the hocus focus photo blog

WHEW!

First of all let me start by saying that I certainly wasn't wearing my genius hat when I decided to wear my new red heels to Holiday Mart Friday. I can do fashion over function just like the next gal but there are limits to how long I can hang. After about five hours a girl's gotta have some flats! I mean really! What the heck was I thinking?

Thank you to those who have already come out to see us at The Mart! I've seen so many past clients and met some fabulous new ones who I'm really eager to work with. The 2008 calendar is already filling up and I'm just beside myself.

Can you believe that in the last 24 hours we've had visits to the website and blog from 31 states and 9 countries. WOW! I'm just amazed. I'd love to know who you all are. Drop us a note in the comment section and introduce youself!

Two more days of Holiday Mart! We've been super busy in our booth but I'm hoping to sneak in a little shopping time tomorrow or Sunday. I did manage to hit the Farmstead booth yesterday and found an awesome tee that I seriously couldn't resist, but there are lots more booths I'm dying to shop! A couple that I've spotted and plan to hit are Frankie and Jules and Sitzmark. I'll keep adding to the list of must shop booths throughout the weekend. Stop by and say hi! Can't wait to see you all there! Just don't forget your flats!!!

Hugs,
H

What Are You Waiting For?

This shopping is to die for!  Come see us at Holiday Mart now through Sunday.  We're in Booth 703 - just to the right when you enter the exhibition hall.  We're booking sessions for spring and summer of 2008.  Book your next session at Holiday Mart and mention this blog post to receive $25 off your session fee.

Happy Shopping!
H

THE Shopping Event of the Year!

WHAT:  The Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri Holiday Mart

WHEN:  October 18 - 21, 2007

WHERE:  Overland Park International Trade Center (115th & Metcalf)

HOW MUCH:  Single Day Admission - $10, Multi-Day Admission - $18

WHY:  The Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri introduced its first Holiday Mart in 1988 with a total of 32 retailers and 10,000 shoppers.  It was staffed by only 82 Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri volunteers raising a grand total of $94,000.  Since then, Holiday Mart has annually increased the number of retailers to over 200, attendance to over 22,000 shoppers and volunteers to over 350, while becoming one of the premiere Holiday Mart events in the country.  Holiday Mart, the Junior League's largest fund raiser, will celebrate it 20th year in Kansas City this year, and will contribute to over the $4,700,000 in monies generated to date to support projects in our Kansas City community, including our Impact Area, Children's Literacy. 

WHO:   Me.  I'll be there in a booth with my friends from Spoil Me Rotten and Mama Said Clothing.  Be sure to stop by and say hi!  We'll be booking 2008 sessions and we'll have a few fabulous giveaways as well.  I'll let you know our booth number as soon as we get it!

WHO ELSE:  Everyone else in Kansas City who LOVES TO SHOP.  And the fabulous vendors who come from all over the country to set up shop at THE KANSAS CITY SHOPPING EVENT OF THE YEAR.  Be sure to visit some of my friends from last year including:

Art by Amy - Uniontown, KS
Lakegirl - Detroit Lakes, MN
Molly Jayne's - Lee's Summit, MO
Ambiance - Stillwell, KS (owned by my cousin, Julie)

And someone I can't wait to meet this year:

Matilda Jane, Fort Wayne, IN

For more information on Holiday Mart 07 and The Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri please visit their website.

Hope to see you there!
H

Fire Ops 101

Today was the day that Misty and I went to Lawrence to shoot the fire department training session.  The event was called Fire Ops 101.  The firefighter's union brought out folks from the city commission, a 6 News Lawrence anchor, a Lawrence radio DJ and other various city officials.  They geared them up and guided them through four different scenarios as firefighters.  They got to use the Jaws of Life to tear up a car and extricate a fake victim and they even went into a burning building (totally controlled, but hey - fire is fire).

Take note of the truck on the left in this shot.  It has a roof.

It HAD a roof.  They tore it UP!!!

Here's a crew going in to the burn building.

And the safety team at the other end of the building making sure all is well. 

It was so cool to see these folks strap on all that gear and get to it.  They were all so tough!
And how unbelievably cool is the thank you gift Misty and I received from the union?!?  It's something I bet nobody else has.  CHECK IT OUT!  A KICK ASS FIRE HELMET!  Instead of Firefighter or Lieutenant or Captain ours say Photographer.  They even had our names put on them.  WAY COOL!


More photos from the event to come, but right now I've got a maternity session to edit.  Many thanks to Eddie, Brandon and the rest of the firefighters for having us today.  We had such a great time. 

But before I get to editing that maternity session I'm off to rub it in that MY HELMET IS COOLER THAN MY HUSBAND'S!  WOO! HOO!  ROCK ON, BABY!

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

_____________________________________________________

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. 

Another Fun Playdate Party

Many, many thanks to Jaime and Dave who hosted a Playdate Paparazzi Party last weekend.  Jill and I had a blast working with everyone.  The kids were super cute, the moms were absolutely fabulous and Miss Jaime makes a mean chicken salad for lunch!  Oh, and she's got some SERIOUSLY CUTE BOYS!  If I had boys, I'd want them to be just like these two. 

(love that little smirk!)

(and those amazing eyes!)

Thanks again to Jaime, Dave and all the wonderful moms who came to party with us!  Stay tuned.  More sneak peeks coming soon!

More from this weekend's PLAYDATE

And this sweet little one wanted to eat the tutu instead of wear it, but isn't she a doll!!

Playdate Paparazzi Pics

A few of my favorite shots from a PLAYDATE PAPARAZZI PARTY this weekend!  Thanks to Cerena, Matt and London for hosting all of us.  We had a great time meeting and working all of your friends...your very gorgeous friends!

Gotta run, but I promise to post more soon! 

84 Kids

Would you believe that a total of 84 kids came to the Spoil Me Rotten Mini Sessions and Casting Call?  I kid you not.  It was a whirlwind!  EIGHTY FOUR KIDS IN TWO DAYS!!!  And then I slept for two days after it was over.  :o) 

Thankfully I didn't have to choose the winners.  There's just no way I could do it.  All of the kids were great and we appreciate the moms bringing them out.  Here are a few of my favorite shots from those two days.   I'll add more as time permits. 

Kansas City Live

Kansas City Live ROCKS!  Thanks to Adrienne and Kevin from NBC Action News who came out to Spoil Me Rotten last Wednesday to see just what we were up to.  They were awesome and I hope they had as much fun as we did!  I also want to thank all the moms who brought their little darlings to the store to support us and to take part in the photo sessions.  It was one crazy day.  After the show aired the phone was ringing off the hook.  The few appointments we had left were filled and we now have a waiting list for our next event. 

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better...

I got a call from Stephanie with Kansas City Live the very next day telling me that they're having "maternity week" on the show August 14-18 and that they'd like to accompany me to a maternity photo shoot.  It took me a minute to scrape my jaw from the floor and call her back because I was so stinkin' excited!  Since my last maternity client just gave birth two days earlier and I had photographed the birth, they decided to come to her newborn shoot so we could talk about it all - maternity, birth and babes.  Stephanie didn't make it to the shoot because four days after I talked with her, she herself had a baby.  What's in the water around here?  Not sure, but it's really not helping this bad case of baby fever I'm come down with!  (Congrats, Stephanie!)   

I'm so excited for the piece to air.  As of now I don't know exactly which day it will be, but I'll be sure to post and let everyone know as soon as I find out.  Several of my images will (hopefully) be shown on the show including maternity, newborns and babies so I can't wait to hear your reaction if you see yourself on TV!! 

I must say that I have the job in the world and I am so privileged to work with such amazing clients.  Thank you all for supporting me and allowing me to do what I truly love to do!  And thanks to Kevin for catching it all on camera!  It was great to work with you again. 

Here are a few images from the shoot you'll see on Kansas City Live.  It's Cooper at 7 days old and isn't he precious! 

Until next time, keep smiling!