courtney jade’s blog

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…
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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!!!

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i am in love with this most recent shot from my most recent shoot….

Happy sneak peek!!!

More soon… and the much anticipated Haley & Kayla shoot next!!

I know that this post is a bit late, as Thanksgiving was last week, but it’s never too late to list the things you’re thankful for, so here I go!

I find myself extremely well off at this time in my life. This year has been a complete roller coaster for me.

Of course it goes without saying how thankful I am to have such an amazing boyfriend, family, and friends. They all mean the world to me, and I’m so glad that we get to share our stories in this book of life. Without them, life wouldn’t have much meaning to me. They are really the biggest pieces in my puzzle. Also, my little puppy-son Quincey. As he sits here scratching my arm, begging me for attention, I think back to when he was so so tiny. We got him 2 years ago, the day before Christmas eve. He has become such a huge part of me, and is always there to love me unconditionally. A dog’s love is truly remarkable. I am thankful for all of them.

In the beginning of the year, I was working a job I hated, and ultimately quit. I felt frustrated, angry, and just sad in general. After getting out of school 2 years ago, I was still unable to land a good design job. i was forced to go back to the restaurant industry. I know, I know, it isn’t horrible, however it was one of those chapters in my life that while I was happy I had it to fall back on, I thought I wouldn’t have to re-open it. I did that for a while, but things started to slow down and it was hard to get hours. Drama, drama, drama… as luck would have it, my friend recommended me for a job, and I emailed in to apply. A week and another interview later, I got the job!!! Marketing Assistant at a very fast-growing mortgage company! It may not sound exciting, but it was honestly a dream come true, and has turned out to be a completely awesome job. I am so thankful for my job, especially in this economy, and especially since I get to utilize my creative skills (and degree!).

a little over a year ago, Mark and I moved from our tiny one bedroom apartment into a spacious 2 bed, 2 bath apartment. I am thankful for all of the extra space that we enjoy.

I was able to recently upgrade my computer so that I can work faster and more effieciently on my photos. I am thankful for my new computer (and the boyfriend who built it).

My photo business has really grown this year. I am thankful for all of the new clients, and compliments I receive. I am thankful for being able to capture the beauty and love within people.

Gas prices have gone down, my pocketbook is thankful for that.

I am thankful for all of the new people and friends who have come into my life this past year. I thrive on new relationships!

I am thankful for my space heater. I hate being cold.

I am so thankful that I can afford to pay my bills, and that even though I may not have much left over, at least I can live.

I am thankful for music.

I am thankful for delicious foods. And drinks.

I am thankful for the sun, and the blue sky, and clouds. (cumulonimbus clouds especially!)

I am thankful for technology. Without it, so much would not be possible, including my art.

I am thankful for the mentors in my life, you have taught me so much, and most of you don’t even know it!

There are so many more things that I could list, but I don’t want this post to be too lengthy. It’s been a while since I’ve done a ‘personal post’, so this was pretty fun. I’ll do another one with photos soon, but for now since it feels weird to post without a photo, here’s one from our most recent trip to Reno of mark’s cousins

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Just a few shots from the sessions this weekend, I’m in love with both!!!

Be on the lookout for more from these sessions very soon!

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