A Piece of Your Puzzle

Just a Reminder...

2010-02-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

I will no longer be updating this blog, so if you would like to read all of my updates and see pictures of my most up to date sessions head on over to my new blog at puzzlepiecephotography.com/blog. I've just posted about the winner of my Mini Session Giveaway, so don't miss out!

Alycia

It's Makeover Time - AND a GIVEAWAY!

2010-02-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

That's right, I've been working on making over my house, I really need a hair makeover right now... and it's finally time to reveal the long overdue Puzzle Piece Photography makeover! My sister-in-law Arien (pictured in the last post) is a graphic designer has been working with me on my new logo since last October, and we were able to pin down the exact colors I wanted while I was visiting Utah over Thanksgiving. Here's what she came up with, isn't she amazing?

Now, with the new look, I have a new blog and website that will be easier to find and remember. Now you can just go to puzzlepiecephotography.com for session information and prices and puzzlepiecephotography.com/blog for session sneak peeks, everyday ramblings, and giveaways like these! This blog will no longer be updated. Speaking of. I'm sure that's what you've all been waiting for, I know I would be if I were you. ;) In honor of Puzzle Piece Photography makeover week I'm giving away one FREE mini session! Now what does that entail? A 30 minute session for up to 6 people, a low resolution CD with 15-20 digital images, and a $15 print credit so you can pick a few favorites to put up in your home, all for free!

Now don't worry if you don't win I have a deal for you too. I don't normally offer mini sessions, but every once in a while I'm going to be having "Mini Session Days," and this Saturday the 20th of February will be one of them. I will be holding it at the Everett Arboretum. At the bottom of this post I'll put some pictures of my boys that were taken there this past November, so you can see what it looks like. Spots will be available in 30 minute increments from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m., and 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. That means there are only 8 available spots for this Saturday so act fast!

If you sign up now you will recieve the same as the winner, a 30 minute session for up to 6 people, a low resolution CD with 15-20 digital images, AND a $15 print credit, all for only $75! If for some reason this Saturday doesn't work for you, I will honor the price and we can find a different time that does work for you and your family. If you happen to live in UTAH feel free to enter too, or book your mini session, because we will be visiting Utah County at the end of April through the beginning of May.

There are several ways to ENTER to WIN the FREE MINI SESSION. You can become eligible through entering any or all of the following ways for a total of six entries:

FIRST, visit my NEW BLOG where you will find this same post and leave a comment letting me know what your favorite thing is about my new blog. Your comments MUST be left at my NEW BLOG in order to be eligible to win.

SECOND, visit my NEW BLOG where you will find this same post and leave a comment letting me know what your favorite thing is about my new WEBSITE. Your comments MUST be left at my NEW BLOG in order to be eligible to win.

THIRD, become a fan of Puzzle Piece Photography on FACEBOOK and leave on comment on my NEW BLOG in order to be eligible to win.

FOURTH, comment on one of the photos or photo albums on my FACEBOOK PAGE and leave a comment on my NEW BLOG saying you did so in order to be eligible to win. I know this is a stretch but I want to give you more opportunities to win. ;)

FIFTH, follow Puzzle Piece Photography on TWITTER. I won't be twittering much, but my Twitter account is linked to my facebook page, so when I update my status there you will also be able to see it on Twitter. Make sure you leave a comment on my NEW BLOG letting me know that you are now following on Twitter if you want to be eligible to win.

SIXTH, post a link about my giveaway on YOUR BLOG. Make sure you leave a comment here at my NEW BLOG letting me know that you did so.

The contest will end on WEDNESDAY February 17th, at MIDNIGHT Pacific time, and the winner will be chosen through their comment number on random.org. This is why it's very important that you comment on my NEW BLOG in order to be eligible.

So go and get yourself a makeover, if you need one, although I doubt you do... and get ready for pictures!

Now for a few of my boys at the Everett Arboretum. Enjoy!

Oh, What a Difference Light Makes...

2010-02-04T20:07:00.000-08:00

While we were in Utah we were able to see my husband Gabe's entire family too, and since it's not very often that everyone gets together we took the opportunity to get some pictures. Unfortunately it was a very bright and cold day in Utah, which didn't make for the best portraits, and since we were on a tight schedule so that the girls could make it to our showing of "New Moon" on time we didn't have a lot of time to scout out locations so we made do with my parent's new, partly finished backyard. First we tried pictures with the weeds as a backdrop which would have worked well if it wasn't for the horrible side lighting. I told my mom those obnoxious weeds were worth something! She keeps hoping they'll build a house there so she doesn't have to look at them anymore. ;) Anyway, it doesn't matter how nice a backdrop is if the lighting is bad. Toward the end I had the subjects (Gabe's cute younger sisters) turn with their backs to the sun, and voila, a MUCH better portrait with even lighting! I think it works even with the houses as a backdrop. Don't you?

A few of his brother and his wife turned out pretty good too. I just love the backlit look...

and yes, these were taken in the middle of the day. ;)

A few from the beginning with the obviously not as good side lighting, but I love how they were interacting with each other. I always feel like I've done my job when I can capture a little piece of real life. ;)

I Heart Faces - “We Are Family” Photo Challenge

2010-01-18T13:04:00.000-08:00

I was so excited when I heard the theme for this week at "I Heart Faces." This family is absolutely amazing, and all seven kids are absolutely adorable. You might remember baby Molly, and her siblings Teddy and Liesel from earlier posts. This picture is the one the mom loves the most. Why? Because their real life and each personality shows through. Teddy is a little firecracker which is exactly why he's hanging upside down, that was the best way to get him looking at the camera. I just love photographing children, and especially families of children, it's a challenge, but so worth it in the end! Stay tuned, there's more of this fun family to come.

Tami's Family

2010-01-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

When I was visiting family over the holidays I was able to photography my Aunt Tami's family. It was so fun to see all of my cousins together, and be able to spend time with each of them individually. Once again we went to my new favorite spot and we all survived the freezing cold and crazy wind. It was so cold I had to look for the button every time I wanted to take a picture because I couldn't feel my hands. It was all worth it though, as you can see. ;)

The entire clan, we tried a couple of different backgrounds.

Tami and Elliot

Michael

Megan and Miles

The twins. Britney and Whitney.

Nicholas

My Cousin

2010-01-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

Just one for now... of my cousin. Isn't she stunning? I couldn't decide which version I liked better.

Which do YOU like better? The one in color with a texture, or the one that's black and white with a little color showing through... I can't decide.

Zakai

2010-01-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

Zakai was born the day I went out of town for Thanksgiving, so we missed the window for newborn pictures, but at one month old he was still as cute as ever! I loved the calm feeling in their home. You could just feel how much love his parents have for him and I love that it can be seen through the pictures I was able to capture for them.

I love the green rug that was in his bedroom!

Their beautiful cat even got in on the fun. I've actually never seen a cat like me so much. ;)

Just one more of Zakai to remember him by.

My Family

2009-12-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

While we were in Utah for Thanksgiving I was able to take lots and lots of pictures. I've been planning these ones of my family for months now. Enjoy!

My mom...

My dad.

My older brother Tyler, his wife Mara, and baby Ashton.

Doesn't he have the cutest smile? He's only a week younger than Carter.

My younger brothers Kyle and Bryant.

Bryant's almost 15 and getting taller and more mature every time I see him!

Kyle is an 18 year old stud... and a goofball. ;) He's just finishing his first full semester of college.

Gabe and I with our boys. Thanks to Mara for taking the ones of all of us together!

Preston with his absolute favorite person ever! They like to play legos together and even shared a room while we were there.

This is my favorite of Preston. He was actually smiling for the camera which rarely happens!

Merry Christmas everyone!

P.S. My brother Royce is not pictured because he's serving an LDS mission in Argentina, we miss him but know he's in the right place. ;) You can see him pictured on the Christmas card. Thanks to Vivien Van Leeuwen for the image.

Molly Ann

2009-11-19T21:17:00.000-08:00

Finally the rest of the pictures of this sweet girl. I loved all the "props" they had at her house too, especially that perfect green chair. ;)

The Girl with the Golden Hair

2009-11-18T21:57:00.000-08:00

That's what Liesel calls herself anyway. ;) Here's more of her playing around. Isn't amazing how much of a natural she is in front of the camera? I didn't have to prompt her to do anything. I'm sure you'll see much more of this little one in the future, especially since I don't have any little girls of my own to photograph. Maybe someday...

Teddy

2009-11-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

This little guy has quite the personality, and the most beautiful blue eyes!

I just love how his hair looks just like his baby sisters, or should I say hers is like his. ;)

Molly and Mommy

2009-11-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

There are so many pictures of this little one that I love, I'll probably ending doing several posts. I just love how sweet and innocent she is, and the tender moments there were between her and her beautiful mommy. I love that you can see just how tiny she is, as well as all those little baby wrinkles.

Liesel and Molly

2009-11-13T18:51:00.000-08:00

This little girl should be a model. She was playing dress up with my props as I was taking pictures of her new baby sister and I couldn't help but snap a few of her. Isn't she gorgeous?

You'll see more of her, and adorable baby Molly soon! ;)

Becky and Her Family

2009-11-12T22:17:00.000-08:00

It was supposed to be pouring rain the day of this session. When I woke up it was not sunny, but not raining either. As I was driving there I got poured on, but it stopped completely when I arrived, and it just got better from there on out. It seems like I always have way too many favorites. For me every picture tells a story, and I don't want to miss any part of it. This family had a lot of fun stories to tell too. ;)

The light ended up being beautiful toward the end of the session. It was poking out of the clouds just enough. This was my absolute favorite of the day, which is why it's in color and black and white, I just couldn't decide. I love the the sweet baby hand poking up as she's comforting him, that is a moment that will always be remembered.

A Preview for Aaron's Mommy

2009-11-05T13:55:00.000-08:00

Aaron was such a sweet happy 6 month old, and look at that adorable hair! There will be more to come of him and his family. Until then, enjoy!

My Basket Boys

2009-11-03T20:39:00.000-08:00

I had this idea to take some pictures of my boys out in nature in a cute way... Preston may be getting a little old for this, but I just can't help myself. I really need to have a girl some day... I want to put one of each of them up in my house. Which is your favorite?

Josh, Chante, and Family

2009-11-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

This family picked an AMAZING location to get their pictures taken at! It's a place by the ocean where they have spent countless days during the summer. They even spent a week camping there. It was obvious they loved it and were comfortable there. I had so much fun following them around helping them capture those memories to last a lifetime.

My absolute favorite!

The cousins

Look at those eyes!

Hope Everyone had a Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

My dancing penguin and sweet pea pod sure did!

Heidi and Her Boys

2009-10-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Heidi, wanted some nice traditional pictures of her and her family. It was pouring rain, but this beautiful gazebo kept us nice and dry. Her boys are the same age as mine, and best friends. It's fun to capture their different personalities!

I Heart Faces - “Halloween Dress-Up” Photo Challenge

2009-10-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

I have been following the "I Heart Faces" website for a while now and have never entered a photo into one of their challenges. I usually can't think of a picture that will work for the weeks theme until after the deadline, but this week I was on top of things. ;) My friend Heidi and I went out to take pictures of our little ones in their Halloween costumes before the weather got bad. This is one of my littlest guy all dressed up like a little pea pod. I got lots of photos of him smiling, and there will be more to come of those, but this one stuck out to me. I love the expression on his face, kind of like he's wondering why in the world he's dressed the way he is propped against a wall. Oh well, he'll catch on to the spirit of Halloween someday!

Alex is a Senior

2009-10-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

It's the time of year for seniors, and it was fun to photograph another one who loves wakeboarding and snowboarding. I guess that's what happens when you live near a lake, and mountains. Oh, and doesn't he have the most beautiful backyard? Congratulations on starting your your senior year Alex!

Jared's a Missionary Now

2009-10-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

Jared was getting ready to serve an LDS mission in Minnesota when he had these pictures taken. He didn't get any Senior portraits taken last year either, so we did a two for one. He's a fun outgoing guy who loves to wakeboard and snowboard. Although he'll be around a lot of snow in the next few years he won't be doing any of that, but I know he'll enjoy spreading the gospel, and is going to be a great missionary!

Image of the Week

2009-10-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

Things I LOVE:

the fact that two seconds after I took this he was off and running in the other direction

that he has a leaf in each hand

how the subtle yellow in his shirt goes is brought out by the color of the leaves

how his hair is blowing in the wind

his intent eyes

his expression

how the leaf frames his eye

how blue his eyes are

how pink his lips are

how I'll always have this memory of our family trip to the park

Ben's a Senior

2009-10-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

Ben and I spent thirty minutes or so walking outside my house looking for good places to take some senior pictures. He has a busy schedule and we had three days until his yearbook picture was due and his mom was happy to have anything. I know how it is. My teenage brothers are the same way... camera shy, but it's such a fun time of life so I know he (and of course his mom) will be glad for the memories, and I think we did a pretty good job all things considered. Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to capture those memories for you Ben, and for being such a great sport!

Rob, Jillian, Bennett and Fam

2009-10-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Jillian and I have a lot in common. We both have blonde-haired blue-eyed full-of-energy two-year-olds (say that ten times fast) who aren't exactly fond of getting their picture taken. ;) Luckily for me Bennett still knows how to smile for the camera! The other thing we have in common is the fact that we LOVE being mommies. THAT is the best job in the world! It's so fun to watch them learn and grow, but I'm glad to have pictures to help us remember every stage that swiftly passes by. Thanks again to Jillian, Rob and the rest of the fam. It's so fun to watch how much joy a little one can bring!

Image of the Week

2009-10-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

Things I LOVE:

Preston's sweet expression

that I was able to catch that expression despite how wiggly he is in the tub

how he almost blends into the background and the reflection is the focus

the splashed water dripping down from his reflection

how dark his eyelashes are

his wet tousled hair on his forehead

how another small moment in time was captured

Just a Peek...

2009-09-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

of 2-year-old Bennett.

I had a fun time photographing him and his family. More to come of them later. ;)

Brian, Britni, and their Girls

2009-09-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

We had a fun day out on the town with my friend Britni, her husband Brian, and their two sweet girls. They were so fun to photography with their happy-go-lucky personalities and crazy ideas. We had a great relaxing time enjoying the beautiful scenery despite the light showers and overcast sky!

You don't get much cuter than this.

I LOVE how Britni and Dalia are making the exact same face in the second picture.

Of course I had to snap a few of Preston with his "girlfriend." Aren't they cute? You would never guess Dalia is almost a year older than him... I guess it's okay that he likes this older woman. ;)

At the end of the day we stopped off for burgers a shakes, boy were they good! And the girls were STILL as cute as ever!

Image of the Week

2009-09-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

Things I LOVE:

how the sun peeked out during an otherwise overcast day

that their faces and the sky are both properly exposed

that this picture came straight out of the camera

how there is only one shadow for all of them, family togetherness

how Tesila is sucking on her middle two fingers

how Dalia's hair is blowing in front of her face

the way that Brian and Britni are slightly crossing their legs

how green the trees are inthe background

those AMAZING clouds!

More of this cute family to come soon.

Image of the Week

2009-09-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

Things I LOVE:
how it tells me a story
that I captured a part of our day
how Preston isn't wearing a shirt because he just came in from the slip and slide
his tousled hair
his blue eyes and pink lips
the way he has his arm rested on his daddy, and on his shoulder
how Gabe put's up with Preston resting his pointy little elbow on him while he's playing
how intently Preston's watching the playing of the wii
how he's the only thing in focus making him the focal point
the way the soft light from the window is making Preston glow
daddy, son bonding time, even if it is in front of the TV ;)

Carter's 3 Months Old

2009-09-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while my older two boys were out playing on the slip and slide I took the opportunity to have a little impromptu photo session with Carter while he layed out in the shade. He's getting so big already!

I want to be able to remember all of the little details about him the way he is right now, drool and all.

I might be slightly obsessed with his little feet

and toes.

And I'm glad he still likes to sleep, hopefully that lasts a while longer. ;)

I'm in LOVE...

2009-09-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

With my new camera...

But mostly with my wonderful husband who supported me in my purchase, and the purchase of a new lense!

But of course that's not the only reason why I love him, just one of the many. ;)

Some Pretty Light

2009-09-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

My boys and I went for a walk yesterday evening. On the way home I made my husband and two year old stop for a minute or two just so I could capture the pretty light coming through the trees. Preston doesn't always like when I get the camera out so I had Gabe distract him by feeding him grapes, and we ended up capturing a sweet moment.

Playing with Texture

2009-09-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

My in-laws were here visiting us the last week or so and while they were here I snapped this sweet picture of my mother-in-law right after she had put little Carter to sleep. The drool was just starting to escape from his little mouth. I don't like that my distracting shadow is showing in the background, but overall I like the image the way it is.

I still decided to try something new. I thought the background was a little plain so I decided to jazz it up a bit with a fancy floral texture that I think suits her well, and give it a more timeless look that captures this sweet moment.

What do you think? Is it too much? Do you like it? Hate it? Do you like the original better?

Image of the Week

2009-09-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

Things I LOVE:
that it tells a story.
the perspective.
his sandy feet...
and legs.
that he's covering himself in sand.
his daddy's sandals next to him.
that he's surrounded by toys but not using any of them.
the ladies behind in the background, what's a beach picture without one?
the trees.
the blue blue sky.
that he's wearing sunglasses.
the reflection in his glasses.
the fact that his glasses are going over his ear instead of behind it.
his beach hair.

Oh how I love my boy... and summertime. :)

The Fam

2009-09-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Check out some AMAZING pictures of my little family at my friend Holly's blog. You won't be disappointed. ;) I can't wait until I get to see the rest!

Holly, Matt, and Baby Sam

2009-09-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

This is my good friend Holly. She is a photographer as well, so this year we decided to trade family pictures. We're doing ours tonight so I'll post when they're up as well!

Holly and her husband Matt got married on the exact same day as Gabe and I. Who knew that some day we would have little boys so close in age! After little Sam was born he spent a few days in the NICU due to a blood platelet problem. You wouldn't know it now. He is the happiest most smiley baby I've ever seen. It's probably because his parents love him sooo much and went through a lot to bring him into this world. This kind of love is something you can easily see just by looking at them...

Our version of "Abbey Road"

It started to get really dark for picture taking

so we decided to call it a day.

More to Come...

2009-08-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

Of this adorable little guy...

and his good looking parents. ;)

My Littlest One

2009-08-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

My pregnancy with this little one was not the easiest. I know that most pregnancy's aren't easy, but this one was a little different than the norm. I was diagnosed with kidney stones when I was about six months pregnant and was in the hospital for about four days just for pain management because their's nothing else they can do. Let me tell you, they are much worse than birthing a child! I was in pain for about a month, and it was intense for half that. When the pain was finally going away I found myself in the hospital again, but this time for pre-term labor. The kidney stones had jarred something inside of me to start my contractions. For the last 2 1/2 months of my pregnancy I was on awful medication and confined to my home and couch. I'm lucky that I have a helpful husband and a wonderful mother-in-law who was able to come visit us for a month, keep our house clean, and cook us yummy meals! All the trial was well worth it after little Carter arrived, perfect as ever... after I was induced might I add! He's just lucky he's such a good baby. :)

Fia and Alisi

2009-08-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

The sisters of the adorable Kaho and Mateo. They are some of the girliest little girls I know. :)

Mateo and Kaho

2009-08-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

Kristi met Ramsay while attending school in Hawaii. They were from completely different worlds. She grew up in Washington State and he came from Tonga. But they had something in common... their love for each other. ;) They are good friends of ours, and one of the cutest couples I know, and as you would expect their children are absolutely beautiful! They just welcomed their fourth, little Mateo into the world so they wanted some pictures to remember it by.

Simply Stunning

2009-08-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

My cousin Rachel is just a few years younger than me. I have memories of her as a young girl with very thick tangly hair. Who would have known that that hair would turn into something so beautiful! Rachel is one of the sweetest, most compassionate people I know. She brings out the best in everyone around her. Now this beautiful young woman has decided to serve an LDS mission. She just got her call to serve in the Fort Worth, Texas mission, spanish speaking. I just know that she'll be an amazing missionary! Enjoy some pre-mission pictures. Rachel's adorable little sister Sarah joined in a few pictures at the end as well.

Tyler Mara and Baby Ashton

2009-08-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

A fairytale story --

As long as I can remember my older brother Tyler has loved all things Disney. It's by no means surprising that he has had his own fairytale ending...

When Tyler went off to college half way across the U.S. he didn't know anyone, but soon enough he met Mara and they found that they were interested in all the same things. Tyler and Mara would spend their free time going to movies and plays together and discussing them all in detail afterward. They had fun just talking and laughing together. Both of them are shy and they never got past the ~~friendship~~ best friend stage during that time, even though Mara would have liked for them to...

After their Freshman year had come to an end they parted ways. Tyler went to serve an LDS mission in Taiwan for 2 years and Mara became a resident assistant (RA) in the dorms as she continued her education, this is where I come into the story. After graduating from High School I went to school early for summer term. After that term was over I wasn't able to go home for the break, remember we lived half way across the country, so I moved into my new dorm early. The only other people there were RA's for the most part so I was invited to hang out with them one night before school started. I started talking to a girl (Mara) when she asked me my name. She started freaking out when I told her and said "Not Tyler's Sister Alycia?!" I of course told her I was and we became great friends as well. Whenever we hung out it felt like My brother was there with me... almost. Their personalities were so similar. Mara was just like the big sister I never had. She looked out for me and even cared for me when I was sick (seriously, she brought me food from the cafeteria when my fever was too high for me to get out of bed). We would tease her that she was going to marry my brother someday, and make her blush like crazy every time.

After only a semester Mara decided to serve an LDS mission as well. She was called to the Dominican Republic. Tyler and Mara continued to write eachother throughout their missions. Tyler returned home before Mara did, but they kept writing. I actually got to see Mara when she got back from her mission before Tyler did because Gabe and I just happened to be vacationing right next to her hometown so we decided to make a stop. After returning back to school Tyler (and Mara) soon realized that they should be more than friends, started dating, and were married the next April. There's nothing better than marrying your best friend. Now they've both graduated from school and have this adorable little guy... and they lived happily ever after. :)

About Me

2009-08-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

My name’s Alycia -- I'm a happy wife to a wonderful husband, and stay-at-home mommy to two wonderful little boys! I love taking pictures of them to keep my memories preserved. In this fast paced world it's easy to forget the little things, and I don't ever want to have a missing piece to my puzzle of life!

I am amazed at the impact pictures have had in my life. In something as simple as the click of a shutter I can have those precious moments in my life preserved forever. This has become even more important to me since I have been married and had children. I look back at pictures even a month ago and can't believe how much my children have grown. Imagine if I didn't have that to look back on, and see how far they've come. I will always treasure those times, and continue to capture more as I look toward the future.

I'm always looking for new subjects to photograph. I am excited to take pictures of you and your family as you are now, so you might never forget. I would love to help each and every one of you capture a piece or two of your puzzle.