amy hill photography

October, Where Did You Go?

-loving the change of weather

-loving the fall colors in my house

-loving a little baby in a pumpkin

-hating that October is almost over

 

but....so excited for all my November sessions. BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS!

 

Deep Fried OREO's

The Arizona State Fair has had a menu change since last time I was there. Now serving......drum roll.....deep fried EVERYTHING! Snickers, bananas, oreos, you name it! And I totally resisted the temptation! I was so excited to do a family session here. I've been wanting this for a really really long time.

A little sneak peet for this hilarious, fun family who know how to rock the fairgrounds! (and manage to get in free to the Trace Atkins concert. SO mad I left after our shoot, totally shoul've stayed!)

 

 

e . h . g

I'm excited today. I'm happy today. I'm grateful for a really fun life today. 

So here's to images that make me excited, happy and grateful!

 

Back in the Saddle

There are way too many exciting things going on around here! I had such a great weekend! WAY-LOW stress weekend. Mostly hanging out with kids, went to car show (super great pics I got), watched movies in our backyard, slept in past 7am (huge accomplishment) and last but not least, nailed down a few last minute details for my California trip in 5 DAYS!!! California, Here I Come! Don't tell anyone, but it is highly possible I am shooting my first wedding ever. In L.A. I'm so excited I'm going to burst.

Oh, and my weekend also started off with a totally awesome family shoot that started just as the sun was RISING and I was in natural light heaven! This shoot kicked off my fall season and I am booked through October! So many fun sessions to look forward to. It feels SO good to be back in the saddle after a very long, hot summer. Thank you to all my current and new clients who booked in the next two months. We are going to have a blast! (only a few spots left in November!) 

On a side note, my 6 year old proudly told me tonight as I was reading bedtime stories...."Mommy, when words are in all caps, you have to say it loud!" haha, I totally laughed out loud and thanked him for the reminder. So go back and re-read the first two paragraphs with correct vocals please, just as I had to re-read story time. 

Here's a few sneak peeks for my early to bed, early to rise family. What awesome people I get to meet! I love my job!!! (that should've been in all caps too) When they first got out of the car and we met, I felt like I had known them for a lot longer than a few phone conversations. Such warm genuine people that make my job so worth every minute.

So many more pics to come guys, I was just getting started here.....

We're Still Celebrating!

So Birthday #2 for the month rolled around yesterday and we are still celebrating being THREE! My little AJ said to me, "Mommy, are you glad that I'm getting older?" OH MY GOSH, she melts my heart! No Andie, I am not glad that you're getting older. Please stay 2 and 364 days old forever.

Yes she is spoiled, yes she is loved, yes she got a BIG GIRL ROOM makeover!

This was 4 months in the making! I've been planning, plotting, material shopping, executing and finally it all came together. But before I show you the end result, please allow me to introduce to you, the dreaded BEFORE pictures of this poor child's ever-so-boring room!

There's just so many things wrong with the middle picture here:

A) It's a calendar pinned up on a wall with a tac.

B) It's Dora

C) It hasn't been flipped over since MAY

My inspiration for her colors and patterns came from a GORGEOUS quilt that was made by a sweet friend of mine when Andie was born. You can see it at the end of the bed above. It was so amazing, I hated to use it in fear that she would spit up or diaper explode on it. So I've just saved it. For something worthy of it. I got waynes coating from Home Depot with acrylic paint and asked my very talented husband to paint me ABC's on it. He made it perfect, just like I knew he would. I pulled out ALL my material, paper, linens and accessories that go with my color scheme. Once I had it all laying on the bed at a glance, I was ready to get to work. FOUR MONTHS Later, here is what I came up with. (Total Cost:  $60)

Do I need to remind you of the BEFORE Pic?

drum roll........and the AFTER

  

It was 6am on the dot when she woke up (from sleeping on the floor in her brother's room) and we showed her what we had been doing just 4 hours before. Yes, up until 2am! She LOVED it and ran to her 'Princess Castle Bed' as she refers to it.

After that (6:05am) the party started. She got in her favorite 'party' dress and openend her first gift...a huge carton of beads! I couldn't resist these pictuers, she was having so much fun already. In her element. At her happiest. 

and after a few dollar store presents that made her the happiest girl alive, the day just took off to a whirlwind of adventures. Disney Store, In N Out for lunch (her choice, I swear!) a very small nap, dinner, cake, candles and two new princess dresses. Ariel and Snow White. She was one happy three year old. 

p.s. today when i heard her stirring around in her room after her nap, I called out, "What's that noise I hear?" and she hollars back, "It's your three year old!!!"

she might possibly be the funniest, cutest girl i know.

SEPTEMBER in our home

We love September around here! Other than getting back into the school routine and seeing a slight decrease in blood boiling HOT temperatures, we also get to celebrate BOTH of our kids birthdays this month. Jack (who turned 6) and Andie, (who's turning 3), were born exactly 3 years and 15 days apart. So things are pretty busy around here! 

I wanted to get some pictures printed and hung in the kitchen of a collage type thing that's just a big hodge podge of each of their lives up to this point. And after September is over, just hang them in their room. So these are what I came up with. Even though I made 4 for Jack because, well, he's older and had more pictures to share, I only hung 2 of each. I LOVE revisiting these pictures of our past and being reminded how fun life is every day with young kids. We have a really fun life.

 

 

Can you guess wich ONE of these images above was taken at a PROFESSIONAL studio by Heather Bookout? I did NOT get any digital files and paid $55 for my 5x7!!! No complaining of my print prices people!! This was over 5 years ago too! And I still love those images and would've paid the money all over again if I had to. Pictures are priceless!

Here's Andie's collages. She is the cutest thing that I have ever seen! Is she seriuosly mine???

 

By the time Andie was born, my photography skills had improved greatly! She has never been taken to a professional photographer and I have never paid $500 for prints again. (but I totally would if I weren't a photographer myself. Just sayin'!)

And here's what it looks like in my kitchen. (the words with 1's and 2's next to them are the number of pennies Jack gets when he does chores. He pays me 5 pennies to play his new Wii! The birthday present that I finnaly gave in to. And we all actually enjoy it)

And a few of Jack blowing out candles. He got to do it twice when his little buddy surprised him with cupcakes! It was such a fun low-key day!  (I'm still recovering from the Star Wars Lego Party we threw last year)

Dreaming

My niece has become quite the photographer these days and I just found this out like a few weeks ago! I was visiting Her Blog and saw a beautiful Seattle home that she shot while visiting and it reminded me of MY DREAM HOME that I took a picture of a VERY VERY long time ago....IN SEATTLE!!!

I was on a business trip (pre-kids) and jumped in my rental car and took me and my free spirit all over the city and found myself in the hills overlooking Lake Washington. When I saw this home, I remember stopping the car immediately and just starring. I was in love. My BFF, Melissa was there with me, I'm sure she remembers this moment. This was taken at least 10 years ago. I still look at this picture often and dream away. 

And now I can PIN it on Pinterest!!!! How have I ever lived without the complete, unrealistic, fantasy life on Pinterest? 

 

Need A Little Color in Your Life?

This blog has become my new favorite 'go to blog' when I need a little inspiration. I don't even know how I found her, but I did. It was fate! I was so inspired by this image! It became my very first Pin on Pinterest! If you don't know what that is yet, you better check it out! And reserve the REST of your afternoon to it. 

 

So I decided to create my own version of it in Jack's room. And I Love how it turned out, despite the lack of Sunflowers, Vintage Camera and World Globes, it's still totally fun!

You know what isn't totally fun? Unfinished chair rail and baseboards!!!!

 


 
 

 

Is Today A Swimming Day?

I wrote on my lifesize chalkboard today (my latest craigslist find that I'm in Love With), 'Summertime, Summertime....Please don't leave us!".

I really don't want these days of swimming suits and goggles to end. Even though school has started (rejoice!) Andie still gets up every morning and asks if it's a swimming day. Since I've been telling her 'no, not today' she decides to put her suit and goggles on anyway in hopes that I change my mind. She is so adorable. I cannot get enough of her!

It was my husband's birthday on the 13th and she loves this card 'we' got him. She carries it around everywhere and giggles and giggles over the cut off bum. Inside of card reads: Party Your Buns Off!

gotta love the Hill Family Humor.

 

115 degrees? What's the big deal?

I love that this family booked me in July, despite the heat. 

I love that she calls him by his last name.

I love that they were so comfortable in front of the camera.

I love that they love sports.

I love that they have so much love for their little guy, and their bigger guy.

 

I brought a cooler full of wash clothes and ice and water. We were all so glad for them! You couldn't even tell we were dying in the heat huh? Good times, good times.

Thanks you guys for trusting me to photograph your beautiful family! And thank you for texting me your wall display of your images within a few days of getting them! Wow, that was like a record time! I loved it!