So sleepy. Why do I blog? oh, bc it is fun and I KNOW people read it and mostly bc I love photography and love when I take a really good photo and can show it off.

What is even better than that is when a whole shoot is awesome. And Ms. Heather over at The Dark Room Diva has created a way for me to now display not just a few of the photos from a session, but ALL of them. How fantastic is that?

I know with the blog images you just get a little sneak peak of some of the photos that I personally liked from a session. Inevitably, the family that I am photographing chooses others as their favorites. and then friends and family chose yet other photos as their favorites.

So, fyi, I have a hard week coming up. No nanny. no husband, last day of school, and lots of emails to get back to, photo sessions to set up if you wrote about a mini session or a full session in the last few weeks I WILL get back to you soon, I promise! I know, I am taking WAY too long, it is just an email, right? No, bc I like to write a ton and put in a lot of info for my clients and chat back and forth so it just ends up taking me a long time, so I mark the email as unread and try to come back to it later. So now I have 165 unread messages. And none of them are spam. They are all emails I have to respond to.
I am not complaining here, just explaining.

So, as far as the blog, I put up the photos that I love, and the rest are never seen (except by the clients). Now that Heather has given me this really simple way to display the entire gallery, I get to, for the first time, show you ALL the photos from a shoot. So, while I won’t do this every time, I will for certain shoots here and there. Basically, that means when I have time. Which is never. But I will make the time anyways.

The picture below is a glimpse into MY world. I am sitting up in bed on my laptop while my two little ones are sleeping soundly right next to me. Ah, that is a good life right there. And above is a slideshow of a gorgeous senior. Just wanted to get *something* up before I fell asleep by accident.
xoxo stacey

News first-I booked up all my Boulder mini photography sessions so I have opened up October 5th, October 12, and October 22nd. Email me asap if you want to book a session, you can read all the info here. Some will be at Wonderland Lake in north Boulder, one will be at Chautauqua in south Boulder. Either way, we will get beautiful, amazing photographs!

Barb Uil (aka Jinky Art) is just magic. She is my most favoritist photographer, blah, blah, blah, I have said this 8 million times on my photography blog. But really, these photos are beautiful and stunning and sweet and magical. I love them. I can’t wait to move in to our new home so I can put up beautiful big canvases. I still am in awe that she photographed my family. And really captured who we are. For sure.  I strive to be half as good of a photographer as her. As always Barb, I love you! Thank you!

So, news on the being-sick-thing. I am definitely surrounded by loving, supportive people who want me to heal and get better from this chron’s (autoimmune). I called my mom crying yesterday and she jumped on the first flight out there. That is a GOOD mom, right? I have a procedure tomorrow and hopefully we will find out what is going on. I saw a naturpath today and and plugging away with my awesome acupuncturist, Kate, but I am up to 40 mg of predizone (steroids) and ug, that SUCKS. Send me some good healing-belly-energy if you have some to spare.

xoxo stacey

ps. happy jinky art photos of my family are really helping me feel better:) Nothing like beautiful photography of your own family from your favorite photographer to make you happy.

pps. Thank you mom, Luanne, Natasha, Kate, Kellie, Adam, Rich, and Arturo for being such a solid community of support for me. It means everything to me to be supported.

Sigh…will write more tomorrow and give lots of props and links to this photographer. Had to post it now though, I love it SO much! That is me and my beautiful little, sweet, wonderful family.

Yeah, not a lot to say about this photo. She chose her own clothes for our friend’s birthday party yesterday. She insisted. Bathing suit, cowgirl boots, two dora band-aids, and a marti gras necklace. My girl knows how to dress fine for a party. Looking at this photo, I realize I REALLY need to get our family portraits done soon. She will NOT EVER look at me when I have a camera. It is ridiculous. But she will for other photographers.

Well, Jinky Art is coming to MY house on Friday for 6 days of workshops in Boulder. I am SO psyched.  Amelia and Elijah are definitely going to be models. I have so much to prepare for this retreat, and can not believe that after 8 months of planning the time has arrived. For those who don’t know, Barb Uil (Jinky Art) is my very favorite photographer in the world. She is  coming all the way from Australia for two amazing workshops here in Boulder, at my house+community house no less! Her photography is so whimsical and soft and beautiful and speaks to the heart of childhood. Every photograph is a work of art. I love being able to make a living as a photographer, and realize that a lot of that is because I can take really great portraits that capture the joy and love in a family, but her work is this amazing, timeless, breathtaking art, and I want to be able to create with the same tenacity and energy that she does. So watch out-I am going to be a new photographer after this week. I will post LOTS and LOTS of photos as we go along, too!

Now off to finalize catering, models, props, locations, etc….

xoxo stacey

I have a very long list of sessions and family times to blog. Millions of pictures. Well, at the very least, thousands. I can cut that down to a few per blog post, but that is so hard! I have so many photos on my computer, I hate deleting any of them. But, a few days ago, I went and deleted about 1000 of my own family photos. So hard, but it had to be done. I think I have taken 10k in the last two years, just of my own family. How will I enjoy that when I am old? I am going to cull them down to the best, then make an album for every year, and then blow up the very best as canvases and float wraps.

Anyways, this was Adam’s 35th birthday party. 35! We met when I was 21. We are getting so old (well me, I am a mere 31, so there). He is looking GOOD though. Gotta get a good pic of his newly finished tattoo (my bday present to him, along with a weeklong meditation retreat).

Off to Breckenridge for the weekend for a family only-no shooting at all-feeling free and being well kinda weekend.

Because my boys love those babies I love these two photos, for sure. Adam *finally* told me the other day that he “wasn’t against having another baby if the circumstances were right.” Told ya. It would just take some time for him to come around. I have been saying this forever! Glad the day came. Coming up with new baby names as I write….

Super wonderful sales manager Reg, with her new baby. Love those baby feet! So sorry we have to represent the competitor’s baby sling. What’s up with that Reg?

And then it turned windy. We were being blown all around-crazy Boulder wind.Eli’s face ROCKS. (fyi-my Elijah is in blue here-Eli is the one rocking the yoda extreme jedi scream there.

ps. if you know me well, then you are not wondering why my husband’s 35th birthday party blog post is all about kids and babies. There were indeed a lot of adults there, but they are just not that cute.

xoxo stacey

Yes. super exciting times these are. Really. Their first real camping trip! Some of my favorite memories from when I was a child was camping. They were both so happy there, setting up the tent, carrying things, cooking. Elijah’s favorite part by FAR was tending the fire. He was obsessed. Amelia was a great helper and slept really, really well. We are planning another trip as we speak, so I thought it was about time I posted a few of these. Nothing makes me happier than slowing down with my family.

As a side note, that strange contraption Elijah is carrying around his shoulder was invented by him. He loves to create things. It is a home for his Zhu Zhu pets, who just had to come camping with us. If you don’t know what Zhu Zhu pets are, don’t worry, you are not missing anything. Elijah and Adam are in the middle of creating an AWESOME aquaponics system right now. Elijah won’t stop talking about it. He watched two hours worth of youtube videos on instructions for aquaponics systems.  I can’t even get through one 2 minute one. He is destined to be an engineer. He always talks about the solar powered airplane he is going to invent when he grows up.

I will explain about what the aquaponics system is later when I have some good photos.

xoxo stacey

Right? She is THE cutest thing to me. But I know every parent says that. AND I know that it would be hard to find someone that did not think this was super cute. Amelia is not a little model. She does not like to have me take her picture. She turns away, she scowls, she shows NO personality. But, when the camera is down, she is all smiles and laughs and has a very, very big personality. She is one of the most animated babies I know. But, this is a normal expression I get from her when my camera is out. It is just so funny paired with how serious she is about her goggles.

So, I have a long list of shoot to blog, and don’t usually neglect the blog like this, but summer is so busy. Well, the real reason why is because I got a new macbook pro a month or two ago, and have not loaded photo shop onto it yet, bc I hate (and I don’t use that word often) figuring out computer stuff. So, it is hard to pull me away from my comfy, wonderful new laptop to my office. But,  I *will* catch up soon!

Things are well here. We went to TN for a week to visit my family. 10 out of the 11 grandkids were there, and we just spent our days being lazy (I need that more often!), going on the boat, and swimming. Life is good right now. I have some exciting news to share in the next post, too!

Just for fun, here is another cute photo from a couple months ago-Amelia loves her goggles! Oh, and if you love the dress she is wearing, I got it at this Etsy shop. She does not have anything else listed right now, but if you email her I am sure she could make you a dress as cute as this one.

xoxo stacey

I wish I would have gotten a better photo of my husband’s face while holding this baby. He is SO in love with all the babies that come to visit us, and yet says he does not want another. He is the kind of guy that goos and gagas over babies. He loves to hold them, and make funny noises and faces at them, and he does not hold back nor is he embarrassed at all-he just simply is so good with little ones and adores them and they love him right back. He would probably hate that I posted this photo of him because he has a double chin in it, but I am not worried because Adam never looks at my blog.

This is Ms. Stacy Ziegler’s new little baby. You can see some of his birth photos here. He is already 2 months old! Time has just flown by. It was nice to catch up with you last week, Stacy.

We had a great father’s day! We went camping up in the mountains above Boulder. It was Elijah’s first time and he was so animated and excited about everything-especially the fire. He tended to the fire all night and all morning. We cooked, sang songs, played-it was awesome. Then we came home and had a really relaxing day-and even looked at a house we want to buy. Yes, we are *hoping* to buy a new home, but we want one that is big enough and that is  in our cohousing community in Boulder to come up for sale, and nothing is at the moment. But, there is one person considering selling, so we looked at it. I know, it is totally premature to announce this yet. I am just soooo tired of living in a small townhome that does not have any storage, whatsoever, nor does it have the simple spaces like a front hall closet, or a pantry. The storage space in the new house would be bigger than my office is at the moment. I am sure we would be fine staying here, but now I am just constantly daydreaming of what I would do if I had an actual closet that held shoes and jackets. Or even a place for a mop and broom.  We have no idea what this new house would cost though, so it might be totally unrealistic. We shall see and I will be sure to update.

xoxo stacey

That’s all I have to say right now-she’s mine. Had a wonderful weekend (well, not really). Photographed some sweet newborns. Got some really awesome newborn photography props-cocoons, hats, a hommock. Bbqed a lot. Stayed up late with first a sick baby, then a sick 6 year old. Spent a total of 8 hours staring off into space while my baby screamed in my face. Nothing could comfort her. Oh, well-occasionally Dora. Yes, I am actually in the middle of a fight with my husband at the moment because I let both of my sick children watch Dora while sick. Did I mention Adam was gone most of that time and they were SICK? You really gotta do what you gotta do. If he were here all day with a screaming baby, and tried to walk her in the sling, bounce her in the sling, sing to her, read books to her, talk to her, tell made up stories about wonderful magic lands to her-he would also either try 1) to pawn her off, or b) put on freaking Dora. It just is what it is.

Last night, I swear, I went a little crazy. I spent TWO HOURS trying to put Amelia down for her nap.  Then, I got in my car to drive that little baby around to get her calm. Well. Adam drove my car last, and guess what? As soon as we got onto 28th street, the car stalled. Why? Adam left me on WAY below E. So we finally got back home, with yes, my still screaming baby, and I am done. That is more like DONE.

So, we had arranged for our wonderful neighbors to take the kids for our date night. And I am super fried by this time. You moms know exactly what I mean. Baby crying and screaming and fussy all day, with no help, and nothing that you can do to make them feel better. So, Adam was a half hour late. And in that half hour he became the devil. I kid you not. I had thoughts about screaming at him as long as Amelia had screamed at me. In his ear. (I weened Amelia 5 days ago, so the disclaimer here is that I *might* be a little hormonal and emotional at the moment).

Somehow, I managed to pull it together. I put on my pretty purple dress and swanky heels, actually brushed my hair and put on make up, and was ready to grab his arm as soon as he came in the door.

But, *just* as we were about to leave, Elijah started saying he had a headache. Sigh. Thermometer. 101.2. Ok, he is six years old, he can get through three hours and just watch a movie at the neighbors with a temp of 101.2.

I am so not that mom. I am the hold-you-til-you-all-well kinda mama. I am the type of mom that wakes up 9 times in the middle of the night when her kids are sick to feel their heads and make sure they are hydrated.

But last night, I was out. that. door.

We had a great dinner at the mexican restaurant in the 29th street mall (love the food but the margaritas are not up to par with a night of I-am-getting-a-break-for-two-hours-from-my-freaking-screaming-baby). Went and saw X-Men (which was awesome. I am a sci fi nerd, for sure). Had a nice walk. Then came home for a night of 103 temperatures and 2 hour sleep intervals. Someone please tell me I deserved those few hours out. I totally did. I did.

So poor Elijah has had a high fever all day. Cold compresses, tylenol, and yes, I did let him him watch Dora. Ok, so here is the real kicker. I had a newborn shoot this morning, so Adam took the kids for four hours. And what did they do the whole time? Watch tv. I kid you not. But, at some point, Adam decided that they should never watch television again. Ever. So, when it was my turn to take them, I read books with them, snuggled, baked a cake with them, made a wonderful dinner of sweet potatoes, peas, steak, pasta with carrots, red peppers, spinach, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, walnuts, and mozzarella cheese. And, after getting up every two minutes, and not being able to eat my OWN meal because Elijah was delirious and so tired and crying, I chose to take him inside and put on a movie so I could EAT. Finally. So now we are fighting because I let my child watch a 20 minute episode of Dora. And now you know the sordid details of my marital drama.

I figure it is totally worth sharing, because it is what is real. If you do not have these kinds of fights-especially when your babies are sick and you are both fried from no sleep and giving nonstop all day, then you are not being honest. This is what is it to be a parent. And to all my newborn clients out there-prepare yourself for those sick days. It is better to know how hard it is than to believe all the people that make it seem like a breeze. The sweet moments outweigh it all, more than a million times over, but believe me, when you are in the thick of it with sick children+no sleep, it is painful. Let’s be real.

xoxo stacey

ps-Adam really is a truly wonderful dad. I weened Amelia on Tuesday morning and he has been putting her to bed and sleeping with her and waking up severeal times a night with her since. He is simply amazing, other than the I-will-let-the-kids-watch-tv-ALL-day-but-it-is-unacceptable-for-YOU-to-fiasco.

I just need to get it out sometimes.

Hope yours was as wonderful and magical as ours.

xoxo stacey