Friday Favorites :: “A Year in the Life of…” Album

Children grow so quickly and go through so many stages during their first year of life.  It’s like you blink and they’ve turned from a teeny tiny newborn in to a little walking, talking (well babbling) person.  I love the “Year in the Life of…” albums that I offer with my “Baby Steps” package because it puts all of your little one’s fun photos at different stages in to one place and really allows you to see your child grow from a newborn in to a toddler.  Each album is custom designed to display and accentuate your favorite photos.  The albums lay completely flat and allow for photos to go across two pages to really make your photos large and beautiful!  These albums are also great for displaying your favorite newborn or family sessions.  I really love the album below that I designed for my mom and sister after my nephew’s first birthday.  And I adore the Design Aglow template for the front cover that allows me to put a photo in each circle and create a timeline of that 1st year.  Adorable!

Happy Friday!

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Friday Favorites :: Ugly Betty

It’s funny how a lot of TV shows initially don’t appeal to me but somehow, someway they eventually wiggle their way on to my TV screen and in to my heart and I become obsessed with watching them and seeing the characters drama play out every week.  Ugly Betty was one of these shows that turned in to an absolute favorite.  I didn’t start watching it until after the 2nd season but I managed to catch a few episodes while Brad was working late a couple weeks in a row and I was hooked.  I immediately made a mad dash to Blockbuster to catch up on all the episodes from the previous seasons and I think it only took me a few days to know the back story to each and every character.  Ugly Betty isn’t the typical comedy/drama on TV.  It’s much more colorful and kitschy and takes drama to a whole other level.  I loved Betty as the main character…a strong, confident, driven young woman who finds herself working at the elite fashion magazine Mode while not possessing an ounce of fashion sense herself.  Compared to most characters on TV she is an amazing role model…sticking to her values and working hard to attain her dreams.  She was such a lovable character and I must admit that my DVR is certainly going to miss her, her mismatched outfits and her braces!!  Ugly Betty’s series finale was last week and I’m sad that I will no longer get a new batch of crazy adventures from the Mode characters every week!  Luckily for me though (and for those of you who have never seen this wonderful show before) all of the amazing seasons can be found on DVD and played over and over again until you’ve had your fill of Betty and all her friends!  Happy Friday!

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Isabella :: Gilbert Baby Photographer

Do you remember this sweet little newborn??!

Well she is now 6-months and barely fits in the pink bucket!

How cute is she?!  I love doing photos of babies using props we used when they were newborns.  It really gives you a marker of how much they’ve grown!  Isabella was such a sport with the pink bucket!  When we first put her in there she wasn’t too excited so we quickly pulled her out.  She immediately took to chewing on the bucket and apparently it was very tasty because when we put her back in the bucket again she was quite content.

Too adorable!!  We also got some fun shots of Isabella just hanging out in a few different outfits.  She was a little hard to get to smile but so incredibly adorable even without the smile that I didn’t mind!

The arm rolls…oh how I love them!  Isn’t she adorable!  And those eyes!!!

Gotta love the tripod sit!!

Love this one of Isabella and mommy!  Precious!

And one last comparison shot!  The photo above was taken when Isabella was a newborn out on their porch swing.  And here she is in the same place at 6-months…

So fun and so adorable!!!

Thanks for being such a good baby, Isabella!  Can’t wait to see how quickly you grow!  I promise I won’t stick you in that bucket again!  Hope your mommy and daddy love your photos!

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Friday Favorites :: Pink Dyson Vacuum

We haven’t had carpet since we lived in an apartment back in 2003-2004 but now that we’re back to apartment living we’re back to almost wall to wall of carpet.  Our last 2 houses have only had tile in them, which was great for Brad’s allergies and cleaning, but I haven’t really been able to utilize my Dyson vacuum since I bought it a few years back.  I’m still not quite sure why I bought it since we didn’t have any carpet or really any rugs, but I do remember that it was $50 off , I got another $100 gift card to Target and they donated 10% of the proceeds to breast cancer research so seriously…how could I pass that up?!  And on top of that, it was PINK (hence the breast cancer research donation).  I mean…come on…everything is better when it’s pink!  Anyways, this vacuum has definitely become one of my favorite things since we moved in to the apartment.  I’m slowly learning to love vacuuming especially once I’m done and can see the fruits of my labor in a perfectly clean floor!  Now I just have to motivate myself to vacuum more often.  The cuteness factor of this pink Dyson totally helps but not only is it cute, but very functional as well.  The Dyson boasts its ease in use in all of its commercials and I must say that I am very pleased with this purchase even though the brand is a bit pricier than most vacuums.  My vacuum is so easy to push and pull, the cord easily goes on and off, it empties perfectly with the push of a button (and you don’t have to deal with gross bags), and overall, it just works great!  I definitely recommend the Dyson brand and especially recommend any of their cute pink vacuums!  Happy Friday!

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Sydney Sunday

Happy Sunday!

I love when Sydney smiles!

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Friday Favorites :: Canvas Gallery Wraps (Again!)

I just ordered a canvas gallery wrap for my office and I. AM. IN. LOVE!!!  It is beautiful!  I used my favorite image of Baby Isabella for the canvas and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.  The canvas is 20″ by 30″ and fits perfectly over my desk.  It just makes me happy to look at it!  I believe that every family should have at least one big canvas gallery wrap of their family or kids in their home.  Trust me!  You will love it!

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Katie & Christoph :: Second Shooting with Casey Graham

Last weekend I photographed Katie and Christoph’s beautiful wedding at The Phoenix Zoo with Casey Graham.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the Ruby House at the Zoo was the perfect  place for an intimate ceremony with close family and friends.  Katie’s dress was absolutely stunning!!  Definitely one of my favorite dresses ever!  It’s actually vintage so it’s one of a kind and was perfect for her personality and for the venue.  Katie looked beautiful the entire day and I grabbed this shot of her while Casey was taking some more formal shots from the other angle.  She looks so happy!

Casey had me take some groom photos of Christoph and I loved the light right behind the Ruby House.

I adore this flower shot!  There was a cute little rocking chair on the porch of the Ruby House and I thought it would be a perfect place to photograph Katie’s beautiful bouquet!

Look at these cute little table cards and favors!

I love this photo of Katie and her mom walking down the aisle.  Beautiful!!

The ceremony site was so perfect and simple!

First kiss!

Love this shot on the Zoo’s carousel!

Oh how I love sun flare!!!  LOVE!

One of my favorites from the day!  Beautiful!!

The area around the Ruby House was absolutely gorgeous!  The shot above is just from the side of the reception site and I love how you can see the blue lights from the reception and the beautiful ambient light of the trails.

Congratulations Katie and Christoph!  Your wedding was beautiful and I was so honored to be a part of it!

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Sydney Sunday :: Happy Easter!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!!

Happy Easter!!!

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Friday Favorites :: Kate Spade iTouch Case

I’ve talked about my love for Kate Spade in the past.  Totally LOVE LOVE LOVE her purses!!  Brad got me an iTouch for Christmas and I was so excited when I found a Kate Spade iTouch case at the Apple store.  I had to have it!  I was even more excited when I saw that it was the same price as the rest of the cases…I. WAS. SOLD!!  The case is rubber and the white Kate Spade logo actually stands out from the black.  Very stylish!

I also love that on the inside of the case it says “Have Courage” along with the Kate Spade brand.  Who could resist buying this?!?!

Happy Friday!

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101 in 1001 Update

On January 1, 2008 I created a list of 101 goals to be completed in 1001 days.  Guess what?!  My 1001 days was up yesterday!  I can’t believe it’s already been that long!  Out of the 101 goals I completed 47, which I think is pretty good!  I completed almost 50% and while in school I would have been totally disappointed with this percentage, in real life completing half of my goals isn’t too bad.  I’m excited to start a new list and I’ve moved 37 of my uncompleted goals off this list to the new one.  So be on the look out for the new 101 in 1001 list in the near future!!  In the meantime, check out my old list of goals and the ones I completed:

1. Find a career I LOVE – Completed March 5, 2010 :: Now in photography full-time
2. Workout at least 3 times/wk for 6 months
3. Take a photography class or workshop – Completed June 2008/November 2008…Workshop with Jennifer Bowen & Kimberly Jarman
4. Stay at the Four Seasons in Lanai, Hawaii again
5. Clean out and organize all the closets in the house – Completed January 2009 (when we moved!)
6. Cook home-cooked meals four days a week for 3 months
7. Create a family website and/or blog – Completed August 2008…web.me.com/bradandjennybishop
8. Send all family & friends birthday cards for 1 year
9. Visit New York City at Christmas time
10. Train for and complete a triathlon
11. Paint 2nd and 3rd bedroom*
12. Repaint master bedroom*
13. Find a charity that interests me and volunteer
14. Visit family in England – Completed December 2009/January 2010
15. Limit soda to twice a week  – In progress August 2009
16. Send a letter and pictures to Grandad once a month
17. Clean out and update my wardrobe
18. Have one set of pants hemmed for flats and one hemmed for heels
19. Put together a wedding scrap book
20. Finish installing blinds in master bedroom – Completed January 2009
21. Complete bedding ensemble in master bedroom – Completed July 2009
22. Get a bed frame for guest bed*
23. Organize our files – Completed March 2010
24. Organize our kitchen drawers/cabinets – Completed when we moved
25. Lose the weight I gained since the wedding
26. Go to the dentist – Completed November 11, 2008
27. Install more lighting in our backyard – Completed April 2008
28. Stick to our budget
29. Get a garage door opener for 3rd car stall – Completed Mar 2008
30. Get a rug for family room*
31. Contribute 10% of our income to savings
32. Contribute 10% of our income to church
33. Have a garage sale or donate our “garage sale” stuff to charity – Completed January 2009 – donated to Good Will
34. Visit Jim & Cathy in Illinois
35. Go horseback riding – Completed July 2008 in Hawaii
36. Run a 10min. mile for 3 miles in a row
37. Stop watching TV before bed
38. Read at least 1 book per month for 6 months – Completed Feb 2009
39. Take Sydney for a walk 5 days a week for 3 months
40. Eat a healthy breakfast before work everyday for 3 months
41. Take a healthy cooking class
42. Finish writing this list – Completed Feb 2009
43. Go back to Telluride
44. Hang pictures/art in master bedroom – Completed May 2009
45. Vacuum couch once a week
46. Improve laundry room layout with new shelving/cabinets/table – Completed August 2009
47. Make photo books for 2002 to the present
48. Take a yoga class
49. Take multi-vitamins, calcium & fish oil/flaxseed oil daily – Completed (& still in progress) November 2008
50. Install blinds throughout the house  – Completed April 2009
51. Hang pictures in family room*
52. Install dressers in master closet – Completed April 2008
53. Organize master closet*
54. Buy Photoshop &/or Lightroom – Completed December 2008
55. Learn Photoshop &/or Lightroom – Completed December 2008
56. Research how to start your own business and what all it entails – Completed Jan 2009 (although this is a continuous process)
57. Research how to create a business plan
58. Create a business plan
59. Be able to do 20 “real” push-ups
60. Floss daily for 1 month – Completed December 2008
61. Stretch daily for 1 month
62. Have a one-on-one session with a professional photographer – Completed December 2008 with Jennifer Bowen
63. Take family photos of the Rother’s
64. Make our bed every weekday for 1 month – Completed August 2009
65. Find a church we like and start going – Completed October 2008 – Sun Valley Community Church in Gilbert
66. Create a recipe book of favorite dishes
67. Create a better layout for mail, bills, filing, etc in our office
68. Visit a place I’ve never been before – Completed October 2009 (Tucson, AZ)
69. Create a logo & brand identity
70. Create a business name – Completed Jan 2009 – Jenny Bishop Photography
71. Form an LLC for my business – Completed March 2009
72. Register my business/tradename – Completed April 2009
73. Invest in professional lenses – Completed June 2009 – Canon 50mm 1.4, 24-70mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8
74. Invest in a new camera body – Completed January 17, 2009 – Canon 30D; August 2009 Canon 5D
75. Invest in camera accessories (ie. Flash, memory cards, etc.) – Completed June 2009
76. Have professional photos taken of Brad & me – Completed December 2009 by Lizzie Kimball
77. Visit Marissa in Boston
78. Visit Sam in Atlanta
79. Second shoot with a professional photographer – Completed Feb 7. 2009 with Kimberly Jarman
80. Book/shoot 3 weddings in 2009
81. Take photos of someone outside of friends and family – Completed: December 2008 – The Slaughter Family
82. Visit the Roloff farm in Oregon
83. Get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off in the morning every weekday for 1 month
84. Become certified in scuba diving
85. Go to a photography conference (ie. WPPI, Imaging USA) – Completed Feb 2009
86. Redesign our office/media room*
87. Transfer all of our pictures from the Mac on to an external hard drive – Completed December 2008
88. Create a professional website – Completed January 2009 – jennybishopphotography.com
89. Create a professional blog – Completed January 2009 – jennybishopphotography.wordpress.com
90. Take a dance class
91. Learn how to shoot a gun
92. Invest in a MacBook Pro – Completed March 2009
93. Purchase & use recyclable grocery bags
94. Setup a better recycling center in our kitchen*
95. Reorganize holiday storage boxes and sell or donate unneeded holiday decorations – Completed Jan 2009
96. Organize the garage and clean out/organize the cabinets in the garage*
97. No fast food for 2 weeks straight
98. Go to bed at 9pm every night for a week
99. Create price lists and information on packages/pricing – Completed May 2009
100. Donate bridesmaid dresses to a charity organization (ie Princess Project)
101. Go on a mission trip to another country with our church

*Didn’t complete since we moved.

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