WELCOME!

SAPYSNAPS has moved

2011-09-28T14:56:00.002-04:00

Finally getting my act together and I've moved the blog to

www.sapysnaps.com

It's a one stop for SAPYSNAPS PHOTO from now on!! Yay!! Come visit me!

i'm a lion not a trojan

2011-08-30T15:37:00.002-04:00

I was sent to Lincoln today to photograph a helicopter that was being flown in by an instructor for a student presentation. After checking in at the front office and finding out that they knew nothing about it, I walked over to the track behind the main building (which is where I was told it would land).

And there I waited.

And waited.

Around 9:30a one of the PE coaches walked around to where I was and asked me who I was. I explained why I was there and showed him by visitor's tag.

And then I waited.

And waited.

And then I called my instructor. First of all, he couldn't believe that I was still waiting. In my defense, I have found that photographers wait around... A LOT!! Second of all, he told me to walk all the way back around to the office and see if they had any info while he mad a few phone calls.

Once I got around to the office, they STILL didn't know anything about it. Even the principal. So I called my instructor again and he said that if anyone should know ANY THING about the helicopter landing on campus, IT SHOULD BE THE PRINCIPAL.

I was told to return home. And that's what I did.

But the whole way home, I kept on checking the sky to see if I could see that helicopter. I was so sure that as soon as I left, it would land.

I still don't know where that stinkin' helicopter is.

AND I was so sure that all those kids in the PE class just KNEW that I'm a LION, not a trojan.

The one that ended early

2011-08-24T18:11:00.003-04:00

but NOT because of the weather.

drumline

2011-08-20T00:46:00.001-04:00

It is so difficult some days to get a great photo of a whole group.

So I am particularly proud and in love with this photo of the bass line because it is one of the

VERY FEW times you will see the whole line and their faces!!

fundamentals

2011-08-20T00:43:00.000-04:00

tuba time

2011-08-20T00:41:00.000-04:00

heat relief

2011-08-20T00:39:00.001-04:00

Can you say "heat index of 110"? I don't have to say it because I lived it today. That's the only con.

The pros are:

POPSICLES during the big break.

SHADE TREE even if it's all the way on the other side of the track and only the drumline gets to take advantage of it.

130 NEW FRIENDS!!

it's all about the band

2011-08-20T00:33:00.000-04:00

Just in case you haven't realized it yet, I'm going to be spending the next few weeks helping out and photographing the band. We have a SUPER DUPER AWESOME band this year and I plan to be there for every single minute of it.

the new guy

2011-08-20T00:28:00.002-04:00

i love the details

2011-08-20T00:26:00.000-04:00

and so it begins...

2011-08-20T00:24:00.001-04:00

Today I began my SEVENTH year of band camp.

will the real Harry Potter please stand up, please stand up

2011-07-25T01:22:00.000-04:00

Chance went to a Harry Potter party last week. Shocker, I know. Pretty much EVERYONE I KNOW has been to a HP party recently. He actually saw the latest movie (along with most of Tallahassee) at the very first MIDNIGHT showing the day it came out. It's so funny to me because he hasn't read ANY of the books. Never cared to. Tyler has read them ALL about 30 times since he was in 3rd grade. And yes, I was the mom that took her elementary aged kids to the bookstore in the middle of the night so they could get the new release FIRST. And I was also the mom that let her kids skip school so they could see the movies before anyone else.

Even though he hasn't read the books, Chance has loved the movies. The party he went to last week was at church and they were spending the day catching up on the old films and then all going as a group to see the last one. He was so excited that he woke me up at 6:30AM. The event didn't begin until 9:00am and it only takes 20 minutes to get there. You do the math.

This is what he wore...

Dog days of summer

2011-07-19T16:00:00.001-04:00

Sorry. I couldn't help myself. I'm pretty sure that I've been in some sort of a funk lately. And the weather has had a lot to do with it. I've been stuck in the house for days and days and more days.

No photos=Unhappy Photog.

So I visited my friend yesterday and she had her grand-dog, Cameron, at her house for the week. And her much loved, favorite sweet fur baby, Sandy, was not happy. I did not pose her. This is Sandy giving me the scoop on the new invader.

Well, she was happy to see me but only because she was so certain that I was there to take the year old, mostly leggy critter that insisted on being by her side every step of the way.. AWAY. And she quickly became very disappointed when that didn't happen. Cameron is the sweetest thing. He is sooo big and gallops all over the house and yard. And he will click his teeth on command. I fell in love almost immediately. Look at those eyes!! And he tried to crawl in my lap. All 100 pounds of him. He's so full of energy. All the time. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week.

Oh, and I can't forget Sadie... the 20 year old cat that lives on the porch. She's been the yard cat since my friend moved to the end of the road in the middle of nowhere. And she would never come in the house... she preferred the yard. And now the porch.

Monsoons anyone?

2011-07-19T15:39:00.000-04:00

OH MY GOODNESS... it's has been raining here for almost three weeks. I can't believe it. I know everyone around here has been doing rain dances for months because for soooo long, there was nothing. NADA! Not a drop.

But stop... PEOPLE... please. Enough!! My grass is knee high I can't even think about wading through the swamp that in now my side yard.

Really? No... SERIOUSLY!!!

2011-07-17T16:04:00.002-04:00

We were trying to catch up on painting the outside of the house. The forecast was clear for the first time in DAYS and this happened....

It started POURING rain. For no reason. Except that I had just finished setting up the paints and had half painted the door.

At least someone had some fun.

Searching for a new style

2011-06-15T13:08:00.000-04:00

Dreaming of the Springs

2011-06-15T13:06:00.002-04:00

I really do. Dream of Wakulla Springs. The shade trees, the COOOLLDD water, the light breezes. At 9:00pm last night it was still NINETY-THREE DEGREES outside. And at noon today it's... wait for it, wait for it... 97. NINETY-SEVEN. The high today is suppose to top somewhere around 103 and teamed with, what I'm sure is 183% humidity, there is no where I'd rather be right now than WAKULLA SPRINGS. So now that you're all caught up on the weather...

I hadn't been in about two or three years, so the boys, their girls, and I loaded the coolers and took the 20 minute drive from our house last week (yes it's only 20 minutes, I have no excuses). WHAT JOY!! We got there early so it wasn't very crowded, but it was OH, SO, COLD. I couldn't manage to get in past my waist and even then my legs were numb. But the kids jumped off the high dive, sat in the sun, swam to the floating platform, thawed in the sun until around 2:30pm when it got REALLY crowded and we left.

I'm counting the minutes til I can go back. The boys are in Panama City Beach right now, but I'm thinking Friday. Yep, Friday is the day!!

Don't these make you want to hang out there everyday!!

Class of 2012... check it out!!

2011-06-11T20:50:00.000-04:00

Want a bunch of fun photo shoots your senior year?

Click HERE.

DVD artwork

2011-06-11T19:27:00.000-04:00

Did you know that if you purchase a DVD of images, you get a custom printed DVD (no labels)? Yep!!

Here are a few samples of artwork I've created for clients...

I've been so happy with the quality of printing. And you will too!!! :)

Sneaky of three seniors

2011-06-11T19:21:00.000-04:00

I needed to get away

2011-06-11T18:41:00.001-04:00

And after a very sweet invitation from Jess, I got away!! Whoop Whoop!!

I did nothing but take a few photos, read from the book that Tyler got me for Mother's Day, and stare blankly into the horizon as the sun blazed my skin. Loved it!!

Tyler and Jess, on the other hand, spent a lot of time in the water.

Oliver Hobbs Concert #61

2011-06-11T18:04:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I'm not really sure if it's the 61st Oliver Hobbs Concert... the program is in the car. But I'm pretty close I think. This concert was started to honor one of Leon's former band directors and continues each year as the end of the year presentation for the Concert and Symphonic Bands. This year there were a couple of wonderful additions...

Percussion Ensembles:

And also a presentation to the Leon School Board for their very generous donation towards our new uniform drive which allowed us to reach our goal of $57,000. So we all know what that means... NO MORE HEAVY WOOL UNIFORMS IN AUGUST!! I'm a little sad about it because Tyler wore that uniform when he was in high school and now Chance has worn it for two years. They are unique and allowed us to stand out among the other bands. I remember when the full band used to HIGH STEP onto the field for their half-time shows... it was AWESOME and always gave me chills.

And I just love this one... one of the drum majors for marching band and also a senior, it was her very last high school concert. She will be very missed.

Free Day - the old capitol

2011-06-11T17:25:00.000-04:00

Tyler and I have been trying to spend one day a week doing something fun. He always wants to go the movies, but today, I talked him into going to tour the old capitol. I pass by it, sometimes, 6 times a day and have always wondered what it look like inside.

It's BEAUTIFUL!! It's hard to believe that when the new capitol was being built in the late 1970s that it took weeks of protesting to stop the planned demolition of this historic building. The main rooms have been restored to how it would have looked in 1912. If you get a chance this summer, go visit... great idea especially on those hot, humid days!!

Wet Paint

2011-06-11T17:17:00.000-04:00

Tyler and I have been painting this week. The color is a little loud but the house looks soooo good with a fresh coat of paint. One of my neighbors came over while we were painting and told me that it was his favorite color. Ha!

Of course, Falcor is always happy when he gets to go outside. We just have to make sure he has his little tarp to lay on since he won't sit down in the dirt. Ha! Ha!

Spring Babies

2011-06-04T21:24:00.000-04:00

Well, it's late Spring, but I saw these beauties while on my way to work this week. THERE WERE BABIES!!!

The photos are a little blurry, mainly because I was SOOOO excited!!! The only other time I've ever caught a glimpse of a wild turkey (besides the bottled kind) was about a year ago when we were at a deserted park on the north side of town. Chance and I were walking down a huge hill trying to find the water and I guess we scared it because it jumped out of the bushes and flew off into the woods. So really, I didn't see it at all because I was blinded by the screams coming from my throat.

One of the best concerts you'll ever see

2011-05-29T14:44:00.000-04:00

If you know anything about my family, it's that there's alot of music going on. All music. All the time.

My boys are both percussionists, play guitar, bass, keyboards, and more so between marching band and concert band, there just happens to be a LOT of concerts to go to each school year. And I didn't even mention the various bands they are involved in...

However, this group (including my baby Chance) is always MY FAV. The music, the energy, the FANTASTIC entertainment leaves you ALWAYS wanting more.

They are CANBOULAY... Leon's Advanced Steel Band.

Beach Portraits

2011-05-11T10:22:00.000-04:00

This is about the closest beach I have found to Tallahassee.

Chance and I took off late one Friday afternoon to check it out.

So. Dying. To. Go. Again.

I'm planning a trip there in the next couple of weeks.

It's a great, no-very-far drive from the city.

If your interested in portraits there, shoot me an EMAIL and let me know which day works best for you.

I'm thinking May 14, 20 and/or 21.

Photo Field Trip No. 2

2011-05-11T09:38:00.000-04:00

I've added a couple of new places to my super secret stash of great photo places. Well, not so secret. But definitely SUPER!!!!!

I met up with my friend, Mesa, yesterday morning and her two beautiful kids to scout out a hill.... that meets the sky. Which you would think would be difficult to find. But Tallahassee is not really flat like the coastline is. However, we were looking for a certain kind of hill.

A grassy hill. That meets the sky.

SUCCESS!!

Such a sweet family

2011-05-10T09:31:00.000-04:00

I received a message on FB from a fellow photog and new friend about shooting her family pictures. I WAS SO EXCITED!!

We compared dates, and check schedules, and finally realized that we were both free two days later so... arrangements were made and off we went.

Love it when things work out so quickly and easily.

They are the sweetest things. And their kids.... their kids are beautiful and funny and, um, love Goldfish and Bubbles. Thank goodness 'cause I just happen to have some of both in my bag. Haha.

Thanks so much, Mesa!! I had tooo much fun!

I had a great Mother's Day, how 'bout you?

2011-05-09T09:12:00.001-04:00

The most exciting part of my Mother's Day this year, was picking up my baby boy from the high school. Yes, it was Sunday and no, there was no school. He was returning from a FAB trip to Virginia Beach with the Steel Band.

And they won GOLD. Yay!

After I picked him up, ate some lunch and met up with the Tyler boy, we headed to a friends house for a bbq and some swimming. I hadn't REALLY planned to swim, BUUUTTT, I couldn't resist and JUMPED ALL IN.

Can you say F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G?

We live in Florida and normally are able to swim in March. And since the heat came on this Spring like the cold came on in the Fall, I definitely would have thought that the water would be oh-so-comfortable.

BUT NO.

Because we had been experiencing a cold spell. At least at night. So that meant that the water was chilly.

These friends that we were hanging with have two, sweet girls. They gave their mom photos from a shoot we had the week before...

Thanks ya'll. I had a blast!!

TWO SHOWS THIS WEEKEND --Silver Diner Kids Club

2011-05-06T11:49:00.000-04:00

Know these guys?

In case you don't (but I'm sure you do), this is Silver Diner Kids Club, an AWESOME local band here in Tallahassee. Did I say AWESOME? I should have said AWESOMENESS!!!

Richard, Ian, Parker, Spencer, Katie, and Tyler (on drums) make up this innovative pop-rock band who have really made a name for themselves in Tallahassee. They are playing not one, but TWO shows this weekend.

The first one is part of FIRST FRIDAY at Trainwreck near Railroad Square Art Park. Click HERE for the details.

The second is a really cool idea by Borders Books and Music on Apalachee and will be an acoustic set at the store on Saturday night at 7:00pm. Grab a book, a drink and enjoy. Click HERE for those details.

I hope you can make at least ONE of the shows (hopefully both) and see the AWESOMENESS that is Silver Diner Kids Club.

And in the words of Josh Bula... cool.

Tuesdays with Iris

2011-05-04T09:53:00.000-04:00

Almost every Tuesday, Iris gets out of the house. Most of the time, she goes to Lake Ella for a nice, brisk walk. And then to Black Dog Cafe for a water.

Iris is the one on the right.

A couple of times, I've tagged along. And this time, Tyler joined us. But, unforturnately, Falcor did not. It's a sad story of sibling rivalry and a bad memory of a fully-clothed swim in the lake.

This is Tyler and Jessica. And Iris on the left.

Iris belongs to Jessica's sister, but spends most of her days with her parents while her sister works. And on Tuesdays, she gets to go out. Jessica invited us to join she and her mom at the lake for a lap and a visit and I loved it. I haven't seen her mom in a while and, well, any day I get to spend some time with Jessica, is a good day.

Sweet Jessica. That's what I call her. She is absolutely, positively the sweetest, nicest, kindest, most compassionate person I know. She loves her family, her friends, her school, her community, and her environment with all that she has. It's awesome.

Tyler and Jessica met and became friends during their freshman year in high school and started dating during their senior year. I asked Tyler recently what his most favorite thing about his relationship with her (almost THREE years) is.

He squirmed and grinned as boy does when his mom asks him about his feelings. It was so cute.

"She's my best friend. She makes me laugh. I can tell her anything and everything. She lets me be me."

AWESOME!!

Killing some more time

2011-05-03T08:58:00.000-04:00

Killing time

2011-04-30T09:57:00.001-04:00

Five-Photo Fun Shoots for Mother's Day

2011-04-27T10:57:00.002-04:00

Need a gift for mom? Five-Photo Fun Shoots between now and this Sunday will be delivered on Thursday, May 5th, JUST IN TIME FOR MOTHER'S DAY.

Details:
Fifteen minutes
Five photos
Location of your choice
and includes a free 8x10.

Quick, easy, fun and... she told me that it's exactly what she wants.
Really, she did.

Please message me or text 850-329-5581 for pricing and to pick your date and time.

Did I say PERFECT GIFT? It's the perfect gift.

deep woods exploring

2011-04-27T09:11:00.001-04:00

Yes, I've been MIA lately. There's been so much going on around here that I've barely had time to check my email. So, that means, that over the next few days, I have TONS to share. It's all going to be a little out of order, but one of the best things that I ever learned when I used to scrapbook was that, if you get behind, start with the most current event and work your way backwards. And believe me, I used that piece of advice on NUMEROUS occasions. NUMEROUS. LOTS. Okay.

Chance and I took off yesterday afternoon on a little adventure. We've been trying to locate a few new places to hang out with the dog and fish. I've been nagging the boys pretty regularly lately about how they are never home and how we never do anything together anymore. School. Work (they both have jobs now). Bands. Friends. There's always something to do. So when Chance suggested that we take a little drive yesterday, I packed the dog, camera, and water bottles before he could change his mind.

And here's what we found.

It's an old dam. We had to hike through the thick, overgrown woods, past the snakes and bugs and I don't even want to know what else, until we found it. It was the coolest thing I've seen in a while. We only stayed there about a half an hour, because, as awesome as it was, the stench of the stagnant water was too much for me to take. And I can take a lot. Normally, stuff like that doesn't bother me. But it was bad. But it was also soooo cool.

I can't wait to go back. Preferably after a little rain.

Concert Band Rocks

2011-03-12T22:26:00.000-05:00

This morning BRIGHT AND EARLY at 8:15am, the dedicated Leon CONCERT BAND geeks met at Godby HS for their MPA Festival. Did I say bright & early? Did I mentioned 8:15am on a SATURDAY morning? Ok, good.

They were awesome!

Percussion Guys walking to the sight reading portion of the day.

I didn't get to see Symphonic Band because they played the night before these guys. But I'm sure they ROCKED IT too!

Praying

2011-03-11T19:01:00.001-05:00

For about 13 glorious minutes each afternoon, there is this golden, warm sunlight that shines through our windows. And for 13 minutes I just sit and enjoy it. It's amazing and inspiring. Really.

We have been glued to the TV news today and are praying for those that have been and are affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and all along the Pacific.

photos by http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/03/earthquake-in-japan/100022/

And 38 doctor's appointments later...

2011-03-09T18:42:00.000-05:00

We ended up in Gainesville at Shands.

I quit going to Shands with Chance about six years ago after a quite unpleasant visit with a pompous neurosurgeon. And I really should say that MOST neurosurgeons are pompous so I shouldn't have been surprised. We met most of the biggies in the South. Believe me. POMPOUS.

I quit going because all they wanted to do was poke and prod and offer no logical solution to our issues. In fact, one medical professional said that he would never do any type of procedure on Chance. Ever. Again. Yet he wanted us to return in six months for more poking and prodding.

That's when I said enough is enough.

But then Chance started having some issues this past January and our wonderful primary doc said that he wanted us to make a visit to Shands. Just because we hadn't been in a long time. And yes, he understood why we never went back, but he thought it was time.

Ok. Fine.

Shands called on a Thursday and wanted us to come on Friday. No way. So we scheduled our appointment for the following Friday. I called the ever sweet Jessica to let her know that we'd be in town and could we have lunch. She said SUREEEE! Yay!

We arrived about an hour before our 9:00am appointment. Which, if you do the math, means that we left Tally at 5:00AM!! I repeat 5:00 AAAAA.MMMMM. I spent a few minutes collecting all the items we needed like camera, nintendo ds, and ipods, then spent a few minutes putting on some makeup (don't want to scare the nice folks), and I was ready to hit the main entrance.

It was much smaller than I remember.

We signed in at neurosurgery and only had to wait about five minutes before they called us back. The did the normal stuff like checking height and weight and showed us to a very small room. Where we waited.

And waited.

Thirty-five minutes later, Dr. Pincus made his entrance along with a woman, who I think might also have been a doctor. But I wouldn't know. She didn't introduce herself.

Dr. Pincus, with his very dark spray tan and shiny suit (think George Hamilton or Charlie Crist), said to Chance that he couldn't believe how much he had grown since the last time they saw each other. I said six years and that I didn't think it was him that we saw. He said that, no, he couldn't have seen Chance because he wasn't even there six years ago. Huh. Ok. Interesting.

Obviously he didn't look at the chart.

The doc then asked a few questions. What had been going on? Why were we there? Any new symptoms?

Then he did a quick neuro check.

And eight minutes after Dr. Too Tan swaggered through the door, we were on our way. Yes, really.

Up at 4:00am. Drive 2.5 hours to Gainesville. Thirty five minute wait. And BAM! It's over. Yes, really.

I was in such a state of shock at what a COMPLETE and UDDER waste of my time this was that I couldn't speak for the next hour. We drove in circles. With me not speaking. Or listening.

Of course, Chance was thrilled that someone had pronounced him WELL in EIGHT minutes that he was riding high on that cloud #9.

Needless to say, we WON'T be going to Shands again any time soon. Or EVER. There were a couple of bright spots though...

And their names are JESSICA and KRYSTAL!!

Sweet Jessica met us after her class at KRYSTAL so I could drown myself in the wonderousness that is a Krystal Cheeseburger. There are no photos from Krystal except for one I took on my phone when we walked in the door. There are no photos because I was too distracted by how HAPPY I was to be at Krystal. It's been a year. And I've missed them. Yes, really.

After we ate, Jess took us to this really cool Pizza place called Satchels. We didn't eat again (I promise). We went there because they have this really cool store with lots of cool stuff. And lots of cool, old junk and collections EVERYWHERE. See photos.

Thank you Jess, Krystal and Satchels for making me a happy day. Pincus who?

New look

2011-02-21T15:11:00.001-05:00

So you might have noticed a few changes around here. New logo. New header on the blog. I am constantly trying to keep everything up-to-date and was so inspired by our little trip on Friday that I have to contain myself from posting all of the 268 photos I took that day because I just LOVE them all. The weather is gorgeous and it makes me want to move outside. Or go camping. I'm almost afraid to get too excited about the highs in the upper 70s for fear that it brings on some sort of blizzard. And while that might have been welcomed a few weeks ago (because what Floridian doesn't like SNOW), I am so over it.

Here's what I've been working on today:

Oh, and I'm also working on a great offer for those of you who are thinking about booking a session. I'm planning to post it tomorrow so check back and see what's up with that.

Hope you all have a sun-shiny day!

Hydration for the soul

2011-02-20T16:46:00.002-05:00

Chance and I decided that we needed some water. To be near some water. To look at some water. We had both had a rather bizarre week. So, after an appointment on Friday, off we went, a mere 14 miles from our house to the coast. It's not the typical Gulf beaches. It was magically secluded and worked wonders on our souls .

Now we are ready to have a glorious week. Hope you have a great one too.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T15:24:00.000-05:00

The Flu, some phone photos, and a video

2011-02-09T10:14:00.000-05:00

I have the flu. The coughing, sneezing, wheezing, headache, body aching flu.

So, because I haven't been able to pick up my camera in about 4 days, I thought it might be fun to upload some of the photos from my phone and share. Cool, huh? I know, probably not cool, but I'm delirious from the fever and a little stir crazy so indulge me, please. :)

I took this a few weeks ago when we were at the auto insurance office. These traps were right above the door where we had to enter the office. And having had to live with critters in the attic in the past, I can only guess that these are SQUIRREL traps. The fact that they were wrapped in black plastic and duct tape was curious, though.

This is Sun Drop. For those of you not familiar with it, it is a lemony-lime sort of Mountain Dew type drink
that used to only be available in Tennessee, and I think Kentucky. Tim was addicted to these for YEARS
and we would bring back cases of the stuff when we would visit the family. He, long ago, kicked the habit,
but we'll see how it goes now that Sun Drop can now be purchased at your local Winn Dixie.

These are our bikes that were stolen (except the small one leaning on the house that has a flat tire)
last Sunday. I loved my bike and hope to be reunited with it one day. But I won't hold my breath.

If you think I take a lot of photos with my camera of Chance fishing,
then you should see the ones that are on my phone. He is a master.

A moment of weakness (on my part) prompted this little swim for Falcor. He wanted to go in sooo bad
that I gave in since he hadn't been swimming since the whole Lake Ella-Duck Butt Biting incident
of 2009 in which Tyler jumped in to save him, fully clothed and with his phone in his pocket.
We had to buy a new phone. And new glasses that day.

Now the video. It's of Falcor and his neurotic personality.

Part two...

Cute Photo Valentines

2011-02-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I come across a great photo idea that I just can't help but share. And I love this one.

I saw this yesterday in my blog reader and also posted in on my Facebook page, but thought I would include the instructions here.

Settings and camera mode aren't as important for taking this photo as getting really close to his fist to achieve the fun distortion.

Grab your widest lens (smallest mm # on the lens). I used my Canon 17-40mm L.
Shoot in whatever mode you like, even Auto will work for this!
If you choose a wide aperture (small f/ number) his face will blur.
If you choose a narrow aperture (large f/number) more of his face will be in focus.
Have your Valentine outstretch his fist, a bit to the side so his face isn't blocked.
Get as close to the fist as you can while still maintaining focus.
Shoot.
Shoot again, just in case!

This one was resized to 4x6" and added Jesse Edwards Doodles Hearts Brushes and a little text. You can also use online photo editors to achieve the same look, like Piknik or a free download like Picasa. Print them at your favorite retail photo center and let your child write his name and the date on the back with a felt tip marker..

A quick two cuts along his hand, the addition of a Tootsie Roll Lollipop and Valentine's Day cards are done! Love them. And I've completely re-thought the whole my-kids-are-too-old-for-this thing... while they don't have classmates to give these to, they will still be fun to give to friends and family.

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet

2011-02-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

It's raining. 100%. And I'm sick and it's probably the flu since everyone in my family and a few friends either have it or have had it.

Yay. And since it's raining, I don't mind being sick. It's a good reason to stay inside, curled up in front of the heater, and tucked in my quilts watching the America's Next Top Model marathon on Bravo.

Except. Yeah, there's always an exception to just about everything around here.

The dog. Who becomes so FULL of anxiety when it rains that he will NOT go outside. He stands on the inside of the screen door on the back porch and stares.

And if I force him to go out, he just stands in one place in the muddiest part of the yard and stares, getting all wet, and hoping I will open the door so he can run in the house with his muddy feet and jump in my chair. Every time. You would think that one of us would have learned from this by now.

I'm glad you stopped by... Happy Monday!

Lazy Sunday with a small dose of adrenaline

2011-02-06T23:21:00.000-05:00

It all began very innocently. I was able to get most of the photos from the concert on Friday processed and uploaded yesterday, so I was looking forward to hanging out in front of my computer screen and reading all the interesting stuff I've bookmarked this week. I do that a lot... bookmark pages for later... it's kinda like my version of TIVO for the internet. And the subject matter is as wide as it is long. I'm an eclectic internet reader.

Chance had a few things to do this morning and then he was off to spend the afternoon with his dad. I knew I would have about 6 hours of uninterrupted quiet time to myself. Bliss.

Then I heard it.

About 2 hours in, I heard a noise around the side of the house. I immediately jumped up, unwound myself from the various computer wires that had become wrapped around my feet and looked out the open blinds to see two teenage boys riding off on our bikes. The bikes that have only been here for 8 days.

Yep. That's right.

I ran around to the side door, but by the time I could get there, they had already gone through a patch of trees across the street and were casually strolling down the street. On our bikes. In broad daylight. On a Sunday afternoon.

I called 911 and said, very calmly. There's been a robbery at my house.

That's when the dog got out because I had run out of the house and left the doors open. Perfect.

An officer showed up about 4 minutes later and after getting a brief description of the bikes, took off to search the surrounding neighborhoods. I live on a very busy street corner with lots of foot traffic. And lots of cookie cutter houses. It reminds me of the theme song to Weeds:

Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same
There’s a green one and a pink one and a blue one and a yellow one
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.

So the officer didn't have any luck finding our bikes or the two lovely boys who took them. So if you see a teenage boy about 14 riding around on a purple beach cruiser with big white flowers on the frame and a gel seat, give me a call. My only hope is that his friends make fun of him for riding an old lady bike. And I'm pretty sure that Chance's bike needs brake work and has a warped wheel. Good luck with that, buddy.

Six bands, one night

2011-02-05T23:23:00.000-05:00

Last night, Chance and I went to Floyd's Music Store (not a real store) to watch some friends (and my son) play in the Local Showcase.

Amazing.
WARNING: heavy photo post ahead. :)

Forever and Always were the headliners and are also working on their CD this weekend in the studio. Other bands that rocked on Friday...

Tourist (Alternative/Indie powerful live set)
Hooray For Autumn (Debut Show!)
Here For Today (Formerly Mayhem Drive)
Alive At Last (New local rock music)
Silver Diner Kids Club (Chill-Pop)

Today's sweet snaps:

This is Dave. He's beast.

The crowd was like a Leon Band reunion.

Tyler playing with Silver Diner Kids Club.

My life is average

2011-02-04T13:57:00.002-05:00

If average is spending an entire week driving your kid to SEVEN various doctor's appointments for his multiple ailments.

And if average is dinner and a movie night where you actually spend more time watching YOUTUBE videos than the actually movie.

And if average is a dog that likes to be swaddled in a fleece blanket

and drink straight from the bottle.

TGIF! Happy weekend! Looking for something to do?

Join us at Floyd's TONIGHT at 7:00pm...

Forever & Always (Playing 2 new songs!)
Tourist (Alternative/Indie powerful live set)
Hooray For Autumn (Debut Show!)
Here For Today (Formerly Mayhem Drive)
Alive At Last (New local rock music)
Silver Diner Kids Club (Chill-Pop) (Tyler playing drums)

More details HERE.

They'll call us blanket buddies

2011-01-31T10:07:00.000-05:00

Three people x 12 photos = a massive challenge.

I say that because every time we would plan to get together, I would have GREAT plans to take our photo. I would plan to put makeup on. I would plan where we would sit. I would plan to fix my hair. I would plan what we would be doing. Plan, plan, plan, plan, plan.

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. -Robert Burns

I gave up. This month has been crazy. Tyler moved and bought a car. Chance was sick for about 23 days and had to have a bunch of testing done. And me, well, I promise that I did put on makeup and fix my hair several times, however, it never seemed to be at the same time that I could take a photo.

And since I don't want to skip the VERY first month of my project, here it is.

I can't believe that I'm even posting this. But look at this one (not too hard) and just imagine the ones that I rejected, deleted and swear on my Scott Kelby Photoshop Book for Photographers that no other photos from this day will ever see the light of day.

I took this photo at Tyler's apartment during the last week of the month when he and Chance were both sick. I went by the check on him and take him some medicine and just generally make sure that he was okay. It took me 20 minutes to convince them to lay on the bed so that I could take the photo. And another 15 minutes to get them to get under the blanket. I thought it would be funny, but mostly it just tested all my patience.

Boys: "They'll call us blanket buddies."

Me: "I don't care."

a side of chilly

2011-01-24T13:57:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, Chance and I decided to get out of the house and enjoy a full plate of sunshine with a side of chilly. And for the first time in MONTHS (I know, I'm a bad fur-mommy), we took Falcor with us.

Can you tell how excited he was? Just look at those ears, all bouncy and free!

And he even made a new friend.

Blue Skies and Sunlight

2011-01-22T01:26:00.000-05:00

And around the corner...

Hallelujah! Chance and I really needed these blue skies today. He hasn't been feeling well and it's been raining and cold and we needed to get out of the house. So we loaded up the dog, the cooler and the camera and headed to a couple of our favorite fishing spots.

It definitely perked us both up. There was a little chill in the air that made our cheeks all nice and rosy. And, of course, Falcor had a blast and just about ripped my arm off several times while trying to go swimming.

The funniest moment of the day was when we were headed to Tyler's this afternoon, we were stopped at a red light, and we realized that this particular intersection at Apalachee and Magnolia had the new red light cameras. And when they flashed, Chance absolutely went HYSTERICAL, laughing and yelling at the people that will soon be receiving a photo in the mail of their infractions. He cracks me up.

Absolutely ADORE that boy.

Amen. Goodnight.

Sometimes it's just gray

2011-01-21T23:45:00.001-05:00

Normally, when I take a photo, I warm it up in post processing. I adjust the tones, take out the gray, and make it pretty.

But sometimes, when it's been raining and cold for weeks, I realized that you need to just leave it gray. It reflects the moment. The mood. The day.

Makes me appreciate the blue skies and sunlight I know is just around the corner.

Neighborhood Watch

2011-01-20T18:47:00.000-05:00

Well, the weather has finally warmed up a little, but it's been raining for days now. And when it's not raining, it' so foggy that I can't see my mailbox. I did hear on the news tonight that December 2010 and January 2011 were in the top 5 for the coldest months EVER in Tallahassee.

Yes, I was aware of that. And I have the electric bill to prove it. I'm pretty sure that my heat didn't turn off for 8 long, cold days in December.

But things are looking up, at least for the next couple of days. And I happen to see this little cutie yesterday in my neighbor's yard, just hangin' out, keepin' an eye on things.

Did you know that I have a Facebook Page?

2011-01-19T07:12:00.000-05:00

That's right. My plans for this page are to announce blog posts and giveaways and anything else that I might find interesting going on. Follow this link to like me!

sapysnaps photography {steph york}

And thank you so much to those who have already liked me and for those who continue to support what I do each and every day!!

Today's task: Orientation

2011-01-18T23:32:00.000-05:00

He's all moved in

2011-01-16T23:04:00.000-05:00

He put the art on the walls before he moved in a single box.

It was the first thing he brought over to the new place that he will now call home. I was appalled. Both by the fact that he wanted to put nails in the wall before he knew where the furniture would go and by the fact that he will now call somewhere else home. I tried to convince him to wait, both on the move and on putting the pictures up first, but gave in on both fronts. He's an adult, I keep telling myself, and he is smart, clever, and capable. Just let go... let him put the art up on the wall.

It brought back a memory of an old Roseanne episode when Darlene moved to the city. While Roseanne was helping her middle child unpack her things, Darlene insisted on putting her socks in the bottom drawer. Darlene was always the rebellious child and wouldn't be convinced to follow the unspoken rule that the socks go in the top drawer (we all know it's true). This drove Roseanne insane, but she gave in until the end, when she climbed out of bed after Darlene had fallen asleep and moved all the socks to the top drawer.

This episode kept playing in my mind all day while the boys and sweet Jess were moving in all the furniture. I was whispering to myself all day -- I can't believe he put the art on the wall. It's never going to work. What are we going to do? We don't have spackle or extra paint to cover the holes that he made. OH NO! Here comes the dresser... oh, well, that looks okay. But the bed, that's never going to... wait, that looks good. By the time they got it all in and put where TYLER wanted it to go, it was PERFECT. It looked great. WOW! Who knew?!?

He was right.

Bed against the wall because that's where he wanted it.

But I have to confess something that you have to promise not to tell him. He has this built in area near his closet that has drawers. So while he, Chance and Jess were gone to pickup another load of boxes, I quickly unpacked all his clothes and put the socks... can you guess? I had been through enough with the move, the art, and the idea that my first born now has his own place that I couldn't stand the thought that they would end up somewhere other than the top drawer.

P. S. And after downloading the photos from the weekend's activities, I've realized something. And it's this.

That as much as my baby child, Chance, drives me insane with his plans, his change of plans, and his changing of those plans, we would not have been able to get everything done this weekend if it were not for him. I love this photo... Tyler has great light in the apartment.

Chance has the energy and the drive to finish that makes us all feel just enough guilt to get up and get it done. He hauled boxes down the stairs and then back up the stairs. No, I've got it, Mom. You go sit down, Mom. Let me do it, Mom. He is my baby. And I thank God every day for sending him to me.

And FYI... the little panic attack of yesterday is over and I'm moving on. I've battled the pile of junk that landed in my dining room on Friday and Saturday, organized it, and just about put it all away. I've left the three keepsake buckets there in case I run across anything else that needs to be put into them. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

just wanted to let you know

2011-01-14T22:00:00.001-05:00

that I hate moving more than anything in this world. And it's not me that's moving, it's Tyler. But we still had a few (or so I thought) things left at the apartment. Chance and I made THREE trips this afternoon to our house with carloads of JUNK that I just can't seem to part with yet. Mostly old papers and keepsakes that need to be looked through before trashing. So now my clutter-free happy place is wall-to-wall buckets of... oh, what does it matter. My house is closing in on me and I'm thinking I need to sign up for garbage service now so I don't have to put any of it back in the car.

Missed me much?

2011-01-13T11:41:00.001-05:00

Yes, I've been MIA for the last few days and I've got lost of excuses why. Here are the top ten:

Grocery shopped
Had a carpet picnic at Tyler's new apartment
Applied to Tallahassee Community College and filled out my FAFSA.
Cindy came by for a visit.
Saw the Capital City Kingsmen Drumline at their January camp
Processed the 300 images I took at the camp (I posted them on FB photo page here)
Sold Tyler's jeep.
Drove Tyler to look at a T-bird.
Drove Tyler to buy a T-bird.
Rode with Tyler to have his utilities turned on, change his insurance, registration and title, have his car washed, get a couple of new tires and an oil change.

Excuses not reasons. Ha ha. That was preached to me by my dad when I was younger because I was always late. And I had lots of excuses.

But that having been said, I must have really been busy because generally I don't sleep that much, not more than 4 or 5 hours a night, and I CRASHED last night about 10:00pm. And slept until 6:30am. Bliss.

That was until I pulled back the covers this morning and the frigid conditions in my house hit me in the face like a ton a bricks. Chance has a small heater in his room and I rushed in and curled up beside it until the shock wore off. Which took about 20 minutes. And then Chance started yelling at me to get in the car and take him to school. Kids, right?

So besides Tyler getting an apartment, selling a car, buying a car, drum camp, and work --and Chance's school days, hanging out with his girlfriend (thanks Cindy), dismantling an xbox, planning his next big project and foaming at the mouth over Tyler's t-bird -- my big news is this...

I'M HEADED BACK TO SCHOOL.

And that's why I've been MIA. Yep. It was a little scary on Monday when I went to take the College Placement Test (scored much better than I thought I would and no remedials for me, btw) to realize that I'm old enough to be most of those kid's MOTHER. And I had to laugh as I maneuvered through the throngs of all those new students who were trying to figure out what had to be done next, just like me. Application. Check. CPT. Check. Financial Aid. Check Check.

I just hung up with enrollment services and I'm all set except for those pesky transcripts, which were sent to TCC on Tuesday by my last school. Now just waiting on them to be posted so I can officially register. Yay! And my schedule should be manageable since I already have a lot of basic classes completed. Double yay!

Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you about the new occupant in our house...

photos made with blackberry phone

Chance's sweet girlfriend got him a build-a-bear MONKEY named Scarlett with a recording of her voice in it's left arm. There's a little giggle she made at the end of the recording and it cracks me up every time I hear it. She arranged to leave it on his bed so he'd be surprised when he got back home on Sunday. And boy, was he surprised. The little thing is wearing a Paris shirt with a frilly, black skirt and has this tuft of hair sticking straight up. The MONKEY I mean... not CHANCE.

He had made her one for Christmas and named it Patrick and gave it to her a little early so she would have it for the holidays. Now they have a matching pair, boy and girl, to keep them company. So sweet. :)

And here are a few pics of Ty's new car. The first is of him driving it for the first time and then one of him parked at the utility company. The last one is not of Tyler, but of the squirrel traps on the building of the insurance company. I took it because I've gotta get me some of those. Seriously.

photos made with blackberry phone

I'm off to wait with Tyler at the new place for the utility guy to light the pilot lights. If you are still reading, I do have a little bit of a surprise coming... I'm having a giveaway in honor of 2011 and those who are graduating this year. I have a little soft spot in my heart right now for those that are closing one door and opening another. I'll post the details soon.

I hope your day is joyful and that you are near some source of heat that keeps your hearts (and your hands) warm.

2011 Photo Projects - my final answer

2011-01-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

Ok, so after a hideous FAIL at Project 365 last year, where I only took photos for the month of January {and I actually cheated with myself because I kept forgetting :) but I'm very competitive that way}, I've been looking for a stress free way of documenting my families time together. I've looked and looked through blog posts and flickr groups and found that there are a lot of options and supportive groups around. Of course, P365 and P52 are the most popular, but I'm always trying to find a new and unique way of doing things. It's just how I roll.

And here's what I've decided after reading this blog post by Miss Kim. She too failed. We are sisters in the P365 fail group, if there was one. Hmm. Maybe I should start one. I'll have to think about that.

What she decided was that because of school, work, and general busy-ness during the week, that she would document her family's weekends. Because that's when they spend their time together... hiking, playing games, and just hanging out.

AND THAT'S ME TOO! I feel like I hardly see my kids during the week and I don't want to just make up some photo of my keys on the table next to my sunglasses because I've got nothing for that day. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just not for me.

So, I'm going to post the photos here {2011} a year of weekends each week. And even though the first photo in the album is one that I posted last week in another album, my goal is to only put pics in this album that I don't post anywhere else. Starting today. Yep.

But I have another project too. And this is going to be the hardest one of all I'm afraid. But I think it is the most important one. I follow a blog by Tara Whitney who is a photographer in Orange County, CA. Last year, she decided that it was important that she step from behind the camera and join her family photos. Her six people twelve times project has inspired me to do the same. Like most photographers, I shy away from being in the images because of too many reasons to list here. I can count on my hands {and maybe one toe} how many times we've had a photo with just the three of us and yet, I could not tell you the number of times I've turned down the opportunity to have someone take our picture. Plus that's what self-timer is for. And now that my kids are getting older, it makes me sad to think that they won't have pictures of us together... laughing, hugging, hanging.

And how else will they make fun of my hair and clothes twenty years from now? So, if you are still reading this and wondering where the picture is, here ya go...

Don't judge me, but this is the last picture that I remember that had the three of us in it. And I had beach hair. It was 2 1/2 years ago. There may have been one after church about 18 months ago, but I can't find it which means I probably didn't like the way I looked. I hope I didn't delete it.

But I'm afraid I did.

and he took a header off the exam table...

2011-01-06T17:48:00.001-05:00

Well, well, it's been an interesting day around the York household. It all began around 8:30a yesterday when Chance started texting me that his knee was bothering him for the 324 time. Plus he has the knot on his lower right eye. And some other issues that I've been waiting for our checkup date to talk to the doctor.

But since I knew he would drive me crazy, I decided to call yesterday and find out how soon I could bring him in. And they had a 10:45a for today. So I took it knowing that this would appease him for the moment. Thirty minutes later he texted that he didn't think he could stay at school so I headed back there to pick him up.

And then forced him to stay in the bed for the next 24 hours.

We were running late as usual this morning and trying to get to the doctor's office without being tooooo late and finding out that we would have to go the long way around because there was ANOTHER bank robbery in Tallahassee today. We finally made it and were only 4 minutes late. Whoo Hoo!!

Then we waited. And waited. And waited to be seen. We waited a full hour before they even called us to do weight and temps. But luckily our wonderful doc joined us soon after we were put into a room. We discussed Chance's many ailments and were in the middle of deciding what the best course of action would be. He was sitting quietly on the exam table with his legs dangling off the edge when it happened.

Chance: Mom, remember that time I got that shot right before 8th grade? I feel weird like that.
Me: Gosh, you look really pale.

The doc turned around on his rolly stool and checked the pulse in his foot.

Doc: Your pulse is really low.

Chance's eyes glazed over and he leaned forward and promptly fell head first off the table like he was doing a flippy off the diving board. Not backwards or sideways. FORWARD!

The doc caught him before his head hit the floor.

Me: Ahhhhhhh! Are you okay?
Chance: What just happened?
Doc: You had a vagus (something-or-other I don't remember).
Me: What's that?
Doc: He fainted. And then rebooted.

We managed to get him back up onto the table with his knees propped up and he started coming around. He was clammy and lightheaded. And I was freakin' out 'cause I could have sworn he was having a seizure and the doc thought so too at first. But he assured me that he really did think that it was probably just a fainting spell and that it was a fluky thing. Maybe.

Chance laid there a little while longer while they checked his blood pressure (fine), got him some water, and generally regain control of his faculties.

How often does it happen that your child has some crazy, weird thing happen in the doctor's office and the DOC is right THERE to catch him as he falls. Thanks goodness, huh?

Usually I take a photo of Chance when we go to the doctor, sitting on the exam table, because I think it's funny that his feet almost touch the floor. But not today. Today I will leave you with this photo that I took while he was fishing the other day... I swear that the first thought that came to mind was are there bears around here? That's my foot next to the print and it's not a dainty foot, boys and girls. It's a 10 1/2 wide. So this animal footprint was HUGE. And if it was a bear and the bear is now wondering around town...well, that would be about as big of a shock as that one time when Chance took a header off the exam table at the doctor's office. God bless. Amen. The end.

An inaugural event

2011-01-05T03:37:00.001-05:00

So I went to the inauguration of Rick Scott as Florida's 45th governor yesterday and if you missed it, don't worry about it. Thank goodness for the bands. THE BANDS! The bands really turned this day around and made it fun.

WARNING: This post is SUPER heavy with photos. Enjoy!

1. Elephants in downtown Tally. 2. But the circus followed the MASS MEDIA. 3. Renamed the streets. 4. El Governor 5. La Lt. Governor 6. THE people. 7. Walking the route in stilletos. Actually she rode in a car until she almost reached the grandstand. Ha. 8. Rick Scott Way aka Porta Potty Place.

I have to say that it was really cool to see the tactical teams on the roofs and agents with earwigs in the crowd. MEDIA EVERYWHERE. The photographers. With big lenses and fannypacks. Gotta get me one of those. And then there were those just trying to make a buck... newsboy, buttonman, and cotton candy vendor.

The little tyke was riding in one of the family cars that brought officials to the grandstand.

Finally, the PARADE! Music, dancing, and loud DRUMMING.

Then LEON came on scene.

Caught them on the walk back to the school too!

All in all, good photos made it a good day.

at the pond #34912

2011-01-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

Chance begged and begged to go fishing today. He guilted me into because it's the last day of his Christmas break. It's cold, I said. He quickly stated that I could sit in the car. Oh fun, I thought.

It really was an absolutely, beautiful day even if it was a little chilly. And I did sit in the car for a little bit. But then I realized that we were probably going to be there for a while so I got my camera and headed to the water. So here are the required photos of Chance fishing.

One day, I'm going to post a recap of the last six years he has spent at this pond. But not today.

So, then I'm all, like, now what? Looking around, all I can see are dead plants, bushes and tree things. I tell myself to look hard. Try to see something that you might normally overlook. And lookey what I found. Knockout Roses... only there are no blooms. Just the bush. And what's left of the flowery part looks like a star. And, of course, the thorns are still there. I'm pretty sure that this is not a new discovery, but I was pretty darn pleased with myself. Ha ha. Beautiful color amongst all that dead brown-ness.

And. Does anyone know what kind of duck this is? It swims underwater. At first I thought it was one of those snake birds. But they have longer beaks and narrower heads. I figure I could spend hours on the internet trying to figure it out, but I have stuff in my reader that needs to be read. Can you help?

Let me know. It's the coolest, freakiest duck I've ever seen.

published

2011-01-03T21:45:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that I forgot to share this very cool news with everyone. I guess with the holidays and all, I just plain forgot. BUT... luckily I found this in the car today...

The photo editor at Leon sent me a message and asked could they use some of the photos that I took during the PAWS concerts in the paper and of course, I said ABSOLUTELY!! The paper was distributed the last day of classes before the break and it is also online at Leon High Life.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T23:48:00.002-05:00

TODAY
January 1, 2011
the first day of the new year
a great year
always a better year than the last year.

Kids happy and healthy. Check.
Dog happy and healthy. Check Check.
Couple of goals set. Check Check Check.

I did make the deadline that I set for myself of getting the website up and running by today {9:33pm is still today, thank you very much!} And I realized that after five days of going through all my files that I took a BUNCH of photos last year! And I'm looking forward to taking a bunch more this year.

Thanks to my friend, Cindy, I finally left the house last night to celebrate and ring in the new year in a proper manner. You know what I mean... football, food, and fireworks. Oh and fun. And firepit.

Watching the ball drop ....

Midnight noise from the boys...

Party friends...

Happy 2011 ya'll... hope it's all you want it to be.

Thanks to all those who read this blog. It's still new and in a constant state of remodel lately, but I really appreciate all those who stop by now & then.

I have a dotcom!

2011-01-01T20:44:00.002-05:00

That's what Tyler gave to me!!

Ok, so maybe it's not the same as the other dotcoms, but that's what makes SPECIAL!! And we've spent the last week putting a really cool flash website together so that all the photo biz info and galleries are in one place. Oh, I still have the blog too. But am sooooo thrilled to have a great site where I can send clients and friends who want to know more about what I do . Check it out!

sapysnaps.com

Let me know what you think!

and tyler gave to me...

2010-12-29T18:31:00.003-05:00

you'll just have to wait and see! yes, I'm a poet.

Hopefully {fingers crossed} it will be ready on Saturday. I can't wait. I'm so excited. How will I ever contain myself for three more days?

I'll leave you today with this tiny photo of me from our low key, no stress, all night Monopoly UBuild Christmas Eve. It was really great. I can admit now that the boys and I stayed up until 4:00AM Christmas morning playing this game. And then all the next day. And the next... well you get the picture.
Chance got me this great cookbook called The Pioneer Woman Cooks that's so much more than a cookbook. Her name is Ree and she started a blog a little over three years ago {I found her a couple of months after she starting blogging because of her photography} about her life as a ranch wife and homeschooling mother of four. It has pictures from her life and the ranch. Oh, and food.

She's a pretty huge player in the blogging world now and even has another book coming out in February that tells the story of how she met her husband, then married him, and then moved to the ranch in the middle of Oklahoma. It's called Black Heels to Tractor Wheels which started as a post on her blog. She would post chapters of the story every couple of months and then finally compiled it into a book. And she sold the movie rights. Yeah.

Check her out here.... The Pioneer Woman.

cabin fever

2010-12-28T02:05:00.000-05:00

No, I haven't been anywhere except Walgreens in about three days. I have been working sooooo hard on a few projects that I hope to unveil on New Year's Day! Yay! I did take the dog on a walk today around the block instead of the typical just let him out the back door. I needed to stretch my legs a little and breath in some fresh {albiet FRIGID} air. I didn't even take my camera with me... believe it or not! So instead I will leave you with this cute picture of Tyler and Jessica on Christmas Eve. She looked so cute and brought me the most adorable ornament for Christmas. THANKS Jess!! It was great to see your sweet face.

great tallahassee blizzard of 2010

2010-12-26T13:42:00.001-05:00

Chance and I left the house this morning because the word on the street {i.e. facebook} was that it was snowing in Tallahassee. We knew it probably wouldn't make it to our house and we didn't want to miss it so we headed north as fast as we could. In our pjs.

But we only had to go as far as midtown to find the flurries that made my baby squeal like a little girl. Merry Christmas, sweet boy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-25T16:56:00.000-05:00

Oh, and btw, eating leftovers and using TWO plates. Just for me. Keepin' it real. Just sayin'.

Spin Cycle

2010-12-23T01:59:00.001-05:00

The face of laundry businesses have changed since the last time I visited one about 10 years ago. They are open 24 hours, have super, huge, monster-sized machines, flat screens on every wall, air-conditioning, and these cards that you swipe on the machine instead of feeding that 10 pound pocket of quarters you've always saved for laundry day. Oh and did I mention WIFI? Yes, free WIFI!

Wash-Around-the-Clock, Tallahassee, FL

She really loves me... she just won't admit it

2010-12-22T18:50:00.001-05:00

Meet my friend, Gabby. She is a member of the Bond's family. Whenever I go to their house, I try desperately to get her to let me pet her. I talk baby talk to her, sing her songs, and dance the hokey pokey. Most of the time, she runs and hides behind her momma. But sometimes.... sometimes, she lets me reach waaayyyy across the table and rub her sweet face. And then she runs and hides behind her momma.

The gift for anyone and everyone!

2010-12-21T20:41:00.003-05:00

Christmas is in 3 days, 3 hours, 21 minutes, 23 seconds. And this gift will last a lifetime.

It really is the perfect choice for family, friends, babies, kids, teens, young adults, grads, and more!

Kids growing up too fast? Document this time now. Family growing? Capture those moments. Birthday coming up? Make them feel special. Graduating soon? Be proud and show it. Do you have a best friend that you want to remember always? These are the days.

Call or email and we can customize your photo shoot however you want. Also can create a one-of-a-kind certificate for Christmas, birthday, etc. Just allow 24 hours for customizing and printing.

How can you get one you ask? Call, text, or email me. Like Santa, I deliver. You can also pick it up, have it emailed, or snail mailed.

12 drummers drummin'

2010-12-19T21:09:00.000-05:00

Actually, there were more than that... like 25 drummers, marimbas, bass, cymbals. But I like to keep with the season of things. The Capital City Kingsmen held their December Boot Camp over the weekend at Boot Camps To Go.

Really? A place to voluntarily attend boot camp? There was no fancy equipment or even heat. Just a warehouse with all you really need to work out... yourself, some rope, some sort of platform thingys, and a whole host of inspirational messages on signs and even written directly on the wall. I was intrigued. But, alas, I have to say, no thanks. I have a firm workout regime that consists of exercising my arms by carrying around camera equipment and doing lifts with diet coke cans. Hoist. Beep. Snap. Raise. Sip. Enjoy

Also, with the hours that this drum corp keeps -- 8pm-6am both Friday and Saturday nights, I am the first one to admit that I am old and can't keep up. So I just took lots of pictures in the 45 minutes I was there so it looked like I was there all night. See, brains, not brawn.

However, I did bring the guys a little snack of sausage balls and brownies in honor of the Ty-Ty's birthday. The sausage balls were a hit. And there were about 6 or 7 left in the bowl. Here is the conversation that followed:

me: There are a few sausage balls left. Does anyone want them?
dylan: OO-OO-OO-- I'll take them.
me: Ok come and get them.
dylan: Oh, that's more than a couple. Well, ok, I'll just stick them in my pocket.

And, like the memories I have of my 8 year old boys putting all their stuff in their pockets, that's exactly what he did. PRECIOUS!

Oh, and pretty sure the guy doing sit ups dropped his sticks. Reminded me of band camp.

my new business cards

2010-12-19T14:52:00.000-05:00

what'cha think?

Rachel and Chance at the Railroad

2010-12-18T22:39:00.000-05:00

Well, the exams are over so I headed over the tracks to celebrate with Rachel and Chance. They are two people who really make photography easy.

It was a messy day but a F-U-N day. The rain came and went and came and went all day. And then it got HOT. Really? It's been in the teens all week, but I'm pretty sure we all broke a sweat... especially Chance. That's because he was pickin' on us so we drove off and made him run all the way to the vintage shop. Ha ha.

heater hogger

2010-12-15T22:06:00.010-05:00

We live in an old house and the central heat just can't keep up when the temps drop below 35 degrees. Today, I brought home an electric heater. I took it out of the box, plugged it in, turned it on.

And this is what happened...

He refused to move. And blocked all the heat coming out. And wouldn't even look at me. But he was so cute with his little arms folded. Just sat quietly in front of the ~~fire~~ heater.

Three hours of the most fun I ever had

2010-12-13T22:39:00.000-05:00

Leon Performing Arts Winter Showcase {PAWS} was this weekend and man, oh man, I couldn't believe how absolutely, positively TALENTED these people are! Lead by a host of band, chorus, orchestra, guitar and thespian directors, the night was filled with three hours of the best entertainment this side of the Big Bend. I had only planned on going the first night, but couldn't help myself from showing up Saturday night just in case I had missed something.

And I took loads of photos. I mean truckloads. Here's a sampling:

Of course, my sweet, baby Chance was a part of it all... and I was so happy that I caught this moment of jammin', bangin', and totally ROCKIN' that cowbell.

PAWS

2010-12-09T21:29:00.002-05:00

Leon High School's Performing Arts Winter Showcase {PAWS} is this weekend. And it's the hottest ticket in town, from what I've heard. I caught a peak at the rehearsal this afternoon and I was amazed. If you've ever been in the auditorium at Leon, you know that space is at a premium. But the performing arts folks make use of every nook and cranny to entertain.

Concert & Symphonic. Steel. Thespians. Choirs. Instrument Ensembles. Melodears. Guitars. Jazz. You name it. You'll hear it.

It's standing room only, baby.

brrrr!

2010-12-08T08:28:00.001-05:00

Really? Really!

Homemade Hot Chocolate

I made this last night and it was so very yummy! And I always add mini marshmallows to the bottom of the cup before I pour the hot chocolate. So they melt a little. Oh my. So good.

1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
4 c. milk
a bit of vanilla

Combine cocoa, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Heat it on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes, add milk and vanilla. Mix it all together until it is hot.

You're gonna love it.

jumpin'

2010-12-06T06:03:00.002-05:00

Who: Lion Steel Bands
What: a dynamic, energetic steel concert with traditional steel and metal rock music
When: Sunday, December 5

If you have never seen one of these concerts, you are definitely missing out on one of the best music experiences in Tallahassee. The Leon High School Lion Steel Bands are celebrating their 20th year and consist of 2 beginner bands, 2 adult bands, an intermediate {Jouvert}, and an advanced {Canboulay}.

Mike Wendelyn, who is the director of all these groups, announced during the concert that the Canboulay Steel Band will be travelling to Virginia Beach in the Spring to, once again, compete on a national level. In 2008, this group won every single award that was available to win. Nice, huh?

Some of these groups will be participating the PAWS {Performing Arts Winter Showcase} this coming weekend, December 10-11. They also hold a huge dinner concert in the Spring.

Come. Watch. Listen. Jump. Dance.You'll never be the same.

O Christmas Tree

2010-12-05T13:58:00.000-05:00

For every year the Christmas tree,
Brings to us all both joy and glee.

Glee... not so sure. We finally got the tree up and decorated yesterday... and yes, the angels sang. But can I just say that the road to get there was paved with laziness and something better to do. HA HA.

I'm blaming it on the cold.

Here in Florida, it always seems to be warm -hot for the few days after Thanksgiving. This year it's been in the 30s at night so I'm pretty sure that fact has thrown us off our game.

But we are not ones to get sidetracked for long. Before I got up this morning, Chance had completely decorated the living room and woke me up because he couldn't find the lights. Thank goodness {i love you Chance} that we don't have anymore lights because he was planning his annual string them from anything and everything in the living room and dining room.

Whew....

He waits

2010-12-04T13:24:00.000-05:00

If I say the boys names, he runs through the house looking for them. And when he doesn't find either one, he sits by the door... waiting... whining... until the hears the car.

Thursday's Dinner

2010-12-03T15:30:00.001-05:00

So... yeah... chocolate chip pie. Gone.

Cool Photo Craft Idea from Photojojo

2010-12-02T10:24:00.002-05:00

Origami Photo Ornaments in 5 Minutes! Squee!

I thought this looked like such a cool idea to do with those prints that are just laying around in a drawer somewhere. Put them to good use and make these cute ornaments. Click the link for the instructions.

In preparation for holiday celebrations sweeping the nations, may we present:

Ornamentation!

With some simple perforations (and no lamentations) your festive decorations will garner adulation!

To feel the elation, click this link for the demonstration.

Origami Photo Ornaments in 5 Minutes! Squee!

Enjoy!

Need a gift idea?

2010-12-01T18:26:00.001-05:00

Few gifts are more appreciated than portraits, and

SAPYSNAPS Gift Certificates

are a beautiful and easy way to give our professional portraiture as a gift to

your friends and loved ones.

SAPYSNAPS gift certificates can be activated for in town or out of town sessions. Purchase your certificate by visiting our pricing page.

All Gift Certificate orders are available for

pickup, by email or shipped
within one business day

and most are available or shipped the same day.

Riding in Carts with Boys

2010-11-27T18:21:00.001-05:00

The boys found a shopping cart today. And boy did they put it to use.

And then they found the skateboard.

And then they played "Harry Potter".

I love it that they're still little boys at heart.

just a few of this year's favs

2010-11-27T12:33:00.001-05:00

a work in progress

2010-11-27T12:33:00.000-05:00

I'm still working on getting samples of my photography uploaded, but contact and pricing information is available here. Just click the links at the top or bottom of the page. Book your holiday sessions now and get your digitally enhanced, high resolution images on DVD in 48 hours... and you can print or post them as you wish. If you are a Leon Band parent or a Marching Redcoat and you want one of the photos that I took this season, email me and I'll send it to you... there is no charge. Let me know if I can answer any questions. I can't wait to take your picture!!

Fair Favs

2010-11-11T22:42:00.006-05:00

After the parade, the boys, their girlfriends, the moms, a brother, and I headed to the fair. It's tradition.

Chance got sick on the rides and Tyler rode them all. TRADITION.

I ate a corndog. 'Cause it's tradition.

Veteran's Day Parade 2010

2010-11-11T18:00:00.002-05:00

The band walked up from Leon to their starting spot in the parade.

Love those motocycle veterans.

Love this guy standing behind the deputy.

I photograph this guy just about every year.

Our colors.

Florida State University's ROYAL FLUSH.

And here they are...MARCHING REDCOATS.

And Chance who can't help but smile when the crowd yelled his name.

Kingsmen

2010-11-08T14:02:00.004-05:00

I was fortunate enough this weekend to be able to attend the November training camp of the Capital City Kingsmen, Tallahassee's WGI Indoor Competitive Drumline.

It was fantastic.

Both my boys have marched in high school band, but this was so different to watch and see how an indoor drumline goes about learning drills and practicing music. I imagine it's like the pro version of marching band. It is unbelievably FAST PACED!

On this cold, Saturday morning

2010-11-06T14:38:00.000-04:00

This is what we were doing.

Leon vs Wakulla

2010-11-05T14:51:00.000-04:00

The band is now practicing right before the games since Marching Festival is over. It was a frigid night for the Homecoming Games against Wakulla. They beat us which means that our season ends now. I'm sad because I've enjoyed going to the games and taking pics of the band. Only two more years! {sniff, sniff}

About SAPY

2010-11-01T18:52:00.004-04:00

Hi there. Thanks for stopping by my little blog. I am Steph York also know as SAPY. Yes, those are my real initials. And this is me. This was taken a few years ago, but since I hardly am on THAT side of the camera, it will do.

I like

my boys

my camera

diet coke

the dog

my house

my friends

Not necessarily in that order. Depends on the day. This was a good day.

During my 10 years as a professional photographer and as my children have grown, I have developed a passion for documenting our lives and the lives of those around us. I have found it a great way to hold on to the little moments that have brought us all together; the people that I cherish most. I am very grateful to have these images to reflect and recount the wonderful times in our lives.

I take this philosophy and apply it to my work. I approach each session as I would my own. I shoot relaxed lifestyle portraits – which is simply a personalized photo shoot just for you. I think it is important not only to photograph each individual and the groups, but to capture the moments in between when everything is real. The laughs, the giggles, the frowns, interactions between each person. I believe everyone should have amazing and beautiful images to be able to look back on and treasure that represent who they are as a person, not just a prop in front of a silly over-used backdrop. I take great pride in making my images unique and to offer you a fun, easy and relaxed experience. I love knowing at the end of the shoot that we have not only gained amazing photos, but great friends as well.

Thanks you so much for visiting my site. I hope to hear from you soon. To contact me, please click HERE. To visit my website and get more information about sessions, click HERE.

Contact

2010-11-01T11:36:00.015-04:00

Thank you so much for your business.