i really wish i could personally write each of you back.. but i am behind at work and i received SOOOO MANY emails, facebook messages, texts, etc.  it would take half a day of work to respond.

i received a LOT of locals asking to buy my stuff.  i am not selling anything right now.  as i said.. i do not know what is going to happen.  i do not know if i want to close completely.. or if i just need a LONG vacation.  im not making a hasty decision being as i have so much invested in what i do. 

i just know that right now.. i have too much on my plate.

as if i dont have enough on my plate.. i am going to tell you all something that i am almost embarrassed to say. 

we have lived in our house almost 11 months.. and we are trying to get it ready to sell.

however.. with my working sooo much and my husband being home alone.. we are in need of a teen to watch the kids a few nights a week to let him pack our house up for market. 
preferably, someone i know for references please.. we live in Clear Lake, so it will need to be someone who can come a few nights a week for a week or so until he has extra furniture and our clutter out of the house. 

so, if you know me; have met me.. and know of a reputable teen who wants to earn a little extra cash for a couple of weeks.. please have them email me at info@homeshadephotography.com

but, i am talking about a huge season of my own life. 

i have really struggled with my over busy-ness, my fatigue, my stress.. and it is all Homeshade related. 
it is funny, because i often hear about how successful i am.. and i do agree.. Homeshade has been UBER successful.. but i have come to resent success. 

my thoughts are all jumbled on this topic.. because i have so many emotions jumbling through my head with what i am about to say.  i have relief.  i have fear.  i have anxiety. 

i worry about disappointing people.  my dad tells me how proud he is of me.  my grandma proudly boasts that her granddaughter owns a photography business.  my daughter loves telling people i am a professional photographer.  then, the multitude of clients who feed my ego.  daily. 

so.. get it out already? 

as of January 1st, i am no longer photographing newborns, children and families. 

there.  i said it. 

i will only be photographing high school seniors for the 2011 graduating year.  then, i will take the summer off and evaluate what i am going to do.  am i going to continue and photograph the 2012 class?  or i am going to get a full time job that ends at 5pm?  i do not know at this time. 

everytime i try to formulate a plan for 2011, i still feel uneasiness.  the only thing that gives me peace is closing Homeshade all together.  and i am not sure is i REALLY want to do that.. or if i need a long term vacation? 

Homeshade was a huge blessing when i first started.. gave me time to volunteer at my children’s school.  gave me time to be home with my kids.  let me enjoy them. 

now.. it is the complete opposite.  it is what is preventing me from being an effective parent.. and i often think.. “how is this success when my family is suffering?”

the problem is.. i do not have balance.  i do not know HOW to balance life in this situation.  i am not a strong business person.  i dont know how to say no.  i often let myself get taken advantage of to please someone else.  and in the end.. my family is who suffers.  clients get my patience, my smiles.  my kids get my frowns and my short temper due to fatigue. 

everyone offers helpful solutions that would work.. if i could say no.  if i were organized enough to implement them.  if i had the time to get them started.  i am just in over my head.  and it is time to swim out. 

so, what does this mean for my Sept-Dec calendar?

if you are on it.. you remain on it.  i will finish out the year with everything i have booked.

babyplanners?

you will still have your sessions photographed.  i am all about fulfilling my obligations.  i will not sell my studio equipment until the babyplanners are done.  there arent too many of you.. so i will probably set it up in your home and let the studio go. 

yes, i just opened the studio.  however, the short amount of time the studio has been open, since Mayish.. my studio work has doubled.  and i just cannot keep up with it all.  i am afraid that the studio will just continue to grow me and grow me.  the petti parties expand my client base every weekend.. and while that was the purpose.. i cannot keep up anymore.  i never thought Homeshade would be so big.  when we first started it.. we prayed for 4 sessions a month.  A MONTH.  now, i exceed that in a day some days. 

i am just one person.. and i am not a delegator.  i am not business saavy enough to pass out work.  i struggle with control and final output.  so, that is how i have struggled so with what am i going to do?  one person can only take on so much.

thanks for hearing me out.. and i am really sorry if i am disappointing anyone. 

Tasha

so.. im going to combine this post into 4 of them.  children/family.  yeah.. so i cheat.. that is okay.. right???  at least you get to see some yummy photos!!!

this little girl was STUNNING.  simply put.   STUNNING.  when she stepped out of the vehicle.. with big beautiful eyes, porcelin skin and curly hair.. i knew we would get some FABULOUS images. 

ummm. cute much?  seriously!

i loved this image.

i was so sad that they cut the trees down all around this little cottage..   it lost so much of its charm when the trees left.  this is my last image there before the trees were removed. 

i was hired by a local photographer based out of League City to capture some images of her sweet family.

it was only like 115 degrees that day.. and even with the fogging.. the mosquitos were still intense. 
but.. they were SUCH troopers.  we got some super fun images. 

all 3 of the girls in this family have the most amazing eyes.  mom and both daughters.  i am jealous..

and.. how awesome is it when they show up wearing MY VINTAGE BABY?  …speaking of.. if you have not seen the new line.. you should RUN to your MVB rep to see the new FABULOUS catalog.  there is so much in there i want for chloye and the studio. 
you can view my rep’s website at www.myvintagebaby.net/ambergoree

ahh.. another scorching day.  i think we were out there about 15 minutes before we were all drenched in sweat.   however.. this had to be the most PATIENT dad i have ever worked with.  he just went with the flow.. sweated his rear end off.. helped wherever we needed.. and never got irritated.  not once.  at least.. not in my presence.  Jen and i were so impressed with him.

doesnt mom have great style in dressing her family? 
their outfits were FABULOUS.

but, this is my favorite image of the day.   little guy sticking his tongue out.. newborn crying.. both OVER the 115 degree temps.. and dad.. just going with the flow.. love it.

and lastly.. some long term clients.  this family was actually my very first paying client i had years ago when Homeshade first started.  cuh-razy.  they are now +1 more, and all grown up.  this guy was barely crawling when i first started photographing them.

this little guy was the biggest ham way back then.. not much has changed.

and this sweet girl just turned 2.  i have been fortunate to do her newborn, 1 year AND 2 year pictures.  soo fun! 

we ended with a big red sucker.  she is a very kind 2 year old.  she shares!!!!

so.. there you have it.  some yummy eye candy to look through. 

hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend.. and check back often.  there is so much more yumminess to blog.

today.. from 4-8.. come visit us at

4802 Center St. STE. D
Deer Park, TX 77536

my door faces the residential street Aljean.

stop in for a few minutes.. check us out.. enter the drawing for a free session and peruse the new Matilda Jane clothing line that they just unveiled.

amber from www.frillyflopsandbouncybows.com will be there, and Stephanie Clark will be there selling scentsy.. the best smelling stuff on the planet.

hope to see you all there!

Tasha

besides the fact that i was bored MINDLESS at my desk job at NASA.. and i was allergic to haircolor.. so my hair career was pretty much over.. i was in my 3 year itch of bored.. what will i do next?  Michael thought it should be photography.. i thought it should be something that should pay the bills..

all at this time.. my little man Ashton is going through some crazy things.  he is now 3 and still impossible to understand for anyone but michael, myself and my best friend Amy who speaks unintelligble speech fluently.  its a gift, i tell you!

he has some other quirks that i deem Ashton.. but the speech is the most glaring one.  so, i take him in to be evaluated and walked out with them trying to label my son on the autistic spectrum.  i know a LOT of mom’s go into denial at first when their child is labeled.. and that was my first thought… oh no.. am i one of those mom’s who wont accept my son?? but the more thought i put into it.. i refused to believe that my son was autistic.  he was just different. 

so.. after a few months of me needing direction.. my husband insisted i quit my job.. and just ‘try’ photography.  i kicked in my heels and refused.  then.. my previous women’s minister took me to lunch and flat out told me i was in direct disobedience to my husband.  if he felt commanded to tell me to quit my job.. then i was to follow his leading for my family.  OUCH.  talk about conviction.  i walked into my office from lunch.. and put in my 2 weeks notice.. scared to death.

well.. my business was blanketed in prayer.. and my now employee karen kept sending paying clients my way left and right.. and i was having a BLAST.  trying to find my style.. where i fit in to this photography realm. 

now.. 4 years later.. i look back and think.. WHERE HAVE THE LAST 4 YEARS GONE????  it has been a whirlwind.  a blur.  i think i have a case of whiplash from it going by so fast..

okay.. maybe not whiplash.. but a serious case of shoulder pain from extensive editing.. that we will just pretend is whiplash for the sake of my little story.  HA!

this summer has been a hard one.  i realized that i work TOO much.. and i am in my 3 year itch of i am bored.. what’s next?  i have looked back at all that i have done and realized that i have lost who I am along the way.. something i didnt think would happen.. but apparently did. 

so.. i decided to put a call out on FB for a fun family that will let me shoot how I wanted to.. a free shoot with no worries about which images would sell and which images would not.  unfortunately.. it is no longer about just having fun.. this is my job.. this is how i help support my family.. and supplement my husband’s income. 

i received a LOT of response for the free session.  but..this mom totally won me over by sending me a picture of the family running away from a tyrannosaurus rex.. probably taken at the museum.. or a theme park.. and it cracked me up.  then she sent me a pic of her husband carryingher.. both wearing totally 80′s getup gear.. and then one of her husband being the ‘thinker’… i was laughing at the pictures.. and knew that i would be laughing througha  session with them. 

so.. let me introduce the snow family. 

this session has been floating in my head for about a year now.  i didnt know what form it would take.. i just knew everyone would be soaking wet by the time it was over.  i thought that perhaps it would be my own family in the pictures.. but that has never happened.  so.. i am glad it was this family that it happened to.  the day of the session, i realized on facebook that the dad is the brother of an old friend that i truly miss. 

mom asked me what to wear.
she took EXACTLY what was in my head.. and spun it into fruition.  when they stepped out of the car.. i was SO happy.  i asked for layers.. some collars under tees, some on top of a tee.. oranges/greens in theme.. and then dad busts out with a tie over an orange crush shirt and a vest.. and i did a little internal happy dance.  that was all her.. i didnt/wouldn’t ask dad to dress a certain way.. because it would take a certain man to pull this look off.  he was that certain man. for sure. 

jen and i were looking through this folder earlier.. and we both commented about how much we love this image.. even though it the exact same picture i ALWAYS take.  we decided it was the clothing.. all the bright colors that make me LOVE this image so much.

when she told me she had a baby.. and i realized the baby couldnt get completely involved in the water balloon aspect.. i immediately envisioned him in a tub of water out in the field.. to tie in the water theme for him too.  to say he loved it is an understatement. 

isnt he simply adorable?

my asst. jen second shot with me and got some super fun images from a completely different angle.  i think all fun sessions should pay for an additional shooter..

this is one of my favorite images from the entire day.  Jen asked for his mad face.. if he gets silly when he is  mad.. then i am all for a tantrum.. LOL

this is what happens when you do a shoot with water balloons.. you create mud puddles all around you.  then.. when one of the children come and jump in a mud puddle just beside you.. you get the splatter.  dont i look lovely???

i didnt let it stop me from shooting though.. LOL

i hope everyone enjoyed this session as much as i did.  i am all for shooting more fun ‘concept’ sessions.. around a theme.  so.. if you have a full session booked.. and want to do something a little differently.. lets brainstorm.

speaking of sessions.. my calendar is COMPLETELY booked for family sessions for Christmas.

the only thing left on my calendar are senior sessions, newborn sessions and baby plan sessions. 

so, for those who booked early.. THANK you.