The Katie Babe Blog: January 2017

Valentine's Day is one of my favorites because it's my birthday month. I also love crafting so when I was a kid I loved making my valentine's for my classmates in school. Whoever your crush was they got the best one, and of course your enemies got the worst.
And when I mean crafty I mean my mom bought the paper doilies and we cut out the hearts.
but then after years my mom finally started buying the strawberry shortcake and barbie ones.
I know there are people who hate Valentine's because they are single, or divorced or whatever the circumstance. But I have always celebrated it with all of my family and my kids. I love sharing love notes.

I will tell you my worst Valentine's ever though. I had a crush on this boy Travis. My friend Heather and I decided we would get presents for our crushes. I knew that he loved Men in Black, so I talked my mom into buying a Men in Black poster and some chocolates.
The next day I went and put it by his backpack and watched his girlfriend Savannah and him open it and laugh about it. Talk about painful guys! He never talked to me after that and my mom wasted probably $29.99. We are talking 1997 ago and I still remember it.

but anyways......(wipe tear)

So when Sheila asked me to do a session with her for a valentine's themed shoot I thought it was such a cute idea. How fun is it to make cookies with your kids but you don't get to document it. Apart from the HUGE mess they make. Raelyn especially loves to crack eggs. But Zion loves to tell people that his "talent" is baking. And I think it's the sweetest because I love baking with Zion.
Sage loves it for a minute but she gets distracted easily, that one. And then there is Betty. Don't get me started on her. Doing anything is basically the worst. No matter what she is always there...........

So we used my cute rustic table and some of our kitchen stuff and the darling rolling pins from target and let the kids just go to town on playing in the dough and making cookies and then let them decorate already baked ones. They had so much fun in this session and they were so stinking cute.
But I have good news for you!

Sheila agreed to let me host a giveaway on my blog for one free mini session and you get a half hour and prints to hang on your wall every valentines, or send some cute cards to all of your family.

Giveaway Rules*
Must follow me and @coldpineknits and @sheilamadineweddings and tag just three friends to my instagram post. The winner will be announced Friday the 27.

If you want to book a cute session with her go to her instagram or call her directly. this photo shoot will be held at Wild Willow Studio in Salt Lake City. openings from about 1-4 pm. on Tuesday January 31.
385-229-5817

Sheila Madine Weddings

But I wouldn't wait to see if you win the giveaway I would book and then if you win then you get a free session! But there are only a few slots for this mini session and it will be such a cute keepsake for your family.

Here are some shots of my adorable always sweet kids, that never fight, or make messes or hit me when I won't get them a sippy full of orange juice.

XOXO

For some reason I haven't blogged about my styled shoots. If you don't already follow me then you can follow my new business account

Havenwood Design Co & Antique Rentals

Something like that, I have rebranded my name and still not sure what to call myself.

Basically I am advertising myself as a Designer. Interior design, Retail design, event planning and design, styling photo shoots for photographers or small business. To display their products and get better images for their instagram handles. Basically any element of design possible is where I want to be. I have had a natural talent for it since I was little and I have basically stayed away from it for some reason. I think it is because I didn't think there was money in it. Like art has always been a part of me but more as a hobby or an outlet.

When I was 19 I wanted to go to massage school because I was into the hippie granola stuff and I loved that lifestyle. I wanted to be a nutritionist so I changed my degree in Art that I originally had to Science. My mom was trying to push my artistic side and we went the art institute and I had to sell my soul to attend there so it wasn't an option. I have always felt that my design part of me was too much of a dream, that it was too far fetched to even attempt. I have been scared of it for some reason. I have kind of wondered why it took me so long to finally try it but I think the timing has been everything. I spend the last 8 years making and raising babies and that is where I needed to be.

Last year around this time I was pushed by something to really just stop trying to do the stuff that I have been doing and know like massage, and jump two feet into a business with my art. I started with wedding planning because I have a passion or all the elements of design that a wedding has. Cake, florals, decor, fashion, jewelry, food, it is like a designer's dream. So I got on the internet and googled on how to become a wedding planner. And I will save you time because there really isn't much info to go on. So I decided to go in through the route of my hoarder side and start renting my antiques. I reached out to some photographers and said I need photos of my rentals and I offered to style them as well.
After my first photoshoot I was getting inquiries about styled shoots ever since.

If you are curious about what a styled shoot is and what I have been doing I will try and explain. It is where people in the industry will collaborate in order to build portfolio photos, get a bigger social media following and more exposure in the wedding industry. I have done it many ways.
Sometimes we do bigger events and charge photographers to come and take pictures of a fake wedding set up and brides and they can build their portfolio to show brides how they can photograph their wedding.
I have done it also where I work with one or sometimes two photograpers and videographers and all the vendors will collaborate (put their own time and money into the photoshoot) and they will gain free photos and exposure for their brand.

I have had to quickly learn the ropes, the etiquette and it really is a whole different world than I have ever worked in. But I have been able to meet amazing people that I normally wouldn't ever meet and I have made really good friends and relationships along the way. Each photo shoot has made me grow and learn each time. I will admit that I may have over worked last year to kind of distract me from all the chaos in my personal life and I probably shouldn't have done that....but...I am finally seeing the hard work manifesting.

After a year of styled shoots and doing everything that they say you should do to build your business and I have been discouraged without getting any real bookings besides a few rentals here and there. And I am putting blood, sweat, tears and my whole soul into these photoshoots just hoping that I will be successful one day but not really sure where it was leading me. Well, at the end of the year 2016 I was saying to myself I need to slow down on these photo shoots because it is just too much and taking away too much away from my family without any income or benefits.
As soon as I said that I took a little break and then Chantel Lauren Designs contacts me and I was like wwwwwhhhhat?!?!?! she is my favorite designer, and so much my taste that I was immediately in. Leah and Chantel are both of the most laid back people and so super nice. All of the people I worked with for this styled shoot were all very amazing artists and we all worked so well together. I felt like I finally found my cliche that totally understands my design and appreciates what I do. I can't even tell you how flattered I was to work with these people.

Since then I did another shoot with some of the same people and I am stoked I am about this one. It is so much of me in it and I kind of feel like I have finally hit a good place in my business and where I want to headed with it. Shelby from Bonfireheart Co we work really well together. We don't even need to talk and we just both know what each other is thinking.

I have been getting little nibbles and inquiries and I am getting so excited. And I did finally get my first booking! So I just have a good feeling about this year and what it has for me. It just proves that hard work will not be overlooked when you really want something. So don't get discouraged and don't give up on something if you want it so fiercely.

But this is just the beginning for me, you just wait until I get my hands on some real money and some real brides! One day I will flying out to NY fashion week to pick out my brides dresses, and I will be flying to the bahamas and switzerland for an elopement wedding. I am shooting for the stars here, I am not going to settle for mediocre. I am feeling good about the place that I am in.

So this is the photo shoot that I am really proud of and want to share with you guys. Enjoy!

Link to awesome Video by Skye Films