Let the Countdown Begin…
School is almost out and Summer is just around the corner. We have had some crazy weather around here… hot, cold, rainy… we never know what to expect. We do however know that Austin Summers are out-of-this-world HOT, which is why now is the best time for photos. In the midst of our Countdown to Summer, I have decided to bless 1 very special person with a free session, plus 5 others with the chance to book a session for half-off… that’s right, HALF-OFF! Gosh, I just LOVE giveaways. (You will find instructions below on how to enter.)
You may be thinking to yourself, “We could really use some updated family photos, but I could probably just use our nice camera and it wouldn’t cost a dime.”
This is true, but I am here to tell you that unfortunately, they will not look the same. There are some very nice, smart, affordable cameras out there that do a great job, but you will not get the same end results. It is not always as simple as it looks. Read HERE to see what I’m talking about.
How do I enter to win??
1 – You must ‘like’ us on Facebook… facebook.com/coatiphotography
2 – To win the FREE photo session, you must be the very first person to e-mail me. Tell me how you would use your free session.
3 – The first 5 people to e-mail me (after the winner) will receive HALF-OFF a photo session.
E-mail: info{at}coati photography{dot}com
GET TO IT PEOPLE!!
Sara + Evelyn {austin family photographer}
There is absolutely nothing sweeter than a new mommy and her precious baby. My sister-in-law has always been beautiful, but there is just something about being a new mom that makes you drop dead gorgeous. Don’t you agree? New moms always have that sweet glow about them, and Sara is no exception. Sara was no doubt meant to be a mom. We got to spend this past weekend with them, and she just radiates happiness! Motherhood obviously suits her well. :)
Check out my beyond adorable niece…
Day 18 {family day}
Ok, I admit… I am a few days behind. Philip has been out of town, and although that is no excuse – it is a lot more difficult to get things done. BUT he is back, and today we had a much needed family day! We spent most of the day enjoying downtown and the Children’s Museum. LOVE my boys!
Day 15 {Emily}
Emily is one of my most favorite people! She is thoughtful, kind, giving, caring, extremely talented, and beautiful (as you can see). And absolutely no one (besides family) loves our little man more than she does… and the feeling is definitely mutual. Caleb ADORES Emily!
Day 15… We are half way there people!!!
Day 14 {playground}
Day 14… It’s Caleb again! :)
Not sure how you could be, BUT if you are tired of seeing pictures of my little dude, then you are in luck this week! I have something lined up everyday this week! YAH!!
Happy cloudy Day 14!
Day 12 {Jade}
Meet my very sweet friend, Jade. She and her husband, Jason, are getting ready to have their first baby! I could not be more excited for them. Today, I took photos of the very beginning stages of them preparing the nursery.
Day 11 {Shelby + Phoebe}
Shelby has become one of my dearest friends over the last few months; and her sweet girl, Phoebe, is just the cutest thing EVER! Am I right?
Look at those eyes!!!
Day 10 {puppy}
Meet my first boy, Baxter. This family all started with just the two of us. I still call him my puppy, but he recently turned 5.
LOVE this dog!
Day 9 {happy boy}
I know I said that I wouldn’t post photos of my sweet boy everyday, but can you blame me? This boy is almost always happy… seriously. And today was no exception. Despite the fact that the day came with 5 shots, a finger prick, and Daddy (his most favorite person alive) being gone; this boy was happy as could be. How could you not take pictures of this sweet face every day?
Day 7 {H & M}
Day 7 was spent with sweet in-laws and going to church. Today was the first time that I had to be called out of service to get my little man… he was so sad! BUT the good news is, some of our precious friends got Caleb a giftcard to H & M for his birthday! This is the most perfect gift for him (ME)!!! H&M has by far THE cutest boy clothing around. So, Caleb and I went on a little adventure and picked out some super adorable clothes for his birthday. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of what we actually bought, but trust me – they are so cute!
So, as boring as this is… H&M is my picture for Day 7. (Tomorrow’s post will be much more exciting!)
Day 6 {Birthday Party!}
Today was Caleb’s 1st Birthday Party!! We are so very blessed to have this sweet boy in our family. Today also marks exactly one year since we signed our foster license… Who would have thought that exactly a year later we would be throwing a party for a sweet baby boy?? How ridiculously amazing is that?
Day 5 {birthday boy}
I vow to not post photos of my child everyday… however, today is his very first Birthday, and tomorrow is his birthday party… so just be prepared! :)
Tonight, we celebrated with dinner at one of our favorite places in Austin, Chuy’s. Yes, we are such a cliche, but proud of it.
LOVE THIS SWEET 1 YEAR OLD BOY!!!
Day 4 {big boy shoes}
Yesterday, Caleb took his first step… nothing crazy. Just one step.
Today, Caleb took TWO steps! And not just two accidental steps… he took his time to balance and slowly took two very good steps (almost 3).
So, for day 4 I took a picture of his very first pair of big boy shoes! We bought them over Christmas with some money that his Great Grandma gave to him as a gift. He LOVES them!
PS… his 1st Birthday is TOMORROW!!!
Day 3 {sweet friend}
Day 3 was a swap day. My sweet friend, Whitney, and I swapped with each other for the day. She is also participating in 30Days/30Photos, so we decided to take photos of each other for Day 3…
Day 2 {me time}
Day 2 consisted of a lot of “me” time! My birthday was on the 7th, so today I put my birthday money to good use… an hour-long massage, haircut and color!
My good friend, Laura Needham, is an amazing hair stylist. She and her friend run their own salon, and it is fabulous!! If you need a good stylist to rely on, let me know and I’ll hook you up. :)
2013 Goals / January Goals
I can not even express to you how much I have thoroughly enjoyed 2012. Last year, when I was planning and writing out my goals for the year, I would have never guessed that my year would have turned out the way that it did. God had bigger/different plans than I had made for myself. Isn’t that usually the way things go? I had big dreams of becoming a full-time wedding photographer, traveling somewhere I had never been with Philip, buying a house, completing 30 Days 30 Photos, etc. None of those things ever happened. You would think that reflecting on that would be quite a downer… but you would be wrong. You see, this year I learned a very valuable lesson. Sometimes you make big plans and have dreams for what your life will look like… when all of the sudden something crazy happens and those dreams immediately change over night.
On January 30th, I was in North Carolina attending the Branches & Light Workshop with some lovely ladies. I learned SO much and was immediately inspired in so many ways. The very next day, I was sitting at the airport waiting to board my flight back home, writing a very long to do list when the phone rang… We had a baby boy on his way to our tiny little home. That night, our lives completely changed. My goals completely changed. My dreams completely changed. Some might say that I gave up what I dreamed of when Caleb entered our lives, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. What I gained was an extremely sweet handsome son, who taught we what is truly important in life. My personal and business goals all changed for the better.
I go into this year, setting goals and dreaming big, but knowing that only God knows what is best for me and my family. My goals will forever be changing and growing… and for that I am thankful.
All of that to say… here are my “goals” for 2013.
30 Days 30 Photos {2013}
Hello, friends!
Alright, so it has been almost 2 years since I officially started Coati Photography… CRAZY! If you are new around here, you have probably never heard of 30 Days/30 Photos. This was something that I made up (inspired by 7in7) to kick-start my business, and to get people interested in my blog. Well, 2 years later, and I’m about to dive right back in. If you remember last year, my 30 days were some-what interrupted. I became “Mama” to the sweetest little man on the planet! This through me for a little bit of a loop, and I never quite finished my 30 days. :(
This year is going to be different… I am challenging myself to stay focused, and FINISH! I have a few other goals in mind, other than just finishing… but that is another post for another day.
As usual, you are all invited to join in!
Here are the rules:
- Starting on Monday, January 14, 2013 you will begin taking at least one picture every day for 30 days.
- You do NOT have to be a professional photographer to join.
- The picture can be of anything, but must be a new photo taken that very day.
- Photo sessions that are paid for by clients do NOT count. This is a challenge to push you. (Why not bless a family or two with some free photos?)
- You must post your photos somewhere for everyone to see… blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. This is to take you out of your comfort zone and post things even if they aren’t completely perfect like you would like.
- Use the following hashtag: #30days30photos
So who’s in? If you plan on joining the challenge, just leave a comment below on this blog post and leave a link to where you will be posting your photos. Remember to have FUN!!! :)
Sweet Evelyn Ruth {austin birth photographer}
AHHHH!!! I’m an Aunt… again!!
I received a call early Friday morning from my mother telling me that my brother, Brandon, and his wife, Sara, were headed to the hospital to have their sweet baby girl! They live in Dallas, and I had a photo session scheduled for that morning with another family. So, I went ahead and finished up the family session here in Austin, and then headed straight for the hospital in Dallas. It was such an amazing and beautiful thing to be a part of. Sara already proved what an amazing mother she is, and is going to be. Although things didn’t go the way they had planned, Brandon and Sara have always put their sweet girl first, and I am just so proud of them and the way that they have already made such great sacrifices for their little girl! What an incredibly beautiful thing! I could go on and on, but I will let you see for yourself what an incredible day this was…
The Switch {austin lifestyle + portrait photographer}
Hello there!
After much thought, I have decided to make The Switch. What exactly is “The Switch”? Well, let me explain…
Over the past year, I have photographed numerous beautiful weddings and loved every minute of it. However, as most of you know, we began fostering our sweet little boy at the very beginning of this year. There is absolutely nothing I love more than being at home with him and watching him learn something new every single day. We were just given the news that he will officially become part of our family next month! I CAN NOT even put into words how happy this makes me. We are thrilled!
All of this considered, I have decided to pull back on the number of weddings I accept, and focus more on lifestyle and portrait sessions. This is where I began my business, and it really is what I desire to do. Not only am I extremely passionate about family photography, but this will also allow me to spend even more time with my own family! What could be better than doing what you love, and getting to enjoy it all while watching your little one grow? Nothing.
So, head on over to my new pricing page and check out the changes that I have made. Please feel free to spread the word that our family sessions are back in full swing!! :)
Warmly,
Kimberly
Children’s Holiday Sale
There is nothing I love more than the holidays, other than my precious family of-course. There is just something so cozy about this time of year, and guess what… it’s just around the corner! I could not be more thrilled!
One of my absolute favorite things about the holidays, is running out to our mail box and receiving holiday cards daily. It used to just be around Christmas time, but I’m loving this new trend of picking your family’s favorite holiday and sending cards then. I especially love this, because it makes me feel as though the holidays have been extended… Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc.
So, what better way to kick-off the holiday season than with a Children’s Holiday Sale? This is our very first year to have a little one in the family, and there is something so sweet and exciting about getting to share this season with a child. I’ll be honest, I CAN NOT wait to send out our holiday cards this year (still not sure which holiday to pick.) We have already booked our family photo session with our photographer of choice; now it’s your turn! Now – November 17th, you can book your child’s Holiday Mini-Session for just $150. Holiday Mini-Sessions are 30-45 minutes long. You will receive a DVD with 20-30 Hi-Res Images from your session.
To book your session just e-mail me at info@coatiphotography.com
*Also, if you like us on Facebook keep an eye out for a super special deal! ;)
30 Photos/30 Days {day 13}
Day 13:
Fine Art Wedding Photography… By Jose Villa & Jeff Kent
If you are getting into wedding photography, or have been in the game for a while, this book is incredible. It is so straight forward, and so inspiring. Not to mention, the photos are beautiful. This book covers everything in wedding photography… the technical camera stuff, step-by-step of the day, and all of the business/marketing that goes with it.
I read this book poolside over the summer, when I was really trying to figure out where I wanted my business to go. Did I really want to get into wedding photography full-time? Yes, I did. But I was also was scared out of my mind. Weddings can be a scary thing. I mean, they only happen ONCE. What if something terrible happens? Well, this book gave me confidence and ultimately was one of the many factors that helped me make the leap. Read it. :)
30 Photos/30 Days {day 12}
Day 12:
Now that we have Little Dude in our family, we are having to find a new “normal”. I think that we are getting close to finding that. Today was day number 2 with our new work schedule. I take the EARLY morning shift with the little guy and then start my work day around 8 or 9AM… depending on how exhausted I am. I work until about noon or one o’clock, and then let Philip start his work day. We are both so blessed to be able to have our own businesses and work from home. Today, I spent the last part of my “work day” organizing my office space. I started a new filing system for my clients, and organized all of my receipts and legal paperwork. This may sound boring, but I LOVE the feeling of being organized and trying my best to make it look pretty. Yes… I try to make filing look pretty. I like the challenge. :)
I am also in love with these inspiring quotes that I found on Pinterest.
