I Spy With My Little Eye....

....ME!

I was proofing a recent baby shoot and I just happened to catch a glimpse of myself in her itty bitty eyeballs. Pretty neat, huh?

Anti-Procrastination Night

So, tonight at roughly ten p.m.-ish, I set aside some time to catch up on all those little things that have been on my "to-do" list but I haven't had time to finish. Don't you hate those? Every time you walk by, it's like they are taunting you: "You'll NEVER get around to finishing me!" Tonight was officially "anti-procrastination night." Or should I say, last night and this morning was officially "anti-procrastination night" since it is two a.m. now.

What have I learned from this experience:

1) You can get a lot done in a little time without distractions.
2) If you are working late, turn on as many lights as possible--it will boost your energy a little bit.
3) Act like casino management: hide the clock until you're done.
4) The little nagging things don't take as long as you expect. Case in point: there has been a stain on my carpet that has been driving me batty, but I just have not put it at the top of my "urgent!-these-things-need-to-get-done-right-away" list. Consequently, I have walked past that stain every day for a month and it has added a lot of stress to my life. Tonight, I sat down with my handy-dandy little green machine and--I kid you not--in less than three minutes, the stain and stress were gone. If I had just taken three minutes out of my schedule to attend to the stain, I might have experienced fewer headaches in a month's time.

I should have learned this lesson long ago when I first found the FlyLady online ("anti-procrastination night" is actually a variation of her "anti-procrastination day"). FlyLady's mantra is: "you can do anything in 15 minutes." Try it: it's true! I've cleaned an entire kitchen from top to bottom in less than 15 minutes. In 15 minutes, your office desk can be completely cleared. In 15 minutes, you can pick up your entire house. Set a timer and be surprised, I tell ya. I don't really follow the FlyLady plan, but there are lots of tips that I've incorporated into my family life and my business life.

The moral of the story is "things don't take as long as you think" and "never start a blog post at 2 a.m." :)

Courtney ~ Senior 2008

Not much time to blog today (you know, the end-of-the-school-year craziness with the kiddos), but I wanted to share a few from Courtney's senior session. These were done in the Camargo metro area (okay...for those of you who aren't locals, that was a joke--Camargo is teeney-tiny). Just goes to show you that there are great places for photos even where you least expect them! Did I mention that was named an All-Stater in Fast-pitch softball and her team just won their second all-state championship in softball? Go Leedey!

This one is really sweet. Her mom wanted a picture by the tree they planted in honor of their first son who died at birth. Courtney is their second child. You can really see how time flies--look how tall the tree has gotten!

I love senior sessions--they are so much fun!

Speaking of which, if you are part of the class of 2009, it's never too early to start booking your senior photo sessions!

Megan Franks of Four Seasons Photography provides custom senior photography in Elk City, Hammon, Camargo, Leedey, Clinton, Weatherford, Woodward and the surrounding areas of western Oklahoma.

Happy Mother's Day!

Lookie at what I got for mother's day:

A gem of a birdhouse (with custom wrapping paper, no less).

And a one-of-a-kind stepping stone!

But as much as I love my wonderful gifts, the best gift ever has to be these two little critters:

For all the moms & moms-to-be...hope you had a blessed Mother's Day!

What I WISH Today Looked Like

...but today the sky is a sad shade of grey (this one was from a beautiful February morning, if you can believe that). That's okay because May showers bring, well...May flowers, right??

Happy Sabbath

Something different...I loved the angles in the room: on the ceiling, on the cross and behind the cross. Hope you are enjoying your Sabbath day!

When Two Became One: Scott & Elizabeth

Ready for a really long blog post? Buckle your seatbelts, 'cause here we go....

So, without further ado, here's a handful of images from Scott & Elizabeth's big day:

I love the excitement in Elizabeth's face as she tells her daughter how beautiful she looks. Aw...a sweet mommy/daughter moment to start the day!

Doesn't she look gorgeous? The fluffy tulle taught Miss K a lesson early in her life: beauty can be painful! We had to do some serious work trying to keep her mind off of how "scratchy" her skirt was. :)

Scott & Elizabeth chose to see one another before the ceremony. Elizabeth had to pyche herself up before she went into the room to meet Scott. She was taking deep breaths and waited a long time before she would even tap him on the shoulder so he could turn around to meet her. Of course, there were a lot of tissues involved soon after.

I love this one.

Here's Scott and the boys. Don't ya love the chocolate brown tuxes? They were a funny bunch, I tell ya!

(Case in point)

The ceremony went smoothly and beautifully and soon, we were off to the reception.

The reception was held in the Ballroom at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Scott & Elizabeth met at SWOSU. Elizabeth said that Scott was afraid of her when they first met, but I didn't confirm it with him--lol.

Brides are so detail oriented. Aren't these treat boxes too cute? The "P" is for Elizabeth's new last name!

Of course, there was cake cutting....

There were some casualties.



Then it was time for dancing. The first dance was with Elizabeth and her grandfather to whom she is very close. They danced to "That's My Job" by Conway Twitty. More tears!


This is one of my most favorite images of the night...but I didn't take it! Nope, this was taken by my super-duper assistant/photographer-in-training and husband-on-the-side: Tim!


See? Here he is in action. But I digress....



Let the dancing begin! Leave it to the dynamic duo of Elizabeth and Kelbie to get things started. You may remember them from Elizabeth's bridal session.

They just kicked their shoes off and danced the night away!

I've got to tell you how very, very much I enjoyed getting to know Elizabeth & Scott. They are sweet and funny and it was so nice to witness the deep love they have for one another. I'm so glad you guys let me hang out on your wedding day! Thanks!!

For more fun, check out a short slideshow of some of the day's events HERE.

P.S. Just in case you are in the wedding market: Jody Lang of Weatherford was the wedding coordinator and Chris Henson with Radioactive Disc Jockeys was their D.J. They both did a great job!

Megan Franks of Four Seasons Photography can photograph your wedding day in Weatherford, Elk City, Clinton, Woodward and the surrounding areas. Visit www.fourseasonsphotos.com for more information.

Stay Tuned

Scott & Elizabeth's wedding day coming soon!

Paradise for Little Girls

Tuesday was H's birthday. It was also the day that we were scheduled to be in the Dallas metro area. Lucky her: she got to spend part of her special day at a special place called The American Girl Boutique & Bistro.

Maybe you've never heard of American Girls. The company boasts that its goal is to celebrate girls of strong character. They have a line of historical character dolls--each with their own line of storybooks--that follow the life of girls throughout different periods of American History. I love 'em! It's a great way for kids to connect with the past. They also have Just Like You® Dolls that are designed to look like the child and a line of baby dolls ( Bitty Baby® ) for little girls. Before I ever heard of American Girl dolls, I first heard about the magazine whose motto is "You're great--just the way you are!" Who wouldn't like that?

There are only a few American Girl stores; we were fortunate that one is located in Dallas (the others are in far-off exotic lands like L.A. or Chicago). As we sat outside the two-story building waiting for the doors to open, I must admit, even I was pretty excited.

See? We were all giddy waiting for those doors to open!

H's doll is Nellie, an orphan from the Victorian era whose well-off best friend Samantha helps her secure a better life for herself and her sisters.

This is Bobo's Bitty Baby® named Chrissy (because she got her for Christmas).

Really...Where do you start in a place like this?

Maybe the doll hair salon?

Yep, you heard me right: the doll hair salon!

Nah...just head straight to the dolls!

Or the doll accessories....

These are no ordinary dolls, my friends. They are TALENTED dolls. They can play piano, ride horseback, rollerblade, do ballet, read...you name it! We were particularly fond of this gal as H is the resident fiddler in our family.

Pure, unadulterated joy! (You don't see that very often--lol!).

At the end of our day, H gave me a hug and said, "This was the best birthday ever." All we did was take them shopping and let them spend some of the money they had been saving...but I'll take credit for it anyway! :)

If you have little girls and are in the Dallas area (Galleria Mall), I highly recommend checking this place out. Be forewarned: the dolls are expensive, but there are accessories and books for any budget. Even if you don't buy a thing, it makes a great mommy-daughter outing that is sure to be remembered!

Beauty In Everyday Life

Sometimes I get so bogged down in work that I forget to revisit files of photos that I have taken for personal pleasure or projects. This semester, I have been working on a project with the Metcalfe Museum in Durham, Oklahoma. The museum pays tribute to Augusta Metcalfe, a pioneer woman who cared for a farm and a family as a single mother and still managed to find time and energy to teach herself fine arts such as painting. She became well-known for her art, being inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and even being featured in an issue of Life Magazine. Her paintings depict scenes of everyday life for the pioneers of western Oklahoma: feeding cattle, hunting, landscapes, etc. Our society has placed a heavy emphasis on the unusual in life (celebrity and such). It seems like we get so caught up in the unusual that we forget to see the beauty in everyday life around us.

So, without further ado, here is a little piece of MY everyday life. A simple windmill (probably a working windmill used to water cattle) and a big, blue, open sky that stretches for miles in the prairies of Oklahoma.

And, for the record, there have been almost no adjustments to this image in Photoshop. This is my world in real life!

Graduation Announcements

Class of 2008: There's still time to order custom graduation announcements before "Pomp & Circumstance" starts to play. Here's a few examples of this year's annoucement designs:

Remember, these designs can be customized to reflect your school colors. They are also printed on both front and back so we can add more photos (I've done some with both baby & senior photos before) or special invites to post-graduation dinners, etc. Really, we can do most anything!

In order to get your announcements and get them in the mail before graduation ceremonies, you need to order by the end of April, so don't wait (especially if you'd like me to do any custom designs).

{By the way, I removed the client's last name on the example cards above, just in case you are wondering what's going on with the blurry areas!}

Blessings From Above

Meet Kash.

When Kash was born, he had to overcome several difficulties. He did.

Then later, he was hospitalized with a very serious infection. While there, a medical mistake was made that could have cost him his life. But he made it!

Many people talk about their blessings each day, but little Kash and his family have truly experienced blessing from above. They attribute it to the power of prayer. Hundreds of people were praying for Kash throughout his ordeal. They are all pleased to report....

This is Kash in the middle of just a portion of the many cards and notes that were sent from friends, neighbors and churches throughout the first couple of months of his life. Isn't it wonderful?

She's Hitched!

Congratulations to Elizabeth who officially joined the "Mrs. Club" last night. She was a gorgeous bride (as you can clearly see) and her wedding was equally beautiful with many touching moments. But more on that later. For now, enjoy her bridal session:

You may remember the old house I was raving about. Here it is in all it's antique glory!

I can't tell you how important it is to have a friend come along for a session (bridal or otherwise)! Not only do they help out in practical ways, but they serve as comic relief and they also help keep you relaxed in front of the camera. Kelbie definitely did a great job of this for Elizabeth.

Gunnar

The weather is always crazy this time of year. The day before Gunnar's session in north Texas, it was sunny and 90 degrees (yes, 90 degrees in March!). The day OF Gunnar's session was around 40 or 50 degrees and oh-so-windy. Gunnar was actually freezing in most of these pictures, but he was a good sport! :)

Things You Can Learn From a Blog

Hello, I'm Megan and I'm a blogaholic!

Seriously, I have over 150 blogs in my Bloglines account that I check semi-regularly. They range from blogs of friends, photographer blogs, small business advice blogs to blogs on writing to just-plain-fun blogs. There are probably about 20 blogs that I am regularly check and could accurately be called a "blog stalker."


Blogs are such a great source of information. I've learned so much from other people's experiences and advice. Wanna hear my most useful piece of blog wisdom?


ORANGES. (Yes, the fruit.) Ever wonder how to figure out how to select the sweetest orange? Check out its "belly button"--not the top part where the orange meets the tree but the bottom. The larger the "belly button," the sweeter the orange! It's true! I've implemented this tip into my grocery shopping and it hasn't failed me yet. Where did I get this "juicy" (pun intended) piece of info? A blog that specializes in the photography business! You never know what you might learn from a blog.


Happy orange shopping!

Fresh From the Oven

Who can resist a freshly baked baby? Little Eli was so precious, I just wanted to take him home with me!

Well, almost....I still remember those sleepless nights!! {lol}

All wrapped up in Grandma's hand-knit blankie...

...in Daddy's strong hands...

...equally-precious big bro (Have you ever seen such beautiful eyes?)...


...and the parents that love them both very much!

Playing Tag

My friend Harrison tagged me today. That means, I get to share 10 little known facts about me (I know...you're thrilled, right?). So, in case you missed the first installment of blog tag, here goes round two :

1. When I was a kid, I decided that I wanted to be an astronaut despite watching the Challenger spaceship burst into flames the very same year. I was inspired by my third grade teacher, Mrs. Oliver, who applied for the teacher in space position that Christa McAuliffe won. Sadly, I grew up and realized actually becoming an astronaut meant excelling in math and science. Let's just say my algebra teachers never nominated me for an outstanding student awards (that's for sure). ;)

2. One of my OCD tendencies is that I firmly believe all bathrooms should have the toilet paper accessible from the top of the roll, not underneath. I would even be willing to change it in someone else's home if I was there very long!

3. Since Tim & I married, we have carried on a NCAA tournament tradition of selecting teams from the bracket and giving points for each win (final four wins get more points) to see who will dominate. Actually, we started doing this before we were married with our friends, the McElroy family. This year, our eldest daughter joined the fun...much to our dismay. She's been creaming us!

4. I am a minimalist. I like clean lines (in clothing and furniture), solid color clothing, simple shoes & just enough make-up to get the job done. I guess it's my way of trying to keep life as simple as possible.

5. I check e-mail WAY too much...probably 15 times or more a day (but I'm trying to wean myself). And, okay...it's more than 15 times a day.

6. Tim & I have been trying to become more healthy this year. We've given up all unnatural sweeteners (aspartame) and reduced (almost eliminated) white sugars/white flours from our diet. We've added more protein, veggies and whole foods. We allow ourselves one day off a week to eat a typical American diet but we've found that when we do eat junk on our day off, we feel terrible and miss our fresh veggies! Who knew?

7. I will graduate with my bachelor degree next May...fourteen years after I first started it!!

8. I hate flannel sheets.

9. I have suffered from migraine headaches since I was an elementary-aged kid, but since the birth of my second child, they have subsided significantly.

10. I love the sound of whippoorwills. They are a type of nocturnal bird that I often heard growing up in the forests of Arkansas. They make a very soothing sound...it's a great lullaby.

The Many Faces of Bobo

I know: Bobo is a weird nickname for a kid. Surprisingly, there is no backstory to it either. It's just something that came out of her daddy's mouth one day & it kinda stuck.

She is a quirky little creature. Unlike our oldest who has always been soft-spoken and a little shy (she once told her Sunday school teacher, "I only talk to kids."), Bobo has pretty much been her exact opposite: loud, boisterous, goofy.

Last week, she was in a indulgent mood and allowed me to take her picture. After one or two, she suddenly began striking poses of all variations. Crazy kid.

Attention Seniors

Senior package pricing will increase as of May 1, so if you're interested in booking a last-minute senior session, do it soon!

Egg-cellent Easter?

Ours was. We (and by "we" I do mean "the kids") colored over 90 eggs Saturday night!

Happy Easter!

I hope you and yours had a very blessed Easter! One final reminder about the reason for the season: