hearts-and-soles.

I think one of the best things you can do to boost your spirit is to volunteer... whether that be at a school function, a church event, in a homeless shelter, at a cancer fundraiser, ANYWHERE. Just being part of a group that is working together to put on a good event for a good cause makes you feel so... um... well, good! So, when my sister-in-law told me about her two good friends that were in the beginning stages of starting a charity - I listened in awe. Her two friends, Haley and Jessica, are the founders of Hearts-And-Soles, an organization which collects and distributes shoes to needy families. They are beginning and endevour which I KNOW will bring many smiles to their faces for many years to come.... Doing good things for good people tends to do that to you, ya know? :) It's crazy to think of how many *luxuries* we all take for granted in our lives... And, while I most often don't think of shoes as being a *luxury*, it most certainly is.

Hats off to you, Haley and Jessica! I can't wait to see what you accomplish through your organization!

founders:

founder:

founder:

board member:

group shot:

xoxo, reata

a gift.

my little girl brought me a gift this afternoon that made my heart melt... a dead, dried up flower from our flowerbed. she was so proud to give it to me and she couldn't wait to put it in a vase (baby food jar) and give it a drink.... it was very thirsty (read as: brittle/dead/a goner). moments like these are what being a parent is all about. :)

i'm old. and weak.

I must be getting old... I played the Wii over at my in-laws on Monday night and I don't think I'll ever be the same again. Besides having a lot of fun, I also got a complete workout... and got completely sore. That boxing game is really tough on your shoulders and arms! Then as if that wasn't enough, I put my body through another workout on Tuesday morning at the grocery store. [yes, i said at the grocery store.] Typically, my two littlest ones act normal at the store... but not Tuesday. My nearly 4 yr old wanted to ride in the basket because her "legs were so tired [she] was about to die" and my 1 yr old wouldn't ride in the basket because she wanted to crawl.

Needless to say, I ended up pushing my 40 lb child in a shopping cart full of heavy groceries with ONE hand, while my other hand was busy holding an extra squirmy 1 year old. We left after 1 1/2 hours of pure muscle torture... without all the groceries on my list.

Oh well... at least I'm gonna have some killer biceps this year for Thanksgiving.

Here are some photos from my last session with one of the cutest little newborns I've ever seen! His momma looked GREAT for only giving birth 10 days earlier! Introducing, Baby O:

xoxo, reata

randomocity.

Warning: This post is very random and has no point, other than to amuse myself and my husband.

For some odd reason, I've been holding out on posting any of the photos I took while in NYC waaaay back in September and I'm finally ready to share. Well, okay, it's not really for some "odd reason"... I know the reason, it's not a mystery to me. Basically, in a nutshell, I don't think I got any good shots while there! My husband and I were so busy enjoying ourselves and our time without kids that seriously, I hardly even took any! And then, the ones I did take, kinda... well, they kinda suck. In my own defense though, I was on a moving tour bus while taking about 99% of all the photos I took... so there. That's my excuse.

Guess this is a good place to start:

They call him "The Naked Cowboy". He stands in the middle of Time Square. Playing a guitar. Naked. Making money. Tough life.

And, yes... I know it's blurry. Tour bus, remember?

Moving right along...

This is mine and my husband's shadow in the lake in Central Park... I'm the shadow on the left.

On top of the Empire State Building:

Visiting Strawberry Fields which is across from the Dakota Building, where John Lennon lived when he was shot.

Visiting the Statue of Liberty... You can *barely* see it in the background... Look closely:

And my husband! I really *love* this photo of him... I love how the light is coming in from behind him:

Me, slightly upset and LOST, in NYC... did I mention I was tired too? We walked OVER 180 blocks the day before! (isn't that isane?)

Well, that's all I got from NYC... Some of my favorite shots of iconic buildings didn't turn out too good due to the moving bus factor. Oh well... guess I need to take another trip. ;)

On to more randomness... I edited these two shots last night and I am in love with them:

love, love, love them both!

well, good night to all... I'm off to a date with my hubbie now! Music and drinks at the Sugar Land Town Hall jazz concert... should be relaxing and fun!

xoxo, reata

lend me your ears. and eyes.

you ever gotten something new and felt like it was too awesome to actually be used? i know that sounds crazy, but i'm positive that's had to have happened to everyone at least once in their life.

i know it's happend to me a few [hundred] times for sure. one of my first recollections of this was when i was maybe 7 or 8. i got a brand new bedspread.... my first ever set that *i* actually picked out and that wasn't a hand-me-down. i remember spending weeks, maybe even months, picking it out in a catalog and then slowly persuading my mom to purchase it for me. then after it arrived, i loved it so much that i never wanted to unmake my bed. i actually slept ON TOP of my bedding in a sleeping bag. for weeks. seriously. i know... i must be nuts. but it made perfect sense to me.

i was reminded of my perfect bedding this week when my dad got himself a new truck [you may remember him from this session]. my dad's one of those awesome old school men... you know, the kind of hard working man you just don't see around too much anymore who can literally build you anything you want out of anything he finds laying around. so, he got a new truck monday, after driving the same truck for literally TWENTY years! i was so excited for him when i saw it monday... a brand new, shiny dodge ram... fully loaded and decked out with chrome trimmings. it even has a CD player might i add... a luxury not in his previous truck. it was glorious and i was so happy for him.

today... three days later... it is still sitting on the driveway in the same spot as monday. go figure.

here is a sneak peek from my last session... one of the cutest little families ever.

recognize him?

and her?

and, some of the beautiful parents:

xoxo, reata

on the road.

refreshingly fizzy.

another successful logo & watermark design completed... this time for the talented ericka fields, who is refreshing her photography business with a new look and name! congrats ericka... can't wait to see your new look up on the web! :)

a promise is a promise.

yes, i know... it's november 9th already and we've all moved on... halloween seems like 5 months ago already! BUT, because i promised my 3 little girls and my nephew i'd share *their* halloween photos too just like i did with all the little ones from my halloween mini-sessions, i will. so, please sit back and enjoy another little costume parade...

she really did rock this costume.

my little ballerina fairy.

and my tiny ballerina fairy.

she kept tossing her wand aside.

my spooky nephew:

don't let the costume fool you... he's really quite lovable:

happy halloween... in november.

xoxo, reata

family.

geeze - this sneak peek is *long* over due..... this fun, little session was last weekend already! now, don't start thinking i've gone lazy on you guys, because actually i've been slacking because 2 out of my 3 girls got struck with a horrid stomach virus... then to make matters worse, me and my hubbie got it too. let me just tell you... we've had quite a disgusting week. i don't think i've ever in my life washed so many sheets, blankets, towels, pajamas! anyhow, we are all finally feeling better today and so finally i am ready to start working again!

this little family was a lot of fun and so easy to get along with - felt like i'd known them for longer than just that one day! the two little guys in this session were serioulsy so precious... the youngest was only 3 weeks old! after hanging out with them for a couple of hours, it made me want to try to add a little boy to my family of girls! :) [maybe...]

enjoy the sneak peek!

i *love* this yawn and him peeking out with one eye...

xoxo, reata