Life with Lisa Kelly Photography

I love them even when..........

- Olivia says "You're not dropping me off to school in that are you?".....hey at least I put a jumper over my jammies

- Fraser kicks me in the shins when I tell him "No, I don't barrack for the Western Bulldogs".....well they suck and Geelong is on top of the ladder

- Olivia implies that I am not the best dancer in the world......well I am, so there.  I can do the "bus stop" with the best of them

- Fraser asks "why is your tummy so big".........ouch to that one, maybe if I hadn't of had babies, nahhhhh, who am I kidding LOL

- Olivia says "We can so afford it mummy, just put it on the credit card"...........What the?  what kind of credit monster am I raising here, I don't know where she gets this stuff

- Fraser walks up to the table, looks at his dinner, says "yuk" and walks away.......there are kids starving in Africa you know brat.  Oh wow, I think I just sounded like my mother, now that's something to say "yuk" to

- Olivia whines "why didn't I bake today"..........because I'm not bloody Martha Stewart okay, I have a life, or at least I'm trying to have one

- Fraser tells me that my breath stinks in the morning.......yeah, right back at ya buddy

- Olivia beats me at Singstar..........hmmmmm, what can I say except "grounded for life"

- Fraser asks me for something to eat 500 times a day............seriously people, where does a skinny kid like him put the stuff.  This literally drives me to drink so blame him for my champagne addiction

- Olivia asks me "why do you always talk to strangers in the supermarket and everywhere we go"........because you midget, I never get to talk to normal sane grown up people because all I do is hang out with you guys all day

- Fraser wakes me up in the morning by thumping me on the forehead with his fist............ahhhh he is a sweet sweet prince

- Olivia says "that top doesn't go with those pants Mummy".........I tell you, this right here is reason enough to never teach your children how to talk

- Olivia and Fraser say "get off the computer Mummy, you've been 'playing' on there all day..........yeah, you know that bloody Playstation you were just playing, that Ipod you just had in your ears, that football you were just kicking, uh yeah, you have them because I've been 'playing' on the computer all day you ungrateful little beeeeeeeeeeeeeeps


With all of this, no court would convict me for not loving them.............yet I do, I love them sooooo much it hurts.  They are my reason for living and breathing, they are the reason to get up every day and face the world.  They are what life is all about, truly wonderful beautiful babies...........even though they are mean to me!!!!!!! 

Sequins & Stage Mothers!!!!!!!!!

So a little disclaimer, hear me out before all you stage mother types delete my blog from your favourites,hehe.

For years I have been fighting the "Stage Mother" syndrome.  My sweet girl loves dancing and ever since she was 4 we have tried out several dance schools but each foray resulted in me freaking out because the people at these places took the whole thing far too seriously. 

That was until we found Jayz Dancy Company which is run by the wonderful and special Jackie Hepburn and is located at Rose Cottage.  I have always been reluctant to be seen as this cross between a screeching bad makeup wearing freak from Ballroom Dancing and the scary Jon-Benet pagaent mother.  I have fought my daughter's love of dance all the way because I know that down in my deep dark secret corridors I have the potential to be what my mind tells me is a "stage mother".......Stage mother was almost like a four letter word in my mind.  I truly feel there is a fine line between being a wonderful supportive parent and being this crazy screeching insane person wearing an "I'm Olivia's mother" t-shirt.  I worry that I won't know where the line is.  My parents were the sorta non-supportive type and I had many friends who's mother's and father's were completely the other extreme. I don't want to be either of those things.  I want to be in the middle. 

Even when we found this wonderful dance school with it's relaxed approach to first class dance classes, I was still extremely reluctant to be too involved in the whole thing.  Liv's first year of participating in the dance concert nearly did my head in.  All of the lessons on how to curl the hair, do the make up and then the excruciating lesson in sewing on the sequins, truly nearly made me run screaming for the hills.  Fortunately for me there was this seriously wonderful human being who was offering to do the 8 hours of sequining required for a minimal fee and I paid her then and there (and paid for my friend LOL).  I mean seriously people, 8 hours.  That is sheer craziness.  Another mother said to me that I couldn't do this, I couldn't pay someone to sew on these sequins.  I wouldn't feel that sense of satisfaction of a job well done, etc. blah blah blah.  I pointed out I would be feeling very satisfied as I reclined on the couch each night with champers in hand watching Idol while she worked her fingers to the bone.  She wasn't convinced but baby, I sure was and I bless that sequin sewing wonderful woman who did my sewing every day.  She is worth her weight in gold (and champagne).  And all of the other wonderful women who took me under their so called "wings" that first year to help me through what was for me at least, a very stressful time.  Anyway I digress................I swore after that lead up to the first dance concert that I would never let my daughter partake in such drivel and ridiculousness again................that is until the night of the concert.  Watching her in her 2 minutes (I kid you not) on stage was worth every extra rehearsal and every make up lesson and every sequin stitch (if I had've actually ever sewn one of the sequins on that is, LOL).  I mean seriously, this is what being a parent is all about, your heart outside of your body, doing things that make you want to cry with joy.  Oh I feel like this is the reward for all the days that aren't quite so rewarding (or so it seems at the time).

We are now 2 years down the track and this year the "diva" has decided to take things an extra step and a little more seriously and has joined the troupe class.  To Miss Jackie's credit, she knows my reluctance to spend my whole life at the place, my reluctance to be what I "see" a stage mother as, she gently let's me come to my own decisions about what will work for Liv and I really thank her for that.  I love that her main priority at all times is what is right for the kids, keeping a very healthy balance between normal life and achieving great results with dancing.  She knows that it is important for everyone to be happy, especially the mummy.  She understands that champagne is one of the major food groups (you can see why I love her).  She just is what teaching children extra curricular activities are all about.  Absolute first class levels of teaching but also with an emphasis on normal life.

But again I digress (I have a habit of doing that, hehe).  We have an eisteddford performance in Wagga Wagga in a few weeks and on the weekend the girls had an extra rehearsal at a hall.  As parents, we don't get to see them practice very often so it was an absolute pleasure to get to watch this day.  And in this moment of watching my girl, I realised how incredibly far she had come this year, for the first time I fully understood her passion for this thing called "dancing".  I realised how much she loved it, how good she was and how good she could be.  For the first time I knew what it was to be a true "stage mother" and I realised that there's nothing wrong with it.  I looked around at the other "stage mother's" in the room, all normal women like me, and I realised what wonderful mother's we truly were.  We were there, prepared to give up some of our weekend, give up ourselves just to watch our children laugh, play and strive to do well at something they love.........

So if that is "Stage Motherdom" you can call me a convert because I have realised that supporting my child in her passions is a great thing and I will even sew on the odd sequins if need be (but Miss Jackie, I'd rather not, LOL), I will drive across the country to watch her perform for 2 minutes, I will learn how to do great hair and makeup and I will learn how to really use my video camera and I will learn how to not mimic the dance moves in the audience so my daughter doesn't get embarrassed.

I solemnly vow, that if my daughter (or son for that matter) wants me to, I will learn how to be the best damn "stage mother" going around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I'll share a little secret with you, let's hope that Miss Jackie and her crew never find out that I am a very accomplished seamstress, that I can make beautiful clothes and home furnishings without too much trouble and have sewn sequins on many occasions over the years for other things.  That was "pre" my champagne addiction and a lifetime ago.  My sequins sewing days would have to surely be over right, hehe.

Jackie Hepburn, Jayz Dance Company, Rose Cottage, Ph:- 0403 175 349

A Cherub!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my, I met this sweet girl recently and she was only 13 days old.  And there are two things that I will always remember from this session:- 1. that she has the most superb lips that I have ever seen, so perfect and red and delicious and 2. when she was awake she was either crying or feeding, there seriously was no inbetween, hehe.  She just wasn't in the mood for modelling.  But once we got her to sleep (for only about 10-15 minutes) I worked my butt off and wow, the photos that we got were worth every minute spent hanging around waiting.

The funny thing about newborn sessions is the waiting.  I don't think people realise how much waiting there is.  We seriously sat around yakking for 3/4 of the session which lasted for hours.  I feel like I know these people now, and the way I yabber on, I bet they feel like they know me LOL but it's such a bonding experience.

Please meet sweet Miss "M"..........

Mum and Dad, I so hope you love the photos, they are some of my favourites ever................

Saying goodbye to an old friend.........

About 6 weeks ago The Singing Chef and I bought a new lounge suite on a whim (which is pretty much how we do everything) and today I received a call that it was ready to be delivered.  We've been sooooo excited about it, wondering who will claim what spot, etc., hehe.  But when I hung up the phone and looked over to our old lounge suite I felt this strange sadness wash over me that was completely unexpected.  I know at this point you are all thinking I'm a little bonkers feeling sad about a couch but hear me out.

We have had this lounge suite for 11 years.  It was the first lounge suite we ever bought and we searched for 18 months just to find the right one.  There were many arguments in the middle of furniture stores because The Singing Chef never liked what I liked.

I remember the feeling when it arrived of sheer excitement, our house looked beautiful with this new beast it in it and we were so proud of ourselves.

This lounge suite was there when we brought both of our babies home from the hospital.  I sat snuggled in the same seat in the middle of the night breast feeding our kidlets.  Our babies have thrown up on it, spilt food on it, I've spilt a glass or two of champers on it LOL and don't get me started on the Singing Chef's ouzo stains.  The kids have jumped on it, fallen off it onto the floor and bumped their heads, we've entertained all of our family and friends on it, I napped on it during my pregnancies, The Singing Chef still loves napping on it.  The couch is the perfect length for lying and snuggling.  We've watched family movies together on it, opened all of the kids birthday presents on it, snuggled on it when we are sick.

This lounge suite has been through so many of our ups and downs, seen every change, every celebration, every sadness, every happiness.  It has been a constant comfort to our bottoms LOL, and the place where we come together to hear about each other's day and be together.

Every morning Fraser asks can we snuggle on the couch, every morning Olivia says mummy can I cuddle on your knee on the couch.

So you can see, it would be disrespectful to this wonderful member of our family if I didn't pay it one last tribute on the eve of it's eviction.

To our dearly loved lounge suite..........THANK YOU!!!!

It's been great.

Bribery goes a long way.......as does getting a little cranky

On Friday little Miss Diva had a dress up day at school and so we curled her hair for the occasion.  When I picked her up from school in the afternoon my photographer's eye couldn't help but notice how absolutely divine her hair was now looking once the curls had dropped a bit.  I said to her we'd have to do a little mini shoot when she got home.  But of course her "divaness" kicked in and she said "no, I'm too tired".  After much cajoling and sweet talk she was still refusing (ungrateful little wench LOL).  I tried bribery of normal things but that wasn't working.  So I promised she could play on the Playstation for an hour and that I would only take 10 photos (yeah right LOL).  She still wasn't coming at it and I swear my patience was starting to run a little thin.  So what does any good mother do when faced with this situation................

She gets cranky!!!!!!!!!!  That's right, I got cranky and told her she was going to do it and if she kept fussing she could forget about the Playstation.

Anyway she ended up being a pretty good sport, I only took up 10 minutes of her "very precious time" and the results I'm sure you will agree are priceless............and stunning.

Meet my "muse".........

Oh and this is her idea of a great pose...........NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Leave the posing to me miss diva.

I could take pictures of her all day.

The poor little baby woke up yesterday morning with an awful cold so she's feeling pretty miserable, writing lists of the pros and cons of being sick.  On the "pro" side she wrote "there are no pros" hehe, she's a funny little girl.  She crawled into bed with me in the middle of the night for some sympathy snuggles.  It's those moments that make mummydom pretty worthwhile for sure.  She's still pretty out of sorts so no school tomorrow.  But the sick thing about that is she'll be really disappointed to miss school.  Freak!!!!!!!!!!!  She certainly doesn't take after her mother there.  Well actually she doesn't take after me in any way, except for her dimples in her cheeks, that's about all she has of mine.  Lucky her I say.

Get well soon honey!!!!!!!!!!!!  And if you need middle of the night snuggles you know where I am.  That's if my snoring doesn't drive you crazy LOL...........

 

Session availability - 129 Days Till Christmas!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, have I freaked you out.  I know I feel a little freaked out that Christmas isn't quite as far away as I thought.  This post is a general update of where my availability sits from now until the end of the year.  I'm a little shocked at how quickly I am booking up so I feel like I need to regularly update you all on where things stand.

At the moment weekends are FULLY booked into October with only a few October dates left.  Only a couple of weekday sessions left for September, and only a few more than that left for October.

I'm away for the first 2 weeks of November, back on the 15th and then I am only working until 25 November and then guess what?  That's it for the year everyone.  My last day is 25th November, and then it is bye bye from me.  So if you want photos taken before Christmas, you absolutely must book in soon because once I'm booked, I'm booked.  No begging, pleading, bribery will help you.  It will be over LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!  Have I scared you all suitably now.  This is very serious business you know.

So, any existing clients who know they have friends who have plans for photos before Christmas, do them a favour and let them know that the bookings genuinely are limited and will seriously be all taken shortly.  I'm giving everyone this information because I don't want to feel guilty later.  These are the facts LOL.  Noone can say I didn't give lots of notice.

Sessions are only being scheduled in December for newborns.  And speaking of newborns, if you are expecting this spring/summer and want newborn photos, please please please contact me asap with your due date so we can set a tentative time. During this time of year especially, I have zero wiggle room for fitting you in.

 

Okay that's enough serious stuff for one day.  I'm going to pour a champagne and lay on the couch.  Oh my, did I say that aloud, I mean, I'm going to strap myself to the computer and work for the rest of the day, hehehehehe...........

Here's my little guy off to a Pirate Party today......isn't he the cutest pirate ever

Ahoy there me hearties.............what the hell does that mean anyway????????  Does it mean, hi to the people I love?????????  Or did the pirate just have too much to drink?  You be the judge.

Ego Boost Anyone????

I was at a clients home a few evenings back and they were just as sweet as they could be.  They loved the photos of their beautiful new little guy and seemed to really enjoy the whole experience.  I felt so appreciated for what I do through the whole evening and then as I was leaving the mummy said the sweetest words any photographer can ever hear.  She said how thrilled they were and they truly felt their photos were 'ART'...............sigh, music to my ears.  I consider what I do art, I have no idea why people adorn their walls with pictures of flowers and landscapes and abstracts when they can decorate their homes with the people they love the most in the world.  So to hear one of my own clients call my work 'art' was truly the greatest of gifts.

Although I love getting paid for what I do, I get such a ridiculous amount of pleasure out of meeting all of these gorgeous families and just the most amazing little kidlets, I really should be paying my clients (whoops, only joking) but you know what I mean.  It fills me up in a way that I can't even explain so I guess this whole ramble is really to say thanks to the sweet clients from this week, but also to thank all of the other WONDERFUL clients who write me the most amazing emails, keep me updated on their lives, make me feel like what I do is special and makes a difference to them.

Now people, does it get any cooler than that, I think not............THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!

Isn't technology wonderful!!!!!!!!

I have to tell you all about this wonderful business that I have come across because I know everyone will just be amazed by it.  It is called Bundles Baby Ultrasound and they pamper their pregnant mummies with the most amazing bonding experience.  They offer 3D/4D ultrasounds where you can see your baby's face, hands and feet on a large plasma screen.    Seriously, you see the babies moving inside the belly like you are in there with them.You can bring family members along and just spend beautiful time together, bonding with your unborn baby.

I have to tell you, I cannot believe the quality of the machinery they are using.  I have video footage of my children's ultrasounds and they are grainy and really don't show much.  Don't get me wrong, I love this footage, it is so very precious to me.  But I have to say, I can't imagine having something as special as this.  You know what it's like, you're expecting your first baby, can't wait to meet the precious little person.  This 4d ultrasound makes you feel like you are meeting them ahead of time.

It truly has to be seen to be believed............

So if you are expecting a sweet baby, please give them a call.  I am certain you will not regret it.  If you're not, please pass the link on to all of your friends who are so that they may enjoy this wonderful wonderful wonderful  experience!

Sharing more!!!!!

I have been so slack lately at sharing showcases from sessions.  I have tended to show a sneak peek and then forget to go back after the ordering session and show you all more.  But I am trying to rectify that this month.  Here are two of the sweetest girls you will ever meet.......

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.  The wind yesterday at netball was a killer, I hope Auskick isn't so bad this morning or I might have to force my children to become couch potatoes and give this exercise and sport lark up as a bad joke LOL........

Hair Neglect and Shopping with Little Miss Thang!

The last time I was at the hairdressers she tried to prompt me to book my next appointment then because she was going away.  I didn't have my diary with me so I said I'd do it later.  Well of course that was a mistake.  Life gets ridiculously busy, school holidays happen, you try to run an amazingly successful business LOL and all of a sudden your darling (not) husband is saying, oh goodness you do have quite a bit of grey hair don't you...........in some countries, that is grounds for divorce.  Just another thing to add to my list of complaints about The Singing Chef.  I mean isn't it written in the wedding vows, though shall not mention greying hair, wider hips, sagging breasts (this clearly does not apply to me LOL, they were already a little saggy at the wedding, hehe) and wrinkles.  Seriously, the man isn't looking so hot himself these days, but I digress.  When your very unobservant husband notices the grey hair it is clearly, screamingly time to do something.  But with sessions and life again time drags on so this morning when I woke up excited about my appointment and my son seemed to have a little cough I wasn't happy.  The Singing Chef wondered whether he should stay home from Preschool.  Hmmmm, are you going to stay home with him, no, I thought not.  I'll be frank, the kids could've been vomiting into a bowl with a limb hanging off this morning and they weren't staying home.  Enough is enough.  There is a point where you just can't put your blood sucking family members ahead of yourself.  And people, that point had been reached.  My grey hair was taking priority.

Okay, okay, his cough only lasted 5 minutes so no need to ring DOCS just yet but do you understand where I'm coming from.  Mother's need to make themselves a priority sometimes and all too often we don't.  Hairdresser appointments are a trivial thing I know, but it is a symptom of what mother's are like.  Once you hold that first beautiful bundle of love in your arms you are forever destined to put someone else ahead of yourself, in all areas, in every situation.   Woman are such nurturers and givers, it's what makes us so wonderful and amazing, but sometimes, just every now and then, your hair appointment simply has to take priority and today was my day LOL..........and it goes without saying that now I am looking pretty HOT!!!!!!

On the weekend I took Little Miss Thang shopping for her summer wardrobe.  Summer wardrobe I hear you question?  Yes I hear you sisters.  Why on earth would summer clothing be in stores at the start of August I ask you.  Buggered if I know.  But if you don't get in there and get buying then you miss the good stuff, well that's what Little Miss Thang told me and she knows shopping!!!!!!!!!

I generally never take her with me, what I do is buy everything I like then bring it home, we have a fashion parade and we decide what to keep.  Not entirely sure where my brain went the moment I suggested we go together (I think it was back in the delivery suite from when my second child was born) but I put the idea out there and she jumped at the chance.  I swear to you it will never be happening again.  It's not that she was naughty, no, but oh my, in one store I stood outside the changing room curtain for (wait for it) 40 minutes while she tried on outfit after outfit.  I mean what is going on people?  On a sunny Saturday afternoon it is only fitting that I should be reclining on the couch, champers in hand being a lady of leisure.  But no, I was standing in a smelly changeroom watching my far too tall, gorgeous daughter try on clothes I could only dream of.  In fact, if I was younger, she wasn't my daughter and I didn't love her, I could hate her, LOL.  There were a few pouty moments where I said "yuk" and she dropped the lip.  I'll let you guess who won.

We went to pretty much every store created by man and spent hundreds of dollars, all in the name of putting smiles on faces, hehe.  Then we came home and she tried everything on and did a fashion parade for daddy.  And in the end when I looked at her shining sweet face I realised, it truly is "all about smiles on faces"................kinda.  There is something so primal about being able to provide nice things for your children.  In some ways I guess it is what is wrong with society today.  It is why so many people are struggling with their credit card debt and keeping up with the Joneses.  There really is a ridiculous rush from giving your children what they want.

The problem is I guess, if we give them everything they want, then they will never learn how to work hard for the things they want.  So how do we find the right balance?   How do we fulfull our need in this age of more disposable income to give our children what we didn't have, whilst at the same time instilling the important things in them like looking after what they have, treasuring the things they have, a work ethic to get them through life.  I don't know, I feel like we don't completely spoil our kids, yet when they break something, they just say "oh well" and move onto the next thing.  It completely freaks me out.  I still have the doll that I got from Santa when I was 3 and since letting the kids play with it, she is wrecked.  My sweet Chrissie doll that I have loved and has seen me through thick and thin, now doesn't have the long strip of hair coming through the hole in her head with the pull cord in her back.  She's got matted hair and texta on her beautiful skin.  What have my ungrateful children done to her LOL?

So anyway, I'm trying my hardest, along with The Singing Chef, to raise our children to be grateful for their comfortable lifestyle, I am always telling them how very very lucky they are, that they should treasure their things and be very happy with what they have.  Not sure if it is working but we are giving it a red hot go.  I guess that's all we can do and hopefully it will all pay off when they are choosing our nursing home LOL............

P.S.  He didn't even notice my hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hmmm he's a keeper, isn't it.  I'll get him for that don't you worry.