Kristie Serra Photography Blog »

Somewhere between three weeks and one hundred years ago, my hubby and I said, “I do.”  Yes, it’s a big spread, but when we asked our twins how long they thought we’ve been married, that is what they guessed.  It’s actually been six.

It’s hard to believe that is was 18 years ago when we first met, over a three-way phone conversation of all things!  I love our story, so I thought I would share…  Ali (pronounced like the boxer) and I were both friends with this girl, Melissa, but he and I didn’t know one another.  On the night before our first day of high school, Melissa and I were chatting on the phone, she had just got three-way phone service (remember how cool that was??) and decided to try it and give Ali a call.  We all chatted for at least a hour that night while our moms’ threatened us to get off the phone and get to bed (sorry mom).  Our first day of high school was finally here!  I ended up missing the bus and was late to my first class.  I walked in and every seat was taken.  It was English class and Mr. Ochoa was my teacher–he asked if anyone would give up their seat for me.  Only one kid raised his hand, so I was directed to sit in his seat, while he stood next to me (poor kid).  Before I could even thank him or get his name, I was called to the auditorium.  I looked for him all day to thank him, but I never found him.  It wasn’t until the last class of the day, Geometry, that I finally saw the nice boy, who had given me his seat in English.  He was in the first row and there was an empty seat next to him, which happened to be the only one left in the class.  So, I grabbed it quick and I turned to him and told him how I had been looking for him all day.  I thanked him for his sweet gesture and introduced myself and then he did the same.  Crazy enough, it was Ali!  Up until that point, we didn’t know that we had talked the night before!  It was at that moment that an amazing friendship began.  We were never high school sweethearts, just the very best of friends.  Our friendship has survived each other’s romances and it wasn’t until our first kiss many, many, many years after that three-way phone conversation that we realized that we were meant to be together.

From 1994 to 2009…

My hubby…  almost a year ago he set out to make a HUGE change in his life.  He wanted to get healthy, he wanted to have more energy for our boys, he wanted me to be proud of him, he wanted us to be a strong family.  I couldn’t be prouder, we couldn’t be stronger, he couldn’t be a better example for our boys, who couldn’t get enough veggies and fruit at dinner tonight, and the energy, wow, he’s doing circles around all of us!  175 pounds lost and we’ve gained so much!!

I love you, Bub, with all of my heart!!  Happy Anniversary!!

If you are like me, you have a favorite store that when you walk into it, you wish that you lived there?  That’s how I feel every time I visit the Blue Moon Trading Company.  I could get lost there for HOURS, exploring every little nook and cranny.  Every visit is so different for me too because there are always new treasures to explore.

It was last year when I discovered Blue Moon and met, Katie, the energetic and entrepreneurial owner of the South Tampa store that specializes in eclectic furnishings and accessories.  Much of what she sells is either vintage or custom-made from architectural salvage and recycled material.  I love it all!!   And, the icing on the cake is there is a little playroom for children in the store.  Katie could tell you about the time where one of my twins asked for “15 more minutes please” when I told him it was time to go get ice cream.  Yep, they turned down ice cream to stay longer at Blue Moon!

For me, it started with a yellow metal folding chair (you might have seen it in some of my work) and then my next visit it was a beautiful wooden chair and this horse statue, that is sitting on my china cabinet.  And,  just this week it was a bird cage, which will be soon hanging from my new office wall, and a turquoise little caddy.  I can’t visit without bringing something home.

Since 2004, Katie has handpicked treasures that inspire design professionals and homeowners alike. She selects distinctive pieces, and researches their histories whenever possible, giving each piece a story.  Katie also provides design services such as workshops, custom furniture and design consultations through Studio Blue Moon.

I really could go on and on, but I think I’ll let the images of her studio, store and one of kind items do the talking…  If you are in the area, stop in, say hi and shop like you mean it.  You’ll love Blue Moon (located in South Tampa off of S. MacDill Avenue)!

[the studio]

[the business partner's, Sydney and Andie]

[the store]

[the one of kind items]

You may have tangible wealth untold:
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold,
Richer than I you can never be-
I had a Mother who read to me.

–”The Reading Mother” by Strickland Gillilan (1869-1954)

I just found out about an amazing early literacy initiative program that my good friend Monica shared with me and I want you all to know about it too!

Here’s the story… In 1996, Dolly Parton launched an exciting new effort to benefit the children of her home county in east Tennessee.  Dolly wanted to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families.  She wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create.  Moreover, she could insure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income.

So she decided to mail a brand new, age appropriate book each month to every child under 5 in Sevier County.  With the arrival of every child’s first book, the classic The Little Engine That Could ^TM, every child could now experience the joy of finding their very own book in their mail box.  These moments continue each month until the child turns 5-and in their very last month in the program they receive Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come.

Needless to say the experience has been a smashing success.  So much so that many other communities clamored to provide the Imagination Library to their children.  Dolly thought long and hard about it and decided her Foundation should develop a way for other communities to participate.  The Foundation asked a blue ribbon panel of experts to select just the right books and secured Penguin Group USA to be the exclusive publisher for the Imagination Library.  Moreover a database was built to keep track of the information.

Consequently, in March of 2000 she stood at the podium of The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. and revealed the plan for other communities to provide the Imagination Library to their children.  And as only Dolly can say it, she wanted to “put her money where her mouth is – and with such a big mouth that’s a pretty large sum of money” and provide the books herself to the children of Branson, Missouri and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – communities where her businesses now operate.  If other leaders in their communities were willing to do the same, well something big might just happen.

You know what? It did!!

Here’s how it works:

A community must make the program accessible to all preschool children in their area.  The community pays for the books and mailing, promotes the program, registers the children, and enters the information into the database.

From there The Dollywood Foundation takes over and manages the system to deliver the books to the home.  Hundreds of communities are providing books to hundreds of thousands of children.

I so wish I could have known about this sooner, it’s an amazing program, and if you have a child or grandchild under the age of 5 you can register them today if you live in a participating community! It’s easy to find out if you do, just visit the Imagination Library website, select your country, then select “first time visitor” and go from there.  Children receive an age-appropriate hard-cover book FREE each month from birth to age five (regardless of income).  So, what are you waiting for???  If you are local and live in Hillsborough County, you are in luck, because we happen to be a participating community!  Yea!!  Click HERE to view the local contact information to enroll your child or to see how you can donate to this incredible program.

Thank you, Monica, for the inspiration this week! xo

It started between fellow photographers, Dana and Tara, and it caught on quick!  The idea was that we photographers would shoot for ourselves, which is something that doesn’t happen very often, and we would share 5 images that express gratitude.  Well, I missed the boat, but thought I would participate today!  It was a busy day, but  a perfect day to remind myself of all the things that I am grateful for.  So, here is my five for today…

I am grateful for my family. You wouldn’t know by looking at them, that my two funky monkeys were once itty-bitty-teeny-weeny-tiny little babies–they are true miracles.  These two little guys, who have grown like weeds in the last five years and who have given me more gray hairs in the last year than I care to share, are my daily inspiration and an inspiration behind my husband’s body transformation.  In the last year, he has LOST 172 POUNDS.  No joke, really 172 pounds!!!!!  We’re talking a real life Biggest Loser! Our family is happier, healthier and stronger because of it.  I am so very grateful for his dedication and determination!  Words cannot express how proud I am!

I am grateful for floppy ears, waggly tails and puppy paws.

I am grateful for Panera Bread. And even though they ran out of my very FAVORITE breakfast sandwich this morning, I am grateful that they have an equally yummy lunch menu.  I am also so very grateful for my Panera Bread buddies, who have also been stricken with the same breakfast sandwich obsession as I have.

I am grateful for family portraits. And especially when they’re drawn by the kiddos.  I love looking back at our family’s history and this is something I will cherish FOREVER!  My M. drew this one…

I am grateful for my new space. It’s not quite complete, but soon I’ll be coming to you live from my yellow office and I will definitely be updating the blog with images once the light is hung, furniture is in and there are images on the wall!

I recently spent the morning with the sweetest set of twins and their equally sweet (and funny) mom and dad.  G. and G. are little rays of sunshine–so full of laughter and joy.  I can imagine that their baby brother, who is nice and cozy in his mommy’s tummy, will be the same.

G. and G.’s mom is drawn to vivid colors (we became fast friends), so we headed to some of my favorite colorful spots, including the laundromat!  It was nothing but Fun!  Fun!  Fun!  Oh, and speaking of vivid colors, check out the ADORABLE outfits below.  They were made by G. and G.’s mom!  Isn’t she extremely talented?!!  We also used a quilt in the session that she recently made and if it would have fit in my camera bag, I might have tried to take it home.  Ha!

I am thrilled that it’s Friday because I been looking forward to featuring the AMAZING Michele Anderson of Pinkle Toes Photography on the blog this week!  She and her beautiful work have been such an inspiration to me, so much so that I still remember the first time I visited her blog–I was blown away and I know you will be too!!  I could go on and on, but I’m sure you’d love to read what she has to say, so without further ado, here is the Q&A with Michele:

[1] What led you to a career in photography? Tell us about your journey…
I left my job in marketing to stay home with my kiddos, but the clock was ticking and I was eventually going to have to go back to work. I was working part time at a department store and I hated it. One day,, I called my mom in the parking lot and just bawled, “I have a degree in Communications. What am I doing with my life?????” She asked me what I really wanted to do in my heart and I told her that I wanted to be a photographer. So, I put in my notice and within a month, I had bought my first SLR and started a business.

[2] In five words or less, how would you describe your photography style?
Changing, changing, constantly changing. (that was less than 5 words, right?)

[3] What inspires you?
Other photographers for sure. Movies (Pan’s Labyrinth…wow!) and music videos and then there’s just driving around, looking for beautiful light and color.

[4] What’s your workspace like?
I really, really try to keep this somewhat organized. I’ve attached a pic. I still need more room. We’ll be working on that, soon, but meanwhile, you don’t even want to know how I store all my props and equipment. Ugh!

[5] So, how do you make it all work… business… family life… happy marriage?
I’m constantly trying to find a good balance. Sometimes, I’m really bad at it. One thing I did recently was to set office hours. I don’t always get to abide by them, but it’s nice to have permission to not work once in a while and just be with my family.

[6] What do you love most about what you do?
Meeting so many different people. A photo session is such an intimate experience and I always walk away from a session feeling like a family friend.

[7] What are you doing today that wouldn’t have imagined doing five years ago?
You’re lookin’ at it, sister. I never would have imagined in a million years that 1. I would have my own business and 2. That I would get to take pretty pictures all day long.

[8] What are you grateful for today?
Summer rain. It makes everything feel cool and refreshed. I wish I was brave enough to take my camera out in the rain sometime.

And, for fun… the speed-round:

If you had three wishes what would they be?
1. At least one of my children would take an interest in photography.
2. That my mom would get a new job so she can move to Austin, too.
3. That I never get tired of my career.

Oh, and world peace.

What are some of your favorite websites that you visit?
www.babyrazzi.com
www.jinkyart.com (she’s the one that started it all for me)
www.aliciapricephotography.com – so, so, so very talented.

Read any good books lately?
*still* working on the Twilight series that I started months ago. Sigh.

If you had to pick one song to be your theme song, what would it be?
Theme song? Crud. Now I have to have a theme song, too?

Fries or onion rings?
Depends on what else is on my plate.

WARING:  The following images have been known to produce uncontrollable ooooh’s and aaaah’s and even drool!!  Okay, now that you’ve been warned, please enjoy Michele’s GORGEOUS images…

Seven daddies and twelve adorable kiddos marks the first round of our Father’s Day mini sessions!  What a fun bunch and what a fun morning we had!  Be on the look out for the next round.  In the meantime, enjoy the sweetness…

GOOP?  

Yep, it’s GOOP!  

Sounds funny, doesn’t it?  Well, it’s actually a wonderful website by Gwyenth Paltrow.  I just recently heard about it and had to do some investigating for myself and I’m so glad that I did!  It’s all about nourishing your inner aspect.  It’s such an inviting site, maybe a little too inviting because before I knew it, I was reading along and clicking here and there for over an hour!  Each category from “Make” to “Do” to “Be” to “See” is packed full of interesting articles, recipes and resources!  I think I might be trying the Great Sunday Dinner recipe!  There is also a link to sign up for her weekly newsletters, which I did while I was there.  So, if you have a minute or two or an hour, GOOP is definitely worth checking out for yourself…

Okay, I am going to switch things up a bit and share some of my favorite quotes each Thursday–a little inspiration for the end of the week.  And, Friday’s posts will be fun features–from some of my favorite blogs to recipes to artists.  You name it and I’ll cover it!  If you have anything you’d like to share or would love to see featured, please email me at kristie@kristieserraphoto.com.  I’d love to hear from you!

Now on with today’s thought…

Love the moment, and the energy of that moment will spread beyond all boundaries.

-Corita Kent