A baby in a belly and my brother named Smelly.

(I'm sorry, Kel! I couldn't resist! It's all out of love!)

My little brother and his beautifully expectant wife came into town from Arizona this weekend for a quick visit and baby shower. I've said it over and over again, but I will say it again. Because I really mean it. They are going to be natural parents. It is just a vibe that some people have.

They're expecting a little girl, which, somehow, for me at least, makes it that much more special that my little brother will be the father of a daughter. He is the perfect dad for a girl. He is protective, laid back and will have no problem sitting down for tea when his little one is old enough to tell him to (the operative word being "tell". If you have a daughter, you catch my drift.). Not to mention the fact that he had two older sisters who forced him to wear dresses and play girly games with growing up. :) And my sis-in-law is the perfect mom for a girl. As a talented hair stylist and make up artist, she is well-versed in getting super girly but is totally willing to get into rain boots and stomp in puddles.

I can't wait to meet their little bundle! Congratulations, Tracy and Kelly! I love you guys a ton!

Body Harmony Massage/Yoga Website Shoot

I love that my business is starting to evolve into something marketable to a more diverse demographic. This tells me a number of things. Most importantly, it validates that my efforts to widen my reach are finally becoming a reality. In any business, this is a huge accomplishment. I am passionate about entrepreneurialism and love finding new and creative ways to not only grow my own business, but help others grow theirs. So, when Tina Templeman of Body Harmony contacted me to design and build her website, I was thrilled.

The service I provide in this arena not only includes development, design and copy, but commercial photography services that provide custom stock for your website. In the next 5 years, I foresee a small staff of talented developers and creatives supporting me so I can accommodate a higher volume of clientele.

This is an interesting project because I am designing around an existing brand. Tina came to me with an identity, seeking an online presence and wisdom on how to build it. As a yoga instructor and a massage therapist, she has a unique product to offer and I am enjoying being a part of developing it into a viable business.

We began our shoot in a gorgeous upper Kirkland neighborhood at the home of one of Tina's clients. It set a great stage for headshots with Tina and her support associate, Mary Jo, who is available to Tina's clients when she is not.

In addition to corporate headshots, we were looking to get some really great stock photography of Tina doing a real massage to use for the site. She set up her massage table in a gazebo in the back yard of the home set in front of a dense grove of bamboo...perfect for invoking a true sense of zen for the next portion of the shoot. Ahh, I can't unveil too much before I launch the site! But, here is just one of my favorite shots. 

In addition to being a massage therapist, Tina is also an incredible Baptiste Certified yoga instructor and I had the extreme pleasure of sitting in and shooting one of her classes at the gorgeous Shakti Vinyasa Yoga in Bellevue. She is involved with her students, supportive and offers a challenging environment in her classes. Not only that, she leads by example. She is extremely talented at what she does and watching her practice was very inspirational.

For more information on Body Harmony, please visit the new Facebook page! Be sure to click 'Like'!