Holiday contest.

Ok this week I will be holding 3 holiday contests. Starting today and going through next Friday. Keep checking back because you get 3 chances to win.

Today's contest. E-mail me by Monday night with your funniest holiday gift, memory, or story. It can be about anything, I will read them all and maybe even post a few. I may even share my own, just to give you a laugh.

The person with the funniest story will win a complimentary session anytime from January 14 to February 14th. You will also receive 5 5x7 prints of your favorite images from the session on me. (Of course you are always welcome to purchase more, you are in no way obligated to do so.)

It's that easy. Nothing else to do but tell me your funniest holiday story. (Just make sure it's 'family friendly' ok?)

Have a great weekend. I can't wait to read the stories you send.

Spotlight on Monica

I have had the privelage of photographing baby claire when she was a baby and again this year. Here is what her mommy had to say.

1. First name & city:
Monica, Mobile, AL

2. How many children, first names and ages:
1 child, Claire, 16 months

3. What's on the top of your Christmas list?
Gaudy Xmas village scene from Lowe’s

4. What's on the top of your children's wish lists?
Pink Cozy Coupe pedal car with play cell phone

5. The gift you are most excited to give:
PBR tickets to my mother

6. What is your favorite family holiday tradition?
Attending Christmas eve services with the kids pagent

7. What's something you *don't do* during the holidays?
Caroling

8. Black Friday- are you out before 6 am?
No, I refuse to get up if the clock says anything with a "6" in front of it

9. Shopping- stores, online or both?
However I will stay up til 3 am shopping online. The 6 am rule is just out of principle

10. One store getting a lot of your business for gifts this Holiday season:
Amazon

11. Favorite holiday food?
Divinity

12. Favorite places to go with your children in the winter months:
Christmas in the Oaks – New Orleans, LA

13. What was the last book you read to your children?
Carl’s Christmas and Good Dog Carl

14. What's on your nightstand?
Mardi Gras beads for my daughter to play with, hand lotion, cordless phone, lamp

15. What are your favorite websites or blogs to visit?
This is my first "blog" so yours would be it

16. What are your 3 favorite local restaurants:
Monument, Dukes, The Creamery before it died

17. What is your favorite Salon?
Breeze

18. What local groups or causes are you involved with? (Do you belong to or support any volunteer organizations?) Making my photographer’s car payments :) (hee hee I LOVE this.)

19. Any business or fun stuff you want to share? (Give a link if you have one, or contact info!) Dauphin Island Sea Lab – we do marine research and outreach to K-12 kids.
Summer programs, day camps, etc. http://www.blogger.com/www.disl.org

Claire's mommy sent this pic in. Come on, you know the only time you can show your hiney like this and people think it's cute is when you are a baby. ;-)

Blog game: Maureen

1. Maureen Hanson in Round Rock (formerly Georgetown)

2. Reilly - 8 years, Jack - 5 years, Kate - 21 months

3. I got my present in September - moving into our new home ;-)

4. The kids want anything related to American Girl dolls or Star Wars. 5. I'm excited to give the kids a Wii, a basketball hoop for the driveway, and a play kitchen for Kate

6. My favorite tradition - making apricot shortbread cookies - yum!

7. My husband and I don't buy presents for each other. We focus on the kids...it's saves money and stress, and besides, we truly already have everything we need!

8. I am not a Black Friday shopper...

9. I shop in the stores, as well as online. (I love free shipping!)

10. Target gets most of my business!!11. My favorite holiday food - the apricot cookies, of course!

12. I love taking my kids anywhere there's snow - they're fascinated and thrilled by it!!

13. Over the summer, we read Trumpet of the Swan by EB White as a family.

14. I have pictures, an alarm clock and a baby monitor on the night stand.

15. Always check in with nytimes.com , coolmompicks.com and metacritic.com16. Favorite local restaurants...Monument Cafe, Dos Salsas, Main Street Grill

17. Favorite salon...Halina's in Round Rock I've attached a photo from our summer trip to San Francisco...it was SOOOO cold, and the wind was wild!! ;-)

Blog game: yours truly.

Ok, here I go.

1. First name & city: Stephanie, Georgetown

2. How many children, first names and ages: Evan 10, Wesley 7, Noah 5, Josephine (Josie) 3

3. What's on the top of your Christmas list? Front porch rockers.

4. What's on the top of your children's wish lists? V-bot, all things transformer (the boys) all things princess (the girl)

5. The gift you are most excited to give: I can't tell you that yet. ;) Really LOVE. Love is the best gift ever.

6. What is your favorite family holiday tradition? Driving around and looking at lights on Christmas eve.

7. What's something you *don't do* during the holidays? We DON'T have turkey.

8. Black Friday- are you out before 6 am? nope.

9. Shopping- stores, online or both? Both, but mostly online.

10. One store getting a lot of your business for gifts this Holiday season: As always Amazon.com

11. Favorite holiday food? cookies. :)

12. Favorite places to go with your children in the winter months: Well it's Texas so it really doesn't feel like winter here. It's the same year round. I would say the movies.

13. What was the last book you read to your children? Barbie island princess. I know I feel my IQ dropping as we speak.

14. What's on your nightstand? A lamp, a clock radio, about a half dozen books. Water.

15. What are your favorite websites or blogs to visit? Blogs: Because I said so. Silly pipe dreams.

Dooce. Websites. Several photography websites. Amazon.com (I have a problem) all kinds of shopping sites. Williams Sonoma.

16. What are your 3 favorite local restaurants: Dos Salsas. Wildfire. Down the Alley Bistro.

17. What is your favorite Salon? Breeze.

18. What local groups or causes are you involved with? (Do you belong to or support any volunteer organizations?) I am working on that as we speak.

19. Any business or fun stuff you want to share? (Give a link if you have one, or contact info!) If you are here you already know it. ;-)

Photos taken by my great friend, John Beauchamp, who really knows that he does not want to me a children and family photographer. ;-)

Holiday baby.

Don't you just love this???? She makes me wish I had my own giant lammy to snuggle up on. Especially on a cold day like today.

I hope everyone is getting ready for the Holidays. We are slowly getting there. The tree is up and that makes the kids happy. Get ready for my just for fun special Christmas blog survey. Keep checking back to see what fun things everyone has to say. I will go first, probably later today.

Keep warm.

~S

A sweetie.

Oh wow. I got to photograph this sweetie when she was just a tiny thing. Now here she is a bit bigger with bit more and a LOT more energy.

What a doll baby. She had a ball at the park, but was pretty tired when we were done.

Maybe I will get to see her again next year. =)