Been a busy beaver....

I have had tons of photo shoots (4 last week and 1 this week) and I have 11 booked in the next couple of weeks. I love it but there isn't enough time in the day to get everything done...why do we have to sleep?

I started a new photography blog too, so I can showcase my most recent clients. Of course I am behind on that too but that is ok. http://www.elisemarieliptackphotography.blogspot.com/

I am also on Facebook which has been great for advertising. I have received several inquiries through facebook! Become a fan there too!

Elise Marie Photography on Facebook

And we are having too much fun with our new kitty....Akiko. He is really Hailey's cat but he has us all wrapped around his little paws.

I know I get the lame blog award!!!

It has been over two months since my last post....and I have struggling with whether or not I should keep this going since I am so busy with my new adventure as a photographer. I have decided that I want to continue though, because my scrapbook habit has ceased and I realize the blog is my only reference to our life right now. So I am going to try to continue but it may be a little sporadic on the personal life stuff!

I can't believe it is already almost the end of July but we have had a busy eventful summer so far.

Here are some of the highlights:

-My photography business is in full swing and I have been busy photographing seniors and families. I have a bunch of sessions scheduled for the end of this month and the beginning of August so I am just thrilled at my progress so far! And did I say I am having so much fun! I think I finally found where my creativity and job can match up!!! Yeah! My website is still a work in progress and I am also developing a blog to along with my website as well, but between photo shoots and editing, business details, the blog is a work in progress also:), but check out the website for updated photos galleries http://www.elisemariephotos.com/. Here is two I did recently of Hailey and Kyla that I really like....

-We went camping in Leavenworth over the 4th of July with a group of our friends and had a great time!

-We saw family that we haven't seen for awhile to celebrate my grandmother's 87 birthday

-Hailey is gone for about two weeks right now for ASB camp this week and Cheer camp next week.

-We are redoing both the girls bedrooms right now, so that has been keeping us busy..... but Kyla painted her whole room all by herself and did a fantastic job! I will get pictures up as soon as the final transformations are done.

-This past weekend I went down to Battleground, Washington to go to the Barn House Flea Market(http://barnhousebh.blogspot.com/) and met some of the "Vintage-Artsy" gals in person whom I have only known through their blogs. I came home with some great photo props and antique camera also!

I was excited to meet Deb of Retreat (http://retreatdesign.blogspot.com/). I just love the way Deb and her husband take the "0ld" and remake it into something new and fresh! You might remember I made some Valentine decorations back in February when I bought some of her vintage goodies...see my blog posts in February (http://liptacksandladybugs.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html).

I bought a few more kits to make some summer decorations also....I just need more time;)

I also ran into Jana, from Joyworks (http://joyworks-shopgirl.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default), my favorite store in Snohomish!!!! If you are ever in Snohomish....well visit me (I live in the next town over) but also go see this store! It is so much fun with great stuff!!!!

Well I wanted to make this short (not!) but I will be back to post things I missed sharing in the past few months (so I can keep a record of it to show the grand kids someday). I guess they will be able to look at our life through the 20 odd scrapbooks I have done in the past and the rest will well be all digital:) Just not enough time in the day to get it all done! I wish I only need four hours of sleep a night but unfortunately I am one who needs more like 10! Oh, what I could do with those extra 6 hours!

Hope all is well with my blog buddies....and yes we are still in the waiting game with the adoption.

Hope there are not too many typos....I wrote this really fast and Kyla is bugging me to finish so I can take her to her friends house...bye, bye and happy summer!

The news I have been wanting to share....

Exciting new adventure to feed my creative soul......

Check out my new website.....EEEEEEK! So excited!!!

http://www.elisemariephotos.com/

Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me to go for it!

Also on the family home front we are busy winding down another amazing but full school year.

In the past month Hailey tried out for MHS cheer squad again and made it. She also ran for ASB Senator of next years Junior class and won. She applied to be a "Link Crew" member (helps the incoming Freshman class) and was picked. She was inducted on Tuesday into the National Honor Society. We are so proud of this crazy busy teenage girl of ours. Next week she turns "sweet 16" so the next hurdle is passing her driving tests. Mom will be thrilled to not have to drive Hailey to all of her many activities....but then again is scared to death to let her out on the road alone.

From Tuesday night's ceremony.....

Kyla is sooooo excited to be leaving middle school behind her. Some other parents and I have been planning the all 8th grade "moving up" party at the high school next month. She has her new Bearcat class of 2013 sweatshirt and t-shirts to wear. Next weekend she will be at a waterpark all day for Christian concert and then she will help celebrate her sister's big day on Sunday. She can't wait for summer because she gets to sleep in, play tennis, go to summer camp and the major highlight of the year is the 5th row tickets she snagged with friends to go see her favorite boys.....

The Jonas Brothers on June 28th.

Summer is not quite here but we are all pretty booked with lots of activites and camping trips so it should be a great one! The weather is beautiful this weekend so we are getting a sneak peak at what the next few months will hopefully be like. So ready for that!!!!

Yeah for flip flop season!!!

I Love Taking Pictures!

So we took advantage of two very sunny days......MY GIRLS are so grown up...where did the time go???????????????????????????

I am working on a new adventure....can't wait to share:)

Having fun with textures and layers....

Ellie Belle

Today I met my sister and my niece, Ellie, in Snohomish because it was so lovely out...rain is coming back tomorrow:( . We took advantage of the sunshine and I shot these cute little pictures of Ellie and I just love how they turned out....doesn't hurt when your model is just too stinkin' cute too!!!

Here some cute shots with Ellie and mommy too......

What a great day!!!

More from Hailey's February photo shoot and Tolo pics.....

When Hailey and I went to take pictures in February, the sun was beginning to set, so we went into one of our favorite stores in Snohomish, Joyworks, and took some really cute photos in their darling displays. Here some of my favorites.....

Also in February Hailey went to Tolo with a big group of kids from school. They rented a bus that drove them around Seattle and to dinner and then ended up at the high school for the dance which was a masquerade. Here are those fun photos....
Finally but most importantly my friends daughter, Maddy, who has Leukemia is back in the hospital for her chemo treatments before she has her bone marrow transplant in about 6 days. Please pray with me that she does well during the treatments and that her transplant is successful for her and her brother (the donor) as well as a complete healing from this! Thanks so much!!!