New Year & Business Changes in 2011

So I've been talking about the changes coming to the business in 2011 since around September of this year, and we're getting very close to the new year being here. So I thought I'd share with you some of the changes you can expect to see.

We will officially be offering all our products through our new lab. With this shift we will be able to offer some awesome new products as well like: Metallic Prints, Custom Wall Art, Mini Accordion Books, Custom Announcements and Cards, Photo Videos and More. These products are the best quality items I have seen: high quality, durable, and long-lasting. I will be posting some pictures and more detailed information next week.

What I'm even more excited about though is the new direction I'm taking the business. Well, it's not really  a new direction so much as I'm going to make it more of a focus for the business. I've always focused on the uniqueness of each of my clients, but I'm going to add more emphasis into this with each of my sessions this year. The whole process for each session is changing as well, but I will focus on that more next week as well.

Lastly, this will be the last post I'll be writing on this blog. This blog will stay here, but I'm upgrading to a new blog that connects straight to my website, which is awesome! All new updates will be posted here: http://www.greentreemediaonline.com/wordpress/

Oh! And here's a reminder - If you had a photo session this year (2010) you will want to order your photos before January 1st. All pricing will be changing and you will no longer be able to order photos at cost. Also - if your session was before September of last year, your gallery will be coming down off the zenfolio ordering site to make room for 2011 sessions. So order your photos before the year is up!

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Our Christmas Tradition...Not Waiting

It's a tradition....Ryan and I can never wait until Christmas to give each other our presents. My mom teases me about it every year. We just get so excited about what we got each other and want to see the look of happiness on each others faces - it's just impossible for us to wait. I'm sure when we have kids we will learn self-control, but for now. It's what we do.

I was very excited about what I got Ryan for Christmas. I knew he would just love his present - the complete series of The Sopranos. He's mentioned it several times and was incredibly disappointed when one of the discs from the movie rental store was scratched. I got it for around 1/3 of what it normally costs so I was pretty proud about it, and I just couldn't wait to see his face when he opened it up.

Of course, it wasn't enough that he just open the present. I had to send him on a scavenger hunt first. I gave him little clues all around the house.

After searching for the clues for a good 15 minutes, he finally found his present. Needless to say - he was thrilled he finally found it.

I think he was pretty happy, and at least a little surprised.

Then it was my turn. Actually it was Ryan who was adamant about opening presents early. And it was after I opened my gift that I understood why.

I'm one of those weird people who savors opening her gifts. I don't like ripping the wrapping paper. I carefully peel away each piece of tape and do my best to keep the paper completely intact. I know - it's weird - I just can't help myself.

Voila! A video camera!

I had mentioned several times in the past that I would like a video camera.But there was no real need for one. This weekend though I brought it up a few times. We were at a electronics store and walked past some video cameras and I mentioned when we have kids I would like to have one. I mentioned it on the car ride home that I had some fun ideas for incorporating video into my blog and website. There were a couple other instances, but I really had no idea that was what he had gotten me.

So there's a good chance in 2011, you may get some video posts on this blog or some fun little video additions to my website. That's the goal anyway.

Well I wish you all a very Merry Christmas Eve and that you have a happy and fun Christmas Day!

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Union Station Hotel | St. Louis, MO

So I mentioned our weekend away yesterday. We stayed at the hotel that's attached to Union Station. It's such a gorgeous place full of awesome photo opportunities!  I just couldn't resist snapping a few pictures of the main lobby.

Here's just a couple pictures of our room. :)

And one of the things I love about this hotel is that we get a movie, chocolates, and champaign as part of our room's package.

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A Weekend in St. Louis and our Proposal Story

It had been so long since Ryan and I had gone anywhere just the two of us, and we agreed that we probably needed to have some time away from it all...a romantic weekend if you will. So we packed our bag and got the dog's things together and headed out. After we dropped Kit off at my parents for the weekend, we started the long drive to St. Louis.

St. Louis, and more specifically Union Station, has a special significance to me and Ryan because it's where we got engaged. It was just a little over four years ago that Ryan proposed to me there. We had got tickets to the St. Louis Blues hockey game for the weekend after Thanksgiving and the rink was just down the street from Union Station so Ryan had gotten us a room there.

Here's a little bit of background information. Ryan and I had been together for three years and had been talking about marriage for a long time. We'd agreed June was the latest date for a proposal to give us enough time to plan a wedding so we could be married after I graduated.

So on the drive down to St. Louis I had been teasing Ryan that I knew he hadn't gotten me an engagement ring yet. He asked me why I was so sure and I told him that I hadn't seen any invoices or receipts in his email. (I used to check Ryan's email from time to time. I'd get tired of doing homework so I'd take a break and check my email, ryan's email, and facebook. That was my routine.) So I was having all this fun on the drive down picking on him while my engagement ring was nestled safely in his pocket.

We checked into our room and then went to the Galleria to do some shopping. Once we were done there, we came back to Union Station and wandered around for a bit. I loved listening to the employees at the fudge shop sing, and Ryan had a shop on the second floor he absolutely loved. I had started to get a headache so I asked Ryan if we could sit down. Ryan suggested we go outside which I was more than happy since it was such a gorgeous day. We sat down on a little bench overlooking the pond and Hard Rock Cafe directly on our left.

While we're sitting there, Ryan asks me what I'm thinking. I responded, "Dec, January, .... you have seven months to propose to me." He laughs and says, "I love you." Giggling I looked at him and said "Wrong answer." Next thing I know, he slides down to his knee and says, "How about I go ahead and propose now....Will you marry me?"

I just chuckled, like very funny; I didn't even think to look down in his hands. He just stayed on his knee waiting and smiling. Eventually I noticed him glance down at his hands and I looked down. Ryan says my mouth fell open and that I looked up at him and said, "Are you serious?" hahaha - there's no denying I was surprised.

Of course I said yes. He slid the ring onto my finger, and we kissed. We started hearing this knocking sound and we looked around and there looking through the window of the Hard Rock Cafe at us was a family knocking on the window and giving us thumbs up with big ol' smiles on their faces. That was pretty amusing. :)

So that's why St. Louis will always have a special place in my heart. It's why spending the weekend there last weekend was so special. It was the perfect place for us to go to take a break from the busy-ness that is Christmas-time and remind ourselves of the love we have for each other.

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Two of the Most Giving, Open-Hearted People I Know: Jed & Vicki Taufer

Today I want to talk about a couple of people that I find truly inspirational and that I look up to so much! They are the kind of people I aspire to be on a regular basis. Vicki and Jed Taufer, if you don't know them, own the V Gallery in Morton, IL, which is one of the top portrait studios in the country. But Vicki and Jed are more than just a photography team, they are a couple of the most giving people I know. These two are constantly giving back to the photography community. In addition to the multiple workshops and seminars that Vicki & Jed speak at, they also started V Gallery Haven to help photographers through their own workshops and various products to help them with workflow, marketing, etc.

Most importantly though, Vicki and Jed are amazing people! Just being in the same room with them for more than a minute, you just feel an overwhelming sense of peace, acceptance, and genuineness. These two have maintained an unbelievable amount of optimism and trust in the Lord despite their difficult circumstances. I'd like to take a few minutes to share their struggle with you in hopes that you may be willing to take a few minutes to do what you can to help these amazing people.

Meet Nima!

Photo by Vicki Taufer

Isn't she the sweetest little girl ever?!  Jed and Vicki adopted Nima in August this year from Nepal, which is one of the poorest countries in the world and has around a million orphans and abandoned children. 

Photo courtesy of Vicki Taufer

Okay so here's a little background on Nepal. Nepal has around a million orphans and abandoned children. In Nepal, pre-marital sex is illegal so women who get pregnant outside of wed-lock often abandon their children and try very hard to remain anonymous, which makes it incredibly difficult to prove a child is an orphan or abandoned.

Photo by Vicki Taufer

The Nepalese government recognizes Vicki and Jed as Nima's legal parents. The problem is with the policy change the U.S. government is making it very difficult to get a visa for children who were abandoned. They are basically stating that all documents belonging to children listed as "abandoned' are to be assumed false and must be investigated and followed up on thoroughly in order to prove the child was really abandoned thereby validating the information of said documents.

Photo by Vicki Taufer

I can't even imagine the pain of not being able to bring your child home with you! To have spent months, years planning and getting everything ready for the big day. To hold your child in your arms, see her smile at you, snuggle into your chest. To fall in love with your child and see her connect with you. And then be told that even though you are legally her parents, you can't bring her home!

Photo by Vicki Taufer

Vicki has been living in Nepal with her beautiful little girl and Jed has been here in the States working. They have had to hire a private investigator and a lawyer to prove that Nima truly was abandoned and hopefully be able to bring her home. Vicki and Jed are optimistic and hopeful that they may be able to get Nima's visa and bring her home in January.

Photo courtesy of Vicki Taufer

As I'm sure you can guess, this whole process has been emotionally and financially exhausting. With Vicki stranded in Nepal until the U.S. government decides to grant Nima a visa, she hasn't been home to work at the studio. If you are in a position to help with their financial situation right now, I would greatly encourage you to do so. I absolutely cannot think of a more deserving family. Just head over to nimajade.com and click on the donate button.

Another way you can help this couple and all those in a similar situation over in Nepal is by copying the letter below and sending it to your selected officials. There is also this website (http://www.petition2congress.com/3867/bring-stranded-nepali-adoptees-home-now/) that has a petition you can sign and then gives you this same letter with the list of politicians for your area based on your zip code.

To Whom It May Concern,
We are aware of a group of Americans who have recently traveled to Nepal in order to pick up children they have adopted and bring them home. Upon arriving, they've discovered that the U.S. has changed their policy regarding adoption in Nepal and now they are stuck in a situation where it looks very doubtful that they are going to be able to bring their babies home. There are currently 12 families whose voices need to be heard and collectively we can make a difference if we act now.


Please help us fight this injustice by looking into the case and taking immediate action. These families need their adoptions to be processed under the previous investigation policies that were in effect just a week or so ago so they can bring their children home. Contact Ruth Lincoln at the Office of Children's Issues within the Bureau of Consular Affairs - lincolnra@state.gov or anyone else who may be able to resolve this issue as soon as possible. If you'd like to contact one of the members of the 12 families, feel free to email jedness@mac.com.
Thank you for your efforts.

I hope the Taufer's story touches and inspires you. I know I feel truly blessed to have met these wonderful people. Jed and Vicki have supported and inspired me in ways they don't even know, and I strive on a daily basis to be more like them. Giving, open-hearted, and faith-filled.

Photo by Vicki Taufer

Please keep Jed, Vicki, and Nima in your thoughts and prayers! Any support you can provide will be greatly appreciated! And Jed, Vicki - thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly and letting me share your story. I've truly meant every word that I've written, and I love you both for just being you, sharing yourself, your love, and your passion with all of us. This world would be a far better place if there were more people in it like you. :)

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P.S. If you'd like to read the full story - you can find it here: http://www.vgallery.net/letter/

Showin' Some Love #9

While Christmas is my favorite holiday, this is most definitely not my favorite time of year! Don't get me wrong - I love having seasons. I even enjoy getting snow. But it's the freezing rain and slick, slippery roads I'm not a fan of. Driving 30 mph down an ice-covered country road is not my idea of fun!

But aside from that, I truly love Christmas! So in keeping with the Christmas spirit, here's a quick list of some of my favorite things during Christmas-time:

• The Spirit of Giving

I think one of the biggest reasons I love this time of year is because of the idea of giving that surrounds it. I try to be a giving person all year round - helping people however I can, but there's just something about the spirit of Christmas-time I just love. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like I see more people being generous this time of year. It's a wonderful thing when we can help each other in whatever little ways we can.

• Family Togetherness

I also love the feeling of togetherness that comes with Christmas. It seems like everyone wants to be with their family and loved ones. There's this idea of sharing food, hot cocoa, maybe a movie together - and just generally enjoying each other's company. At least that's the picture I get in my head of what Christmas should feel and be like.

• White Christmas

It's a tradition in my family to watch the old movie White Christmas at least once together as a family this time of year. It's something my mom started doing with us when we were younger, and now I look forward to it every year.

• Hot Chocolate

Actually I could drink hot chocolate all year long, but there's something so perfect, so aesthetic, about curling up under a big fluffy blanket and drinking a cup of hot chocolate in the winter. We've taken to purchasing the big variety pack of Land of Lakes Hot Cocoa mix at Sam's Club. Chocolate Graham Cracker and Tiramisu are my favorites!

• Baking

Christmas time is the best excuse for baking! You fire up the oven and it adds and extra oomph of heat to the whole house and then the smell of whatever you're baking makes the whole house smell delicious! Yum! When we were little, my mom and her sisters and all the girl cousins would get together and bake during Christmas-time. We'd make sugar cookies, and hard rock candle, caramels, and gingerbread cookies, and all kinds of delicious treats! I miss doing this, but now I have an excuse to do baking myself and someday it will be something I can do with my girls. :)

Well there's just a few reasons I love this holiday! Check back tomorrow... I'm hoping to have a blog post up in the next few days about a truly giving, wonderful couple and how you can help them.

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The First Snow of 2010 & Our First Day Snowed In :)

Sunday this past weekend, Ryan and I were supposed to go to Ryan's cousin, Hector's graduation party in Argenta. Unfortunately, as all of you living in Central IL know, we got hit with a pretty bad snow storm. It wasn't so much that the snow was deep that kept us stuck at home, but instead the fact that we couldn't see more than a few feet in front of us. (In the picture below, you'll see Kit wasn't even too keen on venturing very far away from the house and normally he's thrilled at the thought of playing in the snow!)

In this pic you can just barely make out a wood post off the main road and a little light from a house down the way. They're right next to the tree on the right side of the picture. You'll have to look really closely to make them out.

So Ryan called the family to let them know we wouldn't be able to make it. If we had a truck or some vehicle with four-wheel drive, we may have tried to get there. But with my old little Ford Focus with bald tires - we opted on the safe side. (Note Ryan's new favorite pants in the picture below. These were handmade by PhunkyPatches at etsy.com. Here's the link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Phunkypatches)

So what did we do? We got nice and cozy at home. :) We put on some warm comfy clothes (sweatpants and sweaters) and relaxed at home. Of course on the first real snowy day of winter, we had to make something nice and warm to eat, like stew. And that's exactly what we did. We threw beef, carrots, celery, potatoes, onion and a little bit of garlic into a pot of water and let it simmer for a good 3-4 hours. I'm not much of a meat eater being a vegetarian and all, but this stew was delicious! I just avoided the meat and it was a great vegetable soup!

And of course, anyone who knows me, knows that I like to end the day with a dessert. So we popped some chocolate chip cookies in the oven and made a delicious batch of little bite-sized treats. It was a perfectly sweet ending to the meal.

I decided to be a little artsy and create handmade custom tags for our Christmas presents too. Here's a couple I made. One very Christmas-y themed:

And one for my dad who prefers the warmer weather:

Even Kit enjoyed cuddling up under his blanket and just relaxing all day.

Hope you all are staying warm and enjoying your holiday season so far! Happy Wednesday!

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