Archive for the ‘events’ Category

holiday mini session

HOLIDAY MINI SESSIONS

HAVE ARRIVED!!

You’ve waited all year long. And they’re finally here! HOLIDAY MINI SESSIONS are the perfect opportunity to capture your family’s smiles for all those Holiday cards. Don’t leave yourself scrambling at the last minute. I’m offering only a LIMITED NUMBER of mini sessions on each of two dates and locations, so BOOK NOW to guarantee your spot. This is your last chance to book a session for the year, because once they’re gone, there are no more sessions available until January 2011!

Each HOLIDAY MINI SESSION will begin every half hour and will last approximately 20-25 minutes. Please arrive on time and be dressed and ready to go. BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY MINI SESSION to receive:


*** 5 – 10 artistically edited images in a 5-day, mini online gallery ***

PLUS YOUR CHOICE OF:

“The Portrait Package”

*** Professionally printed photos (you choose the image for each size) ***:

(1) 8×10,

(2) 5×7 (one image),

(1) sheet of 8-wallets (one image)

OR


“The Holiday Greetings Package”

*** (1) set of 25 flat, double-sided Holiday Greeting Cards, envelopes included (many designs to choose from) ***

*** 25% off each additional set of 25 Holiday Greeting Cards ***


SESSION FEE

(per family up to 5 people)

$95.00

plus 9.75% CA sales tax


BOOK YOUR SESSION TODAY

info@rachellebsmith.com
www.rachellebsmithphoto.com

Well, it isn’t quite his birthday, but Colin’s class has been celebrating all the summer birthdays this month and today was his day. :) And I’m calling this post “Part One” in anticipation to his actual birthday party next month.

Mr. Birthday Boy was adamant that the theme be, what else, Star Wars! When asked if he wanted cupcakes or pizza, he chose cupcakes–even insisting that the girls had to have Princess Leia cupcakes since they wouldn’t like Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker. [And for you die-hards, if you're wondering why Leia is brandishing a blue lightsaber, it's a mixture of creative license and the fact that I had a lot of blue lightsabers left over, for some reason or other.] Being that it was his birthday and that I tend to indulge him a bit during this one time of year, I gave the okay. And so I scoured the internet for ideas for Star Wars cupcakes and settled on some designs I thought would be easy enough. And I think they came out pretty cute! HUGE kudos to the best sister in the entire world for the Darth Vader line drawing which I copied onto the fondant with royal icing!! :) I also wanted to do a giveaway that tied into the theme. Initially, I was going to do my sugar cookies on a stick, but while I was in Michael’s I got the inspiration to do lightsabers out of pretzel rods! Time-consuming, but really easy. So, tons of powdered sugar, marshmallows, cake mix, sugar sprinkles, candy melts, shortening (I know, yum), and A LOT of gel coloring later, I had the makings of a pretty decent set of marbled cupcakes and sugary lightsabers.

When the hubby and I got to the classroom, the kids REALLY wanted to get their hands into the cupcakes. Colin got to pick one of his classmates to help him pass out the treats while the other kids went to recess. It was so amazing to watch him help out his teacher. He was so methodical, placing the napkins just so right next to the juice boxes–so cute (’cause you know he doesn’t do that at home!!). :) Once the kids washed up after recess, Colin went to the front of class to help lead a prayer before eating. Then his friends got the chance to ask him questions about his favorite this and that:

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? “Vanilla.”

What is your favorite sea creature? “Sea horse.”

What is your favorite book? “Pokemon. Actually, I have two. I have two Bakugan books and two Pokemon books.”

What is your favorite land animal? “Hedgehog.” :)

What is your favorite Abraham Lincoln book? “Uh….I don’t have one.”

Being a working mom, I rarely get the chance to see him in school while on lunch duty or recess duty or other volunteer things during the school day, so this morning was simply amazing. I can’t tell you how proud I am of my boy. He has matured so much in just one year and is growing so much. His teacher even told me something that blew my mind: he was chosen to read the psalm during the Kindergarten Graduation mass–in front of the whole school! She showed us what he was going to read and I could simply cry all over again, just thinking about it. I AM. SO. PROUD. I hear the Kleenex calling. Sigh……….

Cupcake time ensued and the kids lapped up the buttercream and had fun making mustaches with their frosting. I witnessed several blue tongues being showcased around the room (thanks to that lovely blue Wilton gel) and snapped some shots here and there. It was a wonderful morning. :)

So without further ado, behold the Star Wars Classroom Party for the sweetest and most endearing little almost-6-year-old boy ever:

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As year-end approaches, each day seems to fly by faster and faster. My weekends are completely jam-packed with photo sessions and personal commitments for the rest of year, and with great reluctance and a heavy heart, I’ve had to turn some of you away. I wish there were more hours in the day!! But rest assured that I will follow up and book you that session that you deserve! :) And we all deserve one, don’t we?

I’ve been truly blessed this year–to have had such a wonderful and positive response to my photography and to my journey in developing my skills and my own style as a photographer. I’ve had the joy of working with friends, and friends of friends, and meeting new and wonderful, fun-loving people who let me take a little peek into their own lives by capturing that laugh or the tickle that ignites giggles from their toddler. And I hope to meet more of you!!

So the 2010 Calendar is open for sessions. If you’re interested in a photo session for yourself or your mom or dad, send me an email. If you want capture your baby’s first smiles, email me. Or if you have been putting off getting that family portrait with 4 generations of your family, please, email me. :) We’ll set something up in the coming year and make it a wonderful and memorable experience from which you’ll have a photograph–a memento, a keepsake–to remember and cherish…

I do hope to hear from you soon!

All the best,

~Rachelle  :)

Pumpkin Time | { Everyday }

October 17, 2009

Pumpkin patch, pancake breakfast, fresh squeezed lemonade, mechanical bull (go little buckaroo!!), giant inflatable slides. Perfect Fall morning . . .

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Happy Fall 2009

365 Project: Week One

June 22, 2009

Sooo…….I’ve embarked on yet another project. One that I hope to have the motivation to keep up with because I think it will be a wonderful remembrance. I’ve seen a lot of 365 projects online and I thought I would try my hand at it. Not only will it give me the opportunity to document the day-to-day life of my family, friends, and work, but it will give me the push to pick up my camera every single day and may take pictures of things I normally wouldn’t think to take pictures of. Normally, these types of projects start at the beginning of the calendar year, but I didn’t want to wait that long. I picked June 13th since it was Colin’s birthday and I thought it would be fun to see how much he changes during his blessed 5th year. :)

This is Week One. The pictures are a mix between my DSLR and my point & shoot. I’m making it a point to bring my point & shoot with me everywhere since I don’t want to lug the bigger camera with me to work everyday. At least I’ll always have something available. Instead of posting a picture a day, I decided to go with a weekly posting to give me some time to get everything together to present a “Week in Review” kinda thing.  I got my *awesome* digiscrap templates and papers from Meridith at Moriginals. At the end of the year, I will self-publish these pages in a 12″x12″ hardcover book for my family.

This week was pretty eventful, to say the least. This is proving to be a fun project and I really do hope to keep up. If I start to slack, feel free to nag me about it–maybe it’ll help snap me out of my laziness!! :) Oh–and if you’re curious how the Rainbow Cake turned out, stay tuned for the next installment. I got some pictures of the inside (a REAL hit with the kids and the parents, too!!). You can find the recipes here, courtesy of Omnomicon.com . I opted for mixing up the cake batter according to box instructions instead of the diet version, as suggested by one of the moms on my board. It turned out great, so check back soon for more Rainbow Cake photos! :)
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Five.

June 14, 2009

Where has the time gone? Only yesterday, he was a little bean in my belly. My baby is a real little man, now. No more baby fat and needing to be spoon-fed; he can wash his hands without a stepstool and now towers over the coffee table he could barely see over 4 years ago. He is our miracle, our blessing from God. XOXO, Baby!!! :)

Celebrating his birthday at school with homemade chewy chocolate chip cookies

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Birthday Pancakes

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“How old are you?”

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Getting dressed for graduation

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Take the diploma and RUN!!

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Celebration dinner

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Make a wish

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Mom, Dad & Ham at John’s Incredible Pizza Co.

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WHAT AN AMAZING START TO AN AMAZING YEAR!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

May 16, 2009.  Siesta Key, FL

After having the opportunity to relax after Kristina & Peter’s wedding in Chicago, we headed down south to Sarasota, Florida in preparation for the wedding of Brenda & Dan. We were greeted with a forecast of thunderstorms for the weekend, but that did not put a damper on the bride and groom. The wedding could not have been more perfect and the rain managed to stay away until we were safely under cover for the reception. Congratulations, Brenda & Dan! 

 

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May 8-10, 2009. Oak Brook, IL

Our little family had the honor of being part of the wedding of a dear friend and his gorgeous wife yesterday–my husband as a groomsman, our son as the ring bearer, and I had the privilege of singing during the ceremony. From the moment we arrived at our hotel to the moment we checked out this morning, it was one jam-packed, wedding event after another. And we enjoyed every minute of it. Here is just a sneak peak at the revelry and romance. 

REHEARSAL

Father of the Groom

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Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

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Bride and Groom

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Ring Bearer and Flower Girl

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WEDDING DAY

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Flower Girl

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Bridal Party (from the sidelines)

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May 3, 2009. Rancho Cucamonga, CA. “Santacruzan, a Filipino Cultural Presentation”.

Celebration Hall at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center was host to a crowd of children and young ladies gathered from the Filipino community of the Inland Empire. As onlookers lingered to witness this long-standing tradition, the young ladies (”sagalas”) dressed in beautiful gowns processed around the courtyard, led by little “Santo Nino boys” and “flower girls”. During the month of May, the Santacruzan celebrates the discovery of the cross of Jesus Christ by Queen Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. Each sagala portrays the Accolades of Our Lady, such as Reina Fe (”faith”), Reina Esperanza (”hope”), Reina Justicia (”justice”), etc. One sagala is selected to portray “Reina Elena”, or Queen Helena.

 

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