the church at valley grove...

okay, so i get to northfield, meet up with
jason & stacey at the bride's home on union st.

i see that meg's sister, mo, is having a dickens
of a time backcombing her sister's hair in the
cute bathroom off the kitchen, so
i stepped in and said..."oh, that's enough!
step away from the bride!" we all laughed
and i think it was a darn good introduction
for me and meg. kudos to stacey and jason
for bringing along a photographer AND a
hairdresser! big points were made! :)

we shot a ton there at the house and then we
caravaned about 15 minutes south to the most
adorable church on a hill!

(i'll add images later as stacey & jason shoot
raw so i did as well and need to update my ACR
to identify my mark 3 camera...bla, bla, bla)

as i entered the one room church i could smell
the evergreen garland, it was simply enchanting!
it was then that i met the flower girls all
dressed in their sweet, white, bejeweled
twirly dresses and baskets of gorgeous holiday
greens with berries & bows! DAR~ling!

i pinned flowers on everyone in need and met
their 100 year old grandmother...a real charmer!

jason stationed himself in the front, stacey
in the middle and i headed to the balcony. this
made for some fabulous coverage! 3 photographers
should be an industry standard. we rocked this
wedding!

i cut out in the middle of the reception so i
could get back closer to home and attend a
dinner party at Hazeltine National Golf Club
in chaska. 16 of us all together~this was fun!

here's mike & jacqi, our hosts for the event.



gary and i (a rare shot of me in front of
the camera as gary hates it when i hand it
off to people...worry wart!)



my brother tim and his wife laurie.
they will be celebrating their 25th wedding
anniversary on april 1st this spring!!



food was amazing, as always!



and the bailey's cheese cake was a hit too!
(not sure why they brought 2 forks...oink!)



a very long but rewarding day!
i got to work with friends and play with friends.
it was perfect!

nicki will be here shortly to get her holiday
hair do gift...more fun!

vikings play monday night so no football today.
gary went to see the cohen brother's film...
no country for old men. i asked him to
save juno for us.

thinking of re~gifting??

here are some do's & dont's

i have a bunch of things that i want
to get off my desk top. are ya ready?

first, i went to whcc and delivered
cookies yesterday. that new building is
gorgeous! however, i felt like i was
going to see the great and powerful oz~
there's this big door in the entry and
they have to come and get you once you
call on the phone on the foyer.
i walked around and gave each employee
a personal greeting and thanked them
for all their hard work! i love white house
custom colour!




here's my mom's new bedroom. gary is
perhaps going to fashion a new closet door
for my mom in her bedroom.



here's my friend dave dutoit. we were
classmates in high school. he is in real
estate and when i was shooting his head
shots for his new business cards we talked
about my mom's building that she is trying
to sell. they are going to get together and
perhaps do an auction....



my PUG holiday party was held earlier this
week and here are some fun highlites from
the evening. i LOVE the game "apples to apples"!





and jason tried to take everyone's money
at poker...hmmmmm..baby needs new shoes! :o)



i'm going to go get ready to drive down to
northfield for the wedding with jason & stacey.

enjoy your saturday!

nicki, are you ready for your early Christmas
present tomorrow?? :)

settled in..

my mom's condo is so cute, i just love it!
gary and i popped over there last night to
visit and see if there was anything we could
help with. me....not so much (my back).
gary got all the new tv's going and i helped
get the bed in order.

anne was there with her 3 hulagans and my
mom's friend gladys was there (she lives
right down the hall...which is really nice!)
and it was fun to visit.

i talked to mom this morning and she slept
great and sounds like she is settling in
just fine.
pete is heading over this morning to hook up
her new computer and get the tv in the office
up and running. wow, fox news and meet the press
in 42" hd...my mom is in heaven! :o)

as for me, the back is feeling better and i
must get to cranking out some trays off cookies
today or i'll end up with more chins than a
chinese phone book soon! ;o)
first stop...whcc in eagan so i'm going to get
a move on.

2 families checking into the hilton later
today so i'll be heading over there, meeting
with karen and also discussing my part in the
gift to the board members at momf for Christmas.
a very cool opportunity for me!

oh, don't forget to check out the fun new year's
eve event at the hilton to benefit minnesota miracle
you won't want to miss it!!
please join us this year...it'll be a sell out again.


peace.

merry christmess.....

i'm under a pile of stuff somewhere! :)

i sit with my low back about to explode
and a day of hair ahead of me.
there is a light at the end of the tunnel,
however. and no, it's not a train coming
from the other direction! :)

tomorrow i will do the majority of my
cookie deliveries, that is always so
much fun!

today my mom is moving into her new condo.
i'm going to head over there later for
dinner. mike, kindra and owen are bringing
dinner and hooking up her new computer!
i'm just going for fun in that i am going
to be helpless with my back and all.

this is a new era for the whole family.
i'm so excited for my mom to get to
have her own space again!



i love you mom. see you tonight! :)

better late than never...

i'm just getting ready to turn in.
i got a call early this morning to head
to fairview southdale and photograph
a 24 week old demise. her name was angelica.
lovely couple. the mom had a friend who
recenly lost a child and asked nilmdts
to come and photograph their angel too.
word is really traveling these days.
pray for this family as the enter the
Christmas season without their little girl.

i raced back to meet with some hair clients~
they are all so understanding of what i do
for this organization and allow me to keep
a flexibility to cover these sessions.
thanks everyone!

so i finished up my saturday session's CD~
started on today's and also managed to
get up to starkey labs here in eden prairie
to deliver their CD from saturday's event AND
i popped over to MEI to deliver their santa
shots from this past friday.

gary is recovering from his cold and the
doctors tell him that he unlikely re-tore
his rotator cuff. they have him on steroids
and the ever popular vicodin. he's, of course,
feeling much better.

i have managed to stay healthy in his wake and
at this busy, busy time of year.

i'll be joining jason and stacey this saturday
in northfield for a fun wedding! i'm really
looking so forward to working with them.
in turn jason has agreed to work with me on my
january 12th wedding...cool.

had a very great time last night at our PUG
holiday get together, i'll have to share that
fun story when i have a little more time.
but let's just say that fun was had by all!

good night.

i almost forgot to mention the hoar frost we
had this morning...it was magnificent! bright blue
skies and this thick coating of frost everywhere!
i didn't get the opportunity to photograph it but i'm
sure i'll have another opportunity soon, we are
in for a tiny warm up and that's always a nice
bonus!

sugar recovery program...

anne and i wrapped up our 2007 Christmas
cookie marathon at a decent hour last night.
cleaned up and in bed by 11...pooped.
i'm going to miss anne, she's been here
and slept over for 3 nights and 3 full days.
hard to imagine not doing it! :)
i'll post a total in the next couple of
days on what we actually made.
one year it was 5000 pieces! CRAZY!!!

wow! i slept for 12 hours last night.
i worked in my jammies today too...kinda fun.

hair all day today and my PUG Christmas
get together is tonight!

tomorrow i will begin to deliver cookie
trays and the remainder on friday.

mom closed on her condo yesterday...pretty
big day for her. she's never bought a
home on her own before.
she went from her parents home to
the home she and my dad moved into once
they were married...and then was living
in the house they bought together until
he passed away and then moved to anne's
temporarily. i can't wait to see how
cute she decorates it!!
i'll buz by tomorrow and get some shots
because the movers came today....
kind of bitter sweet for the bakers i guess!

hey, i gotta run.

little visitor...

owen stopped by yesterday to help bake
cookies with anne & i. he even brought
along his chef hat and apron!
then i had him sneak in and wake anne up.
i knew she would LOVE that!!



anne said "it was the best wake-up, ever!"

then we got serious and got to work.
owe can not only tell you how to crack eggs,
he can demonstrate too (check out the tongue!).







turns out, he's pretty handy in the kitchen! ;)


we did a lot of handwashing so no worries!



here's owen helping roll out the peanut
butter blossoms. he now knows to space them
out on the cookie sheet!



every year anne & i "hit the wall" and have
a gutt busting, pee your pants laugh attack.
we never know when it's going to strike but
last night at about 1, it' happened..i can't
even remember what it was but we were just
pathetic...gary slept through it..thank goodness!
i love you anne!


ron & cindy arrived home last night and
i ran (literally) some cookies down to them.
it was so great to see and hug them both!
they are exhausted and drained but happy
to be home for the time beeing.
please take some time to pray for ron &
his family as his father continues on his
path to rehab and recovery from his stroke
nearly a week ago. ron's mom is with him and
needs your prayers for strength and resolve.






we'll finish up the cookies to day and start
delivery tomorrow....

day 3 in the kitchen...

i'm running on pure fumes this morning.
i was at the gorgeous hilton in minneapolis
last night for starkey's 40th anniversary!
i arrived at 5 pm (after waking quite early
yesterday for a nilmdts session and a long
laughter~filled day of baking with anne~which
i desperately needed!), and entered a room
filled with folks celebrating 25+ years with
starkey labs. after the rings and plaques were
awarded we then hit the pre-party floor with
another 800 + employees/spouses all celebrating
15 to 24 years of service for starkey.
this was glam all the way! star studded with
the fabulously funny norm crosby, jim belushi and
the sacred hearts band and mcee'd by our
own frank vascellaro!
what was supposed to be a couple of hours
turned into a whole evening...much to the
dismay of my sister who was back home slaving
away at the cookie factory without me!
i finally got home around 10 and jacquie was
there and the 3 of them (gary included) were
chatting it up and enjoying some wine.
then we had to send jacquie home for more
wine and she brought scott (her husband)
back with her and we laughed and laughed
and ate cookies and drank wine. it was a
completely delightful way to end a very long
day. that is what the holidays are about.

cookies, cookies, everywhere!

so busy baking....no time to blog.



pray for ron & cindy as they continue to
discover the reality of ron's dad's condition
and the future....i talked to ron for a
little last night...we love you ron!

also, i got a call this morning at aboiut 4:30
to head up to meathodist hospital in hopkins
for a 36 week demise for nilmdts and anne & i
were up til 1 last night...
pray for this family as well as they enter a
healing phase this holiday season....

give thanks for all you are and all you have.
you life will be ever changing.

God bless.

yikes!!

i've been running all day....
now i've got to hit the road again,
with gary to the holidazzle parade
in minneapolis but first we have to
make a stop at a vendor of his for
a little holiday cheer...
just wanted to update.

anne is coming over tonight to
start baking and then we'll go
all day tomorrow and sunday.

love this CRAZY time of year!

happy friday to all.


keep praying for ron & cindy.
ron's dad isn't doing very well.
i miss them, they've been down there
all week and i want to give them both
a big hug!!! :)

Christmas photo cards...

hey, i don't care what anyone says about
the Christmas photo cards...i LOVE getting
them. AND i keep them, i don't toss 'em.
don't get me wrong, i don't have a wing
dedicated to Christmas past photo cards
at my home or anything, i just save them for
a while before i toss 'em.

well, here's the deal, my sister sent this
photo (apparently she doesn't need me to
photograph her children anymore) this morning
in an email...



but this is what it looked like before i
fixed it...silly anne! 'spose i'll need to
hold a photoshop seminar for her soon!



or perhaps just get her a real camera and or
teach her about lighting. wouldn't that be
a fun thing to do! i like to teach!

gotta run, too much on my plate today....
more snow on the way and gary finally found
a snow blower today..yay! next several days
we will easily add a foot to what is already
on the ground! i still think it's pretty.

Lois, thank you again for the perfect holiday
blouse...i LOVE it!!
i'll be wearing it a lot this season.

pray for my good friends ron & cindy...
ron's dad just suffered a really bad
stroke and is at st. mary's in rochester.
i just get sick when terrible things
happen to those i love...please pray.

Blessings....

starkey turns 40!

i got a call last night from raphael.
he's the guy that got my foot in the
door to shoot the starkey gala last summer
and he needs me to assist him at starkey's
big 40th anniversary party this weekend.

i called anne and cleared it with her first
and she bowed to my whim...love you anne!

ya see this is the weekend that we bake all
the cookies and i'm already going to miss friday
night due to another function.

i have to get outside and photograph the snow~
it is just gorgeous!!
this week and into the weekend we should get
about 7 or so more inches! CRAZY!!!!
here is how it stands today...sunny and 10.
i know....brrr, right? but it's really pretty!



jacquie, here's YOUR house! :)



here's hobie, chillin' in the window.



i think he wants to climb in a suitcase and
go somewhere warm too...he's got that look.

well, more expected, i'll certainly keep you
up to date on the weather here and the possibility
of us actually getting a snow blower...ours is
officially kaput! well, you know what they say~
a family that shovels together...books a warm
vacation!

adding insult to injury...

more snow on the way today!
well, honestly? i like it. it's pretty.
and c'mon, it's december!
if i didn't like it, i'd live in.....
arizona! right dean & lois?! :)

i started at my new workout facility
yesterday, it's awesome! fitness 19.
LOVE it! 12 bucks a month...nice!
I could literally walk there or bike
it's that close!

delivered the greeting cards to jane
@ house of fun & fur earlier today.
we are hooking up in january to do some
valentine shots for cards!
i just love going over there and visiting.
the animals are just so darling.
and jane is great too! :)

why is it that when we get snowy weather
or freezing temps all my friends in warm
places have to write and say "hey, cold
enough for ya?" (aGAIN with the weather!)

this will be a great week. for those of you
keeping track, I have my NACE Christmas function
on Thursday evening....then friday evening i
have the MEI Holidazzle parade party near the
Young Quinlin skyway with santa. i'll be
photographing the party and the kids with santa.
then my sister and i will be getting together
here at my house for a few days to bake cookies!
a long time tradition that we just can't give up.


this photo arrived yesterday.
i ordered a 20x30 on metalic paper and it
is really cool!



enjoy the snow, drive safe and for God sakes
turn your headlights on!!

z's trees in waconia, mn

at z's trees in waconia minnesota,
you can take a tractor ride out to the fields
to select and cut down your own Christmas tree!



i went along last year with mike, kindra & owen
wearing sweaters! this year was quite different
but nevertheless just as fun!

they ventured out earlier this fall and selected
the tree they wanted so as to make the trek to
cut it down less of a challenge and with the snow
and colder temps??? a good call!

it was chilly, but we were prepared and at z's
they have these great big wool blankets for the
ride and they are toasty!!






once you locate your tree, position yourself
so the photographer that you brought along
can take some appropriate shots,





you cut it down...



then haul it to the road side and wait for the
next tractor...






to take you back to the barn...



for some hot cider!

oh, the weather outside is frightful....

but the studio was warm and fun!
the trip there, was not.
kindra and i started singing....
"it's the heart attack season.."
(instead of "it's the holiday season...")
cuz clearly, being a passenger in a car
is no fun. you have no control...

hi...car facing the wrong way on 494!



mike was a trooper and a fabulous driver.
we got there, and home lickety split!
thanks tanya for allowing us to come in on
a snowy day and play with your studio for
an hour.





















the stress of it all made me want to crawl
into bed with the cats and take a nap.

later, i sought the help of my neighbors and their
snow blower (only cuz i had no idea where ours
was....thanks gary!). suzie & kip came over and
assisted in the dig out!
wow, what a difference a day makes, huh!?

this morning i'm tagging along as mike, kindra
and owen go to cut down the tree they selected
earlier in the fall. a fresh coat of snow should
make it a beautiful outing, no doubt!

winter is coming....

are ya ready?
they tell us it's coming this afternoon.
the snow, that is. our first storm of the
season. it's exciting, really.
altho' i'm not quite sure if our snow blower
thinks that. come to think of it, i'm not
sure i even know where that sucker is or
if there's gas in it.

(see?? weather again! minnesotan's love to
talk about their weather!)

turns out that instead of coming home early
from south dakota, the guys are contemplating
coming home a day later in stead.
whatever...all i know is that there is peace
and quiet here. the cat's and i are enjoying
some me(ow)~time! (sorry, that was bad!)

this morning, i am going to ride along with
mike, kindra and owen to the pancake house
for breakfast then off to the studio for
some Christmas photos! if we actually get any
snow this afternoon i may even get some snow
shots as well later on.

stayed and had a fabulous dinner with becky
at the hilon after the 2 families checked in.
it was nice to sit and talk and look at her
photos from a recent train trip to chicago!
that looks like a great time!!

oh, i gave my brother tim some grandma pants
yesterday...the tie-dye ones...he loves 'em!!
i know i love my snowflake ones and i may be
living in them this weekend! ya gotta get some!!
they also have a kiosk at the eden prairie center!
30 bucks!!!

i'm linking you to bob & dawn davis's trip to kenya
with 410 bridge...they sent me their video,
it's awesome!