Win a Free Session in 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes for real!

Nothing is hidden in the "fine print" :-)

As I have been writing down a business plan/ goals for 2010 I began to look back

over this last year. I am amazed at how the Lord has blessed me with beautiful and

amazing clients:-) Wow!! I have so much to be thankful for!

I am sooo excited to see what lies ahead for me in 2010 and I want

you to be a part of 2010!!!

So as we jump into the next year I want to give something away!!

*A FREE session!

Here it is:

SCAVENGER HUNT on www.erinrachelphotography.com!!!!

Rules:

Count only this past year (Jan-Dec 2009)

1-Count the guys

2- Count the gals

3- A person should be counted ONLY one time

4- Includes Bride and Groom but excludes the wedding party

5-Slideshows do not count, only look at the pictures posted on the page

6- Excludes basketball teams, baseball teams and any personal posts

7- EMAIL me your count to erwilson83@gmail.com

The first person to get the number of guys and the number of gals correct OR the person to come closest by Saturday Jan 2 at 10:00pm gets one *lifestlye portrait session FREE in 2010. $150.00 value.

Lifestyle portraits include:

Family Session

Just Because Session

Friends Session

Siblings Session

Baby Session

Toddler Session

I'm in love Session

Pretty much anything besides a Wedding or Senior Portraits!

PS A post is always better with a picture:-)

This is from my adventure in St. Francisville, LA...more to come:-)

Out of My Comfort Zone | Erin Rachel Photography

My love is people:-)

I love people:-)

That is my forte:-)

That's what I'm comfortable with!

I sometimes have to get out of my comfort zone...

When I see beauty I still like to capture it,

even if it's not beautiful people!!

As I was capturing a beautiful family yesterday

I couldn't help but hang around a few minutes

after their session and get some

nice landscape pictures!

Seven adorable cousins | Erin Rachel Photography

Finally!!! Finally I get to show off these cute pictures!!! :-)

The three moms/sisters came together with this idea

to have pictures taken of the cousins for the grandparents a

surprise Christmas present!

I know one thing Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins loves these grandkids so

I knew without a shadow of a doubt this would make their

heart over flow with happiness!

{SLIDESHOW HERE}

All of these cousins are buddies! Can't you tell?

They all live in the same city and only miles within each other!

How fun and what memories they have and will have!!!!!!

I loved playing games with them to get their reactions!

They loved red light/ green light! So much fun!!!

When kids can move around you get some great pictures,

just as the photographer you have to be ready!

That can be the challenge:-)

Thank you "Jenkins" family for a great time!

I can't wait to see the coffee table photo book

you all made for your parents!

Jackson & Logan | Erin Rachel Photography

I love little boys...you seriously never know what kind of reaction you will get!

Sometimes their expressions can be so serious, fun, loving, caring, goofy, weird, crazy whatever it is it's always priceless! Their personalities are usually

so easy to capture!

Back in October I had the privelege of having a session with Jackson and Logan along with their 5 cousins. All of it was a huge secret for a surprise to their grandparents for Christmas.

It worked! I hear they were quite surprised and loved the pictures and photo book

their moms put together!

So this little session of these two handsome guys was tagged onto the end of their cousin

session!

Thank you Marble family for sending me your Christmas card!

It was so great! I loved it and it's on my Christmas card holder!!!!

I hope y'all had a Merry Christmas and I can't wait to see y'all again:-)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!!

Many of you should have received your "hand addressed" card

in the mail!!! For those of you that are a part of my

dedicated blog family, I may not have your mailing address...

but I wanted to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas too!

As we all enjoy the fun and memories of Christmas, may we not forget the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of a perfect, sinless Savior who lived and died for you and me.

The ultimate gift was given to each and everyone of us through Jesus,

it's now up to each one of us to receive it.

Thank you Jesus!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Two of my favorite things | Erin Rachel Photography

If you've been around me any amount of time there are two things you should know about me...If you haven't figured them out it's this

1- I adore my niece, Hannah & my nephew, Jeremiah

2- I love the little things in life

Well my niece and nephew are at such a fun age, they love each other, they love people, they have the cutest personalities and their "Auntie Erin" Loves them to pieces!

Last night we had our Christmas as a family, since we couldn't get

together tonight on the night before Christmas Eve like we always do!

Ever since our family started adding members about 3 years ago my parents

have always been great at giving and sacrificing.

They are always willing to be the ones to say hey

lets have Thanksgiving dinner around 3 so y'all can have your family time

as well as do what you have to do with your spouse's parents.

Even at Christmas it has become a tradition to do the family

time the night before Christmas Eve so it frees everyone up.

My parents are just "those" parents...always giving of time,

material things, love and joy. Which means I have to give as well

and I see that it's not always the easiest thing for them to do, yet they

always give.

I have to say they are the best!

Anyway this miracle of a picture is so them...Hannah is allll about "boh" aka as Jeremiah. We laugh because she

pretty much worships the ground he walks on and we say she's

going to have a melt down one day when she finds out she can't

marry "boh"!!!!!

We have no clue where she came up with that name for him!

Then he's always like oh my goodness seriously there she is again! haha

Last night we turned the lights out, lit the candles and passed around the Christmas story as each of us read a few verses. It's been our tradition since I was born and we use the same candle every year! We pray as a family and then open gifts.

My things have changed over the years and this year it was so

fun to watch my niece and nephew discover that opening presents was fun...

not seeing the toys just opening the paper.

My nephew kept saying "more"..."more"! priceless!

then seeing them fight over each others toys...

seeing the chaos with the parents trying to keep them out of

everyone else's presents...

Auntie Erin in the floor flying them on my feet playing airplane...

tickling them just to hear their sweet laughs...

Giving gifts and receiving gifts...

Having a mini photo shoot...

Not having time to really take many pictures because of the chaos!!!!

Having Christmas at my sister and her families house that they just built and finally moved in to...

Eating dessert before the meal...oh yeh that's the way we roll!!!! ha

thinking back on the blessings that God has given our family and looking forward

to what God has in store for our family in the coming year...

Hearing the kids run around the table chasing each other as the family

is sitting down to eat supper...

Just the little things in life...these are what you should cherish...memories!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!! Enjoy the ones you love and cherish the small things in life!

More C.R.E.A.T.I.V.I.T.Y.

Just a sample of the card I created for my sister and her family!

Hers was printed on 5x7 linen paper which is my all time favorite!

Linen is so fresh and clean:-)

A Spark of Creativeness | Erin Rachel Photography

Every now and then I will have a client that asks for custom designed Christmas cards.

I really do enjoy designing them. I'm not a graphic designer and I don't claim to be.

I always have a time of brainstorming for the card.

I have to have it perfect so that the card actually fits the client.

After long moments of thought...

Many layers on Adobe Photoshop...

I have a new design...

a new creation...

a new spark of love to design!

I designed this for Kathleen & Brandon. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Kathleen because

she sooo trusts me! She picks the picture and she lets me be creative. She is GREAT!

I suggested we print this on pearl paper. Yes it's a little bit more in price but I told

her it would be worth it. I'm so glad she trusts me.

I opened the package...to my surprise they were better than I thought.

Stunning...if a card can be stunning:-)

So yes the card itself might look good on the computer...but

please do me a favor and picture it on shiny pearl paper!!

Baby Tyler- 9 Days Old | Erin Rachel Photography

There is nothing more precious than a newborn baby!

As I knocked on the door and grandma welcomed me...I met Tyler which

is all and more of a bundle of joy!

When Mom came around the corner she was nothing but smiles...

I met Dad and he too was nothing but smiles...talking to Tyler

in his many animated voices:-) So priceless!

Tyler is absolutely adorable and I know where he gets it from!

I met Rachel about a year ago, she is a piano teacher in Slidell/Mandeville and we

just hit it off! We judged a piano event together last spring, which then

led to having lunch and becoming friends!

When I found out they were expecting I knew Rachel would be a great mom!

When I went to their

house for Tyler's newborn session there was nothing more

than love with this family! Seeing mom and dad

holding and loving Tyler! They seriously couldn't

stop looking at their amazing miracle!

{--SLIDESHOW--}

I couldn't believe Tyler was wide awake for most of the session!

He was so content just to be wrapped up and finding his fingers:-)

Tyler was born with amazing style! If you see his parents he has no choice:-)

Thanks to his grandma his room is absolutely adorable!

I think this is my absolute favorite! So precious, safe and content

in his mom and dads arms!

Congratulations on baby Tyler! I know y'all are going to be amazing parents!!!!!!

I am sure Tyler is becoming more and more amazing each day!!!

Thank you Rachel and Brian for letting me meet Tyler and capture memories for y'all!

Christmas Fun and Parties!

So its Christmas time,

which means it's time for

christmas music,

shopping,

peppermint mochas,

putting up lights,

setting up Christmas trees {yes I have fake tree},

hanging each ornament that has a special memory tied to it,

walking around the house with your warm flannel pajamas until lunch time on your day off,

wrapping presents which in my opinion is a job and a half,

giving gifts,

sending Christmas cards out,

receiving Christmas cards and looking at pictures to see who has changed the most!,

fighting traffic,

seeing Christmas lights around town,

going to parties

and the best...HAVING PARTIES!!!!!

I love people...It's a passion I have in life and so this is right up my alley!

On Saturday night I had 40+ people at my house...well actually my parents house. Yeh I invited them all:-) We started by Christmas Caroling and then coming back to warm up with hot chocolate and to build gingerbread houses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fun Fun Fun!

For most of them this was their first time to go Christmas Caroling and to build Gingerbread houses...these kids are missing out on life! So I introduced them to some fun and memories!

This is my piece of art that I created...

I stayed up until 11:30 making mine after everyone left!

I used what little candy we had left over!

So fun!!! You might want to hire me sometime:-) ha

Take a close look-the chimney...the sidewalk, the trees, the yellow fence,

the windows and my cute little wreath!

I don't know if building the gingerbread houses was more fun or eating the candy and icing...

I love seeing the creativity!

Man it's amazing:-)

I mean seriously when you're handed:

1- a paper plate

2- an empty milk carton

3- 4 graham crackers

4- a cup of icing in a bag

5-pieces of candy

You can get some pretty amazing houses!

All of the work in prepping for this party and the clean up after...it's so worth it!

I don't care if I had to mop the entire house to get the icing up off of the floor!

Seriously!!! I love it!

Only 13 more days until Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!