Little Hayden surprised his mommy and daddy by arriving three weeks before his due date. But he was clearly just ready to be in this world and be loved and taken care of by his wonderful family. He weighed  a little less than six pounds when he came to visit me the day before a winter storm. We didn’t let the thought of the coming snow and ice bother us one bit! Hayden was snuggly and warm, and EVER so cute.

Hayden is blessed to be the newest member of a special family.  I first met his daddy when he was about Hayden’s age…brand new! And I gave his mommy voice lessons when she was younger. His grandparents and great-grandparents and our family have sung together and prayed together, laughed together and cried together.  Hayden is blessed indeed to have such lovely people on both sides of his family tree. Lots of wonderful, kind people who are going to make this new little boy feel completely loved.

So alert and interested for someone so new:

But being photographed makes a boy so tired after a little while!

Also, daddy played baseball for years, and this whole family are BIG Cardinals fans…another reason they are so very cool.

And lastly, no words are really needed, but I thought this little phrase might echo what is in their hearts:

Thank you, thank you to the Sparks family for giving me the privilege of photographing your precious new bundle of joy. Hayden is perfect, and I’m looking forward to cuddling him again soon.

With the beautiful weather we’ve been having here in Southwest Missouri, many thoughts are turning to new portraits of the kids, of you and your spouse, of your whole family…it’s truly a delightful time of year to do just that! The next step is thinking about gifts of those new pictures. You know Gram loves new photos of everyone at the holidays. Another popular way of sharing photos is with a custom Christmas card. Every holiday season, I have many clients who love to send out photo cards. And they come back each year with stories about how those cards are kept out all year –  put in frames, displayed on the family bulletin board, or up on the refrigerator. I work with a few other photographers to design cards for their clients, and it’s something I really love to do. Photo sessions which involve Christmas cards should be done by November 15.

This year, I am excited to be offering something I’ve had my eye on for a long time…photo jewelry. Kotori handmade jewelry is a really special gift for moms, grandmothers, brides, couples – and men will love the key chains. The quality is the best I’ve found for photo jewelry, and I’ve been looking at lots of options. Jewelry, of course, is a great gift anytime, but if you are thinking about a gift for someone for Christmas, you need to have your photo session by November 15.

Another special gift is a photo book. Again, I love designing these special remembrances! I do quite a few books for baby’s first year and special events throughout the year, but also these books make lovely gifts. One year I took pictures of my mother’s flower gardens and trees from the spring all through fall, and made those photos into a book for her. She loves her plants, and I knew it would be a fun surprise for her. Last year, I had a client who wanted photos at a Christmas tree farm. We took pictures of their family playing around the trees, and then along with the regular photos she ordered from the session, she secretly had me make a book for her husband for Christmas featuring all the pictures from that session. What fun! If you would like a book in time for the holidays which includes a fall session, please schedule soon so we can have those photos done by November 15.

For those of you wanting portraits as gifts, you have a bit longer…we need to get your photos done by December 1. I know there are many of you who give pictures to relatives at the holidays. It has always been my favorite gift through the years!

It is so rewarding to hear that Art From The Heart Photography can make so many people smile! Not just the subjects in the photos, but all the people who love those faces! Please visit my gallery website to see more details. My new website is a work in progress, and it’s not quite finished yet, but if you keep checking, you’ll find even more there all the time. The Boutique items (jewelry, cards, books, frames, etc) are making their way into their gallery. In the meantime, here are a few images to help you picture (haha) what is available:

There are endless options for photo cards and gifts, and they are as unique and special as the giver and the recipient! Give me a call or email me and we can discuss designing your own beautiful little works of art from the heart!