Casting Call 2011

I am ready to bring in 2011 with a BANG! We are kicking off the 365 days of baby love calendar campaign!

Do you have, or know someone who has a baby or small child?

I am looking to cast at least 12 children for a calendar I am putting together. Once complete, the calendar will represent Touch of Love Photography for the 2011 year. Your childs photo will be chosen by me to be printed into my yearly calendar!

Who: I am looking for newborns, infants, and babies up to age 12 months
What: 12 babies to be in my 2011 calendar I am creating. I am looking for at least 1 baby for each month/age (1 mo., 2 mo. 3 mo. etc). I will also use a few ages 2, 3, and 4 year olds.
When: Session MUST take place before Jan. 14, 2011, so the calendar production can be done QUICKLY!
Why: To create a neat keepsake and to adorn desks, purses, offices, and homes all over the place and new faces for 2011 marketing :-)
How: Just contact me to schedule your session. Sessions can be held in my home, or I will come to you if you live within a 20 mile radius.

What's in it for you? Each child chosen to represent a specific month, will receive a free session and a free 8x10 print of your choice and a final 5x7 printed calendar. If your child is chosen for the cover image, you will recieve your choice of a new 2011 featured product! Stay tuned those will be released this week. I promise they are PERFECT for these types of session and you will be blown away by how fun the choices are.

Additional calendars will be available for purchase.

Rules are simple, but there are just a few...

All proofs will be available online for you to view after session is complete. All parents must sign a release allowing your childs photo to be used for marketing purposes.

I have teamed up with Carly @ Sticky Bellies (be sure to visit her site) and will be using sticky bellies in each age group photo shoot.

Lastly, we want you to bring your creativity. I have been brainstorming new fun ideas for months to use for this project and have purchased some new props that I am SO excited to try and use. However... I know SO many of you have creative ideas and things you want to see your kids wearing or playing in and the like... bring all those fun ideas and novelties, props or whatever you have in that brain!

Ready. Set. GO. Call now to book your session (239.691.7010). Again, sessions MUST be held by January 14, 2011

Please pass this info along to any friends or family who may have children who fit the casting call criteria!

Any questions? Please leave a comment, email or call anytime! Much love! Kari

Matt & Andrea Palmer... MARRIED!

On Oct. 16, 2010 this adorable couple had one of the most beautiful warm fall wedding days EVER.

I got the chance to get to know Matt & Andrea during their son Landon's first year of Bebe' Collection. I will never forget them bringing Landon to my house when we was all of about 12 days old... he had crazy adorable mohawk baby hair do, and just the sweetest parents. I instantly knew they would be a family I was excited to watch grow. Most of you who have been around "know" little Landon from the blog... if you don't all I usually have to say is the crazy hair baby! Love that guy!

Andrea and Matt's big day started out in the BEAUTIFUL St. Joseph Catholic Church. They each wrote letters to each other that were read by the priest during the ceremony. The letters were so touching that as I photographed from the balcony I kept having to dry my tears. Yep I almost always cry during touching moments at weddings... I am a SAP!

Before the ceremony we got to have some fun with little Landon who has NO problem stealing the show just by being him.

Matt & Andrea both come from families who are all about family. Did that make sense? I don't know how to explain it other than both sides are very family oriented. All are very close knit and it is such a nice feeling of being in their little family cocoon. I love when families are so tightly knit.

Andrea and Matt had a GIGANTIC party bus that honestly it's size gave my modest home a run for it's money! I really still have no clue how that bus made turns... seriously larger than a semi!

We went to the beautiful Trestle Park in Adrian for some group shots. Andrea and Matt are both come across as slightly quiet people, but they held nothing back for their photos and turned up the heat for those intimate moments in photos. Could they be any more adorable together?? I am pretty sure it doesn't get better than this!

At the reception the speeches were beautiful and a true reflection of how special Matt and Andrea are ot everyone who knows them. Matt's sister wrote a great speech, but... her tears got the best of her ;-) Luckly one of the groomsmen stepped in and read the pre written speech. Ryan, Matt's nephew who is about 8 yrs old, even gave his own little speech about how much he loves his Uncle Matt.

Little Landon did all kinds of dancing and smiling for my camera. One of the most touching moments of the evening was when they played the song "Let them be litte" and Matt and Andrea danced with Landon and invited their guests with kids to all slow dance together... once again... not a dry eye. So so touching. I would I could have bottled that emotion and kept it for them to remember as Landon grows... I guess the good thing is, the pictures tell the emotion of how special those moments were.

Matt and Andrea, it was TRULY an honor and pleasure to watch you and your family on this part of your life journey. You two are such an inspiration of love and family. I can't thank you enough for allowing me to capture your lives!

These vendors (listed below) helped make the day amazingly stunning The details in the tables, decor, and little touches were perfection!

Flowers: Flowers and Such, Adrian, MI (probably one of the best bridal boquets EVER)!

Cake: Three Ladies and a Cake

Wedding Gown and Bridesmaids dresses: The All Together Bride
Tuxedos: Perry's Tuxedo

Catering: Sudexo catering by Adrian college

Carmel Apples/favors: Kapnick's orchard

Head Table: Aquel, All the Details event decorating, Adrian, MI

WOW

I have NEVER gone over a few weeks without blogging and here I find myself where it has been 2 months!!! NOT good :-( I had an insanely busy fall season and something had to give for me to be able to meet deadlines from weddings and session work. Well... I wasn't willing to compromise more family time, so blogging it was. Now things are definitely heading back to semi-normal (whatever that is) so I am going to get right back to it!!!

I really want to get the Cole Palmer wedding I shot on 10/16/2010 blogged, so that will be first up.

But first, I wanted to let you all in on a little of what's been going on around here that made things seem so busy. On 11/16/2010... I underwent a HUGE lifestyle choice/surgery. I had lap band (bariatric) surgery. This was something I had been planning for about a year, but finally got insurance clearance, the mindset, and everything else in place to be able to do it. So far... I am THRILLED that I did it. A month out, I am down about 15 lbs and doing very well. I feel great and my energy level is the best it has been in a long time :-) I am exercising regularly and working towards some of my goals. Biggest one at this point is to be able to run a mile... to all you runners, I know it's not much of a goal in that respect, but I absolutely dispise running!! I will let you know when I hit that goal!

My husband also underwent bariatric surgery on 12.1.10. He had full gastric bypass and so that tied up some of my time caring for him and keeping things going around the home.

We had a nice Christmas season and I have really enjoyed a few weeks off. I have been planning some fun upcoming things as well as booking lots of weddings for the 2011 season. I am really looking forward to another great year!

Thank you for understanding my need to step away from blogging. I am back... for now! We will see how well I can fit this back into the balance we all seem to struggle to find! If you are not already, be sure to become a friend of mine on facebook. I am good at keeping sneak peeks going there!