hi.

I'm here today. Come visit and check out the comments. I think they're the best part of the post.

Then please go here, and help. Even if it's just $5. It will make your heart happy, I promise.

I'll try to pop in again later.

Or I might become completely buried in Christmas orders.

Or I might decide on an afternoon photoshoot with my own kids.

Or I might become completely jealous that Jason has the day off with the kids, and start my vacation early.

:)

Top Ten

My sister posted the Top Ten things she's been up to lately. I wanted to play too.

1. Easily, the most exciting thing was that I got to do a photo shoot for Tony Parker and Eva Longoria last weekend, for their Christmas card! It was so amazing! They were totally down to earth, friendly, and up for anything, which made for a really relaxed shoot. Only thing is because of confidentiality, I won't be showing the session, other than a shot of their hands. If you want a sneak peak, it's posted on the main site. Other than that, you'll just have to use your imagination.  :)

2. For YEARS our family has survived off the take out menu. Cooking always seemed like another mountain to climb at the end of the day. But my friend DDnisia kept telling me about the 30 minute Racheal Ray meals in her magazine. I finally picked one up, and they're little mini books inside that plan your whole week out, including groceries. This has been life-changing! I'm telling you, if your family is currently eating of boxes, you have to go get the magazine! All the meals really are super easy and fast, and good. And you'll be richer, from not eating out so much.

3. Still not sleeping, still milling, and still flipping my pillow over to the "cool" side repeatedly.

4. Returned a rug to Target that had been bugging me for 2 months. I'd resigned myself to living with it. But after putting the tree up yesterday, it felt even more like an eye sore. So I took it back and traded it for a red one. And also realized that red comforts me. No matter how I try to redecorate, I have to have it in every room, somewhere.

5. My friend Dr. Feinstein has gotten me back on track with Obagi. I've been using it religiously for a couple weeks, and can already see a difference in my skin. At first, your face gets peely, and red. And I realized that's why I quit using it last time. You just have to make it past that part. And I did take a 'before' photo this time. So when I run out of product, I'll post the 'after'. This stuff is amazing. Not cheap, but amazing and well worth it.

6. Jason's birthday is on Sunday. He is the best husband in the world, but I have no idea what to get him. Any ideas?

7. Been working on lots of exciting things for 2009, like mini-sessions, and a spruced up look. AND website. Just went there today, and realized my site is muy mucho OUTDATED.

8. Hoping is stays overcast all day today.

9. Realized I'm a pretty exciting person when one of my top ten things lately is that I've been "flipping my pillow a lot".

10. Well, my last one is pretty exciting. The Flaningans are coming tomorrow! And we are counting down to porch time. Hurry up hurry up hurry up already!! 

How about your top ten? Link in the comments if you want.

Milling and The Tivers

The coffee drip is in full effect, as I continued yet another full night of cat-napping. Sleep for 3 hours, up for 2, sleep for 1, up for 1. It's like pregnancy without the peeing. And with milling. Like an old man reading junk mail, I wander about, checking. Is the alarm is on? Are the kids breathing? Did I drink enough water today? I would start working, but then I know I'd never make it back to sleep. So I MILL...around the house, and on the internet reading the news. And by 'news', I mean reading the status of my friends on Facebook. I talk to DD about 5 times a day, but now I know that she is "watching her taped shows". That Katy is "dreading a plane ride". That "Kristi ran a marathon", "Paul hates Taco Bell" 5 hours ago. And that my husband "needs a beer". When there are no more left, I move on to the quizzes. Because at 2:30 in the morning, somehow it becomes crucial to find out which 80s movie best describes me. Mine happened to be The Princess Bride, which I promptly deleted for inaccuracy. Everyone knows it should have been The Breakfast Club, or Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. And alert the authorities because that's not the only faulty quiz luring late-night millers into a web of lies. Because while I liked the result of "Sanguine" in the "What word best describes you" quiz, the questions were a little...well, questionable.

What  would be more characteristic of you? A. Pack your bags and leave on an unplanned holiday. OR B. Feel terrible that you can't solve world hunger and write a poem about it.

And that was word for word. HMMM... Let me think... pina colada on the beach, OR crying into a notepad about how I cannot save the world. How to CHOOSE.

What best describes you? A. Confident and self assured. OR B. Rational and mediocre

Again, self assured? Or mediocre? Which one do I pick?!! And am I more of an elephant or a donkey...OR a lemming???

ANNNND, Welcome To My Night. I'm sure there will be more to come as my body continues the process of morphing into a bat. Now why wasn't THAT one of the choices on the quiz!

And for all of you who are saying, "Sheesh, just get to the pictures!" Here you go. Another cute family: Kristian and Jason, and their babies. I met Kristian at the United Lending shoot a few months ago. It was so great to see them again. And fun mixing it up with their dogs too. Thanks you guys!

Have a nice hump day peeps! :)

Heroes and The Friesenhahns

A few random notes before posting photos.

1. What the hell happened to Heroes? Jason and I have COMPLETELY opposite taste in television. Basically he likes the Sci Fi network, and Kung fu movies. And I would rather stick straight pins into my fingertips than watch people kicking above a sub-title. And don't get me started on grown adults in unitards, running around a hollywood set, I'm sorry "the mothership", pretending that they are aliens. I would rather lie on my roof, and get pelted with hail. Besides, I have more important things to do, like find out if Lauren will ever forgive Heidi. Or whether or not the Bachelor will pick the nice girl or the skank. These are dire questions in need of answers. HOWEVER, somewhere along the way, Jason got me roped into two programs that don't make me want to poke my eyeballs out: One is 24 (the best show EVER. We have only ever missed one episode. And that was because a stupid babysitter deleted our timer. We never used her again). And the second show was Heroes, which I used to look forward to. But it has gotten SO BAD...SOOO BAD, and BORING over the past couple of months. There are way too many characters, and none of them ever figure anything out! I told Jason last night that I hope they do blow up the world. So, now we're back to having only one show in common. Oh well.

2. I had no idea I was going to write so much on that topic, I think there's only time for one more thing now. :)

So 3. I'm going to be in Houston the weekend after Thanksgiving. So if you're in the area, and would like to schedule a session, I'll be running a special for Houston peeps just for those days. So email me if you're interested: admin@relishportraitstudio.com

4. Time for another Christmas session. You might remember The Friesenhahns from last year. Carrie is one of my all time favorite clients. She is so easy to talk to, completely laid back. And everything she does has style and flair. Love her, and the whole family!

 Thanks Carrie and Johnny!

See everyone tomorrow!

The Suttons and Trosts

My clock has been off ever since daylight savings. This morning I woke up at the crack of 3:30. So I got up, worked a little, got tired at 6:30, went back to bed, and up again at 7 to rush kids out the door almost late for school. Then I promptly installed a drip, set to inject straight coffee grounds into my veins for the next 8 hours. Or 15. There is so much to do, I don't even  know where to begin. But I guess that's how it goes every November, huh?

I still have red sofa sessions to post for days! Today, meet the Trosts and the Suttons. I met Michelle and Cyndy originally at the Hot Mama shoots earlier this year. They are buds, so I thought I'd post them together.

The cute Sutton fam.

The lovely Trosts. :)

 Thanks you guys! It was so great to meet your whole families and play!

In other (HOLY-COW-YOU-ARE-KIDDING-ME!!) news, our own AMAZING TRACEY, founder of, and dedicated writer/photographer for Shutter Sisters is going to be a spokesperson for Snapfish, ON OPRAH today!!! So make sure you tune in, and send her lots of love! Go Tracey go!!! Go Tracey go!!!

Update on Monday, November 17, 2008 at 06:17PM by daily relish

Whoops! I thought Oprah was live...Tracey's segment will air at the end of the month. Sorry! :)