Merry Christmas!

Here is a peek at the front of our holiday card this year. We love to include a family or children portrait. This year it was just the kids: Madalyn (9 years old), Lydia (3 years old), Henry (2 years old) and Leo (1 week at the time of photo). I am so glad to have them done and in the mail! And it's still 3 days until Christmas!

A Photographer's Son and Birth Announcements

You would think that the son of a photographer would just be born knowing how to pose for photographs. You would be wrong, of course.

Leo's first session at the studio was quite an event. He needed to stop his modeling to eat twice, he pooped and peed through six diapers, pooped on his sleeper (and new-again mom here totally forgot to pack an extra one in the diaper bag!), peed on me and refused to sleep long enough to be sat down. The only thing I wanted were adorable photographs of my new son, and Leo made us work for them.

In the end, we had two images that we loved so much that we had such a hard time deciding which to use for the birth announcements. These were the two that we loved. After much staring and debating, we went with the right one. I am so happy to finally have the announcements done and in the mail!

It's a Boy!

As many of you know, we added a new little one to our family this year. On December 2nd, we welcomed a baby boy! Leo Harrison weighed in at 8 pounds and was 20 inches long. We are all doing well and are very excited to show him off.

Black Friday Sale

At Appleby Photography, we would like to add to the holiday frenzy by having a Black Friday sale. We are excited to help you with your holiday shopping by offering you great savings!

On November 27th and 28th, all $25 gift certificates are on sale for only $20.

That is a 20% savings on EVERYTHING!

It is the perfect gift that will always fit, is unique and personal, and will be remembered always- the gift of portraits!

Sales can be made by phone or e-mail. We will have limited studio hours for those that would like to make purchases in person. Please call for studio hours during these two sale days. All orders made by phone or e-mail will be shipped for no charge.

Can not be used on past purchases, nor exchanged for cash. Limit 20 cards per person.

North America's Cutest Family

Appleby Photography is participating in the International Charity Event to select North America's Cutest Family and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation. Are your loved ones North America's Cutest Family? We'll give you the opportunity to prove it! Many exciting prizes will be awarded, and the grand prize winner receives a new car! Cutest Family Special: $75 entrance fee includes a 30-minute mini session and one image submitted to the national gallery. ***Bonus*** Book your 2010 session, January through March, now and pay only $29 entrance fee and receive a $25 print credit to use on your order! Sessions must be booked by Nov. 30th to qualify. Sessions must take place between November 1, 2009 and April 1, 2010. This is a perfect time for Easter portraits, too! Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. Voting closes April 8, 2010. Grand prize international winner will be determined from the 52 city finalists. The winners will be selected from the finalist gallery by photography and modeling industry experts. The winning family also receives a session with the renowned portrait artist Sandy Puc' and international recognition. Call 608-280-8845 now to enter your family in this exciting contest. *Contest open to residents of the US and Canada. For more information, visit http://sandypucmodels.com/.

HOLIDAY IDEAS: We Sell Pettiskirts, Photo Jewelry, Purses and Bags

We sell Belle Ame pettiskirts! These are the adorable fluffy, fluffy skirts that little girls LOVE! We also offer matching tees and tanks, as well as bloomers and dresses. The bloomers (ruffled shorts) are super cute for toddlers! These are custom-made with super-soft chiffon in fun colors. Please feel free to e-mail for photos and pricing. belleamepettiskirts also offers more info.

For the grown-ups, we offer fun photo purses, bags and jewelry. These all make great holiday gifts, but remember they are custom, so order early!

Important Dates:

We have a lot going on in the next few months. We want to take a moment to remind you of important dates and events so they won't sneak up on you. The sooner you schedule your sessions and appointments, the better!

September/October- peak times for outdoor family sessions with fall leaves

October 10- Last chance to order most Wedding albums with arrival times before the holidays (some album styles will need to wait until January)

November 1- April 1 America's Cutest Family international contest
November 8- Last day for all 2009 sessions (except Baby Plan families- call if you have questions or think you will be affected)

November 18- Last day for ordering Portrait and Wedding portraits to guarantee delivery for the holidays

December 1- Last day for Holiday Cards-only orders to guarantee delivery before the holidays

Early December- Arrival of our new baby, limited hours and availability throughout the month- E-mail will work best at this time.

January 16 & 17- Wedding Planner & Guide Bridal Show- stop by our booth to see us that weekend!
Winter 2010- Introducing special program for all past wedding clients- more info will be coming!

Family Sessions

Now is the perfect time to schedule your outdoor family session! The leaves look great and it's still early enough to getHoliday Cards and Portrait Gifts for your loved ones before the holidays arrive! We will continue to schedule sessions in the studio into November, so don't worry if it gets too cold outdoors for you! And we have fun new holiday card designs!

Urban Kids

Have you seen the new window display and website gallery? If not, walk by our windows and go to Appleby Photography's website to check out the images! Our newest project is Urban Kids, a fun display of children highlighted by the urban setting of downtown Madison. The children had a blast and were so much fun to work with for these sessions. Request your Urban Kids session the next time you schedule your child's appointment!

So Excited!

I just love getting "fun" mail and packages! I just received the package with all of our new window display photographs and couldn't wait to rip it open to see them. The kids all look great! :) There were so many cute kids that it was hard to narrow down the choices. I wish we had more room to display even more! Luckily, the website display has enough space and we can showcase more of the kids. I can't wait to redo the windows! Hopefully we will have a very busy weekend and can get it all done! 

Almost Time to Say Good-bye to the Baby Window Display

I can't believe how fast the summer is flying by. With hot air balloon and Persian wedding ceremonies, a falling bride and groom (there were rumors of a YouTube video in the works) and lots of children's portraits, July is a blur. Now we have August here and school starting within a few weeks- our oldest starts back in only two!

We are very excited to create our new window display, but that also means that we have to say good-bye to all the adorable babies that are in the current window display. We have enjoyed this display so much and have heard so many nice comments about the cute newborns. If you haven't seen it yet, please come by soon, before it's gone!

We will keep you posted as to when the new one goes up- there will be some excited children to see themselves highlighted in the windows!

New Fall Studio Window Display

WANTED: 6 models for fall studio window and website display
Must be between ages of 3 and 8 years old
Must be photographed on July 13 or July 14 between the hours of 9am and 2pm

Participants will be photographed at the studio for no charge. You will receive a free gift portrait as your Thank You. Your child's image will be used for studio samples and marketing material. (If you are interested in being contacted for the later dates of phase two for this model search, please let me know!)

Please pass the word if you know someone with children in these age ranges! Call the studio to schedule your time, 608-280-8845.
Thank you!

Dates for Limited Edition Children's Sessions

As earlier posted, we have our dates for our upcoming Limited Edition Urban Boys and Sassy Girls Children's Sessions in July. These are the cute, fun sessions that will show off boys looking cool and girls being sweet or sassy in pettiskirts, great for all ages of kids- babies to pre-teens.

We are now accepting reservations for these sessions.

Mark you calendar for the July Dates and call the studio today at 280-8845! Prime dates and times will fill fast!

Remember, there is NO SESSION FEE for these special sessions. We will not be having pre-planning sessions beforehand, as all important information will be covered by phone and e-mail. Please call to chat more about clothing- both the pettiskirts that we have on hand as well as what you should bring, and studio info and details.

I am very excited about this and am looking forward to seeing all the adorable kids!

Photo Restoration Sale

Do you have priceless heirloom portraits that are damaged by time? Do you have photographs that are older than you or your parents are and that are showing their age?

We can help!

We would love to help you preserve those old photographs and restore them to their former beauty. Now through the end of June, just bring us your old photograph, and for $50, we will restore it and give you an 8x10 portrait of the enhanced image. Need more photographs or a digital file of the enhanced photograph? We can do that, too. Additional 8x10's are only $15 and a digital file is only $50.

4 Free Tickets

I have 4 free tickets up for grabs for tomorrow's bridal show! If you can stop in at the studio to pick them up today, they are yours! Call me at the studio to confirm they are still available.

Wedding Planner and Guide Bridal Show

We are excited about the annual Madison Summer Bridal Show, presented by the Wedding Planner & Guide (the ones that do that big show in January), that takes place tomorrow! The show is from 4pm to 9pm on Wednesday, June 17th at the Marriott Madison West. Ticket information is available at the Wedding Planner & Guide website, and tickets are also available at the door. We have included an engagement session package in the Bridal Show Giveaway, so sign up for your chance to win! We will be sharing our wedding photography at two booths, so stop by either one to say "hi"! You can find us by the front door, at booth 202, and near the cocktail area, at booth 707.

New Album Cover

We just got in a new album with a beautiful custom cover! This is a new option with the Contemporary Album line. We will be able to show off this album at the upcoming bridal show, which is June 17th. (Check out the Wedding Planner and Guide website for more info.)

Limited Edition Children's Sessions

We will be offering special Limited Edition Urban Boys and Sassy Girls sessions on select dates in July. These will be sessions geared towards kids from newborns to age 12. We will focus on downtown Madison, creating an urban, cool setting for girls and boys. For the girls, we will have pettiskirts on hand, size newborn up to girls' size 12. However, if you want your color choice, you will want to order your very own pettiskirt by the end of May, as these are custom made. Check your May e-mail newsletter for a great coupon! Sizes are available in newborn up to teen/women's small/medium. Clothing suggestions for what to wear with the pettiskirts and ideas for your urban boy will be offered! There is no session fee for these Limited Edition sessions and we will have two specials. A $195 deposit will reserve your time. That full amount will go towards your order. Two great options that you will love for your session: a package that includes an 11x14 wall portrait, 2 5x7's and 8 wallets for only $299 ($375 value) or a 10 image album allows you to keep all of your favorite images for only $350 ($400 value). All other prints are at regular studio prices. Session times are available four days in July, which will be posted next week and they were listed in the newsletter. Our current clients get the first opportunity to book their session before we open them up to the public- so don't wait, call today to reserve your time 608-280-8845!

May Newsletter is Sent

Our May newsletter was sent out today via e-mail. Did you get it? If not, you may need to update your e-mail address with us. Send us a quick note letting us know your preferred address and we'll make sure you are up to date on our list.

If you haven't gotten our newsletter before, sign up now! We send one out about every other month, with occasional updates in between. We offer specials exclusively to our e-mail newsletter readers, such as discounts on products and first booking opportunities on special sessions.

Don't like e-mail newsletters and want one delivered to your home? Let us know and we can send one to you!

We Now Sell Pettiskirts!

We are very excited to announce that we now sell pettiskirts! These are the adorable fluffy, fluffy skirts that little girls LOVE! When they put these skirts on, there is no way they can resist spinning around! :) We also offer matching tees and tanks, as well as bloomers and dresses. These are custom-made with super-soft chiffon in fun colors.

To celebrate, we will be offering special Limited Edition Pettiskirt sessions on select dates in July. These will be sessions that focus on the fun that these skirts inspire. We will be offering special packages, with a deposit required to reserve your time. We will have a few pettiskirts on hand, size newborn up to girls' size 12. If you want your color choice however, you will want to order your very own pettiskirt by the end of May, as these are custom made. Sizes are available in newborn up to teen/women's small. E-mail me for color options and images. Stay tuned for more session details to come. 

Madison's First Farmers' Market

Saturday marked the return of the Farmers' Market to the Madison Capitol square. The weather was perfect: sunny and in the 70's. Since there are not much for fresh vegetables yet aside from some salad greens, the crowd could buy meat, cheese, flowers, fresh bakery and enjoy the weather. 

Baby Display is Up!

We are very excited to share our newest display- and it's all about newborns! These are some images from when it was finished last night. I'd love to share images from the day, but the glare on the windows would make seeing the photographs inside difficult. So, instead of waiting for the perfect cloudy day (we've already had enough of those!), you get to enjoy the warm glow of tungsten. Please stop by and see it in person, too! We would like to give a special thank you to Sam, Noah, Eden, Hayden, Cadence and Mackynzie.

Sad to See Brava Go

It makes me feel sad to see local Madison magazine brava go away. When they called to tell me, it made my heart ache a bit for them. You can read the scoop here (link to WKOW 27 news) and here (link to Wisconsin State Journal). The magazine always cheered the working professional women of Wisconsin, and the void left will be hard to fill. The future is uncertain for the annual Woman's Expo, but I hope someone will step up and carry this event on. It was great for the community. 

Thanks brava for the great years of reading you provided!

That "New Baby" Smell....

The new window display will be up next week! Thank you to all the parents of newborns that came in, and thanks to everyone for getting the word out. I know what a big deal it can be to just leave the house with a new little one, so I really appreciate the effort! We are excited to showcase the babies and hope you enjoy the images! Here is a sneak peek at what we will be showing. Please take a look the next time you are downtown!

Facebook Fan Page & Twitter

We are happy to announce that we finally have a Facebook Fan Page! Come visit us and sign up to be a fan. The idea is for us to share information about what is going on at the studio and with us. Also, we plan on sharing images from sessions, hopefully tagging our fans, so they can share them, too. We just ask that you do NOT remove our tag. :) So, starting in April, watch for images of YOU! (Yes, please feel free to bug us if you don't see your images!)

Also, we are all a-twitter here at Appleby Photography. You can now follow Becky and Chris on Twitter. Find out what we are up to, right now! Follow us to get the updates right in your own update feed.

We are still new at all of this, so please bear with us as we try to figure the technology out. It makes me feel old-school to say that I prefer my 'paper and pen' planner, and that I type really slow. At least our kids can remind us how true that is: Madalyn, age 8, wanted us to explain what a typewriter was ("It's like a computer, but there is no screen and you can only make one copy...") and Lydia, age 3, told us she *needs* an iPod touch (not a regular iPod- she needs the screen on her iPod), and Henry, age 1, is sure he can take photos with his play cell phone....

Newborn Needed for Studio Display

I am getting ready to do a new window display at our studio that will feature a newborn. If you or someone you know has a new baby, age 0-14 days old as of right now, please contact us! The shoot needs to be scheduled for the week of March 30th or April 6th.

Participants will be photographed at the studio for no charge. Your child's image will be used for studio display, samples and marketing material. Please call Becky at the studio for details, 608-280-8845.

Please pass the word!
Thanks so much!

Is Winter Done Yet?

The fact that we have several inches of snow in the forecast for the weekend says that winter is still here. That's sad news since the last of the snow just melted from our yard last weekend. At least everyone at our house is healthy for the moment. It feels like the kids, mainly Henry, have been battling one cold or flu bug after another for weeks. I'm convinced that if we could just get outside more, we would all be good!

We were quite excited tonight to get a sentence out of Henry, who is 16 months old. Henry took his sweet time with gracing us with his gift of gab. We knew he could speak, he just chose not to share it with us. At a little over a year, Henry would get coached by big sister Lydia: "Henry say 'goo goo ga ga.'" Henry: "Goo goo goo ga." Lydia: "Henry say 'ta-da.'" Henry: "Ta-da." Lydia: "Henry say  'uh-oh.'" Henry: "Uh-oh." Lydia: "Henry say 'mama.'" Henry: [silence] It was no surprise after months of the whole family begging for 'mama' that he first proclaimed 'Lydia.' 

Then, tonight, after we scolded Lydia for sliding out of her chair repeatedly at dinner, Henry declared to us, "Lydia good girl."

So, there you have it. In Henry's eyes, big sister Lydia does no wrong.

(Of course, Lydia also says that Henry wants to share, as she swipes food off his plate, and he doesn't seem to mind. Yet.)

2009 Wedding Specials

We have a few dates left for the 2009 Wedding Season, and for a limited time, we are extending a special offer to couples that book their date now!

When you choose Levels 1, 2 or 3, you may choose to add an additional hour of wedding day coverage OR receive a $200 credit to use for photographs after the wedding, FREE!

Baby Expo Was Great!

Thank you to everyone that stopped by our booth at the Baby Expo this weekend! 

We were happily surprised by the great turnout on Saturday, even with the snow advisory and the 6+ inches of snow that Madison received. It was nice that so many people braved the cold and bad roads to come. Sunday was even more busy, with lots of babies participating in the Diaper Derby. The crawling race for babies was fun to watch, with the results being quite unpredictable. The baby that could crawl the quickest was not always the baby to finish first!

We will be announcing our drawing winner in the next E-mail Newsletter. (If you don't receive it, let us know your e-mail address to get on the list!) Also, we have a special Thank You gift that we are mailing to everyone that signed up at our booth, so keep an eye out for that.

Mark your calendar for next year's event- Feb 21 & 22! Plans are already in the works and it will be bigger and better!

Baby Expo This Weekend

Please come visit us at the Baby & Toddler Expo this weekend! We have some great exclusive offers for everyone who stops by: We will be giving a special gift to the first 100 visitors to our booth, #309. Also, we will be giving away a $500 gift certificate. Plus, gift certificates purchased at the expo will receive a bonus gift.

The Expo is at the Alliant Energy Center this Saturday, February 21, 10am-4pm and Sunday, February 22, 11am-4pm. Admission to the Expo is free, and there will be events, prizes, a special speaker on Saturday and lots of local vendors.

We would love to see you, so stop by and say "hi"!

So Stinkin' CUTE!

Lydia is almost three, so we did her birthday session a little early. She is just SO cute in this petticoat!

Jewelry and Accessories

We now offer a complete line of custom photo jewelry and accessories. My favorite piece is one of the necklaces (shown above), which I wear to show off my son.
There are a lot of fun ideas for these: a ring would be a fun way to preserve a bridal bouquet long after the flowers have died. The keychain (shown) would be cute with your puppy's face. Bracelets allow you to show a whole series of your child's expressions. Baby feet are perfectly precious on a necklace. Men will be able to show off their loved ones with business card holders and money clips, in addition to the jewelry we offer.
Each piece is solid sterling silver and the photograph is sealed to be completely waterproof. These are special pieces that you will cherish forever, and fun enough that you'll want to wear them everyday!

Hair We Go!

Today was an exciting day for us, and a bit emotional! Madalyn, age 8, has wanted to donate her golden curls to an organization that makes wigs for cancer patients since she heard about it in kindergarten. We choose to donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which creates and distributes wigs for free to woman through the American Cancer Society. She has been growing her hair out, and it finally was long enough to donate. Madalyn was nervous, as this was the first time she had her hair cut short, only having "trims" in the past, but she absolutely loves her new shoulder-length hair style! 

On another note, Becky was sad to have today mark the first haircuts for both Lydia, age 2, and Henry, age 1. It was especially hard to see Henry's little curls go! 

New Bags

Have you seen the cute new bags that we offer? We have totes, leather purses and cosmetic bags. These are a great way to show off your favorite photograph. They also make great gifts! Plan now for Mother's Day with a bag for mom. Bridesmaids love getting the cosmetic bag! 

Bridal Show

The bridal show was this weekend at the Alliant Energy Center. Thank you to everyone that stopped by our booth! It was a great weekend and we had a lot of fun. If you didn't have a chance to make it to the show, please call or e-mail to set up a time to come into the studio to see our new albums! 

Bridal Show and 2008 Wedding Highlights

Enjoy the highlights from our 2008 weddings. Please feel free to share this with your family and friends. 

Also, this weekend, January 10th and 11th, is the annual Wedding Planner & Guide bridal show at the Alliant Energy Center. Stop by our booth, #1606- by the fashion show, to see our new albums and say "hi"!