I mentioned yesterday that I was all into wrapping up my mommies to be. So here’s another one. Every mother will tell you that the second pregnancy is totally different with a toddler in tow. Every photographer will tell you that any portrait session with a toddler is more interesting than one without

This is a beautiful mommy to be and a beautiful toddler too. I’m super excited to meet the newest member of the family in a short while.

Mommy and Me

All Wrapped Up

Thank you for spending the day with me and letting me wrap you up like a statue.

Until tomorrow – A

I’ve missed you guys (that comment is directed generally in the direction of all blog readers). It has been much too long since my last post. Of course, I haven’t been sitting around twiddling my thumbs.

I’ve been dragging my kiddos to swimming lessons which they love — once they get there. It’s only an hour a day but sheesh it does a number on my schedule. Also, all of my extremeties are covered with mosquito bites from sitting outdoors while they have their lessons. My munchkins go to Ann’s Swimming School and we’ve had good luck there in case anybody is curious. But we’re finished for the summer – today was graduation – quite exciting.

I’ve been battling the mosquitos all around. All this rain has filled up my bromeliads in the front yard and so it’s walk through at your own risk of being swarmed by mosquitos. Did I mention I *paid* a landscaper to plant these mosquito growing monstrocities in my front yard. Yikes. Once again my non-green thumb is out to get me. Earlier this week I went out for a morning run only to be swarmed by the hungry beasts and go fleeing back inside to spray with fully loaded cancer causing bug spray. As an unrelated rant how can we fly people to a space station wizzing around the planet and we can’t invent a spray that keeps those bugs away? When I went back out I then ran right into an enormous spider web — YUCK! Isn’t that one of the grossest feelings walking into a spiderweb? But I plodded onward and completed my run sneezing from the blooming or rotting mangos along the way. What fun we have in Miami in the summertime.

I did do something amazingly cool this week which was that I reconnected with a group of people I hadn’t seen in 10 years. Here’s the story. 10 years ago I was working for a firm and I was tapped by my bosses wife to help with a project. She had volunteered to put together a fundraising walk-a-thon for what was then called the National Alliance for Autism Reasearch (I think …) now its called Autism Speaks. So over the course of a month we put together this walk-a-thon something none of us knew anything about. We met in her living room and put together an event. We found a dj, got permits, made signs, painted feet on the park route and other random things. At the time it was the 2nd one ever and it set a fund raising record. That was my one and only time making it to the walk. But she’s coordinating the 10 year anniversary walk so she wanted to get the original team together. We met at their annual awards banquet and what was most amazing to me is how this event has exploded. This year they had 12,000 walkers and they are really doing amazing work. It was a nice feeling to know that I was a part of getting something like that started. Of course, now I’ve volunteered to help this year so you’ll hear more about it I’m sure.

Is that enough randomness for this post?

Did you know Father’s Day is around the corner? Do not buy another tie for the father in your life. Well, okay if it’s a nice tie — go ahead.

Here’s a sample of a father’s day session we did the other day here in the studio. Give us a call if you’d like to set one up for your kiddos and the father in your life. Notice the cool new blue paper — I’m reaching into new areas of color now that I have my incredibly awesome paper rack.

have iphone will do business

big brother helps lil sis put on daddy’s shirt

This might be a bit big for me

We did some others with more kiddos and I’ll preview those in a while. But that’s it for today.

Have a nice weekend. Avoid the Mosquitos. – A

This is the latest in my movers and shakers portraits. Michelle owns and operates Fitness 4 Families. She offers stroller fitness classes as well as personal training. She would love for you to know that the stroller fitness classes are a fun way to exercise with your children. Her personal training can be specialized to your needs for weight loss.

Trainer from Fitness 4 Families

Michelle from Fitness 4 Families

If you are looking for your own fabulous corporate grown up portrait give us a call and we’ll let you know all about our Movers and Shakers program.

Until tomorrow – A

So, my kids are out of school … summer is here … the rainy season is here. What other updates do I have? Oh, this is Memorial Day Weekend — everybody have a safe and happy weekend. I hope the weather improves.

Here is a way overdue preview. Some of my favorites from a park – part deux of a session where part one was rained out.

little man inspecting a leaf

little lady in the park

So, this I think is proof that I have not totally disappeared from the planet but admittedly am a little behind. Catch up begins now.

Until tomorrow – A

I have been running around a lot lately. It’s the end of my kid’s school year which is an endless series of performances, parties and celebrations. It is wonderful but I have begun to feel like it is a great big black hole consuming all of my time since I’m very busy and yet my to do list is just getting longer and longer.

Nonetheless, here is why I love my job. As a photography student one of the “rules” was to always have your camera with you and ready to do. I don’t always do that well but today I had my camera at the ready (you’ll see why in a moment) sitting on my pasenger seat in the car when I came across one of my neighbors. I love to see the wild peacocks. My kids actually call the drive to school the peacock safari.

peacock

My school trip today was because my daughter is graduating from preschool. I know … a big day. It was mega cuteness to be sure. Here she is in her hand crafted mortar board- holding her very first diploma. Notice her fellow academics using their diplomas for spyglasses Also important to note in this image is my daughter’s hair. Two days ago she gave herself a haircut – she cut those bangs herself with her craft scissors and honestly I think she did a pretty good job. We are however in the market for a real hair cut for her. If you have recommendations let me know.

graduation

And then I was off and on the run for an assignment that took me back to my photojournalistic roots. A semi-editorial portrait assignment. I can’t preview that one here but as always I got to meet some interesting people. It took me downtown and that’s always an adventure. I only got slightly lost.

Until tomorrow – A

It’s been a crazy busy week. All in a great way. Yesterday, Jady Images participated in the Ladies Night Out event at The Falls shopping mall which was a lot of fun. If I didn’t see you there we’ll catch you at the next event. It was great to meet new people.  We were showcasing the new Diva’s Night Out parties and it got a great response. One of my favorite stories was from a wonderful woman who stopped to show me her wallet photo of her grandson (who was very cute) and right next to that image in her wallet was a picture of her when she had been Miss Miami Beach back in the day. It made me smile and I have shared it with others because it’s such a sweet story.

You might have noticed a lag in the blog posts I’ve been super busy. In part it’s because we’re closing in on wrapping up the school year so there are lot’s of things happening at preschool which always makes for a busy week.  Yesterday was the end of year ballet show and so the image I’ll share today is of my little ballerina.

Until tomorrow – A

Here is an old friend. She is also a mentor and usually is willing to try anything I have in mind. It was fun to have her in the studio for her corporate portrait. I even forgot to ask her what wonderful things she’d like me to say about her company. Sheesh … shouldn’t friendship have some perks? Her company is Bijoux Designs where you can go to pick out beautiful items to make your own jewelry – like she is wearing.

Nancy Albert of Bijoux Designs Portrait by Jady Images

Until tomorrow – A

I have the best job. I get to play in parks with kids. Today was great.

mom and daughter in the park

Until tomorrow – A

This weekend we were doing the Stone family car shuffle. It all started with a new car coming home on Wednesday – that’s always fun. But don’t get too excited this is a very non-exciting car because we have an up and coming teenage driver — AACK!

Here’s the sentimental part of the story. Now we’re turning in the “w.” That’s our family nickname for the car we ended up with when my dad passed away. The lease is up and it needed to go through it’s final check or something at the dealership. Some of you already know that my dad died from heart disease almost 3 years ago. It wasn’t unexpected and in fact this car was one of his fun things he did because he knew that his days could be numbered. I remember when he called and asked if I thought it was a good idea to splurge for the car and I said — yes, absolutely if you think it will bring you joy. It did. He tracked it as it came accross the ocean on the boat and he obsessed about every detail in the car. He filled the tires with nitrogen which was a running joke with my brother. He became a hot item in the senior community where he lived with one nice lady even knocking on his door and asking if that was his convertible parked in the lot and would he call her friend (he didn’t – he was shy). He also forced my sister-in-law to ride with the top down all the way to the keys which was not so much fun for her. Turning in this car is about the last step in closing out his estate (with the obvious exception of the fact that we still have his apartment but that’s a non-starter at the moment). So, it’s a bittersweet moment. It was honestly about the least practical car we could possibly have since we have 2 kids in car seats at the moment. Although it did make good jokes when my husband and I would go out on a date and then we’d put the top down in our little roadster and there were the oh so cool car seats. Lots of smiles at the valet stand, for sure. But it did make for excellent peacock hunting on the way to preschool since we could put the top down. So, while I’m sorry to see it go — it’s time. Goodbye “w.” In the words of my late dad, “overboard!”

Here are my kids playing in the backseat after the car seats were out. My plan was to take a picture of us the ultra coolies in the convertible with the kids in the back but … my hubby was too quick for me.

Kids playing in the car

On the up side – I did get to drive the loaner over the weekend. That was awesome. New cars are great – new Bmw’s are particularly spectacular, in my opinion. We had the loaner because the family truckster made it’s third trip to have the air conditioning fixed. I’m hoping this one sticks. I’m not complaining because it’s the only repair the car has ever really had but it is a bit much that it has taken three tries.

Here’s the cute part of the message. With all this confusion and car swapping going on we didn’t get to pick up the truck until Sunday afternoon. When we pull up in the shiny new car it was as if my children during their 2 day separation from the truck had been cut off from some life source how excited they were to see the big blue family mobile. I mean this truck is more like a goldfish crumb storage unit crossed with a movie theater than a car at this point. It’s been on one too many cross country drives to really ever come clean.  And still, my daughter jumped out of the car against the protests of my husband and dashed to my side. My son (who has the disadvantage of still being in the 5 point gizmo he cannot undo himself) was in tears that he couldn’t get into the old car until his father let him hold his lemonade – which seemed to make him forget what he was unhappy about. Nice save I thought on my husband’s part. All this fuss for a whopping 3 minute ride home. It just goes to show you that new and clean just might not be better than older and comfy.

And that was my weekend. Until tomorrow – A

Yesterday I saw an article in the Miami Herald that was actually about recipes that can use the food you have in your pantry. I only read the beginning but the author mentioned that her mom had told her when she was young to always make sure to buy her clothes as full outfits otherwise you would be wasting money on something that would hang unused in your closet. That struck a familiar chord with me because my own mother gave me the same sage advice. I don’t always follow it but she shared it nonetheless. But it got me thinking about what things our mothers tell us that stick with us over the years. My favorite expression that my mother used to use was, “that makes me so mad I could just spit!” Even as a kid I thought, really, does anybody spit when they are mad? I know I don’t. Oh well, what are mom’s for if not sharing words of wisdom with our kids. I can’t imagine what things I say that my kids will remember.

Today’s image is from my morning on the beach. It was breezy so my little bubba here got a little unhappy which is really unlike him. He is sooooo calm as a baby. But he was happier when we got out of the wind I will say. Here is a tender moment with mom hiding from the wind and then later sharing his totally rad shades with me.

Until tomorrow – A