My 10 Ghoulishly Good Reasons Why I Love Halloween

Ask most people "what's your favorite holiday?", and more often than not the response will be Christmas. Not me. I love the yuletide season, and just about everything that comes along with it, but it's not my favorite. We'll call it a very close second. Love Thanksgiving too. Strange as it may be, my favorite is ..... Halloween!! Mwaahahaha!

Yeah I know that may be a little odd, but for me, there are many reasons for this. Here are my top ten reasons I think All Hallowed's Eve just totally rocks:

#10: Picking THE costume. I have so many memories of enjoying figuring out what my costume would be every year. Judging from my childhood pictures, I'd say my gypsy outfit was my fave. (Sorry, I couldn't find this pic in my archives ... the search is still on).

#9: Loved trick or treating as a kid. Either in my old neighborhood or where my cousins lived, I knew a lot of people on both sides of town, and we always had fun going from house to house with each other.

#8: Halloween decorations. No, I don't have many up now, but life's been busy and this year October just slipped by. But my mom and I used to love to put up all the Halloween decorations, spooky music, etc., and always made each other laugh, laugh, laugh while we were decorating. Every year, I plan to head to the stores just after Halloween to buy the decorations for next year. Yay! ... more Goodwill hunting in my near future.

#7: Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. Really, no other words necessary here, right? :)

#6: The memory of my first Halloween with Jon. We'd been dating about a year already, and my mom and I decorated the house and got ready for the night, as usual. Jon dressed in a Jason mask, held a Fisher Price chain saw, and came out of the bushes from time to time, you know, as the little visitors came up the walkway. And we loved it! Just the kind of guy you want to bring home to Mom, right? :)

#5: My mom's laughter during our Halloween antics. Not just the occasional chuckles, giggles, or ha ha's. I'm talking the kind of laughing that comes from deep within, resonating from the heart, just enjoying the time together. I miss that a lot!

#4: The Great Pumpkin. As in the classic Charlie Brown DVD kind. About a month or so before Halloween, we watch it early and often. Yep, we know all the words in the script too.

#3: My mother's in law's chili tradition. Every year for Halloween, she made chili. I've taken this tradition and expanded on it to block party status. Read on ...

#2: Halloween Block Parties. When we moved into our new house, it was just before Halloween. That night, I made chili and cornbread, as per the tradition, but shared it with my neighbors and friends. Now that I'm known as the Queen of Halloween on the block, it's something we've done ever since. I just love my neighbors!

#1: And my number one reason ... my kids now LOVE Halloween! And everything that it has become for our family. The pictures, the food, the stories and the memories -- all have become so special to Annie, Kate and Chris. I love that they share this favorite holiday with me, and that they'll carry this with them always. Like Mom and me. ♥

Here are several pics from Halloweens past. Have a spooktacular evening this Sunday! -- S



Kate: "Don't you just love my witchy accessories?"


Fishy crackers were a favorite staple in this little witch's diet back then. :)

My Pumpkin Boy.


My two kitty kats and Capt. Jack Sparrow.


Annie, watching our old favorite, The Great Pumpkin, in the driveway at our neighbor's house. And reciting just about every word too.



This monster bride wants you to pucker up! :)


Beware the kiss of this spider woman!




Arrrr!
Hmmm ... this guy looks familiar. Have we met before?


A blast from Halloween past ... me as a devil at a Halloween party at the University of Houston, 1983.

Yes, Kate can be a lot like me, right? haha. Here she is with our own little angel neighbor Meghan.

An Eagle Named Stephen

It is truly an honor. Having seen my nephew recently receive this prestigious honor, I am familiar with how special it is when a young man receives an Eagle Scout award. It is the Boy Scouts of America's highest achievement, and only a small percentage of scouts hold this title. Knowing this, I was so happy to have the chance to photograph Stephen's Eagle Scout ceremony a week ago Sunday.

With my daughters having been in Girl Scouts in their early elementary school years, I know firsthand that while scouting was certainly fun, it took a great deal of dedication and effort to earn merit badges and complete projects. My girls chose to leave scouting in favor of their music, but I always wished we had time to do both. It was so moving to see all of Stephen's scout achievements over the years, so lovingly displayed at his Eagle Scout ceremony. As you'll be able to tell from these pictures, this young man certainly has such an impressive scouting background. It was also so incredibly touching to see many members of his family, especially his mom and dad who were active in scouting along with him, present to share in his special moment. Thanks so much to Stephen's mom, Suzanne, for allowing me the opportunity to capture this wonderful time in these photographs.

Congratulations Stephen! I wish you all the best, and I know that you will continue to make the Boy Scouts of America very proud of you.






Stephen's trophies, badges, awards, certificates were all displayed on a large table. As in LARGE, and there was still very little room for anything else. It was so obvious that this young man has had many accomplishments in scouting!



I happened to be standing behind someone who I realized had to be a proud relative of Stephen's when she brought out this picture of him out of her purse.





Stephen's parents are very active in scouting with him. What a proud moment for them both!





Part of becoming an Eagle Scout is the Eagle Project. The scout must plan, develop and lead a service project that demonstrates both leadership and a commitment to duty. Stephen's project involved a large landscaping endeavor to a school, so we thought it was fitting for us to take some pictures out in the garden area. I especially like this photo of him, not only because it shows him in something wonderful he created, but also because to me it represents the path he has chosen in his life in scouting, and what undoubtedly will be a bright future ahead of him.

Holiday Mini Photo Sessions: Round Rock & Houston

It's that time again. You know ... ♫ jingle bell time, it's a swell time ... ♫ to get your family pictures taken for the holidays. Need a little help getting that done? Here's a sweet deal for my Austin area and Houston friends -- I'm offering Holiday Mini Photo Sessions in BOTH cities during November.

Mini photo sessions will include a 30 minute customized photo shoot, private online viewing gallery, 10 fully edited digital images on a high resolution CD with a print release within 2 weeks. Perfect for your holiday cards! Round Rock sessions will be held on Sunday, Nov7, 2:00 - 7:00 pm, at Old Settler's Park.

I'll be heading home to Houston for Thanksgiving, and I never leave home without my camera, so ... more mini photo sessions in store! Session dates are: Saturday, Nov20, 4:00 - 6:00; Sunday, Nov21, 2:00 - 6:00pm; and Wednesday, Nov24, 10:00am - 2:00pm. Sessions will be held in a mutually agreed upon location in the Houston area.

Due to the custom nature of the photo session and edited images you will receive, pre-payment is required. Price is $100 + tax. Great opportunity, guys -- rsvp via my facebook page, email, or call to reserve your spot today! And ..... if you book your session by Tuesday, Oct26, you can win a chance to get your photo shoot for 1/2 off!

So enjoy the most wonderful time of the year, schedule your photo session, cross that off your Christmas to do list, and make your spirits bright. Hope to hear from you soon!

-- S

Images for a Cure: H Family Pics

We met at the school yard a few years ago, Cheryl and I. We were introduced by a mutual friend, and got to talking about our kids. "You have a fourth grader? Yeah, I have two in fourth grade too", I said. "Oh, and a first grader? So do I. Only my first grader looks more like some of these fourth grade kids. He's really big." Cheryl: "So is mine." Then they happened to walk up together, our not so little first grade boys ... and wow, neither of us were kidding! Her son and Chris are about the same age, grade and yeah, they're pretty good sized dudes for their age. Both of them play baseball and now football too, even on the same team (GO TIGERS)! The family participated in the Images for a Cure portrait sessions that I held recently. This is the first season both of their sons are playing football at the same time, so we thought we'd take some fun shots along those lines.

Cheryl and Jesse -- thanks so much to both of you for letting me photograph you and the boys for the holidays! I'm so glad we were able to get these fun shots of the guys during this football season. And much thanks also, for your contribution to the Images for a Cure campaign.

All the best! -- S

Images for a Cure Photos: The H Family

About a week ago, I held mini-photo sessions for the Images for a Cure campaign. Registered photographers pick a day to shoot portraits, and donate 100% of their session fees to breast cancer research. Registration was super easy -- go online, make your donation directly to the campaign, print your certificate, and have your pics taken. Great way to get your Christmas card pics in AND contribute to a worthy cause!

These are pics from one of the families that I photographed that day. Marisa, Stuart and their three absolutely BEAUTIFUL daughters let me take a few pics of them that gorgeous morning. One of these faces you may have seen before in previous posts ... their oldest daughter is one of my girls' band mates, in Chaotic Ei8ht.

Marisa & Stuart -- thanks so much for the opportunity to photograph your family and for your contribution to breast cancer research. All the best -- S

Austin Stiletto Stampede

Today I had the honor of photographing the Stiletto Stampede in Austin. For those of you unfamiliar with this event, allow me to explain. Breast cancer survivors, family members, supporters, etc., come out to compete in various 100-yard high heel dashes to raise awareness and support for the fight against breast cancer. There was pink everywhere, and it was a beautiful day for this event.

I was asked to take pictures of attendees, contributors, the races, people crossing the finish line, and generally people having a good time today. I essentially was given creative carte blanche. Hello?? How awesome is that? I was excited to be there, had fun talking to people and getting them to pose for me, and was so inspired by all the ladies that were there. I had so much creative muse going on, that when it was over, I didn't realize I hadn't eaten, or drank anything, or even stopped to pee. Too much excitement around. So when it ended and the adrenaline came down, I was finally alone with my thoughts. I packed up my camera gear, sat in the truck ...

... and cried.

I did this because I wanted to give something back. To use my talents in a productive and meaningful way. But most of all, I did this for my mom, who died almost five years ago from breast cancer. Her death was so sudden, yet what we didn't know was that she had had it for years beforehand and it went undetected. As my tears flowed, all I could think about was that her death was so preventable, and thus so senseless to me. Early detection would have saved her. That's what today was all about ... raising awareness. And if my camera and I can do something toward that end, then I've helped, and that makes me feel a little better.

So that's me on my pink soap box for today. I took sooo many pictures, but these are some that I think you might enjoy. :)

-- S


This is a truck donated by a local car dealership owned by the former mayor of Round Rock. What a huge contribution!

This young lady volunteered her time to help with flowers for the race winners.


This necklace on a contestant was just so perfect!


This must have been this girl's lucky pair of stilettos. She won one of the races in these!


This dog won best costume in the Pooch Scooch category. Don't you just love the face? I mean, it's like ... "really, I gotta wear THIS?"


This baby girl is clearly a dog lover. :)


Stilettos!!


This lady was so fun and inspirational! She's a 10 year survivor, and told me that she lives everyday to celebrate life.


The winners in the first few races.




Love the crossing the finish line together!


So hard to run in high heels, you know? This lady fell just before the finish line, and there was a race volunteer right there to help her up. The spirit of sisterhood was alive and well here!


This lady had to have been one of the first true Pink Ladies. :)


One of the Stiletto Stampede's volunteers said that everything they do is "just a little bit sassy." When I saw this contestant walking by, I asked her to pose for a few pictures. She agreed, and a bit later she turned around. I remembered the sassy comment and said, "Oh, girl ... I have to get a picture of your butt." She laughed, but she worked the sassiness well. haha

SHE is Kate

To you, she may just be a normal preteen girl. Perhaps you know her from school, or through her music, or maybe you're a family friend. To me, she's so much more than that.

As my daughter, Kate is, of course, one of my dreams come true. After years of struggling with infertility, she is one of my miracle babies. From her early days, I could tell that she had her own very strong personality. She was so studious, watching every little detail in things, like she was contemplating huge, philosophical thoughts like "why is the sky blue?", even at just a few months old. I thought I was going to have a quiet, serious child on my hands. I couldn't have been more wrong. The girl LOVES to talk!! In fact, she's about as social as they come ... it's getting my chatterbox to be quiet that's more the problem.

Jon and I often say we had 'his and her' twins. In many ways, Annie is a lot like me, and Kate is a lot like him. With her analytical mind, she and Jon can certainly relate to each other, and the two of them can talk for hours on end. Yet, I see me in her too, both good and bad. She knows me well -- the things I would say, do, like -- and I cannot tell you how many times we say the same thing, or spot the same item out of a hundred things when we're together. Sometimes her sharp witted comments can be pretty sarcastic, and yes while it drives me insane, I know ... that's so me when I was her age. The preteen stage has been a bit rough on both of us. We've had some ups and downs. And I know it's also not always cool to have Mom around either. But it's in those times when she says "love you!" when leaving the car for school, or "can I schedule a cuddle appointment?" right before going to bed that I know we will be just fine.

She may be somewhat of a paradox and not always easy to understand, but I know my girl. I know every freckle on her sweet face. I know those beautiful, soulful brown eyes. I know that incredible voice and musical talent that can touch my heart and can make me cry with pride. I know how much she LOVES to read and how unbelievably crazy fast she can devour a book. I know she loves shoes and jewelry, and loves being with me in the kitchen. I know she has a wonderful smile, and that in her heart she carries the love Jon and I have for her.

Because Kate can be all of these things wrapped up into one soul, the song "She" from Elvis Costello has always reminded me of her. Since so much of how she expresses herself is through music, I thought I'd attach a YouTube link of the song so you'd see what I mean. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehzD2A0e-kw&feature=related .

Kate -- I love you, dear one! ♥ Mom


"She may be the reason I survive
The why and wherefore I'm alive
The one I'll care for through the rough and ready years
Me, I'll take her laughter and her tears
And make them all my souvenirs
For where she goes I've got to be
The meaning of my life is she. " -- Elvis Costello, lyrics from "She"