Precious Memories, created by amanda

Brooke and Grace

As you’ve seen and heard by now, Precious Memories and NBC13’s ‘Daytime Alabama’ have partnered this summer for the ‘Precious Memories Precious Photos’ contest.  We’ve had amazing feedback and this contest is a huge success (thank you to everyone who has entered).

The host of ‘Daytime Alabama,’ Brooke Smith, is expecting a sweet baby girl, Grace, in September. So, we were excited to welcome her to the studio on Wednesday for her maternity photo session. (Be sure and watch ‘Daytime Alabama’ on July 30 to see footage from this session.)

Just moments before Nicole, the producer, and Wes, the cameraman, arrived at the studio, Brooke filled me in on a fabulous surprise…I was going to film a 4-minute segment to air during her show on July 31. I was thrilled to be able to share with her viewers what makes our studio and portraits so unique, as well as showcase our beautiful handcrafted Willow Bay Frames, and more. The only thing missing were my fabulous coral shoes from my last television appearance in April. Alas, no amazing shoes, but this bonus television segment was such a phenomenal way to start my Wednesday morning.

Let me say that Brooke is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. And, she completely beams every time that she mentions Grace. Brooke selected to have her session on a white background, perfectly showcasing how radiant she is pregnant. And, I loved how angelic she looked against the white with her blond hair, white shirt, and fun yellow skirt. I also have to let you in on a secret...little Grace Face (as Brooke so lovingly calls her) is definitely going to love being in front of the camera like her momma because she wiggled and danced the entire session.

We hope that you enjoy these beautiful images. And remember to watch ‘Daytime Alabama’ on NBC13 every day at 11:30 a.m. We’ll send you a reminder later this month about Brooke’s maternity session and the Precious Memories segments. Also, if you haven’t entered the ‘Precious Memories Precious Photos’ contest you still have time: http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/tools/contests_generic/

Vote for Precious Memories, created by amanda for the Nickelodeon's 2009 Parents' Picks Birmingham's Best Family Photographer

Precious Memories, created by amanda just found out that we were nominated for Nickelodeon's 2009 Parenting Picks awards for Birmingham's Best Family Photographer. 

The great news is that we have been nominated. The bad news is that Amanda is a bit of a slacker in checking her personal email account and apparently the voting has been going on since May. So, we need every one of you to VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, every day between now and July 15 to name Precious Memories Birmingham's Best Family Photographer. You can vote once per day, but we challenge you to vote once per day from your computer, your phone, your co-worker's computer, etc. ;) 

We know that you are an amazing group that will make sure that our studio wins this wonderful recognition. So, here's the link to vote:

Best Birmingham Family Photographer | Parents' Picks 2009 | Parents Connect

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A Beautiful Family Tradition

A month ago we received a wonderful email from Suzanne who was interested in booking a session for her beautiful 16-year-old daughter, Sinclair. When we called Suzanne to give her more information, she told us about her beautiful family tradition where each woman has a formal portrait taken when they turn 16. 

For generations, these portraits have been traditional studio portraits, with each young woman in a very formal pose. Suzanne shared with us that she wanted to “update” the family tradition so that it captured the youthful beauty of Sinclair’s personality. After discussing many location possibilities, we decided that Morris Avenue would be the perfect fit for Sinclair, and you’ll see below how right we were.

Thank you Suzanne and Sinclair for the privilege of continuing your wonderful family tradition. And, thank you for showing everyone how you can respect the family traditions of the past but recreate them to help celebrate the youthfulness of the newest generation. 

Where's Your Muscles???

Last Wednesday, we had so much fun celebrating MacKenzie’s first birthday. Lots of pink balloons, adorable outfits, and a precious little girl. 

Like so many other of our little friends, MacKenzie was more interested in everything else in the studio except standing on the “sticker” to have her picture taken. But as soon as her daddy arrived, we quickly discovered MacKenzie’s adorable personality as she entertained us by flexing her “muscles” and showing us her hilarious “sprinkler” dance moves. 

After all of the dancing, it was time to dive into the cake…which actually wasn’t your traditional smash cake. As parents, we’ve all been there. You think that you’ll just run over to the grocery store and purchase a little cake on your way to our studio. Of course, the store either doesn’t have a small cake or their definition of a small cake is really as big as your 1-year old.  So, MacKenzie’s mom had a brilliant idea that we’re going to share with you. She had Publix frost a small cheesecake. It was the perfect size, you never would have known that it wasn’t a “real” cake, and afterward you simply scrap off the frosting and enjoy a delicious grown up dessert (which MacKenzie’s parents actually did and said that the cheesecake was delicious.)

We hope that you enjoy these pictures from this very fun session. 

How Quickly They Grow...

You hear us say this all of the time, but it's definitely worth saying again. We love that you give us the special gift of celebrating all of your wonderful children's milestones. It's always an amazing treat for us to see how much they have grown between sessions. 

In our blog on September 25, 2008, we proudly introduced a very special addition to the Precious Memories family. Last week, sweet baby Harper and her mother came to the studio for her eight month session. We couldn't believe how much she had grown since the last time that we saw her. She was sitting up so well now, and her beautiful smiles melted our hearts during the session. 

Here are some of favorite images from the session. We also invite you to visit our blog archives to see how adorable she was in her newborn picture as well as how beautiful she is now. 

Thank you, Teale, for sharing this sweet angel with us.

Roasted peanuts, anyone?

Our Morris Avenue mini-sessions could not have been more fun. It’s always so exciting to watch all of our favorite little friends exploring a new place during these sessions and there are definitely so many things to discover on Morris Avenue. ...cobblestone streets, old railway cars, the Peanut Depot, and more.

One of our favorite things from these sessions was the variety of fantastic clothing that everyone was wearing. From cowboy boots to one little boy’s great-grandfather’s hats, these outfits really captured each child’s personality and helped to create a unique look and feel for each session.

The one thing about being on location is that we never know how well Mother Nature is going to cooperate. Well, we have to say a big “thank you” for all of the gorgeous weather that we had for these mini-sessions, minus the one tiny little rain shower on Wednesday morning. But had it not been for the rain, we would not have found a stunning wooden door that we can now use for future Morris Avenue sessions.

We hope that you enjoy these gorgeous images. And remember that Morris Avenue is available year-round, so please call the studio today to reserve your space.

Welcome to the World...

Amanda is very proud to announce the newest member of the Traywick family, her precious niece, Lilla Kate.

Born on April 30^th, Lilla Kate was just 36 hours old when her Aunt Amanda captured this beautiful image of her peacefully dreaming in her hospital room. 

Lilla Kate's parents, Andy and Adrian Traywick, along with her sister, McKenna, and brother, Caleb, could not be more proud of their newest bundle of joy. 

Looking for the perfect last-minute Mother's Day gift?

There is nothing more precious to a mother than her children. And a gift certificate from Precious Memories, created by amanda is the perfect way to say ‘I love you’ this Mother’s Day. You’ll be giving her a gift that she will treasure for a lifetime…beautiful fine art portraits capturing her sweet baby’s innocence, personality, and smile that melt her heart.

Call the studio today and tomorrow to purchase your “Mother’s Day”gift certificate. We’ll lovingly package your gift certificate and have it ready for you to pick up before 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8.

Honor the favorite mother in your life – your wife, sister, best friend, aunt – and thank her for the wonderful devotion and love that she has for her most cherished gift…her children.

Dear Mother Nature,

Introducing our newest mini-session...

Morris Avenue, May 12-14th We are so thrilled with the overwhelming response to the beautiful portraits we have been creating on Morris Avenue that we are offering a special Morris Avenue mini-session from May 12-14th. Morris Avenue was a thriving commercial and warehouse district in the 1880s and was Birmingham's first site to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, this gorgeous location offers an old-world feel with an urban touch that is perfect for capturing your child among the cobblestone pavers, gas light fixtures, and beautiful historic buildings. Dates: May 12-14th Session Length: 30 minutes Investment: 95, a $30 savings off your session fee. Call today to reserve your spot. Sessions are limited and will fill very quickly.