I’ve had several high school senior sessions lately as everyone prepares to go “back to school”.  Remember that even though you “HAVE” to go to that “OTHER PLACE” for your yearbook photo, you can still have a professional photo session to use for your announcements, invitations, yearbook ad page… I even include “iPics” with every senior collection for you to use on facebook or myspace.

I had to share a few of Miss Jayme from last week. She is just drop dead gorgeous and SO photogenic!I’ll be adding some of these to the senior site soon! Check it out here: SENIOR SITE

Lots of new and exciting things happening here as we gear up for the fall (yes, I do realize that sounds RIDICULOUS to say in the middle of August! BUT it will be here before we know it!). Speaking of the fall, holiday sessions are already booking up FAST… BE sure not to wait until the last minute (yea, you KNOW who you are!) to schedule, as I may be totally booked up and you might end up on a waiting list…

On that note, I am working on an EMAIL blast… if you are not signed up for the EMAIL, you won’t receive one, so be sure to subscribe to the BLOG *and* the EMAIL if you’d like to be notified of upcoming specials and promotions. (you can sign up on my main webpage: www.alyciaalvarezphotography.com )

I put together a great tool to help arrange your portraits in your home! I am having these printed for the studio to help make decisions about which portraits you want to hang and where. When we send you your pricing, we will include a link to the entire gallery to help guide you in your decisions!

I’m working on some website updates and looking through lots of recent sessions and files… Here’s a few that I just really love (more to come!)

Baby “B” has just started taking her first few steps…I always love it when they are just starting to *wobble* across the room! These collages are some of my favorites to make! I may have a few more to share from this session, but I just loved how this turned out!

Okay, I just had to share! One of Kevin’s brides, Jennifer, sent me the cutest “mini me”! I totally love it and it was a nice and fun surprise (especially after the daunting weekend I just had with my computer crisis!). No, these serve no purpose…other than make me smile! And that’s just fine! Thanks Jen! (and not a bad likeness actually!)  You can see kj’s here: www.thekjblog.com

Unforunately, kids…yes, it’s once again that time of year, where one of my MANY computers decides, for whatever reason of randomness, to just NOT START up one day. I have a love hate relationship with my computers. I love computers and software etc, but every now and again (READ: last week!) my computers may not love me back. That happens. Just seems to happen to me more often than MOST! My friends and colleagues have often joked that I must have some sort of “electricity”…and who knows? Maybe I do?  Luckily, I had most everything backed up (just some random downloads here and there and a handful of itunes songs)….oh…and ALL MY EMAIL! blahhhhhhhh!

So all those beautiful folders organized in my inbox, including the one that reads “reply asap”….Gone. Poof. la la land. lovely.  So what does this mean TO YOU? you guessed it…. You haven’t heard from me? Guess what? Instead of working this past weekend on my email responses, I worked on reinstalling an entire computer. That’s not a fun undertaking, especially since I deal with SO MANY programs and serial numbers oh and an OCD collection of FONTS and Photoshop BRUSHES! ha!

In seriousness… I am working on retreiving as much email as possible from my server and work computer, but if you are waiting to hear from me, I’d love it if you sent me a new email. To make up for the inconvenience, I’ll be offering some specials coming up, so stay tuned!

In the mean time, (READ: while waiting for the guy to ring up my BRAND new computer and apple monitor–which really is pretty darn cool!), I was looking at this software: Apple’s Mobile Me. It’s only $99 and claims to “push” calendars, email, schedules etc to several servers and gives you 20gb of “online” space (ahhhh…that’s where all those beautiful, glorious email folders would be living right about now!). Knowing that I had TONS of other software to install this weekend, I didn’t buy it yet… anyone know more about it? Any comments would be great!

Well, I just might become a football fan yet (much to the happiness of several of my best friends!)… Don’t get me wrong, I love a great football game, it’s just that I really love the chips and dip that go with the “party”!

That said…my “baby boy” isn’t so much the “baby” any more… Yesterday was his first practice on the Pop Warner “Wolfpack” midget team.  He’s never been that into sports and has always been a little “linebacker”…but in the past few months, he has actually lost about 18 pounds and is really turning into a “little man”. He’s really looking forward to playing (maybe I shouldn’t have told him “girls like football players”? haha!) Oh and yea….the voice has changed and he’ll be shaving soon! How did *I* get so old?

He really “enjoyed” the first practice (even tho it was a sticky humid Florida afternoon!)…I stayed and watched it all and was just beaming with pride! He didn’t complain or wince even though this was all totally new to him. Saw him “high fiving” some boys too…. I’m such a proud mom! (yea, I bought a car magnet and sun visor…waiting on his jersey number so I can get my “custom” proud mommy T shirt! Debating on the wrist bands and pompoms, but I’m sure I’ll succomb to the “mom” peer pressure! ha!

Night before…testing the uniform!

Even tho it was hot and humid… the afternoon had the most amazing FLORIDA sky! You can’t see it here, but there was a GORGEOUS rainbow too! beautiful!

darn paparazzi follow this girl everywhere she goes! can you say “talk to the hand?!?” (this is the Gabster btw…in case you couldn’t tell from the HUGE hand covering her FACE!)