Last year, I was beyond honored to be asked to join 9 other photographers in the Houston area to help raise money for the Marsh Family who lost their little girl, Layla Grace, to neuroblastoma cancer… The event was called Portrait Party for Layla.  The money we raised by doing our photo sessions was donated to the family to help cover their medical bills that they incurred during their little angel’s battle with cancer.  The event was a big success with an overwhelming response and was covered by the news 3 times!

A year later, there is now a foundation in place, The Layla Grace Foundation, which raises awareness of childhood cancers and funds research for new treatments.  Read through their website and become familiar with the organization…  I’m sure you will be moved by the stories you read.  As a mother myself, I can’t help but try imagine the unimaginable situations of the children and parents spotlighted on this site’s blog.

If you are interested in being a part of this charity event, read this to see what it is we’re doing!

If you like what you read and want to be a part of the big day, click here to purchase a session with me.

The 20 minute sessions I am offering on April 9th will include 1 8×10 print, 1 digital image, and 20% off additional a la carte purchases…  All for $75 which is donated to the foundation.

Hope to have you join me in this great event!

The Accordion Brag Book

This little baby is packed will all kinds of exciting elements…  It’s wallet sized so it easily fits into your purse.  And because of it’s small size, it can be whipped out for a quick session of child bragging at a moment’s notice.  It features a gorgeous custom designed cover featuring your favorite image as the main attraction.  Nifty fan folded accordion style linen pages unfold to display more of your photos.  Oh, it’s also magnetic.  Which of course means that you can display it on your fridge at home or at the office on a filing cabinet… And you get the option to buy in sets of 3, which makes them the perfect grandparent gift.  Completely cool product.

Very slim and very cute.

The Accordion Album

Similar to the Accordion Brag Book… Only bigger and a lot more awe power!  It’s 4×8 in size and features a custom designed photo cover!  The size of this product is so unusually interesting which makes it unlike any other album you’ve seen before!  It also features fan folded accordion style linen pages like the Brag Book… only  much, much bigger!

The large pages give full spread images quite the awesome visual impact…

This album is a fun alternate to my other album (which will be pictured in my next post) for a couple of reasons…  It has a very fun, unique size.  And, it’s priced perfectly for not breaking the budget.

Fun, fun, fun!  I’ve got more goodies to show still… I’ll be back to show them off soon!

xox, reata

This photo is a dead giveaway… We had fun at this session!  Wonderful twin boys who completely adored their fun and loving parents.  It’s great to see families who have fun doing things together outdoors…  This family may live downtown in the big city, but they visit their farm and family every weekend out in the country!  It’s easy to see that these boys love to explore the land, giggle a lot, and share their love with all the wonderful people who surround them.

He tried and tried… But that heavy wheelbarrow just didn’t want to budge.

And, the smell that surrounded this hybrid tree that produces Lemonade Lemons was to die for!  I honestly wish I could have bottled up the sweet scent and brought some home with me!

Told you these parents were fun… This was an impromptu game of ring around the rosies.  Well, actually, it was ring around the lemons, but whatever.

With their sweet horse:

This gorgeous horse just wouldn’t step out from infront of the camera…  Everytime Dad got him to walk away, I’d turn my head and his nose would be right at my ear.  Which is when I snapped this next one.  I don’t think he was a horse at all…  He was a hog.  A camera HOG!

One last one… Momma and one of her boys.

xox, reata

Keep in mind… These Holiday Mini Sessions do NOT have to be holiday themed or all about family.  They can be anything you want them to be: photos of yourself, your baby, your baby bump, your twins, your parents, your dog… whatever.

The session slots are limited and I expect that they won’t last all that long.  So, if you are interested or need more info, shoot me an email or give me a call so we can get you set up.  :)

]]> http://sugarshotsphotographysite.com/blog/2010/10/01/holiday-mini-sessions-richmond-sugar-land-katy-holiday-photography/feed/ 1 http://sugarshotsphotographysite.com/blog/2010/06/27/2010-houstons-best-nominee-sugar-land-richmond-houston-photography/ http://sugarshotsphotographysite.com/blog/2010/06/27/2010-houstons-best-nominee-sugar-land-richmond-houston-photography/#comments Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:11:15 +0000 reata http://sugarshotsphotographysite.com/blog/?p=1935 I am thrilled (and shocked, actually) to find out that Sugar Shots Photography has been nominated for the KPRC Houston’s Best Contest for the catagory Children’s Photography!!  I did not expect such a wonderful surprise…  But, now that it has been laid in my lap, I’m just dying to win (of course!)!!

So, please —  Click HERE and go cast a vote for Sugar Shots Photography!!  I can not win with out your help!!

Now…. I’m headed off to the beach!  I will see you guys real soon…. I have some really awesome stuff I need to post, including another commercial shoot with another phenominal clothing designer, CourtneyCourtney!

xoxo, reata

I’m not really sure where to begin with this story…  I guess I should start with how I first heard of Layla Grace, who she is, and why I’m posting about her.

It was a few weeks ago when my good friend randomly asked me if I’d ever heard of Layla Grace and I simply replied unknowingly, No… What’s that?  Errr, I mean, who’s that?  I had no idea how heartbreaking the next bit of info would be.

My friend told me about a sweet, beautiful little girl who was in the last stages of Neuroblastoma Cancer….  A bright-eyed, high-spirited little girl whose loving parents had started a blog to keep their friends and family updated on her progress as she went through horribly tough, tough times fighting her terrible desease.  Although the initial intentions of this blog were not to gain recognition, this blog eventually started being following by thousands (literally) of prayerful well-wishers… all praying for peace and comfort for this one lovely family.

My friend told me I should check out their blog if I wanted… but she knew for certain, I would cry while reading it.  Of course, later that evening as I read along, I cried and cried. And cried.

After reading Layla’s story and seeing the gorgeous photos that Cypress based photographer Christie Lacy had done for them, my heart was so incredibly heavy with grief, hope, love, and pain for Layla’s entire family…  I could not, for the life of me, get them out of my head.  Their family is similar in make-up to mine:  three young girls, about the same ages as mine.  I couldn’t image how Layla’s parents were making it through each day – obviously, they are very faithful servants to the Lord.  I prayed and prayed for them – and I still do.

Four days after first hearing about Layla,  I received a phone call completely out of the blue from Christie Lacy (the photographer who did their family photos)… She did not know me and I did not know her.  As she explained who she was and told me the exact same story I had just read online four days earlier, I realized God was setting the stage for something He knew I couldn’t refuse and I was in awe.  Christie explained to me that this special little girl and her family had touched her heart…  My heart pounded. I was shaking.  And,  I was completely astounded…  Why in the world am I receiving this call??  How did she even get my number?!  

Christie asked if I’d join forces with her in a charity event benefiting the family of Layla Grace… After working with the Marsh Family, she was so touched that she wanted to do something more for them – A Charity Mini Session Event, Party For Layla.  And, because of the overwhelming response she was getting from so many wonderful, prayerful families who wanted to book a mini session, she realized she would need help from other photographers.  This is why she called me.  I was in 100%.

I am beyond honored and feel truly blessed that God led her to call my phone number – after all, there are tons of photographers in the Houston area… why me?!  I am estatic that, in addition to the prayers I have been offering up to God for the Marsh family, that I have been asked to help a little bit more….   I am hopeful that we will have an amazing turn-out for this event!

If you are interested in helping the family of Layla Grace, please check out our Party For Layla Website and consider booking an appointment for a mini session with me (or one of the many other awesome participating photographers)!  The entire session fee is being donated to the family and each 20 minute mini-session will receive one 8×10 fine art print!  

Read the details HERE.

xox, Reata

After being delayed for months with horrible weather conditions, this family’s photo session finally took place this past week…  Literally, the original appointment and all the various attempts at remake times just weren’t working with the weather’s plans.  So, finally, we had decided that no matter what, we’d finally make this thing happen!

And what do you think happened on the day of their session?

It drizzled.  Non-stop.

But, no worries!  This awesome family of troopers held out and created some fabulous photos indoors and out!  Thanks guys for braving the rain with me!

Never too old for a little mom/daughter love…  Adorable and sweet:

Grandma was there too…  So we could snap up some of the 3 generations:

And the cutie-pie puppies of the family:

LOTS more to come F Family…  Can’t wait to share them with you, SOON!  :)

No, I don’t really have what you’d call a ‘prissy’ dog.  He’s not a teacup or a mini anything.  He’s just a small Wizard of Oz Toto dog  (Cairn Terrier)  named Toto.  And, who knows, maybe I’m turning him into a sissy little sassafras ninny, but I dunno…  I just don’t like it when his feet are dirty.  or dusty.  or contain any evidence that he’s been outside.  And, I certainly don’t want his semi-dirty pads getting anything funky on my light colored rug.  Eeeek…  I shiver at the thought!

So.  I wash his feet.  

Not every time he comes in from galavanting around the backyard.  But, most of the time.

Now, enough about my dog feet washing oddities…  Here’s to a pleasantly clean doggie-feet-day!