I'll Pray for You

Some friends showed me a video the other night that I'm sure everyone else in the world has already seen. Well, maybe not EVERYONE. If you've read anything I've written as of late, then you'll understand why this is hilarious. Not to mention that the guy in the video is good looking, and he does a heel click. He had me at the heel click. I know that sounds silly, but I love to do heel clicks...just a random fact you've been dying to learn about me. :)

Back to School: Day 1

I wanted to share a few of my favorites from my first day of shooting at the school a couple of weeks ago. I didn't have time to go through all of them yet, so these are a limited selection.

My Life. It's a Mess.

As you know, I've been pretty inconsistent in my blog updates these past couple of weeks. My life is currently a mess. It's not messy in a bad way; there just isn't a daily routine. That's part of why I've been loving it, but it's also the reason I haven't exercised in three weeks too.

My mind has been in a thousand different places. I'm still processing the loss of my job, thinking about how to pay the bills, how do I grow my business, how do I become a better photographer, how to gain new clients, figuring out how to do work that makes me happy, etc...

It's a lot to take in!

Plus, I had the privilege to photograph an entire daycare. Not your typical sit on the stool, turn your head this way, and tilt your body that way type of shots. I did more of a lifestyle shoot with natural light. I was really nervous about how things would go and what props would work with which age group of children, but it turned out well. The day that I stop getting nervous is the day I stop doing my absolute best.

I've also been filling in at the above mentioned daycare. It started as a way to help some friends of mine and the people in charge fill the gaps during fall break for students, but I've been working quite frequently. I've had more fun than I ever thought I would, so I keep going back for more. It's helping to pay the bills, and still allows me time to pursue my dream.

I never imagined that I'd be doing what I'm doing right now, but one thing I've learned is that I limit myself. I kill the dream or idea before it ever even has a chance to take root and grow. Thankfully, God doesn't take my advice. He knows what I'm capable of, even when I doubt myself or other people say it can't be done. That's why he says in Isaiah 55:8-9...

'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.


I don't know what you're dealing with or the challenges you're going through, but I'm confident of God's ability to pull us through and teach us something in the process. Keep your eyes fixed on Him; He won't let you down. His answer may look different than you expected, but he's always got your best interest at heart.

Check back in the next couple of days for photos of the daycare, and in the meantime, here's a shot from this past weekend.

Holiday Shopping Event Today!

The holidays will be here before you know it; get a jumpstart by shopping today. If you have someone on your Christmas list who is interested in jewelry, makeup, cooking, children's clothing, or photography, then stop by our Holiday Shopping Event. This will be a great opportunity to mingle and get some of your shopping done early this year.

Stop by on your way home from work. Beat the crowds and purchase some truly unique gifts for the people you love.

Craft Night & Photography

Tonight I'm participating in the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary's Craft Fair. Wahoo! I'll be promoting my photography and also selling cute frames and stationary...all for a mere $5 each...the crafts, not the photography. It's from 6-8 pm in the Hardin Student Center on campus.

In addition, I'll be offering a special photography session promotion. You'll have to stop by my table to find out exactly what it is, but I promise it's the best deal around. This offer will be limited to 50 people, so stop by early.

Some great friends of mine will be there too. Mandi will be selling cute flower pins, sugar scrubs, adorable tote bags, and more. Natalie will be rocking out tutus at the cheapest prices in town.

I'm looking forward to seeing you there.

Pumpkin Carving

I haven't carved a pumpkin since my childhood, and even back then, I'm pretty sure I didn't carve it myself. Clearly my parents did all the heavy lifting by scraping it bone dry before triangle eyes, a triangle nose, and a jagged tooth smile was carved precisely in the right place.

I didn't realize what hard work it was to get all the gunk out of a pumpkin. It takes a lot of relentless scraping. Too much!

Pumpkin carving has come a long way since my childhood. It's an art form now with parts shaved away and other parts completely carved out. As an artist, I was totally intimidated to carve this sucker. I know that sounds crazy, but it's a lot of pressure to perform on the spot.

All it took was a little peer pressure to get me started on a completely random design. Despite knocking out a piece that I didn't plan on, I had a great time with my friends. They're cool, and they're smart. They used patterns to carve their pumpkins. Next year, I'm abandoning any artistic talent that I possess for a pattern.

 

 

 

Hayride

I recently had a blast when my friend Kristyn invited me to photograph her family's annual hayride. I haven't been on a hayride since my childhood, so I was pretty pumped about being there and photographing.

She had an area set aside in the pasture and spruced up for family photos. Each family in attendance came and had a family photo made. On the first family, I stepped back to frame up my shot and felt something squish. Yep, you guessed it; my left converse was in a cow patty. Lovely. It was an eventful start, and we kept the ball rolling with family after family. You can bet that I was more careful for the remainder of the evening to avoid those darn cow patties.

We roasted hot dogs and most of the adults watched the LSU game.

Once it got dark, Kristyn's dad brought his tractor around, and we piled in the back of the trailer. It was a gorgeous evening. It wasn't hot or cold, and the wind was blowing just enough to keep us all comfortable. As we rode along, we'd come to "ghosts" hanging in the trees. Each ghost was rigged to fall into the trailer and drop candy for the children. It was a blast.

We finished up the evening with s'mores. All I can say is, "yum!" Each of the new families I met were wonderful, and I was thankful for the privilege to share in all the fun.

Check out my facebook page for additional photos.

Shadows - Part 3

My fascination with shadows continues.

Birthday Bliss

Last week was McKenzie's birthday, so I kept the day open in my schedule. She planned out a great day, and I tagged along for the ride.

I suggested that we ride the ferry over to the French Quarter because I thought it would be fun, and it was something she had never done. We got a fairly early start and after the ferry, we strolled several big blocks over to Croissant D'or for brunch.

Afterward, we made our way to Anthropologie. Ahhhhh! Then we hit up the movie "Life As We Know It." The movie was better than I expected, so we had a grand time watching it while devouring a boatload of popcorn. I really love that stuff, even though I'm sure it's doing something bad to my body.

We finished up the day with Bible study and then dinner at Tracy's on Magazine. The food was fantastic, but make sure to bring cash if you plan to eat there. As usual, I wasn't prepared.

It was a very full day filled with friendship, fun, and laughter. I'm so thankful to have such a great friend who keeps me in stitches.

Oh How I Love Thee...

...let me count the ways.

I have one word for you.

Anthropologie. It is my absolute favorite store on earth. The great news is that we have one in New Orleans now. I was there last Thursday and was reminded of how extraordinary it is. Their clothes make me want to squeal with delight. McKenzie can vouch for me; I kept walking around, exhaling with an, "ahhhh" of shear contentment. I would live there if they'd allow me.

The store combines old & vintage with industrial and chic. It is super cool, so you should definitely check it out. I promise you'll want to spend some time there. The only down side is that most everything is pricey. Anthropologie is terrific, so save your dollars and head over. If you know my number, call me. I'd love to join you.

Oops!

This week kinda got away from me. I promise there will be posts next week. Have a great weekend!

Sign Up for a Mini Photo Session

The holidays are approaching at a rapid pace, so this year I'm offering fall mini sessions. If you're planning to use a photograph in your upcoming holiday card or been thinking of how fast your children have been growing, this is a great opportunity for you. Space is limited; sign up by emailing me at info@katiehodas.com.

Chest Bump!

There's this phenomenon of dance moves, humping the air, chest bumping, and major rejoicing that happens during football games. It happens for the smallest things sometimes, and I wonder why they're so excited that they actual did their job correctly?

I would like to propose that the rest of the world begin to employ these techniques at their jobs; I think it would really spice up the workplace, don't you? The next time you finish teaching a lesson to students, writing a brief, delivering a baby, answering a phone call, cleaning your house, taking care of your kids, mowing the lawn, or anything else that you constitute as work, I hope you'll act like a football player and give a chest bump to someone nearby. The thought of my friend Maggie doing a happy dance in her law office makes me laugh a lot. I'm telling you; this could change our lives. :)

The next time I complete a design project or photo editing, I'm going to jump up and scream, do a happy dance, and then run to the living room to chest bump my mom. What do you think? Can we make this happen? I'm in!

I'd love to hear what type of good news would make you act this way?

Kristin

It has been awhile since Joe and I have been out photographing together. The weather got unbearably hot, so we took a break for the summer. There was a brief reprieve from the heat, so I suggested we head out for a shoot. Kristin was nice enough to model for us.

She's interesting and was a great sport for these photos; she really couldn't say, "No," since she's dating Joe. :) Well, she could have, but that just wouldn't have been any fun. I think if you ever hang around either of us; you should prepare to be photographed!

Then we enjoyed a great dinner at Cafe Freret. It was yummy goodness in a great, outside atmosphere.