stacie nicole photography

Sianara

2010-04-30T23:12:00.000-05:00

hi there friends! boy, have i missed you. i have officialy set a record for longest time without blogging (for myself.) things around here have been changing tremendously!

I HAVE A NEW BLOG!
www.staciedcarter.blogspot.com
i am officially posting on here that i am no longer shooting weddings, portraits or any type of events as a photographer. it surely is bittersweet and a difficult decision to make. but SOOO freeing at this point. i love photography and probably always will. i love the families and children who i have spent much time with over the last few years and watched them grow. that's a big reason i enjoyed it.

for now, i am going to continue with our "expeditions" and fun, artistic photos only. steve and i are working super hard to grow our new business (third street promenade) here in cullman with gene and carol green. i also still work a regular job, so it's difficult to do all of it. i wish! the shooting, editing, marketing, etc... take a lot of time. had to make a choice and go with what's in my heart. maybe i'll start it back up one day when things slow down. who knows!

so anyway - the new blog is just a blog for randomness. when you have a blog for your business even if it's photography, i think you sometimes feel like it needs to be mostly related to "business." so the new blog is WHATEVER.

Cullman Halloween Costume Mini-Session

2009-10-26T20:25:00.007-05:00

hello there, goblins. i'm not even sure what a goblin is, but i like the way it sounds.
well, everything is gearing up here for the halloween mini-sessions in the new studio! bring your kids by for some portraits in costume or even a cute halloween outfit. (rain or shine.) we'll have a fun, festive background that will help create photos you will enjoy for years and years to come. : )

it's hard to not think about christmas, that's for sure. but the focus is on saturday. i'm posting below some information regarding the packages for those planning to stop by.

the mini-session will last about 10-15 minutes. i imagine we'll end up with 5-10 unique proofs from this amount of time. all ages are welcome! that means you big kids too - if a photo of your well-thought-out costume would be of value to you! times are available to schedule from 12pm to 6pm. an appointment is not necessary though, if you don't mind waiting a few minutes. we'll also have candy!

you will be able to choose a package out of the three. we'll get your contact info, payment and package choice. within 2-3 days, you will receive an emailed link to an online gallery of your proofs for viewing and further ordering (if you wish.) once you choose your favorite shot and let me know, we'll print the images from your package and notify you as soon as they're ready to pick up. it should be a quick turnaround time.

location: historic west side (thompson's) furniture building - right off highway 278 across from office equipment and next door to f&o architects.

feel free to shoot me an email or give me a call if you know what time you'd like to come by!

PACKAGES
(all include online proofs available for order -- 1 package per family)

JACK O’LANTERN -- $40
Includes --
Session Fee
1 5x7
1 4x6

SCARECROW -- $60
Includes --
Session Fee
1 8x10
1 5x7
1 4x6
4 Wallets

CANDY CORN -- $80
Includes --
Session Fee
1 8x10
2 5x7
2 4x6
8 Wallets

and of course, i must include at least one photo. this is a shot of avery and bennett (dorothy and the lion) from last year. the lion likes to enjoy a green sucker from time to time........

Studio and Halloween Sessions - Cullman, Alabama

2009-10-21T21:59:00.004-05:00

Whoa nellie...I'm not even going to talk about my lack of blogging, because I always start out a blog post that way. I will say that lots of exciting things are going on. My to-do list grows and grows, but it is not full of many things that I'm dreading. How nice.

Big news on the homefront is that my studio is almost complete! There are many details that come along with that news bulletin, but I will save them for later. The studio will be in another business...a SUPER COOL business right here in the heart of Cullman, Alabama. Who would have ever thought??

If you have kids who will be sportin' some fun or scary costumes on Halloween, we are setting up the studio for all day mini-sessions. You can come by before trick-or-treating, visiting with family or festivals, etc... and I'll snap some professional shots with them all dressed up! I'm really looking forward to this. What a blast. I will post more details with what the package includes. Short and sweet for you so you can head out and go get some candy!

Up next -- a few shots I've been meaning to load on here. This is Anna - who is a Senior this year. Her mom asked me to do a small session with her in her Phantom of the Opera band costume. They were placing pics in the football program too. Anna is SO beautiful and photogenic. She was fun to hang out with. I hope I'll be doing more of their family, because I certainly enjoy them! Here are a few of my favorites......

And sometimes you need randomness:

-Isn't the cold weather great? I'm always ready for a change of season. I like scarves.

-I am getting a new cel phone next week. My END button doesn't work. For a few months now, I've had to click into the menu and scroll up to end a call.

-I live with a man now. It is different than living with a woman. But I'll be cheesy and say that just when I think I couldn't love him more, the next day I just love him even more. It's bananas.

-Today a rock hit my windshield while on the interstate and it looks like a bullet hole. Yikes!

-If I regularly sold items on Ebay, I would be more addicted to checking it than Facebook.

-I was married 3 months ago, and I still have thank you notes to write.

-Saturday is the 1 year anniversary of mine and Steve's 1st date. That night when we were in the car, I told him I was so nervous I thought I might get sick. It got better though.

-I like to buy gasoline locally. The Clean Fuels station on 278 always has the lowest price, and they are my friends now.

-I am looking forward to seeing the new Michael Jackson movie.

The End. Goodbye.

Love and Marriage - Cypress Lakes Country Club - Muscle Shoals

2009-08-16T11:07:00.004-05:00

Well, hello there, blog world! I am now a married woman! What a change in life over these last few posts. I thought I was doing better about blogging, but I was just fooling myself. Things are settling a bit after a crazy last few months. It was been wonderful though. When I get some wedding pics back of our own, I will post them and share. Being married has been an interesting thing. So far I love it. When I have said that to numerous people, the response is - "just wait...that will change." Hey - thanks for the encouragement! : ) But I think it could mostly be about attitude. I know it won't be easy, but I am so grateful for an amazing husband. Nope, he's not perfect - but thank God, because neither am I!

One month before my own wedding, I shot Laura and Denny's wedding at Cypress Lakes Country Club in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. It was a beautiful spot for an outdoor wedding. Yes, it was blazing hot during pictures, but right before the ceremony, their prayers were answered. The skies turned cloudy and a breeze came through. It was perfect! Here you go!

Fort Morgan, Alabama and Morris Avenue

2009-05-27T20:59:00.004-05:00

hey hey hey -- this might be a random post. i'm trying to be better about blogging. it just takes a real effort. one of those things i am determined to do. maybe it's just easier for some folks - i don't know! anyway, steve and i just returned from our very first pre-marital counseling session, and it was FABULOUS. he is not quite as enthusiastic as i am about it, but he is at least content. i'm up for as many sessions as possible, and i'll let anyone know it. john richter at st. john's in cullman will be marrying us off, and i really like him a lot. i'm looking forward to the remaining sessions.

we were at the beach this weekend in fort morgan. what the weather forecasters said would be a rained out holiday turned into a beautiful, sunny, warm, painfully sunburned vacation. other than the fact that i am still hurting on my shoulders, it was a blast. steve and i went down to the fort and took some pictures. when we returned, my stepmom informed us of all the snakes that hang out in the cool hidden spots. i'm certainly glad i didn't think about that while i was leaning back in a corner trying to set the automatic timer. i haven't edited any of the pics, but i pulled this one out that i liked. i think it would be cool to do some portraits down there. i also have a favorite pier on the bay side of fort morgan road that i have always wanted to use for portraits. no one has taken me up on it though!

on another random note -- i haven't posted any other work i've done in the last few months, so i sized and loaded these pics from one of my favorite engagement sessions (of two of my favorite people - melanie and joey.) they are now married. i thought i had not posted these, but i realized i put the link to their slideshow in an earlier post. oh well. if you actually clicked on that link about 6 months ago, you will be seeing them again. at this moment, i don't have as much time to go back and add others! these were shot at morris avenue. you can count on your photos turning out super cool any time you're at morris avenue. i love these type settings.

i hope you all have a lovely thursday.

Back and Engaged - St. Bernard Chapel

2009-05-20T00:01:00.007-05:00

Heeeeeyyyyy, I'm back! Well, I have been in relationship and marriage world for the last 2 months. I haven't even announced on here that I am engaged! It's easy to become quite focused on each other and tune the world out. But we are beginning to resurface. Steve asked me about my blog and if I had updated. So we checked it and burst out laughing at HAPPY NEW YEAR. It's been a while. I am now planning my own wedding, and it has been a great process so far. I have some great local suggestions if anyone is interested (cake, dress, etc...) We are having Nate and Arancha shoot the photos. I have worked with them once on a wedding and am very excited to have them hang out with us all day. Our date is set for July 25, so it's coming up! We are having a "garden wedding" in my dad and stepmom's backyard. Praying all the time for good weather.

Steve and I have been working on shooting more artistic photos for prints and such. So since I am a photographer and don't like to post without a picture...here is one for you. This is the chapel at St. Bernard in Cullman, Alabama. We aren't necessarily getting married there. But if you are Catholic, it would be divine. It is beautiful out there. There is no short supply of great photo opportunities. Have a great day!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-14T20:55:00.009-06:00

Well, holy cow! I almost forgot how to blog - it's been so long. No, I did not fall off the face of the planet. Yes, I am still alive. I've thought about blogging recently, but it's been one of those situations where so much time has passed you just don't know what to say. Lots of things have been going on, and it's been a pretty busy time. And this will probably be short and sweet.

Hmm...let's see. Thanksgiving and Christmastime were crazy, because I scheduled many portraits. People are serious about getting those Christmas cards out on time, and I don't blame them. I love getting cards in the mail and seeing how families have grown and changed. Also, helped my friend, Carla, shoot a fun wedding at the Sonnet House in Leeds. Took a big road trip to Boston to see my mom (6 inches of snow and a windchill of -12 degrees!) Stopped in New York City....fun. My love life has taken a turn which is a bit awkward to suddenly announce on my blog...uh...but it's been a huge part of my life. So....needs to be said and has been quite unexpected and amazing. And Steve went with me on the road trip, which was a blast. Maybe I will put a couple of those pictures up later. In the meantime, I will post a few from the portraits over the holidays.

I haven't set as many defined goals for the New Year as I usually do, but I am working towards building up my photography business. That's the big goal with a bunch of smaller ones to go with it. It looks as though I will be moving back to my hometown of Cullman in March. I would like to build a foundation there but also expand nationally (for weddings and such.) I will still be working full time in Bham though. We'll see about it all. Here are some pics. And I just realized I did not resize them, so they are huge....

Sweet Lillie....

My friend, Jessica's, boys...Seth, Luke and Will...

Little Addy...who just became a big sister this week!

Her two favorite things: Roll Tide and Doe-does...

Also, I'm really looking forward to shooting a wedding this weekend for Melanie and Joey. This one will be at St. John's in Cullman. They are both so sweet. The engagement session was so special and fun. Here's the LINK to see their slideshow.

Holiday Inn

2008-10-22T22:14:00.004-05:00

Hello friends and neighbors. I haven't posted a LAUGH for the day in quite a while. When this occurred earlier, I decided to bring back the laughs. My Dad is the source of this one. He loves to forward emails, and most of them are pretty funny. But I usually delete pointless forwards. You know...the ones that tell you that you're not a Christian if you don't pass it to 10 people. So my Dad sent me (and quite a few others) the one that tells you if you forward it to so many people, you're phone will ring and you're wish will come true in however many minutes equal your age, etc... Then it gives the 'true' stories of everyone else. I was like...what?? This is from my Dad? Seriously...

I replied to him: 'Dad...I have to be honest with you. You can't forward these type of emails and still remain at the coolness level where you are currently positioned.'

His reply: 'I know I don't usually forward these types of emails, but it was a test to see if my phone would ring. The test failed. My phone did not ring, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.'

I thought that was hilarious. It might be funnier if you know my Dad.

Anyway, I thought I'd post a few more pics from Stephanie and Jody's wonderful day. I have been a color maniac lately. I still love black & white or antique style photos, but vibrant, rich colors are wonderful!

One of my favorites so far...

Stephanie & Jody - Wedding in Birmingham, AL

2008-10-19T23:00:00.005-05:00

Well, I almost went so long without blogging I was wondering if I would even be able to still sign into it! Sorry about that, Blog. I have no idea why I neglected you for so long. I've been a bit busy. But anyway. I've been working hard on finishing the wedding pics for Stephanie and Jody who were married here in Birmingham at Trinity United Methodist Church and had a fabulous reception at Park Lane. These two locations were amazingly beautiful. Kathy G and her team have such a talent for unique details.

And to top it off, they had Neki Garrett from Engaging Celebrations coordinate it all. I think it was love at first sight for me and Neki! She is a dream-come-true! So sweet, organized, such a pleasure to work with. I hope I will be hanging out with her at many more weddings to come!

This wedding also had special meaning for me, because it's the third one I've shot in the same family! My friend, Dyroma, has surely sent me business through all of her cousins. The Browns are like family to me. As a matter of fact, I believe I'll be inviting Uncle Chris and Aunt Monica to my own wedding just so they'll dance (because they are the MOST fun ever!)

I'm still in the progress of editing photos but here are a few pre-ceremony that caught my eye.

The rings...

These hydrangeas were beautiful, and their main color was this bold, autumn orange that really stood out...

Getting ready....

Aww...soon after their first look before the wedding...

Portraits in Cullman, Alabama

2008-09-29T22:48:00.002-05:00

Well, I have already come up with two New Year's resolutions. Can you do this so early? Does it mean I have to set them now? I guess they wouldn't be New Year's resolutions if I did that. Anyway, the first one is to floss more. Really...this is a matter of keeping your teeth, people. I hate flossing, but it's the greatest feeling after you do it. The second one is to make a bigger deal out of everybody's birthday. I just turned 30 years old on Friday (I'm not a granny yet! Let's not talk about that.) It really makes a huge difference when people celebrate your birthday with you. What if there wasn't anybody? I don't think I realize what an impact it makes even when you just send someone an email or card on their birthday. I want to do that more.

I've been hustling and bustling with portrait sessions here lately. I hesitated to post pics from them, because I'm trying to turn my focus on just wedding photography...and not take on any additional portrait clients. Since I work full-time, it's difficult to open up the time to do both. I could probably keep a business running just with my group of friends from high school! So here are a few from the last couple of weeks.

This is Kate and Allie (daughters of my friend, Kelly)......

This is Anna Hampton (daughter of my friend, Dyroma).......

I do love her even though she loves the Auburn Tigers!

She's not a big fan of bows though...

Randominities

2008-09-21T19:23:00.003-05:00

What's up, friends? It's a been a long time no bloggin! My schedule is picking back up just a tad after my little break from photo sessions and/or weddings. And with football picks, who has time to do anything?!? I am shocked at how well I've done this week. So far I'm in the top 5 - woooo! I have no idea what I'll win if I stay there after tomorrow night's game with the Jets/Chargers. I do not have the experience and knowledge to be in the top 5, but I'll never tell my secret source of information....hehehe.

I did finally hit 88888 on my odometer! The number for new beginnings, right? It's still pretty cool that I hit it in 2008. My friend, Carla, and I were headed to Nashville, and I took a picture as we drove down the road. Here you go....

The other night, I went with Rebecca, Krista and Alex to the Switchfoot, Third Day, Robert Randolph and Jars of Clay concert. It was a BLAST! Because of these girls, we had free 8th row tickets and got to go back and meet Switchfoot. I had never even heard of Robert Randolph, but he seriously rocked it. Here's couple of pics....

Lead singer of Switchfoot...

Birmingham to Nashville

2008-09-08T20:36:00.005-05:00

To be a photographer, is it unusual that I have absolutely no photos hanging on my walls? In my opinion, the answer is yes. Maybe it's because I don't feel quite settled just bouncing from one apartment to the next and not having a place to really make home...you know, for an extended period of time. In the last 12 years, I have moved 15 times....WHAT?!? That is absurd! So now it makes sense to not hang pictures. Haha! An "extended period of time" would apparently be ohhhh...about 2 years for me. But I do have some in mind that I'd like to frame and make my own gallery wall like everyone else. Take for instance, my little moped picture that I took with my point and shoot camera the other day. My friend, Rebecca, and I went to the Art Walk in downtown Birmingham. See......

And then we had our picture taken with Vulcan in all his feather glory....

Birmingham has so much going on and many fun things to do. Sometimes I feel it's a waste when I don't take advantage of all those events.

BUT tomorrow I'm actually heading up to Nashville with my friend, Carla, to attend THIS conference put on by David Jay. I am so excited, because I think he's pretty cool. He's so young and such a successful photographer. He's got a great business sense. I've already learned so much from following his blog which leads me to other photographers and their vast wisdom. I'm hoping to pick up some valuable lessons.

Tally ho!

No Wrinkles Allowed

2008-09-04T20:31:00.004-05:00

Well, I didn't make my odometer countdown by the end of August...bummer! I was trying to make it to 88888 by the end of 08/08. I think it's at 88700 right now. Not sure how I thought it would happen since my car basically stayed in the same parking space from Friday night to Tuesday morning. Oh well. At least I know that I will hit it by the end of 2008, right?? And that's got to be pretty rare...or something like it.

The last 2 weeks have been so relaxing, because I've had a bit of a break from photography. I think if I had kept going, I might have had some sort of breakdown! So it's been great. This past weekend I went with my friend, Christi, and her parents to the Alabama/Clemson game. So exciting! It was such a blast. Can you believe they WON? Good times ahead. Here's a picture of us before the game started....

I love exciting games...a lot more than the suspenseful ones. Overtime gets on my nerves (even though it's fun), because I just want someone to be the winner!

Now I'm picking my teams for Saturday, and let me say: it's time-consuming and mind-boggling! I tried to research, and I think I did a pretty good job considering all that I don't know. But I would read and read about the teams and finally just say GEEZ and pick whatever. Maybe I will blow everybody away by my super-incredible insight and methodology. Yeah, okay. We'll see.

September is my birthday month...and this year it has tried to come on like a dark cloud. I'm trying hard not to let that happen though! Maybe if I say it over and over (I love turning 30. It is the best year of my life!), I will have a better attitude. It's so friggin' old. (Sorry to the people who are older...really!) I don't look at others and think they are old, but when I have to say it about myself...yikes. Big whoppin deal though. Life goes on. Twenty years from now I'll be laughing that I wrote this.

Renting and Rolling

2008-08-27T20:03:00.002-05:00

I rented a lens! I've always thought that sounded a bit absurd. But when that sucker costs just under $2,000, it sure makes a lot of sense to rent it for a week for $100. It's the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 ......and what a lovely lens it will be. This website is DA BOMB (www.lensrentals.com.) Simple enough. I'll be shooting Stephanie and Jody's wedding on October 4, so I reserved for it to arrive a few days before. Maybe one day soon I will actually be able to purchase it. We'll see. I hope it's all I've imagined it to be and MORE!

My odometer still has yet to reach 88888. I didn't look when I left the car, but I think it's near 88600. I don't know...I may not make it. But I'm not giving up hope just yet.

I am super excited to be attending the Alabama/Clemson game in Atlanta this weekend. And even more elated that it will be in the Dome and not in the 90 degree heat. Woooop! The Tide seems to be shaping up a bit this year, and I know a lot of folks are eager to see this first game. I hope they kick some you-know-what. Hey...it is possible.

I've been honing my football knowledge, because I'm usually the person next to you at a game saying "What just happened?? Who was that? What'd they say? Why is it 2nd down and not 3rd?" We'll see how my studying changes things! Get ready!

And RRROOOOLLLLLLLLL TIDE ROLL.

Morris Avenue in Birmingham with some Crazy 8's

2008-08-19T21:37:00.004-05:00

All day long I had been trying to think of the funny thing that happened to me yesterday. I woke up and couldn't remember. I was driving along thinking how this funny thing occurred in the car. I tried to come up with every possible scenario, but it would not come back to me. Oh how I wanted to remember (b/c then I could blog about it.) Then when I left work at 5pm, I got back into my car and thought - I need to get rid of this gum. And BAM! It popped into my head, and I started laughing again. That is the best feeling.

Well, here it is. Yesterday when I left work at 5pm, apparently the same thought came to mind - I need to get rid of this gum. So while driving, I threw my gum out the window, and it stuck to the rearview mirror! So I'm driving down the highway trying to get it off. All the while just laughing like a crazy person. Yeah, that was it. That was the funny thing.

I have discovered something very interesting. And I want to start a countdown. The odometer on my car right now reads 88425. I have only 463 miles before I make it to 88888. Do you think it can happen in August (8) of 2008? I don't know, but I kind of want to drive all over the place so that it does. I'm going to keep watch on it up until the end of the month.

My friend, Vicky, and I took a road trip to the Florida Keys one time in her car. We stopped and bought scratch off lottery tickets (Crazy 8's) and won something around $20. We noticed later that our odometer at the time was very close to 88888 as well - crazy! Our next stop was a restaurant in Panama City, and we mentioned how weird it would be if we were to 88888 when we stopped. We didn't even think about at the time we ate, but when we got back into the car, it was! So seriously?!? Guess it's my number.

Anyway, moving on...
I am slow in posting these pictures, but I definitely wanted to get them up. I took some engagement pics of my friends, Julie and Gavin. Julie has been one of my very best friends for a few years now even when not living in the same city. We've been through a lot together! It is very special to me to be able to do this for them. We had the most fun, and it was my first time to shoot on Morris Avenue in Bham. Love it. The cobblestone streets are perfect scenery. And after even a few minutes, I really think they forgot I was there. (Which is good!) So they were relaxed and easy to shoot. Here are a few of my favorites, but be sure to check out the link to the slideshow at the bottom.

The song to the slideshow is special to Julie, so it was an obvious choice.
Click HERE to see the show!

Stephanie & Jody at Birmingham Botanical Gardens

2008-08-03T13:05:00.002-05:00

Hello good people, I have been editing like a madwoman. I'm so glad to have Stephanie and Jody's engagement pics ready for them. We shot these at the Botanical Gardens here in Bham, and it's always beautiful there. We were trying to be smart and catch the lowest point of the heat. But at this time of year, it doesn't really matter if you wait until midnight. Surprisingly, you can't even tell these two were burning up. Good thing there's not a pic of me in here, b/c that was a different story!

I wish I had time to write more, but I wanted to get this post up asap. Be sure to click the link below for the slideshow of the rest.

They are both big Auburn fans, so of course we had to incorporate some memorabilia....

Click HERE to see all of them! Happy August!

Sleeps with the fishes

2008-07-30T21:51:00.004-05:00

Where's the beef?...you might ask. Well, the beef is in the garbage, because I did something very unnecessary. It's not like I spent my life-savings, but don't you hate when you might as well throw money out the window? I purchased a pound of ground round (whoa rhyming!) the other day. All I had to do was freeze it. But nope. I don't like freezing, because it has to thaw when I want to hurry and cook it. But if you let it go way past the date, what's the point?!? Haha...well, I suppose you get the picture. So I had to throw it away simply because I did not move it to the freezer. Waste.

Anyway, I decided to post some pics of my other cutie-pie niece, Sophie. I have been given the great honor of being her godmother! I need to read up on this, because I'm not for sure what I'm supposed to do as godmother. I will say this though: I will be the most fabulous of them out there. No really. Call me Godmotha. The Don (na) Corleone. I'll make him an offer he can't refuse. Ok, that was stupid. I am going to love helping to raise both of these little munchkins. Here are some pictures of Sophie.

Future Heisman Trophy winner? Maybe so...

Alabama Summertime

2008-07-28T21:22:00.003-05:00

Do you ever think of a phrase and start wondering about it then begin to hear it often? I guess you notice it more. The other day I was thinking of the phrase "sweat like a pig." And I pondered this, because pigs don't actually sweat. So this doesn't make any sense to say when you are really sweating. It would make more sense to say if you weren't sweating. And how can you sweat if you are wearing ANTIperspirant? Does any antiperspirant actually keep someone from sweating? I'd love to hear about this. I'm going to stop putting aluminum under my arms and clogging my pores if the darn stuff doesn't work. I don't know why I'm talking about sweating so much. I guess because it's 100 degrees outside.

Speaking of stains...my friend, Katie, told me about the perfect combination to use in order to get those yellow stains out of your white shirts. (Come on, admit it! Everybody's got 'em.) You use Greased Lightning and then put some Oxy Clean powder on it and let it stay a few hours. I have purchased the products but haven't actually attempted my stain removal yet. I will let you know how it goes. This could be life-changing.

Anyway, I have really never enjoyed the summer more than this year. (Well, except when I was really young and had the summers off.) I'm not for sure why. I think I just appreciate it more. It's nice. And will be even nicer if I can get the stains out of my white shirts.

A couple of weeks ago I was able to shoot 3 Month sessions for both of my nieces. So I thought I'd post a couple of pictures from Lily's session. Next time I will post Sophie's. They are both growing fast. I love it when babies smile and laugh at you. And then they start developing personalities which is so much fun.

Here is little Lily.....

I like it that she's got her hand in her mouth.

Fort Morgan Beach Pictures

2008-07-21T22:38:00.006-05:00

Hello to you. I have been displaying some serious blog-negligence! Time just goes by so fast. I am quite grateful that I have a job where I work inside in the nice air conditioning all day. I think about this often! There are many jobs I've had in my life that make me appreciate where I am - and also appreciate other people. One summer I worked (for 2 loooonnng weeks) for a landscaping company - laying sod and digging trenches for sprinkler systems. I couldn't take anymore than 2 weeks. My dad and stepmom would secretly laugh as I came home covered in mud and disgusting - then when straight up to sleep from being ridiculously tired. That kind of job brings out all the gratitude possible when I think back on it! Even though I was a "quitter." Hogwash.

Moving on....anyway, I wanted to post some pictures from my second beach session with my friend, April's, family. It's amazing to me how we shot them the very next day after Katie's family (post below) at the exact same time, and the lighting was so different. (I am fascinated with how natural lighting changes.) As soon as we walked out the door, the wind picked up like crazy, and a huge thunder cloud rolled in. It looked like it was going to pour down at any minute, but it didn't. So we ventured to the beach until we saw lightning and got a little freaked out. Beach pictures are some of my favorites. Here you go......

Late night rambling

2008-07-10T23:56:00.004-05:00

Hidy Ho, friends and neighbors. I'm about to fall over right now from being so sleepy, but I'm waiting for some pictures to load onto my proofing site. In the meantime, I thought this would be a good chance to post a blog although I really have nothing to say. My friend, Carrie, told me today that I seriously need to blog. And I feel her pain. I don't like it when others don't blog, and I want them to. My stomach is growling, but I refuse to break the rule of eating this late. I'm sure it would bring great relief if I did though. Maybe just a bite. Like some peanut butter.

Maybe I do have a couple of things to say. Number 1: I am happy about buying a smaller toothbrush. For years, I have felt that a larger toothbrush was better. But I was wrong and now feel that using a smaller one has greatly improved my brushing capability. Number 2: In my opinion, the worst thing ever is when you see a bug in the house (specifically a roach)...and you hesitate to kill it (b/c killing roaches is among the top 20 most dreadful things to do)...so you lose time on catching it. Then you decide to get your shoe and go after it (because the thought of not knowing where it went is just as bad.) Well, you wasted too much time thinking and the darn thing got away...inside your closet!! THE HORROR!

My beach trip last week was surely fabulous. I may have said this before, but I forgot what my life was like at home! I got a lot of rest and sun. I realized that my eyes look whiter now that I have more sun on my face. That's nice. While I was there, I shot some portraits of the families of my friends, April and Katie. I've been working on Katie's over the last few days. I finished tonight, and that's why I'm up so late. I just heard the ding that my pics are loaded, so that means I must hit the hay. Here are two of my favs of both the girls together. I'll post more later...probably. This is Kennedy and Frankie Kate....

Get it while it's hot

2008-06-30T16:32:00.006-05:00

Greetings from sunny Fort Morgan, Alabama. It wasn't too bright & sunny yesterday when we were under a tornado warning. But things are getting better now. I still haven't reached the middle of my week-long vacation here at the beach. Each morning I wake up thinking - It's Monday...when is that?...oh yes, I'm here til Sunday...wow. I haven't had a vacation like this (where you just have nothing to do for so long) in quite some time, and it's marvelous.

Isn't it funny how when you have a sunburn, anything that touches that particular area of your body is amplified to the billionth power? If it's something warm, it's hot as blazes (actually oh-my-gosh-I-think-I'm-on-fire!) Or something cold, and it's like ice. Yes, I am experiencing that currently...but it's not as bad as it could be.

Moving on...I thought I'd post a few more of Michael and Mary's pictures from their wedding in Cleveland, Tennessee...and a short slideshow of my favorites at the bottom. It was absolutely beautiful. Everything went perfectly - many thanks to Cheryl Hyland of Blissful Moments. She is fabulous, and I would highly recommend her to anyone that I know in the Chattanooga/Knoxville area...or beyond!

The day of the wedding was ridiculously hot. I had scoped out the area near the church for a few spots to snap some pics of Michael and Mary. I decided to run grab some lunch before the festivities, so I hopped in my sauna of a car. While driving, I couldn't understand why I couldn't cool off. I know this isn't pleasant but I was sweating profusely! I had napkins in my car and was wiping my face...you could even see from my shirt that I was sweating - gross! Well and very dramatic.

I'm not a huge Wendy's fan, but as soon as it came into view, all I saw was a shining oasis of cool breezes in the air conditioner. I jumped out and ran inside. Two young guys at the counter stared at me like I was an alien of sorts. Guy 1: Man, you're out of breath! Me: I know...I don't think my air is working, and it's burning up! Guy 1 starts laughing so hard he walks down the line and starts talking to some other dude. Guy 2: You have a piece of tissue or something stuck on your face. Me: Oh...haha...I had to wipe my face with a napkin. Guy 1: Still laughing.

I finally cooled down and dreaded getting back in my car. My feet were already hurting and hot. When I got into the car, I realized something so stupid. The a/c button was not pushed and all I was getting was air from outside. SERIOUSLY!

Ok, that's my funny story. That was the worst part of the day. After I punched that little miracle button, I cooled off considerably. Actually, the day became a little cloudy and made it much more pleasant for Mary, Michael and the wedding party to venture outside for some shots. These guys were a lot of fun and made my job easy...super camera-friendly! Also, everyone there was so welcoming and made the night a blast.

First dance...

Me and my buds...

Click HERE to check out the slideshow!

June bugs

2008-06-17T21:27:00.005-05:00

Sometimes when thinking about all the things I have to do, I want so badly to not have one thing to do. Then if I have a moment when I don't have anything to do, I get bored. What the heck?? Things have definitely been uphill for a while, and they have not leveled off yet. I'm sure it will soon...I hope! : )

Anyway, tomorrow is my Friday - woop! I will be attending the RIPE Photography Conference on Thursday and Friday in Huntsville. I'm very excited about this. 1st of all because it's free. 2nd of all because I'm always wanting to grow and know that I still have so much to learn. I am quite amazed at how many mistakes I still make...even if it's not a biggie. But it only makes me better. Funny how sometimes I make the mistake about 10-15 times before I learn from it! Aaahh!

I have been working on the wedding pictures from Mary and Michael's wedding in Cleveland, Tennessee last weekend. I will give a full update on it when I am completely finished. Here are a few from the Rehearsal Dinner the night before at Cafe Roma. It was so sweet and a lot of fun...

Mary's mom gave them a cookbook made up from recipes all from their families.

This was during the slideshow - Mary and her buddies. They remind me so much of my friends at home. They've been such good friends for so long and have a very special history...

One thing that I learned from their wedding was to check the TIME ZONES! I headed up on Friday night thinking I was doing great on time. I got to my hotel with time to get ready and make the Rehearsal at 6:30pm. My clock in my room said 7:00pm, and I automatically passed it off thinking it was wrong not me. Well...not true. I was actually an hour behind. It wasn't tragic, thankfully.

Bailey and Bennett in Cullman, Alabama

2008-06-11T22:48:00.004-05:00

Hi - I hope you are having a lovely mid-week night. I have been an editing maniac. The best thing ever is when you think something's going to take a lot longer but you end up finishing it about 2 days early! That's what just happened with me when editing some pictures for my friend, Charlotte.

I was able to hang out with her and take pictures of Bailey and Bennett (adding another Bennett to my collection!) It was a lot of fun. And to top it off they invited me for dinner too! Delicious steaks on the grill by her husband, Scott.

Charlotte and I have been friends since before kindergarten. She and Scott now live where her grandmother lived for probably all of my life. The house is directly across the street from the elementary school we attended. I have so many memories at that house - including dressing up like crayons for Halloween and practicing duets on the piano. I love that house. The playground is also a block away. So after our "dressier" photos, Bailey & Bennett changed clothes, and we walked as they rode their bikes to the playground.

I felt like I got some good shots of them both - when they weren't running from me! So I'm going to share a few of them and also include a little slideshow link at the bottom...

I have to include all of these in the series of Bailey. This was adorable, because she loved holding that flower. She certainly knows how to work the camera!

I absolutely love these two and wish I got to spend more time with them! If you want to see the slideshow, go ahead and click HERE.

And sorry I haven't been doing my LAUGHS for the day. I'm sure my thousands and thousands of blog readers have been so disappointed to miss out on the cheesy, ridiculous events of my life. But really...everytime I try to think of one, I can't come up with anything. Sure - I've been laughing...I guess. My life has just been so consumed with work. The one during the day and even more the shooting and editing I do on the weekend and on weeknights. After I edit the wedding from this past weekend, I hope to get a much needed break! And it is finalized today that I will be able to take an ENTIRE WEEK off work and stay at the beach. I can't remember the last time I was on vacation for a whole week. Wahooo!

Shannon and James Finale!

2008-06-10T00:01:00.004-05:00

Hello to you. I'm so glad it's not cold outside. I don't even mind the heat. But I do mind the bugs. All roaches must die. And I have a funny story that I will tell you later about the heat this past weekend.

For now, I am completely finished with Shannon and James' wedding photos, and I'm so glad! Mostly I am glad for them, because they get to see them all now. And it's always a huge feeling of accomplishment for me to finish something like that. Moving onward to more editing! I'm trying to catch up...so maybe July will bring about more free time. I sometimes (not as much recently) read other photographer's blogs. And they just post away with all these photos. I sit and think - How do they have all that time?!? But then I realize - Oh yes, most of them don't have other jobs at 40 hours a week! I have been learning more and more about valuing my own time and not always agreeing to do things that are just going to keep me busy or stress me out even more. It's been a process, but at least I know more than I used to, right? And one day I will have much more time. Then I won't feel bad about sitting on my computer all night on iTunes trying to find cool music (like I did for hours tonight.)

Anyway, here are a few more of my favorites from Shannon and James' wedding on the river. I'm also posting a little slideshow at the bottom...

And when I said before that they were the most laid back bride & groom I've ever known, I really wasn't kidding. Here's James ready to hit the water with his tuxedo vest over his lifejacket. His aunt and uncle had their boat on the dock, so he had a chance to go wakeboarding! Do you think they had a fun time at their own wedding?? Yeah, I mean really!

Off into the wild blue yonder he goes...And he didn't even get wet. Well, he did eventually but not at first...

For any slideshow I create, I try to pick the absolute best music I can find for the couple. Well, Shannon and James are big country fans. I like country for the most part, but I'm not as big of a fan. And it was really hard for me to pick a country song for the slideshow. I searched and searched and even tried a couple of songs that were more like me. Well, that's just absurd. They never fit their personalities when I went back to watch. So I finally found one that seems to fit them...and that I actually love also.

So here you go for a short slideshow of a few favorites. Click HERE!

it's already june

2008-06-03T23:16:00.004-05:00

hello friends and neighbors. if my only sign of life is my blog, it may appear that i have fallen off the face of the planet . good thing it's not. may and june have ended up being busier than i anticipated. but it's allllll good. if i can make it through the weekend, it's downhill from there...at least for a little while. this weekend i'm headed up to cleveland, tennessee to shoot a wedding for mary and michael. i'm really excited about it, because they are friends of mine...and i would have liked to have attended the wedding even if i wasn't the photographer. two in one.

in the meantime, i have been editing like a madman to get shannon and james' pictures done from their wedding in athens. i'm over halfway done...and shannon, i promise they're coming soon! : ) this wedding was absolutely beautiful...on the river with the greenest grass. the day was perfect. shannon and james were the most laid back bride and groom i think i've ever seen. it was evident that everyone had a great time. i decided to post a few of my favorites so far. here you go...

May Flowers

2008-05-28T21:46:00.003-05:00

Long time no see...yes. I don't know why I haven't blogged in a while. I think when I get stressed out or super busy, I just say to HECK with blogging. Or I can't think of anything good to say so I might as well not say anything at all, right? Well, I still don't at this point, but I just have to write something. My friend, Ashley, tagged me quite a while back with this little list thing. So I thought I'd take this opportunity to fulfill my tag. Here you go:

5 things on my to-do list:
1. Change out my purse
2. Clear out some pictures on my computer so it doesn't run slow
3. Make an appointment to get a haircut
4. Whiten my teeth
5. Call my mom

5 snack I love:
1. South Beach Peanut Butter bar
2. Grapes
3. Slim-a-bear ice cream bar
4. Kashi oatmeal dark chocolate cookies...mmmm
5. Kashi ranch crackers

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Get a cool car and drive across the country visiting every state and fun city
2. Visit every other country I want to see
3. Go to the spa a lot
4. Find out what God's doing in the world and who needs some $
5. Buy the best computer anyone's ever seen

5 bad habits:
1. Making piles instead of organizing
2. Popping my knuckles
3. Chewing and smacking my gum
4. Starting too many books at one time
5. Not returning a call or email in a timely manner

5 places I have lived:
1. Nashville, TN
2. Cullman, AL
3. Starkville, MS
4. Grand Lake, CO...briefly
5. Birmingham, AL

5 jobs I’ve had or have:
1. CEO of a photography business...hehe
2. Legal Assistant with a law firm
3. Secretary for private family foundation
4. Server at a bison restaurant
5. Laid sod and dug ditches for a landscape business (fun...not really)

Time for a blog

2008-05-21T06:33:00.002-05:00

I realized that I haven't blogged in like a week. Sometimes I guess I just want to be quiet for a while. I shot a wedding in Athens on Saturday, and I'm not sure why but I have just been exhausted in all kinds of ways. I'm looking forward to heading down to the beach this weekend and doing nothing - woo!

I still don't have much to blog about. But I do have an interesting theory that came to mind the other day. You might think I'm crazy. But I was sitting on a big hill looking up at the car in front of me, waiting for a red light to change. A few months ago, I would have been seriously freaking out since I drive a 5-speed. I've gotten much better, and it's become quite natural these days. When it was time to get moving, I knew I had to just bear down on the gas as much as possible but not too much while I was letting out the clutch. You know - you can feel how it works while your driving in your car. And then I thought about how I'll bet I would be super awesome at water-skiing now that I know how to do this. Bear down! Yeah, that may not make sense but it did to me. I can start from go on a big hill in my 5-speed...therefore, I am quite skilled at water-skiing. HA!

Anyway, I am still editing some pictures from Mother's Day and a little shoot I did of my stepsister and fam. My nieces (Sophie & Lily) were at their Yaya's house for the very first time together the other day. So here are some pictures....

Taking a little nap together....

Lily sleeping peacefully....

Sophie being cute...

This was my favorite of Leah and Sophie...

If you know Griff, you would think this is the funniest look as well. He looks so serious here but I promise, he's not.

Life's Been Good

2008-05-12T23:53:00.008-05:00

Freakish incident of the week: I was in Cullman on Saturday night for a Mother's Day dinner, and we had some pretty horrible weather come through really late. My dad made us get in the basement around midnight. So of course, I took my valuables (just in case) including my computer, camera bag and purse. We sat down there amongst the exercise equipment until the coast was clear. The tornado or whatever it was passed just south of us (the interstate was totally closed from trees down!) Anyway, as I was walking up the stairs, I felt a sharp pain on the inside of my elbow. I thought - Geez!! What the heck?!?! Was that a spider or something? I looked at my arm and didn't see anything. Looked down on my purse, and there was a wasp. I mean seriously...I was stung (twice) by a wasp (which I didn't think was possible) around 1:00am after a tornado warning. Pretty sure that's a once in a lifetime occurrence.

Interesting fact: After my last post, when I mentioned how much I loved that Joe Walsh song, "Life's Been Good," I was listening to the radio. And I heard my song again! But afterwards the deejay was talking about how that just happens to be Nick Saban's favorite song. He stated that at some press conference one time....Hmm...some of you don't value that one single bit. But you know...he obviously has good taste.

And today's LAUGH might sound familiar to anyone who read my blog a few posts back when I so fondly spoke of my zipper mishap at the funeral home. Well, guess who left her zipper down again at church on Mother's Day? Oh yes, you got it. I've got a serious issue! I got home and all I could say when I realized the travesty was dadgumit. Anyway, I need some type of reminder on those particular pants. I don't know what the problem is, but I'd say that's a dreadful thing to continue happening.

Moving on...
Last weekend I hung out with my friend, April, who gives me probably the most business ever when it comes to photography. This session was for Bennett who just turned 1 year old. I am amazed it's already been a year. April always has the best ideas for props. She is a woman who knows what she wants! And I absolutely love it...she makes my job super easy! Here a few from that day...well, more than just a few....

April is so nostalgic and creative and wanted to do a series of Avery's shoes for her "gallery wall." This is one of those that I loved...

The cutie pie himself...Bennett...

I mean really...what a face!...

His mom had the idea of the bathtub and balloons. It was so adorable...

We decided he was stomping grapes and making some wine in this one...

And of course, I have to include one of big sis, Avery...

Yes, he got to dig into that cake. But he wasn't as messy as I expected...

"Insert caption here..."

Thoughts for Thursday

2008-05-08T06:40:00.000-05:00

Good heavens...I have certainly had a break from the computer this week. I left my one & only laptop in Cullman on Sunday and didn't get it back until late Tuesday night. I realized I spend ALL my time on the computer. But I usually have something to do so .... Also our internet hasn't been working, and it's kinda impossible to blog at work. I am just now getting around to a post! Boy, I sure do have a lot on my mind. These blogging thoughts just build up and build up...and they are so important most of the time. So I will just spill it. Here are my latest thoughts:

*Someday when I have a dog again, I would like to name him Hobart.

*One of my very favorite songs is "Life's Been Good" by Joe Walsh - who I think was in the Eagles? and broke off to do something on his own. It's just so sarcastic and makes me laugh. I love the beat, and I love singing it.

*You might remember a few months ago my story of trying to get my couch into our apartment. It wouldn't fit through the door. My brother & I considered Tracie's window but realized there was a bedroom door after that to squeeze it through. Yesterday morning I walked outside to a furniture store delivery truck. The people on the 2nd floor had ordered a couch. Apparently they had the same problem, b/c the delivery guys were trying to get it up on the balcony. While lifting, the couch fell and dropped down to the balcony below! Oh good grief! I seriously feel their pain. I have no idea if it made it inside.

*Funny fact: I still use the same bath towels that my mom and I bought at walmart together when I was in 2nd grade and we were moving into our new house. Pretty high quality towels, huh? They've lasted a looooonnngg time.

*And just in case you were wanting to know...the hurricane names for this year are as follows:

Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike, Josephine, Kyle, Laura, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.

I mean...who comes up with this? I think it's hilarious....well and quite interesting.

You didn't use the H

2008-05-02T06:34:00.006-05:00

The other day I was talking to my mom, and I told her about changing the name for my photography. I said - Hey mom, you should check out my new blog & website. It's stacie nicole photography...N-I-C-O-L-E. You might think it to be peculiar that I was spelling my name for my own mother. But her response was - Hmm...you didn't use the H. I just had to laugh. See here's the story: She (along with everyone else) originally spelled Nicole as Nichole. But when I turned 15 and went to get my driver's permit, I realized my birth certificate/social sec card was spelled differently. I mean talk about identity crisis! Well, not really. But I eventually decided it would be wise to use the legal spelling of my name. Apparently, my mother doesn't remember and continues to choose not to remember. She stills spells it with an H and talks of how they spelled it wrong on my birth certificate. I'm okay with no H...my dad always called me Stacie Nitch-ole...nice.

Anyway, moving on. This weekend I took some portraits of my friend, Nicole's (with no H), kids. She mainly wanted one of all 3 of them. I'll have to say that was pretty darn difficult to get a good picture of 3 kids at the same time who are such different ages. But I think we did get a few. Normally, I love to provide some black and whites pics, but the colors on these were so pretty. I didn't change many at all to b&w. Here are a few from that day.

This one was kind of an accident, but I caught such a cute face of Cole:

I love that Tate didn't know I was taking this one:

What a sweet moment between Nicole and Mack David:

The whole crew:

Welcome to the New Blog!

2008-04-28T22:50:00.003-05:00

It looks just like the old blog! Well, it is...except the name. So hopefully I will park here for a while and stop moving it around. I am actually happy with things right now. That's the reason I changed my name. Just wasn't settled with it.

Speaking of newness, it's time to post some pictures of my fabulous nieces. First of all, I must tell the story. (I can't remember if I have already.)

My stepsister, Leah, went into the hospital last Sunday night to be induced...starting everything full force on Monday morning. My stepmom was outside and saw Todd and Holly (stepbro and wife) walking up around 9am. She was confused, because they weren't going to be up there until later. Well, just so happened, Holly had gone into labor! Little sneaky sneakersons zoomed on past and had the baby around 2:15pm! Her name is Lily. Here she is:

About 4 hours later, we caught word that Sophie was here. We had a scary moment though due to some issues with the umbilical cord. She was rushed back to the nursery with her dad, Griff. But she ended up being great and still a perfect little baby. Here is Sophie:

I saw them this weekend, and they've already changed! Geez. I am still in awe that they were born on the same day. Definitely a unique situation. My stepmom and dad wanted to be grandparents so badly...little did they know...

Speaking of them - they will be part of my LAUGH for the day. This just cracked me up. I hope my dad and Ann are always this funny. Ann said - Look at my fake toenails, Stacie...what do you think? I told her they were cute (as they were.) She said it was hilarious - the other night Dad was rubbing her feet (yeah...he's such a nice guy.) And the fake nail on her one of her toes fell off. She said he had the funniest look on his face! I asked him if he thought her toenail fell off. He said - No...I thought it was a body part! Could you imagine??