Bonnie and Mark

I did a photo shoot this afternoon for Bonnie and Mark, who are expecting their first child in mid-November.  We met at Prairie Creek Park, on a beautiful autumn afternoon, and I had such a fun time photographing this couple.  Here are a few of my favorite shots.

I hope to be present when the baby is born to capture her first moments with Mom and Dad.  In the meantime, here's hoping the last month goes by safely and quickly.  I know Bonnie and Mark are ready to meet their daughter!



October First Monday

Seems like I've been spending a lot of time in Canton, Texas lately, but so be it!  First Monday is the largest flea market in the country, and it happens in Canton once a month,  on Thursday through Sunday prior to the first Monday of each month.  A little confusing, I know, but when you live nearby, you get the hang of it.

Today dawned cool and sunny, a perfect day for the trip.  My friend, Jeanie, offered to drive, and by the time we were halfway into the 45-mile trip, traffic increased tremendously.  It was easy to spot the ladies who shop:  their noses were pointed due east and you could see their shopping carts in the back seats of their vehicles!  We arrived in town at 8:45 a.m.; it took almost hour due to all those determined shoppers! Here's Jeanie, ready to go, and me, debit card in hand.

Canton has a population of 5,000 people.  During First Mondays, it swells to 200,000.  I think the natives must be incredibly patient to put up with everything that goes on each month!  The shoppers were in the holiday mood; since tomorrow in Halloween, many were in costume, and people-watching (one of my favorite sports) was very rewarding...

Lots of shoppers, as always, had their dogs with them.  I think about taking Rose the Rat Terrier sometimes, but I'm not sure she'd like the noise and crowds.

Because of the upcoming holidays, there were even more treasures to discover than usual.  This trip, we spent a lot of time at the outdoor booths, as inside was beyond crowded.

Here's some regal seating for a cowgirl and his cowgirl, complete with a cooler built in between!

This lilac glass was really pretty!

I couldn't help but wonder where on earth this man was taking the chicken rug!

We stayed for about six hours, until we basically couldn't walk anymore.  By 3 pm, our cart was full, plus I was carrying two extremely heavy old windows that I bought to use in my booth at the Rockwall Christmas Art Market in December.

Luckily, I'll have a month to recuperate before I go back again!

Willows at Home

It's been a busy week for me...photo shoots, uploading, downloading, editing!  It's a good thing I enjoy photography so much.  It really doesn't seem like work at all.  I enjoy impromptu shoots as much as scheduled ones!

Last weekend, I visited LaurieAnna's Vintage Farmhouse Christmas in Canton, Texas.  After spending all of my money, and as I was lugging my purchases to the car, I noticed another interesting shop:  Willows at Home.  Peering through the front windows, I quickly got rid of my packages and returned to check it out.

What a nice shop!  I was first impressed with some cute dog coats by the front door, and then by Moe, the shop dog!

The owners, Peggy and Fred Hunt, were as nice as could be, and graciously allowed me to take photographs, which I want to share with you.

The Good Dog/Bad Dog matches were hilarious!  Of course, I had to buy of few boxes of them.  Rose eyed them suspiciously when I got home...



 If you're ever in Canton for First Monday (which is this weekend), or just out looking around, you won't be wasting your time if you stop at the Willows at Home!  Take Exit 526 off of Interstate 20, and head south.  It's at 1457 Trade Days Boulevard.

The LeFevre Family

Christmas shoots are lined up, and, in fact, I've already done some earlier this month!  People are much organized now than when I was younger!

Today, I met the LeFevre family at the Dallas Museum of Art.  Last year, we did photographs at the Dallas Arboretum, so we decided that Uptown might be a nice change for this shoot.

Although it was very cloudy first thing this morning, the clouds miraculously went away just in time for the shoot.  Lights, action, camera!

The kids have grown so much from last year!  If I only had 10% of the energy that they do!