Be Still My Beating Heart...

This wee one certainly caught my heart... after she played with and sang to my sock monkey, she did the sweetest little curtsy/bow and then very exuberantly thanked her audience. 

I won't forget that performance for a very long time ... makes my heart smile :-)

And you may remember her little brother from here.   He's getting big... as they all do. *sigh*

We had to cope with some silly plants that decided to explode with stickers all over all of us... the perils of being an outdoor/natural light photographer... luckily it did not take us long to figure out which plants we needed to avoid. Maybe I should have stayed in Girl Scouts a little longer to help me with my botany skills (which reminds me... isn't it getting kinda/sorta close to Girl Scout cookie time? Time to stock up on those Thin Mints! If you have not tried them with Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream, you are missing out on a little piece of heaven!)

Here's the oldest sister (I don't know if you can tell from these pictures, but little brother looks EXACTLY like her!). Isn't she gorgeous?!?!?!  These kids have the PRETTIEST eyes!

Oh, and before I forget... I want to remind everyone that I do have gift certificates available! They make a GREAT Christmas/baby shower/birthday gift if I do say so myself!  They can be purchased in $25 denominations.  If you didn't get all the prints you wanted from a prior session, this is your chance to start dropping hints to the hubbie!

It's SNOWING!

... in Texas, so I feel like celebrating. The next two canvas orders that come in (16x24 or larger) will receive a 25% off discount. Then the next two will receive a 15% off discount!

Gallery wrapped canvases are ready to hang artwork. They come wrapped on a 1.5" stretcher frame and add instant WOW to any room. I LOVE the canvases I have hanging in my house and am trying to figure out where I can build more walls to hang some more {grin}.

And since I know most people are visual, here are some recent pictures I have taken that I think would be amazing on canvas. I really could sit here all day and use this little program I have to turn all my favorite pictures into canvas renderings but alas, its just not possible... there are some snowmen to be built and some snowballs to be thrown.

(more pictures from this rocking session later!)

So if you have been waiting to make that canvas purchase, just do it! Do it now! Email me if you are interested.

(yes, I can add these borders or do this pop art on your images!)

Giving Is AWESOME

You know someone.

You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography -- $500 (changed my mind after my initial post and upped the amount ;)) $750 worth of gorgeous family prints/albums/canvases after a complimentary gift session to be exact. It's in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a $250 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?

I'm just one person. You're just one person. We can help a family.  This isn't going to solve the root cause of any of their problems.  But if together we can give a family in need a little something to smile about and brighten the days ahead, let's do it.

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make monthly payments on a yacht does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside in or around Houston, Texas. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail me the full story @ tracy@doe-ee-bird.com by Christmas Eve, 2009.

The winner will be announced on New Years Day and this will hopefully be the start of a better 2010 for them. Get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Tracy

I am totally...

BOOKED!

If you call or email for fall sessions, I am going to have to pull a Jedi mind trick and tell you that you don't really want to schedule a session in 2009 , nor do you really want pictures in time for Christmas, but that what you really want is a 2010 session and pictures for Valentines Day or Mother's Day! My fall sessions are totally booked and even January is starting to fill up! I have some availability in December, but won't be able to guarantee anything in time for Christmas. Another reason to buy a gift certificate from me if you weren't able to get a 2009 session in!

And hmmmm, talking about Christmas makes me feel all gooey inside, so about a little promo? Buy a gift certificate from me before October 21, and I'll add on another 50%! So for example, you buy one for $100, I'll kick in another $50... total gift certificate for $150!  See how easy that is? I didn't even have to open up Excel or search in the black hole known as the Robinson Family Junk Drawer for a calculator to figure that one out!

It has to be a real GIFT people, not buying one for a session you have already booked or for your own session. And you have to spend at least $75.

And what's a post without a picture? How about another one of my sweet Presley, whose long, drawn out "mommy, I loooooooovvvvvveeeeee you" sentiments have pierced my very soul. Good thing too, because after the meltdown of the day yesterday, I needed to hear her tell me that post-meltdown.

For curious minds, the meltdown of the day revolved around what to wear. I am to the point where I don't care what she puts on, I'll let her wear jammies all day, if
she.would.just.decide.and.not.change.clothes.567.times.before.8am.

Oh and one more thing, I am in process of updating my website with all new pix and other awesomeness! Hopefully, cross your fingers, I'll get it done this weekend. Whoo hoo!

Gift Certificates!

SOOOOOOOOOOO my friend, police-officer extraordinaire Jodi is working on a fundraiser for a sweet baby girl with a life threatening heart condition. I am going to donate a photography session and a print in their raffle (hint hint, buy a raffle ticket from Jodi). In the meantime, I had these groovey gift certificate cards printed up and although I only needed one, the minimum I could order was 25. 

Know anyone with a baby on the way? Know a family who gets boring mall studio prints of their children and could use a change of pace and a new vision?   Buy a gift certificate from me! To sweeten the pot, I will add on 25% as a freebie and thank you for helping me get rid of these and making me feel like I didn't waste the paper they were printed on!

You can order whatever denomination you want, since I had these printed with space to add that info in. Genius, I know.

Of course, this is only for new sessions and not for sessions already booked. I'm not THAT nice!

So start your Christmas shopping early!  Email me for more details!