St. Louis Photographer » A Journal by Holly McCaig

I’ve been much grumpier this year than usual. I think it’s mostly the stress of the new location and feeling rushed and all that comes with that. I need to just take vacations over the holidays. That would help, hint hint. But, I do love the pretty lights and sights of the holidays. Like the decorations around the house. They can certainly make it feel more cozy. Merry Christmas to all of you and to yours. I hope you get lots of full tummies and enjoy the company of your families this holiday season. My thoughts are out to all of our military that have to be away from home as well as those that are suffering in poverty. Blessings!

And, one of Daisy for good measure!

I made these cute little, vintage-look tags for my gifts. And, thought I’d share it with you too!

Click here to download a .PNG version with no drop shadows. Print them on card stock and cut out. Then, use a hole punch to punch the top and tie with pretty ribbon or with some old string to complete your vintage-look Christmas packages! P.S. the .PNG preview on MediaFire looks weird, but it’s all good when you download!

Here goes: I’m not a fan of the Christmas holidays much anymore. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to be with family and eat yummy foods. But, I don’t like cold weather. I don’t like crowds when I need to shop for something other than a gift. I just don’t like how the commercialization of the holiday makes people mean. I want to step back, back to a time when I was a kid and I just believed in the magic of the season. Santa leaving me toys and me leaving him milk and cookies. Driving around and looking at the beautiful lights on the houses. And, my grandparents arriving to stay with us for the the holiday. Those are the days I miss. I miss the days where you just enjoyed it and relaxed, and believed.

I look at this photo from holidays cards my clients ordered. The kids, the love, the word: believe. It helps me remember that there are good people in this world and that the season just has a different experience in mind for me then when I was a small child. I’m glad I do have the magic of my amazing clients to remind me of that. It’s been a challenging and wonderful year all wrapped into one.

I hope that you are taking time to really remember what the holiday is all about. Don’t get caught up in the extravagant shopping and rushing. Just take a moment to relax and believe.

I haven’t posted a blog since Sunday? I’m falling down on the job!

To tell you the truth, I’ve been sick. Since the end of October, before I headed out to Phoenix, I started to get a sinus infection. But, I dealt with it. I pushed on through the dust storms of Arizona. Then, I came home to St. Louis for a week before I headed down to Atlanta. With all the travel and rain, it left me with ups and downs of the congestion. Finally, yesterday, I went to the doctor. I know, I know. I should have went sooner.

Anyway, I’m on a regimen of antibiotics and pushing through getting the rest of my client’s holidays orders packaged up and delivered. It was a busier holiday season than last year. I love that. I like staying busy.

The studio is coming along nicely for those that are wondering. There was a snag in that we “thought” the fire inspection was done, but was not. So, there’s that we’re waiting on. I decided to also start painting the bathroom, which is in limbo with me being sick the past few days. We’re hanging some more items on the walls and then it’s time to work on the back warehouse. Trying to figure out placement of sets and all that jazz. I wonder how much I’ll actually get done in time for the studio opening on January 10th. Oh well, a work in progress is still a good thing I suppose. I just love all this space I have to work with now!

Our holiday cards went out and I’m addressing my business holiday cards now (well, my mom did). And, I love getting these holiday cards from my clients with photos I took on them! So exciting! I can’t wait to get them all hung up at the studio. I want to make a huge bulletin board for notes and cards my clients leave or send to me. So inspiring to see that every day.

I’ve rambled enough. I have a few things to work on for the blog, but in the meantime, I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. It’s cold, blustery and flurrying out there now in my hometown. BRRRRR!

And, just because I love posts with a photo, here’s one for ya!

Great for the holidays too! I love these new desk calendars. They sell for just $25 to my clients. In 2010, clients that spend over a certain dollar amount will get one free if they request it. It’s a great way to look at your session images for an entire year! Includes an easel too! If you’d like to order a calendar from a past session, please contact me and we can discuss how to get that going! There is still time before our holiday cut-off if you want to give one as a gift.

Photographers, you can purchase the template at Pink Ink Studios – basic instructions are included and these can be printed at any lab that produces 4 x 6 prints. Hurry, featured items (Calendars) are 10% off until the end of the month!