So what's up with Michelle Wasden Photography?

Long over due is a little explanation...

Those who know me well, know that I am an at-home mom to my girls with a "hands on" style. My girls want to interact with me each day and I feel I am my best teacher and guide to them as I spend time with them. Parenting is a subtle art; a gentle yet specific response given in the moment to a thoughtless comment can be enough to guide a kid to a better choice. Besides, they are pretty cool to hang out with! I don't want to miss it.

I am now also working with the teenaged girls and their leaders of our church. It isn't something I ever thought I would be asked to do, but I deeply believe in the importance of supporting our teenagers and helping them to make choices that will bless their lives. The position is called "Stake Young Women's President" and includes 11 congregations spanning central New Jersey.

Photography has been something that while I take my quality and customer service very seriously, I haven't had to rely on it to meet our families' needs. It gives me a sense of security when my husband travels. Where I used to worry about how I would support the family if his plane went down, now I know I have a little business that with a price increase and perhaps some staff has the potential to support us.

Why do I include this here? Because while I have consistently worked, I have had to simplify...which means less blogging and less posting and now less sessions. This fall, I won't have the time to as many sessions I have done in the past. I hope that those who have their heart set on fun, relaxed sessions will book early so we can secure your slot.

And for those that wonder why you aren't seeing my work? I'd love to promise that I'll get caught up and blog the fabulous clients I've had this year including sassy families, a dancing twin, A high-school football star with a heart of gold, green bean newborn, and many more, but this sneak peak from the Manhattan wedding last weekend will have to do.

Did you want to be paid in cash, check or french fries?

Oh how the ice got to me this winter! (Which surprises me a little because we didn't have snow days as late as we did last year) Last Friday I did a very quick session with a paid model. You may think that she is the film star from "Ramona and Beezus", but this kid works for peanuts (or in this case, french fries). We ran around and caught the spots I've been drooling over, than picked up some fries and took them to the park by the airport. I love that park. It is away from the road, do it is quiet, but is fun to sit back, talk, and watch the planes practice taking off.

Welcome Back, Spring.







Want these beautiful blossoms for yourself? Call now to take advantage of this fabulous color~

Best,

Michelle

My Friday Gift to you...

This morning I woke up and made a flakey, warm breakfast for the kids:



English Royalty Chocolate Chip Scones

Using good quality chocolate (Ghirardelli double chocolate chips) chopped into smaller bits, cool butter that isn't completely mixed into the dough, combined with the subtle orange from the juice are the keys to making these tasty little Bad Boys. And if you happen to eat a few chips as you make them...well...you know calories don't count if you are standing while you eat them.

The Recipe:

1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tablespoons of chilled and cubed butter*
1/2 cup Ghiradelli double chocolate chips, chopped
1/2 cup orange juice

Mix the dry ingredients. Mix in chopped butter (see note below), then chocolate chips. Add orange juice and work it in just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Hand form it into a circle on parchment lined cookie sheet. It should be about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut it into 12 pieces (like a pizza) and then move them out a bit so they each have some space. Don't we all need a little space sometimes? Bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees or until the edges become golden.



*I took a stick of butter from my fridge, put it on the cutting board with my large chef knife and cut it into long strips. By adding some of the dry ingredients to the butter as I started to chop it up, it stopped the butter from sticking together. By the end, the butter was in basically uniform little chunks the size of lentils. I think I read somewhere that when the butter is still in little clumps, it gives it that flaky pastry texture.

I'm back and loving my town...

Spring has sprung and today I hung out with my family at a community event hosted by Princeton University. With volunteers and local sponsors, they filled the Dillon Gym with fun (free) activities for families.

Princyclopedia 2011 brings to life The Lightning Thief

Ice sculptures rock! My kids thought it was so cool to be able to touch it. We loved talking about the process with the artists there. Did you know that they have to shake the ice while it is freezing to make it so clear? By the time the blocks are done, they shave off the top 12 inches of white ice (where the bubbles have accumulated) and the rest is like glass.





Volunteers dressed up and mingled with the crowds. Isn't she pretty?



Shoot the Minotaur! (They also had a math teacher you could shoot. We had to remind our kids that the math teacher in the Percy Jackson books was really a monster...no really)



My girls' favorite stop was the dress ups provided by PrincetonKIDS.com Yea, it's a girl thing.




My husband and I go here...a lot. They may get their own blog post.




Another daughter making a shield. I was proud of her, no flowers for her, man, she made a mace with spikes. Yeah!



I want to feature more Princeton Area businesses that either support our community or I have had a good experience with. Having my own business has taught me just how tricky it is to be a small business owner. I have great respect for those that make it work. These businesses often provide jobs for our friends and neighbors and they pay taxes that we all benefit from.

I really love Princeton and hope that you feel fantastic when you choose local businesses. (I'll be stepping down off my soap box now)

For ice sculpture (Hey, you never know when your summer camp needs a totally cool demo)

www.sculptediceworks.com

To find other fun stuff for your family:
www.princetonkids.com
www.princetontots.com
www.princetonfamilies.com

Posh Personalized Photo Valentines for Mary Jacobs Library Fundraiser

All proceeds benefit our beautiful library. Call Michelle 609.933.3204 to book your appointment for January 29th. All the juicy details are below the templates, but feel free to call if you have any questions.












The details:
Each mini session is to capture the single best headshot
image for our posh, personalized valentines and
photo print. Due to the unique, light sculpting nature of the
lighting set up we will be using that day, we are limited to
one person per session.

Each session includes:
* 25 double-sided flat, 4x5.5 valentines printed on art
watercolor paper with deluxe parchment envelopes

* 4x6 professionally color-balanced gift print

* a watermarked, low-resolution copy of the headshot
that can be shared with friends and family online
(image must not be cropped, altered or printed)
All for just $60 (an $87 value)

Win-Win Referral Bonuses:
When your additional family members and/or your friends
complete sessions on January 29th, you EACH get these
added bonuses:

* for two purchased valentine's individual sessions,
each person gets a free set of wallets
(a $18 value)

* for three purchased valentine's individual sessions,
each person gets an additional 5x7 photo print
of their child as well as the wallets (a $33 value)

* for four purchased valentine's individual sessions, each
person gets an additional 8x10 photo print of
their child and a set of wallets (a $48 value)

* for five purchased valentine's individual sessions, each
person receives an 8x10 of their child, a set of eight
wallets, AND a full resolution, watermark-free
version of the image that can be printed and
saved (a $160 dollar value!)

Only completed and paid for sessions count towards the bonus products.

Tell your friends and call 609.933.3204 to schedule
your appointments today. Only 20 slots available.

Every contribution helps the library. That’s Love!