Reminder...

That holiday mini sessions booked by TOMORROW, Sept 1. will recieve a free set of wallets. Also, if you would like to book your mini session for the first day of sessions, which is Sept 19th, you will get a 5% discount off the mini session fee. Those may be booked up until Sept 12th. Call or email me today to set up your session, or for more information. 813-352-4479.

Getting along with the camera...

Yep. This little guy sure did. Look at that precious face. I have to again thank my amazing clients for letting me into your lives during your newborns very first days. I have such a soft spot in my heart for brand new babies, and being able to cuddle them week after week just fills my soul. Thanks to "C"s mom for being so open and chatting with me about everything while I was there. I feel doubly blessed that I get to make new friends along the way. Also, thanks to C's aunt, who is a photographer in SC, for calling me! Yes, it's a great big thank you night...

and I am even posting 4 pictures. Rules were made to be broken. :)









Remember, if you get 10 comments on your post, it's a free 8x10. 20 is a free 11x14. (but not both) ;) So have all your friends and family leave a comment!

Catch me if you can!

1 year olds always make me earn the shot! And little "C" was no exception, but wow when he threw me a bone it was always a nice big one! Look at those smiles. Everyone now...."awwwww".
Mom and dad, thanks for coming out in the extreme heat to capture your little guy's big birthday milestone! Seriously, it had to have been the hottest day of the summer!

Hope you enjoy your sneak peek. Remember, if you get 10 comments on your post, it's a free 8x10. 20 is a free 11x14. (but not both) ;) So have all your friends and family leave a comment!

R family.

The R family and I met about 2 years ago when their son E and big G were in swim lessons back to back. In the years since our first playdate, we have watched babies grow, new babies be born, gone through potty training, sleep deprivation, shared turkey sandwiches, hugs, tears, and nurturing a love of Thomas the Tank engine (that would be the boys).
In S, I have found a friend who'll never judge me, even when I dare to share some of the secrets of mommyhood I think would surely win me mother of the year in opposite world (thanks Lightning McQueen for that).
Our boys can vanish into a bedroom for hours and play while we chat and laugh about the kids, their dads (sorry dads), and our equal need for coffe with a LOT of sugar.
When S told me this past winter that they were expecting baby number three, I was thrilled to welcome a new little person into our friendship. This new baby, not to be forgotten or one-upped in any way, made life pretty hard on her mama for the first 4 months or so through constant morning sickness. And anyone who's had that knows that it should really be called all day worshipping the porcelain god sickness.
As she neared the 20 week scan, S was so happy to be feeling a bit better every day, and we joked on the phone that maybe there were two of them in there. I told her if I hadn't heard from her by 6 pm that day, I would assume the worst. That it was triplets and they were still picking her up off the floor. If only.
So when I heard her teary voice on the line later that afternoon, my heart sunk. Something was wrong, and she'd call back later to fill me in.
Baby A was diagnosed with a large tumor on her little neck. A few weeks later they discovered it was pressing on her heart. First they hoped to get her to 24 weeks, then 26, and 28. Lo and behold baby A has baffled them all! She continues to grow and thrive as if she has no idea that we're all out here so so worried for her and praying constantly that she stay strong. Her doctor told S that it's "like she has no idea, and we're not going to tell her!"
S is just past the 30 week mark now, and still baby A is holding her own. She's going to have a long road ahead of her, so if you're the praying kind, say a prayer for her tonight. At the least she'll face surgeries, and an extended stay in the NICU. But I know that when she's 12 and being sent to her room for mouthing off (because I know she will, remember the all-day sickness). S and J will be able to look back at the time she scared the pants off them, and shake their heads and think "that was only the beginning!"

Stay strong A. You've got a big brother and sister and a couple boys down the road who can't wait for you to join in their games!

email issues!

My pal "J" called me this afternoon to tell me two people she knows had tried to send emails and they bounced back. If you have tried to send me an email in the past few days and have not heard back by 10 pm EST this evening, please contact me by phone (813)352.4479 (not at 10 pm, but I'll be up by 6:30 am!) or try to resend the email to courtneyvickersphotography@yahoo.com OR you can send me a message on facebook if you're a friend (which I hope you are). So, there's lots of ways to reach me!

And of course I will not leave you photo-less. Here's my guys at one of my mini session locations (Oct 24th in the evening) . It is sooooooooo gorgeous here, and even though I really like the urban stuff, there's something to be said for kicking it old skool with a cool naturey scene every now and again! So call, or facebook, or email today to reserve your spot!
Phew. Aren't you glad I don't twitter?

Holiday Schedule 2009

I am so excited this year about my holiday mini sessions! They promise to be a lot of fun for me and you both. My mini session and holiday schedule are as follows. Of course, you may also always opt to schedule a regular session, but please keep the following dates in mind to ensure your images and cards arrive in time to send out to friends and family.


Sept 19th 4-6 pm: Mini sessions in the Hyde Park area
Oct 3rd 3-6 pm: Mini sessions in the Ybor City Area
Oct 24th 9-12 am: Studio sessions *note- studio sessions are reserved for babies under 12 months.
4-6 pm. At a very special outdoor location in my neck of the woods. See photo below:



And Finally,
Nov 1st 9:30 am-noon: Mini sessions near downtown Tampa and UT

Other important dates:
Nov 5: Order cutoff for canvases, albums and custom proof boxes
Nov 8th: Holiday session cutoff. Sessions booked after this time will not be guaranteed completion in time for christmas products.
Nov 15th: Order cutoff for cards, prints and storyboards
The month of December: Extremely limited sessions available. If you are expecting a baby or have a child with a birthday in December and want to book a session, please contact me as soon as possible.


Each mini session is 20 minutes long (no worries, it‘s plenty of time) and may include your immediate family. If your great aunt Edna and Uncle Joe have been bugging you for years to do a big family photo, please book a regular session to allow for enough time.

My basic mini session package includes (a $335 value) for $300
20 minute session,
5-7 proofed images in an online gallery,
50 holiday cards,
1 8x10 print and
2 5x7 prints

There are also other packages available or you may purchase additional products a la carte. Christmas shopping for the grandparents? Done.
Please contact me at courtneyvickersphotography@yahoo.com or 813-352-4479 to book your mini session today, and to receive full pricing information and view card samples. All mini sessions booked by Sept 1 will receive a free set of wallets! $150 retainer fee required to hold your slot. Spots will be booked on a first come, first served basis, so don't delay.

I'm baaaack!

Just wanted to post a little notice that I will be releasing my holiday schedule info sometime later this week or this weekend. I will post a condensed version here, but if you want a little more info, please sign up for my newsletter (on the left of the page)and I will send you an eblast!

Funnies.

I know I have already gushed about my big G, but I had to share a couple funny conversations I've had recently, as well as some more pictures of him with his betrothed, "E".

Grady: Mom, can you build me a shed (a train shed) out of blocks?
Me: Not now buddy. Mommy needs to get ready for the day.
Grady: How?
Me: Well, I have to get dressed and do my hair.
Grady: Why?
Me: So I don't look like Frankenstein.
Grady: Mom, that's just life in the big city!

Seriously, where does he get this stuff?

And then this afternoon he delivered this little monolouge out of the blue

"Mom, you know, sometimes when we go to the movies to see UP or Wall-E, they are so nice there! The man gives us all that popcorn before we go in in case we get hungry. That's really nice of him to do. And he always gives you a drink too!"

Yes, son. And all for free too! :)

And then here's a little series of snaps I took of Grady and E on the train a couple weeks ago. If you haven't taken your kiddos to Ybor to ride the trolley, it really is a great time. These two are already an old married couple. I swear.

Who knows what she asked for, but she got a good eye-roll out of it!



One minute all goofy and in love...



the next minute she's tricking him and shafting the kiss....

Gotta love it! The Mommyista...

If you're a mom in the Tampa Area, you've gotta check this out. I recently had the opportunity to become involved with a brand spanking new-totally awesome-mom based business. The Mommyista!
The What?
The Mommyista. Here's the low down:
Run by two super hip, fun, and stylish mommies, the mommyista offers social events, learning and personal growth opportunities for moms who don't want to become stagnant in their role of mommy! From their website:
"Springing from their love of motherhood comes a desire to inspire and educate other mamas to bring their A-game when it comes to being the head honcho of the family."
Yep, that's right. You know mom's in charge. And as the old adage goes, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"
So if you're needing a night out to meet some new friends, network with others in the area, or learn some new tricks to add to your mommy bag, check out the events section on their site and sign up for one today! Some of them are free, most of them are really affordable, and all of them offer a cool goody bag with some fun stuff to take home.
I had a fun little session with Kara and Autumn (aka, the mommyistas) and their 2 boys each. In the near future, some of these (and maybe some others) will be on their website. But I thought I'd share a few here, so you can go in feeling like a friend already.

Kara and Autumn-



Kara and her kiddos (yes, if you're a blog stalker, you've seen these cuties before).


And Autumn and her guys-


And of course I have to share some of the kids, because I love em! Especially my little "D". He's starting to remember me now, and oh what a ham he was!


and little brother "L" is going to follow right in his footsteps, I can tell.


Now, "P". he was not so sure, but how can you not just want to hug him?


And little "E". This was my first time meeting him, although I did photograph him in mommy's tummy! What a doll baby.


Seriously, go sign up now. How can you not want to hang out with fun mommies like this?

"L" family

I love seeing families over and over. I feel like I get to know the children, and make new friends. I've been photographing this family for about a year now, we did mom's maternity when she was pregnant with the baby, and then baby "D's" newborn shots a couple months later. I was so happy to hear from her when she emailed to say he mother's day gift was a session with me (note to dads: family pictures ALWAYS go over well as a gift for mom). It took us a few months to get together, and when we did I swear it was the hottest day of the year. But the kids were troopers, and we managed to power through in about 45 min so they could go eat dinner in the air conditioning! We did a lot in a short time, though. Here's just a few!




Now this is a real smile!




Hope you enjoy your sneak peek. Remember, if you get 10 comments on your post, it's a free 8x10. 20 is a free 11x14. (but not both) ;) So have all your friends and family leave a comment!