…i love you :) oh goodness i am in love with my new camera and am off to play.  i have more new gear to purchase soon, but for now i am simply loving my new toy.  i am hoping to make it though the weekend without delivering…we’ll see :) check out my new Amazon A-Store where i have listed my current gear, gear i want, favorite photobooks, music movies etc and you can puchase them directly though my list at Amazon.com.  wedding sneak peeks on Monday….have an awesome weekend everyone!

 p.s. - sorry for the crappy picture, i wanted to make sure i got a post up today before i got lost in playing with this bad boy and falling asleep from pure exhaustion :)

.i know i still have to post some wedding and session sneak peeks but i am in the mood to start up my favorite things list on here again. so here goes…

1. Mojitos - currently i am sipping on the non-alcoholic version, which is still mighty delcious, but there is just something that yells summertime when you drink these things.  My husband must have a secret recipe for these bad boys because for the last week i have been making him cook one up for me every night.  i just can’t wait to enjoy them with some rum again ;) if i can get it out of him, i will see if my hubs will be kind enough to share his secret on how to make these as good as he does…stay tuned!

2. Pierre Bensusan - my husband played guitar at a wedding recently (oh yes, i am pimping him out now! ha!) and was told about Pierre Bensusan and how some of his style of playing, especially since since my husband plays some tunes in DADGAD tuning, was similar to his.  We looked up his website, www.pierrebensusan.com, and found out he was coming to our favorite little venue Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs.  We took the opportunity to see him before Baby M arrives and were treated to some of the most amazing acoustic guitar playing.  there was one song where he preformed a scat throughout and was just amazing, not to mention anyone singing music to me in French is a hit in my book :) if you are a fan or world music or just beautiful acoustic guitar stylings be sure to visit his site and give him a listen. i hope to have some of his music on my site soon. 

3. i know that i had mentioned this book in a previous post, but the more time i spend flipping through the pages, the more i adore it.  it is the perfect bathroom read and each lesson or tip is just something i am trying to incorporate into my life to make things a bit more simple, yet streamlined and organzied.  i picked up my copy in the sale section at Barnes and Noble, but if you can find it there or order it online i highly recommend it. i’ll be sure to post a tip here and there that i have found revelant and helpful not only in terms of life in general, but also something that might project into a photography buisness.  all good things!

4. Wallies - just about the greatest invention ever for quickly decorating a room or wall space.  i spotted these at my daughers favorite play place and just had to pick some up for Baby M’s room. if you have kids or are about to have kids, i totally recomend these.  they are pre-pasted die cuts that you soak in water for a minute and then apply to the wall like wall paper….instant fun and color….they have some chalkboard one’s too i think i may get for Evie’s room…check out their designs here: www.wallies.com

5. Tazo Blossomberry White Tea - this is sooooo yummy iced! i have been drinking it all summer.  you can pick this up in Starbucks, but i have found it hard to find other places that carry Tazo.  all around yumminess!

.anyway, that is all for this installment of my favorite things…i am patiently awaiting my UPS guy to deliver some goodies i’ll be sure to blog about, i know i am the last on his list of stops….seriously, i dont get UPS deliveries until 7 pm….blah.  i am also patiently awaiting the arrival of this baby…i’ve been getting Braxton Hicks contractions like crazy, but as long as he holds out until after i get the chance to see Richard Shindell - my all time favorite folkie,  this weekend i am happy.   hope you are all well! oh…and feel free to list some of your most recent favorite things in the comments below!

…my little princess Evie.  since our new baby will be here in the coming weeks and I am sure there will be more newborn pictures than you can handle, i figured now would be a good time to offically introduce the almost new big sister in our family.  my little girl truly does ham it up for the camera, and generally requests to have her picture taken, so how can i not. 

.unfortunately, i did not snap one shot of our fourth of July party at the cabin this year, i was so busy watching Evie during the day and finally when it was her bedtime i passed out right beside her.  i missed the fireworks, he food…everything! i was pretty bummed out about it, but at the same time didnt feel too bad about missing the beer and sangria that i could not have had anyway :( oh well, there is always next year.

.all of the DVD’s  for my recent clients have been shipped out…except for Zack and Christine (yours will be ready by the end of the week)…so keep an eye on your mailbox!

.i now have a business screen name for you IM fans…you can IM me (via AOL Instant Messenger) at PhotoSmith NY.  i’ll be online to answer session questions, say hello etc. the little indicator below my banner will let you know if I am online, away or offline.  if you are interested in knowing what i am doing in between blog posts be sure to follow me over at Twitter, just click the little link under the Twitter box above and you will be on the way to knowing the ins and outs of what goes on over here.

.i am patiently awaiting the arrival of our little man and upset that as of now I won’t be photographing any more sessions until after he is born.  i will be sure to keep things updated as to his delivery and when i will be back in action for portrait shoots.  weddings I am takling as of September 6 and still have several weekends open this fall and winter, it’s never too late to book your wedding or portait session with me, i still am able to meet with clients to discuss future sessions :).

.shoot sneek peaks on the way…

. my grandfather came up from Florida this past week for a visit…what makes this amazing (to me) is that he is 94! 94!!! goodness, i hope i last that long and with the same amount of spunk and wit he still has.  he lives on his own in a condo/apartment overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and flew up here on his own accord.  i swear he hasn’t looked a day older from as far back as i can remeber :)  it was great to see him on his visit, and for him to see my little one too - not too many people i know can say they met at least one of thier great grandparents .

. this weekend is our annual 4th of July celebration at our  cabin in the Adirondacks.  this year looks as if it is gearing up to be just as great if not better than last year, as long as the weather holds up.  you better believe i will be back with lots of pics! hope you all have a lovely weekend :)

.goodness, i really have been a bad blogger! i’ve been busy catching up with client orders, meeting new clients, preparing our house for the arrival of baby M and feeling pretty tired in the process…i don’t know how i am able to muster up all the energy to get it all done, but somehow it’s getting there.  i am truly looking forward to having this baby and feeling like myself again :)

.in other news - i have a new website! I have been coveting a Blu Domain site for quite some time, and they came up with a template that I love so I snatched it up while the getting was good! i am still adding photos and information to the site, and tweaking things here and there…evetually I will have some cool videos to add as well, but that will be a bit further down the road, but lots of goot stuff to stay tuned in for. Don’t get used to the squares or logo…all is changing, i just needed something to post up quick :) Be prepared here too for a few changes in the look of my blog. Oh, and the fabulous Blu has featured me in their Daily Life section on their blog!!! Go check it out…i’ve heard some bad hype about Blu, but I must say my expereince with them has been nothing but wonderful, i am soooo happy I made the switch!

.my webstore for my actions and textures is temporarily down.  it was on my old server/host which i cancelled and i am in the process of making it look new and fresh as well as adding some cool new products.  i will be sure to post an update when it is offically ready, though if you are interested in purchasing an action or texture set you can still do so by emailing me your order and I will send you an invoice via PayPal and email your order to you ASAP.  i am also trying to figure out if there is a way to make the downloads automatic so my fabulous customers don’t have to worry about remembering to check that darn download button before adding a product to your shopping cart. the news address to the store though is going to be www.sarahsmithphotography.com/store  …yeah…much easier :)

.i am currently looking for a graphic designer to help me figure out who i am…in terms of branding my image.  right now i am basically looking for that logo that will help define my overall style that will eventually spill over into other apsects of my business.  if you know someone who has worked on your logo or graphics or someone you have seen around the web that you would recomend, please email me or leave me a comment with a link to their site.  i have tried to figure it out myself and realize that sometimes you just have to outsource :) i would also love to hear your suggestions about my site, design and blog…what would you like to see more or less of, what design elements work or what would you suggest i change? Feedback from clients and fellow photogs is important to me and i would love to hear what you have to say….so long as it isn’t too harsh ;)

. i have lots and lots of pics and sessions to post…i have this thing where i am really anal about posting things in order which is why i haven’t gotten around to it yet, but i realize i need to get on the ball with keeping this blog a bit more updated not only with session sneak peeks, but with more personal info so you have the chance to get to know me a bit better too! i also have photo tips and info to share and lots of good stuff coming in the future as soon as things slow down a bit…i hope ;)

.in pregnancy related news…all is well, the little one moves around like crazy…you would think there was a miniature performance of Cirque Du Soleil going on in my belly! i have about a month to go, though my doctor said i could be two weeks early since my daughter was a bit early, so you could be seeing a ton of newborn images here pretty darn soon.  we have been working on rearranging our house to make the best use of our space when the little one arrives…it is amazing the amount of junk one accumulates without even knowing it…i had no idea how much stuff i had until we decided to rearrange rooms…i must have either thrown away or donated close to 20 bags of clothes and knick knacks…seriously, it was quite a liberating expereince to just get rid of the clutter! but all is well and i will be sure to update on the progress :)

.dont forget you can stay updated with my blog automatically through Bloglines.  I adore bloglines and use it to stay updated with all of the blogs i love to lurk around.

.ok…so back to work so I have time to write again tomorrow…hope all of you are doing well and that you have a fabulous week should I happen to slip off the blog wagon again ;) Cheers!

.this past holiday weekend my hubs, daughter and i took an impromptu vacation.  friday my hubs and i spent our 5 year anniversay in New York City, Saturday we took our little one to the Norwalk Aquarium to get her acquainted with all the real fish and sharks she loves from her books.  more on this trip in a future post, hopefully sooner than later.  i still have tons to post about and over the next two weeks will be catching up.  my last wedding until September is next weekend, though i will be working on some other photography projects here and there that are not quite so physically demanding of a seven month pregnant photographer :) here are some other pics from the Dog Day event i participated in earlier this month, that i should have posted long ago.  i have an engagement to post and wedding as well and I have a family shoot this Friday that i am looking forward to…i can’t wait to share lots more with you :)  

P.S - for you local blog lurkers out there…keep an eye out in the local papers for an article about this years Dog Day held by Impressions of Saratoga and a pic of the event by yours truly.  if you happen to see one, please leave me a comment to let me know!

.i have so much to catch up on here on my blog…this past week i had a nasty head cold that knocked the energy right out of me.  needless to say the tylenol, my one and only cure all while pregnant, did not do all that much to relieve my symptoms, so i had to rough through it and thankfully feel mucho better right now.  i still have to post about my Dog Day, an engagement session and now I have a new wedding i shot today that I just can not wait to share with you all.  i had so much fun today it makes me realize how much i absolutely adore what i do and how i am going to miss being out there and shooting for the next few months while i wait for the new little addition to arrive and get comfortable being part of this world. lots to post and hopefully i will have enough time this week to post about it all. 

hope it is warm and sunny where you live…until, well….soon ;)

Cheers! 

.i have a lot to do these next few days, playing catch up from a busy weekend.  i had a headshot session for an attorney’s office on Friday and Saturday was Dog Day which turned out to be a really fun day with a great turn out despite the weather being a bit chilly and damp.  thankfully though the rain held off for the day and lots of little and big pups came out to play and have thier picture taken.  these two are just quick sneak peeks…there are lots more to come when i get them edited this week before sending some off to the printers. 

. i have an engagement shoot tonight that i can not wait to do.  it is going to be a blast and i can’t wait to show you pics from the session when they are ready.  i’m off to get more editing done and galleries together and online.  i also have to post some info on my senior sessions soon….lots to come this week…hopefully i won’t burn out too quickly!

.tonight is one of those nights that i just can’t get to sleep…too much to do to get organized for shoots this weekend, photos i want to edit but have not yet gotten to, ideas cycling through my head for upcoming sessions.  i have yet to find the time to take any decent maternity shots…i am about 6 months pregnant now and all is well….just sleepy by the end of the day.  i find that lately i totally work off adrenaline and can’t make it through a day of work or play no problem, but the next day if nothing is going on all i want to do it sleep.  i am totally ready to get this kid out of me!

.in an effort to slow down a bit, i picked up a book at Barnes & Noble titled Inner Simplicity: 100 Ways To Regain Peace and Nourish Your Soul by Elaine St. James…though I have yet to find a moment to slow down and start to read it. hopefully i will find a moment this weekend to curl up with it and relax a bit before another editing rush next week. i can’t wait to get back into yoga again too, i have been trying to find the time to do it on my own at home, but there is something I just find truly relaxing by having someone guide me through the poses in a class. soon…

. well, off to bed for now….i have a shoot this afternoon, some friends coming over later and have to prepare for the Dog Day charity shoot on Saturday!  if I don’t get the chance to post again this weekend….hope you have a good one!

…i’ll have a bunch of session & studio sneak peeks for you next week!