My Favorite Fairies

 Yes, it's true - as much as I love all my Enchanted Fairies - I do have 2 favorites this year!  Maybe it is because I can see my precious nephew in his daughters. I love to here them laugh, and I love their imagination.
We had fun pretending to splash each other and look for fish in the water.

Pedal Cars

Pedal Car History

When the automobile made its appearance, the pedal car soon followed. Pedal car history goes back to the 1890's when most were modeled from the real cars on the road at the time.  Since their conception, pedal cars were all kids wished for.  But at the turn of the century, their cost meant they were playthings for only wealthy families. With many families reeling from the financial devastation of The Great Depression, pedal cars were often toys for upper class children.  Those not so fortunate played with basic homemade ride-on toys.  In the 1920's and 1930's the wealthy were catered to when it came to buying pedal cars since they were the primary buyers.  No pedal cars were produced in the mid-1940's when all metal production was directed to the World War II effort.

Reaching the peak of popularity in the late 1920's and early 1930's, pedal cars experienced a resurgence in the 1950's to 1960's with chain-driven models.  With postwar prosperity in the 1950's, pedal cars grew more popular and were available in all major stores.  From the early 1920's through the late 1960's, pedal cars, like automobiles, were produced in many different models and colors.  Designed to incorporate the most current trends of the automotive world, pedal cars featured working lights and horns, movable windshields and rag tops, chrome detailing and hood ornaments, and white wall tires and custom paint jobs.

To find out more about pedal cars, visit Pedal Car Planet

Feeling GROUCHY??????

Have you done a grouch a favor today? According to the Days of the Year website, find a grouch!

If not then it’s likely that no one told you it was Do a Grouch a Favor Day, as doing a grouch a favor is what the day is all about. We all know a grouch at some point in our lives, and it is very likely that we’ve had phases of being grouchy ourselves. Sometimes another person doing us a favor is the last time, but other days a favor from someone, be they a close friend or a random stranger, is exactly what we need to break us out of our slump.

http://ow.ly/NIb2307ahGl

National Umbrella Day February 10

According to National Day Calendar

National Umbrella Day is celebrated across the nation each year on February 10th.

On this day, we honor one of the world’s most convenient inventions, the umbrella!  Not only does the umbrella help keep us dry from the rain, it also protects us from the heat of the sun.  Umbrellas can also be used as a fashion accessory.

Umbrellas have been featured in many motion pictures, most notably:

* Singing in the Rain – 1952           * Mary Poppins – 1964

Interesting Umbrella TidBits:

The word umbrella comes from the Latin word umbra, meaning shade or shadow.  Brolly is a slang word for umbrella, used often in Britain, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.  Bumbershoot is a fanciful Americanism, for umbrella, from the late 19th century.

The basic umbrella was invented over four thousand years ago.  There is evidence of umbrellas in the ancient art and artifacts of Egypt  Assyria, Greece and China.

It was the Chinese that first waterproofed umbrellas for use in the rain.  They waxed and lacquered their paper parasols in order to use them for rain.

The first of all umbrella shops were called “James Smith and Sons”.  The shop opened in 1830 and is still located at 53 New Oxford Street, London, England.

In 1928, Hans Haupt’s pocket umbrellas appeared.  In 1969, Bradford E. Phillips, the owner of Totes Incorporated of Loveland, Ohio, obtained a patent for the first “working folding umbrella”.

Umbrellas have also been fashioned into hats as early as 1880 and as recently as 1987.

Umbrellas are used in photography.  Umbrellas with a reflective inside are used by photographers as a diffusion device when employing artificial lighting and as a glare shield and shade, most often in portrait situations.

Ballet Day

History of Ballet Day

 Ballet found its origins during the Renaissance throughout Italy and France, though it had yet to evolve into the form we know it today. There were no tutus, no ballet slippers, and the iconic pointe work of ballet were all things to come in the future. It found its roots in court dances, and thus incorporated the proper dance dress of women at the time, formal gowns that descended to the ankle. Unlike modern performances, the audience would join the dance as it came to a close.http://ow.ly/sjff307agtv

National Hugging Day January 21

Every needs hugs!
According to http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-hat-day-january-15/

The purpose for the holiday is to help everyone show more emotion in public. There is only one way you are supposed to celebrate the holiday, offer a hug to anyone and everyone you want. While National Hug Day and the Free Hugs Campaign share many similarities, there is not actual association between the two. Whether you hug a family member or a stranger, the mental and physical health benefits are the same.

OBSERVE

Give someone a big hug and use #NationalHuggingDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

The holiday was founded by Rev. Kevin Zaborney on March 29, 1986 in Caro, Michigan.

Teaching - A great way to learn

I have been teaching my daughter Jazmín some photography stuff over the past few months. On her Christmas break we spent a lot of time on Photoshop.
I can't tell you how much I learn from teaching others. I have to stop and think about what I am doing and remember the WHY of what I am doing.
I think Jazmín is going to be very good at this!!

National Hat Day January 15

How to Celebrate Hat Day

It would be impossible to list every possible use for hats here, but Hat Day is your time to really dig in deep and find out what all hats have to offer. Some of the most popular hats these days are animal hats, fuzzy animal head style hats that have long arms that dangle down to warm the ears, secure the hat to your head when tied, or just be adorable.

http://ow.ly/USNv307adWR

Toy Boats

Did you have a favorite toy boat for your tub or for the creek?

Below is just a snippet from the Collectors Weekly website. Visit the site for some more interesting facts.

Realistic replicas of wooden sail boats, sometimes referred to as “pond yachts,” were popularized during the sailing-schooner trend beginning in the 1860s. Though ostensibly for the children of affluent families, these boats were up to six feet long and were often piloted by fathers. During the same era, the world’s navies were transitioning from sail to steam, a change visible in model boats, too. Self-propelled toy boats provided fascinating entertainment for kids everywhere, some of which used tiny steam engines to run continuously for up to an hour. Everything from delicate pleasure boats with ornate floral designs and gilded bows to ominous hard-working warships floated on park ponds.

Talia Dances with Joy

It was such a pleasure to photograph Talia at Dance with Joy in Russellville, Arkansas.
Hardgrave Photography is located in Knoxville, Arkansas, only 15 minutes from Clarksville or Russellville. Photographer Rebecca Hardgrave is a Certified Professional Photographer. You can contact her at 479-885-3835 and check out her latest work at www.hardgravephoto.com. Follow HardgravePhoto on Pinterest, Facebook, and Google+

Lily Pad?

Oh how I love the Enchanted  Fairies set in February! I love it so much that I have my own fairy costume. But I do like to share so when Lily's mommy teased that she was jealous that I had a fairy costume and I didn't, I had to take it off and make  her put it on. All with the encouragement of Lily!  We had a great time, and Lily loved flying like a fairy and kissing  her frog.

Adaylin, Layla, and Skylar

These kids light my day! Adaylin was the perfect baby model, especially considering that she was away during her whole session. Big Brother Skylar was quite the conversationalist for a six year old. I love the Valentine he drew for me. Big Sister Layla has the sweetest giggle! They both earned a ride in "Miss Becky's Buggy" for being so good and patient while I photographed Adaylin.

Watching them Grow up - Hazel and Reid

In this profession, I often have the opportunity to watch as a child changes from a newborn to a young adult.  Both Hazel and her brother Reid started with the Baby Steps program. I remember Hazel's sweet little smiles at her first sessions. I remember her first photo with Santa, and trying to convince her to were her fairy crown when she was a toddler.

Then came Reid, with a completely different personality, but still sweet smiles. So big in his newborn session, and each session during his first 14 months he changed so much.

These children are precious to me. I know years from now, they will not know me as well, and will be standoffish like all kids get with strangers they only know once a year. But the hugs, smiles, and giggles I get to capture now will live on in my memory and even more important - live on for generations to come in the photos I was able to create.

Don't Cry - You can come Back!

I love photographing kids. Sometimes they really make my day!  Sometimes  my day includes tears, which is usually just the opposite. In the photo above one of little boys wanted to stay with me.
At Halloween, we always open up the studio for a few hours for free professional photos for community kids and this little girl didn't want to leave me, so I stopped and carried her out to the parking lot.

Two year old Excitement!

Happy 2nd Birthday Josué Eliás! I am so honored to not only photograph Eliás, but to have taken his mom and aunt's senior photos, and now his baby brother and sister. I hope his day is filled with excitement...well just being two can add excitement to any household!

Razorback Red baby, now a BIG Fan

Remember this little Razorback fan FOUR years ago??? Avery Rose, you were just beautiful wit your red black and white fan gear. Now you are a beautiful Big Girl. Happy Birthday!

Welcome Back Baby Lillian

Another "Welcome Back Baby"  - Lillian. And another baby with a sweet two year old sibling - we just finished Eloise's 14 month session 10 months ago. We love our babies and their families. After 5 sessions of visiting and photographing, I have gotten to know them like friends. For this reason - I give a free Baby Steps Program to every sibling to a baby I have photographed. I  have had baby number 4 in two of my families, and getting to see the other kids come in with their new sibling is just a big bonus for me!!

Happy Birthday Talan

Happy fourth Birthday Talan!!  where did time go? in a blink of an eye you went from this sweet baby at the studio to a Big Girl. I hope your day is filled with fun and excitement!

From Angel to Princess

Happy Birthday Hannah!  WOW, the BIG FIVE seems like it came in a blink of an eye. You went from the little angel in this video to a reigning Princess. You are loved and cherished by so many people, but your mommy and daddy were totally in love with you before you showed your face. It is apparent anything I see them.  I hope your birthday today is filled with wonder and excitement!

Big Boy Blakely - Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Big Boy Blakely!! You were such a little guy at your newborn Baby Steps session three years ago. Now I see you running around at your nana and papa's next door, and you are so big! Thank you for feeding my goats! They love Cheerios and FruitLoops the best!