the hocus focus photo blog

Funky Mama Music - TOMORROW

This is totally short notice, but it will be fun!  Bring your kids and join me (and my girls) Thursday, July 26 at Pottery Barn Kids at Town Center Plaza for a performance by Funky Mama Music.   We'll be there for the 10:00 performance, but she's also playing at 11:00.

I went to high school with the Funky Mama herself.  Krista "Funky Mama" Eyler is an energetic, guitar-playin' and sweet-singin' mom who left the TV news business to be with her son full-time at home and write funky songs for children. She was an on-air reporter with KMBC-TV Channel 9 News (going by her maiden name, "Krista Tatschl") and is currently a part-time preschool music teacher. Funky Mama is familiar to the local theatre and performance scene. She has performed regularly in theatre productions in and around the Kansas City area for years and also sings professionally with the Dickens Carolers. Funky Mama blends rock n'roll, bluegrass, country gospel, funk, and fun on her high-energy CDs, Funky Mama Sings: Giggle Jiggle and Grandma's House.

If you haven't heard her before you've got to go.  And check out the FUNKY MAMA MUSIC website, where you can hear a bit of Rilee and Lucee's favorite song, Take Me for a Taco.

Hope to see you there!
H

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7/31/07 UPDATE on Funky Mama Music:

SHE ROCKS!  I loved her.  My kids loved her.  Even my husband loved her.  We bought both of her CDs and have been listening to them EVERY DAY.  The girls got out their toy guitar and microphones this morning and put on a ROCKIN' performance of Take Me for a Taco.  Needless to say, I think we'll be having tacos tomorrow night.  :o) 

If you get the chance to go see Funky Mama, you've gotta go.  She's got a performance schedule on her website.  And be sure to buy her CDs.  They're awesome!!!  Chris sent me a text message the day after the show saying he couldn't get the song "Bowlegged Baby" out of his head.  And he's pretty much a hard core rock-n-roll guy. 

My Birthday Gift

So, it's my birthday and I'm giving you all a gift because, well...because I'm just that kind of girl.  Here's the deal.

This year's deadline for holiday shoots is October 31.  We've finally opened the August, September and October calendars and they're going to fill up FAST.  Call TODAY to book your session and you'll receive $25 off the session fee.  Calls must be received no later than 11:59pm on July 17.  Call Beth at 913.486.3046.  You'll need to leave your name and a number where you can be reached.  Calls will be returned on Wednesday and Thursday in the order they were received. 

This offer will be extended to new and returning clients.  Refer a friend who also calls on July 17 to book a session and you'll receive an additional $50 print credit.

Remember, calls must be received by 11:59pm on July 17 and they will be returned on Wednesday and Thursday in the order they were received.

(And if anyone asks how old I am they'll be charged double.) 

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM...

Before I joined my family for ice cream last night I had a session with Miss Emma who is one of my most favorite little girls in the world!  Over the past two years I've gotten to know her and her parents and gladly call them friends. 

We just couldn't shoot on National Ice Cream day and not have some ice cream.  So Emma was treated to a vanilla ice cream cone (before dinner...how cool is she gonna think I am???) and she loved every last drop of it.  Well, except for the ones that ended up on her pants.  And her shirt.  And the ground.  But how cute is she?  Thanks for a fun evening, Marc and Kristi. 

And another one so you can see the rest of that sweet, little face.

HAPPY MONDAY, everyone!
H

The Morrow Family's Favorite Holiday

So, today is the big day.  It's the Morrow family's favorite holiday.  Thanks to President Reagan every American can celebrate one of the greatest days of the year.

NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY!  WOO HOO!  We're totally celebrating tonight.  I'll undoubtedly indulge in my all time favorite, mint chocolate chip.  Chris will show his love (and I mean serious love) for chocolate peanut butter.  He loves his wife, his kids, his job as a firefighter and his chocolate peanut butter ice cream...and not necessarily in that order.  :o)  And our girls...they take after their mama, which means I have to share the mint chocolate chip.  We seldom have a family night out that doesn't end at an ice cream shop. 

What's your flavor?

the definition of a boy

boy, noun : a noise with dirt on it.

As the mom of two girls (two very girly girls) I always enjoy shooting boys.  Especially the boys from this family. 

I've always loved images that are REAL.  You don't have to be dressed up in your Sunday best for portraits.  In fact, I try to avoid shooting formal portraits like most people try to avoid the plague. 

Life isn't all about what you look like or what you wear.  It's what you do and who you are and THAT is the story I tell.  I love creating the kind of images that will remind you of the days when you looked forward to getting dirty...when you could measure the amount of fun you had by the amount of dirt you were covered in.

Happy Friday, everyone!!!
H

Mama needs a new pair of shoes...

I'm a finalist in a photo contest sponsored by BLUDOMAIN, the designer of my new website.  (New website?  Did I just say that outloud?  Sorry to be a tease, but you'll have to wait a few weeks to find out more.)

Anyhow, I'd appreciate your votes.  You can only vote once per email address, but if you've got more than one email address GO FOR IT!  :o)  I won't win a million bucks or anything, but I will get a new pair of Nikes.  WOO HOO!  Mama needs a new pair of shoes...

VOTE HERE.

Happy Monday,
H

What woman doesn't love a good sale?

So, us women always love a good sale.  We'll buy things we don't even need if they're on sale.  BUT IT WAS ON SALE, we say.   I totally scored with these cute little dresses last week.  EIGHT BUCKS...and I HAD to buy them because.......well, because THEY WERE ON SALE.

And now I've decided to order several of these images on canvas, but I'm thinking I'll need to repaint my living room to coordinate.  (Chris is SOOO gonna kill me, because he just LOVES to paint.)  Most people paint and then buy coordinating art pieces.  Not me.  I'm a photographer.  We take pictures and then re-decorate the whole stinkin' house around them.  I'm the one you'll see in the paint aisle at Home Depot persuading her husband by saying ridiculous things like, "but honey, that color doesn't really match the outfit Rilee has on in the pictures we're putting in her room" or "you know, dear, I just took some great pictures of the girls that would totally match that shade of Energetic Orange." 

Good thing those dresses were ON SALE.  Who knows how much we'll spend repainting the living room! 

And speaking of canvas...did I mention that we're now offering fine art canvas prints?  Whether you opt for the gallery wrap or you choose to frame them they're sure to make a statement.  We'll bring a sample to your ordering appointment and we'll have photos on the website soon.

And speaking of sale...did I mention that we're offering 10% off canvas now through August 31? 

Hello, my name is...

Heather.  I'm a photographer and I once blew up a jet ski.  (True story...I swear!)

Select your answer in our poll, take a second to introduce yourself in the comments section and tell us something interesting about you.

Have a wonderful weekend!  And if anyone can keep it from raining all weekend I'll seriously be your BFF. 

The Fourth of July

"Liberty is the right to choose.  Freedom is the result of the right choice." - Unknown

Happy Fourth of July!




(And because I know what you're thinking...I had not been drinking when I shot these.  They were intentionally shot out of focus for a different effect.) 

They grow too fast...

Yet another babe I've shot since before she was born.  I can't tell you all how much fun it is to watch these babies grow!  Mom graced the front of my website and my business cards for quite some time.  Here's Miss Norah from November 2005 through now. 

Can you believe Mom was just 3 weeks from delivering?   I can't tell you how many times I would hand out  a business card with this image on it and people would say, "Oh, how cute!  Is that you?"  My sad response was, "I only wish."  :o)

Three Weeks

Three Months :o)

Eight Months

Twelve Months (taking some of her first steps EVER - and I was there!)

And just a few weeks ago.