Curious questions from curious kids

The first one comes from my four-year-old daughter, Ridley. We were reading "Eight Silly Monkeys".

Me: "Eight silly monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, 'No more monkeys jumping on the bed.' "
Ridley: "How does the doctor know they were jumping on the bed?"
My question: How does a four-year-old come up with that?

Then, a couple days later I get this from my six-year-old son, Boston, after watching an old "Scooby Doo".
"How come Shaggy eats SO much but stays so skinny?"
My reply, "Good metabolism."
Boston was thoroughly confused.

More pooch posts

I wanted to show you a few more of the pictures of my snowy, dogs. They just make me laugh. This first one is Kira. She's a rescue that we got from the Humane Society when we lived in Tucson. She's our old girl at about 8 years old. I LOVE this picture of her because we can all do this thing with our tongues and now we know she can too! LOL!



This is Zabu. She's another rescue from the Humane Society. We got her the same time we got our Pepper kitty. Oddly enough, she and Pepper are about the same age at almost 2 years old.



This picture just makes me laugh because she looks like a meerkat. An 85 pound meerkat.


See?

Photo from: http://www.meerkats.net/info.htm

P-365: catching up

Catching up on my P-365's as I'm a little behind in posting these. Our house has been a bustle of activity for the past few weeks. My MIL finally got a job here and is, as we speak, driving herself and her kitty from Tucson, AZ to Youngstown, OH for an extended stay at our home. YAY! We've been running around trying to get the house ready for another "grown up". Last I heard from her she had just crossed the Mississippi River. We are so excited to have her close again. The kiddos are THRILLED that grandma will be living with us! I'm not so sure that our animals will be welcoming to another cat in the house but there's enough room for all of us and they'll get used to it soon enough.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

Cheers,
Jaci

PS Happy birthday to my Opa who turned 85 today!




Feb. 26, 2008: Romping pooches



Feb. 25, 2008: Summer chair covered in winter.



Feb. 24, 2008: Bird's nest.



Feb. 23, 2008: Belgium waffles with the Goulds.



Feb. 22, 2008: Peek-a-boo Ridley.



Feb. 21, 2008: Drummer friend, Don Yallech.



Feb. 20, 2008: The Lunar Eclipse.



Feb. 19, 2008: My new MAC! (more on this later)



Feb. 18, 2008: The sad, snowy swing.



Feb. 17, 2008: Cool lights.



Feb. 16, 2008: Circle tree.



Feb. 15, 2008: More jumping kiddos.



Feb. 14, 2008: This day gets two photos because it's Valentine's day and I adore my friend (and yoga teacher), Debbie.

My view in class.


My friend and teacher, Debbie, doing tree pose.

Lights out part deux: Meagan and Sarah

First, I am SO happy to announce that I am writing this post from my new Mac Pro wireless keyboard! But more on that later.

Meagan and Sarah are my last two gals from Flourish. I had an enormous amount of fun with them. Meagan, at first, was a little on the shy side but ten minutes into the shoot and her comfort level shot up, up, up. I loved photographing her. We laughed and cracked jokes and just had a lot of fun. And, in case you hadn't noticed, she's a knock-out! She's got legs you would kill for! (At least I would) :)

Sarah was amazingly comfortable in her own skin. Can I just tell you, the freedom you have when someone is this comfortable with themselves is incredible. I honestly don't think I have one bad picture from her shoot. She struck-a-pose from the word go and was super to work with. Thank you all again. What an experience!

OK, so again with the disclaimer...please view these at an appropriate time and place.

And hey, if you're interested in attending the Flourish workshop you can. Check it out!


Cheers,
Jaci


Here's Meagan and her super-fantastic legs!



You're gorgeous, Meagan.



This is definitely one of my favorites.



OOO, I loved those shoes.



Having a little fun.



OK, here's how this conversation went:
Me: "You've got a great butt and I'm going to get really close to it to get this shot, okay?"
Sarah: "OK"
See what I mean?




This is also one of my favorites.






I love her funky pose.



I loved her in this pink shirt. She was so sassy.

Lights Out: Kristen and Denise

Our last session at Flourish was the "Lights out" or Boudoir led by the amazing Kitty Maer. Kitty is the queen of the lights out session! She adds such a theatrical flair when she shoots these, and it really helps to make the girls feel like they're in a costume, performing, instead of half naked in front of a stranger.
These sessions aren't easy for most women. I think secretly most of us would love to have photos like these but either a) aren't comfortable taking off our clothes or b) are afraid of where pictures like these might end up. This is why TRUST is so important. You need to trust your photographer! You need to trust that they can and will do everything in their power to make you look your best, and you need to make sure you are comfortable with the model release. If you're not, talk to your photographer! Be specific so you know exactly where these photos can and can't be used.
I never thought that this would be something I would want to offer here at Jaci Clark Photography but boy was I wrong! After shooting these fabulous women and learning from the best, I am now so happy and excited to offer these to my clients. I love making women feel good about themselves no matter what shape and size they are. You'd be surprised how good you feel after seeing fabulous pictures of yourself like this! If you are interested, give me a call so we can have the chance to get to know one another.
Now for the disclaimer: The pictures you are about to see are not necessarily something that you want to get caught looking at while at work (unless you work at a really cool place!) So please use proper judgment when viewing. Enjoy!

First up: Kristen. She was so fantastic to work with. Very comfortable and so sultry! She just oozes sex appeal. She was willing to try whatever was asked of her, and it made for some great shots!

Next up: Denise. Another one who was so comfortable with herself and so willing. Denise actually took one of my very favorite shots from the whole shoot! I've got to hand it to these girls. Doing this took a lot of guts and they did it with such ease it made our job easy! Thanks again for trusting us!

Cheers,
Jaci




Be sure to look close at this picture of Kristen so you don't miss Meagan in the background.



One of my favorites from Kristen's session.






This is my favorite shot of Kristen!



She looks so cute and playful here. I love it!






Denise has a beautiful neck line. Not to mention that totally cool necklace!




This is my favorite shot from the entire session.







I love the back light on this one.



Beautiful.

Talking stain

OK, I saw this commercial Superbowl Sunday. It made me laugh out loud! I just saw it again and still...laughing out loud. Enjoy!

P-365: week 6

First, Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you feel loved today. Here's more P-365's photos. The dialog that followed this last photo went something like this:


Boston: "Look, I'm a monkey. Maybe you should send me to the jungle."

Ridley: *looking horrified and on the verge of tears*
"But I don't want you to be a zoo animal! You're my favorite boy!"

Me: "Aww."



February 13, 2008: Monkey boy



February 12, 2008: Snow



February 11, 2008: More snow.




February 10, 2008: Self portrait inspired by Susan.




February 9, 2008: 429 hall.



February 8, 2008: Simon.



February 7, 2008: Mesmerized by the dancing hippo.



February 6, 2008: Plaid photo for the newspaper.




February 5, 2008: Props



February 4, 2008: Ridley dressed herself. She has some serious style.

Bridal Session: Sarah

This gorgeous gal is Sarah. She's the last of the bridal sessions from Flourish. Sarah looks amazing dressed in this to-die-for, Amsale gown. As fantastic as this gown is, my favorite piece is the veil followed closely by the crystal sash! They're just beautiful details that give the gown such pizazz! BTW...be sure to sign up for the Flourish mailing list. It's on the website under "reserve". Angela, Kim and Kitty always have something up their sleeve and you don't want to miss out.

Be sure to stay tuned because next up are the "Lights out" photos and they are FAB!

Cheers,
Jaci


A beautiful shot of Sarah.






A super close-up of those gorgeous, blue eyes.



This is my favorite shot!



That dress is gorgeous!



The sparkle on the wall is coming from that crystal sash.

We made the front page!

A few weeks back we were interviewed by the newspaper (Youngstown Vindicator) for an article concerning the city's 2010 Plan. I had no idea we'd be on the front page! Although the article doesn't say much about us (and what it does say is misleading since we didn't actually move because of the 2010 plan), there's a video here that has a nice interview of both my husband and me. Check it out.

Now, I leave you with something silly for your Sunday. My kids and I were howling at this. Thanks to my uber-talented, scrapbooking buddy, Nancy, for forwarding this to me. BTW...if you haven't ever seen her work, you MUST stop by her blog! Her stuff blows me away.

Bridal Session: Leah

This session was my absolute favorite for one reason and one reason only...that dress! Leah is wearing a FABULOUS, Romona Keveza gown. Man, I want to have another wedding just for this dress. Oh, and I'll take Leah's fantastic body too, please. Isn't she gorgeous? I think she looks like someone plucked her out of a 1940's movie! So glamorous. Thanks for being up for something a little more avant-garde, Leah. You look amazing! And I can't forget to give kudos to the fabulous team that helped her look so incredible: Ana Crane Simpson- make up, Bluegrass Brides- gown and Rodney from Salon Figaro, in Lexington KY.


Cheers,
Jaci



Leah looking WOW in this dress.



She has such a great smile. It just lights up her face.



I just love her look.



Stunning!



I love the great job Ana did on her make up.



This might be my favorite shot.



Even the shoes were FAB!

Bridal Session: Erica

The second leg of shooting was the bridal sessions led by the amazing, Angela. These were more fun than I thought they'd be. I had such a great time, in fact, that I've decided to offer these sessions as well. So, the to-do list goes like this: 1) get studio 2) buy hot lights 3) offer bridal sessions.

I couldn't possibly talk about these brides without also giving credit to the people that helped them look SO gorgeous. First, the gowns. All the designer gowns were donated by a fantastic boutique, Bluegrass Brides, in Lexington, KY. The beautiful make-up designs were done by the uber-talented, Ana Crane Simpson. And finally, all the hair designs were done by Rodney Farmer, Salon Figaro, in Lexington KY.

First up, Erica, wearing a romantic, Paloma Blanca gown. Isn't she gorgeous? And Erica isn't bad either, huh? Sorry, bad joke but I couldn't resist.

And finally, check out the last installment of my new logos and let me know what you think.

Cheers,
Jaci





Erica looking stunning.



A little behind-the-scenes shot with the incredibly talented, Kitty.




I just love the details in this dress.




The up-close shots are always some of my favorites.




Definitely one of my favorite shots. BTW, we affectionately called this the "Barney Wall"




A soft and romantic shot for a gorgeous gal in an equally gorgeous gown!

P-365: week 5

In this week's photos I've decided to not only document some major achievements but also introduce you to some members of our household you might not know yet.

A few here at the Clark house had a couple of noteworthy things happen this week. First, for those of you who don't know, we are homeschoolers. This is both challenging and rewarding all at the same time. This week was VERY rewarding as Boston learned to tell time and Ridley read her first book! My babies are growing up and as sad as that makes me, I am so proud watching them achieve these milestones! WTG guys!!!

My husband, Tyler, was also chosen to star in Easy Street Production's, "Forever Plaid" which is playing at the De Yor Performing Arts Center (Ford Family Recital Hall). Performances are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, February 22-March 2. I had the pleasure of working for Easy Street some years ago so it's a kick to see my hubby now performing with them! He's been itching to get back to the stage for quite some time now. Break a leg, baby! I know you'll be great!

BTW...check out the logo and let me know what you think.


Cheers,
Jaci




February 3, 2008: Having some fun with Ridley.




February 2, 2008: My hunky hubby!




February 1, 2008: Boston LOVES to cook and is coming up with his own recipes like this:
1 slice of bread
Spread with Nutella
Decorate with sprinkles
Enjoy!!



January 31, 2008: Boston wanted in on the action. Check out his "air"!



January 30, 2008: Our ratatouille, Ms. Pearl. She belongs to Boston.



January 29, 2008: Tyler's "Plaid" music.



January 28, 2008: Pepper sleeping with the elephant in Ridley's bed.

Second engagement couple: Lizzy and Sam

Our second shoot of the day at Flourish was another engagement couple, Lizzy and Sam. These guys were a little more formal than the first pair thanks to Bluegrass Bride who donated the outfits everyone wore (including the brides you'll see in my next post).

These two were such troopers. Lizzy was wearing a very fabulous (and very short) cocktail dress in a very chilly warehouse and Sam only had his suit jacket. AND they both went outside in the snowy cold too! Throw in 20 photographers all clamoring to get a shot and you'll get an idea of why I say they were troopers! Despite all that, they managed to look fantastic in all their images! Hats off to you guys. You were awesome.

Don't forget to check out the second round of logos and let me know what you think.

Cheers,
Jaci




It's freezing outside and they've been in the cold for about 15 minutes already. You'd never know it by looking at them, though. They're gorgeous!




OOO, I like this one!




A little kiss on her shoulder makes for a very nice image.




The warehouse had huge windows which allowed great, natural light to come in.




This is my favorite shot from this couple. Lizzy has fantastic legs!



Just to give you a little idea of what it looks like when 20 photographers are trying to take your picture. I call these next few "gang shootings" :)






I love that Karen isn't even looking at the couple but rather taking pictures of our mob. LOL!

The model releases are in!

Our second day of Flourish was a full day of shooting. We started the morning with two engagement couples: Angela & Luke and Lizzy & Sam. Then went right into the bridal portraits where we photographed three brides: Erica, Sarah and Leah. We ended the day with a FABULOUS (and when I say fabulous, I mean fabulous!) "Lights Out", boudoir session, photographing not one, not two but FOUR incredibly fabulous (and incredibly brave) women. This was a truly amazing day for me! (In the interest of not overwhelming you with photos, I'm going to break up the posts a bit.)

Before I get to my first couple, though, I want to show you a little teaser of what's to come in the "Lights Out" session. There's more where that came from so be sure and check back often!




And now, without further ado, Angela and Luke.
These two were such a great couple. And, hello....just look at how gorgeous they are! I really enjoyed photographing them. They had such a playfulness about them making it very easy to capture their personalities. My camera loved this couple!

BTW...what do you think of the new logo. I have a few that I'll be trying out and I would really like to know your opinion so leave me a comment and let me know.


Cheers,
Jaci



Can't you just tell by looking at them how great they are together?



Beautiful!



Angela has the most gorgeous skin.



The train in the background looks so cool. Unfortunately, we were on private property and got yelled at by a crazy, security lady. But not before capturing a couple great shots.



Don't be scared, Luke. We don't bite. LOL!



I love it when couples forget that I'm there and just have a "moment".




This is one of my favorites of the day.



This is my favorite of the day!



Another by the train.



Thanks again, Angela and Luke for being such a fun and willing couple!