sarah, for hanging out with him!

~Em

Little Addison

2009-10-31T16:52:00.000-07:00

When I arrived at Amanda and Phil's house today, along with a few trick-or-treaters, Little addison greeted me right away- her daddy was feeding her the last few drops of milk from her bottle, and she was struggling to stay awake. I won't lie- I was super excited by the fact that she was SO sleepy.
Sleeping newborns are a dream to photograph.
I did Amanda's maternity photos a couple of months back, so I had the plus of having been to their home before- so I knew what to expect for lighting. I set up my little studio get-up, and we were off shooting pictures.
We ended the shoot in the master bedroom, where I used the natural lighting for some dramatic effect- it was a great photo day!!
Addison slept through the WHOLE THING. Even when she was lifted up "Simba-style".
Thanks for being such a great model, baby girl!

~Em

WHOA!

2009-10-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

He's 10 months old already!

A picture My hubby wanted me to get

2009-10-20T21:11:00.001-07:00

and for some reason, J man goes for the low notes- every time.
That's all.
Have a good night!

Em

Put a red chair in an alley......

2009-10-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

...and this is what you get.

(ps. this is a high school senior photo.)

Thanks for a great time, Maggie!

Em

Belated

2009-10-18T21:13:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday, Ruthie!

Love,

Emily, Jonathan, and Josiah ;)

I normally don't encourage this....

2009-10-17T21:00:00.001-07:00

.....but I just couldn't help myself.

Em

Play me a song on the piano,(J) - Man

2009-10-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Andy, took this video on Wednesday night while my hubby and I were on a date!
Yes, I actually took him up on his email-proposed date (which was mentioned in the last post), but we had to move it from Tuesday to Wednesday since he had church meetings on Tuesday he had forgotten about (but for some reason I remembered)
Anyway, we went to see "UP!"- a totally cute, family-friendly film by Pixar. I almost cried during the beginning, though- there's this montage about the couple's life, and part of it she finds out she can't have kids... I kinda know that feeling.
I have been incredibly busy the past couple of months- hence fewer blogs. I've been keeping busy with photography, art stuff, teaching art to grades 1-8, and chasing after my super-fast baby.
Sarah and Billy came by for a surprise visit at the beginning of this week- crazy, since they live in CO. Coming to WI is no small feat, especially when they had to battle with black ice to get to the airport so they could make it here.
So that's pretty much it in a nutshell. This weekend we're on our way to the Mad town with some friends to visit more friends. It's sure to be a good time, although it is homecoming for UW....we may well have a loud night.
I guess I'll just have to let you know how it goes!

em

Not me! Monday

2009-10-12T11:42:00.001-07:00

Hey, all!
Welcome to not me! monday- a creation of Mckmama to make a way for us to admit to some of our faults in a funny, lighthearted way.

So, I most certainly did not get totally excited yesterday when I found out that it was October 11.
What's so not important about October 11? My local Target store did not just have it's grand (re) opening, and i most certainly did not rush out with my 9 1/2 month old just so we could not walk around the new store aimlessly.
I did not buy new, absolutely ADORABLE (er...sexy...) underwear while I was there. And I did not jump out of our bedroom wearing it just to tease my husband....Not me!!
I did not wear a new top backwards at a wedding that I was shooting this weekend, and then did not say that it was just a weird shirt, and it's supposed to look like that when someone came up to me to say that it was on backwards....or not backwards. Not me!
I did not just throw my son's dirty cloth diapers down the basement stairs 2 minutes before my inlaws came over, just so the back hall would look clean. There was no poop in those diapers.
I do not have the most thoughtful husband, who did not send me a nice, romantic email about going out on a date tomorrow night. I did not almost burst out into tears over how much I love that man.
Oh, no. Not me!

Do you have any not me! confessions? Just hop on over to Mckmama's site, and find out how to get involved!!

~Em

Photography Challenge

2009-10-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

The autumn of beauty is still beautiful...

~Latin Proverb

Photo Challenge

2009-10-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

I had this GREAT idea for this particular photograph for this week's challenge- and I was actually able to execute the photograph!!!
We were supposed to take a picture of our subject through something- anything, really, and I thought how cute would it be to have this couple framed in the photograph.
I had the ultimate pleasure of taking engagement photos for an artist friend (who happens to also be named Emily) She and Rick really interacted well and truly had a great time with each other while I took their pictures.
Thanks for going along with this idea, guys!!!

To see the other entries and to check out the rules, click here

~Em

little bit o' rock 'n roll for Jesus

2009-09-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

My friend, Mike Westendorf, asked me to photograph an event that he and his band were playing for- they were one of the bands to come on before FFH (Far From Home- it's another well-known Christian band). It was a benefit concert for Cancer research, put on by Faith Lutheran Church and was advertised on KLOV.
Well, anyway, what I am trying to say is that it was kind of a big deal.
Which you may have guessed since he wanted me there to photograph the whole thing.

Just Kidding.

Or, as my little bro would say "Hota, Ka, Hota, Ka".
( ask me if you don't get it)

It's a big deal, but not cuz I was there.
It was a big deal because God was there, and we are called to serve Him and each other.
And we did it through music!

The whole thing was in the Sports Complex in Waukesha, so it was held in a really big gym.
You know how gyms are known for their totally spectacular, flattering lighting?
No?!?
Oh, Yeah. They are known for their totally stinky lighting.
At least there were stage lights, and I was able to utilize my somewhat limited knowledge of lighting to get some pretty suh-WEET effects.
In all honesty, I enjoyed myself there, singing my heart out to Jesus along with the band, and taking pictures at the same time.

Talk about fun!

Photo Challenge

2009-09-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

This weeks challenge was to photograph a "broke down" object in B/w, from three different angles or zoomed in 3 different ways:
As I was doing a photo shoot around my Godmother's property in northern WI, I came upon this really neato boat, sitting in the woods. Although I don't think that it's technically "broke down", I know that it hasn't been used in years, and the tires on the trailer are a little flat.
So here you go- any comments/ criticisms are welcome!

To see other people's entries, and the rules to the challenge, click here

Em

Feeling the wind through his hair.

2009-09-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

At least what hair he has (it's there- really silky strands that are slowly but surely filling in a little thicker every day...)
Anyway, we spent some time up by my sister's house with her family- and we hung out at a couple of different parks- so J man got to play around on the baby swings.

The little daredevil of my baby decided that it would be WAY more fun to lean as far forward in his seat and pretend he's Superman.

Either that, or he was just fascinated with his moving shadow.

At any rate, he had a great time.

Until he got too tired. Then we went back home.

Oh, and he got 3 new upper teeth this past week. Whew!

~Em

Photo Challenge #31

2009-09-06T08:07:00.001-07:00

My son discovering his world on this
brand new day.

Being a High School Senior....

2009-09-04T18:03:00.001-07:00

Has got to be interesting nowadays... but, well, it was probably "interesting" when I was a high school senior, all those years ago.
ahem.
over 9 years ago. yikes.

Anywho, I remember my senior portrait experience was not-so-exhilarating. My pics turned out okay, but I was just NOT comfortable, and it felt awkward while I was there in front of the huge camera in the studio setting, feeling very unsure of myself.
SO, I guess there's a notion out there that photographers are "old" and "stuffy", and this can be an anxiety inducing experience for a young man/woman to put themselves in front of a stranger and try to act natural.
Such was the case with Corina.
She was, according to her aunt, a nervous wreck all day long, and unsure of what to expect.

Needless to say, it didn't take long for her to get comfortable, and we really, really had a lot of fun.
oh, and her pictures turned out beautiful.

thank you, Corina!!
em

You gotta see this!

2009-08-31T10:49:00.001-07:00

Check out Katie's post- the last video is J man playing with Ruthie- they are such great friends!!

Another World

2009-08-29T10:39:00.001-07:00

This sight met us as we were going up the bend in 151 towards my folks house last weekend... a sun and moon set over Lake Winnebago!
Well, needless to say, I told...er....asked j-hubby very politely to pull over so that I could take a picture.

~em

Pretty

2009-08-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I missed photographing girls for High school senior portraits- I had done 5 senior guys in a row- so last night's shoot was really a breath of fresh air.
Not to be sexist or anything, but girls, in my experience, tend to be more natural in front of the camera.
Which, if you are a photographer, makes the whole shoot that much easier.

Here's one of my fave's:

Thanks, Meghan!

~Em

Photo Challenge #29

2009-08-21T05:00:00.001-07:00

I gotta admit- I love this challenge :) (I am not biased at all)

Here are the rules (and the other entries)

I had in mind the exact place that I wanted to go because there was absolutely BEAUTIFUL graffiti all over this abandoned building. But when I got there, somebody whitewashed ALL of those walls. AACH! I was totally bummed, but fortunately there were some freshly tagged areas, as well as spots that were missed by the whitewash.
Another "issue" that I ran into was that I couldn't get onto the property- it was surrounded by chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. So 2 of these shots were taken with my camera up against the chain link, which actually helped to create a natural vignette.

Oh, and did I mention that I took these right after an actual photo shoot- so here I am, a little white girl, walking around with my huge professional digital camera, wearing my nice clothes, in a place that was abandoned. In a neighborhood that, well, you wouldn't find too many gals like me hanging out there. But that just added a little more excitement to the whole thing :)

Thanks for stopping by!
~Em

Family Photos

2009-08-18T19:53:00.001-07:00

I had a lovely time taking pictures of my friend, Abby, with her family.
They were just awesome people to work with- and a VERY happy family, which made taking pictures even better :)
Thanks, Guys!

Utterly

2009-08-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

exhausted.

yep.

that's me.

in one word.

so, so many things happened/happening/going to happen.
it's a little overwhelming.
where to start?

G

O

D

.

“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

Are the things I have done, am doing, and will do - contaminating my life?

I find myself asking the question "Is this really good for my business/family/me?
But where is God in all that?

I should ask:

Is this really good for God.

So simple.
So easy to forget.

Big 'n' small

2009-08-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

Photo Challenge #28

This week's theme:

BIG and small

Rules:

1.) One photo and one photo only.

2.) B/W or Colour is fine.

3.) No tweaking please.

This BIG sunflower comes from my small garden,
and this BIG sunflower has many small,
intricate details that make it just gorgeous!

~Em

Catch me if you Can

2009-08-11T12:32:00.001-07:00

Frogs, S'mores, and more!

2009-08-10T21:06:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we had a wonderful time eating, drinking, playing games, etc. with family down in Savana, IL.
The kids kept busy during the reunion looking for frogs and toads, and after the festivities, we met up at Grandma and Grandpa's house to relax playing Bocce Ball and making S'more's. Jonathan and I spent 2 nights at their house, and enjoyed watching the weather from their porch.

Izzy with her "Boggy"

Ayden and a cousin (yeah, I don't know his name- I am SO bad... ;) Showing off the toads they found

Evan enjoying a S'more

Lightning from a storm that blew through on Sunday night

Evan and Ayden showing brotherly love

Our wonderful hosts, Grandma and Grandpa, saying goodbye

~Em

I wish...

2009-08-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

This (ahem...LAST) week's challenge is:

FILL IN THE BLANK

I Love........

I want........

I wish for.......

Rules:

1.) Please submit three photos by Sat. Aug 8th.

2.) You may pick one fill in the blank and submit three photos for it, or do one photo for each fill in the blank.

3.) B/W or Colour

4.) Tweaking allowed

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

Sorry these are so late, guys- for some reason blogger wasn't letting me upload photos- and then I had to leave for our family reunion.
Thanks for looking!
Em

Something pretty at the state fair

2009-08-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

Work, Work. (cont.)

2009-08-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

I was able to get up to my mom's school again today,
and had a couple of good chunks of time to work on the mural again-
this is what it looks like now:

Now, what does my little J man do while I, his mama, paint? (since grandma- my mom- had surgery last week and can't watch him while I work)
Remember, this is a kindergarten classroom.
They have this super cool floor mat that he fell in love with- it kept him well occupied for a long, long time.

After he tired of this, the pastor's daughter took Josiah for a walk over to her house to hang out with her other 7 (yes, seven) siblings. He had a blast!
When she brought him back, he was more than ready to eat and nap- and slept from 1:45 until 4.

Plenty of painting time for mama :)

~Em

Work, Work.

2009-07-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

I was officially hired by Trinity Lutheran to do a mural in the Kindergarten classroom (my mom might have had some say in this....seeing as she is the Kindergarten teacher and has control of what is put in her classroom... :)

I will try to have this finished by the start of the schoolyear.
er....
I will have this finished by the start of the schoolyear.

Wish me luck!
:)

~Em

Please pray!!!

2009-07-27T08:31:00.001-07:00

Update:
Stellan is being Airlifted from Minneapolis area to Boston.

Original Post:

I know some of you may have noticed a new button on the sidebar to pray for Stellan. I have been meaning to put it there for some time now, and finally got around to it.
Anyway, NOW is the time to pray for him- he has been in the hospital all weekend, and his family is in a dire state. Please read their blog, and pray with me now:

Dear Lord,
Keep Stellan, who is only 9 months old, warm in your arms as he struggles with his severe heart condition. He has been in the hospital all weekend, and is struggling to function, in all respects of the word. Keep his mama focused on you and your healing grace, and bless the doctors with wise advice and quick decision-making as to what to do for Stellan before things get any worse. And Lord, if it is your will, heal his heart.
Amen.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (New International Version)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Challenge #25

2009-07-25T19:44:00.001-07:00

This week's challenge is to do a setup to specifically "sell a product"- this can be anything, really, for example : hat, shoes, cat food, soap- anything. The challenge is to do this with a friend, relative, or pet as your model.
Submit 3 photos- and let us know which is your favorite.
These may be b/w, color, or anything in between.
Editing is allowed.
And, as always.... have fun!
You can check out other people's entries, or make an entry of your own, by visiting weeklyphotographychallenge.blogspot.com

So my original idea was to work with my cousin this afternoon- she is an awesome 13 year old who is just a natural in front of the camera. She was pretty busy, however, so I decided to use my son....oh, that sounds bad. So I decided that Josiah would love to help me out with this one, yet again! However, there were too many for me to pick from, so I decided to enter 2 sets of three, one set featuring his BabyGAP cap, and the other set featuring him and his super dee duper soft teddy bear. The second set doesn't really seem like "ads" to me, necessarily- they just look like soft baby skin and plush texture. I just thought they looked nice together as a set, so I assumed that you, the audience, would enjoy them as well.

TAKE ONE
"Fall into the Baby GAP"

Photo 1
I wasn't so sure on this one- basically I threw it in here because I needed
a third photograph. I think it works really well with the
other two pictures.

Photo 2
I think this one works best for "selling the product-
the hat dominates the picture, yet you can see J man, who's wearing it,
and a little more context that he is playing with a toy.

Photo 3
This one is my favorite of the three-
I love that Jman's expression and posture mimics the teddy bear's :)

TAKE TWO
"Baby Soft"

Photo 4
hands down, my favorite of the whole shoot. I love the angle of j man's back,
the way he's reaching for the teddy bear, and the angle of his leg coming up,
as well as the sweet expression on his face-
the way he's gazing at this teddy bear is just too cute. LOVE it.

Photo 5
again, too cute not to add it

Photo 6
I can't get enough of his eyes...he's a beautiful child!

Please feel free to comment- as much or as little as you feel like (I just love hearing everyone's thoughts!)
Thanks~

Em

Usually he's so photogenic.

2009-07-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

See this face?

He wouldn't stop making this face.

I took 15 pictures, and all I got was that face. Oh, and him blinking.
And him looking at.....well, something. Not sure what.

Oh, well. I think these are as cute as can be, anyway! Even though his shirt is all screwy. Who's in charge of making sure this guy looks right for his pictures??

*ahem* Oh. Right. That's me.

Happy 7 months, J man!

~em

A super duper...nursing cover!

2009-07-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

I just got this cover from Serwa Chic (Jen :)- the same gal that make J man's cloth diapers- and it is AWESOME. The little man recently figured out how to pull blankets off while nursing, and was making a game of it. So, a nursing cover is a great solution- it even has a little pocket and adjustable strap and everything! Super cool~
She was so nice to custom make this one for me- the colors and pattern I was looking for- just so I could add my own little alteration to it- I painted a white silhouette of a tree on one side. Gotta love art!

~em

The Mommy Artist in Me

2009-07-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

This week's specs:

Challenge #24

Pick a day this week and tell us about it using your camera.

Rules:
1.) Submit as many or as few photos as you'd like.
2.) B/W or Colour
3.) please no tweaking
4.) Photos due Sat. July 18, 2009

This challenge is about telling a story, finding a way to narrate through pictures. You don't have to narrate your whole day, you can pick just a portion of it if you'd like. Have fun!

I decided to narrate my life as an artist and as a mother. You may notice some similarities!!
I also chose to do the whole challenge in B/W- partly because 1) the light that I had today was terrible (we're a bit rainy here), 2) I felt it would tie the photos together, and 3) I honestly see many photographic situations in black and white, and am just more comfortable with it!
To see other people's entries (we have a bunch of new people this week- whoo-hoo!), just
click here

My little painting world

~em

CO- a photo journal

2009-07-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

I'm Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2009-07-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

In just a few short hours, my hubby, J man and I will be heading to the Minneapolis area, then flying to Denver to visit Sarah and Billy (you may remember them from this post)
We haven't seen them since February, and it's sure to be a good time of hiking, swimming, camping, and eating.
Am I crazy to do this with a 6 month old? Maybe, but then again, I have nothing to compare it to, so I'm diving right in. I pray he doesn't freak out while we're on the plane. We'll be one of "those people" with the child who cannot be consoled. But I have to remember, too, that this is Josiah I'm talking about...he's never been inconsolable. However, there's always a first time. I guess I just won't worry about it. It will be an awesome experience for us all.
I guess I am actually more excited for this vacation for Jonathan's sake- he NEEDS this terribly- and I know he knows it. And he deserves it- he works so hard so that I can keep working from home and take care of J man.
Anyway, enough rambling, on to bigger and better things: PACKING.
Talk to you all later!

Em

PS. Yes, the camera and tripod are packed... that was a priority- can't wait to post pics of our adventures!

A Thousand Words

2009-07-02T08:15:00.000-07:00