Suzanne McGrath Photography

Six on Sunday

So it's only 6:40pm and yet it feels like midnight.  This time change thing blows.

1.  We had a fabulous Halloween!  The girls all trick-or-treated with various friends.  The weather was do-able.  Certainly not warm, but everyone lasted and no one came home crying.  I enjoyed an hour or so to myself, drinking red wine.  Ahhhh...so nice.

Going left to right:  The Incredibles, Robin, a peacock, and a goth witch.  (#4's favorite color is black and she didn't want the cute witch costume.  Oh no.  She wanted the all black witch costume.)

We carved pumpkins over three nights - Wed, Thurs, and Fri.  I think they all turned out pretty great.

After trick-or-treating we had a few neighbors over and had a great time.  I love our neighborhood!

2.  I think I am done (for now) with hanging frames for my gallery wall.  They aren't all filled with artwork yet, but it's a good start.  I wanted to do something to try to take away attention from the TV.

3.  On the shower front, we didn't make as much headway as we hoped.  Therefore, we're going to have to do some work this week.  The hubby managed to frame in the large niche and put down the curb, but that was it.  This week we're going to do the pre-slope.  Once that's dry we can lay down the liner and put in the mortar bed which is what we'll tile over.  Such a process.  Sheesh!

4.  It was a fairly busy weekend.  #1 had a swim meet both days (which really halted work on the shower), Halloween was thrown in for good measure including a 5-girl sleepover, and I had 3 photoshoots!  We're lucky #2 didn't have any soccer games.

Speaking of photoshoots, here's a few sneak peeks.  

That sassy pose just kills me!  And yes, I also got one with her foot down.

 

And how cute is this next one - with the dog?  Totally the all-American family.

 

Next up...

This little red-head made me work for it!  I've forgotten all my one-year-old tricks now that my baby is 5.  And a half.  No matter - we got some good ones!

 

If you've been reading awhile, you might remember I photographed a wedding a few years ago.  Well, Darcy and Chris were the happy couple and as you can see above they expanded their family and they're going to add another one in Feb.  Isn't that cool?!  And don't you love his red hair?!  So cute.  

 

And these guys we've been friends with since we moved to KC some 18 years ago!  In fact, we had a photoshoot together a few years ago.  You can check them out here.  (That link just took me a good while to find because I thought I took their pics back in 2012.  Nope.  It was clear back in 2010!)

 

(I swear Christi's eyes are open.  When I open it in Bridge they're fine so I think the pixels are getting compressed a bit on my screen.)

I adored Sydney's animal print pants and have to hold myself back from getting them for my littles!

 

After my sessions were done I shot a few with my girls:

So sweet!

5.  Remember last Sunday how I was so excited not to cook this past week?  Well, it was nice but not as nice as I thought it would be.  Turns out the sides (veggies and fruits) take some time to prepare.  I'd like to try it again when I have time on a Sunday to prepare everything else.  I think that will make a big difference.

Speaking of preparing the veggies - I did that today.  The little girls helped which was actually really great!  We cut up green beans, broccoli, butternut squash, zucchini, green onions, and Romaine lettuce. It will really help my evenings.

So what are we eating?  We're trying some new recipes!  

• Tonight:  potato soup in the crockpot + apples + roasted zucchini + French bread for dipping

• Monday:  Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon and Smoky Roasted Chicpeas + Green Beans + Fruit  (I'm sure I'll make homemade mac-n-cheese for the littles)

• Tuesday: Crock pot Balsamic Beef Sandwiches with Blue Cheese and Crispy Shallot and Au Jus + Asparagis + Fruit 

• Wednesday:  Crunchy Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Breasts with Ranch Roasted Potatoes + Broccoli + Fruit

• Thursday:  Spaghetti and Meatball Soup + Caesar Salad + Fruit  (Last time I made this I think I shorted the meatballs - bad idea.  Also, this time I'm going to use smaller pasta like medium shells.  But the flavor was great and I really loved the chopped up veggies hidden in there.)

• Friday:  Pizza at my mom's house

6.  I'm thinking about updating my blog - both design and function.  I've started checking into it but sheesh - it's not cheap!  I'm going to have to mull it over.  But I've got years of archives and projects and no great way to search.  I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet.

Alrighty then!  That's all I've got for tonight.  Have a fantastic week!

 

 


 

 

Six on Sunday

I'm still getting used to this time change stuff.  It's only 7:15pm and yet it feels like about 10pm and I keep wondering why the girls are still up!  

1.  My weekend started off a little early with a Veterans Day celebration at the middles' school on Friday.  This is the fourth year my dad has participated so it has definitely become a tradition for our family.  I took the day off work and spent the morning at the school.  When the celebration was over my parents and I headed out for a delicious lunch at Spin.  It was a great way to spend the morning!

Since the event means so much to my family I joined the committee that puts on the celebration.  My part was small but still fun.  Of course I left these until the last minute and practically hot glued my fingers together but it all worked out!

And with that I'd like to thank all military personnel who may read this blog entry.  For those past and current veterans, thank you so much for everything you do for our country.  We are truly blessed here in the U.S.A.  

2.  Moving on...the weather this weekend was fabulous!  I'm talking low 60s yesterday and upper 50s today.  Even though I had two projects I was working on, I couldn't let the day get away from me.  So yesterday afternoon my four girls, their two cousins, and one neighborhood friend all walked up to Sonic for Happy Hour.  We must have looked like a circus but it was really fun!

3.  The Husker game yesterday.  What can I say?  Unexpectedly fantastic!  It was so fun to watch Nebraska win.  I only caught bits and pieces and the last 10 minutes but it was great!  You know what makes it even better?  The win yesterday got us a 2:30pm game next Saturday rather than the early 11am game.  And we are going to be there!!!!  Yeah, baby, we are headed to Lincoln next Friday afternoon.  I am so excited to see my girlfriends again I can hardly wait!  

Thank goodness for our parents.  The hubby's mom and dad are driving from Houston via Dallas to our house to watch the girls for the weekend.  We are so lucky to have such great parents who are willing to watch our kids!

4.  I started two projects this weekend because our weekend was FREE.  No soccer games, no swim meets, nothing.  I had a newborn photo shoot this morning but that was IT!  And my niece and nephew were here for the weekend but what are two extra kids when you already have four?!  Exactly.

I painted my china hutch about a year ago.  I used white chalk paint because everyone in the blogosphere rants and raves about it.  And I figured if I could get away without sanding the hutch, awesome!  Well, not so awesome.  After FOUR coats of paint, the stain still bled through.  When I called to ask about it the lady told me it doesn't work on some furniture made in the 1940s.  Not good.  I couldn't bear to paint it AGAIN so I just put it to use.  This weekend I decided to rectify the situation.  I primed it with shellac primer.  Now I need to paint it with my trusty Rustoleum glossy white.  I also made new shelves for the inside because the existing shelves bowed so badly.  I'm excited to finish it because I think it will look great!

I also decided to pull up the tops I had on my cabinets in the family room.  I made those cabinets years ago and put an MDF top on them.  The top was fine but I've been itching to upgrade for awhile.  I decided they would look great with a chunky, dark top.  So I cut 3 2x10s to length, screwed them together, and put them on top of each cabinet.  I've sanded them but I haven't stained them yet.  The hubby is very skeptical but what does he know?!  If he can't see a picture he doesn't like it.  He usually comes around.  I'm betting he will this time, too.  Here is a (crappy nighttime iPhone) progress shot:

While I'm staining the top I'll fix up the doors and caulk the seams.  I want it done in time for Christmas decorations.  I think it's going to look cool!

5.  I had a newborn photo shoot this morning.  Do you remember this wedding?  Well, Connor is their new baby boy!

Cute, yes?!

6.  I'm excited to watch The Good Wife tonight.  I love that show and Sunday night is the one night that I regularly take the time to sit down and watch a full hour of TV.  I also like Parenthood, Project Runway, and Nashville, but sometimes I forget to watch them.  We generally watch The Voice and The Biggest Loser as a family.  So all in all, not a ton of TV.

And that's it!  I hope you all have a great week. 

Photography News and Baby Addie

Before I get to the images of Baby Addie, I wanted to take a minute to chat about my business...  

It's HARD.  I absolutely love the art of photography and editing, but by the opposite token I absolutely detest the business side.  And let me tell you, the business side of photography takes up the majority of my time.  So I've made a decision that I've grappled with for a long time.  I'm closing my virtual door.  I'm letting my website go dormant and taking down my business email address.  (I'll have to change the post at the top of my blog.)  I'll still shoot friends and family, but I'm no longer going to try to make it my day job.

I am going to become a "shoot and burn" photographer.  I'll shoot and edit but then just hand over a CD or jump drive.  I won't print anymore which actually takes quite a bit of time.  Time that is precious.  And there you have it!  I feel good about this decision and I think my photograpy will become fun again!

Without further adieu...here's Baby Addie at 8 days old:

I have to tell you - I loved, loved, loved taking these pictures.  Baby Addie was just a doll and her mom and dad were pretty cool, too!  Congratulations, Todd and Stacey:)

 

Six on Sunday

No intro tonight - let's just jump right in, shall we?

1.  #2 and #3 had Field Day last Friday.  Most schools have Field Day in the spring but our school has always done it in the fall - at least as long as we have been there.  I actually really like having it early.  The spring always seems to be so busy anyway; it's nice to shake things up a little.

Anyway, #2 REALLY got into it this year.  She was bound and determined to win the spirit award.  Sadly, a 5th grade class won.  She still had a blast!

(Forgive the hands that I cut off - she was too excited to actually hold still._

This was #3's first Field Day.  I think she had fun.  (I only stopped in for about 15 minutes to snap a few pics.)  See for yourself...

2.  Yesterday was a crazy day.  I ran 20 miles.  We had four soccer games.  The little girls went on a "nature walk" with the hubby and me, and we had a surprise birthday party last night.  Phew!

I have to give a shout out to the hubby (even though he doesn't read my blog) for being so patient yesterday since it took me awhile to run my 20.  He had to get #2 up and out the door to the soccer field before 7am yesterday!  They came home and then headed back out for #1's 10:45 am soccer game.  After that I met them at #3's soccer game where I took #1 and #4 home.  I then dropped off #1 and #4 and picked up #2 and took her to her AFTERNOON game.  Yep - and there's four games.

And this doesn't even mention that #1 had a 9:30 PM soccer game Friday night.  And that was AFTER a two hour swim practice.  Yeah, that's us.

3.  Last night was the first time we've left the girls alone without a babysitter.  It was both liberating and scary at the same time.  But, the older two girls are so good with their sisters that we really trusted them.  Not to mention the little girls refuse to let a babysitter put them to bed!  So we figured if we had a babysitter we'd just be paying her to sit on the couch and make sure the house didn't burn down.

The girls were given strict instructions about not answering the door, etc.  We also made absolute sure they knew what time they were supposed to go bed.  And I told them I had a 6th sense and I would KNOW if they lied about what time they went to bed.  Sure enough, they followed the rules.  And they totally did it!  We got one text from #1 asking where she could find #3's hippo.  But that was the worst of it.  We were so proud of them all!  

4.  The surprise birthday party was a lot of fun.  The guest of honor was our good friend who you've seen in Okoboji pictures.  She was completely SHOCKED.  Her husband was a genius and totally had her convinced of his lie.  It was awesome to see the look on her face when she realized what was going down.  Classic.

Plus, we had a great time.  The hubby and I both met new people and caught up with old friends.  My only regret is that my legs were shot and I was exhausted.  I didn't last much past 11pm but it was still so worth it.

5.  Today was awesome!

• I was able to photograph a newborn.  
• I took the girls on another nature walk where they each gathered as many acorns as possible for our fall decorations.  And they all four totally LOVED it.  They had so much fun!  
• Meanwhile, the hubby picked up that banquette I talked about last week.  Score!  
• We baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies.
• #3 and #4 accompanied me on a Goodwill drop-off trip.
• The hubby took #1 to the library to pick out a Trendy Twelve book for school.  
• We had a fantastic dinner - beer can chicken - followed by a trip to Orange Leaf.  Seriously, it couldn't have gotten much better than that!

6.  My good friend, Stacey, and her husband Todd, had a beautiful baby girl last weekend.  And I had the immense pleasure of photographing her this morning.  She was a DREAM.  It took her a little convincing to go to sleep, but once she did she was like putty in my hands.  Seriously, I think big babies are easier to handle than small babies.  (I've had 8lb 7oz to a 6lb 15oz babies - so I have a little experience!)  I think big babies have bigger tummies so they sleep harder.  Maybe I'm just imaging it, but once Addie was asleep, she was dead to the world!

I also loved that when I drove away I didn't have that "feeling".  You know, the one where you think you want another baby.  Nope.  Nothing.  Just contentment in my four.

Anyway, I captured a bunch of great images but only had time to edit one.  So Stacey, this one is for you!  Isn't she a doll?!  

 

Have a great week!

Baby Garrison...Olathe Newborn Photographer

I had hoped to have these images out last week. But life got in the way.  We're in that busy season of soccer, volleyball, soccer, swim lessons, swim team, etc.  Basically, we're busy!

But here I am.  Ready to show off this adorable little guy.  Baby Garrison was a dream.  And oh my, did I have fun holding a newborn again!  No worries, though...I had no problems giving him back.  I am sticking with four.

Here he is...

He looks so much like his big sister!  Check it out for yourself...

 

Check out his adorable smile!  This is the image that shows me how much he looks like his big sister - it's the smile.

And here is a shot that mom requested...

Don't you just love those little, newborn feet?

Six on Sunday

This week was pretty run-of-the-mill for us.  Nothing crazy.  Not a lot to report.

1.  #1 and #2 left for Sioux Falls today.  Yep, my parents took them home for the week.  It's already quieter around here.  I will miss them but I know they are going to have a blast.  #3 is going to miss them the most, though.  She cried when they left - even though she has already had her turn up north.  

I am going to enjoy the earlier bedtimes.  Since the big girls are gone, we can get away with putting the little girls down around 8:00.  Woo to the Hoo!

2.  I love summer eating!  You know what I mean?  The light dinners.  The fresh fruit.  Love it.

That image got me thinking...We had a gathering at #3's BFF's house tonight with some other families from her school and we got to talking about dinner.  Every Saturday morning I plan out all our meals for the week and then buy whatever we need at the grocery store.  (I rarely make a second trip to the grocery store during the week.  Very rarely.)  Apparently, that is not the norm these days?  I like that I know what I'm going to make and there is no guess work.  Plus, I don't know how people have time to go out to eat with activities and all.  Seriously, our weeks are crazy shuffling the kids from activity to activity!  What do you all do?

3.  I have a confession to make.  I may have "forgot" to tell the hubby I purchased a couple (totally cool) chairs using that awesome list Craig puts together.  I may have purchased said chairs months ago?  I don't remember.  

Anyway, they came home this week.  So, while watching the little girls play outside at various times this weekend, I worked on ripping out all the fabric.  It actually wasn't half as bad as I thought.  These are definitely not at the front of the project list, but since I was stuck outside, I figured I might as well make myself useful.  These chairs are going to get a make-over that is inspired by David Jimenez.  They will look totally updated when I'm done with them!  They were in immaculate condition and only $40 for the pair.  I think that qualifies as a steal.

4.  #3 had a sleepover Friday night at our house.  Finally.  She has been asking for a sleepover since the day after she slept over at her BFF's house in July.  Seriously.  They had an absolute blast and they are so good together.  They play great and both girls are fairly laid back.  

5.  You all remember how I lamented the miss on the new refrigerator due to the AC breaking down?  Well, we did it.  We "found" some cash and I promptly turned that cash into a new refrigerator that will be delivered tomorrow.  I CANNOT WAIT!!!  I discovered (through close inspection of the model number) that our current frig is only 22 cubic feet.  For SIX people.  That equals small, people.  Our new frig is going to be 26 cubic feet.  While it's not the 31 cubic feet that is new to the market, it's still 4 cubic feet bigger than what we have!  Plus, we can move our current frig out into the garage in case we ever need the extra space.  I truly don't remember the last time I was so excited about such a dumb purchase:)

6.  Last but not least, Baby Garrison.  I had the pleasure of photographing this charmer only a week after he was born.  He was adorable and oh so small!  I will put together a post featuring him in the next week or two.  But here is just one...

And I'm out.  Have a great week!

 

Birthday Boy! {Kansas City Kids Photographer}

I had the pleasure of shooting these two adorable boys this morning.  Owen just finished celebrating his first birthday and his brother, Collin, turned two this past June.  I think these are the two hardest ages to shoot!  They hardly sit still for a second and could really care less about the crazy lady behind the camera:) But we had fun and they were troopers.  Autumn, I hope you enjoy this sneak peek - there's plenty more where these came from! 

I just love this image!  They are both looking at the camera and the way Collin's head is tilted towards his baby brother is just precious.

  

Here's the Birthday Boy and his adorable dimples!

     

He loves his mama!  It took all of about two seconds for her to get this face.

  

Funny story about this picture.  Collin wasn't too impressed me with today.  He's a very serious two year old.  He doesn't smile a whole lot - and that's OK.  That's just his little personality.  However, as soon as we were done, he climbed into his minivan and found this sucker stashed away somewhere.  THAT made him smile.  (Photographer's note - carry suckers from now on!)

  

Apparently Owen is an eater!  However, I think he stuffed himself full of bread while we were feeding the ducks, had a bit of a cold, and it was almost naptime.  So, that meant he wanted to play with the cake rather than eat it.  But it was still cute.   

  

Thanks, guys.  It was fun!

Baby Ross {Overland Park Baby Photographer}

I'm short on words tonight.  However, I wanted to get a few out there for Carmen.  You may remember the two brothers I photographed from awhile back.  Well, they welcomed a brother on Oct. 24th. Presenting baby Ross...

   

   

More kids {Overland Park children's photographer}

As I sat here tonight, editing away, I thought I ought to post a few more pictures from my last session. They're just too cute not to share.  So Amanda, here you go!

I love me a little sun flare...

  

This one just cracks me up!  She was waiting for her paci...

  

I thought this one looked good in Black and White.

  

And last but certainly not least, I thought these images lended themselves to a great little series...

 

 

Nelson-Atkins {Kansas City Baby/Family Photographer}

I asked my friend, Amanda, if she wanted any pictures and thankfully, she said yes!  This is the first time I had a chance to meet her daughter and it was a treat.  She was so fun and easy-going.  I learned a lot about her - she loves, loves, loves peek-a-boo and her paci, her favorite song is The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and she doesn't like to sit still:)  

Amanda, I truly had a hard time choosing...but here's a sneak peek.  Enjoy!