And it made me happy. I don’t do it as much as I used to, but when I do, it makes it that much more refreshing.

What? You don’t already follow me on Instagram? Well, you should because you never know what might happen on there. For example, back in December, as part of my 12 days of giveaways, I gave away some spring Mommy & Me wildflower mini sessions to some of my clients. And let me tell you, the wildflowers this year have been so amazing, it could NOT have been a better prize ;-). Beautiful mommies doing what they do, beautifully!

And now, all these years later, she teaches my little girl. I LOVE having a connection like that to someone! And it was so much fun to get to meet her family (especially her little boy who was born just before my own daughter). You guys are beautiful, Heather!

I first met 2/3 of this trio on a super sweltering day last August for her official engagement photos. I’m so glad the weather was much kinder to us as we kicked off bluebonnet season together (AND, celebrated her birthday) with her Mom and her sister. I know that years down the road, when life has changed so much, they will be so very happy they chose to do a session like this together. And whenever they see wildflowers, they will giggle to remember their mom rolling around in them like a child. She even had ME cracking up!!! Beautiful and confident group of women here!

It’s so true! Taking the plunge to attend a photography workshop can be a little bit intimidating, but it certainly helps to have a friend by your side. So, from now through April 31st, 2014, when you and a friend book together, you’ll both receive a $200 rebate after your workshop(s). *See below for rules and restrictions. To get the full details on the workshop (dates, locations, schedule, agenda, cost, etc.), please drop a line via the form on THIS page!

And now, I wanted to share a letter with you that I’ve actually been meaning to share for quite some time. This is from the lovely Courtney Bolle (who happens to be a very, very busy mommy right now) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

One year ago, nearly to the day, I can remember sitting in front of my computer, contemplating whether or not to sign up for a Pinkle Toes Workshop.  I had stumbled upon Michele’s blog about a year prior, when the thought of beginning a photography business was just a small spark in my mind.  I was instantly captivated by the way she brought out genuine beauty, emotion, and magic in all of her sessions.  I knew that if I were to ever turn my hobby into a business, those were the types of photos that I wanted to produce and she was the person that I dreamt of learning from.  So there I sat at my computer, worried that I was too new to the world of photography to attend such a workshop, but also not wanting to miss out on the opportunity to begin my business with such strength.  After weighing my options, I decided to sign up for one of the March 2012 workshops and am so grateful that I took that leap of faith which allowed me to gain an incredible wealth of knowledge and an invaluable experience from Michele.

One of things that impressed me the most about the Pinkle Toes Workshop was Michele’s organization and ability to stay on track in order to ensure that we made it through every activity and conversation that she had thoughtfully planned out.  We covered so many great topics, but by far my absolute favorite part of the workshop was being able to watch Michele in her element, photographing a family.  Michele is an extremely warm, talented, and caring person who has a gift of putting those around her at ease, so the opportunity to watch her capture a family so authentically was incredibly inspiring and beautiful.

Michele’s Pinkle Toes Workshop offers something for everyone.  Whether you are new to photography or have been in business for  years, as long as you are open to learning, you will surely walk away with new inspiration, techniques, and business tips.  And chances are, you’ll also probably learn from the other talented photographers attending the workshop while making a few new friends, too.  Michele was an open book, encouraging questions and feedback constantly.  I can confidently say that I left the workshop happy and fulfilled with the knowledge that I had hoped to gain.  Even now, months later, I still refer back to the notes that I took while there.  I have recently opened the doors to my photography business and am no longer nervous, but actually excited to watch it blossom.  I owe a large part of that to Michele and her amazing mentorship.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and heart with me, Michele!  I appreciate it more than you know!

Courtney…thank YOU from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to share your inspiring and heartfelt words. I am so happy to have met you and I’m sorry it took me so long to properly thank you for your note.

And now a few images of Courtney in action at the workshop:

Plus, I *think* I spy Casey in that adorable red and white striped shirt, who happens to be our awesome hostess for the Olympia, Washington workshop this summer! We still have a few openings left for Olympia, Cardiff (near San Diego, CA), Mendocino (near San Francisco, CA), and my home base, Austin, Texas.

———–

*April Special Offer: This offer cannot be combined with other discounts. To receive the rebate, BOTH parties must attend a Pinkle Toes U.S. Workshop in 2014, but it does not have to be the same workshop. Several friends may book together, but it’s a max $200 rebate per person. Offer good through April 30th, 2014. Sorry, no rainchecks for sold out workshops.

This beautiful mommy and I go waaaaayyy back…like before we were even actual mommies. Our session this year was fabulous…full of all things happy and sunshiney and colorful. In fact, I’m thrilled we were able to squeeze in one final photo session featuring the Airstream the day before it was hauled off for a complete renovation. And hey…isn’t this family gorgeous??? Wow! Happy kids and happy parents make me happy!

…we tried to give him cake, lol! Oh, he was priceless, even when he was totally confused by the whole cake thing. Those bright, sparkly eyes and that charming smile…oh my…he’s a living doll! He has certainly blessed his parents with being one of coolest little dudes ever! It was an honor to celebrate your big-oh-one on your special, special day! Also, loved mom’s expert dodging of the cake at the end ;-). Too funny! (Another sailboat FAV!)

I mean seriously? How did we get so lucky to have a gorgeous, spring-like day in December last year? Especially considering that we were already getting ice??? But we definitely lucked out and I was THRILLED to get to take these photos for such a lovely and kind and confident young lady. And the fact that we got to work with her horse just made it all the more personal and beautiful!
We will start scheduling senior pictures for Austin seniors in December of this year (2014) through February-March of 2015, so again, you want to get on my calendar ASAP.

P.S. Another image from this session can be found HERE.

Okay, maybe the idea was a little crazy: three small children (two of whom prefer to crawl in two different directions) + a truckload full of farm animals, but doesn’t matter because it was COMPLETELY worth it. We pretty much had it all that day (including a little lamb which helped create one of my most favorite images EVER) but one animal you will notice that is missing is a pig. We had two of the most adorable little piglets show up that afternoon, but those little dudes are FAST and both the baby humans and the baby pigs were equally terrified of each other. The whole thing was quite comical, actually…trying to corral three children and a bunch of baby animals. We made it happen though and we definitely celebrated the twins’ birthday(s?) in style.

Those are the words that come to mind when I recall the afternoon I spent with this family not too long ago. I loved everything about this session. I loved the carefree nature of it all. I loved the wind-swept hair and beautiful freckles and gorgeous giggles and the love…the love of ranch life…the love of family. The sun betrayed us because we could have played all night.

My favorite mom + daughter pic is HERE.

A funny one that shows baby girl’s reaction to a fizzy drink HERE.

Another fav larger HERE.