"simply stated...a photography company"

beginning of new year....

2012-01-08T12:02:00.001-08:00

as 2012 begins, we get the privilege of being involved in bridal shows in our area. it's a really fun time to get out of our normal routine and get to set down and meet new people. we LOVE having the honor of photographing each of our brides walking down the aisle. last year, our company photographed right at 30 weddings. fun, fun, fun!

if you have a wedding coming up this year, please take the time to check out our website or follow us on Facebook. we would love to schedule a wedding consultation to give you details about what we do!

stay tuned to see the excitement in 2012! we are so looking forward to our NEW home office and studio! call today to schedule your time to be in front of my camera! 573-579-0182!

2011-12-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

this truly has been a year filled with one blessing after another. as i reflect on this year, i wanted to take the time to sincerely thank all the people that stood in front of the camera of one of the "chicks!" so excited to be adding mary kate to our home office and can't wait to share our journey of moving into our DREAM studio! stay tuned to follow the excitement! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

baby nixon in the house

2011-09-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

we are still busy with wedding fever, but now seems to be a crop of newborns hatched! lovin' capturing these little personalities. choosing a photographer is a very personal decision. yes....the photographer needs to have the style you like, but more importantly, you are letting your photographer in on the most intimate times of your life. whether it be your fairytale wedding day or the birth of your child or your baby graduating from high school. i always utmost honor and privilege when someone chooses me to travel this journey. i've been told i have the gift of gab....well...i'd like to think i have the gift of loving and getting to know people.

come experience our over-the-top fun at simply stated...a photography company!

...tis the season!

2011-06-26T08:35:00.001-07:00

wedding bells are in the air, and "simply stated...a photography company" has had the honor of sharing in many summer nuptials! so happy and thrilled for these amazing couples and families. i feel i have been on a wedding marathon but lovin' each and every minute! God has blessed me richly by getting to know each of these beautiful people and their families. i can happily say that i've met a ton of new friends!

if you have a 2012 wedding planned and are interested in "simply stated" capturing your day, i encourage you to set up a wedding consultation NOW! i usually tell people "no rush" on many things, but our calendars fill quickly!

marcus and kait vanden heuvel
jake and katie scheper
tyson and jenny moyers
bryan and ashley shelton
lance and brittney rhodes

stay tuned as many other weddings to share coming up in the near future. we are full-throttle into the the class of 2012 senior photography experiences as well! also, can't forget all the newborns that's been in the studio and the family shoots! richly blessed and look forward to hearing from you for your photography experience!

cheri and "the chicks"

class of 2012 seniors...

2011-06-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

daddy's perfect gift!

2011-06-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

how many of you have fathers that need nothing and are super hard to buy for. well....we have your answer! either a photo of you or a photo shoot with your dad would be just perfect! if you want to give him an image of you, you must call us asap and get on our calendar. if you would like to have your dad in the shoot, just get on our calendar before july 31, 2011. so...save $50 on our experience fee. oh....heck....i'm in a great mood now talking about dads....we will also give you a free 5x7 with your order! now...that's a deal! call today!

darla...cincinnati (573) 382-2388
kendra...cape/jackson, mo (573) 579-3638
liz...jonesboro, ar (870) 926-0514
cheri...cape/jackson, mo is home but world is my studio (573) 579-0182

to celebrate my birthday....

2011-05-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

it's my birthday month....almost my birthday week and wanted to do something sweet today! this deal can't be beat!!!! call today!

simply "EXTREME" senior experience...

2011-05-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

last year, we had many requests for unusual places, over-the-top requests....so....since that's what we do, we decided to offer this as one of our regular class of 2012 options! 2-hour...3 over-the-top locations...5 wardrobe changes...lots of fun...unique...individual...YOU! book before 5/31/11 and receive $50 off the "simply extreme" experience fee!

t

introducing another example of ExTrEmE....

2011-04-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

this year, we are working hard to allow you to bring something different to your senior experience! ExTrEmE....with each person's unique, individual personality, you should have unique, individual images. this year we are offering a "simply extreme" experience. it's for the person that wants a two-hour, over-the-top experience, three locations and five outfit changes!

if you are intrigued, call today to inquire!
cheri (573) 579-0182....world (aka my studio)
kendra (573) 579-3638...cape/jackson, mo
darla (573) 382-2388...cincinnati, ohio is her home base but the world is her studio, as well!
liz (870) 926-0514

ExTrEmE....

2011-03-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

i have been terrible about blogging but trying to make it a goal. love for everyone to get an insight on what is going on internally at "simply stated...a photography company!" i officially made the conscious effort to "slow down" on december 19, and little did i know i was so tired.

personally, i am like a bear and want to hibernate from the first time it drops below 50 degrees until it gets warm and stays warm, then i'll venture back out. i am too much of a people person so i could never live life this way. on december 19, my family and i drove south for 8 days to texas. we stayed on a ranch in the middle of God's country! it was a fabulous time for donnie, malaena-sloan and i to reconnect without television, computer and very limited cellular service. we all three got a new pair of cowboy boots and have sported them ever since!

in january, we ventured back to texas, but this time was to LEARN! we attended Imaging which is a professional photographer's convention....FUN! darla and wayland travelled with donnie and i and we had large fun and it was just what i needed to spear-head my year professionally. this trip lead to another professional development trip to las vegas. kendra and i "braved up" as we are both white-knuckle flyers, but we arrived in vegas on a sunday night and had three long days of training. both trips were fabulous, fun and got us "fired up" for our year! liz hasn't travelled with me this year....YET!

at the studio, we had a 3-day training for the "chicks that click" the end of january. it was a magical time, and i love seeing the new heights we are reaching professionally. we were a part of bridal show in jonesboro, arkansas, and cape girardeau, mo, and have maintain 5-10 shoots a week between the chicks! we've already shot 3 weddings this year and have over 20 more on our calendar....one word....EXTREME!

stay tuned as we will be announcing "simply stated's street team" which consists of our senior models that will represent us this year. it's been a ton of fun getting all the promotional images done for the year....we will be revealing these in the near future!

for today, i close with an image of malaena-sloan and me that darla took last may on our trip to cincinnati. there's definitely a story behind this image....could it be me trying to convince a then 2-year-old not to get in the water!?!

hope your day is filled with many blessings!...cheri

more of ExTrEmE....

2011-02-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

i blogged earlier this week about our new senior division....the ExTrEmE session! i have had 2 extreme shoots this week and have to wait a little to unveil one! i did get the privilege of having a 2-day shoot in "Charlie's Church!" Charlie's place was just featured in the southeast missourian last week. Charlie is quite the artist and his "church" was over-the-top decorated with everything from a couple of jars of pickles to a couple of coffins. i can't wait to share but it's one of our senior models, so you have to keep checking back in!

today, i had the honor of working with mary bauer again! mary is a wonderful, amazing, young, Christian woman that i met through my photography but now consider my friend! mary is the reigning miss jackson, and be watching for this rising star! i predict her to be our miss america one day!

despite 17 degree temperature, mary and i weathered the snow storm. end result....over-the-top, one-of-a-kind, unique, extraordinary images! here's a few!

need i say more....ExTrEmE beauty!

simple, yet exquisite!

introducing our EXTREME senior experience....

2011-02-06T08:56:00.001-08:00

we have seniors in high school that want over-the-top experiences! our basic session is incredible, but for the senior in high school that wants more time, more outfits and unusual, one-of-a-kind, ExTrEmE experiences, we've GOT IT! withstanding the elements of cold weather, rocks on bare feet, friendly creatures in the subzero water....this is where ART is created! we load up the little nissan cube that's tried to run on diesel (though it has a gasoline engine), climb the mountains, brave the cold, weather the storms, handle the 100 degree heat, the "chicks-that-click" are READY for the excursion! no project to small/no adventure too large! WE ARE READY to create an amazing "YOU ExTrEmE" experience! our model in this shoot is caitlyn springer from new madrid. after this shoot, caitlyn expressed that she had the time of her life! caitlyn's images are ART...all of them, but today, i will share my favorite of her in a beautiful green, flowing evening gown in a creek! you think of the "ExTrEmE" or find the location, the "chicks-that-click" will do the rest!
looks like a warm, sunny day....NOT! this shoot was done on november 11! we have little tricks and secrets that make our senior look cool and calm....even if it is ExTrEmE!
i think caitlyn was surprised i asked her to lay down on a ledge under a bridge! you just never know what the "ExTrEmE" experience will consist of!
i asked caitlyn to fluff her hair....what an amazing shot! love that the bottom of her dress was wet! she didn't know where this "ExTrEmE" shoot was headed!
i am all about reflections! love her reflection in the water! just beautiful!
how cold was that water....cold! i had one boot leaking and my foot was frozen. funny as caitlyn didn't mind at all!
i love everything about this image! love the detail of the water rippling!
you knew it was coming....yep...submerged! hair and all! when we call it EXTREME, we mean it!
beautiful...wet air and all!
what a fabulous "ExTrEmE" senior experience! thanks, caitlyn, for choosing "simply stated" to photograph YoU!

keeping it "clicking!"-cheri!

2011-01-28T09:40:00.001-08:00

congrats to my dear, dear friends on their newest addition to their family!! i had such an amazing time capturing baby lucas! these pictures show that you don't have to be in a studio to capture fabulous images. sometimes, the comfort of being at home puts everyone in a great mood. -liz

just to show that you don't even have to leave home!! this was taken in the middle of the living room! love, love, love
one of my favorites from this in home shoot!!

2011-01-28T09:40:00.000-08:00

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2010-12-05T14:58:00.000-08:00

fabulous Santa Sunday at "simply stated!" i can't even begin to express how smoothly the day went! 42 children participated and not one child cry! i call that....SUCCESS! YIPPEE!!! a big thanks to all who took part in our day! next year, santa has agreed to come visit us twice and we'll be announcing the dates soon so you can mark your calendar!

some special ones from today....
santa and his favorite 2 elves...me and kendra! i'm so thankful for kendra! she helps me with my projects but is a fabulous photographer herself!
i love when this child is in front of my camera! she melts me....she had her list in her hand! love it! an organized girlie at such a young age!
love this one of carson! sweet!
this family drove 2 hours to share in our day! thanks, bradleys!
i adore this child. she melts me! donnie has come a long way in his photography!
pretty sure this one will have to come out each year at Christmas! I LOVE THIS!
our baby girl was the hardest child to get a smile out of or even look at the camera! but...she's sweet as you get!
merry Christmas from our family!

family photo shoot....

2010-11-21T20:31:00.001-08:00

i don't even know the number of family shoots that i do in a month. i did five yesterday if that gives you an idea. sssssoooo....i took off a sunday from work and scheduled my own family shoot. my fabulous friend and associate let us stand in front of his camera for a couple of hours and i'll share those soon but....i couldn't have my family all beautiful and not have a camera in my hands. today, i experienced what my other families experience on "shoot" day....WOW! WOW! WOW! it all started about 10am when i skipped church to jump in the shower so i could have great hair and organized clothes. i answered emails after shower and stuff but sis was scheduled to get in the tub at 11:15....accomplished. doorbell rang at 11:30....john paul, friend/make-up artist, arrived! WHEW! i did my hair myself while sis was playing in the water (yes...she was in there an hour, but i did reheat the water) and john paul began my make-up. boys started stirring and asking about if they should wear t-shirts, belts, etc., but boys are pretty low-maintenance. i get a phone call from my friend...the photographer...saying weather not cooperating for our funky/innovative shoot....so plan b...STUDIO! john paul finished my make-up and girl....if he hasn't applied your make-up yet...well....call belladona spa and salon tomorrow. it's 10:42pm and i hate to wash my face...it looks fabulous still.

anyway....left house and at studio about 2:30. we played, we bribed, boys were bored....you name it, every emotion was experienced. BUT....mama was happy that the whole gang was together and all i wanted was one fabulous shot so i can have one new image in my house and one for the Christmas card....so..we'll see! i did get a sneak peek and i was happy. my lesson at the end of this day is the stress over finding the "perfect" outfits, fixing the hair extra special, stretching malaena-sloan's limits....worth it. here's a few that i shot....enjoy!
we begin our picture parade with lil' sis!
i believe this one must hang in my house!
love this one, too.
the man i love.
daddy with his first born!
daddy and his boys
thanks melinda for snapping this one! my son has definitely outgrown me!

an affair to remember....jessica + amzie

2010-11-20T14:42:00.001-08:00

i try and wait to share images until the couples have made decisions. regardless of what brides say before their wedding, realistically, it takes three months after their wedding before they can think about "wedding pictures." on july 3, 2010, i had the honor of photographing the wedding of amzie and jessica! i take a deep breath before i continue writing, as when i think of their wedding, it was just full of "magical" moments! i have been friends of jessica's family all of my life, and when they contacted me last january about doing their wedding, i was simply overjoyed. little did i know, it would be so amazing. it was 100 degrees outside of nashville, tennessee, on july 3, but when donnie *my supportive husband*, and kendra *my rockstar right-hand photograher * pulled into the parking lot of the historical cedarwood, we were overjoyed. i was truly like a kid in a candy store....more like winning the lottery. jessica and amzie are just gorgeous people inside and out, and then cedarwood...well...breathtaking combination. from start-to-finish, it was an amazing day. i will be doing a full feature on their wedding very soon, but HAD to share today, as "simply stated" is featured on cedearwood's website. CLICK HERE!

stop by soon to hear more details of the wedding....and yep, i did get to photograph eli manning and one shot of his big brother. like i said....MAGICAL!

party pics part II

2010-09-29T12:47:00.001-07:00

Party Pics

2010-09-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

had a great time, thank you all from the "chicks that click" at simply stated for giving us a reason to celebrate!! and enjoy!

newborns, beauty queens and cotton field....

2010-09-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

this has been on incredible, interesting week around "simply stated's" home studio. i had the privilege of photographing many people of many different ages. to give you a run down, my one week covered photographing 9 beauty queens, 2 newborns, 25 preschoolers, a wedding, an engagement hence the cotton field, several class of 2011 senior shoots and to top it off, i photographed an experienced the birth of a baby by c-section! yes...that was all within a week, and you ask how i feel...well...super, super, super blessed!!!! God keeps taking me out of my comfort zone, and i am honored by each life that i stand behind the camera to photograph! WOW!!! a dream come true!

i am so excited about our new blog header! the four of the "chicks" will get to spend the whole day together tomorrow and i am excited! we will also share in celebrating our one year anniversary saturday night at 7:30pm at the studio. if you haven't been invited, well...now you have! i appreciate each and every customer, and would love to see your face. there will be an unveiling of 17 of my favorite images, giveaways, free 5x7 for each person attending and great music. if you need details, call me at 573-579-0182!

upcoming event is my daughter's 3rd birthday sunday! i know....i can't believe it either, but it's true! i will try hard in getting some pictures on my blog right away! also....SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO "SIMPLY STATED!" sunday, december 5 from 12-4! call today to book a fun experience for your little one(s)!!!!

lastly...wanted to share a link! i had the honor of photographing candy coburn's new cd cover! please take the time and show your support to this bootheel girl! click here!
nothing like a good ol' cotton field to inspire this southern girl! i loved this shoot...magical!

my beautiful bride...she and her family were beautiful and treated me with such warmth! literally....about 95 degrees on her wedding day, but we rocked it!

not many words have to be said here....this one-year-old is PURE sweetness!

this youngun' was full of energy and made the shoot fun for both of us! her mama laughed a lot with me just working with her!

another one of those incredible baby experiences and this little lady was welcomed by 3 older brothers! can't wait to watch her grow up in front of the camera!

this young lady was a pleasure to work with....she was truly a natural in front of the camera. made my job easy! just loved this image!

my stars were perfectly aligned during this new baby's experience! he was just one week old and knew he didn't want to miss anything i was up to! about 5 minutes after this image, he zonked out to get some super sweet images for mama and daddy!

my super special pageant girl who is blossoming before the camera! she is a ball of fun to work with! love her and her family that is so supportive!

this little pageant girl is from up north! she is about 1 1/2 years and full of personality that of which she was trying to hide! we got some great images!!!

i have many more images to share, so show up for our party saturday night to see if one of them is YOURS! please call today for your photographic needs!!!!

tj and melissa....

2010-09-09T20:03:00.001-07:00

i have had the honor and pleasure to experience wedding days with many wonderful couples and their families this summer. we are getting ready to head into the fall season and the weather changes the dynamics of a wedding day. i just love summer. i wanted to share another 100-degree day wedding. this couple seemed like family after the end of the day. i have to admit, their wedding day zoomed by quicker than any other i have experienced! it went off without a hitch...well...just one hitch...it rained cats and dogs that day but we never even noticed. the day had happiness everywhere! congratulations to tj and melissa!

my beautiful bride...melissa!
i just love this image....mama and her son!
the rockstar best man!
the handsome groom!
one proud papa!
woohoo! only 6 years of dating and 5 years of being engaged! it was about time!
a couple that prays together...stays together! here's to your happily-ever-after!

out of my comfort zone...

2010-08-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

things have been quite busy around our house...nothing new. have had two landmark birthdays in our home. brock is no longer a teen and donnie has had the honor of living half a century. brock is in his sophomore year of college, alex is a senior in high school and logan a sophomore in high school. then...there's sis! whew! high energy! big personality! talks all the time even if it's just to herself if no one else is listening! she is our little rockstar and we treasure her!

everyone comments on mae-sloan's images. they say how sweet the pictures are, how photogenic she is, etc. i totally appreciate all the sweet, kind words. let me tell you, she takes me OUT of my comfort zone! the day i took the pictures below, she was not a happy camper. darla (my cincinnati photographer) witnessed this! we did everything but stand on OUR heads! darla has photographed malaena, kendra has photographed sis...liz has yet to be broken in, but i'm telling you, she's a challenge.

why do i share this....
well...
parents get a little un-nerved when their photography experience begins at "simply stated" and it doesn't go as planned. so...i share my story and the pictures to let you know that i photographed my daughter on july 29 and uploaded them but never even looked at them. it was an awful experience and i was ready to cry when it was over. tonight, i was searching for another image and ran across those images. wow! to my surprise, pure SWEETNESS! so...when you come in for your little tots shoot, try to relax and enjoy!

a new member to our "chicks that click...liz"

2010-08-09T15:19:00.001-07:00

for those people that follow my blog, the newest member of our team, "chicks that click," will look familiar! liz and i met over the phone a year ago as she booked me to photograph her january wedding. we met face-to-face on october 24, when i did her bridal portraits. it was like i had known this girl my whole life. instant connection...

well...her wedding was fun, fabulous and she loved her pictures. at her wedding, i told her if ever she wanted to get into the photography business, she should call me. long story made short....here we are and she's the newest member of our bunch! i am honored to introduce her as the lead photographer in our jonesboro, arkansas, operation! liz is very well-rounded. she is quite the artist having her degree in drawing and her minor in photography. we had a marathon weekend with 6 shoots and a wedding. wowza....we were both fired up and she was ready and eager to learn.

for the next month, liz will be running a special....half off your experience fee! take advantage of this and be watching for her future, amazing work.

liz's model, our new friend, pebbles! she has such a fun, energetic personality and liz captured her perfectly!!!
thanks, pebbles, for modeling for us.

weddings, weddings, weddings....

2010-07-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

my goal is at least one blog post a week, but i have been super busy. no excuse, but have really captured some beautiful people in some beautiful places. won't lie...it's been a tad on the WARM side but i LOVE it! i'd rather it be 100 degrees than 13 degrees, any day!

travelled to texas for 8 days and captured mike and demetra's wedding. the next week, travelled to sikeston and photographed jon and lisa. ended our 3 week wedding stint in nashville, tennessee. wow....i witnessed lots of love and some good times. want to share a few this evening!
doubt if this will ever happen again for me to be in the wedding, sing, help with coordinating it, photographing it and mae-sloan being a flower girl! it was a fabulous time!
i adore my best friend and i love her spunk!

our girl...featured...again...

2010-06-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

this blog was started to document our adoption of malaena-sloan. it was a long journey (though not as long as some), and this blog acted as a true source of therapy for me. i don't talk about my passion for adoption everyday as i once did, but i am still as passionate about it as i ever was. our daughter is the source of more happiness and joy than i ever imagined. the conditions in the country she was born were something most americans can't even imagine. as of about a month ago, those conditions have worsened due to a volcano eruption and two days later a tropical storm. what already was unbearable is worse. there's not a day goes by that i don't think about our birth mother, her brother and parents. one of my missions with my photography business is to locate our birth family and help support them. i want to do this now more than ever. God's timing is everything, so we will see when this all unfolds and i will share this journey, too. who knows what the outcome may be as they may wish to have no contact with us, but we will cross that bridge later.

today...what i know for sure...if anyone that reads this has ever had adoption laid on your heart, i am totally open for discussion. while in texas for demetra's wedding last week, someone said, "will she ever know how blessed she is?" my response is "real", "probably not." one won't appreciate things they've never done without. each and every night, malaena-sloan and i pray the normal "now i lay me down to sleep" prayer, then i tell her it's time to thank God for what we are grateful for that day. right now, her responses are simple and sweet: papa, grammy, drew...and i try to elaborate and teach her to be thankful for things like food, getting to spend time with "davvy", etc. mae-sloan will always eagerly agree and will usually say the food was yummy to her tummy. what i am striving for more each and every day is to live in a state of gratitude and abundance! for what God giveth, He can also take away...

on a lighter note, some new pics of the girl from friday!:
lil' sis with her new outfit aunt mary frances gifted her!
mama and her girl
mae-sloan with "davvy" watching!
our girl doing what she does!

a week where everything "clicked"...

2010-06-24T19:52:00.001-07:00

it's been a fabulous week back in missouri! fabulous shoots so worth giving some sneak peeks. it's funny when i can't pick just one image. i have totally been inspired this week in my shoots. i totally love getting to know my clients on a personal level...one of the bonuses of my job.

headed to shoot a wedding in sikeston, mo, this weekend! our calendar is filling with class of 2011 senior shoots as well as lots of families! love it!!!!

enjoy two of my beautiful little friends...
love the dynamics of siblings!!!!
this child is spicy and i love her demeanor! she was busting some moves in the studio today!
just love when a picture reflects children just being themselves! love this for many reasons!
loved this child's mane!!!! she's precious!

sneak peek for shayla....

2010-06-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

well....i LOVE 100 degree weather. it seems i work best when it's hot. maybe a mental thing, but i have to work quickly and i think i'm much more creative. it also helps when you have a very pretty class of 2011 senior to photograph! i just love my job....from a ranch in texas last week to a creek in missouri!!!
this girl was a natural and super sweet! beautiful smile!!!! she perhaps could have the sparkliest eyes i have ever photographed!
i LOVE this image. one of my faves for the day!

on the road again....texas or bust...

2010-06-22T20:16:00.001-07:00

just wanted to share some amazing pics that i took in texas last week! had a blast and will share some of demetra and mike's wedding very soon. i went to texas for 8 days to be a part of my best friend's wedding. not just "any" best friend....we've shared life since we were 6-years-old. we had an amazing week with a few mishaps. diesel put in a gasoline car, 2 radiators busted and replaced, and a wreck...BUT there was a beautiful wedding. i had the honor of being the matron-of-honor, singer, photographer and mae-sloan was flowergirl! the night rocked! had a fabulous time!

had to share this....
cube is on the road again! in lewisville, texas!
i usually get to hang out at the MOST friendly places. i took demetra and mike's engagement pics at the lewisville feed store in january, so decided to go back. it was cold in january and no one was stirring but a hot day in june, many town folk were out. so....i went in and introduced myself. i asked if we could hang out and take some pics and the store owner was kind enough to allow it. these are the locals that said they'd break my camera....wrong!
well....hello, family! long time no see! can see the happiness, as usual!
i think possibly my favorite from the shoot! this boy is LOVED!
love....
can you imagine telling this little boy NO with eyes like his!?!
yep....pretty sure i was laying on the ground or close to it for this shot! worth it!!!!
dee and greg....we met a couple of years ago, but i've known dee indirectly nearly 20 years. she worked and still works with demetra. dee is an awesome woman! i love her strength through Christ!
this boy doesn't miss a thing!

chicks that click...and on the road again....

2010-06-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

it's been super busy and i haven't taken the time to blog. thought i would tonight to introduce our "simply stated" crew (my husband is a great asset and HELPS me so much but doesn't fit into the "chick" category!) studio is looking amazing. got new walls built today and i said construction was finished....just can't help that i get inspired a lot! getting new backdrops delivered in the morning! been booking a lot of class of 2011 seniors, weddings, families....blessed! booked a wedding tonight for june 18, 2011! wow!

for those of my followers and friends in the dallas/fort worth area, i am traveling there for a week for my best friend's wedding! i have a couple of slots left to shoot while i am there! so....give me a yell!

introducing "simply" our chicks that click....
i live in jackson, missouri....BUT I WILL TRAVEL FOR MY JOB! this year, will have photographed people, places and animals from michigan to texas.

i'm doin' what i love and lovin' what i do!

i have a son that turns 20 in august that thinks i know very little, a stepson that is nearly 18 that will be a senior in high school in the fall, a 15-year-old stepson that loves sports as much as his daddy, a husband that still adores me after 9 years of marriage and is letting me live my dream, and a 2 1/2 year old daughter who believes i'm a rockstar!!!!

God has opened many doors for me this year and i have had the amazing opportunity of bringing aboard two classy gals, and we make up the chicks that "click"....get it?!!!!

to book an appointment, either contact me from our website (www.simplystatedphoto.com) or call me at (573) 579-0182!
i proudly introduce my dear friend! i used to introduce her as my "workout partner" but now we share the love of photography! darla is heading up the cincinnati, ohio, division of our company.

you won't believe this one....darla is a grandmother to a beautiful baby named lucy! she has a great family that i consider family myself!

to book a fabulous "on location" shoot with darla in the cincinnati area, call (573) 382-2388 or visit our website!!!
i adore this young lady and feel i have watched her grow up! kendra worked with us at our mcalister's deli, and left to pursue her degree in photography. she's close to graduating and is a huge asset to me at our home location in jackson, mo. since the day i met kendra, i described her as a mature soul. she has a love for life that is reflective in her photography.

at present, you may book a session with kendra by visiting our contact section on our website (www.simplystatedphoto.com) or calling (573) 579-0182!

class of 2011....now hear this.....

2010-06-04T13:11:00.001-07:00

times flyin' and we're havin fun....

2010-05-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

truly am shocked by how blessed and busy we are around the studio. have lots of fun, exciting news about to be revealed. for today....it's a little secret but soon we'll share the excitement. in the last couple of weeks, we've had a trend of lots of sessions with boys. I LOVE IT! one of this week's fun events was shooting the Pike's Calendar with some of the sorority girls. Wow! Lots of flat irons, hair spray, lip gloss, clothes....stuff was everywhere. we pulled off some great, exciting images that i can't wait to share.

mae-sloan went to work with mama a couple of days. i think she had a fun time....she did a little posing for us but wasn't there to be photographed. she likes to have a drink of bottle water and the starburst....it's cute. the funnest thing about her is she's just a little person. she is one chatterbox. i don't know where she gets that from.

totally geared up and ready for the class of 2011 seniors that have been scheduling their experience sessions! we will reveal some great offers this week (good Lord willing and creek doesn't rise!)

i'll close this evening with some of my favorite images of the week. can't share one bridal shoot that is amazing, but lots of other fabulous images to share! hope your memorial day weekend is fabulous!
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love these two pics of these precious kiddos!

studio tour!

2010-05-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

i had an amazing birthday! how God has blessed me this past year in so many ways. it's been a full day, but wanted to get this studio tour uploaded. will hopefully slow down to post some of my new favorite images!!!!

babies, babies and faves!

2010-05-07T06:57:00.001-07:00

it's been a fun-filled week around the studio! lots of busy-ness (which is right up my ally)! we are spending some time with brock this weekend, so i am posting my faves because i missed last sunday and i'm going to cover this sunday! this week's faves feature babies (and one of my daughter, of course!) hope you enjoy!
a new one of baby bronze! he's grown a lot in his 9-short-weeks-of-life!
happy birthday to silas!
favorite of the week!
one of baby alivia's first birthday!
favorite image ever in the world that i have captured the moment! love the story here! mae-sloan loves to pretend she's dora and this is how we talked her into going on a shoot! notice barbie is laying on the runner! love this child! definite my favorite image this year!

forever family day....

2010-05-03T08:34:00.001-07:00

i can't even put into words what this day means to our family. those of you that have experienced adoption and the waiting game that comes along with it knows what today feels like. i have experienced carrying a baby in my belly 40 weeks and i've experienced waiting for a child for 6 1/2 months. i can assure you, the latter was the hardest thing i have ever experienced. during our adoption journey. donnie and i went and visited in december when m-s was 10 weeks old and cared for her 5 days, i went back 8 weeks later and cared for her 5 more days. let me just expressed how leaving our daughter in guatemala ripped our hearts out! i have never been so overjoyed for 5 days then saddened beyond words when leaving her! well....the heartache was over on april 21, 2007, when pedro placed malaena-sloan alicia harris in my arms. my world changed more than i ever dreamed it would. her daddy came to guatemala on april 27, and he was overjoyed as well. we spent a week together in guatemala getting to know our baby girl. we really enjoyed this time. when we came home on may 3rd, the rest of the people in her world got to see how amazing she was! aunt chantelle, uncle eric and bianca met us at the airport and it was like 9:30pm on a saturday night! we arrived at our house about midnight and malaena-sloan woke up to perform for all three brothers! it was such a special time.....such amazing memories! didn't think it would get any better, but it has! our baby girl rocks! she is truly amazing and we thank God for choosing us to be her parents!!!!
this was the moment she came to the marriott with pedro for the last time to stay with her mama forever!
this was right after pedro left and i stripped the three layers of clothes off of her and let her play on the floor! she was free-birding it and lovin' being with her mama!
where's malaena-sloan under that hat?! she's with her friend, bella in antigua!
happy forever family day to the ferricks! we all came home the same day!
bella already intrigued with malaena-sloan's ears!

leaving the marriott in guatemala city the last time!
bianca and malaena-sloan meeting!
it had been a long day traveling but we were overjoyed!
we're complete!

studio tour...still in progress

2010-04-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

i have been blogging for nearly three years. it all began with documenting our adoption of malaena-sloan. at first, it was like therapy then it became addictive as i followed several other adoption blogs. now, i wonder if people really read my blog as facebook has really seemed to take over. i know i have a counter on my blog but i can never remember to look at it. soooo....i have a favor to ask you leave me a comment on here or on my link on facebook that you still check in on occasion!

personally, we are amazed by malaena-sloan! she is super active, super flexible, super talkative and all-around precious. still fights her sleep each night tooth and nail, but she's so easy on most every other thing. she has an addiction to peppermint. it's amazing what she will do for a peppermint. she now is calling donnie "poppy" or "davvy." we have no clue where she came up with this but think it might stick. today, i was working at my computer and she said, "Hey, Cheri, I want Dora." i said, "What did you call me?" she grinned and repeated what i heard! such a little "grown-up!"

malaena-sloan is all about role playing. donnie and i are her baby, and she's the baby. she tells us exactly how she wants us to act when we are the baby. she gets fighting mad if we do something differently than what she instructs. she is all about pony tails everyday of her entire life. she even wants me to wear one. she really likes at least two ponies and they have to be PINK rubberbands regardless of her color ensemble that day. we ask her what her favorite color is and she says, "I lub (love) pink!" it is the sweetest thing ever how obsessed she is with pink.

enjoy the blog and know that i really do still have nice hair. it's been really humid here and rainy and pointless to try to tame my curly flock! for now....i'll see you behind my lens!!!

sunday review....

2010-04-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

dust is starting to settle (literally) at the studio! well....i have my brick wall that i had to have! it looks awesome and photographs even better. it not only adds character to my studio but more importantly to my images. each brick came from tallapoosa (my hometown.) some of the bricks are left overs from the house i grew up in that was built in 1974. i'll try to get a video tour on here this week to share. i did get a gift from my husband that isn't in place yet....a new chandelier! so excited!

our framing business is coming right along. our frames rock, in fact, plan to take some of my stuff down at home and replace with my images in frames....my art! i've even had men asking about them....super unique stuff!

gearing up for our class of 2011 promotion! it's quite exciting and will be tons of fun! 'til next week, see you behind my lens!
you'll be seeing more of this pretty girl! she is a senior this year, and truly prettier on the inside than out!
this is my sister-in-law's (christy) dad, kent hampton. he's running for missouri state representative. we had a lot of fun taking these photos!
to get to photograph my family for any reason is always an honor!
the dynamics of a family picture cracks me up! this is an engagement shoot for this family! the kiddos were so spunky and friendly! i immediately had 2 new friends!
i know this is the 3rd week that brad and zephra made my favorite list BUT i unveiled them this week. i love this one so much!
can't wait to share this couple's december wedding! it was so much fun going "down home" shooting all around my old stomping grounds!

fastest week ever.....

2010-04-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

i think i started last sunday's post with "whew!" i could also start this week's the same way! busy, busy, busy in our world. we had the privilege of having our dear friends, susie and bella, with us all week! we had a great time just being together! i hope the madness of our world wasn't too much for them as it gets a bit crazy! we are rockin' and rollin' at the studio! things are really starting to come together, and i'll try to share that this week. we are running a great promo for mother's day right now, and gearing up a fabulous promotion for 2011 seniors!

this week, i took off work thursday and friday to take bella and susie to kentucky lake. mmmmmm.....patti's porkchops and pies happen to be one of my favorite things ever! sus doesn't really eat pork and neither do i, but patti's is my exception! the girls really had fun and the pair of them stopped traffic where ever we went! it was fun!

oops! i just looked at the time! i must get movin' and shakin' and head to the bootheel for some great fun! i'll close with my favorite picks of pics for the week!

ashley
i love this on so many levels! the main one is i can totally see susie and i doing the same thing in a picture! sweet!
this would be considered an out-take! the girls were OvEr me! so, we told them to jump up and down!
i end with ta-da! people always ask if i pose her and that answer would be, "UH NO!" my daughter will not do things she doesn't want to do. she has a total mind-of-her own!

2010-04-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

The next five people that book a simply celebrate Mother's Day experience will receive a complimentary 8x10. This is how to get your reward........go to www.simplystatedphoto.com under the contact section enter in your information and in the message field type, I want to celebrate Mother’s Day.

2010-04-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

Celebrate this Mother’s Day with photos of you and your family! This year’s Mother’s Day special gives you a collage of your three favorite images and three
5x7’s or you can choose two digital images.

simply celebrate Mother’s Day Special………………. $225|Value of $400

2010-04-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

whew....

2010-04-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

busy week but amazing! i had many shoots this week only to be highlighted with a wonderful wedding reception this evening! i told emily (one of my assistants), i truly feel like i am doing what God put me on this earth to do. first of all, i love life and second, i love people. for years, my hobby has been getting to know people. just interviewing them, listening and learning about what makes us all different. one thing i discovered in the last couple of weeks about people through my beautiful 2 1/2-year-old is there are fewer HAPPY people than unhappy people that i meet in a week's time. my husband has been cooking supper for us quite a bit, and the other day, malaena-sloan took a bite and said, "WOW!" WOW....i love that word. if you listen in a week's time, you don't hear the word WOW too often. when you do, stop and observe the person saying the word, "WOW!" from my observation through the eye's of my daughter, it takes a lot to "WOW" a person in today's society. the other thing about the word "WOW," i think the word is only in the vocabulary of happy people.

i love to be "WOW'd"! i try to thank God for those moments that i am "WOW'd". in thinking about our new studio at "simply stated", i have thought about the whole concept of being "WOW'd"! i hope my clients feel this feeling from the first time they see an image i post, the first time they talk to me on the phone or when they walk in our amazing studio! "WOW"-ing folks is the customer service i am striving for!

ssssooooo.....i am going to close with the images that "simply wow'd" me this week.....

when i capture a bride looking this amazing, it was all worth it!

i adore this on so many levels! bianca was over me for a long time, and the fact that she has fun when we take her picture now makes me smile!

you knew i'd have to close with one of little miss hot stuff!

my favorite of the weekend..

2010-04-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

this is a picture of my daddy in the old shed that stands behind the house he was raised. my daddy is a great person that i love! it was neat how brock took an interest and listened to what daddy had to say about details about the farm!

2010-04-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

our studio....

2010-03-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

kristen and jerrick....

2010-03-29T18:35:00.001-07:00

awwwhhhh! back to work! what a beautiful day to start going full-force! the studio is starting to take shape. i am convinced i can't handle construction. it makes me irritable and it makes me in a fog! back from vacation and on a cruise there's really not much to do when you are tired of relaxing. those of my blog friends that know me, guess how long it took me to be over being "relaxed?" about a day and i was over it and ready to do something.....SSSOOOO.....i was a little sea sick and it made me feel better to eat french fries. one day for lunch, i ate a hamburger patty and a PLATE of french fries. today was the first day of the rest of my life, so i headed back to la weight loss and re-committed! when i stepped on the scale, i was pleasantly surprised. i have just a couple of pounds to my personal goal but i'd love to lose 7. we'll see....keep you posted!

this afternoon, i had the honor of photographing a beautiful couple....kristen and jerrick! these two love to laugh so we get along fabulously!
fun! fun! fun!
i adore this couple! can't wait to share your wedding day with you! we just about have too much fun!

hope your week is super blessed!

now introducing some of our senior models....

2010-03-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

i have had the honor of being represented by some wonderful young women! i have been scouting out high schoolers to help promote my business! what fun i have had with this. i get to spend time with these incredible girls and their families! one of the perks of my jobs is meeting new people and making great friends! thanks, girls, and their parents for helping promote our business!
kati....egyptian high school
davanika...cape central high school
hannah and sydney....kelly high school (tag-team sisters)
lisa....cape central high school
kasey....jackson high school
alisha....zalma high school
myriah....scott city high school
megan....notre dame high school
katessa....scott city high school
brittney....delta high school
river....saxony lutheran high school

i am looking for a few more models! please pass this along as there are great perks toward earning FREE pictures!

sneak peak from the week...

2010-03-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

i have loved this week! i've had my dear friend, darla, with me here from cincinnati, ohio. we have had 11 shoots this week....whew! darla may not ask to come back for a visit! anywho....lots more sneak peeks to follow but give me a little bit as we are still under construction at the studio! can't wait to share the experience as it's amazing!
solie's one-year-old shoot went something like this....lots of laughter!!!!
i can definitely see this in print somewhere for an advertisement for "simply stated!" i love this child's spunk!
big sis had to take care of lil sis's hair.

my cousin, courtney, and my new cousin, baby bronze
not exactly how i wanted the 2 1/2 year old shoot to go. had a new outfit, but malaena-sloan put her own ensemble together and we went with that!
i said, "where's malaena-sloan?" she said, "here's sissy!"
sis has some attitude!

my image on candy's website....

2010-03-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

click here....when you go to candy's website, the image that i took of her is on the header of her home page. wow! to see my work publicizing candy is neat! it's one of many images you'll be seeing that i took....neat!

quick tour of what i'm up to....

2010-03-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

just wanted to share what the new studio looks like "before!"

mae-sloan in action....

2010-03-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

over the weekend....

2010-03-01T07:22:00.001-08:00

many shoots this weekend and lots to do, but took the time for date-night with donnie. we went to a great shindig for a great cause. my bff, chantelle, was instrumental in hosting it. it was called "celebrate hope" and was put into motion to raise $100,000 to build an orphanage in africa. the last report i got was $115,000 raised. praise be to God. it was super nice and was fun catching up with friends and hanging out with donnie.

another busy week ahead. gearing up for spring pictures as well as seniors for next year. we've gotten several future seniors to help promote "simply stated" but could use a few more if you, your child or a friend would be great for this job. just give me a call! 573-579-0182. have an awesome week and stop to count your blessings!!!!

this is a super special couple that i had the honor of photographing. this young lady is ms. alicia and is a rock star in our world. she's malaena-sloan's preschool teacher. we adore her, and her fiance, robert, is so nice as well. you'll be seeing more of this couple as i have the privilege to photograph them on their september 25 wedding day!!!!
not behind the camera and all cleaned up! you can definitely tell i got my spray tan going on!!!! i can remember when i was little my mama telling me that fat looks better with a tan. i tend to agree. when i was spray tanning, i told malaena-sloan she'll never have to do this!!!
my husband and i going out on the town. we really even got a babysitter!!!
our doll baby!!!! she is thriving and truly enjoys and loves life! out of the blue, she'll say, "i happy!"

a "candy" experience....

2010-02-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

last week, i had the privilege of photographing candy coburn! candy has a cd about to be released and one of my images is going to be the COVER!!!! last week was hectic. if you haven't guess by now, i officially have a STUDIO! it is a fabulous, beautiful building and i will talk more about that soon. this first of last week, i had a crew working with me to prepare for candy's shoot. one woman....one shoot....but it took a small crew to make it all happen. the day of the shoot, i had three people helping me and candy. it was so much fun and it was something i could do everyday!

i am silly enough that i have no details of when the cd release date is but i invite you over to candy's site! she fantastic as i've seen her perform a couple of times! i'll give more details about the release date when i get it!
assistant #1
assistant #2
one of the final images that didn't make candy's cut but i loved it!!!!

at it again....

2010-02-12T18:07:00.001-08:00

"simply stated...a photography company" is at it again! donnie and i are at an in-depth weekend photography workshop! once again...I AM IN MY ELEMENT!!!! my learning curve (as well as donnie's) is at it's peak. i don't know who is enjoying it or learning more. all i can say to our future and past clients is GET READY! we are going to bring things to our area that people are not accustomed to! i hope i can sleep tonight as i am so, so, so excited! for years i have followed donnie all over the place for insurance training, now i have taken us to paola, kansas, for a whole new experience. quite unique, quite interesting...we are evolving!!!!

on a personal note to all my blog followers that have been with me through our adoption of malaena-sloan, this is the FIRST time we have ever left her. it will be 3 nights total and our report so far is she only had one meltdown. imagine this...it was only when she didn't get her way! she wanted to wear her sponge bob pj's in public. we can't figure out what is up with the pajamas. she wore them every single minute while we were in texas that we weren't out in public. she has continued to do it since we returned home. i have to wash them and she puts them back on. strange but she likes it.

i'm leaving you with one image of her sweetness!

on locations....again...cube STYLE....

2010-02-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

people seem so shocked when i shoot come rain or come shine. i have never EVER noticed the different dynamics about the weather until i am photographing people on a daily basis. i did some fabulous work today for technology and networking company, and it was a ton of fun. it was a tad chilly but i love how the weather effects people's moods, the dynamics of an overcast day effecting the lighting and the cold making my brain work in a quick, creative fashion!!!! i'm totally lovin' God blessing my life and letting me do what i love!!

darla, my dear friend and my photographer-in-training, captured this image for me. my husband gifted me with the amazing orange jacket which is meant to ski in but works great for being outside playing!!!

january wedding in jonesboro, arkansas....

2010-02-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

whew! a busy few days since returning from texas. wanted to post a few of my faves from the wedding!!!!
loved this shot of the church!

being a musician, i always try to photograph the musicians! this pretty lady was the organist. she just has a sweet, sweet look about her!

the beautiful couple....

how sweet it is being loved by you....

2010-02-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

malaena-sloan and i had so much fun with aunt metra! i had a couple of pics in my camera that i just had to share....
from this....
to this.....

my last day in the great state of texas....

2010-02-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

what perfect timing i had in missing the snow storm in missouri! i have gotten to have lots of quality time with demetra. though it's cold in texas, it's not the bitter cold we have in missouri. demetra has never had children of her own and really hasn't spent a lengthy amount of time with a 2-year-old. it's been so funny having her analyze malaena-sloan's behavior as well as how i handle her outbursts. it's so funny having demetra praise me for how i handle the not-so-pleasant situations we have had especially in a public setting. saturday night, we had a girls' night which included demetra, malaena-sloan and myself. dee took us to the mercury chophouse in downtown fort worth. it was neat....such an experience. m-s didn't get her nap out and she didn't want her mac-n-cheese but instead my beef stew. she always feels she needs to visit the restroom when i get my meal served to me. it was a little challenging but i so appreciated the special treat from demetra.

demetra has always loved for me to capture our trips in photographs but this time was even more special! celebrating her engagement is something we have always dreamed of. i will be her matron-of-honor in her june 19th wedding and m-s will be one of her flower girls. i have had the pleasure and honor of helping her plan! it's been a great week. just going to share a few of my favorite images of her and mike! thanks you two for your hospitality! with treatment like you've given me, it's super hard to leave!

on location is FuN....

2010-01-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

i have had my little cube for a couple of months and i've meant to feature the cube in a pic but i tend to forget! we are doing shoots here in texas and i had to get a pic of the cube in front of this western town! the sun was going down and it truly was the perfect day. malaena-sloan is really enjoying "working' with me! today, i photographed a 2-year-old little boy and she so wasn't buying it! she had a little melt down but we put her in a different room and let her deal with it!

back to the cube....it's my studio on wheels. some people have referred to it as the donut delivery truck. you can make fun all you want but not one person has gotten in on the inside and not liked it. it's super roomy and drives great! great gas mileage....a fun little ride. so....if you see my in your neighborhood, give me a big wave!

capturing life.....

2010-01-26T22:31:00.000-08:00

many of my blog readers that know me on a personal level know that i love people. they also know i can pretty much go anywhere and be comfortable! i definitely say the same is true for malaena-sloan. we went to do demetra and mike's engagement shoot at mr. brown's house. i have met him a couple of times in my visits to texas and he's just SWEET! we did our photo shoot today at his house and he loved malaena! he even commented on the fact that her shoes and tights matched her dress! he was too sweet and too cute. we couldn't leave the host out of the shoot! there were several great images but wanted to share a few tonight!

my friends....

2010-01-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

went out to weatherford, texas, today and had a shoot with demetra and mike! lots of great pics! here's a sneak preview!

Hello from Texas.....

2010-01-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

had a fabulous weekend in jonesboro, arkansas. shot ben and liz's wedding and hung out with my bestest cousin, breanna, david and the amazing, baby silas!!!! malaena-sloan thought she was just too cool for silas, but he didn't give up! he chased her around like no man's business! i'll be posting wedding previews soon, but just had to share this bouncing baby boy's sweet pic!

the new division of "simply intimate...."

2010-01-19T21:37:00.001-08:00

for those of y'all that don't know me, i truly have done a lot of cool, fun jobs in my adult life. from being a make-up artist to teaching school to owning a bridal shop....lots of great experiences. in every single experience, i've owned a camera and captured "people." i laugh often while i think of where God has lead me to bring me to my dream career at the age of 41. how blessed i am! my favoritest (i know that's not real word) part of this job is capturing the beauty that each person possesses! since i was a child, i have LOVED and i mean LOVE people. i have often said that getting to know people is a hobby of mine. now, getting to capture them where they are in life, it all seems to come full-circle for me. i just LOVE what i get to do.

last week, i went to the national photography convention. it was amazing and i attended classes from lighting and technical stuff to children to families to weddings to boudoir! the boudoir portion was dynamic. i have had a couple of boudoir shoots lately, and each time, i love it more. much of which i can't share but i love capturing women! i hear so many people tell me they would love to do a shoot for their husband but they need to lose 15-50 pounds. i hear it all. i'm telling you right now, if you would like to treat your significant other to some great, fabulous, fun pictures of you, CALL ME! i have never been a size zero and am pretty confident i never will be, but i have learned to love my curves and embrace them. it's so cool cause each "simply intimate" shoot i do, the lady is always so pumped afterwards and seems to thankful for making them feel so comfortable. i try to explain, we can do some fun, sexy stuff fully clothed. positioning, lighting, expression.....these things play a HUGE part. i am talking about this now because VALENTINE'S DAY is approaching, but this could be done as a group for a bachelorette party! instead of a "spa party" have a "BOUDOIR PARTY!"

sneak preview....

2010-01-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

i told the wrays that i'd give them a sneak peek! we had so much fun today, and i call it work! i had a special guest today as i asked donnie to tag along with me. the weather was amazing! THANKS BE TO GOD! what one week can do as last monday, we were in nashville at the photography convention and there were snow flurries! anyway, thanks wray family and enjoy the peek!
this is one of my all-time favorite family pictures that i have taken! this may be my pick from the whole day!
a serious look is hard for this happy bunch!
i love the candid shots that just happen!
when i look at this picture, i think i'll always laugh! they laughed at each other. jason cracks himself up!
two super cool kiddos!
this makes me smile!
sweetness!
this is just FUN!
this was just a beautiful place this afternoon! we could literally hear the mountain side eroding and see the rocks come down. it's all about the picture and we only yelled DUCK one time!

a family i love!!!!

2010-01-17T19:14:00.000-08:00

a day filled with lots of laughter!
i met ladonna when she was 15! i have had the opportunity to work with ladonna for over five years either at mcalister's deli or just babies, i have watched her become an amazing young woman, and i happen to share the same birthday as her! i have always felt a connection with her from the moment we met. my husband actually introduced her parents! i absolutely LOVE photographing her! i just had to post a few from today's shoot......
sneak peek....! fabulous stuff today, ladonna!!

aaahhhh! never too early to think about a perfect picture for mother's day!
busy, busy week ahead! don't forget to call and book your "simply intimate" shoot. i've been too busy to count how many days to valentine's day, but girls, you need to get on my calendar as time is super limited!!!!!

fun, fun, fun things to come. i am actually going to have an UGLY CHAIR contest! it has to be older than the hunter green and burgundy phase! the contest will be happening in a couple of weeks! details to come soon.....

sassiness at it's peak.....

2010-01-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

what a fun and busy day! had a shoot which was SUPER fun! loved it. went directly from my photo shoot to wedding consultation to spear-it dancer picture planning....whew! the convention really inspired me! lots to discuss and many things in the works but my brain is tired for tonight. SSOOOOO....i leave you with some of my favorite from today's shoot!

attention all ladies.....

2010-01-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

33 days until Valentine's day and just in time to capture yourself in a "simply intimate" session! don't be afraid, don't be nervous! you don't have to be pencil thin or look like beyonce....this session is all about capturing the beauty you possess to share with your husband. these images don't have to be pin-ups, they can even be images you can show your mama!!!!! call me today and book your shoot as there are limited slots available!

on another note....
just got back from the national photography convention. i have literally been in HOG heaven! i have been in-my-element! i will be sharing images of all the new stuff to share with YOU, my favorite people ever! i got a couple of things that y'all won't be excited about but i am. i got a new lens!!!! it's to shoot funky, cool images! you'll be getting a taste of that soon. also, got my dream lights!!!!! the lights have to be shipped but y'all will LoVe the results!!!!! stay tuned. . . . . . . .one step closer toward my goal of becoming a MASTER PHOTOGRAPHER!!!!

what does 2010 hold....

2010-01-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

oh, what fun today was! i had the privilege of photographing another beauty queen. this beauty is more than meets the eye! in speaking with her, i definitely thought she was older than brock and she's only 18. pretty sure at 18 i was NOT this grounded, focused and well-rounded. we began the shoot this morning at 11:30am. a heat wave had come through and my little nissan cube said it was 21 degrees. i explained to mary how i hate the cold and she said it would not bother her as she had been an ice skater for years. WOW! AN ICE SKATER! i could brag and brag about mary but the real beauty is she's as pretty on the inside as the outside. i must compliment her parents for doing such a great job!

i've been thinking a lot about our new year. i have so much to do, so much to learn and i've decided to try and share more of it with you. Lord only knows that i am pretty ordinary, but God does put me in some incredible situations. one of my dear friends told me about 7 years ago, that i truly have no filter. she told me i say things that no one else can say and get by with. well....i really didn't get what she was saying then but it becomes a little clearer to me each day. i think on my blog so far i have always read and re-read my post so they would be somewhat filtered. i won't be talking negatively about anyone but i will start talking more about "real" stuff in life. enough for now but stay tuned....

be watching for mary bauer! i predict her holding the Miss America title in our near future....

aaahhhh! to be a cold, beauty queen!!!! she looks pretty HOT to me!
mary's mother, teresa, really came through for this shoot. she purchased a bunch of accessories for mary and they are obviously fabulous!!!!
this could be one of my all-time favorite images by me!!!! you can't imagine how cold we were at this point! mary never let it show....even her nose didn't get as red as mine!

great day for the near-end of 2009.....

2009-12-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

my new little friend, jacy....aka little miss jackson. i had crowns all over the place today. i didn't know that crowns had special little carrying cases!
this child is smart and spunky! we were talking about this pageant dress for her next pageant and asked if she would wear this in her next pageant. she said, "yes, this dress is a winner!"
second queen of the day is my new friend, darbi....aka miss jackson! thanks for the privilege of photographing you!
a fun image of the beauty queen!
lisa is appearing again on my blog.....this is her debut with curly hair!
love the girl! fabulous hat!!!!
technically, this image was taken yesterday and edited today! i seldom make it out from behind the camera, and this was the ONLY picture of my daughter and me over Christmas! we were sporting our new hats daddy got us!

for mawmaw carlene.....

2009-12-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

this is as good as it gets, maw maw. she is on the move!

the family....

2009-12-25T16:59:00.000-08:00

santa came to our home, but we truly celebrate Jesus's Birthday! this year, i just feel especially blessed with having our sweet, sweet daughter. when i rave about her, i'm not discounting being a mama to brock, but i still need to be pinched because some days she seems like the most amazing dream ever!
this kiddo is a trooper. she had been riding in the car for like 7 hours and we were getting settled in our room. when i found her, this was an action shot!
on our mini vacation to branson, mo.
santa hit the house!
early this morning seeing what santa brought!
sporting her new hat! i hope this isn't the only time she wears it!
dad was concentrating on what stumped santa....when it says easy to assemble, this throws up a red flag in our house!

she couldn't even look up for messing with her new stickers!
papa and his girl...

merry Christmas for our home to yours.....

2009-12-24T15:14:00.000-08:00

from the smallest in the house....
to the tallest in the house.....Christmas blessings your way!
i love this picture! it was taken on malaena-sloan's birthday and i saved it for our Christmas card. this is one happy child!!!!!
and let's not forget to say Merry Christmas from all the farm animals that live in hour house!

who would have thought it would snow today?....

2009-12-19T19:12:00.000-08:00

christopher
emily
a couple in love.....

when it rains and is yucky, here's plan b....

2009-12-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

y'all know i'm not a "prop" person but the umbrella was out of necessity today! i think this shoot was magical. thanks z and b for letting me share this special day!!!!!
i love animated kiddos and this young man made this shoot amazing!!!!!
i market to families that i can capture non-traditional family pictures, but NEVER did i imagine this would turn out so amazing!!!!!

a few of our family....

2009-12-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

never a dull moment around our house. weekends are especially busy now that i've started my photography business. malaena-sloan hangs out with dad a lot. sometimes they go with me to work but yesterday was too cold. so, they hung out at home. when i came home from work, malaena-sloan was setting the table for many people to eat the mac 'n cheese brock was whipping up. though she had already eaten her supper, she was ready to eat again.....normal for this child.
brock is home for a few days! it's tradition for me to take a pic of him in front of the tree! i'm excited that i've mastered turning the lights out and using my flash. i love the way the lights look on the tree, and especially love how happy my son looks!
my two babies!
here's the crazy mama! it had been a long day working, but i wanted one in front of the tree, too!
malaena-sloan plays with the nutcrackers a lot. she repositions them, turns them backwards, moves them off the step, etc. i wanted her to stand by the nutcrackers but she does what she thinks is best, after all she is a future photographer!

fun and sassy.....

2009-12-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

meet lisa! she is a fabulous girl that i met through our restaurant! we decided to take a sunday afternoon before she went to work to play! the results are breathtaking, so i thought i'd share a few! lisa's going to help me market to the seniors in her school! if she sells photo shoots like she can sell cookies, it's a win/win!
water seemed to be the focal point of this whole shoot! this senior wanted to have her picture taken in the rain, but it wasn't raining. soooo...i'm creative enough to think if the rains not coming down on her, she can get in the water!
i just love this for so many reasons. one particularly is the sky!
;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iK3S3tcyy0o/SyEW5EhX6II/AAAAAAAAC5c/SHE_NS9Strw/s640/IMG_lisa8246.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413633396798122114" />nope, this isn't an old image from summer. this image was taken november 30th! she wanted to get in the water and i told her if she did, she had to lay down and even get her hair wet! she did it! i love the pictures. Memorable senior shoot!
yep....all wet from head to toe! love it!

some of my favorites....

2009-12-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

whew....what a busy week! i have been a picture-takin'/editing fool! love it though! i truly love my job and i feel honored when i get to photograph families and really get to capture the special time they are experiencing in life. this family has known me for years. heather actually threw me my surprise 30th birthday party. (that was only 6 months ago, right?!) anyway, it's been neat watching this couple have children, prosper in their jobs and truly become wonderful adults! thanks for the privilege of calling you friends!
i had to do a solo of this young man because this was one of my favorites of this shoot! i know, i know that i shot my son and nephew just like this, but i loved this picture. the others i took like this were in the evening. i thought this morning son on him made him look angelic (and i am sure his mother would agree that he is!) i remember when this youngun' was born and his mama said they still had the plant that i sent them!
mama and her girls! heather is such a beautiful person inside and out!
this daddy loves his children! this was such a fun photo shoot. this family is just full of personality and the dad is quite a character!
what a cute family!

happy meeting malaena-sloan day....

2009-12-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

wow! how quickly two years flies by and how much life can change. i never dreamed our little bundle of joy would rock our world so much. as i look around our house this morning, i can tell you that she dominates. toys are everywhere as she sets smack dab center our our coffee table watching dora! what a miracle adoption is, what a miracle our daughter is....truly, what a miracle life is. i am so "in love" with our baby girl. there are 17 years between my two children and if someone would have told me five years ago that i'd have a toddler, i'd tell them no way. i marvel in how God worked in our lives to let our daughter be born in Guatemala and find her way home to us! praise be to God today. i am so thankful to HIM for our baby girl.
this was right after we met malaena-sloan in the lobby of the marriott and i carried her up to our room. this is our foster mother's mom. i was all teary-eyed and malaena-sloan was bright-eyed!
this trip i tried to force the pacifier on our girl. she never really liked it but made for a super cute picture. she tricked us on this trip as she slept a lot. i literally laid and watched her sleep every night. i was "in love!"
mama and malaena-sloan. mama's hair looked particularly good on this day!

reflecting....

2009-12-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

this blog was originally started to document our adoption....so....each year, i feel i have to reminisce on days that were really life-altering in our adoption. the picture below was taken of donnie and me about 10:30pm on december 6, 2007. we had just landed in guatemala city, guatemala. i was excited beyond words. one thing that still stands out in my mind is the peace i had on the plane during every trip i took to see our daughter. i am really a white-knuckled flyer, but all the trips to guatemala were for a purpose. each trip was more than just-for-fun but beyond words.

right now, our little princess is in the bathtub playing with dora, so i must run!

our girl....

2009-12-01T20:23:00.000-08:00

malaena-sloan is one busy chica these days! she attends preschool 3-4 days a week, goes on lunch dates with mama and daddy, assists me on photo shoots, hangs out with daddy when i work and helps dad clean house sometimes! she's really busy practicing taking order for mama and daddy, so she's ready to work at mcalister's when she's 3. she LOVES telling secrets. she loves dancing and watching tv. she has a new favorite...she's ditched barney for dora. there's so much other stuff i could document, but one of my favorite-est things she does right now is let's people know what she wants. in this picture below, i was conducting a photo shoot, and malaena-sloan is standing here in front of me telling the kids what to do. daddy dressed her this day, and i loved her ensemble! she's about as cute and sweet as you can get! we adore her more each day!

the end of the day....

2009-11-28T18:36:00.000-08:00

this evening, i had the privilege of photographing one of my bestest friend's from high schools daughters! we had so much fun! these girls are as different as daylight and dark! i have photographed tons of families but this is my first with just two girls. WOW! girls are so different than boys. boys get over the whole thing and are typically ready to call it quits after 10 minutes. these girls could hang with me and do whatever i suggested. i had such a hard time in choosing just one image to show lori and her girls. we did some really different stuff, cause i know my friend, and i know she doesn't care if i do some crazy stuff. can't wait to show you more but hopefully, i get to see your reaction then!

our day....

2009-11-28T17:59:00.001-08:00

i have been so very blessed by families i have been friends with calling me to capture their family pictures. i have watched this young couple grow up! heather and i worked together when i turned 30....in fact, she threw my surprise 30th birthday party! this family is just a dynamic blend of personalities! i had the best time and malaena-sloan didn't want them to go home! perfect weather, beautiful family....amazing day!

i need to shoot a pic of malaena-sloan at each shoot. you can totally tell she is over me, and she was having the best time entertaining our friends. she cracks me up!!!!

a few new pics of the family....

2009-11-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

i had the treat of getting to photograph my brother's kids! i love my favorite niece and amazing nephews! i do photograph them a lot but it tends to be with their hair not fixed and pizza sauce on their faces. so....yesterday was an official, planned shoot! everyone got the memo but the baby, owen! he wasn't digging the whole experience but the pics are amazing. i'll be posting more of the shoot very soon, but for today, i'm showing a couple of my absolute favorites. my nephew, drew, just had a birthday and turned 11. i captured a shot of him yesterday and mimicked the image today with a shoot of brock....oh, yeah, i have to explain that. brock agreed to a shoot. that means i have hit it big-time! he is naturally pretty photogenic if i say so myself. his eyes are GrEaT to photograph. i guess i should take a pic of just his eyes. he and i had a fun afternoon. he has taken a little bit of an interest in my photog business which i'm proud as i'm doing it to pay for his school. it's so good to have him home for 6 days!
my beautiful niece and handsome nephews!
my handsome nephew!
when i got brock to do a photo shoot, i thought i had to have this image like the one of drew!
i love my son's eyes!

i love it when he smiles
donnie, malaena-sloan, me and brock-ster!

you may not believe it.....

2009-11-20T06:26:00.000-08:00

i started a bad habit from day one with our daughter. yes, it is my fault. did it with brock, now with malaena-sloan. now, brock was always in the 100th percentile for height and weight when he was little, but he was easy to sleep with. malaena-sloan is just like a stick of dynamite. she may be small, but she can hold her own, and that includes when it comes to her personal space. this morning, when i got out of bed, i wondered what was in my back as a was squashed against the edge of the bed. when i hopped up, i had to chuckle and grab the camera. typically, i am at the edge on one side and donnie is hovering the edge of the other. not sure i'd recommend these sleeping arrangements but for us, it is what it is. she'll outgrow us soon enough and we KNOW she won't even want us around. so....for now, we live in fear of one of the adults falling off the bed!hahahah!

notice mollie bear sticks right beside our girl! she hasn't spent one night without mollie since bella was here in may!

preview

2009-11-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

i can't wait to get this fabulous girl's shoot edited, but there's many ahead of her! had to give her a sneak peek! tell your mama to get the kleenex ready!!!!

sweet two-year-old.....

2009-11-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

the last week has been crazy busy. i think i have had 11 photography sessions in the last 7 days....God is amazing! this morning was truly magical. when i read facebook this a.m., everyone was complaining about the rain. i knew i had an awesome date with a happy two-year-old, so we made the most of it. we went exploring in our rain attire. she loved it.

my days go by super fast especially the ones that malaena-sloan is at preschool. i must run and get my little buddy who is adorned in her lady bug rain gear. i know, i know....she has to have pictures done in her attire!

magical shoot....

2009-11-16T12:56:00.001-08:00

i am always shocked when i get home and see my work, but today was exceptional! this little man could be the prettiest boy EVER (brock excluded, of course.) this is actually brock's third cousin, and he is a beauty (i know, i know....boys are handsome, but he really is beautiful!) he has the best head of hair. we took our time and got some AMAZING, ROCKIN' baby boy stuff. his mama wanted one image for a Christmas photo. she better send a card with 10 images!

i was honored to photograph this little guy from nashville, tn. i love the evans/phillips family for still treating me like i'm one of their own (as well as treating donnie like he is too!!)

unpredictable job....

2009-11-08T16:12:00.000-08:00

i had the best afternoon. while driving to my shoot, i never know what i'm going to come up with. i truly pray to God to direct me to capture my friends (also known as customers) in the exact moment where they are in life. this couple is super special to me and so i ask them to do stuff i haven't tried before. it was an amazing afternoon filled with lots of laughs and some great memories shared!
i love how adam and annie look at each other! "in love" for sure! i thought this image was perfect showing how they love one another!
love this one!
gorgeous bride!
here we go....venturing into the creek! my feet were frozen but i didn't complain cause annie was wet up to her waist!
yep....my bride agreed to sit in the ice cold water! you are a tough chica, annie! i think the images were well worth it!

back by popular demand....

2009-11-07T18:13:00.001-08:00

my family (particularly malaena-sloan) has been the topic of many conversations. my friends and blog followers have actually messaged me about no pictures of my baby girl.....so....thought i'd get some on here. the first year of malaena-sloan's life, i documented everything on this blog because i made a book. now, i have another focus for this blog which is my professional life, but most importantly is my family.

little sis is growing like a weed. she's quite bossy (hmmm.....where did she inherit that trait!) she loves and i mean LOVES to eat! she loves peanut butter, yogurt, popcorn, rice crispy treats, coke, salad, roast.....the only thing i have found she doesn't care for his tomatoes. she babbles up a storm and each day we understand more and more. she still hyperflexible and we are going to start another gymnastics class this winter.

malaena-sloan loves books, farm animals, dora, wiggles, still barney and life in general. she has learned from donnie to let us know when she's happy by saying, "happy!" it's precious. donnie has really pitched in and helped tremendously while i've been working. malaena-sloan adores daddy!
dirty face and all!

OH WHAT FUN.....

2009-11-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

i love shoots that are fun, relaxed and are surprisingly amazing!!!!! jenny has been a friend of ours for years and she has blossomed into a beautiful woman! so proud of her and thankful that she is helping me launch my new division for college seniors! jenny, you rock! your images are going to be unbelievable!!!! thanks for the FUN-FILLED afternoon! let's do it again soon!

a birthday girl's shoot.....

2009-11-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

i photographed this beautiful child a couple of month's ago for her sister's birthday shoot! well, it was big sis's turn and we had fun! i just love this child's spirit. she practices her poses regularly in front of her mirror, so taking pictures of her is always a breeze!!!!

sneak peak...

2009-11-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

i love, love, love these high-energy boys! we had tons of fun and the boys are full of laughs. when i tried to get them NOT to smile, that was even more funny! what's great about these two fine-young men is they have awesome parents! look forward to watching these two grow up!

first thing on monday.....

2009-10-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

had a great weekend to do what i love! it was absolutely gorgeous over the weekend....thanks be to GOD! wanted to share a couple of images to the families that hung out with me! i had a great time!

sneak peak for taylor.....

2009-10-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

oh what a beautiful saturday! it was a GREAT day to have three shoots back-to-back and I got to hang out with some cool people! other sneak peaks coming soon!

when it all clicks....

2009-10-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

don't you just LOVE the days when your planets are aligned precisely, and things just "CLICK"! today was one of those days for me professionally! i took pictures of preschoolers and all of them were very well behaved and NO tears! yay me! all the images are going to be fabulous, and i made a new little buddy. this cutie is the niece of Nanny Annie (some of you that have followed my blog will remember Annie as she cared for Malaena-Sloan last fall-winter.) i had to share these pics cause some of my faves this week! (anyone who is around me much knows i love everything, so i have lots of faves!) have a great weekend! i have the privilege of photographing some people from my hometown this weekend! super excited!

thinkin' tree, thinkin' wreath, thinkin' it's time to book your Christmas card pic...

2009-10-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

if you don't have your tree up, i do! how about getting a GREAT CHRISTMAS family or individual picture to either make into a Christmas card or just have a picture to remind you of what you and your children looked like in 2009. I have different options available for you ranging from capturing just ONE great shot of you and yours OR a whole shoot and ending it with Christmas attire in front of the Christmas tree! CALL TODAY 573-579-0182!!!

the featured bride...drum roll please...liz

2009-10-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

my goal was to get this shoot edited by monday, but once i got started, i couldn't quit. i'm posting just a few of my favorites!

you never know what i'll use as a prop....yep...that's a real canoe!

one awesome chica.....

2009-10-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

I've known Emily for years and I think she just gets sweeter! We had an awesome afternoon and got some GREAT, CREATIVE SHOTS! Thanks for letting me experiment, Emily....think it totally paid off!!!!

family that likes to laugh....A LOT

2009-10-19T05:31:00.000-07:00

i now consider this crew new friends of mine. i am not sure if they had fun during our shoot but i surely did! they had me laughing and i really believe that's what life is about!!!!
i just met these kiddos and their daddy yesterday, but their bond was evident! the little guy's giggle box was turned over most of the shoot! i love when kids are kids regardless of a camera!
when things don't go as planned, i can sometimes capture my favorite image....nope, this isn't the traditional family photo. BUT, you can see all family members real laughs! I LOVE THIS ONE!

mama+son+son=happiness

2009-10-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

today, we had the perfect weather for a photo shoot, and these boys were ready. this beautiful mama wanted to capture the boys in the football costumes (aka uniforms) because thIS may possibly be the only season they are on the same team. the boys were fun together. this is my second shoot in three days with former kiddos I cared for at "JUST KIDS." I can't believe these kids keep growing up when I REFUSE TO!!!! HOPE YOU ENJOY, MISSY....
these two young men are referred to as "thunder" and "lightening" on the football field (by their dear grandma!)
no matter what the setting, when it comes to a mama's love and her sons, it still amazes me! today made me want to call back a few years with brock!

AAAHHHH....an october wedding.....

2009-10-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

One featuring the lovely bride....
One featuring the handsome groom....
One featuring the HAPPILY EVER AFTER!