Going out with a bang

For my last post before I start maternity leave....(have I mentioned I'm having a baby??!!!) I decided I'd give you all a little taste of what I have been working on night and day the past few weeks...the reason why I don't answer when you call :)

Also, our induction date has changed...next Saturday, October 7th is now the official big day, 8AM. We'll have pictures posted ASAP!

The office is going to be closed next week, and then Pam will be here beginning Oct. 11th on M/W only. Call her at the office or email her at info@devine-memories.com if you need anything. She is taking appointments for after my leave is over, placing orders, packaging orders and arranging deliveries, and answering questions. We appreciate your patience during this transition!!

Anyways, here is a tiny little piece of what my past few weeks have been filled with:

Birthday boys chasing cars...



Families who are nuts about their new babies:


Daddies and their boys:


Beauties who have grown up in front of my lens in fabulous clothes:


More birthday boys with the sweetest faces and moody lighting:


And even some (ok one) teenage beauties (this is Pam's daughter!)


I'll miss you all and will keep in touch with lots of pictures of Maddy!

Deanna XOXOXO

Last chance :)

It's Sunday night and I have exactly 5 days of work left. 5 days, 14 hours, 13 minutes... just kidding. I'm a little delirious from the hours I have been putting in to make this maternity leave happen.

So anyways, if you need anything directly from me, need input from me on an order, or just want to come by and see how freakishly huge my belly has become, this week is your last chance! Better yet, I'll save you a trip-here's last week's photo (how am I still standing upright???)-

After Friday anything you need from Devine Memories Photography will be handled on Mondays and Wednesdays (beginning October 9th) by Pam Bowers. On those days, she will be returning phone calls and emails, placing orders, and calling you to pick up orders. She will also be taking appointments for me for when I return from leave. I am already almost completely booked up for my first few weeks back so if you are wanting to see me before 2007, it's probably a good idea to call early.

I truly appreciate everyone being so accomodating to allow me this time to be with my new baby and my precious family. And yes I promise to poke my head in here and post pictures after she is born. We are being induced a week from Thursday-- October 5th, and we would appreciate any prayers and happy thoughts you can send our way that day!

Again, I will not be available at all between September 30th and November 15th, so if you need me , please call me this week!! Don't say I didn't warn you :)

-D

More September Cuties

Boy has it been a busy month! I'm finishing up shooting and officially scheduled for my induction on Thursday, October 5th and I'm shooting through September 29th. Yes, I know, I'm crazy!! But honestly, my tummy hasn't been near as in the way as I thought it would. My biggest obstacle right now is that I am nesting like crazy and don't have time to actually act on it! I can't believe Maddy will be here in 2 weeks, how fast has time flown by this third time around.

I will update again soon with more info on how long I'll be out, how to place orders and schedule appointments while I'm gone, etc...until then, here's some recent September cuties!!

(FYI-I sware I really do take pictures of boys too...I had a shoot with 2 today...coming soon!)

Seeing Double

A couple of weeks ago I had an odd thing happen. I booked two sets of twins, both boy and girl sets, both living within a mile of each other, in the same afternoon. The first pair were two little angels who were just weeks old, born a little early in the heat of the summer. The second pair were two sweethearts whom I had met when THEY were only weeks old, born a little early, now turning two years old. I laughed with each mom about the coincidence and told them all about the other twins- So here's a sneak peak for you guys of your August afternoon.

First up were my newborns...a delicate little rose named Caroline and her rugged, all-boy brother, William. These little guys also have a bigger brother who is featured all over my website and knows my camera well. They are signed up for the Baby Plan and hopefully will grow to adore the camera as much as big brother does!! I arrived at the home to find both of them sleeping peacefully, swaddled and close together. That's William in the front.

Having a conversation of sorts:


Next up were my two year old "pros". Their personalities have held true since the first time I met them back in 2004, when they were tiny babies. Reese is the animated, talkative sister and Collin is reserved and laid back. They adore each other and their Mommy and Daddy too.

We spent a little time indoors first trying to capture a typical twin kiss:


These kids are on the go and were ready to hit the outdoors and cool off in their pool:



And the afternoon wouldn't have been complete without sister chasing brother with the waterhose:

For this year's clients-HOLIDAY CARD SALE

HOLIDAY CARD and PRINT SALE

September 6th-September 16th, 2006

For my 2006 clients:

15% off all Holiday Card prices
Complimentary Collage Style or Metallic upgrade with purchase of 75+ cards

10% off 5x7 and 8x10 prints (for gift-giving!)

-This offer is ONLY good for reprint orders, orders that are taken after an initial order from the session has already been made.
-not applicable with any other offer
-Minimum order requirement of $200
-not good with any other offer or discount

Download Holiday Prices 2006 here (Adobe Acrobat required): http://devine-memories.com/ChristmasPrices2006.pdf

Download Holiday Card Designs here (Adobe Acrobat required): http://devine-memories.com/ChristmasCarddesigns2006.pdf

THE FIRST TO RESPOND TO THIS SALE WILL RECEIVE 25 ADDITIONAL CARDS WITH THEIR ORDERS!

Closed for Labor Day

Hi everyone,
Just a reminder that my office will be closed Saturday, Sept. 2nd, through Monday, Sept. 4th in observance of Labor Day (how appropriate for me). I'll be back on Tuesday.

Have a wonderful long weekend!
Deanna

This is LIFE...

Dad's reaction to his new baby responding to his voice...

Behind the Scenes-My ramblings for this week

Let me preface this post by saying, I am NOT a writer! So my little rambling posts will be just that---rambling!!
I am exhausted, you guys. I was thinking this morning when I was rolling my giant belly out of bed how naive I was to think that I would be able to do a normal amount of work, much less a "Holiday" rush, while 8 months pregnant. I am moving awfully slow these days, and I really want to apologize to all my clients who are waiting on me. I have phone calls and emails coming out my ears, and yet my baby, my body, and my children are also demanding my full attention. I am trying to balance it all and have been SO BLESSED with the greatest clients in the entire world who understand my dilemma and have been so very gracious. I am playing super-catch up this week and hope to be to a place in September where I am proofing your images the night after your session. I don't know if that will honestly happen, but I'm working on it with the motivation of being completely able to enjoy my maternity leave with my sweet Maddy.
Next week I will be offering a sale on Holiday Cards to clients who had sessions this year and it will be an awesome deal...so watch here for that.
Also, many calls and emails have come in asking about booking sessions after my maternity leave-the answer is, yes, I am booking those currently and will fill up fast-so the sooner you book them, the better. I begin taking clients again the week of November 13th, am off the weekend of Thanksgiving, and then begin again Nov 27th.
I'm headed into another late night of proofing to try and get caught up, but wanted to take a minute to give a little update. Thank you all again for being so understanding and supportive!

Deanna

Summertime

With the end of summer approaching, I thought I'd share a few from the fountains this summer. Just a note, Mom was SUCH a trooper and I hope she's glad (at least someday) that she jumped in on these pictures, because I think we captured the kind of Mom that she is-one who is willing to do anything for her kids and sacrifice dryness to make them laugh.

Email Problem

Wednesday, August 23rd- I am experiencing difficulty with my email and may not have received messages sent last night or this morning. Please call if you emailed and did not hear back from me. Also, some mini sessions slideshows may not have been received because of the difficulty. If you do not receive yours by the end of today, please let me know!

Deanna

Availability before my leave

FYI-I have only 2 session openings available between now and my maternity leave on October 1st. If you or anyone you know are interested in holding these dates, please call or email ASAP to reserve. Both session dates are during the week, both in September. I am also now booking October and November dates with Jen, the photographer who is covering for me while I'm out, and for sessions in Nov. and December when I return. Thank you!!
972-596-5500 deanna@devine-memories.com

Looking for an intern

Hey everyone, my intern who has been with me for well over a year now is leaving me to go to college in Austin...so I'm looking for someone new to help me out. If you know anyone who is interested in the photography business who would like to learn by being involved firsthand, please send them my way! Interns basically help out on photo shoots ( a great way to learn!), put albums together, make deliveries, run errands, package orders, do mailings, and are more than welcome to come along on appointments, ask questions, and get critiqued on their work. If things work out, eventually I may hire this intern on as a second photographer, so that's something to keep in mind!
Have a great weekend :)
D

Holiday Mini Sessions

I'm finishing up proofing the Holiday Mini Sessions, that my clients so graciously allowed me to hold in August rather than October this year :). They were a huge success. Mini Sessions are almost always clients I haven't seen in a while who come back for a quickie "updated" shot for Christmas Cards and gifts. It is so much fun getting to see everyone again, all grown up!! We held these at a loft at the Shops at Legacy in Plano, it was like a big party all day. Here are my friends who came to hang out with me that day:

Here's a little guy who I first met when he was a week old...growing SO fast! And his big brother, whom I've also known and photographed since he was just a little guy.


Three little fun-loving cuties that have also grown since last year!!


A little ballerina who graciously danced around the loft:


My little buddy who charms me everytime I photograph him with those unbelievable eyes:


And a young beauty who has also blossomed into a young lady since I first met her at age 4; I could photograph her all day.

And my sweet clients who drive forever to see me all the time...and they have gorgeous red curls, so they get color :)

Blog was accidentally deleted

Hi everyone, my pregnant brain managed to space out long enough to delete the wrong blog today. I'm working now to get it all back up again. Sorry for the inconvenience if you were showing off your pictures :)

-D