MAGGIE HOLMES Photography and Scrapbooking Blog

Photography Workshops Blog Blitz & Giveaways!

I am excited to announce a BLOG BLITZ today dedicated to my Online Photography Workshops! Lots of exciting things are included so be sure to read all the way through!

If you are new to my blog or website, let me introuduce you to my workshops:

I truly love teaching because it is so rewarding to see how much my students progress in such a short amount of time. A common theme among the feedback from my students is that the format of my classes and my teaching style makes the information super easy to understand. I have had so many students tell me that they have read multiple books, taken other workshops and even college courses but that the information didn't click for them until they took my classes! I can't tell you how much that means to me because that was my whole goal in teaching! I set out to create the classes that I wish I had access to years ago when I was figuring all of this out for myself. I can say that I give you all of my "rules of thumb", tips and tricks and things that I learned the hard way along the way. 

The best part of it all is the access you get to the private message board. It is there that you are able to ask me questions and I am available to help you all along the way. You will also post your assignments there for detailed personalized feedback. In addition you are able to converse with and get to know the other students which allows you to make friends with other people just like yourself who will encourage you all along the way.

For detailed class descriptions you can visit the WORKSHOPS section of my website.

Many COMMON QUESTIONS about the workshop are answered on my website as well.

Also if you want to see a sample of my photos you can visit the PHOTOGRAPHY portion of my website.

I have had many emails asking about when the next classes will be and I am excited to announce that the next two are now open for registration!

Photography 101: July 9th - August 18th, 2012

Advanced Photography: August 20th - September 29th, 2012

As a note - these are the last two classes I will be offering in 2012 and spots are limited so you are encouraged to register early in order to guarantee a spot. 

I am also excited to announce that for the first time ever I am offering an EARLYBIRD discount of $50.00 off! This offer is valid for a limited time only and expires May 31st, 2012.

And now, the GIVEAWAYS! 

I am giving away a spot in each of the two classes! You can enter to win by posting here on this blog post. Winners will be drawn at random on Wednesday the 23rd. 

I am also giving away a surprise BONUS spot in my Photography 101 class and the winner for this one will be drawn at random from one of the other blogs on the hop! You are encouraged to visit every blog on the hop and enter to win at each one because no one knows which blog the winner will be drawn from! It will be a surprise! That winner will also be drawn at random on Wednesday the 23rd. 

There are links on each blog taking you to the next one but in case you get lost or missed one, here are links to all of them:

Susan Weinroth

Dawn McVey

Davinie Fiero

Celine Navarro

Geralyn Sy

Kelly Noel

Veronica Jennings

Lisa Truesdell

Mou Saha

Piradee Talvanna

Stacy Cohen

Megan Hoeppner

Kim Watson

Good luck and remember to enter on all of the blogs for the BONUS spot! Also, if you purchase a class and then are drawn as the winner for that class, your registration fee will be refunded. This does not apply to previous classes taken or purchased. Only applicable to classes that are currently open for registration on the site and that are purchased during the time frame of this giveaway (Monday May 21st - Wednesdsay May 23rd). No purchase required. All winners are drawn at random.

Engagement Photos {Arizona Wedding Photographer}

I've been meaning to share some more photo shoots with you.... sorry I haven't been the best blogger lately! Still here and doing well, just crazy busy as ever! 

Isn't this the cutest couple ever? I had a blast with them and am super excited for their big day!!

Also, Photography 101 is starting today! This is my beginner/intermediate online photography class. I still have a few spots available for this session if you want to join us!

To see details about the class  and to read what past students are saying about it, visit my website here.

Have a great Monday!

Elizabeth & Rice Krispies

One of my favorite parts about this age is seeing them learn how to use their little fingers to pick things up.

I could sit and watch her do this all day! She eats and smiles and eats and smiles and giggles at me....

and I am content to sit and keep watching..... enjoying every happy little minute of it!

 

Elizabeth Kate: 8 Months Update

At 8 months.......

She has tons of personality and is always smiling!

She is still the BEST baby ever!

She is so nice, so happy and just so good natured in general.

She rarely cries and usually only if she is hungry or tired.

She has 2 teeth - on the bottom.

She eats all baby foods and loves her mush the most - rice cereal with something else mixed in. 

She loves the bath!

She is scooting all around on her tummy like a little inch worm and rarely stays in one place anymore.

She loves her binky and loves to take it out, play with it and then put it back in.

She just started sleeping in her crib upstairs and is doing really well but we miss her in our room and miss how she would peek up at us over her bassinet in the mornings with a HUGE happy smile.

She babbles and says the sounds mamamama and bababababa.

She LOVES her daddy a LOT and lights up whenever he talks to her.

She loves being entertained by all the action going on around her from her brothers and sister. She loves when they clap for her and she really loves when Emily sings and dances for her.

She is at the stage where she is grabbing at everything in her path all the time no matter what it is and then it goes right to her mouth!

She sleeps best when we put her in bed with her binky and blanket and leave her. She doesn't fall asleep in our arms much at all anymore but does like to cuddle when she is awake.

She has a really high pitched little singing voice that she does a lot which is soooo cute. And then sometimes it turns into a really LOUD almost screaming, yet happy, voice in the car when she is trying to keep up with all the talking from everyone else.

She is a major cat napper in the day and usually doesn't nap for very long periods of time. But she always wakes up happy as a clam!

Her hair is still crazy and is super long only on the top. It is starting to come in more on the sides and in the back though. We love how her long hair on the top sticks up and literally flies in the wind when she doesn't have a headband on! It has always been so funny!

She has the SOFTEST skin ever!

She is quite chunky and one of her nicknames is chunkers. She has the cutest rolls on her legs and she has love handles which I love to squeeze!

Her other nicknames are Lizzy Kate, EK, bubbers, bubbas, cuters and punkin sis. 

We love love love her to pieces!

Photos are from a quick impromptu "photo shoot" (as in about 5 minutes long) when I was out to breakfast with my mom for her birthday. She was more interested in looking at the wood floor and putting her finger in the little holes than smiling for me! I die for her cheeks and her hands that are so chubby she has dimples in them!

Dear Lizzy & American Crafts: Blog Hop & Giveaway

Elizabeth Kartchner’s latest signature collection, Dear Lizzy Neapolitan, is fanciful & fresh featuring candy-shop colors and a diffused watercolor effect that takes you into a daydream of hand-drawn Mason jars, ice cream cones and balloons.
Dear Lizzy Neapolitan features 22 papers, including darling stitched ruffle paper & patterned vellum. Complementing the papers are a variety of embellishments from painted wood buttons, epoxy stickers, chipboard word banners, embroidered brads & wood grain chipboard pieces. Other new exciting products are Flutterbys (sewn butterfly & pendant banners), a Roller & Phrase Stamp and Paper Pinwheels. Here's a sneak peek of one of the products!

 

As part of the blog hop I am giving away the Chipboard Word Banner pictured below! So cute! To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here in this post and then I will draw a winner at random in a few days! Also the Amy Tan class giveaway is still open so be sure to check that out below this post as well!

 

Your next stop on the BLOG HOP is Liz Tamanaha. Be sure to check out all the stops because each of us is giving away part of the new collection and I also believe that someone is giving away the entire line!!!!

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In other news my first online Photography Workshop of 2012 starts today! I am super excited to be teaching again after the holiday break! Every class I teach is so rewarding becasue I get to see my students progress soooo much in such a short amount of time! The best is seeing people who start out shooting in automatic mode and then go to shooting in full manual in just a few weeks! They are always so surprised how easy it really is once they gain the knowledge along with my tried and true tips and tricks! Bye Bye frustration and hello to fabulous photos!! That's what it's all about!

There are a few spots left in this class so if you want to jump on board and join us, it's not too late! More information on my workshops can be found here at Maggie Holmes Design.

December Daily Photography Workshop

Here it is.... my newest online photography class that I have been soooo excited to launch! 

This one works differently than my other 2 photography workshops. The class is an email based workshop in which you will receive 1 email per day for every day in December. The class is inspired by Ali Edwards' wildly popular December Daily Album concept in which you create an album that includes photos/thoughts/memories/memorabilia/etc for each day in December.

In case you aren't familiar with this you can find a lot more information about the December Daily Album concept on Ali Edwards' site.

The only glitch I have ever run into with my December Daily albums is keeping up with them and staying on track in order to finish and complete the whole album. For me it is a super crazy busy month and I am sure it is for most of you too. So, it is easy to forget about it or get stuck and not know what to take pictures of, what to document, etc and then we give up.

My photography workshop is designed to help you stay on track with your album and it also takes the guesswork and confusion out of the equation when it comes to taking your photographs. The daily emails will be a great reminder to take your photos and you will also be inspired with examples and ideas. This will keep you from falling behind and then being stressed about not having photos for some of the days.

:::Here are a few more details, and answers to questions about the class:::

If you struggle for ideas and creativity when it comes to taking the photos each day for your December Daily Album, this class is for you.

If you struggle with not knowing how best to capture the details, like the twinkling Christmas lights at night, close ups of decorations, etc, then this class is for you.

If you are looking for easy and applicable tips and tricks on how to improve your everyday photography, this class is for you.

There is no certain camera required for this class, although I will give technical information on settings when it is applicable. You can take this class no matter what type of camera you will be using to take your photos. In fact I will be using a mixture of cameras including my digital SLR, point and shoot, instax cameras and Iphone. My photos, ideas, inspiration, tips and tricks will be varied amongst all of them.

You don't have to be doing a December Daily Album to take this photography workshop. Anyone can join in. You can simply come along for the inspiration and ideas and use them in your own creative way. You could also take my class and simply create an album that is only photos using the ones you take each day with me. Whether you create a detailed Dec Daily Album or something super simple, the things you learn will apply!

Not all of the emails will be Christmas focused. The December Daily Album concept is about documenting your life each day in December, not just documenting the Holidays. My class offers a nice balance between Holiday related photography and non-Holiday related photography.

If you have any other questions, let me know! Registration is open now and class starts December 1st!! 

This makes my heart happy....

I just saw this when I was loading my pumpkin patch pictures (yes, I am barely getting around to doing it) and I had to hurry and edit it to share!

Now I can't wait to go through the rest of them to see what gems are waiting for me!!!

Hope you are having a great day!

Way too long...

Seriously a month? I can't stand that I haven't blogged in such a long time! But instead of beating myself up over it I am trying to remember that this seems to happen each year around this time. Not only am I busy doing my normal things - being a mom, wife, studio calico, my online photography classes, etc - but it is the craziest time of year for my photography business. Every year I try to gear up for it and think I am going to stay on top of it all but it seems like something has to give and it ends up being the blog. :)

I do keep up with posting on instagram, twitter and facebook so if you don't follow me and want to keep up with the little day-to-day things that are going on around here you can find me and follow me by clicking on the links or by looking me up on instagram under maggiehdesign.

I have lots of exciting things to share with you today!!

1. Elizabeth is almost 6 months old! Hello! Where does the time go? She is an absolute joy and is the happiest baby on earth! She is rolling around now and her first little tooth just poked through as well!

2. I was featured as the guest designer for Crate Paper this week! You can see the post along with my layouts here on their blog! I'm not sure why my layouts look all pixelated over there though :( They don't look that crazy in real life!

3. Did you see the 2012 Creating Keepsakes Dream Team announcement yet? I will be back for another year and couldn't be more excited about it! 

4. I will be launching some new online workshops at Maggie Holmes Design very soon and can't wait to share the details with you!! I will still be offering my current photography classes which start back up again in January 2012 so no worries, those are not going away! In fact, the first one is almost full so if you are thinking of signing up, do it quick! It might be time to snag yourself an early Christmas present!! :)

And just to tease you I will give you a little hint about one of the new classes - It has to do with documenting December......... any ideas?? Stay tuned! I will be back to announce it soon and link you up to the registration page!

 

 

Colorful Kisses....

Heading back up to Utah for SPARK this weekend! I will be demoing and selling the latest Studio Calico products including the mists, masks and stamp sets!! I hope to see you there!!

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In case you missed it, my NEW WEBSITE is now live!! Please go there to purchase my PHOTOSHOP ACTIONS (for the most current versions) and to register for my ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES! We are in the middle of my last class for 2011 but I have some 2012 classes open for registration already and people are signing up!! It's the perfect thing to put on your Christmas wishlist.... just make sure to give your list to your hubby or mom or best friend early so you get signed up before it fills up!

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It rained a lot and even SNOWED when I was up in Utah with my kiddos for fall break! They sure loved making snow balls and playing in it but I was a little upset that it interfered with my plans for taking LOTS of pictures while we were there at all my favorite Utah locations! I had even scouted out some new ones that I wanted to try but it didn't happen so I guess it will have to wait! Boo!

On our way out of town..... literally...... we stopped really QUICK to take some last minute pictures. I haven't even looked through all of them but I just saw this one and had to open it and do a quick edit. I am in LOVE with the COLOR and the KISSES!! These two are like 2 peas in a pod -- very similar personalities!! When they are not driving me a wee bit crazy with their ENDLESS energy, they are making me smile and laugh and they most definitely always make me feel LOVED!

Hope you have a colorful weekend!! If you need some creative inspiration come see me at SPARK!!!

Life.... and photos of Elizabeth Kate

Hi everyone! Life is in full crazy busy mode right now and it seems like it won't slow down now until the new year! Ha!! Feels funny saying that but it is so true! Doesn't this time of year start to feel like a whirlwind? I know that for me it does..... fall break, fall photo sessions, halloween, thanksgiving and then christmas.... they all tend to come at me so quickly! I often wish there was a little more breathing room in between the holidays this time of year so that I could really savor and enjoy it all! 

I'm definitely one that likes to stay focused on what is truly important in my life and so I try to not lose sight of that, especially during this time of year. Life is definitely a big juggling act -- trying to make time for the fun and crazy times but at the same time balance it with the quiet and still moments because those are super important too. It's funny this notion of balancing all of this because there are many moments when I am grateful and content to be in the middle of the chaos, hearing my kids laugh and play (and also fight of course although I'm not really grateful for the fighting) and then there are also many moments when we are being quiet and peaceful and I am oh so grateful for those times too because they really really make me happy and I feel like we can grow together and learn from each other in a deeper way.

Anyway, not sure where all of this reflectiveness is coming from but in an effort to get back to adding more of my personal life records here on the blog I just went with whatever came to mind.....I thought I was getting on here to post one thing and it turned out to be something completely different. I would love to hear your thoughts on this as well and if you have any great advice or ideas on ways to stay on top of things during these next few months..... or ideas for fun things to do with the family or just thoughts on being more organized as the mom. I love that through blogging we can learn from each other and inspire each other to be better so share away!!

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On the note of photography sessions, I am booking my fall sessions now and I don't have a lot of spots left. It seems to fill up in the blink of an eye and I also won't be doing any sessions in December. If you have already emailed me and I haven't replied, then I do have you on the list and will be getting back to you soon!! 

Also, remember I will be doing sessions in Utah next week and weekend! I may still have a spot or two left so if you are interested in those, email me quick!

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Here's a couple photographs of baby Elizabeth Kate to brighten your day! I know that she brightens our days soooooo much!!! We are enjoying every second of her!!

I can't believe how much she has already changed from these pictures!!! She is so chubby now!! I love it!