[Disclaimer: so as not to spend the entire evening behind my big, black Nikon box, I only took pics w/ my iphone 😉 You can forgive me, right?]

A good friend of mine shared THIS video with me and it absolutely inspired me because let’s face it, after our family’s fair share of hurt this year, I definitely have a desire to be happier.  So, I decided to throw a party to thank some very special clients…people who have been with me since the very beginning, people I see year after year, people with whom I’ve shared laughter, tears, elation, and heartache. What better way to thank them than to give them a little shopping spree at one of my favorite stores, Kendra Scott Jewelry in good ol’ Austin, TX? And, even better, in the process, we were able to raise more than $1,100 to go toward the Melanoma Research Foundation. (Why?).

It could not have been a more perfect evening. I had SO much fun getting to visit with my clients dear friends while doing some girlie girl shopping with them. I got to hug each and every one of them and say, “Thank you,” in person. I even had a visit from my sissy and my hubby brought the kiddos by for a cupcake or two (PURE yumminess from Nothing Bundt Cakes in Westlake).  I was walking on air that night. So much so, it is pretty much a given that we must repeat this next year. Right, ladies? Those who were not able to make it…here is your hug, too ;-). Sorry we missed you and hopefully, we’ll catch you next time around 😉

I still pinch myself sometimes. I can’t believe how many families I’ve been able to watch grow and change over these last seven years. I was telling a client the other day it’s funny because this is the longest I’ve stayed in one job…by far. My second longest was 2 years ;-). I am very thankful to have found a career that doesn’t really feel like “work.” It fulfills me and keeps me going. I get hang out with the most interesting, humorous, brilliant, beautiful people from all over the world…from all walks of life. I am very thankful for all of the clients I’ve met and the miracles I’ve witnessed and celebrated. Very thankful.

XOXO and very humbly yours,

Me

A not-so-subtle hint for you to make sure you follow me @pinkletoesoriginal on Instagram because there is a HUGE surprise (or two?) that will be announced ONLY on here. Oh, and you *might* want to just go ahead and share this with your friends (repost on Instagram or Facebook), because having extra sets of eyes *might* be reaaaaally helpful to you and/or your pals. #pinkletoesmystery2013

while pregnant with TWINS–wait, let’s stop right there. I could never look this good at all, period:

Let me tell you it was fa-reeeezing in Austin the morning of their maternity photo shoot and in between shots, she was huddled under a blanket trying to stay warm. Such a trooper! I think she has such an incredible smile and to watch the two of them together was amazing. I cannot wait to see their transition into parenthood…times TWO. I have not a single doubt that they are going to be outstanding parents! {Follow THIS link to see an image not shown here}.

(Poll not displaying properly? Try THIS link.)

WINNERS ANNOUNCED HERE 2.14.13

These (view larger) are the TOP 12 finalists in the running for Pinkle’s 4th Annual Pic of the Year! This gallery consists of the top 4 from the popular vote, 4 selected by a panel of professional photographers, and 4 new surprise images from 2012 selected by me.  Each of these 12 finalists will receive a $100 gift card toward a full Pinkle Toes session in 2013, but now, we have to determine our winners. You can vote for your favorite(s) from now until midnight central time on Feb 13th. On Feb 14th, we will announce THREE winners:

Couple of non-session related things to note:

1. Getting ready for the last Austin workshop this weekend, so I’m going to be away for a few days. In other words, don’t panic if you send me an e-mail and you don’t hear back from me for a while.

2. After that, we get to spend some time with Jim’s kiddos for a while and we are very excited about that. Their cousins are pretty darned excited, too. In case you missed it, I posted an update on Jim PLUS some exciting new limited edition releases for j.imprints!

3. Did you hear that we opened up two more on-the-road workshops this summer? One in St. Louis (which, by the way, is filling up very quickly) and one in TORONTO, Ontario, Canada!!! If you are a professional photographer (or working to be coming a professional family photographer) in/near these areas, see this page to submit an interest form and I’ll make sure you get all of the details.

4. Have you been following my 365 project? I’m proud to say that I have completed the FIRST month! Only 11 more months to go!

5. And don’t forget, you have until Feb 6th to vote for your favorite image in round 1 of Pinkle’s Pic of the year.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED HERE 2.14.13

UPDATE 2.7.13: GO HERE TO SEE THE FINALISTS AND SELECT YOUR FAVS FOR ROUND II!!!

There are 48 entries in the running to become Pinkle’s Pic of the Year. These images were selected by the clients themselves for your consideration to become finalists. Here’s how it works:

ROUND ONE – NOW thru midnight central on Feb 6th

• Cast your vote(s) for your favorite image(s) in the poll below between now and by MIDNIGHT CENTRAL TIME ON FEB 6th, 2013.
• You can view each entry larger in THIS GALLERY
• While you can only vote once, you can vote for more than one image (you’re welcome 😉

(Poll not displaying properly? Try THIS link.)

On Feb 7th, 12 finalists will be announced here and on Facebook, selected as follows:

• The top 4 from this online poll
• 4 selected from a panel of professional photographers
• 4 selected by me! (I might even add in a few surprise entries)

It’s only a day later than I had hoped, but here it is…HERE is the answer to, “…if there is anything I can do to help…”

Those of you that follow me on Facebook know that the past few weeks have been jam-packed full of fear, loss and sadness, but I am determined to turn this depression into something productive and I am determined to do it before Christmas so that we can spend this precious and very likely limited time together as a loving, supportive family. I cannot cure the cancer that plagues Jim, but I *can* give them a small way to help them focus their energies on family, treatment and pain management. Please, please, please, I don’t ask for much on my blog, but please, take a few minutes to check out the j.imprints gallery project and see if there is a special image that speaks to your heart that you’d like for yourself or for someone you care about. And then share it. Most importantly, get the word out about preventing and catching melanoma as early as possible.

Love to you all and wishes for a very happy holiday season surrounded by those you love most,

Michele

…I can’t even begin to tell you how refreshing it was to get to work on this session today. That little girl up there is crazy, super loved and her warmth and energy and charm is 100x more palatable in person than even in these pics. She might just take after her mommy  just a wee bit ;-). Two other favs HERE and HERE.

Those of you who follow my blog, facebook, or Instagram know that this past week+ has been very trying for my family. I am getting back into the swing of things with work, but it’s taking some time and will continue to do so. Thank you so much to my clients and friends for being incredibly understanding. Thank you to Kelly here for being so amazingly patient waiting on her images. I’m normally a stickler for deadlines and timeframes, but even the best planning can’t stand up to life’s challenges sometimes. I feel amazingly blessed to have experienced so much love from my clients and the online community and my photographer friends.

Many of you have been asking about how you can help regarding my brother-in-law. We are currently working on a project that I hope to launch on Monday that might give you that opportunity AND you could probably score a last-minute holiday gift if needed. I don’t want to say much more because there are so many facets yet to be worked out, but please, check back Monday afternoon to see what we’ve come up with. And thank  you a million times again.

I am SO excited to have partnered up with Gro Boutique to bring back the 2nd Annual Pinkle Toes Holiday Mini Sessions! This year’s theme is Candy Land and I’ve been working day and night to pull together this magical, sweet set. The *only* way to score one of these FREE exclusive kids-only mini sessions is by booking a full session for 2013. I just announced these a few days ago and the openings are already more than half full, so don’t wait around.  And yes, if you bring in an unwrapped toy/gift to your mini, you’ll receive a special surprise ;-0. Please contact me ASAP to get the full details.

Everything about this session was giggles, sparkles, wonder, and true family contentment. I don’t think we could have had a more perfect session if we tried and it was so much fun getting to know and work with this family. There’s one pic up there that should be viewed larger, by the way.

Speaking of sparkles, you may have seen my little teaser the other day: well, we’ve been hard at work creating the set for the 2nd annual Pinkle Toes Holiday Mini sessions!!! These kids-only minis will be held starting at the end of this month at Gro Boutique and the mini + one file is FREE when you book a full session with me for 2013!! If you’d like all the details, please let me know and stay tuned to the blog and Facebook where I’ll be posting more sneak peeks of this year’s magical set. Last year, these sessions filled very quickly, so don’t miss out.