Today, is super simple, but you have to be prepared… ready?

Once your camera is ready approach your victim …err subject … and simply call their name.  But BE READY!  Snap that shutter as SOON as they look up.  We see that face ALL the time, but have you ever captured it?  C’mon DO IT! 

Who’s with me?!

Today, take a photo of each of your children and email or text it to those who love you.

It doesn’t matter what they are doing, it doesn’t matter if they are smiling. Then, come back and let us know when you did it!!

We can DO this!!! Here’s mine of my daughter!

We need babywearing caregivers! I have the distinct pleasure of working with the nationally & internationally known and deeply-loved Olives & Applesauce, LLC to photograph their wholesale available line of carriers.

We are specifically looking for:
At least one grandma wearing any age baby/toddler,
At least one dad wearing any age baby/toddler,
Of course mamas wearing their little one(s),
And all caregivers who *adore* wearing their baby/toddler!

We would love for one of our adult models to have a baby 3 months or younger.
A mom of baby/toddler and an older child would be fabulous.
Are we blessed enough to find a mom and HER mom (or mother-in-law) who both wear children?!

The nitty-gritty…

1.  Models must be available the last week of August 2011 both Saturday and some during the weekdays.
2.  Models (including the baby/toddler) will participate in sessions styled by Sara that will last 30-60 minutes. After Caren and Sara pair up models with specific carriers Sara will chat with models about clothing styles and colors that would work well with your photoshoot environment & carrier style & colors.
3.  Models will be required to sign a model release covering both Treasured Images by Sara and Olives & Applesauce, LLC. We wish we could pay you the big bucks (like Gisele earns) each time your images are published, but until we are living on our private islands neither of us can afford to do that.
4.  Models will be compensated by a 5×7 print of any image from the selection given to Olives & Applesauce, LLC. Models will also receive a discount code if they wish to purchase a carrier from Olives & Applesauce, LLC. Additional prints/products will also be available from the finished gallery. No purchases are required of models and stating a desire to do so won’t make you more likely to be selected, so no pressure.
5.  Models will travel to the location of their photoshoot at their own expense.  Sessions will take place in Central Illinois in the Peoria, IL area.

You want to apply??  TERRIFIC!!!!
Send an email to models@treasuredimagesbysara.com before Monday, August 8th and include:

1.  Your full name.
2.  Your phone number and email.
3.  Which days you are available for your photoshoot.
4.  What carriers you typically use to wear/carry your child(ren).
5.  A recent snapshot of:
   (1) yourself full body or nearly full body (however we are not looking for all/only skinny-minis)
   (2) one closer up of your beautiful face! Your face IS beautiful; ask your children!!
   (3) a snapshot of any child you are volunteering to participate with you as well as the child’s sex and age

SO! Let me help you get some images of your relationship up on the walls or at least in your purse or desk so you can cherish “out loud” the relationship that makes all your little ones a FAMILY!!

That evening light is so warm and glowing. We will meet together on a Friday evening in July. July 29th to be exact…and we’ll pray for no rain! If it would be less than ideal weather we’ll set a rain date based on the couples participating. I’ll choose the location that is most central to everyone involved – most likely ICC’s Arboretum or Sugar Grove Nature Center. We’ll get together and celebrate the spark you and your sweetie kicked off your family holding onto. Read all the details below and give me a call or send me an email to book your spot!

And since my heart has been so yearning for a special time with my own sweetie I want to include a BONUS for those who participate. Grab a sitter so you can come to your mini-session and afterward go out for a coffee or dessert date ON ME! Yep, when you come to your mini-session I’ll have a small gift card for you to Starbucks, Panera Bread, or Eli’s in Morton.

As one MORE bonus to those who contributed to the Father’s Day posts on Facebook, choose 2 of the 3 options instead of just one for your mini-session.
Ryan Loudermilk
Brandee Cowley
Megan Lowe

click image to enlarge

The winner will receive their winning image as an 11×14 Gallery Wrapped Canvas as well as a gift certificate for $200 good toward any 2011 Collection. These two items have a retail value of $350. Their certificate will be mailed tomorrow. Who wins???

Congrats D Family!!

Our First Runner Up will also receive a great prize package valued at $200. They will receive their winning image as an Heirloom Mounted 8×10. This delicately textured image will arrive mounted on masonite sure to be loved for generations to come. They also receive a $100 gift certificate good toward any 2011 Collection. Their certificate will also be mailed tomorrow. Congratulations H Family!!

And lastly the site Random.org chose among all 320 Facebook fans and came up with one to win a $100 gift certificate good toward any 2011 Collection. Since I do not have addresses for all my “fans” this prize winner will be notified here and then again via Facebook. Should she not send her address to me in 7 days then the 2nd random number fan will be given an opportunity to respond! Without further delay…

Congratulations to all!! This was so much fun!! I already can’t wait to do it again at the end of 2011!!!

And now for the MOST exciting news!! I was not sure at the start of the year just how much we would be able to donate back to Sugar Grove Nature Center, but I had hoped it would do at least a little good for them. I am humbled and honored to be able to announce that in the next couple of weeks we, all of us involved with Treasured Images by Sara in 2010, will be able to donate $765 back to Sugar Grove!!
Thank you dearly and deeply Sugar Grove for sharing your world with us!!

Have you VOTED yet for the 2010 Photo of the Year?

One vote per IP through Febrary 10th, details on the blog post here.

The poll below has clickable thumbnails to see the image larger if you prefer:
Take Our Poll
Poll not displaying? Here is the direct link.

~The winner will receive an 11×14 Gallery Wrapped Canvas of their winning image PLUS $200 gift certificate good toward any 2011 Collection Session!!
~The 1st Runner-up will receive an Heirloom Mounted 8×10 of their image as well as a $100 Collection gift certificate.
~And lastly is a Facebook Fan Bonus!! A Facebook Fan will be chosen at random to also win a $100 Collection gift certificate. So be sure to “like” the Facebook Page for your chance to win!

The fine print….
* Voting runs from January 10th – February 10th at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
* Voting is filtered by IP address – so one vote per IP address is allowed.
* The running results will not be visible. The winner will be announced via email and on the blog February 11th.
* Gift certificates are fully transferable and are promotional gift certificates valid from February 11th through December 31st, 2011.
* Gift certificates are valid toward any future 2011 Collection session.
* I reserve the right to disqualify entries or terminate/modify the contest if necessary.
* No purchase is necessary to win.

I can’t wait to see who will win!! Each of you helped make 2010 such a spectacular year, thank you. You truly bless my heart, each of you!!

Here is what we need:
0-3m These seem to possibly even work best with nearly newborns.
3-6m
6-12m
12-24m (two please!)
2T-4T

And I do have a couple spots for boys.  My 3-6m model outgrew my hat before we could get together!
So, I need a boy in 3-6m for a Newsboy Hat.
I also am getting a 5T-preteen hat that will need an adorable head to wear it. 

The lowdown nitty-gritty…
1. The available dates are Monday the 25th (Peoria or Bloomington area depending on where most of my models come in from) and Friday the 29th of October (Sugar Grove Nature Center).  You need to be available for one of these days.
2.  If you fill a space for me, then I will let you know what color and style your hat is in.  We can work together for clothing options.
3.  You will be required to sign a model release covering both Treasured Images by Sara & Baby Crochet Shop on Etsy.

What do you get for your hard work?? 
1.  You get to see these ADORABLE hats in person.  While it’s a widespread consensus that the images (both hers and now the ones by TIbySara) show how cute they are… in person they are even MORE wonderful!!
2.  Missy & I want to offer each model a complimentary small format desk print (up to 5×7) for carving out time for us!  We truly appreciate it more than words can share!
3.  You have the opportunity to purchase the hat your child models at a discount.
4.  You also have the opportunity to purchase any other prints of your child’s mini-session.  This is in NO way a requirement OR an expectation.  But I know as a mama, I hate knowing that there are cute pictures of my child hovering out there and I can’t have them on my wall or in an album.    So for that reason ONLY I make all the images sent to Missy available to you for “mini-sessions only” pricing.

You want to apply??? AWESOME!!!!  Read on…
1.  Please send me an email to sara@treasuredimagesbysara.com
2.  In the email please include a recent snapshot of your child.
3.  Also please include which of the mini-session dates you are available for.
4.  If we have not met yet, please also tell me where you live.  You don’t necessarily need to send me your address, but just an idea of where you are from.

Thank you!!  I can’t WAIT to get these on your girls (and boys) heads!!!!
Blessings to each one of you,
Sara!!