SHINE

Regina Frederiksen

I have been photographing Regina's daughter Savannah since she was a baby, and now she has a new brother. Here she reveals the great things about being a mom, how funny her daughter is, and how fab her husband is!!

NAME: Regina Frederiksen

FAMILY: husband Christian, Savannah and new baby Chaz

THE LAST TIME MY CHILDREN MADE ME LAUGH WAS... As her grandmother was leaving she said "I am blowing you a kiss, catch it!" To which Savannah replied " I can't. My hands are too dirty"

I REALIZED I HAVE TURNED INTO MY MOTHER WHEN...We say the exact same thing at the exact same time.

THE GADGET THAT SAVES ME THE MOST TIME... Decorative hand soaps. Savannah no longer fights me every time I ask her to wash her hands.

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP FOR KIDS CLOTHING IS... Bebe Grande for little girl stuff

WHAT SURPRISES ME THE MOST ABOUT PARENTING IS... How it can be so rewarding and so exhausting at the same time!

MY FAVORITE RAINY DAY ACTIVITY TO DO WITH MY CHILDREN IS... Cooking! We either make rice krispy treats or cookies from scratch.

WHAT I WANT MY CHILDREN TO LEARN ABOUT LIFE... To love learning about new things, and have an open mind and an open heart.

IF I HAD AN ENTIRE DAY ALONE WITH NO RESPONSIBILITIES, I WOULD... SLEEP!!

THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A MOM...Being pulled in different directions.

THE MOST FUN THING ABOUT BEING A MOM.. Seeing my children smile.

THE LAST BOOK I READ FOR MYSELF... Charlie Wilson's War

WHEN I WAS A KID, I SAID "WHEN I AM A PARENT I WILL NEVER...." say "because I'm the mom, that's why!"

THREE THINGS MY KIDS HAVE TAUGHT ME... Selflessness, organization, and the true value of things in life.

THE BEST THING MY SPOUSE DOES FOR ME TO MAKE MY LIFE EASIER... He gets me coffee every morning.

Meet The Coopers

Meet Mary Cooper and her sweet little family! We have gotten to know each other pretty well over the last few months, and her family is such a joy! She is also the genius behind Mommy Mixer, and if you are a mom and have not checked out her site, do it NOW!

After you finish reading my blog, of course. :-)

www.mommymixer.com

It is a perfect and fun way to find a great baby sitter.

We were invited to spend a wonderful weekend in Austin (they are so lucky as to live there!) and hold one crazy photo shoot for their website, and we had a great time.

And by the way, schedule update

We are so grateful for everyone who has booked with us this fall! We are now officially booked until December 7th, with a few spots open in mid December before we close for the holidays. We are taking names for a waiting list, so if you would still like to book something, let us know and we will call if an opening occurs.

We are looking forward to the holiday season, and have many exciting things in store for next year, so stay tuned!!

How do I love this kid? Let me count the ways!!!

Last Saturday was a very long day for us, as we had our mini sessions at the Hickory Street Annex. We had 10 photo sessions that day!!! So about mid-day, my dear husband and sweet little Sammy brought us lunch. Sam had picked out his own clothes that day, so I had to snap a few images of him while he was there!! He is such a funny, sweet and stylish little boy! :-)

and the one that melts my heart...

Question and Answers with real Dallas moms

Welcome to the first edition of Q&A with our clients. We will be posting mini interviews with local moms and featuring images from their recent session with us. It is always great to pick the brains of fabulous moms, so have fun reading!

NAME: Emily Miller

FAMILY MEMBERS: Brandon, our daughter Vaughn (7 months) and our two dogs, Moses and Milo

OCUPATION: Interior Designer

MY FAVORITE PLACE FOR KID'S CLOTHING IS: Babybliss for their unexpected, less predictable baby clothing.

WHAT SURPRISES ME THE MOST ABOUT PARENTING IS: How in L-O-V-E with my little girl I really am! The sayings about how much moms love their children seem so trite and cliche...until I had one of my own.

A FAVORITE TRADITION I SHARE WITH MY CHILDREN IS: My family's Christmas Eve tradition was to drink hot chocolate and eat homemade cinnamon cookies (that my sister and I made earlier in the day). We read the Christmas story from the Bible, and were allowed to open one gift each. To this day, that memory is one of fondness, and I hope to continue the tradition with my own daughter.

WHAT I WANT MY CHILDREN TO LEARN ABOUT LIFE: To live a meaningful, exhilarating life that makes a difference in the world; but to enjoy the many simple pleasures along the way! I love the words to Louis Armstrong's song Wonderful Life..."I hear babies cry, I'll watch them grow. They'll learn much more than I'll ever know. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world."

It sums up what moms everywhere want for their children...to live beautiful, satisfying lives.

THE MOST FUN THING ABOUT BEING A MOM IS... Being "allowed" to play again. Swinging at the park, swimming leisurely strolling on walks and singing out loud are somehow acceptable if you are a mom.

I HOPE MY DAUGHTER INHERITS... My husband's disposition. He is the most caring, tender and eduring person I have ever met.

THE THING I WISH I HAD KNOWN ABOUT BEING A PARENT BEFORE I BECAME ONE... I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a mom!

I am still around!

We have been busy remodeling the studio and getting ready for the upcoming holiday season, so I haven't posted lately!! We have alot of exciting things in store, and you should be seeing me post more often these days. Here is a sampling of some of my recent favorites. I love the artsy stuff, as you can tell.....

Dallas Child Cover Shoot

I had the honor of photographing the cover of Dallas Child last month, for the second time. Look at the July copy you may still have around your house and you will see it. These are a few of my faves that didn't make the cover, but are still awesome!

Heartbreaker

Look at this little guy! Doesn't he have the most beautiful eyes, and don't even get me started on the curls! You could just eat him up!!

In between lots of remodel work at the studio we have been busy at the Annex...which is were these were taken. Look for info on mini sessions there this fall. And yes, the place is even big enough to ride your tricycle!

Dallas' Next Top Model

OK, you will recognize this young lady from an earlier post. She loooves to be photographed, I mean, really loves it! So her mom and I thought we would do something special for her for her birthday. She invited some of her friends, and they each got a model photo shoot. We held it at the Annex, and it was a blast!

As you can see, I had no problem getting them to come out of their shells, and they all had the model "attitude" down to a science. Maybe they have been practicing in the mirror at home?

So here are a few shots from the day. Look for the write up on the whole thing in Dallas Child magazine coming soon....

My Son's Girlfriend

Meet Miss "A", Sam's girlfriend. Well, one of about three girlfriends. Yes, at age 3 he is quite the ladies man. She, however, was not so impressed with me, or having her photograph taken. I am guessing she gives this look to Sam alot as well!!!