First Blog of 2012 | To do list

2012 Checklist:

1. Organize kitchen

2. Get a couch

3. Budget our money

4.     Play xbox with Hardy for a whole day in our p.j.s

5. Let GOD

6. Run a marathon by December 29^th 2012

7. Try to listen better

8. Become a full time blogger

9. Book my photography schedule full of shoots

10. Feel the way I feel at every wedding when they say “I do”

11. Be honest about the hardest thing possible

12. Stay a week in Miami

13. Become more confident

14. Eat a whole jar of nutella in my pajamas & not feel guilty (over a weekend of course)

15. Teach someone something new

16. Volunteer in my community

17. Believe in myself

18. Go camping

19. Enroll back in school

20. Just be happy

My favorite photos of 2011 | photography

I took some time to go through my favorite photos to share with you all. It is pretty hard to pick my favorites since I love them all so much. I will add more when we get off Holiday. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them.

This has to be my favorite picture EVER! This was taken in Arlington Cemetery at the changing of the guard. I recommend everyone visit this place at least once. 

Joe & Sarah's wedding day. This picture needs to explanation. The love is radiating off of them. 

Melanie's first triathlon in Richmond, Virginia. Triathlons are so inspiring. I was nervous about this since it was my first time shooting at one. I would love to be apart of another one.

Priscilla's white pony. When I shot with Priscilla she had 3 horses roaming the range. This one happened to love me. She was gorgeous.

Francis "Stacks" was my first shoot ever in Fredericksburg. I had an amazing time & he is awesome to work with. This is the Amtrak station downtown & I love this spot. 

Told you I loved this spot. Emily & Cody where expecting their first baby. Cody's mother asked me to shoot their maternity photos & I  happily agreed. I believe it was the hottest day of the year. Congrats to them both on their beautiful daughter.

Breathe taking Philadelphia buildings. We visited some friends in Jersey & wanted to visit the Love sign. The sun was setting & I captured this. 

I love love love this photo. Personally I think it belongs in a magazine! I love how the bar is in the background. Thomas & Brooke's wedding in October. I enjoyed this wedding so much. Very relaxed & laid back. So much love in the air.

Brady a spunky little one year old. He was such a ham & didn't want his photos taken. I even had toys & that was a no go. I ended up with this shot by sitting him down next to the chalk board & he got up to bolt for the rocks. 

My niece Reanna. She is so full of life & has her own little personality. She knows what she wants & does everything in a skirt! I had to get a shot of those two front teeth.

I hope you all have a safe New Years & embrace 2012 because baby it's here!! :)

Look back on our Christmas 2011 | Family

Me & hubby drove up to spend our Christmas with my family this year. I always love the 10 hour drive we have to make to get here :( just kidding! We have a tradition where we all (My mother's brother's, sister's, kids, & grand kids) go to my Aunt's house for a Christmas party.  My mother is 1 of 9 kids so there is a good amount of people there. We all bring a dish to pass & usually exchange gifts or ornaments. This year we chose ornaments to exchange. That was fun & hilarious. Also all the women & girls were given a pair of Christmas socks to wear if we didn't already have them on. I made Santa hats that I found on Pinterest. Hubby made pig in the blankets. My parents brought ham onion roll ups with cream cheese, a family favorite. 

Nate, Naoma, Mama, Michelle, & Randi. 

Brother & sisters. (Missing 3)

Hubby, Mama, & my little broham

Oh this little handsome devil is my nephew Ayden. 

Our ornament we where exchanging. Wolverines!!! GO BLUE!

My step father Virgil & my sister Megan.

Freddie & Leah

Cousin & 2nd Cousin

Grandma Joyce's homemade ornaments.

Everyone's favorite ornament from Grandma Joyce.

Clarisse making grandma Joyce's famous sugar candies. 

Cousin's daughter

Amanda & Michelle

Cousin & Aunt

It snowed when we left the party!! I love Michigan:)

Reanna my niece by grandma Traci's Christmas tree

How we ended our Christmas night! :)

Christmas Eve me & hubby spent it with my father & step mother. We open our gifts & eat dinner. We talk, laugh, joke, argue, & just plain have fun. All my brother's & sister's go over there & just spend time together.This year I didn't grab any photos because I wanted to relax & help clean. My brother Aaron spent his first Christmas with us EVER! I was so happy he came. He is adopted out to an amazing family & usually is with them. This year he came to have dinner & just hang out. 

My photos from my iPhone 4. 

Christmas socks!!

Santa Hats

Brownie bite topped with vanilla frosting & a strawberry. 

Snowmen

Nutter butter bars, white candy melts, M&M's, tic tacs, & vanilla frosting dyed black. 

I brought these cute little guys to my father's house for Christmas Eve dinner.

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday! 

Be safe & enjoy your New  Year. Do you have any resolutions for 2012 or are you opting out?

Wordless Wednesdays.

Photography | Pen Ready Project

1,000 cameras, 1,000 people, & 6 cities The Pen Ready Project. Olympus wants everyday people to know that they too, can take gorgeous photos. Watch the video ABOVE to find out more about The PEN READY Project & check out the photos from everyday people HERE.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Olympus & all opinions are my own.

Happy Holidays.

From my family to yours:)

Me With Santa!!

Our family Christmas sock traditions:)

& The hubby with Santa!!

Mundane Mondays.

I thought I would start a series called Mundane Mondays. I can catch you up on the week, things I found over the weekends, photos I may have taken over the week that I have not posted. Enjoy & I looks forward to seeing you every Monday! 

This past week has been good for me. We are settling in the new apartment & getting pictures hung. The only thing we need now is a couch. We have been with out one for some time now (a year) because we had a few incidents with our old one. We knew we'd be moving so just decided to wait so we didn't have to move a heavy couch. I don't want to bore you with a couch haha. Eventually we will buy one. This weekend we chilled out watched a Stephen King movie Thinner. That was pretty good, even though it was from back in the early 90's. Ate junk food (don't judge me) & watched football. Go Lions. 

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend & this week is easy on your nerves as it is the week before Christmas. 

Jenda XoXo

P.S. Here I am:)

2's a company | Nuckols' Family

This is my first family I shot with that was referred to me by another client. Let me just say I was nervous as all get out. Almost all of my clients have been people that I have known. Even if I have only talked to them a handful of times I still knew of them. Betty called me out of the blue one day wanting to set up a shoot for her "Christmas" photos. We joked about her being a little late on getting those out. We set a date & the deal was sealed. It was going to be her, Shan (hubby), J, C, & E. In order from oldest son to youngest daughter, with a daughter in the middle. I kept their names private out of respect for the family. Also you wont be meeting J, C, or E, for it was their parents wishes. I totally respect that. 

Without further adieu (had to google how to spell adieu not going to lie) haha

Shan & Betty

Shan & Betty have been together for 17 years & have 3 kids. 

Shan is in the USAF & has an amazing personality. Betty is super sweet & the cool hip mom. These two where so laid back.

Their love for one another showed through they way they look at each other. 

Shan didn't want to dance but his lady requested & he happily agreed! 

A fairy tale ending. 

Thank you Mr. & Mrs. Nuckols for letting me see into a little piece of your life. Your kids are wonderful & beautiful little people. 

Jenda XoXo

Woods & Sunsets | Mommy & Son

Nanu & I have been friends since 9th grade. When I found out she was pregnant with her son I was so excited for her. I knew she would make a great mother. Nanu is funny & loves to have a great time were ever she goes. When I came to find out her sister Erica had a son also, I was more thrilled then ever. When we went home to Michigan she had asked to get a few shots of her son & her. I offered to do a Christmas shoot for her mother. Get all her children & grandchildren together & take a nice photo to frame for her. Nanu loved the idea, at the time. When we read the forecast it said a high of 60's & partly sunny. We should have known that was not going to be the case because we are in Michigan!

We met at a well known park in Holland, MI named Kollen Park. It was freezing & windy. The shots we did get I was super happy with.

Above [ Nanu, her son, Erica, her son]

Thank you Nanu & cutie pie for letting me work with you! I had an amazing time & look forward to our Spring shoot. 

Jenda xoxo

Christmas is 10 days away?! ALREADY!

Oh boy, it's that time of year again. I seriously can't believe that 2011 is gone already! I remember saying it's only January 2011. This year has seriously just flown by. It's had it's ups & downs. I am going to post my "wish" list below as far as my photography goes. It is stuff I have been wanting a while & might get later in the year of 2012. They are pricey but worth it to invest in. Enjoy loves.

Shoot Sac
I actually learned of this bag through Jasmine Star. It's a shoulder bag. Which comes in handy when you 
are at weddings & shoots that are very active as far as getting up & down from the ground. 

24mm Nikkor Lens
I have had my eye on this lens for EVER! I was thinking of renting it to see how I would like it. I have spoken
to a few photographers about it & this is by far most of their favorites. 

EOS 5D Mark II
Hi Mark! :) I know shocker! I am a Nikon chick butttt I have been thinking lately that I want to try out the Canon & who says you can't have both? Hmmm?



 I hope you all have a great weekend. Happy Friday!!! 
xoxo

Wordless Wednesdays.

Oh yea it's that time again! (oh shoot no words) FAIL!

Jozo Family | River House

When we went home to Michigan for a the week I had booked a few shoots (who am I kidding enough to make me go crazy lol) to keep up on work. I love growing my portfolio & working with people. I am such a people person sometimes i drive myself nuts! My two lovely cousins wanted family photos done with their separate families. I jumped to this because I grew up with these women & their amazing mothers!! Down below are photos of my oldest female cousin on my mother's side of the family & her husband & son. Enjoy.

My mother works for the daughter of Louie Padnos & their River House is amazing. They let me take the photos there. Thanks ladies:)

They have all these one of a kind structures in the yard! 

& the River was dried up but the wheat made from some awesome shots!

The dock was so long & narrow ( I was scared for my life) not really! But hey I can dream.

Dawson is such a hoot. He has Asperger syndrome. This makes him super hyper but super fun! He makes me laugh anytime I am around. 

I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did taking them. I am not showing all of the photos on here because the families have yet to look through all the photos. Thanks to Carol & Shelley for lending me their amazing home.

xoxo