Three Months//92 Days

Tomorrow is October. My birthday month. The point at which we have 92 days left in 2011. My next thought was ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh dear Lord, I have a lot to get done. So, I’m going to tell everything to you, and then touch base every once and a while before the year is up so you can keep me accountable. I’m going to have to throw a few easy things in here because I know there are some big ones to tackle too.

I am also going to challenge you now, do you have a list? What do you need to get done before January rolls around (or sprints up to us really fast I’m pretty sure is more like it)?
Here goes:

1. Stay on top of editing/blogging sessions and real life updates
2. Submit at least two weddings and two engagements for publications/blogs
3. Build and order sample albums (Oct 22 hard stop on one of these)
4. Transform our home into a better client meeting space. Or at least the living room/kitchen
5. Order big prints to display
6. Launch new branding, website, and blog
7. Order and start passing out oodles of my awesome new business cards
8. Oh yeah, design said business cards
9. Turn 23 gracefully
10. Do my Precepts homework on time every week
11. Make dinner at home, with groceries, once a week
12. Photograph at least 5 married couples in preparation of exciting new facet of Emilia Jane Photography that is yet to be announced (yes, you should be getting excited—let me know if you want to be one of these couples)
13. Take at least ONE WEEKEND off for mental health. Yes, an entire weekend with no sessions, AND NO EDITING EMILIA.
14. Make Lauren’s awesome cake and celebrate her fabulous birthday.
15. Love and serve my husband well
16. Have so much fun with mini sessions!!!

Okay I think that’s it for right this second, but I’m sure when I come back to update, I’ll probably have things to add too….

What’s on your list? Ready? Go! (this is my game face)

Picture from the AWESOME Darcy Demmel.

Have an amazing weekend! Looking for mini session information? Hire me for your wedding!

Mini Sessions! What What!

So... I've been getting these emails... asking about Christmas pictures and family sessions. And I realized, I should probably put it out to you all, that I would be honored to take your picture!

No matter if you're single, dating, married, with kids, dogs, unruly spouses, come as you please. I am setting up a couple of these more organized dates, but if you would like to hire me for a session at your home or other date/location than what is listed below, please still email me to set it up. I am happy to work around your availability!

Mini Session Details:

25 minutes | location TBD (different parks in each city!) | you and your family | cost is $125

10-20 fully-edited, awesome pictures will be placed in an online gallery for you to order professional prints and download for personal use

Chicago, IL | November 5 (9am-1pm)

Houston, TX | November 22 (12pm-4pm)

College Station, TX | November 23 (12pm-4pm)

Book immediately by emailing me at hi@emiliajanephoto.com

I do realize it's late in the year, I promise to have edited pictures in your hands in two weeks, which should leave enough time for Christmas cards :-)

Your word of "mouse" is my best marketing, so if you know of friends or family who might also be interested, please send them my way!

A Chicago Lincoln Park Engagement | Martha & George

I've been excited to share this engagement couple with you all for too long! I had so much fun with Martha and George. We met at Cafe Brauer in Lincoln Park for an ice tea to get to know each other before our session and so I could hear their love story. Hopefully now you can see it too!

To Martha and George: I'm serious about the next menu at Next!

Best wishes to you both! I cannot wait to see how stunning you both are on your wedding day.

xoxo

Curious about having me at your wedding? Or just want to hang out? Let's talk!

APW Vendor Directory!

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

Soooooo this is really exciting! :-D

As of yesterday I am being featured in a brand-spanking-new, really awesome wedding vendor directory. You all know of my love for A Practical Wedding, the blog, author, readers, and other vendors. Seriously, it is an amazing group of supportive people. I am so happy to support it, and now we have this beautiful directory too (made by the very cool folks at Super Runaway Co).

Part of joining the APW community as a vendor means signing off on the APW Sanity Pledge. I love it so much I want to share it with you here:

... A wedding is an awesome party, but it’s the marriage that really matters.

... It takes two people to get married. It’s not all about the bride (and sometimes there isn’t a bride to begin with).

... We support LGBTQ couples right to marry, and we are delighted to work with them.

... We don't charge a premium just because we heard the word "wedding."

... We will be upfront and fair about our pricing. We won't surprise you with a secret fee because you want frosting on the cake, not just the cake.

... You don't have to have cake at your wedding.

... However you decided to tie the knot, we’re on your team.

... Weddings come in all different shapes/sizes/colors/budgets/etc., but as long as you two end up married to each other, it will have been a successful wedding.

So, go check it out. Now.

I hope you have an amazing Tuesday. See you tomorrow!

Curious about having me at your wedding? Or just want to hang out? Let's talk!

May I Have this Dance | Sarah and Jeff's Sneak Peek

I met Sarah through A Practical Wedding this summer. She and Jeff are getting married in December, downtown at MK. Let me tell you, I cannot wait.

For their engagement session they opted to have me photograph one of their dance lessons. I knew they'd be good, but folks, they are rockstars! They danced to the classics, of course, but also picked up some Ke$ha and Gaga. Apparently, Sarah actually went to middle school with Ke$ha when she was just Kesha! These are just a few to tide you over to the full post next week :-)

Happy Monday all! See you tomorrow :-)

Curious about having me at your wedding? Or just want to hang out? Let's talk!

The Bitter Giuseppe

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

So today is the first day of Fall, officially.

Although this drink is awesome for any time of year (seriously it's in my top 3) I think the flavor is particularly perfect for fall, so I'm sharing it with you today :-)

This is an old Violet Hour drink that Wil has experimented with quite a bit and really we just love love love. It's called, the Bitter Giuseppe. It's a Cynar based cocktail. If you haven't had or don't know what Cynar is, get your booty to the closes cocktail bar and try it, straight up. It's an artichoke based liquor that is pretty much one of the most delicious things ever (in my opinion - of course). Okay so here goes...

The Bitter Giuseppe

You will need the following:

Cynar

Carpano Antica

Lemon (this MUST be fresh, not bottle juice)

Orange (this also must be fresh)

Regans orange bitters

Cocktail shaker

Stirrer/ice tea spoon

Jigger

Strainer

Ice

Knife

Glass

1. Pour 1 1/2 ounces of Cynar into the shaker

2. Pour 1 ounce of Carpano Antica into the shaker

3. Squeeze a teaspoon of lemon juice into the shaker

(probably best to do this over the sink and then transfer to shaker)

4. Throw one or two dashes of Regan's orange bitters into the shaker

5. Add a bunch of ice to the shaker and stir until the shaker gets really cold

(as you can see in the picture ;-)

6. Pour into glass

7. Cut a slice of orange, squeeze the essence over the drink, then use as garnish

8. Enjoy!!

I am really excited about this weekend! We have a lot going on, all of which I will update you on next week. But for now, happy Fall, and happy drinking!

Curious about having me at your wedding? Or just want to hang out? Let's talk!

Oak Mill Bakery: the Best Sweet Treats

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

So, if we're friends, you know that I enjoy dessert. I have what you might call an "OMG THERE'S SUGAR LET'S GO GET IT" sweet tooth. As you might imagine, I have become quite the wedding cake/dessert/sweets connoisseur. And friends let me tell you, if you're planning a wedding this is not an area to want to skimp on. Because, you see, if you have a bad tasting sheet cake, your guests will remember. On the other hand, if you have an amazing sweets table... like this one for example... everyone at your wedding will love you forever.

Or at least I will :-)

If you're wondering, yes, I did taste test. And yes, it was as good as it looks. You can contact the lovely folks at Oak Mill Bakery to discover the deliciousness for yourself. Or just for an any-day treat... like I regularly do now because they're located too dangerously close to my house. I've warned you.

Curious about having me at your wedding? Or just want to hang out? Let's talk!

Love Languages and My Love of ONA Bags Continues

//If you're looking for my most recent wedding or engagement work, click here!!\\

My mother told me that while dating you love your partner in a million ways, with your love languages and theirs. Then, she said, after you get married, you revert to your most core language. If this is gibberish to you, go read this book (it applies to all of your relationships, not just romantic ones). Otherwise, keep tracking with me here.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say that I've realized is that one my most basic, core love languages is gift giving. I love it. I love blessing people with small (or big) surprises. But really I love it when they then feel loved because I've given them something.

Gift giving is definitely not one of Wil's primary love languages, but he wanted this particular item so I'm pretty sure it worked out in my favor to give it to him. Please don't get me wrong, we don't have the kind of money to shower each other presents, and that's not what this is about anyway, normally we show each other love through quality time :-) so this was a fun little surprise...

If you've been around for a while, you remember my bag lust over this [ONA] bag. Gah. She still kills me. Anyway, Wil was in need of a new office/work bag. I took this opportunity to get him an awesome camera/laptop bag so he can use it when he works with me too ;-) Clever, I know. Anyway, I'm pretty much in love with it and might have to borrow it sometime. Until then, I think he's pretty excited...

Yay! Happy faces! And happy Wednesday :-)

See you all tomorrow with some sweet treats.

P.S. What's your love language? I'm super curious now!!!

Are you getting married? Hire me for your wedding! Not yet/already married? I'd love to shoot portraits for you! Please come "like" me on facebook to see many more pictures! Do you tweet? Check out my website too!

Don't hesitate to contact me about absolutely anything, I'd love to hear from you!

A Lincoln Park Engagement | Martha & George

Meet Martha and George. They're awesome.

And they're getting married in California next month! We had so much fun a couple weeks ago taking their engagement pictures at Cafe Brauer and around Lincoln Park :-)

Full post to come next week, but you can see a few more pictures here on facebook.

Are you getting married? Hire me for your wedding!

Or... I'd love to shoot portraits for you! Don't hesitate to contact me, I'd love to hear from you.