Happy 2012 (:  I know I’m a little late to the game on that one, but better late than never, right?  This year has already gotten off to a cray-zay start (the good kind), and I’m just now starting to feel like I’ve arrived in 2012.  So, here’s a little rundown of news and updates and other random stuff, just to get this little blog going again:

1.  I’M HAVING A BABY.  That’s right. Might as well just get it out there.  And can I just say that being pregnant is super fun (now that I’m past the first trimester zombie stage, that is).  So, coming in August – lots of newborn photography (:

2.  As a result of #1, I will only be taking on a limited number of photography sessions this spring and early summer.  If you’ve ever had a session with me, you know I like to climb on things, lay on the ground, and rearrange furniture (or whatever else happens to be in my way). As we get into June, July, and August, I don’t think I’ll be able to do these things quite so easily and I don’t want to not be able to give my clients my absolute best.  So, if you want a spring or summer session, please let me know asap by clicking HERE.

4.  I’m definitely still taking on graphic design projects, so keep ‘em coming!  Business cards, logos, brochures, wedding invites, save-the-dates, baby announcements, or anything else graphic design related.  I’m working on a new site for my graphic design portfolio, so be on the look out for that soon.

5.  I’ve started writing for Constant Chatter. A fun site with lots of great content and a group of fabulous writers. Check it out sometime!  I’m really enjoying getting back into writing (most of you probably didn’t know I was a newspaper reporter and photographer back in the day).

6.  Even before finding out about our little doodlebug, one of my goals for 2012 was to do more photography just for the fun of it, outside of portrait sessions or client projects.  I’m going to stick with that goal, and hopefully be posting more of those images here – something I usually shy away from, so be kind!!  Thus begins Photo Walk Wednesday, wherein I’ll post photos from a walk I’ve been on during the previous week.  This particular one is from a hike to Baskins Creek that J and I did over the weekend.  I love the Smoky Mountains.  Even this time of year, when everything is so gray and empty.  The evergreens and moss provided beautiful color amidst the gray and rain.  And I have to say, hiking in the rain is pretty invigorating, but it makes it hard to take a lot of photos.  Hopefully this week’s walk will be more fruitful (:

~A

Do you want to make some of this super cute fabric tape?  I walk you through the process step-by-step (and with pictures, of course), right here.  If you’re on my Christmas list, you may just see some of this fabric tape on your gift wrapping (:

Pinterest.  Oh, my.  I kept putting off even typing the url into my browser for fear I’d never leave.  Yet here I am, posting it about it on my blog.  I guess it was inevitable.  There was an initial fear that, much like my Bookmarks, I’d pin everything in sight, never to revisit any of it.  And much like my Bookmarks, I assumed I would randomly think, “I really should spend some time organizing all those things I bookmarked/pinned.”  It was pretty much guaranteed that my Boards would become jumbled messes of things I would never be able to find when {or IF} I ever decided to follow through.  With all of that weighing heavy on my shoulders, I joined Pinterest and started pinning, making a conscious effort to only pin things that I actually thought I would use or make or do or revisit in some way.  I’m happy to say that so far I have done one Pinterest project.

I first saw the wooden Christmas trees here, via a stranger’s post on Pinterest.  Over Thanksgiving, J and I went to his parents’ house and took some time to rummage our way through some old buildings and get some lovely old wood to re-purpose for our trees.  We didn’t even have to paint or change anything with the look of the wood. J and his dad made a few cuts, and viola!

Last night J and I went to the holiday party for his PhD program and participated in the White Elephant gift exchange.  When someone way ahead of us opened a box of canning jars, I knew I had to have them.  Do you KNOW how many projects there are for canning jars?!  The jars ended up being a hot item, but we ended up with them {I’m sure whoever brought them was shocked!}.  Afterward I was asked, “Did you get those for canning, or because of Pinterest.”  Busted!  But I was glad I didn’t have to explain myself (:

If you’re on Pinterest, feel free to follow me – just click here!

~Anna

Friday night, J and I took my 16-year-old niece to a Luke Bryan concert.  Yes, we’re now that old aunt and uncle trying to prove our hipness.  Don’t judge! This Mr. Byran fellow is a country music singer, so I wasn’t familiar with any of this stuff until a few days before the concert {figured I should listen so I wouldn’t be completely in the dark}.  I admit, he has a few songs that will probably make it into the old iPod rotation.  Boom boom.

Most importantly, he puts on a good live show.  He covered Steve Miller Band, Lady Gaga, and whoever sings that “my iPod is stuck on replay (replay)” song.  He also did a lot of mashups of his stuff with songs from other genres. I like the surprise factor, but I’m not really sure if “mashup” is a real musical term, or just something I heard on Glee.  The show was part of his “farm tour” which basically means he sets up a stage in a field and eight thousand people come exercise their squatter’s rights for a few hours in the pitch black darkness and then spend upwards of an hour trying to get their car untangled from everyone else’s. But it was fun and relaxing to be there with the sun setting on a cool fall evening in the Georgia countryside.

~Anna

What an August I have had. Oh, my goodness. We have packed, driven, visited friends, visited family, driven some more…and now we are all moved in to our new home and happy as clams to be living in Georgia! Well, maybe not all moved in, but we’re getting there.  Now that my office is workable and the Internet is back in my life, I wanted to come dust off the blog and give you all some updates:

First, I wrote a guest blog post for Success for Solopreneurs on headshots, why they are important, and what you need to know if you are in the market for some new ones (you know you are!).  Feel free to head on over there and read it.

Also, custom photography sessions are currently being scheduled in Georgia, South Carolina, and really anywhere in driving distance (:  If you want to schedule a session for your family, engagement, high school senior, headshots, etc…, just fill out this form and we’ll get started.  It’s hard to think about it in August when it’s {so, so} hot, but it really is time to start thinking about those holiday pictures for your cards and gifts.

Happy weekend!

~A

Things are what I’d call a leeetle busy around here!  Preparations for the move are well under way, photo sessions and graphic design projects are in full swing, and making the most of our short time left in Chicago is at the top of the list.  So while I try to catch up on photo session sneak peeks, I thought I’d post a picture of this cake that I made last week for a trip to Ravinia with some lovely friends.

The cake was yummy, and I’m pretty sure it could be made with whatever fruit you have on hand. I currently have some peaches we picked up in Georgia this weekend that may make their way into this cake soon (:

Back to regularly schedule programming soon!

~Anna

This photo has long been one of the most-commented-on by my clients, so I thought it was about time I {attempt} to share it with the world – or at least the photography world – by entering into Professional Photographer Magazine’s annual cover contest.  If you like the image, I would be honored if you would go to the contest page and rate it.

That’s all (:

Thank you!!  And I hope you have the best holiday weekend ever.

~Anna

It’s really happening! Signs of spring are popping up everywhere and I’ve been having fun documenting it.  If you’ve had a session with me in the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed my camera occasionally turning toward nature while we’re walking from one location to another, or stopping for a snack break.  Having a job that lets me get outdoors and enjoy the beautiful days is a real blessing. Wednesday I even got sunburned in Grant Park while photographing the sweetest one-year-old fella (sneak peek coming soon). Happily sunburned, I might add, although today I did get out the sunscreen (:

Next week:  blog contests, sneak peeks, and scheduling announcements.  I hope you all have sunny and adventurous weekends!

~Anna

Isn’t that an old proverb?  If not, it should be.

As I’ve been hinting for several weeks now, there are a lot (a LOT) of changes happening here! The most obvious being the new identity for my freelance photography business.  The old city|view photography is no more!  Consider yourself officially welcomed to my new blog.  Much prettier, don’t you think? (Thanks to the amazingly talented, and patient, Andy O’Keefe!)

My new website and blog are being redesigned to reflect my clear, simple style and encompass both my photography and graphic design work. In addition to sharing my latest client projects and photo sessions here, I’ll also be posting about my life, travels, and anything else that interests me (and hopefully you).

The new website, found at www.ai-creative.com, will be ready very soon, and I am so excited.  Make sure you stay tuned to this blog, though – there are more announcements coming, and to kick off the new site I’ll be giving away a free portrait session through a blog contest.

So, welcome! Sit back, enjoy, and leave a comment if you like.

~ Anna