The Twinkies

I am looking for someone interested in hosting a portrait party on a Monday in August or a weekend in September or October. You would need a large room with plenty of windows where we can set up a mini natural light studio in your home, friends, snacks and a working sense of humor.

What the heck is a portrait party? Well, funny you should ask. It is a tupperware party for pictures. You invite your friends over for a mini-session, they get cute shots of their kids and you get a gift certificate for free prints. How big of a gift certificate? That depends on how much your friends order but 10% of their total. SO, if they order $1,000 worth of pictures you get $100 free.

And your friends? They get a free 20-30 minute session from which they will get 5-10 proofs, 10% off holiday greeting cards ordered from the shoot and a coupon for 1/2 off a regular session in the future. All the proofs will be available in an online slideshow and available for online ordering.

If you are interested please email me. Once we select a date I’ll print 100 postcards with the date and time, information about the party and your address for you to use as invitations.

Memories by Stacie web site and galleries

I will be offering free portfolio building senior shoots on Monday, July 14. All sessions will take place on location in West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square and will last approximately 30 minutes per model.

Each participant must sign, or have his or her parents sign if he/she is under 18, a model release form and will receive 12 complimentary wallet-sized prints or 1 8X10 print. You can expect 10 - 20 images from the shoot to choose from. You will be able to view the proofs and order additional prints from an online gallery.

If you are between the ages of 13 and 25 and are interested in this shoot please leave a comment and I will email you to confirm your interest and to reserve a time slot.

He’s so mad but he’s so cute. (She was just a flirt.)

…go look at my photo of this adorable 5-day-old baby boy. I love newborns. I didn’t like babies until I had kids and now I am a baby addict.

Not that I’ve mentioned it in a while because this is about the incredible wonderfulness that is twin motherhood where the joy never stops and I dance around the house singing, in key, all day but I have been working on that whole photography business thing in between that motherhood gig and not beating Brian with a wooden spoon because, after all, he is an invalid now and his slow response time makes him an unfair target.

Speaking of motherhood, we had a tickle fest the other night. At bedtime I ignored all sleep book admonitions to spend the hour before bedtime in quiet, mellow activities and tickled the children while they shrieked and giggled. I would “walk” my fingers along the floor to them saying, “The tickle monster is coming to get you,” and they would laugh and laugh. When I was exhausted, as no adult can keep up with two toddlers, I said, “OK, it’s time to start calming down and getting ready for bed” and F walked up to me and replied, “No. Tickle tickle tickle,” while wiggling her fingers in my face.

I bought her off with boob juice.

What was I saying about the photography business? Oh, yes. I’m getting ready to move out past those free mom’s club shoots and try to attract actual PAYING customers. I understand from my vast reading in business textbooks (ahem) that most prosperous companies manage to line those up.