Announcing The Mamma Mini Sessions! Let’s celebrate Mom’s together. There is nothing I love more than capturing those unguarded moments of motherhood, smiles, laughter and embraces that only her children can produce.

Mamma Mini Sessions will take place on Saturday evening, May 10th at the Wendt Family property. These sweet sessions are 20 min long and include an online view and ordering gallery, a mobile app of your images, and five high resolution images to be printed at the lab of your choice and their web resolution counterparts.  The cost is $99 (+tax) and spots are Limited! (Location details and directions will be sent upon session confirmation.)

To sign up please use the form below.  Times are schedule on a first come first serve basis! You can pay by Credit Card below or by Cash or Check on Saturday.  Please email me with any questions.  Thanks!

So come join us!  Get in the picture with your family and share with us.  :)

I’ve been so inspired this winter.  I’ve read so many stories and oogled so many photographs of and about incredible women.  Since, becoming a mother, and if I look back, it was probably even long before then, I’ve had this yearning to help girls & women see their beauty and their potential.  I want them to see how beautiful, individual and personal their journey has been, is, and will continue to be.  To show them what makes them beautiful and to show others that beauty is more than what the media tells us it is.  We are all uniquely beautiful…it’s the journey to discovering that truth that can become dirty and ugly, make us hate and doubt ourselves.  If we can take that journey, though, and take the ugly, the hate, the self-loathing and see it for what it really is…it is the beauty of being human, made to be a unique individual.

Every month, I’ll be sharing with you one woman’s inspiring  journey & beauty.

I’l start with a few pieces of my journey….

I am a woman who: has loved and lost and learned to love and be loved again.

My defining moment: When I was 21 years old, the boy I thought I would spend the rest of my life with died.  Leaving me a shattered,  broken mess.  My world went dark. It was the worst time of my life.  I was so lost and empty. My future, as I planned it, had been altered and there was nothing I could do to get it & him back. I hated myself for all the ways I hurt him between the time we broke up until his death. I regretted not getting back together with him as soon as he got clean. I was jealous and mad that it wasn’t my face he saw when he died, that I couldn’t hold him and tell him that I loved him more than I loved anything or anybody. I couldn’t see past my own despair. I silently and privately went into a deep depression and turned to alcohol & food to cope.  I shut out almost everyone important in my life and hid my dark secret with a plastic smile. It’s that one event in my life that has fueled so much of who I am because I never want to be that dark, lonely, self-loathing, hateful person…again…period.  I am so much stronger now because I understand that it had a purpose in my life. It also taught me what true love for another individual is, how quickly it can be taken away, and how much I took for granted.

The hardest part of my journey so far:  Learning to forgive.  Isn’t that one of the hardest things to do?!  And I’m not sure what has been harder learning to forgive others for hurting me, or learning to forgive myself for the mistakes I’ve made.  It’s gotten easier, but I am human, I will be asking for forgiveness for the rest of my life and knowing that, I need to remember the same is true for everyone else.  Wouldn’t I want to be forgiven? Of course!

The best part of my journey so far:  When I let go.  I have a long history of letting people walk over and hurt me in hopes of being loved by them.  (I would say much of what has happened to me in my life has been because of my need to be loved by others.) About 2-3 years ago, I let myself be hurt by a friend for the last time.  It was at that point where I realized that I needed to let go of that friendship.  And not just that friendship, but so much of what I was doing to myself in all my friendships. I had to let go of this feeling I had that I needed to be loved by others.  I needed to start loving myself.  It sounds cliche, but really, why did I always expect everybody else to love me, when I didn’t love who I was.  I hated so much about the person I was, and that reflected in my attitude towards others.  Once I let go of that ‘need/want’ and started focusing on loving myself, everything else started falling in place.  My relationship with my husband, family, and friends got better, my business got better, I started opening up because I was more comfortable with who I was and the absolute best thing happened…I finally felt ready and comfortable to build an open relationship with God.  Letting go and learning to love myself has totally brought me more than I could’ve ever imagined.  YES!  I LOVE the person I am and the person I am becoming…I even love the person I used to be, because along with her came so many lessons and strengths.

My biggest strength: I’ve learned not to dwell on something too long. In the grand scheme of things, it’s only 1 piece of the puzzle.  Walk away, come back later, and you’ll find where it goes.

My biggest weakness: Oh my gosh…I’m horrible at talking to people in the flesh.  I can type & write my heart out, but face-to-face I lose all sense of the english language (or any spoken language at that!) LOL!!

The message I want to send to others from my journey: Your past is your past, you don’t have to let it define who you are, but it did help shape who you have become, so embrace it as a part of your journey. And love yourself, see your unique beauty. When you truly love yourself, you are an infinite force.

If you want to share your story and be a part of this project email me at ashley@blushingfawnphotography.com.  I’d love to hear from you!

Blushing Fawn Photography has begun its Class of 2015 High School Senior Spokesmodel search!!  We’re looking for a couple of girls, who are now in their junior year, who love being in front of the camera, love fashion, laughter, and socializing.

What does being a Spokesmodel for Blushing Fawn Photography mean?

Being a Senior spokesmodel means you are a cheerleading & champion for Blushing Fawn Photography’s Senior Sessions. All you have to do is show off your awesome pictures to all your friends!  You’ll be given referral cards and with each referral you’ll earn fabulous rewards.

Do I have to pay regular prices for my session?

Absolutely not! One of the perks of being a senior rep is special senior  pricing.  Your deposit will include:

• Free Spokesmodel Mini-Session sometime in April or May ($125 Value)
• Digital referral cards, blog post, Facebook gallery, Instagram ads
• 50 Printed referral cards
• Your very own custom senior session in the late summer or early fall.  *FREE & UPGRADED with 3 Referrals (A $399 Value)

What’s required of me?

• Being a fun fashionable and unique and outgoing 2015 Senior who loves to be photographed
• Represent Blushing Fawn Photography EXCLUSIVELY during the 2014-2015 school year
• Help put a stop to bullying. Pledge to be an Anti-Bullying advocate.  Stand up for those being bullied and don’t let yourself be the bully!
• Post your Senior Spokesmodel images all over Social Media earn rewards
• Post, tag and refer any seniors you think would be interested. Remember, you are our spokesperson!

You mentioned Fabulous Rewards?

Earn rewards by referring your friends! Whenever any Senior mentions your name while scheduling their session, you will receive a $25 cash reward once their session is paid off!  PLUS  you can also receive huge rewards!

• 3rd Referral  -  Free UPGRADED Senior Session - That’s right!  You will get the FULL Senior experience, hair, makeup & wardrobe!  I will turn your session fee into a print and/or product credit for your Senior Session.  So, you will get the Spokesmodel Mini Session AND the FULL  Senior Session for free!
• 5th Referral -  BFF Mini Session  -  Invite your BFF and/or 1-3 of your closest friends to a Mini Session where we will have a fun, fashionable, fabulous group session. So, you will get the Spokesmodel Mini Session, the FULL  Senior Session for free, and another free mini session with your closest besties (or that studly hunk of yours)!
• 10th Referral  -  Kindle Fire HD  -  YEP! A FREE Kindle Fire HD for all your hard work!! So, you will get the Spokesmodel Mini Session, the FULL  Senior Session for free, another free mini session with your closest besties (or that studly hunk of yours), AND A FREE Kindle Fire HD!

To earn your referral credit, your friend or classmate must let us know you referred them by giving us your name while reserving their session date. Your friends will also enjoy a savings perk just for knowing you!

Get Your Parents Involved!

Before you can become an official Senior Spokesmodel, you need to have permission from your parent or legal guardian.  If you have been selected as a spokesmodel, we will have an in-person consultation which one of your parents MUST attend!

What do I do next ?

Find out more info about Blushing Fawn Photography’s Senior Sessions in my online digital magazine:

Then, if you think this program is for you, fill out the application below.  I will be accepting applications until March 1, 2014.   Eeek!!  I can’t wait to get to know you!!

8/365: Claesson – I see you!

8/365: Stellan – There is not much that makes me happier!

7/365: Stellan –  Peter Pan’s shadow….if only he never grew up.

7/365: Claesson –  The post bath bliss.

6/365: Claesson –  I think I take a daily image of his hair…if not daily…for sure weekly.

6/365: Stellan –  He FaceTimes his Gramma in FL almost daily.  Today, he wore is headphones and all I could hear up in my office was his giggling floating up from the kitchen….

5/365: Stellan –  SORRY!

5/365: Claesson –  Fast asleep….sigh…again…sleep, sweet boy, sleep.

4/365: Claesson –  He takes after his father, who falls asleep every time he reads.

3/365: Stellan –  Nose Picker One

3/365: Claesson –  Nose Picker Two