I am a photojournalist and lifestyle portrait photographer specializing in wedding, family, newborn, senior and childhood imagery. This blog serves as my own personal journal for all of my professional work, personal imagery, travels and any other fun bits of information worth blogging. Thanks for taking the time to look around. If you are looking for a specific topic, couple or location, please use the search tool at the top of my blog or glance through my archives. If you see something you like, please feel free to leave a comment. Happy viewing!
A special thanks to my friend Jamie Weiss of Jamie Weiss Photography for taking photos of me for my website!
Amy Larson
Meet 10 day new Baby William “Will”. This little guy was super sleepy and very cooperative during his session. Although he initiated our time together with a pee pee shower and bathed me again a few hours into the session, I won’t hold it against him! When you are as cute as he is with those big lips and fire red mohawk, you can’t help but adore him! Enjoy every minute of this little guy… they grow up so incredibly fast.
I have two addictions that my friends may know about but my readers may not… curious? The first, I LOVE to clip coupons (yes, I am cool like that). Secondly, I am a consignment junkie. I could ramble on about coupons all day so let’s skip that addiction and head straight to consignment. For all the moms that want their kiddos to look super cute but don’t want to spend a small fortunate on clothing, this Meaningful Monday is for you!
The first few months following Micah’s birth, I quickly realized the value of a dollar. To shed some of my extra baby weight, in the mornings I walked the mall with one of my girlfriends. More often than not, we found ourselves drifting into stores like Gymboree, The Children’s Place and Baby Gap. It only took looking at a few price tags before we were ready to head for the door. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED the clothing, but there is no way I could bring myself to pay $25-30 for a pair of jeans that Micah would wear for all of three months. So what name brands do I purchase? Gymboree, The Children’s Place, Baby Gap, Ralph Lauren, Janie and Jack and Zutano among others. I shop consignment sales semi-annually and purchase all the name brands for a fraction of the sale price!
Some questions that I am often asked.
Q. How do you know about the sales? A. I’ve joined consignment mailing lists as well as Children’s Consignment Sales in Knoxville on Facebook. If you do not live in Knoxville, I’m sure a quick google search for sales in your area will provide some helpful information.
Q. Do you purchase any clothing as long as it has a great price? A. NO! I only purchase name brand clothing that is reasonably priced.
Q. What if the clothing has a small hole or stain? A. I NEVER purchase items with holes or stains.
Q. How do you know what items you need? A. I go through the clothes I already have and make a mental note of items I need to look for when I am shopping.
Q. Is it possible to purchase complete outfits? A. Yes, I rarely purchase a shirt if I don’t have or can’t find a pair of pants/shorts to match and vice versa.
Q. Do you only purchase clothing or do you purchase any other items? A. I purchase clothing, shoes, toys, books, outdoor play equipment and the list goes on!
Q. What are your favorite sales? A. In order: Knoxville Multiples Club, Duck Duck Goose, The Picky Chick, and Middlebrook Pike UMC Consignment Sale. I may be adding Jack and Jules to the list… we’ll see what Thursday brings. I’ve been to a ton more than this but I’ve narrowed my list down to the above sales based on the quality of items at the sales.
Q. When is the best time to shop? A. If there is a private sale, find out how to shop it. If there is not a private sale, arrive 30 minutes before the sale begins and get a good place in line so you can be one of the first shoppers inside!
Q. Any other helpful bits of info? A. Take a laundry basket or small cart with wheels to throw your clothing in while shopping. Always Always Always, go through your basket and closely examine the clothing. Look for stains, holes and missing buttons. Put back items that don’t meet your standards or items that you wouldn’t purchase in a store. If you wouldn’t purchase it in the store, most likely you will never dress your kiddo in it once you get it home!
Hope this helps at least one mommy on a budget. Please feel free to email me any questions you may have! I don’t mind… it is a small obsession if you can’t tell! Below are some of my recent purchases from consignment sales.
Zutano Play Outfit
The Children's Place Outfit & Stride Rite Shoes
Stride Rite Tennis Shoes
Gymboree Outfit
Micah's Easter Outfit-Gymboree (still had the tags on it)
The Children's Place Vest (came with a dress shirt; it's in the wash)
Have a super saving, deal crazing day!
Amy
Mention the flyer in your goody bag and receive 50% off your session! Offer valid through May 31st. Hope you all find/found some great buys!
Branding plays an enormous role in the life of a successful business. I’ve known this as long as I have been an established photographer, but I just started shooting and never took the time to create a logo or a marketing theme that said, “THIS IS ME”. In all honestly, I threw my name together in photoshop in a matter of minutes. I figured, it was all I needed to get started. Four years later, I am finally making an effort to brand my business. I want to thank all of my Facebook Fans for playing a big role in helping me find “ME”! I love the blue and green look as do most of you (it received the most votes). I needed a change that represented me as well as my photos. The new look says “fresh and simple with a splash of color”. Here is the new Amy Larson Photography. Thanks again for all of your input!
Meet Baby Harley. This little beauty was only 5 days old at her session and oh-so-sleepy! Not only is she a little doll from head to toe, but she has the cutest puckered lips I have ever seen! OK, I am a little partial; she is family. Harley is the newest addition to (my cousin) her mommy, daddy and two older sisters. Congrats on your precious little gift!
I’m sure some of you, especially Amanda, thought I forgot about Meaningful Monday. I’ll be honest, after a long day of photographing the cutest newborn girl of all time, I thought about cheating this week and posting this entry as a Terrific Tuesday. However, cheating is wrong on all accounts so my comfy, cold pillow will have to wait.
I’m happy to introduce to you my friend and sweet sister in Christ, Amanda Burton. Amanda and I lived/live in the same state, but we didn’t cross paths until we met in Egypt. I have spent countless hours traveling with Amanda and have even more stories to tell of our journeys together. Some friends fade away but others stick with you for life and I am happy to say that Amanda is one of the latter. Upon her return to the states, Amanda worked for Bethany Christian Services before she had her sweet baby girl. In her time at Bethany, she had a hand in bringing families together. Below is a wealth of information and a one on one interview with THE Amanda, aka Monkey (as I call her)!
What people should know about adoption?
Stepping into adopting a child is truly a calling from God, otherwise the journey will be miserable. If you since the Lord tugging at your heart to adopt a child, then He has already chosen that child for you. It is just a matter of time before he/she comes home. I would recommend looking at Bethany Christian Services website in your city and see when their next information meeting is… that info session will probably answer all your initial questions and put you face to face with adoption counselors who can get to know you (face to name) and help you along the journey if you chose to step forward. The process is LONG with lots of interviews and probing into your private life, background checks, financial checks, history of you and your spouse, and home visits. This all takes place over a stretch of several months (it is not a fast process). In the end you get to know your adoption counselor better and she/he will be with your until your child comes home.
What is the average cost of adoption?
Average cost of domestic adoption through Bethany Christian Services is different from office state to state and city to city. For example, the office in Nashville, TN bases adoption cost on a sliding scale depending on the families joint income; beginning at $10,000 and slides up from there. For Knoxville and Chattanooga costs, call the local office or check their website.
Can you offer any advice on US adoption vs international adoption?
I am more familiar with domestic adoption and can offer some advice. If you are not concerned with the skin color of your child, the probability is higher that your child will come home within 3 to 12 months (bi-racial or African American child). If you are interested in a Caucasian baby your wait is more likely to be 2 to 4 years. There are more families who desire this route (fear is the main feeling of families who believe that other family members or friends will not accept the child or support their decision). I have found that families who step into adopting the child God has for them is right where they need to be. God will direct your heart and bring home that child that He predetermined to be yours.
What did you like most about working at Bethany?
What I enjoyed most about working at BCS was that everyday I saw God at work in families lives who stepped out to trust Him, despite the loss and despair surrounding fertility and other issues. He always blessed families MORE than I could have ever asked or imagined. He is faithful!
Do you have any other bits of information that you think families should know?
It is very important on your adoption journey, domestic or international, to remember that it is YOUR Journey. God is not surprised you are here at this time and He has a great plan for your life and your child’s life. Adoption is such a beautiful thing; totally embodies being accepted and adopted through Christ Jesus. God bless!
To all of those families hoping to adopt a sweet baby/child to call your own, I hope this information has been helpful! A very special thanks to Amanda for her contribution to Meaningful Monday!
Amanda’s Sign off: Raise your children intentionally, or do not raise them at all.
Happy Super Duper Extra Beautiful Monday!!!
Amy
I told you it was coming and here it is… Firefly Frames. Frame up your special moments with these whimsy, beautiful designs. No two frames are alike as the knots and grain pattern of each piece of wood is enhanced to display its unique character. The finishes created range from a distressed shabby chic to metallic, elegant glazes. I just placed my studio frame guide and it should arrive within the next couple of weeks. Check out their website for more examples. *photo examples from Firefly Frames and Design.
To those of you that have submitted photos of your little one/s, this will have meaning to you! Here is a sneak peek of one of the locations where I will be shooting the spring mini-sessions. The day I went to visit this location, it was foggy making the photos look oh-so-mysterious! Can you guess the location?
If you still plan on entering your child, you only have a few more weeks. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2010.
Ridiculously Annoying Quote of the Day: “Bless his/her heart.” I hear this so often, and I chose it because an insult is almost always sure to follow!
Funny story… as I am always on the lookout for fab photo props, I saw this big heart sucker and knew it would be perfect for Valentine’s photos. Just in case one broke, I purchased two so I would have a back up. The moment I handed the sucker to Micah he slammed it on the ground and it broke into a million pieces! I pulled out the second sucker and realized it was already broken, making my perfect photo prop not so perfect. Oh well, Micah still enjoyed 1/2 of his sucker! Happy Valentine’s Day (a few days early)!
In this week’s addition of Meaningful Monday, I am happy to introduce Jamie Zanotti of JAZ Photography. Jamie is a fellow photographer based in Eugene, Oregon who is a kindred spirit and has quickly become my bosom buddy! Although we have only exchanged a handful of emails, I feel like Jamie and I have been friends for years. Not only do we share the same title as mommy and photographer, our sons are both named Micah and we have many of the same life aspirations! Without further ado, here is the lovely Jamie and her beautiful family (photo credit: Amber Glanville).
Fun facts about Jamie: “When we became an adoptive family, we were given our first digital camera, and I was determined to learn enough about photography to take good family photos… and that learning journey blossomed into a full-fledged photography obsession, which eventually blossomed into JAZ Photography. I’m a self-taught natural light, lifestyle photographer. I especially love photographing HS senior girls and couples/weddings, but I’ll never find more beautiful subjects than my precious 2- and 5-year-old blessings! I live with my hubby and kids in a log cabin we built, in Oregon.”
Jamie also happily provided a ridiculously annoying quote: As I was getting my then-3-year-old daughter ready for church one Mother’s Day, she clapped with glee as she looked at the black top I was wearing and exclaimed, “Oh look, Mommy! You’ve got SNOW on your shoulders!!!”
If you live on the West Coast and are in need of a wonderfully talented photographer, please look up JAZ Photography as I’m sure Jamie will be delighted to provide photography services for you and your family.
Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Monday,
(stolen from Jamie) Amy
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