In the spirit of the New Year (and in the spirit of there being sooooo many new images I want to share with you), I’ve made some recent updates to my children’s website: www.pattycakephoto.com.

Check it out!

More updates will be coming soon over the next couple of days. You just might see yourself there!

Enjoy!

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to post more on my blog — which I think is ALWAYS one of my New Year’s Resolutions — haha — but this year I mean it! Since I’ve got the whole “exercising more” and “eating right” thing pretty much down to a science this time around (yay, me!), it’s time to focus on the blog!

So, I thought I’d start with some sessions that I didn’t blog for some reason or another. Usually it’s because gifts were outstanding (sometimes we go so far as to make fake log-in names on my shopping cart so prying eyes won’t know what we’re up to–haha). Sometimes it’s because the session happened at a time that was especially busy and my blog didn’t get updated. In any case, I have PLENTY of sessions to share with you.

For starters, here are three little charismatic boys that I had so much fun with. Jaxon was a sleepy little newborn (we love sleepy newborns). Dawson (the middle child) was trying very hard to make his status as “still the baby” known to everyone. He loved the camera and loved the attention. And Braden was just as handsome as can be with his sparkle in his eyes and sweet disposition. They just make an adorable little family:

This was Jaxon’s birth announcement. It is a 5×8 photo card printed on metallic paper. You’ll notice that parts of the card are blurred. I don’t post children’s birthdays and last names on the internet as a rule, so that’s not a mistake. I just really liked the stripes and colors of the card, which match his room decor very well:

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope everyone is gearing up for a fun and festive New Year’s Eve and that everyone had a fantastic Christmas. I’ve been busy behind the scenes, delivering 9 albums the Monday before Christmas, designing albums for the New Year, hosting 3 Christmas parties, recovering from a cold first and then the flu, and sending out Christmas cards galore. The studio had a record amount of Christmas cards go out this year . . . and I’ve been so excited about some of my designs. Since all of the cards should no longer be a surprise for anyone, I want to post some of my favorites.

We actually start taking photographs for Christmas cards as early as March for families with older children (older children don’t change as quickly as younger children do), and August when there are little ones in the family. So, if you are interested in a Pattycake original Christmas card for next year, please call me as soon as possible so we can book your session.

This card is a 5×7 folded card printed on watercolor paper. Here is the outside:

And the inside. I love how the ornamental paper and the colors of the fall leaves coordinate:

This is a 5×8 photo card printed on metallic paper. I love how this one features 2 very different photo sessions, but ties them together with the sepia images:

Here is a 5×7 photo card printed on metallic paper. I loved how it was fresh and funky with the cute ornament:

Here is another 5×8 photo card printed on metallic paper. I really loved how stunning the black looked on metallic paper, and I loved how black isn’t a “traditional” Christmas color, but it looked so elegant:

This is a 5×7 photo card also on metallic paper. I love how their clothing coordinates with the color of the card (I also love that I got all 3 boys to look at the camera! No small task!):

This is a 5×7 folded card printed on pearl paper. I love EVERYTHING about this one . . . the unique background for the photographs, the non-traditional purple color, the elegent swirl. I also love the pearl paper. Of course, my cousins are pretty handsome, so they certainly help!

And here is the inside with my aunt. I love how her shirt ties in with the whole look of the card. They just look so New Year’s Eve, don’t they???

This is a 5×7 folded card, but it’s folded horizontally. It is printed on watercolor paper, because that seemed to work so well with the traditional colors and style of the photographs.

Here is the inside. I also think my nephews are some pretty adorable kiddos if you ask me!

Of course, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without Devyn and the Wondertwins. It was positively impossible to get the kids to listen to me . . . but I’m super pleased with how the card turned out. I did a 5×5 tri-fold card, on linen paper. The linen worked so well with the beach images.

The inside:

The back:

And last but not least . . . my last-minute card. Mom was having her third baby while these went to print, so a birth announcement with their new baby is on their way. Little Lucas was just too late to be included in the card. Next year!

If you are in need of a last-minute gift for that hard-to-buy for mom or the girl who has everything . . . don’t forget about shawna K studio and Pattycake Gift Certificates. We have a wide variety of gift certificates to choose from, ranging from bridal to new baby and from toddlers to teens. Drop us an email at shawna@shawnakstudio.com and we’ll help you complete your holiday shopping!

-shawna K

Most of my clients who are working with me “behind the scenes” right now, know that I have a lot going on that I can’t blog about. I don’t blog the nearly 1,000 Christmas cards going out of the studio this year because they are intended as surprises for the recipients. I don’t blog the family portrait sessions that I’ve done because they, too, are often used as holiday gifts. I don’t even blog my OWN family portrait because then everyone in my family will know what their portrait gift will be this year! haha! So it’s that time of year I spend countless hours behind the computer ensuring every last detail is perfect for Christmas.

In other words: I don’t get out much!

There are a couple of things going on right now, though, that make me VERY happy. For one, Devyn is reading like a little champion. It is so awesome to listen to your own child reading aloud that I can’t even explain it. But those of you who have experienced it know exactly what I am talking about. Every night she brings home a “reader” from school and we’re supposed to read with her for 10 minutes. Well, she tears through the readers pretty quickly, so she reads other books, too — like her Hooked on Phonics books and her BOB books. She definitely likes to read for more than 10 minutes. It’s SO cool. I get goosebumps every time we read together.

The other thing that’s going on in our household is our nightly Christmas light drive. Every night when I pick the twins up from daycare, we like to tour the neighborhood for a few minutes and look at Christmas lights. Parts of our neighborhood are very elaborate this year. Well, the twins like to wave at all of the blow-ups — like Santa and snowmen and the Grinch. They wave to all of them and say hiiiiiiiiii! It’s so cute. And the other thing they do is say “WOW” to all of the decorated houses. Well, usually they give a huge inhale of excitement first “huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!” IT IS SO CUTE! They also like to point at our Christmas tree and say wow . . . I think they think I’ve gone and lost my mind bringing this big huge tree into the house! It’s SO funny!

Anyways, I just had to share my two Christmas blessings with you today since there aren’t a lot of photos I can share just yet.

Enjoy!

-shawna K

Why are you so scary?

At least Tyler & Jordyn had fun playing at Great Grandma’s house even if Santa scared them to death! haha! (Grandma’s point and shoot camera is a pretty fine little machine!)

Last week we headed up to Viejas to see the Legend of the Ice Princess water/lights/pyrotechnics/laser show. It was okay. Devyn LOVED it, of course.

I thought the babies’ hats /sweaters were just way too cute, so I took a lot of pictures of them . . . and Tyler likes to wear her hat all the time now (that kid loves to accessorize!).

I just designed 6 Christmas cards for my clients . . . so I am taking a little breather from Photoshop at the moment! I came across this on Heidi’s blog (if I photographed your wedding, you probably know Heidi . . . she’s my good friend and stellar second photographer). It looked like so much fun, I had to join in:

Copy and paste it into your blog and then just bold the things you’ve done!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Gone on a hot air balloon ride
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (He is truly sublime!)
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing (NEVER again! Sorry, Dad!)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (this takes guts . . . it’s VERY tall and windy!)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person (no . . . but I rode the bull at Gilley’s, does that count? haha!)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else’s blog to your own

That was fun! Enjoy!