i am actually posting from my new computer.. but i am not a big fan of change.. i wish there were just a “move my stuff to my new computer and make it all nice and tidy” button.. ya know.. like they do for the new Presidential families when they move in to the White house.. everything is moved, but all still the same and just how they want it..

i’ve been transferring data, installing all the necessities – photoshop and all my contacts, forms… wow.. you forget how much your computer is customized until this.. i have the old one up and running too, so i can just run to it and transfer what i want.. but like moving, i don’t want everything – some stuff is just junk.. and most of it needs to be sorted and yes, lots just cleaned out..

so hang in there with me..

(kind of hoping for a bit of rain to wash that yellow coat of pollen off the car, deck, driveway.. )

i have a client (who knows how to dress his kids very well – and knew exactly what his wife wanted).. well, HE contacted me to do a surprise session for his wife for Mother’s Day.. he wanted the prints and frames back in time to give on the big day.. (yes, i will order the prints and have them framed and deliver to you ready to hang – and heck, we will even hang them… )  anyway.. worked out wonderfully, but we are out of time for that, and plus, I know not every husband wants to try to get his kids ready for pictures..

a wonderful alternative??.. yeup.. a gift certificate.. we can make it for any amount… just call/email and let me know to send one to you and I’ll get it in the mail or deliver to you asap!!!

think moms, wives, grandmas.. great for all..

i promised myself i would take a break from all things photography for a few days.  i’ve just been really busy and have finally caught up.. most of the work i’ve been doing is not really blog-a-ble.. more surprise type newborn sessions, surprise Mother’s Day sessions (fantastic idea by the way)..  and then books, announcements, and other projects for people and their businesses… the business stuff I will blog, but have to wait for them to get to the point where we can discuss!  just sooo exciting.. hopefully next week for one.. and the week after for another..

but today, it’s a girls day.. my almost 4 year old woke this morning remembering my promise of a girls day on Saturday.. fingernails are sparkly, toes are shiny with new paint, hair is filled with bows, and even mommy is in a skirt.  The stinky boys left early to get more rocks for the front of our house remodeling epic.. the plan is to be ready to plant by Sunday afternoon – ya know, i’m just not seeing it..

i’ve convinced the girls day participants that a trip to get plants is totally a girl thing.  i’m hoping my hanging baskets are still in!  i hope everyone is enjoying the weather!

a little over two weeks ago our grill finally died.. it was a wedding gift from my grandparents almost 8 years ago.. it really needed to be replaced about 3 years ago, but i just couldn’t.. well, flames shot out the front – where the knobs are.. and then it just got worse.. SO.. i let it sit for a few days before i decided it was time to retire the grill.. i noticed birds flying in it one afternoon – took a look and there were a few pieces of grass.. then we went out of town for a couple days – and we went to throw the grill away when we got home.. and this is what we saw…

that is not my shadow on the front of the grill – it’s flame marks.. eeeeeek.. so the nest is like 6 inches deep.. and then you peek over the edge..

is that not crazy.. 5 perfect little blue eggs.. we are staying as far away from the little family to be as possible.. the kids are so excited.. Abby thinks she hears the eggs cracking every morning when she wakes..

and one more… a close up..

anyone have any idea how long the eggs will take to hatch?  hoping they don’t get abandoned!  hopefully i’ll be able to get some shots of the little chicks!

all i wanted for Easter was a picture of my kids together..we had a fantastic day at the Biltmore.. just fantastic.. relaxing and outdoors the whole time.. perfect weather.. except for the last 20 minutes of the day.. captured horribly below

taking pictures of your own kids is so insanely frustrating.. but i just wanted one picture of all of my kids together..  i swear i forget everything i tell my clients to do when my kids get in front of the camera.. relax, be natural, just let it happen.. not on an empty tummy or exhaustion and simple shirts with NO words on them…   well, Emily was NOT having it..  she was exhausted.. we’d been walking the trails at the Biltmore all afternoon and – well, I just didn’t play this smart.. Tom sat Emily in this little spot that had gorgeous bluebells and Emily would NOT have it..  she would not let go of the juice box.. so.. this is what we have… see the sun all splotchy on her.. UGH..  her cheeks blotchy from crying.. i could fix those in editing, but really – the feeling of the moment was blotchy cheeks… she’d rather eat that box than give me the satisfaction of looking in my direction.

the kids in dapply shade/sun is a huge no no – but by this point I was just saying “SIT down.. together… NOW”.. well, then I was that mom i dread… “JUST look AT me”.. “COOPER, come on.. smile”.. “Abby… come on Abby.. not that smile.. your real smile”.. “ONE more.. “.. i mean.. i would have told me to leave!

tom said.. “really, people pay you to do this??  are you like this with their kids?”  I mean.. please do not judge me by these images.. they are horrible technically and then just a mess as far as capturing my kids – well, actually I guess this IS my kids in all their goofy-ness!!!  i should have just brought my point and shoot and captured the day.. I KNOW better than to try this on hungry tired kids who have been with their grandparents for a week.. OOOOOH.. that’s it.. I will blame it on my Mother In Law!

new computer on the way – thank goodness…  i am up to my ears in editing and this computer is begging to be thrown out the window…  i accomplished a ton today and wanted to share a page from this little beauty’s book..

i need to take a break from the photo books i’m designing.. thought i’d look through the pics i snapped of Em at the Biltmore last weekend – ya know, the one nice day we had before the snow came!  the Biltmore is just about my favorite place to go and now that Emily is walking it is so fun to take her.  the big kids were spending the week with thier grandparents, so it was fun to get to watch her.

while i was admiring the flowers, em found the only mound of unmanicured dirt on the lawn..

then we went further down in the walled garden and emily was practicing her fast walk.. she gets going and can’t stop very well.. we were in the full afternoon sun – i had to buy $13 sunscreen at the gift shop – won’t forget that in the car again.. you see by her coloring, we couldn’t go without the protectionand some more of her..  people kept stopping to watch her – i just kept hoping she knew enough not to grab a tulip and yank it out of the ground!

i do not fancy myself a techy gal… and putting this new blog together was not easy..  i even had a template (purchased it oh, 9 months ago).. the kids being gone this week allowed me a bit of time to pull my hair out and wish I’d taken some classes in college on this.. but ya know, i bet there were not classes on this then.. email was the big thing!  okay.. the old blog will be up for a while, but bookmark this site!  need to figure out my music, but until then..  i promise to get some images up soon… check out the tabs on top – all the info is there and it’s less jumbled…still tweaking this – any comments are appreciated!

old blog.. in case you just can’t let go yet..

http://ngphoto.typepad.com/nicholle/

i’ve been going through images to play with for the new blog.. and i just love this one..