Christmas, News, & Updates

There are many things that I haven't blogged about yet, but it's the holidays so I've been a bit preoccupied. Here is the run-down version of what's been going on...

UPDATE: I am in the process of completely rebuilding my main website. I will no longer be using a "photographers template", but instead it will be built from scratch. I was originally going to launch it on Jan 1st, but alas I need it to be done sooner than that.  :(   With some new publicity (TV & newspaper) coming over the Christmas holidays in the OKC area, I want a fresh new look when potential clients stop by to visit.
UPDATE: In addition to a new main website, prices for certain sessions and products will be changing. Some higher, some lower, and some entirely new items. Print & product prices are only changing because of my lab updating their prices.
UPDATE: My Desired Assets boudoir website will likely launch over the next week, within days after Christmas. I am still building the gallery, but I hope for it to be 90% done when it goes public. The website link will be here: www.DesiredAssets.com
NEWS: Today, I interviewed with Bryan Dean of The Oklahoman newspaper. She is working on a story about my participation with OpLove. After the interview, she mentioned that she was hoping to have it run this weekend...on Sunday, Christmas Day, on the COVER of the Metro Family section. She's not sure if that will happen with it being such an important weekend, but she is hopeful. I am too, but I am truly grateful for any publicity about this wonderful org!
NEWS: I set up the interview & filming schedule for Freedom 43 (tv news in OKC). They will be filming interviews & part of my client session on Tuesday, Dec 27th at a local park. It is still unsure when it will actually air on tv, but myself and my clients are very excited.
CHRISTMAS: Just in case you hadn't noticed...Christmas is this weekend! I was so busy getting last minute client orders to the various labs that I totally spaced out on ordering my own business Christmas Cards. Once I sent in my own order, the lab politely responded that they won't be ready until AFTER Christmas. Grrrrrr on me! So for all intended good thoughts and holiday wishes, here is the design of the card that all my clients would have received.   :)

Check back soon for more updates and posts! Meanwhile, I personally want to wish all my clients, fans, and colleagues a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Stay safe in your travels, and I look forward to seeing you next year!!!

Winter Market

I just finished the "Fancy! and Friends Winter Market" at the Edmond Museum. It was the first year for the show, but I thought that it seemed to go smoothly! I met several great vendors, potential clients, and got to reunite with some old neighbors that I grew up with. :) I also got to brag about OpLove and all our recent publicity! I made several new contacts in that regards. And a big CONGRATULATIONS to Joy Murphy for winning my free family photo session during the event drawing! I look forward to hearing from you about our 2012 session!!!

Note to Miss Shandee: I received TONS of compliments on your photo! Numerous people said that it was such a great photo. Then they said, "She is just beautiful." Of course, I was very proud at that point because 1) it is a great photo, even if I do say so myself,  and 2) you are beautiful (which I already knew, but am so happy that I got to show others too). Then a few people commented on what I took as the Pièce de résistance...they asked, "Is that your daughter?" Really, OMG & LOL! I was very proud that it was my photo and very proud that I displayed your beauty in its truest form, but then to be complimented enough that they also thought I was your mom...WOW, that must mean that they think I'm pretty "easy on the eyes" too! I was on cloud nine for a few mins.  :)  Your parents must be sooo proud to have raised such a beautiful daughter - on the outside, but more importantly on the inside!

Luckily, my dad came to see me today, the 2nd day of the show, and helped me put my banner up. (It was too tall for the table and there was nothing to rope it to around the sides.) So, lots of scotch tape to the rescue!!!! My booth looked 100 times better with it up, but alas it fell about 10 minutes after daddy left. I tried everything to put it back in place but no luck!   :(

I do want to thank Kristin and Angel for inviting me to the market. It's been a few years since I agreed to do a show, but I was happy to be a part of this one! And to anyone that is in the market for an Event & Party Planner...check out their website here: Fancy Like That!. I also met a local lady that does some fabulous crochet (I got an awesome headband/ear cover thing), so I can hook you up if you are in the market!!!

Be sure to stop by and see me at the Winter Market this weekend!

Don't forget to enter my drawing for a FREE family session in 2012, as well as picking up some free promo items. I will also have Gift Certificates, Photo Snow Globes, and Mini Photo Ornaments available for immediate purchase.

Fancy! and Friends Winter Market

EVENT DATE/TIME
Dec 9, 2011 to Dec 10, 2011
Friday, Dec 9th from 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Saturday, Dec 10th from 1:00 - 4:00 pm


DESCRIPTION
Hosted by Fancy Like That! This sale offers jewelry, fine art, photography, massages and more!


Features photographer Angela Wilkes who was featured on the Today Show & NBC Nightly News highlighting the organization, OpLove, which photographs soldiers and their families before and after being deployed.


LOCATION
Edmond Historical Society & Museum
431 S Boulevard
Edmond, OK


ADDITIONAL INFO
Phone 405-401-0736
Contact email FancyLikeThat@gmail.com

Black Friday Updates

Two Reminder Announcements for Black Friday Weekend

First is the Today Show segment, that I was honored to be a part of, about Operation: Love Reunited (OpLove) finally aired this morning. It was a really great story, and I am extremely happy with how well they put it together. The link to the story is here:

I absolutely love how they ended the piece with Denny throwing Dawson into the air on video and then stopping it with a snapshot of Dawson grinning ear-to-ear. I thought that I would be okay watching it but as soon as Denny started talking in the beginning, I started tearing up.  :)

And the second reminder is about my Black Friday Specials available only this weekend until Sunday night at 11:59pm. Most of the discounts are for 50% off sessions and/or prints! Visit my "Gifts" page at the top to purchase these limited time deals.

BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL

Black Friday Specials for 3 days
Friday, November 25th at 12:01am until Sunday, November 27th at 11:59pm

Special A - Family Session + $50 Print Credit for $75 (more than 50% off)

Special B - Boudoir Session + Free Pin-Up Calendar for $75

Special C - BOGO (buy one get one) Prints Only for $25, $50, $75, and $100 denominations

Don't delay...these HUGE discounts are only available for 3 days! Go to the "Gifts" page (link at the top) to secure your Black Friday Special.

Playtime at the Park

I met Karen, Kaleb (3 years), and Kaden (7 months) at Will Rogers Park for our latest session. I was so surprised to see how much Kaleb had grown, and I had never seen Kaden before. Although Matt, the devoted hubby & daddy, wasn't able to attend the session because he is currently serving overseas, his spirit was there with his beautiful family. Here are a few of my fav pics from our session.

Getting Caught Up

In the process of my attempting to get caught up, I will post 2-3 sessions pics at a time on here. The first pics below are from Crystal, James, Macy & Callie. The girls were dressed up soooo absolutely adorable in their matching red & white dresses with blue belts. They were a blast to get pics of during the session. Macy would showing off, so Callie would play shy. Then they would switch and Callie was being the camera hog while Macy was being shy. They were definitely fun! Crystal and James were also awesome! They were up for anything, so we got some great pics. Such a loving and adorable family!!! Here are a few of my favs...

And the next session is with some of my fav repeat clients: Shannon, Denny, & Dawson. They were all part of the Today Show filming & interviews (be sure to watch them on Vet's Day, Nov 11th on NBC). Even though Dawson isn't even 3-yrs old yet, he was an absolute angel during all the happenings. And Shannon was just glowingly-pregnant gorgeous with a beautiful baby bump! Denny, well what's to say...he is definitely a proud daddy & hubby, and soon to be daddy two-times over. Even though there was a camera guy following us around during the session, we still managed to get some awesome pics! Here's a few of my favs:

Last Chance for Christmas Mini Sessions

The Today Show filming

Yesterday, I spent about 6 hours with the Today Show people, Tonee (the OpLove founder), and one of my client families. The TS people and Tonee came to OKC to film a segment on Operation: Love Reunited. We did all of the filming and my client session at the Rose Gardens in Will Rogers Park. It was an absolutely awesome day that was full of emotions! We laughed, cried, and played in the park. I got some fabulous pics of my clients, which I will post a few once they are all processed. We had another OpLove photographer, Amanda Lloyd, that came up from Ft Hood, TX to get some PR pics for our org to use. She'll be sending me her pics, so I will post a few of those when I get them. Meanwhile, here are a couple of cell phone pics we took of the interviews:

 Tonee Lawrence, the OpLove founder, being interviewed (above).

Me being interviewed (above).

My clients, Shannon & Denny, being interviewed (above).

Be sure to watch NBC's The Today Show on Veteran's Day, Nov 11th. I'll make another post a couple days before it airs to remind everyone to set their DVRs. I am soooo excited and can't wait to see it!   :)

Boudoir at a B&B

At the beginning of this month, I met Lady G (a pseudonym for Lady Gorgeous) at a local bed & breakfast for a boudoir session. I was running a few minutes late, but she was fashionably worth it!  :)  She was absolutely beautiful, especially with her hair & make-up done all fancy-like!! Her initial nervousness at the time of our consult was definitely resolved by the time I arrived and started snapping pics. We talked, laughed, and had a blast. (Hello, Mr Bubbles...LOL!) Our session will result in some smokin' sexy gifts to her betrothed, either for Christmas and/or as a wedding gift. Because I totally respect her privacy and the fact that it'll be a surprise gift, I'm only going to post one pic from our session. She has this awesome Audrey Hepburn kind of classy-look to her, which looks fabulous in B&W!.

It's a *Limited Edition* Christmas

I am starting a *Limited Edition* Christmas Special, for a very short amount of time!! The special includes a bulk family session (up to 12 people) PLUS 25 - 4x8 Christmas Cards/envelopes for $80. That is over 35% savings ($45 total)! Sessions can occur either in your home or in Bricktown around the OKC Christmas tree (when available).

For specific card designs, please visit this link: http://www.ezphototemplates.com/holidaycards_only.php (only applies to 4x8 and/or 5x7 flat card designs). Interested in upgrading to a 5x7 flat-card or folded card as an addition or replacement to the Christmas Special? Please contact me for pricing.

The session must be occur between Oct 22nd & Dec 4th. (taxes & shipping charges not included.) I have a very limited availability, so please contact me ASAP to book your holiday session!

News 9 Story

Last Friday, I was featured on News 9 (CBS in OKC) for their 5pm newscast. The story was about a recent military scam, and my thoughts on the scam as an OpLove photographer. Surprisingly enough given my lack of prep time, I wasn't too bad! Click here for the link to the story: News 9 Story

The reporter, Lisa, called me about 1pm earlier that day asking about including me in the story. Of course, I jumped at the chance! The catch??? We had to film it in one hour, and it was a 20+ minute drive to the location. LOL...and to make matters worse: I was sitting on the couch, in comfy clothes, unshowered, processing session pics when she called. "Ummm, okay, sure, I can do that" was my verbal response. My mental response was more along the lines of, "Holy crap!! I'm gonna be on the news...again! I have less than 30 mins to shower, get dressed, pack my camera, get gas, and head out!"

We filmed the interview outside of the 45th Inf Museum in OKC. Lisa and the cameraman were both very nice and patient with me. I have to admit that it was a bit nerve-wracking to do such an opinionated piece about the military scam, plus OpLove, with such short notice. Luckily, they were kind enough to edit out my response regarding my thoughts on the people doing the scam as well as what should happen to them. LOL, I didn't say anything bad, just that I had no comment which could be shown on tv. :)

Oh, and we set a date/time for the Today Show interview. The story will air on Vet's Day, Nov 11th. Toe, the OpLove founder and my good friend, is flying into OKC to be a part of the interview and events. I cannot wait...I am soooo excited and nervous! Stay tuned for more specs on it!!!

Marines in Need...Can You Help?

I've posted several times about the Oklahoma 1st Battalion 25th Marines Weapons Company. One of the wives is an Oklahoma OpLove photographer. She has such strength to not only deal with her husband's deployment and being a single parent in his absence, but she is also photographing other military families going through the same things meanwhile!

So today, on behalf of a generous donation from Buy For Less grocery stores, I went shopping for care package items to send these guys. The items filled 4 paper sacks (so I was pleased) yet when laid it all out, it seemed so little for 17 men. Here's a pic of what I picked up today...

I am proud for my contribution, but I am asking for anyone willing and able to please donate any items or money for care packages to send these brave men. Here is a list of requested items:

boot liners/insoles
boot socks
batteries - AAA/AA/C
postage stamps in books or rolls
Zip-Lock freezer bags -assorted sizes
pre-paid phone cards
energy/protein/nutrional/power bars
cliff bars
sunflower seeds
trail mix (packaged & sealed)
coffee
tuna pouches
muscle milk
beef jerky
cans of soup
packed and sealed fruit
Dole fruit crisp
poptarts
cereal/milk & cereal/granola bars
peanuts/cashews/assorted nuts
small seasoning packs of salt & pepper
throat lozenges
drink mixes
  mio drink drops, instant coffee,
  presweetened gatorade/lemonade/koolade
Pringles (in the cardboard containers)
Dried fruit
Hormel complete meals
avon skin so soft
baby wipes-sealed packs not tubs
blistex/chapstick/carmex
Q-tips
toothpaste
eye drops
shampoo
dry shampoo
liquid body wash
hand sanitizer
deodorant
lotion
shaving cream
razors
small individual packs of kleenex tissues
aloe vera
lotrimin AF/anti-fungal creams for athletes foot
shower-to-shower powder
moleskin/Dr. Scholls pads for sore/blistered feet
band-aids / Neosporin
items to write letters home: envelopes, paper, pens, stamps; pocket-sized notebooks to write little notes while they're out on patrol

Also as of Tues, Sept 20th here is their hygiene allowance: "Today is the day that most Marines will start to take baby-wipe baths in lieu of community showers."

There is one main person cooking instant meals, over a man-made fire, for all 17-men. They have nothing to add as ingredients other than water. So, any instant mixes and meals that require nothing more than heat &/or water is also greatly appreciated (ie. pancake mixes).


If anyone has anything to donate, no matter how big or small, please let me know. I will come pick it up, if needed, to include in one of the monthly care packages. Thanks a million!  :)
- Ang

Family Time with Daddy

Courtney, Jonathan, Kain (2 yrs), and Kason (2 months) met me at the Rose Gardens for a pre-deploy OpLove session last weekend. It was supposed to be a beautiful day with 0% chance of rain (ha haa). It was cloudy & overcast when we got there. So we start taking pics around the site, even though a wedding was starting in the main garden area. Both boys had just awoke from a nap, and they were not too excited about being in pics. Kain was absolutely adorable! He was more interested in watching the other park visitors, especially the Red Hat Ladies that were at the park getting their pics taken by another photographer. Although he tried to avoid smiling or looking at me, I managed to get some good ones! :) Kason was also too cute for words! Some of his expressions reminded me of my niece, Makayla, when she was a baby. I couldn't help but just "ooh and ahhh" over him. And it was very apparent that Kain was a very proud older brother! Courtney & Jonathan were awesome! They were happy and smiley despite having to take Kason's stroller 4-wheeling on the gravel. Just as we decided that the kiddos were done with pics and it was time to wrap up the session...the sprinkles started. By the time we made it back to the cars and started loading up, it was pouring! (LOL. In all honesty, it was kinda funny to watch the wedding party and guests run to the party bus in the rain!) Thank goodness, we had just finished the session pics! Here's some of my favs...

Unfortunate Cancellaton & Session Availabilities

I posted about a week-and-a-half ago about a wonderful event called "Operation: Dam Run" that was to be held on Oct 22nd in Canton, OK to support one of our Marine units. Unfortunately due to some unforeseen and extreme circumstances, they had to cancel the event.  :(   That really sucks because I was sooooo excited about attending and snapping some pics. But, I understand that things happen. These Marines, and their families, would still appreciate any thoughts and prayers that you can send their way!

So in light of the event cancellation, I now have some availability that day for sessions. I've had to turn away several clients, OpLove and otherwise, because I was completely booked until mid-November but now have a few slots open. I'm taking appointments on a first-come, first-serve basis for that weekend, so book while you can!!

Back to Bricktown

It's been a couple years since I've really been back to Bricktown. After my snow tubing contract which took me there every day for 2 months, I just kinda lost my taste for it. I've been to the Myriad Gardens and to the Arts Festival and a couple other places, but those were more just get-in and get-out. Well, last week I had the pleasure of meeting Ashlee and Mike...in Bricktown...for his pre-deployment session. It was great! We started at the fountain in front of the Harkins Theatre. Then we walked part of the canal towards Main St. We stopped at a few places to grab some shots. Then back to the canal around to the ballpark.

Ashlee and Mike were so adorable together! She's from Virginia, and he is from Connecticut. They shared stories on where they met, future plans for kids, and their surprise at what Oklahoma was actually like. They expected nothing more than cowboys, tumbleweeds, and daily tornadoes. Luckily, none of those were present during our session.  ;)

Jacque & Her Big Belly

Jacque is my youngest cousin and is big-belly pregnant with her third child. It's another girl! She went to the doc yesterday and was told that she's likely to pop any day now. So we did a quick maternity session this afternoon, just in case. Unfortunately, her other two girls (Madysan & Kaydee) were in school and her beau Mike was at work, so we weren't able to take pics with the rest of the family. Also she was tired, as was I, and we were more interested in gossiping about our family than pics. But, I did manage to get some cute pics in between all the girl talk!

The above pic is not exactly accurate. Jacque didn't have an ultrasound pic on-hand, so we used one of my son from 18 years ago. This ultrasound pic will be swapped out when she sends me one of her baby, Renee.