New Year Wishes

Happy New Year!!!!!

Here is to yours and our best year ever ~ 2009!!!

See you in 2009.

My Christmas Wish

My Christmas wish for you is that you will be surrounded by those that you love and that you make many memories to laugh about at future Christmas gatherings. And I wish for you that you are blessed with the love and peace from our Lord on our Savior Jesus Christ’s birthday. May we all remember that was the best gift of all; given to us so many years ago and it is still giving.

Merry Christmas,
Denise

The Abernathy's And A Thank You To A Sailor

Here is a fun family that I am glad I have gotten to know. They sure know how to have a blast together.

Randal and Elaine have done a great job raising these kids. Stephen is a fine young man and Hailey and Jessica are turning into beautiful young women.It was an honor to photograph Stephen in his uniform. You can really tell he is proud to be a sailor in our Navy and serve his country. We should all take a moment this holiday season and say a little prayer for all of our troops and their families; so many of them are not able to be with their families this year because they are serving us. It is because of the men and women like Stephen that I am able to do what I love to do for my career, sleep in my bed at night without worrying about a bomb going off and that my child will grow up in a country that has so much more freedom than any other country on this earth. Thank you Stephen and all of your fellow servicemen and women; may God Bless you and protect each and every one of you.

Watching Ella Grow

One of the joys of my job is to get to watch so many wonderful families grow and watch their kids get bigger each time we do another session. I feel lucky to not only be able to photograph these changes, but to become a small part of their family as well. Here are some images from the past year or so from one such family.
It is hard to believe that Ella was ever this small now. We did this one when she only a few days old.

She is definitely a daddy’s girl.

But she loves her mommy too.

Look at her now. She sure has grown.

Christmas Fun

Oh I love this time of year. Christmas carols on the radio, candy canes, spending time with family and friends and most importantly reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas.

And as you all know me there is some Christmas fun to be had. I wanted to share with you some fun and free online activities you can do to kill a little more time at work till Christmas or to just have some fun with some friends or family members.

Here is one I found out about last year and they have improved it. It is through Office Max http://www.elfyourself.com/ I did this using some of my dearest friends and thought about sharing it with you all, but they have ammo they could use as revenge. So try it out with some of your friends and family and see just how well they can dance.

The second one is one I found this year and it is from Ace Hardware http://aceyourface.acehardware.com/ace/index.jsp This one let's you build your holiday portrait; that is if you did not make it into the studio for one this year. But hey it is a load of fun to do, so give it a try.

The last one I have is one I just found out about this morning from a friend up in Canada (she is getting a ton of snow today -wish, wish, wish) http://portablenorthpole.sympatico.msn.ca/home/ This is a cool way for your kid to get a personal video message from Santa himself. I did one for Sarah for when she got home from school.

Okay those are the fun Christmas things I have to share with all of you. If you have any fun stuff to share, please feel free to post a link in a comment. Have fun with them all.

Oh forgot the most important one. The Santa Tracker, we have to keep up with where Santa is on Christmas Eve. http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

Dear Santa, cont...

Just got notified that the RFL team is extending the time period to take orders for the sweatshirts with "Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is a cure for cancer" on them. So if you would like to have one of these wonderful sweatshirts for yourself or to give as a gift to someone special than please contact

Tamela Mosteller
704-472-6709
Tamela_Mosteller@yahoo.com

This is a great way to get a gift and to give to a great cause at the same time. If you would like more info you can read the post below or contact me or Tami and we will be glad to answer your questions. Thanks for your help and Merry Christmas!!!

Just as with the Grinch that could not steal the Christmas spirit, we are not going to let cancer win.

Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is a cure for cancer.

Dear Santa,

All I want for Christmas is a cure for cancer.

Love,

Denise (replace my name with yours)

Here is your chance to give a gift (even to yourself) and work towards saving a life too. The Valdese Relay For Life is taking orders for the “Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is a cure for cancer.” Sweatshirts. The sweatshirts are $18 and the hoodies (my personal choice) are $20. Pre-orders will be taken through this Friday (Dec 5th). You will receive your sweatshirts next week. The money made off of these sweatshirts will go to help find a cure for cancer. Above is an image of the design on the sweatshirts. If you have any questions or are interested in orders one, heck some of these sweatshirts contact Tamela Mosteller 704-472-6709 Tamela_Mosteller@yahoo.com .

Remember, these sweatshirts make wonderful gifts that will keep your loved ones warm on these cold days we have been having lately and that include you too.

Join The Relay For Life Team In The Parades This Saturday

It is parade season. This Saturday, December 6th is full of them. Sarah and I will be hitting the Hildebran one and the one in Hickory and hope to see you there. Below is a note from the local Relay For Life Committee on the parades that the Relayers will be involved with. Please feel free to join them at either or better yet both parades. I will definitely be at the Hildebran Parade (and possibly the Valdese if we can get out of bed in time) taking images of the Relayers and will post some on the blog. So give me a big smile and pump those fists to let cancer know we mean business!!!


Hello Valdese Relayers!

Come One, Come All
Join us for the parades!!!

Please wear the Dear Santa... Sweatshirt if you have one or your Relay Gear, and your walkin’ shoes - but make sure to stay warm!


Parade info....

*VALDESE PARADE*
9am line up near Valdese Elem School - off Church St. We will meet at the Children's Park at 8:30. So some of us can leave our cars. We will leave the park by 8:40 and get in the line up near VES. Parade will start @ 10am.

*HILDEBRAN PARADE*
12pm line up at East Alps, Tech Department, Hildebran Elem. baseball field. Parade will start @ 1pm.

We will pass out invitations to our Relay For Life kick-off.

Don't forget our next meeting December 18th - Committee @ 5:30 and Team Captains @ 7pm. Hope to see you soon!!!

If you have any questions, please contact
Tamela Mosteller 704-472-6709
Tamela_Mosteller@yahoo.com

Celebrate! Remember! FIGHT BACK!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is the day we set aside to show our thanks for all the wonderful things we have and to spend time with those we love. Well I have too many things that I am thankful for to list here. I am so thankful for all that the Lord has provided me and my family everyday and not just one day a year, but I'll admit I do like the food today. I am especially grateful for all of you and having each of you in our lives. You have become part of our family.

Be safe in your travels and enjoy your time with your families. I hope you have a very wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving.
Denise

Girls With Attitude

Madelyn and Hayley definitely know how to have fun. As you can tell from the images here, they know how to show a little attitude too; good attitude of course. The images of these lovely young ladies are from a recent session of theirs at the studio.

Madelyn is really growing up to be a beautiful young lady. I have a feeling some boys’ hearts are going to be broken in a few years.

I just love this image of Hayley. It shows her attitude and sweetness all at the same time.

New/Old Friends

It is weird how when you talk on the phone with someone for the first time that it seems like you have known them forever and then when you actually meet them it really does seem like you are long time friends. That is the case with this family. Erica, Jeff, Aubrey and Jackson came in for a family portrait session and for Aubrey’s one year portraits. They wanted to preserve this time in their family now that Aubrey is one. During the session I found out why they seemed like old friends; I use to work with Erica’s mother. What is the old saying; the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree… is that it??? Oh well you know what I mean. They are a super sweet family and we had a great time during the session. When we were done with all of the family portraits and Jackson had lost interest in us. We had a blast doing some portraits of Aubrey. I think I have me another buddy to play with when they come to the studio.

Santa's Visits

Santa had a wonderful time with all of the boys and girls that came by to see him at the studio. After everyone left, he just kept talking about how good all of you are and what a treat it was to get to talk to you and not just check in on you when you are sleeping on Christmas Eve. He wanted me to tell you to still be good for your mommy and daddy and that he will see you again in about a month.

Here are a few of the images from the kids visiting with Santa.

Those Blue Eyes

Okay I have final proof; kids grow up too fast. Ava came in recently for a session and she is growing up into a beautiful young girl. It seems like yesterday that she was here going through the baby plan.

Don’t you just love those blue eyes? Ava was a perfect model for the session. Like I said, this beautiful baby is growing up into a beautiful young girl.

Turkey Tips

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for some turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing and pumpkin pie…ummmm. Wish my turkey was thawed out. I would start cooking tonight. Well I was just told about a neat website by Butterball Turkey that lets you put in the lb of your turkey and it tells you exactly how long you need to thaw out your turkey or how big of a turkey you need for your hungry family and even how long to cook it. There are some other cool tips there too to help make this Thanksgiving dinner a tasty one. Here is the link: http://www.butterball.com/tips-how-tos/tips/thanksgiving-guide

Here is a special tip though that you will not find on that website. My special secret to a tasty turkey (also works on chicken); I occasionally coat the turkey with honey. That’s right; several times through out the cooking I pour honey all over it. Honey and herbs are my secrets to a tasty turkey that everyone loves.

Save me the wishbone…
Denise

Valdese Relay For Life

This past year I have had the pleasure of working with Tami and the team involved with the Valdese Relay For Life. I was able to photograph the different events through out the year and here is a slide show of the images of those events. Here is the link:
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=3050514&alb=0

HOPE!!!
Hope is the theme for the 2009 Relay For Life. Plans are already being made to make this coming year's Relay an exciting event and here are some dates of important events:

December 18th 7pm Old Rock School - Meeting

January 15th 7pm Old Rock School - Kick Off!!! - food, fun, fellowship, and find out how you can be a part of the Relay

February 19th 7pm Old Rock School - Meeting

March 19th 7pm Old Rock School - Meeting

April 2nd 7pm Old Rock School - Meeting

April 6th Survivor Dinner - Please contact Tamela Mosteller at 704-472-6709 or tamela_mosteller@yahoo.com for more information. If you are a cancer survivor or if you are battling cancer now, we would love to honor you with HOPE! Please join us!!!

May 22nd-23rd Valdese Relay For Life

The Relay holds a special meaning to me and I am glad to be able to support it in any way I can. I am looking forward to the events in 2009. I hope you will join me in doing whatever you can to help with the Relay. Together, we can turn our HOPE into REALITY!

Chicken Dinner Benefits the Kids

On Friday, November 21st from 11am till 7pm (or until they run out of food), the will be a chicken plate fundraiser for Kidway at the Evangelical Methodist Church in Rutherford College. This fund raiser will benefit children ages 2 through the 5th grade.

For just $7 you will get a plate of Jerry Davis's Famous Chicken, a 1/2 chicken deep fried in your choice of three flavors (plain, mild or hot). You also get baked beans, cole slaw and a dessert. Not a bad deal and it helps out the kids.

I am going to try to go by and grab a few plates myself. Hope to see you there.
Denise

Willis Family

The Willis Family came in for their annual family portrait recently. I have had the pleasure of getting to know and photograph them since Zander was just a baby. As you can tell they are major Tennessee football and Peyton Manning fans. I just love their matching jerseys.

When Zander is around, you never know what he’ll do next, but you always know you will have a great time. He keeps us laughing.

We did get a chance to sneak in some time just for mommy and daddy while Zander was over next to me at the camera. Thanks for the help Zander in getting this image!

Facebook Fan Page

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Denise-Clay-Photography/43976139602?ref=nf

Just set up a fan page for the studio on facebook. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Parenting Tips Links and Information

This blog entry has nothing to do with photography or the studio. But after reading Courtney's article below; I thought this would be something to post. I found some resources that I wanted to share with all of you parents and those giving gifts to kids this holiday season that might be helpful.

The first is parenthood.com, specifically they have posted the 2008 National Parenting Publications Award (NPPA) Winners. Here is the link: http://www.parenthood.com/nappa/childrens_products_2008.php . On this page you can look to see what toys, games and even websites have been judged good for kids of different ages to use. I was glad to see some of Sarah’s favorite websites on the list.

I also found a blog that is for parents of tween and teens. This is perfect for the parents of our Doodlebug Club and the Kool Kidz Gang (oops details to come later). The blog is http://www.wearyparent.com/ Here you will find helpful tips and information on improving your kids grades as well as TV’s impact on your kids. In fact, this blog lead me to the NPPA winners listed above.

As a mom of one of the kids growing up way too fast I know we have to stick together in this, so I just had to share this information.

Internet Safety

Below is the full article from the most recent newsletter from Courtney Wright on internet safety. Boy do I need this right now with Sarah. Thanks Courtney for writing this for all of us. Oh if you did not get a copy of the newsletter that I just mailed out and you would like to have one; let me know and I will get one in the mail to you. - Thanks Denise

INTERNET SAFETY AT ANY AGE

The internet is an important part of everyday convenience. It is a great tool for sending and receiving information. With this convenience comes risk. We teach our children to beware of strangers, but we don’t always teach them the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the web safely. There are computer and internet programs available to preschoolers. Internet safety is a lesson that should be taught the first time a child sits down in front of a computer. So you may be asking, “How do I protect my child from cyberspace when he/she may know more about it than I do?” Our role as parents is ever-changing with the era and with our child’s development. We will use some of the same parenting techniques when dealing with cyberspace as we do with the real world.

Internet Safety Tips:

1. Stranger Danger- We must teach our children that anyone whom they do not know in real life is a stranger no matter how long they have chatted online.

2. Surfing the web is like wandering around- nothing good will come of it. There needs to be a reason for their internet use, and the time should be limited. People, not computers, should be their main source of contact.

3. Do not tell people personal information. You never know with whom you are talking to online. Just because the person says she is a twelve year old girl, does not mean it is true. The person could be a forty-five year old man. Inmates have access to internet and chat rooms.

4. Privacy- It’s not invading their privacy if strangers can see it.

5. Know their online friends- talk to your child about where he goes online and with whom he talks.

6. Don’t do or say anything online that you would not do or say in real life.

7. Keep the computer in a public area like the family room.

8. Teach them never to meet an online friend in real life unless you are with them.

9. Make rules and post them by the computer as a reminder.

10. Explain to your children why you have these rules. There are predators out there who prey on young children online using grooming techniques (gaining trust through progressive contact such as chat room-instant message-e-mail-phone-person; asking them to keep their friendship a secret; and sending pornographic images). Remember all victims of internet predators do not chat with their perpetrators; they may just expose too much information in chat rooms.

The most important aspect to keeping your children safe is to be involved and know what they are doing on and off line.

For more information on this topic, please go to www.netsmartz.org

Courtney S. Wright- Professional School Counselor

Santa Sessions This Saturday

Santa stopped by the studio for a brief visit today. I grab a quick image of him while he was pondering just how good I have been this year. I keep telling him I have been really good.

He is excited about seeing all of the girls and boys this Saturday. He is looking forward to seeing each of you and hearing what you all want this year. He is bringing a special gift just for each of you and has requested a copy of the portraits of him and each of you that we will do.

There are still a few time slots left to meet with Santa and have your portrait made. So have mom or dad call me at the studio; 828-397-6055 and we will save your time with Santa.

Session fee is $20 and we have special packages just designed for Santa portraits.

Don’t forget your list for Santa!

How Well Do You Know Me?

I just found out about this. You don't have to take the whole quiz, just question #4.

So how well do you know me?

http://www.unctv.org/ourstate/ask_tarheel/index.html

Trick or Treat

Boooohhhaaa...

Oh I hope you all had a funny, safe and Happy Halloween. As you can see Sarah dressed up as the Bride of Frankenstein, with her typical attitude. We had a wonderful time out trick or treating tonight. We went by the fire department and then to our church where I got to meet Obama and Palin; both trying to bribe us for our votes with candy. Talk about a house divided they were giving the candy out of the same car trunk...

I wish I could have seen all of you all dressed up. I wonder what kind of spooky ghost and goblins each of you were. I had a great idea of letting each of you post your Halloween images here for all of us to enjoy and so I can all of my little buddies all dressed up, but there is no way you can post your own images here yourself. I can though. SO send me your Halloween images and I will add them to this entry. Send me the file and a short description and I will

make you a post and show off your awesome costume.

Everyone enjoy your candy, but remember not to eat too much at one time. I have a little one that already has a tummy ache from eating too much. See each of your soon and don't forget to send me an image and a short description. We will have so much fun seeing how many trick or treaters we have here.

Send your Halloween images to denise@deniseclayphotography.com put Halloween Blog in the subject line so I can get them posted right away.

Take care,
Denise

Watching A Family Grow

One of the greatest honors of my job is to get to watch a family grow and babies grow up to be big boys. A few years ago I photographed Alexander when he was in my baby plan. Recently, the whole family with the newest addition came in for a family portrait. I am really looking forward to watching Jackson grow up. He is in the new Baby Club here at the studio, so I am sure we will be seeing more posts on him through out the next two years.

Alexander always knows how to ham it up for the camera. He also knows how to be a sweetie.

Political Statement - Warning This Might Get Smelly

I know it hard to believe, but I think this is one political statement we can all agree on regardless of what party you belong to.

An Awesome Song by Diamond Rio

I have never hid my belief in the Lord on this blog or in any of my other correspondence with any one. He is my savior and my faith and trust in Him grows stronger every day. A friend emailed me this song and it really touched my heart. I thought I would share the link to it for you to enjoy if you so desire.

If you look back to when our country started going down hill you will see it goes along with the time table of when the Lord started being taken out of everything. Enjoy the song and May God Bless you!

Denise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiYgpPB1kwU

A Star Is Born!

Addie came in for a Doodlebug Club model session and she definitely is a star model. We had the best time during her session. She was a blast to work with.

We laughed pretty much the whole time.

We even danced. Although Addie has better moves than I do.

More model sessions are coming soon. But if your child is a star like Addie, then give me a call. I still need a few more models for the new Doodlebug Club being launched in January 2009. Remember I am looking for children 3 and older.

He Is Checking His List And Checking It Twice...

Note: This blog entry is just for the good boys and girls, but you parents can read it too.

Well I know I have been good this year…. Well I have!

In fact I have been so good this year; that when I was talking to Santa (putting my list in early this year) and he asked what I really wanted this year, I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted him to come to the studio and meet all of the wonderful boys and girls that are so dear to my heart. Over the phone I heard his jolly ol’ chuckle and “Of course I will.” See - I have been good!

So we worked out the dates on both of our schedules and we have 2 whole days set just for Santa. Thursday, October 30th and Saturday, November 8th, Santa will be here to spend some time with all the good little kids. We have lots of fun planned. You will get time to tell Santa just what you want for Christmas. So don’t forget your list. And we have a special package created just for Santa Days.

Avoid the long lines of waiting to see Santa for a minute at the mall with your own scheduled time to truly sit with Santa and tell him just what your want. Because we know you have been good this year, right??? We are also going to have cookies and juice and maybe even a special little surprise from Santa. And you won’t have to wait till Christmas to open it!

So tell your mom or dad to give me a call and I will fill them in on the details and get you a time scheduled with Santa.

And remember, he knows who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. So be very, very good.

2009 Has Gone To The Cats & Dogs!

A couple of months ago I had the honor of assisting with some of the design of the 2009 calendar for Burke County Friends For Animals. My dear friend Eva did a wonderful job on the photography of the animals featured in the calendar. The whole calendar crew did a wonderful job.

The calendar is a fund raiser for BCFFA and it features images and stories of cats and dogs that have been rescued. Each month features a different rescued animal. The stories tell each animal’s tragic story of abuse and neglect, but each are now in a loving and caring home.

I am not sure which one is my favorite. I read one month’s story and that is my favorite and then I flip to another month and maybe that one is my favorite now. Being an animal lover, I guess it is just natural to fall in love with each of these sweet and loving cats and dogs.

The calendars are available for sale through BCFFA; http://www.burkecountyfriends4animals.org/ . You can contact the volunteers at the 828-433-1115. I am sure they will be glad to help you get a calendar for yourself and remember they make great gifts. A gift you can give in two ways; one to your friend or loved one that they can enjoy all of next year and then the gift to help care for the sweet and loving animals at BCFFA waiting for a loving home.

Thanks to all of the volunteers at BCFFA. You do a great job!

Models Needed

In January 2009 I am going to launch something very exciting; The Doodlebug Club! This club will be for kids 3 and older, but that is all I am going to tell you now. You have to wait till January to find out more.

But to be ready for the launch, I am working on all of the literature for the Doodlebug Club and the samples for it. And this is where I need your help. I am looking for models (3 years old and up) to star in the Doodlebug Club literature.

Simply call the studio or email me denise@deniseclayphotography.com for a free model session and details on how to make your kid be a star!

I just love this image of my buddy Will from a recent model session. I have photographed Will since he was a merely baby and he is still just as cute and sweet. We sure had a lot of fun during his session.

Family Portraits and Special Saturday Sessions

With the cooler temperatures teasing us the past few days it is easy to see that fall is just around the corner. I for one am ready for it. Beautiful fall color decorating the trees and then gently raining down in a kaleidoscope of color. Give me a nice warm sweater and a cup of hot cocoa.

But with the nip in the air it also means that the holidays are sneaking up on us too. Holidays for me are all about family. Since you have become a very special part of my family, I wanted to let you know what my plans are here at the studio and about a special little gift I have for you.

Most studios just have one month be Family Portrait Month and that is fine. Me, well why not make it two. You know me “Just One More!.. That looked awesome…. Now.. just one more….” Okay I promise this time it is only TWO months. October and November I am celebrating families here at the studio. I have even set aside three Saturdays for sessions. This is a great opportunity for you to update your family portrait (or portrait of your children). Even though I am celebrating families, these sessions do not have to be just of the family. They can be of your family, or just of your kids, your pets (they are our kids too), you and your favorite car, a senior session, you and your special loved one, and the list goes on. Okay here is what we are doing. If schedule a regular session during the months of October and November you will receive a $100 gift card to use at your next session or you can give it away as a gift this holiday session. That would be one gift out of the way and then of course portraits always make a great gift (psst... don’t tell my mom and dad that is what they are getting). I know it is only September and too early to think about Christmas. Well someone needs to tell that to all of the stores. Seriously, it will be here before we know it and I have to have all orders by Thanksgiving to be able to have them back by Christmas. Oh btw; these sessions (except for the special Saturday sessions) can be at the studio or at the location of your choice.

I know it is not always easy to get everyone available during the week, so I have set aside three Saturdays for hour long sessions here at the studio. These Saturdays are October 11th and 18th and November 15th. We can do anything you want here at the studio indoors or out as long as we can do it in an hour. These sessions will be back to back so I am not able to schedule any baby club sessions these days. The best part of this is you only have to pay the regular session fee for these Saturday sessions. There no additional charge, plus you get a $100 gift card to use as a gift or in the future. EXTRA BONUS: If you call the studio 828-397-6055 by Friday, October 3rd and schedule your appointment for a regular session during the months of October and November including for the special Saturdays, you will receive 25 custom designed Christmas cards from your session.

One last thing, there is one thing that means to me almost as much as each of you do and that is having you tell others about my studio. That is why for each referral of a new client you send me; I will send you a $50 gift card that you can use at your next session. Thank you so much for your referrals!


Take care,
Denise

PS: I almost forgot. Santa is coming to the studio Thursday, October 30th and Saturday, November 8th! Mark the dates and I’ll post more details soon.

ECS and GFM

Hey everyone, just hanging out here on top of Grandfather Mountain and wanted to say hi. I have had a busy, fun and great learning experience at East Coast School in Raleigh this week and so far this weekend up at Grandfather Mountain for the Camera Clinic. I learned so much at the East Coast School on high school senior photography and will be implementing all I learned. We will be rockin' with the coolest senior portraits around this year. I will post some images and more info from both trips when I get back.

Have fun and see you all soon,
Denise

Facebook and LinkedIn

I have finally made it. Well onto Facebook that is. Check me out and become my friend on there. I am still new to facebook, so helpful suggestions are much appreciated.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1192754028

I am also on LinkedIn, http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=14646863&trk=tab_pro . LinkedIn is a social network for professionals. So if you are on LinkedIn as well send me a note.

Blue Ridge Country

It is no secret I love the mountains and spend as much time as I can up there. The beach is nice, but for me there is nothing better than waking up to a cool mountain morning and experiencing the beauty the good Lord offers to us if we are willing to stop and look. I call this my time to have “breakfast with the Lord”.

That is just what happened this morning when I was able to capture this image of the horses eating in the early morning light at Cades Cove in Tenn. I was camping with a friend and we got up to be in the cove at the earliest light. We were treated to a wonderful experience we both will remember forever.

I wish each of you could have been there, but the next best thing has happened. The magazine Blue Ridge Country (http://www.blueridgecountry.com/) has used the image in their July/August issue. This is their twentieth anniversary issue and covers some of my favorite locations, including one of my very favorites Grandfather Mtn. Above is the screen to Blue Ridge Country’s home page on their website. When I first saw the image in the magazine it stopped me. They did a wonderful job with the layout. It is an additional honor to be on their home page of their website for this issue. Please take time to check out their website and pick up a copy of the magazine. It is really a great magazine to read about our wonderful mountains.

I hope one day you can join me out there on the trail and maybe we can even have breakfast with the Lord together. Until then take care and take a moment and stop and look for the beauty around us.
Denise

Update on Megan Elizabeth

Just a quick note tonight with an update on Megan Elizabeth. I spoke with a friend of Melissa’s and they have taken little Megan off the ventilator. It is just taking some time now for her to continue to grow and get stronger as she gets ready to go home. Mommy and baby are doing much better.

Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts and thank you Dear Lord for your wonderful love.

May God bless you all,
Denise

Christmas in July Special

Christmas in July Special!!!

20% off
canvas gallery wraps

As you have seen in the new studio I LOVE canvas gallery wraps. So when the lab announced they were having a special till the end of the July, I just had to share it with you. So here is your chance to get that canvas gallery wrap that you have been wanting and save some money.

Use the special code: “HoHoHot” to save 20% off your canvas gallery wrap.

Remember this is only good through the end of July.

Merry Christmas!!! - Denise

Ironman

Recently I had the chance to photograph a friend during one of his “Ironman” training sessions. Butch Mabry is a local tri-athlete and is preparing for an upcoming event in South Carolina.

I think I will stick to cheering Butch on and leave the long distance stuff to him. Trying to keep up with him wore me out.

Good luck, Butch!

Here is Butch on his Javelin bike and it is really cool.