courtney jade’s blog

For the past 6 years of my life I have been living in apartment after apartment. They have been nice apartments, but there’s just something so temporary feeling about them… it’s hard for me to “nest” or decorate, etc.

Well, I have been keeping this under wraps for quite some time now, but it has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do! But I’m finally ready to spill the beans!

Mark and I just purchased our first home together!!!!!!!

I am beyond ecstatic, I can hardly express how excited I am. I didn’t want to say anything about it on the internet in fear that something may have fallen through, and then I would have to explain to everyone when they asked “so how is the house coming along?!” that something fell through and we were no longer getting it… and I would probably tear up and cry every. single. time. So to save myself from that possibility, keeping it under wraps was the best option.

But I am SO excited that I can now share it all with you!!! It was a long and stressful process, but everything ended up working out, and Mark and I could not be more thrilled.

warning- LONG post ahead!

It all started about a year ago…

For those of you who don’t know, I actually work full time in the marketing/design department for a mortgage company, so the thought and realization of the possibility and benefits to buying a home have been on the table for just over a year now. In my head, I was ready and excited to buy a year ago. However, Mark, with his ever-steady-let’s-evaluate-every-little-detail attitude (which might sound like a negative thing here, but rest assured I am SO thankful for his “realism” in situations like these) laid it all out and just wasn’t so comfortable doing so at that time. He was still car-less and taking advantage of public transit at the time, so our options for locations of homes would have been very limited. That, and the worry of taking on such a large financial commitment was a little scary… so our home-buying plans came to a halt early 2010.

This year, however, has been a really great one for Mark and I. He is steadily advancing in his company, and I have established myself at my 9-5 as well. Photography has been insanely busy this year for me, Mark was able to purchase a car in the late spring, and things have come a long way in the past year.

While I would secretly look at RMLS every day, and save my favorites, daydreaming about the time when we’d be able to start home-searching ourselves, I knew that patience and persistence would eventually pay off. I don’t know if it was the television being stuck on HGTV for months, or what, but in early September, Mark asked me- “so, what’s going on with the house search?”

“WHAT?!!?!?” I replied. “We can’t afford a house” (Ok, I was having a bad day… you know, the kind where you really didn’t want to look at your bank account, but you knew you should, so you did, and then you regretted it.. kind of… but you realize that you probably shouldn’t have went out to lunch 5 times last week, or bought that really cute dress that was on sale? yea… it was one of those days.)

I re-couped myself and thought about this again. I said “Well, have you been looking for houses? Because I thought you didn’t think it was a good time yet, and you haven’t sent me any houses to look at, so I just assumed you were still on that same page. Plus I didn’t want to pressure you if you did still feel that way.”

“Well no,” he said “but I think it’s time.”

My heart did a few back-flips… these were the words I had been waiting to hear for a year!!!

“OK! I said, well, check out these houses I have saved!” I pull up our Realtor’s website (www.portlandshortsales.com) and showed him my favorites. He liked a few, so I agreed to call our Realtor in the morning and set up a time to view some houses in the next week or so.

We ended up going the following evening (because our Realtor Alex is awesome!) and checking out a few houses. Here is where the story gets interesting…

I thought we were going to look at one house, but Alex actually took us to see the house next door to the one I thought we were looking at. “Why not?” I said, and we checked it out anyways.

We. loved. it.

One problem… the house already had an accepted offer in on it, and they weren’t accepting any back-up offers! Bummer. We tried to get into the house next door, but the key was no where to be found.. odd.. but Alex had another home to show us in the area, so we checked it out, and then called it a night. It was great to get a feel for the neighborhood, and we knew we definitely wanted to live in that community, so we just kept an eye out for new listings to pop up.

We ended up making an offer on a short sale house that was on the same block as the one we looked at. It was a beauty! But short sales are a MESS and so we weren’t expecting much to come from it. About two or three weeks after we submitted our first offer on the short sale, the home we toured (and loved) came back up on the market… the other buyer’s financing fell through!

I saw it pop up in my daily listing email and immediately emailed Alex. Mark and I talked it over, and we decided that it would be a much safer road to put an offer in on this house. This house was a bank owned (much better than a short sale!) and there was even a downpayment assistance program available for bank owned homes in this area. (They said they could do some short sales too, but come to find out it would have been a nightmare!)

So we made the decision to put in an offer on the house we toured and loved. We know that the bank already accepted a certain price, so we just went in at that price and hoped for the best! It was about 15k less than the offer we put in on the short sale house, so we were happy with that.

We heard back two days later that the bank had accepted our offer, so we withdrew our offer on the short sale, and now almost 2 months later, we have ourselves a home!!! We got the keys on Friday, and today we went out to the house to take a few photos and have the carpets professionally cleaned!! I am getting SO excited!

We plan on painting and packing this week, and moving on the 26th! Eeeee!!! I can’t wait to be in there and settled. It will cut my hour long commute down to about 10 minutes or less, which I am excited about, however Mark will get the opposite commute… so I’m thinking good thoughts for him…

Anywho, here are some photos of the new place!!

We are in love.
And we are in love with our home.

I can’t wait to show you updates as we get settled in!!! We have ordered our washer and dryer, and we just bought our refrigerator today, we can’t wait for them to show up! I can’t wait to paint, decorate, and make the place OURS. I have been waiting for a long time to do this, and yet I still feel like a very young homeowner.

We feel so excited, happy and thankful that we were able to do this.
It will be a very merry christmas for us this year.  <3

I admit it. I totally fall for it.
Every time.

I just can’t help it. I love beautiful packaging!!!!

One of my favorite places to shop is at Trader Joe’s. My only complaint about that store is that it isn’t bigger, and it doesn’t carry everything I need, so I often find myself making two stops, or just going there for some specific items. However, I totally get sucked in… I end up buying things that I hadn’t set out for in the first place, and often it’s for the simple fact that they look so dang adorable!!! Last year I bought a pumpkin pancake mix because I loved the box it came in so much. I still haven’t made them….

Some of you know, I am a graphic designer by trade. It’s what I went to school for, and I currently hold down a full time job working in marketing doing graphic design on top of my photography business. I know that presenting your product in a professional, beautiful, and creative way can raise your sales, as well as your brand’s awareness. I know that it’s a proven fact that when people are given the option between two identical products, they will always be more prone to choose the one they think appears better, regardless of price.

So when I was at Trader Joe’s the other night, thinking about all of this, I snapped a few pics because I just couldn’t resist!! I wanted to buy them all because I’m a total sucker because I love good design, and good products, but due to current circumstances, I am trying not to load up on too many things I won’t need/use in the near future. Anyways, here are some of the beautiful things I am talking about.

And all of them are SO reasonably priced, nothing here is over $5! Which makes the addiction even worse! LOL!!

Anyways, the point is: branding is key! I think this is something that gets put to the sidelines all too often. I like to present my clients with packaged prints that look like gifts. I want them to be excited from the moment they see the package, until after they see all of the beautiful things they’ve ordered.

To do this, I have put a lot of time and effort into growing my brand, and fine tuning my packaging. I think it is an ever-evolving process, as I’m always finding new and different ideas that I want to incorporate! Regardless, my clients are left with a good feeling

Happy Saturday!! I’m off to eat some pancakes and do a little Christmas shopping! Wooo!!!

You know when you go to the mailbox, and you’re sorting through all of the mail?
Junk, bill, trash, junk, junk, bill, statement, more junk, ripped/torn/destroyed coupon booklet, trash, junk, junk, bill….

And then you come to that piece… that one piece of mail that feels as though you just unwrapped the Wonka Bar with the Golden Ticket inside. You know the one I’m talking about? It’s like a little piece of love all wrapped up.

These pieces of mail are the ones I cherish. A good friend recently described it perfectly to me, she said “tangible mail is a lost art”. I completely agree. There’s nothing quite like getting a hand written note, card, or any other piece of personal mail. These pieces aren’t made out to “Or Current Resident”, they are made out to YOU.

Anyways, back to my story.

Today, I opened my mailbox to find just one such gem!!! My eyes lit up and my grip tightened on the envelope! I couldn’t wait to open it, but first, knowing I was in for a treat, i wanted to take a few photos to share with you all.

A little history about this session…
________________________________________________________________________________

Jessica and I can’t remember how exactly we found each other, but I’m chopping it up to fate.
She is full of colorful ideas, and is a complete inspiration to me! She owns her own company, Modern Moments Custom Designs, where she designs anything and everything you could ever need or want. Logos, cards, announcements, invitations, calendars,  you name it! She takes each design request as it comes and molds your vision into something even more beautiful than you could have ever imagined.
So you can imagine, how when I got the email from her requesting that I do her youngest son’s first birthday photos/cake smash session, how ecstatic I was!!!

We brainstormed for a bit, and she sent me a couple of Inspiration Boards for what she was looking for style-wise for little Emerson’s shoot. I’m talking colors, textures, fabrics, the whole nine yards! Here is one of the boards that she created and sent to me. This really helped me understand exactly what she was looking for!

Not to mention, how completely adorable is that board!?! Can you tell how amazing this woman is yet??
So now that I knew her color palette and general direction, we chose a place- this great little barn that she knew of, close to the pumpkin patch that her family goes to every year.
There was no address,it was  just “about a mile down the road off of the exit, on the right”. I didn’t need directions, once I saw this place, there was no mistaking it!! We shot at an adorable old abandoned barn.

Jessica came with adorable Emerson, props, backdrops, and even cake in tote! We had everything we needed for a stellar photo shoot!!!

We knocked out the session in less than 30 minutes, it must have been a record, and little Emerson was such a great sport!! I’m sure the cake helped a little
The photos turned out AWESOME! I couldn’t have been happier with them!

Fast forward to tonight.

I open my mailbox to find the usual suspect mail-pile. Junk, junk, Bill, Statement…. and wait… what is THIS!?!!
Ok, I admit it, I knew it was coming, and I was waiting for it… But it doesn’t make it any less exciting! It was here!!!

One of the most rewarding parts of being a photographer, is to see my work in context. I LOVE getting birth announcements in the mail, save the dates, or invitations all using the photos that I have taken. It’s just got a cool factor of about 11 (On a scale of 1-10).

So without further a due, here is mister Emerson’s first birthday invitation!

The envelope… of course, the mailing address label is to die for cute!

And then, you open it and the cuteness just doesn’t stop!! Check out the envelope liner! (I swear, she thinks of everything!!)

Yep, that is REAL sewn on burlap, and REAL tied string! The WOW Factor is so high with this piece!!

Oh, and this is just the “slip-cover” for the card!! Just like a real book! Notice the adorable “vol. 1″ since it’s for his first birthday. Also, the price of the book is the date of his birthday… the cleverness just keeps coming!!! She even generously included my logo on there! How *sweet*!!!

Even a barcode!!

Once you remove the slip cover,  you get to the card/invite! The paper is a linen texture, which feels awesome, and goes perfectly with her vintage look and feel.

I am completely in LOVE with how amazing these turned out! Emerson is one lucky little dude! The way she put the photos together with the piece are just awesome! I love the cohesiveness of it all, and I think her overall ideas were exceeded.

If you would like some custom design work done, I highly recommend Jessica! She is super great and easy to work with, and she has a LOT to offer as a designer! You can go to her website, or check out her ETSY.

Sadly, she just broke her arm and is only taking a limited number of orders for the holidays, so if you’re interested, be sure to contact her ASAP!!! Otherwise, keep her in your back pocket, you just never know when you might need some stellar designs!!! Personally, I’m hoping she takes up party planning… you should check out the parties she’s thrown on her blog, the details are scrumptious!!!

<3

I know it’s been quite a while since I have posted, I hope you can forgive me! I’ve been shooting non-stop since August, and it’s been near impossible to even think about blogging.
Anyways, I thought it would be fun to show you a little of what I’ve been up to!

Here are some adorable photos of Luketan + Matt!
They were recently engaged, and wanted some photos to remember the moment!
They are such a sweet couple, and I had a blast at our session. I can tell that they are a perfect match!

Something that has become more and more popular over the years on your wedding day is the “First Look”. While many couples prefer to see their fiance for the first time on their wedding day be at the isle, more and more couples are opting for a “First Look” instead.

There are many positives to having a “First Look”, as opposed to seeing each other for the first time at the isle:

1) Your moment is totally private.
You are bound to get emotional on your wedding day, especially when you see the person you are about to marry, looking their best. When you arrange a “First Look”, you reserve that moment, that first glance of each other, for just the two of you. You don’t have an audience (most of the time- this can depend on the couple though), and you get to have a moment to say “hello”, and tell each other how great one another looks, as well as how excited you are for this very special day.

When you see each other for the first time down the isle (which is nerve wrecking enough, as-is) you don’t get that private moment. It’s hard to talk to each other without interrupting the flow of your ceremony. Trust me, that moment of walking down the isle will still be intense, just a little less emotional…. maybe

2) You can get your formal photos done BEFORE the ceremony.
When you arrange to have a “First Look”, this means that you only have to hide from one another until this moment. Since you’ve already seen each other, it allows for time to be scheduled before the ceremony to get through all of the formal wedding party, family, and couple photos. As a photographer, this is a HUGE saving grace. Before the ceremony, people are generally happy, excited, and eager to participate. It’s a strange thing, but after the ceremony all people can think about is that they are hungry, want to party/celebrate, and give their condolences to the bride and groom- rightfully so. So you can imagine how difficult it is to get people to show up for the family photos before racing off to the reception, let alone concentrate!  Not to mention, everyone just wants to get the photos over with so they can celebrate already!

As a bride and groom, I’m sure the last thing you want to do after you tie the knot is to stand around and wait for Aunt Betty to waddle over so she can get in the photo with you. With a “First Look”, you can get this all taken care of and out of the way before-hand, so that once you say your “I do’s” there’s nothing left to worry about except having a great time!

3) Don’t worry about the tears- or the nerves!
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a wedding where the bride didn’t shed a tear the first time she saw her fiance standing there, all cleaned up and looking like a hunk. When you do a “First Look”, you can get those initial tears out without worrying about everyone seeing your mascara run. Have your Maid of Honor stand by with a couple of Q-tips, concealer and powder so you can freshen up before the formal photos, and before you make your debut to the isle!

You also get to let go of those pre-wedding jitters! Seeing your spouse-to-be can be soothing, and reassuring. Plus, you get to tell each other how much you love one another, and how great you look- boosting your confidence for the big moment!

4) “First Look” photos are always incredibly special.
While not impossible, it is much more difficult to get really great photos of both the bride and the groom’s expression when they first see each other at the isle. With you both being so far away when first seeing each other, it’s very hard to capture each person’s initial reaction. Generally, I stand at the end of the isle, closest to the wedding party. This way, I can get photos of everyone walking down the isle. I can also usually get a pretty good photo of the groom when he first sees his bride-to-be. However, it proves difficult to get a really great shot of the bride when she first walks through the door. (If you have a second photographer, this task can be easier) Also, just think of everyone who is standing on either side of the isle while you walk down. What if your second cousin decided to wear their neon yellow and purple polka dotted blouse? Or your little nephew is intrigued by the photographer, and instead of watching you, he’s picking his nose, staring at me. Trust me, these things have happened and they are GREATLY distracting in your photos.

This is one of the most cherished reactions you will ever keep in your memories. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have really great photos of it?

5) You get to enjoy your party!
You’ve spent MONTHS, sometimes YEARS putting this awesome event together. After the ceremony, instead of waiting around for everyone to get together for photos, you get to go ahead to your cocktail hour/reception and mingle, greet guests, and enjoy yourself! With everything out of the way, the nerves gone, and nothing but happiness on your mind, there’s nothing better than kicking back, and enjoying all of the hard work! So cheers! Drink a cocktail, chat with family, dance with friends! Since you’ve gotten all of your formal pics done and out of the way, you can just enjoy yourself.

I still reserve the right to steal away the bride and groom for some extra couple photos during the reception though, sometimes there are photo ops that are just too good to miss!

With all of these wonderful perks to having a “First Look”, you can see why more and more couples are opting to go this route. With the right planning and time management, your day is a breeze!

Please feel free to contact me with any comments, questions or concerns  you may have, I’m always happy to share my experiences, advice, and encouragement!

Feel free to share this article by linking your Facebook, blog, or Twitter! Please remember to credit me by name- Courtney Jade Photography

In honor of my 25th birthday on August 1st, I have decided to do my very first giveaway!! ::drumroll please::

I’ve chosen one of my all-time favorite places- Saint Cupcake!

One lucky winner will get to pick their six favorite cupcake flavors, frostings and sprinkles to be made into their own personal “cupcake kit”! The winner can choose to send the cupcakes to themselves, or anyone they want (in the Continental US)! Don’t miss out on this super sweet deal!!!

By this point, you’re probably drooling.
You’re also probably wondering “How do I win?!”

Details Shmetails

You will have FIVE chances to win by completing the steps below. A random winner will be announced on Monday, August 2nd. Here is what you must do to win!
**For you to have FIVE entires, you MUST leave each comment SEPARATELY**

1. “Like” Courtney Jade Photography on Facebook, comment back here that you did.

2. “Like” Saint Cupcake on Facebook, comment back here that you did.

3.  Share this contest on Facebook (please tag Courtney Jade Photography and Saint Cupcake in your post) and comment back here that you spread the word!

4. Leave a comment response to this question: “If you were a cupcake, what flavor would you be and why?”

5. Lastly, tweet about it and come back here and link to your tweet!

Please be advised that all comments are moderated by me. If you do not see your comment right away, please do not post again. I will moderate all comments as fast as I can

Good luck!!! May the sweetest little cupcake win!!!

So, it’s true… I’m turning 25 next month. In just a couple of weeks actually…
That’s a whole quarter of a century!!!  I can hardly believe it, and I definitely feel it… but wow.

To celebrate, I’ve rented a beach house over in Lincoln City, OR and invited all of my friends to come hang out with me! I’m hoping that everyone can make it out, and that it’s the best birthday EVER!!!

My boyfriend wanted a birthday list, and as I get older, it seems to get harder and harder to think of things that I’d like as a gift. Sure, there are a million things I would love, but the few things out of my grasp are what first come to mind. Those, however, are much too expensive for a birthday gift. So I am left stuck, trying to think of and find things that I would love to have, but probably wouldn’t just buy myself. (Mark has turned me into somewhat of a minimalist! I know, CRAZY!)

It’s actually turned out pretty fun! I forget sometimes how fun it is to make a list of things I’d like, a wish list!

Click on the pics to link to the item (for most things)

Pretty jewelry

A wrapping station for my Photo Biz

Pretty flowers

Film for my Polaroid cameras

Kurt Halsey 2010 calander of course!!! Featuring Mark and my portrait for July…
Actually I would REALLY love one of the large prints of this piece…

Also, this:

A cute teapot…

These DVDs…

The complete Twilight series hardcover book collection

Just about any cupcake book… (I already have Martha’s, the 500 cupcakes book, and Hello, Cupcake!)

These adorable Paul Frank headphones

Pretty frames – black and silver, all shapes/sizes.

One of these adorable Shabby Abby Camera straps

I should really get one of these, if not as a present from someone, as a present to myself! LOL I get lost EVERYWHERE….

A couple of each of these bad boys…

a Gocco printer kit…

Oh, and of course, this would be nice heeheehee

Gift Cards to these places:

A firepit

This awesome North Face hoodie! (Med.)

New perfume

Yes, all of the above would be very nice!! I’m sure if I kept thinking, I might be able to come up with a few more things… but really, I’d just like to have a really awesome day with some of my favorite people.

<3

It’s that time of the year again, and Autumn is fast approaching! I know, I know, it seems like summer hasn’t even graced us with it’s presence yet here in the NW… but before we know it, it will be September! (I’m crossing my fingers for an Indian Summer!)

Photos are a great Christmas gift, and Autumn is a great excuse to get those annual photos of you and your family,  your kids, your lover, or your pet! Skip the cheesy studio portraits and get some REAL lifestyle images this year! The NW has SO much beauty to offer, and it’s amplified in the autumn months when everything starts changing colors! It’s a great time to make some memories and get your Christmas cards out of the way (early this year!).

I am currently booking sessions on weekends in September, October & November. (I won’t be taking any sessions in December with the exception of newborns this year)
Last year I booked up completely, so make sure to book early this year to ensure your spot!

The Deets!
Sessions are $150 for up to 3 people (additional people are $25/each)
*Please note that the session fee covers only the actual session & post-processing work; prints & digital negatives are additional.*
There is a $50 non-refundable deposit required to secure your date; re-scheduling is limited and subject to availability and weather circumstances.
We will shoot at a location of your choice (Let me know if you need recommendations or ideas!)
Your photos will be ready within 2 weeks of your session date for review/purchase.

This year, give someone the gift of memories!
Contact me today more information, or to reserve your spot.

I met Jared forever ago, when he was hired to work at Billy Heartbeats- a 50′s themed diner here in Portland. We worked the fountain, making milkshakes, sundaes, salads and pb&j sandwiches. We wore silly hats and black bow ties. It was a blast! I ended up working there on and off for about 6 years (crazy! but it was a great little place, like home).

He and his friend Nate worked there, and we always had such a fun time. Here are a few pics of the place that I took forever ago…

Anyways, this post isn’t about Billy’s, it’s about Jared and Anna Kate!

Jared is intelligent, has a great sense of humor, and a heart of gold. He is just an all-around good guy. He can make anyone laugh, and he’s currently in his third year of medical school! (He’s come a long way from milkshakes).

Anna Kate is a perfect match for Jared. She is wise, beautiful, creative and super sweet!

I could go on and on about how awesome this couple is, and how much fun we had on their engagement shoot, but I’ll let the photos speak for themselves! Play the slideshow and see for yourself.

It has been a long while since I have shot a newborn baby girl, so when Stephanie called me and set up a session for her new bundle of joy, I was super excited!!

Sydney was a great sport, I’m really happy with the images that we got from her session. I just love how cute her room is, (Great job Stephanie & Scott!) The green is such a pretty color! Sydney was just 9 days old in these photos, congratulations Stephanie and Scott, on your new addition!

Here are a few of my favorites from their session, let me know what you think.