Everything Old IS New Again

Today, a journey has begun.  OK, it began some time ago, I just diverted course for a bit and now I'm back with renewed focus and determination.

Around Mother's Day, I started working part time for a local business, and then three days became five-six days and the hours started getting longer and longer.  As much as I enjoyed this new opportunity, it did not fit well with my family or other commitments I had made in my life.  So yesterday was the last day with that wonderful company, although I did request that they call me from time-to-time to help with big projects/events.  I made many friends and learned a lot, mostly about myself and how I need to prioritize better.  

So many people have asked, "What now?"  Well, it's a return to what I was doing before, focusing on my family, volunteer work and my photography.  My husband and I are working on house plans and dreaming of the place we want to build together which is a lovely diversion.  I go to bed at night walking the house and decorating each room, trying out different color schemes until I see the right one in my minds eye.  

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and when I reflect on what I am truly thankful for this year, it really boils down to family.  My parents, in-laws, husband, son, brother, brother in law, and two wonderful sisters in laws, nephews, grandparents, my cousins, aunts and uncles, and so many more.

Anthony and I at Clear Creek Farm, November 2012,
preparing for his 9th birthday party

There's also the family that we adopt in life, those lovely friends who seem to know when to say the right thing to lift your spirits.  Who show up unannounced and help when they aren't asked.  For them, I am so very thankful this year, especially my "PTA Sisters" who have been amazing.

I'm thankful too for The Farm, the property on which we plan to build, where I see my son thrive in nature and where I'm inspired constantly.  It belongs to our family and that alone makes it a special place.  I love seeing the mosses and twigs on the forest floor, the berries and evergreens bordering the pathways we have carved out in the wild, hearing the rush of water in the creek, and always the changing of seasons which make such incredible natural backdrops.  It takes my breath away to think that one day this setting will be outside my door.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with family and friends.
-Mandy




  

Hippity Hoppity Easter Shoots Are Here!!

Sunday, April 1, I will be doing “Easter” photos at Clear Creek Farm in Malvern, just outside Hot Springs and one hour from Little Rock.  

Photo of Bunnies by Jody and April Efird, the family providing the rabbits for the shoot.
Their rabbits for for sale and I would be happy to pass on your information to them if you are
interested in purchasing a rabbit for your home.

There will only be 6 slots available:

8-9 AM

9-10 AM

10-11 AM

4-5 PM

5-6 PM

6-7 PM

Shoots are 30 minutes for $100, are booked on the hour and include:

·      *  Disk of rough edited images

·      *  Choice of 5 quality edited images

·      *  Release which allows you to reprint and share photos as long as photographer is given credit

·      *  Use of live bunny from the Efirds for shoot

·      *  A bag of yummy “bunny bait” treats for your child(ren) after the shoot-- a reward for a job well done!

 

Settings will include:

       *  Spring grass

    *  Side of rustic metal building

     *  Photo set with lights inside covered area  

You might consider bringing:

            *  Child's special toy

             *  Favorite colorful quilt or blanket on which to sit

 *  Tissues, wipes *  Spare clothing and shoes

Samples of these areas from previous shoots used throughout this blog post.  

Please book by Friday, March 30^th, by emailing mandy@mandyshoptaw.com or calling 501.766.1879.  To see further examples of work, visit www.mandyshoptaw.com.   

What about rain?

Right now the forecast shows it should be mostly sunny and 78-degrees on Sunday the 1^st, however, should there be rain, re-shoots will be arranged Saturday, April 7^th, in the afternoon-early evening. 

We usually go to church on Sunday-- will my child be clean enough after the morning shoots to go?

The setting for the shoots is a rustic farm-like property.  I always suggest wearing shoes which can take some "muck" and putting on the pretty shoes when we reach the shoot site.  Every possible effort will be made to help you keep your children tidy to continue on to worship following the shoot.

We want a couple of shots as a family-- is that ok?

Sure!  While this promo is set up mainly to photograph a child or children, we can also accommodate a full family photo in some of the settings.

Will I get my photos in time for Easter?

I will do my best to get your photos online for you to pick your 5 favorites within 24 hours of the shoot.  The speed in which you pick your photos is directly related to the editing schedule as it is first come first serve.  Once you pick your five favs, though, I usually have the disk in the mail within 48 hours.  So yes, it is possible that you could have your photos in time for Easter. 

Payment?

Once a shoot is booked, I will send you an invoice, which is due at the time of the shoot in the form of cash or check.  While I work very hard to accommodate clients and am very understanding of sick children and other obstacles which may arise, there is a $50 charge for canceling shoots.  Please see the cancelation policy listed at www.mandyshoptaw.com under the packages area of the website.

Thank you for considering mandyshoptaw.com for your photography needs.      

The Waiting Place

Reflecting on the past few years, I feel like a part of me has been stuck in “the waiting place,” you know from Dr. Seuss’ “Oh the Places You Will Go.” 

The Waiting Place…


…for people just waiting.


Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come,

or a plane to go or the mail to come,

 or the rain to go or the phone to ring,

 or the snow to snow or waiting around for a


Yes or a No or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for
 Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil,

or a Better Break

or a sting of pearls,

or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls,

 or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

NO!  That’s not for you!


Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying.


You’ll find the bright places


where Boom Bands are playing.

Ted Geisel, AKA Dr. Seuss, wrote this in 1990, his last published book, two years before I was “waiting” to graduate from high school.  In fact, during spring graduation in the US and Canada this book is a top gift for graduates selling 300,000 copies a year.  I gave it to a friend graduating from a different institution, a rehab facility, several years back hoping it would help inspire him to follow the straight and narrow, but alas, to no avail. 

But back to me, because that’s what this blog is about, right?  Why do I feel like I’ve been in the Waiting Place? 

Several years ago I had a wonderful job, a husband in law school and a new baby boy.  I wanted more time with my family and became impatient and when an opportunity to leave the great job popped up, I took it.  Later, it’s a move I regretted although the path it took me down hasn’t been all bad, just full of challenges and that’s why I’m thankful that God is kind and merciful and that, despite our best efforts to derail things, all things do work together for good and my family has been bless regardless of my recklessness on the job front. 

But I feel like the past two years I have been waiting—waiting for that next opportunity to open up.  Waiting for the big break financially.  Waiting for something to happen that will take us to the next level of our lives.  Bigger house sure would be nice.  Being able to repair a car or not dreading the next home improvement would sure be a load off our minds.  And yet when these things happen, somehow, we are able to cope and get through the crisis.  Somehow when I want flowers to fill the pots on the deck we find the money to do it.  When we want to have a night out with friends, childcare and money materializes.  I know we are blessed.  I am thankful. 

I took up photography, a lifelong hobby, after the last job.  I’m glad to have a skill I can use to make people happy.  My clients aren’t the super rich, more folks like me who like to DIY (do it yourself) and will save up for a photo shoot with the promise of the disk of images so that they can make scrapbooks or take their photos to the Wal-Mart for processing.  Some of my photography colleagues, especially those in a group I’m part of, really give me grief about my photo packages because I “give my work away” and “your pictures will look like s*#t if you don’t sell prints and let clients print anywhere they want.”  And yet, if I charged what they do, I would be in competition with those very photographers (stress!) and miss out on the very dear clients whom I’ve come to call friends too (bliss!).      

I’ll be honest, in the past two or so years things haven’t always been a piece of cake and so I’ve looked for full or part time jobs; I’ve probably submitted 50-75 resumes, I’ve honestly lost count, with a grand total of about three interviews, two of which were arranged by good-intentioned friends.  I have a pretty solid work history, great references and good skills to back up my Bachelor of Science degree.  Yet, often my resume is swept aside, sometimes if it’s an online thing, I’ll go back and see that the hiring company never even opened my files.  Discouraging?  You bet!  And so I over-commit in my personal life—more PTA volunteering, more community events, the best darned birthday party a kid ever had, sure I can make those calls for you, and so on and so fourth until my family (or doctor) says, “ENOUGH!”     

Even so, I feel like I keep looking to God and saying, “What next?  Why am I in this Waiting Place?  Haven’t I learned whatever lesson it is already?”  Apparently no.  Apparently God isn’t through with Miss Me yet.  I have a lot to learn despite my years.  So while I’m in the Waiting Place, I’ve decided to take a look around and pick up the reading materials and maybe meet a few friends in the lobby.  To that end, a few weeks ago a friend, who has become a mentor in so many ways, invited me to Bible Study.  I know she has been in the Waiting Place many times in her life and so I picked up my reading materials and here we go.  I think it’s the next step in getting through the Waiting Place.  On another front, a start up business has asked me for some help.  It’s ok, they can’t pay me yet, but “free-lancing” for someone who is full of gratitude and praise makes this Waiting Place cozier.  Maybe I will learn something in this Waiting Place after all which will help to guild me on the long journey of life.    

In the background, I hear “Little Wonders” by Rob Thomas, the song written for the Disney film “Meet the Robinsons” but it’s a good soundtrack for the Waiting Place.  I’ll keep waiting.  I’ll keep learning.  I’ll keep listening. 

let it go,

let it roll right off your shoulder

don’t you know

the hardest part is over

let it in,

let your clarity define you

in the end

we will only just remember how it feels

our lives are made

in these small hours

these little wonders,

these twists & turns of fate

time falls away,

but these small hours,

these small hours still remain

let it slide,

let your troubles fall behind you

let it shine

until you feel it all around you

and i don’t mind

if it’s me you need to turn to

we’ll get by,

it’s the heart that really matters in the end

our lives are made

in these small hours

these little wonders,

these twists & turns of fate

time falls away,

but these small hours,

these small hours still remain

all of my regret

will wash away some how

but i can not forget

the way i feel right now

in these small hours

these little wonders

these twists & turns of fate

these twists & turns of fate

time falls away but these small hours

these small hours, still remain,

still remain

these little wonders

these twists & turns of fate

time falls away

but these small hours

these little wonders still remain

Making Everyday Special

When I think back to childhood I really admire the way my mom always took the time to make everyday special.  For example, there were always homemade sweets in the kitchen for us after school.  So as I began to think about this Valentine’s Day, I wanted to make an effort to make everyday things in my home special.  Maybe it’s putting out flowers or candles to celebrate the season… or something this easy, as taking your desserts and making them centerpieces.

Now, I’ve said before on Saturday Daybreak that I’m sort of a kitchen menace, which is why I really admire the skill of bakers who turn sugar and flour into works of art.  Here we have some beautifully designed cupcakes by a new bakery in Little Rock, Sweet Love.  You don’t need a lot to fill up a beautiful vintage milk glass cake plate like this…

And over here, I have to show off these amazing confections by Ariel’s Cake Pops also in Little Rock.  I filled three champagne glasses with M&M’s and then pushed the cake pop sticks into the M&M’s to support them. 

Now over here we have a faux wood cake stand which is just so much fun, and I can tell you, I’m itching to make some homemade cake stands out of timber on our family’s farm. 

The bottom line is this, take everyday objects and use them.  How great to have these confections out as a centerpiece at dinner time or on a sideboard, countertop or buffet.  They are so beautiful they should be enjoyed just as much as traditional table top décor such as flowers and candles. 

Now we are coming up on Valentine’s Day and obviously sweet treats from Ariel’s Cake Pops or Sweet Love Bakery would make ideal gifts, but if you’re looking for something a little different, how about a spring photoshoot with your loved one?  I can sure hook you up!  This spring I’ll be doing a series of 30-minute mini-shoots in locations across Central Arkansas. 

This would be a great gift for a newly engaged couple or, maybe you’re looking for a way to pop the question—do it on a photoshoot and let me capture the moment for you.  If you contact me through my website and mention KATV I’ll give you $25 off the cost of a mini-shoot.  Just contact me at www.mandyshoptaw.com for this special deal.      

Featured in my Saturday Daybreak segment are:
Sweet Love Bakery in Little Rock- Cupcakes
Arie's Cake Pops in Little Rock- Cake Pops
M. Eisele Events in Benton- Use of faux wood cake stand
Karma Herzfeld- Use of milk glass items (she says she picks up items at resale shops such as Habitat for Humanity of Saline County's ReStore shop)


Photography Special:
Interested in obtaining a gift certificate for a spring mini-shooot?  Remember to mention KATV and contact me through mandyshoptaw.com for $25 off.  Mini-shoots are ideal gifts for engaged couples or would be a fun way to pop the question on a photoshoot.  Mom's love the mini-shoots too because they are only 30 minutes.

Role Models and Heroes

I was four-years-old in 1977, but I remember the movie of the year, “Star Wars.”  Sorry, George Lucas, it wasn’t the groundbreaking special effects or your fantastic writing; it was the portrayal of Princess Leia by then 21-year old Carrie Fisher.  I would beg my mom to put my little girl hair into that honey-bun hairdo and would pretend my white fancy dress was Leia’s white gown. 

But it wasn’t the clothes or the hair that had me spellbound, it was Leia’s spunk.  I admired that she was on the side of good, committed to defeating a powerful evil.  I loved how a princess got in there and fought with the boys, but always with wit and sarcasm that set her apart.  I studied her conflicted face when she looked from Luke to Han.  Oh how could she choose?  Sigh. 

Sure, there were the traditional Disney Princesses in my life, but after Leia, they seemed, well, so trite and helpless.  Leia would never wait to be rescued, she would grab a Blaster and find her R2 unit and get a message through to the Rebel Alliance one way or another even at a great sacrifice such as blowing up her home planet of Alderaan.  It probably helped too that I am blessed with a younger brother who liked to play “Star Wars” with me well after 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.”  We would run around the yard shooting things, using sticks as light sabers and swinging across our swing set like Luke and Leia over that cavern inside the Death Star (ok, maybe not so dramatically, but we what did we know, we were like four and six years old).

My son has recently become a huge “Star Wars” fan much to his father and my delight so now I am seeing these movies again as an adult.  That’s why recently I was reminded of how much a young me admired Princess Leia.  I wish I could say that I was as witty as the princess, but, of course, I was scripting my life and it was real, not a Hollywood movie.  Thankfully for me, I had some wonderful real life female role models, namely my mother, grandmothers and aunts, and close family friends.  These women were smart, funny, hard working, serious about their families, and often faced amazing challenges only to overcome; these women loved and sometimes loved and lost and still remained solid.  They may not have worn metal bikinis, but their hearts were pure as gold; for example, my mother showed me how to be both tough and loving, my aunts showed me that it’s ok to fall in love again, my grandmother reminded me that women can be smart in business, other family and friends showed me how resilient women can be when dealing with the loss of or life altering injury to a spouse or child.         

Of course, now as an adult, I realize that Ms. Fisher was dealing with much more than Darth Vader in her life during the filming of these movies.  She was battling addiction and the real life struggles of love and relationships.  Having read her book Wishful Drinking, I can say that her life was really a crazy ordeal and I hope she continues on her road of recovery and discovery.  Does it take the shine off Princess Leia to know Ms. Fisher was using cocaine and drinking to excess in her 20’s?  Actually, no.  It makes me feel like the real actress and the character she was playing have a bond of sorts.  Both fighting for something in their own way—Ms. Fisher for sobriety and balance in her life, Princess Leia for freedom and peace; these aren’t so different, are they?  

I see heroes every day; on my Facebook the young widow struggling to raise her family and run a business, the friend with M.S. dealing with flare ups and job woes, the teachers rushing to their cars to lovingly support their own kids activities such as ballet and football, my friend who gave up a law career to become an environmental advocate, the people who volunteer at our school, the secretary who politely answers the same questions all day long from harried clients, a dear soul who battled depression to the brink and emerged victorious… you get the idea.  Heroes in any form, on the movie screen or in real life, inspire us and help make us who we are.  From them we get the tools we need to face life’s toughest battles.  So, as we cross into this new year, pause and tell the many heroes in your life, “may the Force be with you” or at least thanks for being an inspiration. 

New Life for Recycled Jars

I'm writing up some sample articles that I hope to get published through an online site.  Here's the first one-- trying to play off things I know.  Would love your feedback!

There are a few things I hate to throw into the recycling bin, namely useful glass jars.  I especially like the jars my family’s preferred spaghetti sauce comes in and I’m always washing them and removing the paper labels so that I can repurpose the jars in a variety of ways.  I typically start by washing the jars with soap and water, running them through the dishwasher and then rubbing 91% Isopropyl Alcohol over whatever bit of the label and glue is still stuck to the glass.  A little scrubbing and it’s sparkling!

Here are a few ways I use recycled glass jars.  When I need a quick gift for a teacher or a neighbor I often turn to my pantry for a glass jar.  I tie a little ribbon around the lip to cover the glass thread track and then pack the jar with flowers either cut from my garden or picked up at the grocery store (usually for less than $5). 

I’ve also found these glass jars wonderful additions to outdoor entertaining.  Adding wire to the lip and creating a loop, these jars become hanging lanterns.  You can add a ribbon to cover the glass thread and wires.  I use especially long loops to attach the lanterns to the supports under our large market umbrella, added tea light votive candles and voila! Instant twinkle lights that are simple and charming.  The same idea works well when attaching the jar lanterns to trees in the garden. 

Another use for recycled glass jars is to use them on picnics, which is why I try not to throw out the lids when I clean the jars.  If you think about it, this is actually a return to the original use of the jar.  I like to pack items such as pasta salad or garnishes into the jars.  It’s so much easier to add salsa or chutney topping on location rather than deal with a soggy sandwich.  The jars are surprisingly durable for transport, but usually I wrap a cloth napkin or towel around them and pack them tightly in our picnic tote just to be safe.  You can use the napkins or towels as part of the picnic too.  Cloth napkins are not only more elegant, but are more difficult to blow away in the wind.    

Glass jars are great to have around when it comes to craft projects.  When my little boy wants to pull out his paints, I pull out the jars which I then fill with water for washing his brushes between colors.  Why dirty up a drinking glass when I have jars that could go into the recycling when they get too messy to clean.    

I encourage you this week, as you use items in your kitchen or around the house, to see if you can think of another way to use everyday items before you put them on the curb for recycling.  

Do you have ideas on recycling glass jars and other household items?  Share them with me!  

Fall-Winter Mini Shoots

I've been so excited about all the inquiries about fall-winter mini-shoots and it's not even September!!  Wow-- thank you, thank you, thank you!

There are so many wonderful places to shoot in Central Arkansas during October-December.  Some of my favorites are featured in this video I created using "a few of my favorite" photos from the past year or so.  Hopefully you will be inspired to try one of our on-location shoots.  The $75 price includes 5 edited photos and a disk of all your images plus an online/password protected gallery.  You also get permission to print and use the photos making it ideal for holiday photo cards and digital scrapbooking.  Where else are you going to find a deal like that for just $75?!   

Below is the flyer I created about the Fall-Winter 2011 Mini-Shoots.  Take a look at a few of the dates and locations and let me know soon if you'd like to book.  Additional dates in November to be posted soon, but if you're interested in a November date, just give me a shout and we'll see what we can do.

Best Wishes,
Mandy

Mandy Stanage Shoptaw
501.766.1879
mandy@mandyshoptaw.com
www.mandyshoptaw.com