Porkchop the Pig

GOTCHA....You saw that title and thought oh lawd now they went and got themselves a pig!!! 

No pig, but let me just say if I could get a little teacup pig like Porkchop I totally would(a little out of the budget) This product shoot is for my college roommate Michelle(Auntie M) who has a beautiful clothing line on etsy(EmmiLee Designs) and of course our most favorite YLK Photography shot the pictures.  The other little girls name is Hayden too!!  My Hayden LOVED that pig!!!

 

How is this for a gaggle of girls??  Does this just scream spring and Easter?? 

Michelle makes beautiful clothing and you will never find a piece of clothing better made.  LOVE how this turned out. 

Wish I had more.....we are SO busy around here, but have nothing anyone would be interested in besides pictures of Bossy and her posse. 

The end of April we start our travel season and let me just say when I look at the calendar and what is planned from the end of April til September I feel tired and question my sanity(which may be gone by Sept) LOL It is going to be quite a summer!!!

Hope everyone is good and will check back soon.

Jumping for Joy

moment sponsored by YLK Photography

I heart you!!

YLK Photography shooting a little valentine love!!

America's next top model??

Okay so probably not, I don't think Hayden will ever be much taller than about 5' to perhaps 5'2.  But we have to say we have been so lucky to have Hayden be able to show off her terrific personality in pictures and get paid for it!!!  Hayden was accidentally discovered by our big city model/acting agency when she was 2!!  I was shocked as well as pleasantly surprised when they signed us and then they actually called with jobs and auditions.....hello people she was 2 years old!!!  But she had a GREAT time doing it(especially the make-up(lip gloss and powder) and hair) I was shocked she was able to do it because as I have often stated Hayden has some pretty major people/situational anxiety.  I had absolutely no idea if I could put her in this setting and ask her to perform(or be herself for that matter) and have her actually do it without becoming a screaming crying mess.....ABSOLUTELY WHAT AGENCIES DO NOT WANT EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CHILD ON THE PLANET!!  But with each job she went to it was as though she just understood it was a "job" and she would be done shortly and it included lip gloss, some fun clothes and a bunch of adults acting VERY silly off set trying to make her laugh and smile. The jobs came and then the checks came and it felt great to make deposits into her college fund that she had earned all by herself.  Each job came and each time she ROCKED  it out like a ROCK STAR.  But I was always right there by her walking her thru each step....obviously.  We go to a lot of the same places to shoot and we have a lot of the same people doing make up, shooting, etc....but the goal is always to get the kid's to be in a place and comfort level that they can go back with the handlers and walk thru the process on their own.  I was NEVER certain Hayden could do this even with people she knew.  Now don't freak out and think this is toddlers and tiaras or that I am sending my child off with strangers and have no idea what is going on behind closed doors.  I would never be more than probably 150 feet away from Hayden.  But there is so much going on in these production houses and a million shoots going on all at the same time and they just don't have room for a bunch of extra people back there and kid's actually shoot better without their parents....in our case I have always been allowed back.  But I knew our time was running out  and soon she was going to have to do it on her own.

Now while we have worked some....we have not even begun to work like some kid's are called to work.  Some kid's get called everyday for a job.  We get called maybe once a month or 2.  Hayden is now moving into 2T-3T and that is sample size for most children's clothing manf. and so I get an email a few weeks back stating Hayden has been chosen for the lookbook this year.  It is a book of the agency's models that goes to all of their clients...JCPenney, Neimans, Barney, Belks, Dillards etc.. and she will have to come in to do head shots with them.  So they book our time, we had to put together 8-10 looks for the stylist to pick from(that is a story in and of itself) We find out it is being shot at a place and with a photog that we are familiar with(a girl luckily) and that the Children's division head agent will there too.  Alrighty.....I just felt numb with worry that Hayden would just freak, I knew they were going to want her to go back this time by herself and it was important for her to do a good job in front of the agent(who is SUPER nice mind you and really likes Hayden) 

I started prepping Hayden 48 hours in advance with all kinds of dancing, asking her what kind of music she was going to request, wondering what outfit they would pick.  The drive there involved a lot of dancing in the car, talking up "modeling school" how excited Daddy was to get to go with us!!  David said he was exhausted with just the prep work.  Well all I can say is it WORKED!!  We dressed her in what the stylist picked(of course the first and cheapest outfit I bought) and when Miss Laura came to get her....while there was one second of panic when she realized I wasn't walking back with her and I said they would come get me when she was ready.  They said as soon as she got in the make-up chair all was well and she was talking a mile a minute and making her music requests.  She walked onto the set and they said she totally ROCKED IT OUT!!!  when they came to get us to come look at what they shot.....they were GIDDY!!  The agent said she had more personality than any 3 year old they had ever met and that she followed directions beautifully!!!  They went on to show us what they shot and said there was not a bad picture and every single one could be used if they needed.  I was so proud of her I thought I was going to bust!!!!  Hayden looked right at me and said "I did it all by myself mommy"  yes honey all by yourself you did this and you should feel so proud of yourself. 

So she will appear in the lookbook as well as now be featured here on the agency site under children's division.  We will do this as long as she thinks it is fun and by no means do we ever discuss with her that she makes $$$ doing it or that it has anything to do with her looks.  I have told her that people like to take her picture because she has so much fun in front of the camera and her personality shines thru.  I am not about advocating the model industry....Hayden will never have to worry about being in the ugly part of that world(remember she will only be like 5' ft tall) plus once she is in school and has extra curricular activities she will be too busy.....but for right now it is fun and adds a few $$$ to her college fund!!  Plus she has never shot anything where they didn't dress her or pose her to be just a 2 or 3 year old child.  It is usually displaying a toy or an outfit. 

So here is Hayden post shoot and and beaming with smiles because she said it was so fun dancing and screaming on the set!!!!

My little bean.

If you have not gone to see The Help I highly suggest you jot that one down on your calendar ASAP.  Best movie and this was the best line!!! 

Miss priss pot doing a few more shots for Miss Y and 3 yellow starfish

such a Hayden laugh going on right there...there right there.  Yony always makes her smile and belly laugh!!

my little bean looks so cute in hats!!!  doesn't she look big??  She is losing that baby look! (tears for mama)

Happy Fall Y'all

Nothing much happening....  Just trying to get back in the swing of things around here.  We do not have that much going on this weekend(first in a month) and the weather is suppose to be beautiful!!! 

I  need to do a full 3 year milestone post so that I remember....here are a few things I have been thinking about and don't want to forget....  Hayden has grown a lot this summer(a lot is relative when you are Hayden) she is just over 26 lbs and 36 inches and her foot is growing up a storm she is moved from a 5(wore forever) to she is almost a 7 in a lot of brands now.  She is potty trained(well except for pooping....oh well, it will happen right???) she knows all of her letters and  most of their sounds. She is really understanding now that those letters make words and words make stories.  She can write a lot of her uppercase letters now(especially the letters in her name)  She recognizes her name written(I knew putting her name or mono on everything she owns would pay off someday)  She happily feeds the dogs everyday, she pulls back my curtains and secures them, and replaces the trash bag and top back on the kitchen trash can.  She also helps unload the dishwasher and LOVES to help me start the laundry and fold(she folds towels great) She LOVES to read and has about 10 books she reads to herself as she has them memorized almost word for word.  She still loves to garden with her daddy, she is incredibly bossy and controlling and a bit of OCD(can't imagine where she gets those traits) she is certain about what she wears, and shoes are a must even with her pj's.  If I don't put a bow or clip in her hair....she does!!
She is incredibly kind and gracious!!!  I think for the most part she has amazing manners and she tells david and I a million times a day how much she loves us!!!  She regularly tells David thank you for taking such good care of us and will also tell us great job with whatever we are doing....dinner, driving, laundry, skimming the pool. 

We also just took down her crib(tears for mommy) and moved her to a big girl bed.  Overall it has gone great.  We find it hilarious(just jinxed us) that she doesn't get out of her bed.  In the morning she lays there and yells(she knows we can hear her on the moniter) mommy I am awake now, come get me.  MOMMY, MOMMY!!!  It won't be long that she is diving into her closet and drawers while she is suppose to be in bed!!!  For me this was a transition that was much harder for me than Hayden.  I literally had to stop helping David take down the crib for a few minutes while I gathered myself back up and stopped crying.  Totally caught me off guard.

As always we are so grateful and seriously have no idea how we lived our lives without this amazing little person.  Hayden you bring us so much joy and laughter and so much LOVE!!!  We love with all of our hearts and a million more!!! <3

pictures as always by the fabulous and famous YLK

clothes are 3 yellow starfish

and summer has begun

the heat is here, the pool is warm and I seriously can't believe it is already June!!! Where did the first half of 2011 go?? So much planned, so much going on, and know in a few months I will be saying what happened to the summer. LOL

For my memory here are a few new milestones; we are a week in panties and no accidents!! Yay Hayden way to go girl!!! Hayden has also mastered going under water at swimming lessons. We will start going to our club pool(more fun to go with lots of friends than just being in the backyard pool) so I am hopeful we will have mastered swimming by the end of summer!!

Get your Halloween on

Are you just dying or what?
How cute did these pics turn out that Hayden did for
3yellowstarfish ?
YLK you and Miss H. totally rocked this one!!

silly bandz

  Look at our silly girl with her silly bandz!!!

Say cheeeeeese!!!

I am so lucky to be friends with this person and right before vacation while our awesome friends were here visiting we did a little BFF photoshoot.  While we were there we did some product pictures too for this CUTE company.

I am just CRAZY about how they turned out.  Miss H did an amazing job that day and did every single thing she was asked to do.  It is funny that I love the pics where you don't see her face just as much as I love when you do.  The pettiskirt/legwarmer picture is one of my FAVORITES!!

without even seeing Miss H's face you can so see her personality.  We paint her toenails every single week....SHE never forgets that it is time.  She almost always picks green....hers and Shreks favorite color.  She sits perfectly still and knows we can't touch and we must BLOW!!  Then we stick a perfect little flower on that perfect little toe!!

She did so well with these we have been asked to do some more!!  This mama clearly LOVES pictures of our girl, and I think it is great for her to learn to follow directions, some patience and well I think it can't hurt her confidence either. 

THANK YOU  mISS Y!!  We love your work, but we especially LOVE you!!!