Martini Momma

Snap Happy

Here's the first round of pics from the million that I took while on our Clear Lake adventure.  I am fairly certain that my children (husband as well) would rather throw my camera in the lake than pose for even one more picture, but I managed a few goodies.

Pictures to Prove It

As promised, here are the pics from Sadie's second birthday bash.

The Birthday girl, herself!

Me and my girl

Miss maggie stealing an early taste of the cake

Bliss

Some handsome guests 

Show stopper

 
A crowd favorite, I thought kids only look like this in Gap commercials

Cuddling cousins

Enough!!    

It's been almost...

a month since our Retreat.  It was amazing, awe inspiring, beautiful.  Here's a peak...

Thank you Reg.  XO. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Halloween Howl

You may have seen the mommas make their TV debut on Saturday night on Global Winnipeg's evening news.  Our phone rang off the hook today wondering how they, too, can get a news crew to cover their children's party.  Let me walk you through the craziness of the day. 

1.  2 hours before I am set to host 16 5 year olds for Ty's 5th birthday party, I get a call from martini Momma sister, Kath, who says in her best "please do this for me" voice, "listen, I know one of the news anchors for Global and they are looking to interview some kids and some moms about their feelings about H1N1 and Halloween, could they come and shoot?"  After a small amount of minor arm twisting, "ah, what the hell, it's already going to be a gong show, why not, but you must stay and be the one interviewed, I will be tied up with many little monkeys..and ghosts and goblins and princesses."  Deal.

2.  Both martini momma sisters arrive, Brandi and Kath along with their adorable very scary boys.  Party is on.  I am in a witch suit, hat, really and beads and Halloween T-shirt, they look news worthy and presentable.  Yes, they will do the interviewing and they can only then be dismissed to go grab a coffee while I entertain these monsters.

3.  Parents come bearing ghouls and goblins and party is off to the races.  It is a great time.  All activities aare going as planned, except WAY faster than planned and what I thought would take 1 hour is done in a half hour.  What now?  Yes, the news crew.  Not a bad idea to invite news crew to parties.  They interview half a dozen kids, they watch them limbo, visit Frankenstein's laboratory, making crafts, playing "pin the eye on the monster", and eyeball spoon races.  Interviews are complete upstairs, where are those mommas and what are they doing in my kitchen alone and unsupervised?  I am nervous, I don't trust them, last time the blog exposed some of my organized clutter. 

4.  Party is to reconvene upstairs in dining room where we will eat, drink and be merry.

 
This is the only picture taken by the supposed photographer of the group.  Hands are too full, another good reason to invite said news crew to film for posterity. 

5.  Have found the two missing mommas.  They have exposed all untidiness in every cupboard while in search of Brewt.  They have their little chuckles at my choice of childproof cupboards and I know they are wondering why they are ALL so messy.  Well, hear this, you two.  I heard Kath say at the retreat that by saying "Yes" to something, we are in turn saying "No" to something else.  So, when the cupboards asked begged to be cleaned I said, "NO" so that I wouldn't miss out on something else.  Priorities, ladies, now stay the h@#* out of my cupboards.

6.  Party was a roaring success, news story was informative from Brand and Kath and then they hit me in the basement and asked me to discuss a serious topic while donning my witch attire.  A riot, really!  Ty was so pumped to be on the news doing a real interview.

7.  Trick or Treating was the best ever.  I enjoyed it as much as the kids and woke with a suger hangover this morning.  Ty would have stayed out all night and little Maggie was as proud as I've ever seen.  We were some proud parents out there so thankful that we were still "allowed" to be out with the crew.  I was told at a few houses to wait at the end of the driveway as Ty ventured off with his kindy buddies.  Growing so fast!  I was just grateful that Ty was my date for most of the night.  We had a good time and he even walked me to my door and thanked me for such an "awesome" night.  What more can I ask for?

A preview

I had a photo shoot on the weekend.  It was an impromptu session with a family I know and would love to know better.  I arrived on Sunday to the most quaint and beautiful home just on the verge of country living.  It is what I imagine myself to grow old in, the wrap around porch, the swing on the front, the deeply wooded backyard and the interior that might have been decorated by Laura Ashley herself.   Craig and Michelle have more than a house, they have a home to raise their sweet girls in.  I loved our time together and though many of our pictures have snowflakes in all the wrong places, there are dozens that captured the wonder of their children.  Their oldest, Kate, is a doll, mild mannered, sweet and happy to cooperate and enjoy the camera. 

 
 We took turns taking pictures, I used my SLR, she used her purple talking camera.  Whose is better?  Guess it depends on the crowd.  Their youngest, well, how can you not fall in love with Brooke? 

 
 
She is a little monkey and reminded me so much of my household.  She has a mind of her own and is not afraid to assert her strong little personality.  I love that she says, “yeah and noooo” with such gusto, there is no mistaking her position.  Our biggest challenge was our full family shots and many of them ended up with Brooke, arms straight up trying her best to slide through her mother's arms, but we did manage to capture a few treasures of the whole clan.  I loved working with them and I could have trailed their girls all day. 

 
I think we should get our little ladies together for some play dates, I can see that Sadie and Brooke could be a great duo one day.  We really shouldn’t wait to see each other at the Parnell Christmas party just once a year.  Thank you for a wonderful day!

Ok, maybe not 5

I can't really cut out all you faithful and wonderful readers, so if you email me with your interest on the deal below, I will try my best to accomodate.  Thank you to all our supporters that have already signed up, I will be in touch ASAP, just leave me a comment.

Are you up for it??

I'm ready.  Are you?  Since my last blog about dabbling in photography, I have had a few "formal" shoots.  By formal, I mean these were sessions with people other than my family and friends, but rather with real clients.  I get a nervous knot in my stomach each time I go out and I LOVE IT.  I want to capture them in their element, their expressions, the joy in each family and couple.  I want them to be captivated by their photos and know their loved ones have been caught in time.  It has been really exciting and the more photos I take, the more I want to do.  I am learning each time and the technical side is as compelling to me as the creative side.  This is what I want to do.  This is what I need to do.  I am looking to "shoot" and here's where you come in.  I am looking for clients as I build this portfolio and many of you have expressed interest. 

For the first 5 people to respond to this blog, I will come and take photos of you and your loved ones for a very special price.  Here are the details. 

• You will receive a session for up to 5 people at a location of your choice. (yes, it is getting colder and yes, daylight is waning but we will make it work.) 

• This deal entitles you to a CD with all of the edited photos so that you can do what you like with your photos.

• You must be comfortable with me using your pictures on my website.

• The cost is $125.

**This is an introductory offer.  The special cost is subject to change after this offer expires.   A CD may not be included in the session fee in the future. 

If you want to see a sample of my work, visit this site or use http://molliekaatzphotography.shutterfly.com/ to access my sharesite.  It is not a formal website because I am undecided about a name for my little venture.  I'm more than a little nervous about sharing my work with you, it might mean criticism.  It also means that some of friends that are extremely talented "real" photographers (Heidi and Kal, maybe even Jodi reads this) get to see my goods and that makes my stomach do flips.  I havent' forgotten your offer for feedback, Heidi!

If you are interested, drop me a comment and we'll chat.  Remember...first 5!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hump Day Update

Well, one week after the debacle at the Y, my Maggie returned to the pool.  Poolside, rather.  She did NOT go in.  She would NOT go in and no amount of enticing, calming, or full out bribing from her father could get her into the water.  How happy am I?
 
I am on Day 3 of a full week of crock potting.  Monday was ginger beef, Tuesday was spaghetti sauce and today I have a full pot of chicken soup festering away at home.  I find that I am enjoying cooking and prepping more at night while watching the 48 hours of PVRed shows I am behind in instead of throwing a meal together with the kidlets swarming around my ankles, hungry and grumpy.  It's healthy, the kids are eating it and my house smells amazing when I get home. 
 
My Sadie, when did you become a big girl?  I sometimes watch her and wonder how her little pudgy legs can carry her so quickly around our home.  She is a whirl of energy, a constant smile plastered to her little face and everything in her path (and mine) is destroyed and disastrous.  Her sleeping habits at night are of course, stellar, and now we are "enjoying" 2 nighttime snuggles instead of just 1.  How lucky am I?  She’s got one thing going for her, she’s adorable!

 
This week, you will catch the full update on photography.  I have news, exciting news for me and maybe you.  I have been busy and I have jumped in.  I LOVE IT!  Watch Thursday or maybe Friday's post.

Day 2 - Done!

Day 2 is underway and as a working mom.  We’ve managed for 2 days to get out of the house on time, dressed, backpacks toted and mom has not lost her mind.  (A lot of yelling this morning to rush, get up, get dressed, hurry…followed by a heart felt apology) , I’d say we are making a very smooth transition. 

I dropped Ty off at his new daycare yesterday and he didn’t even flinch as we parted ways.   He recapped his day by telling me all the new and exciting things he did and learnt. 

· Bullies are people who tell you that you’ve peed your pants when really you just sat in a wet chair outside.

· Pop tarts are these really great breakfast things that have jam inside and sprinkles on the outside, “Mom, you should buy them”.  (let the healthy food thing go, at least he is with a wonderful provider that hugs and loves)

· It is best to wear new fall clothes every day, it makes you have a more better day.  (even in blazing sun)

He finished the day last night, by saying, “My Bad!”.  Kath, I think the kids just got cooler than us.

Maggie and Sadie had great days.  Little Mags paved the way for her big sister beautifully.  She hustled her right in and before I knew it, I was standing at the door waiting for our big, dramatic goodbye all by myself.  So much for sentimentality!  Sadie quit the bottle for the day and maybe it’s a trend I should follow at home as well??  Sadie did not follow the instructions of not climbing the play structure in the sun room, she picked up a stool and brought it over to help her with accessibility.  Sadie stood shaking the baby gates violently, mad that the big kids were doing something she couldn’t.  Wasn’t I just writing all this same stuff about my Maggie.  Time really is marching on! 

Note to my photography supporters:  I am working on a temporary website that will provide some people that are asking to view some of my photos.  I need to add some “family” photos to my portfolio, not just kids.  I don’t get an opportunity to take many with the parents involved, as my family is not the best participant.  I will be hitting my 2 fellow mommas up for some shoot time to build this portfolio and then I will be offering an introductory session fee.  I will post the details here first as a special thank you to all our mommas who are so incredibly supportive.  Keep checking on me!  Can’t wait to “shoot” you  and your pumpkins.

Picturing confidence.

Hi there. I'm Kal Barteski and I'm guest-blogging here to shed a little light on a few things. FIRST: the photographer in the shot posted above - that's your own Mollie Kaatz in action. SECOND: she wasn't sure she could handle shooting a wedding with me. THIRD: she rocked it. HARD CORE.

Let's back up. A week ago Brandi, Kathryn, Mollie and myself were having a brainstorming session about how to make the blog better and just how to follow your passions in life (which really just means we were drinking wine). Mollie mentioned how much she loved photography. I like photography too and I happened to shoot a lot of weddings. I asked her if she might like to act as a second shooter at an upcoming wedding with me. HOLD THAT THOUGHT: In my opnion, there's no better way to learn about something than to jump in with both feet. And in my other opinion - hesitation usually kills really great ideas. CONTINUE: Good thing the Ya-Ya's were there because they put this plan into action TOUT DE SUITE coordinating babysitting and getting her pumped and driving and timing and before Mollie knew it - she was the official second shooter at a very fancy wedding and reception at the St. Charles Golf & Country Club last weekend.

If she was nervous - I couldn't tell (okay maybe a bit). She came with a smile and an open mind and was easy and awesome to work with. She asked all the right questions and never once rolled her eyes when I tried to explain to her my no-plan just-do-it plan. I don't roll with a lot of rules - but, there's one thing I always try to keep in mind: shooting a wedding is really just shooting a series of moments. The moment-parade happens to last all day and if you miss one - aim for the next and keep moving. Life shouldn't be a whole lot harder than that.

You be the judge. Here are some of her shots...

And these are just the photos from her first 5 minutes of shooting! I'm not finished getting every frame ready for posting, but I can tell you that her photos just keep getting BETTER and BETTER. The couple loved her. She was a trooper for 10 full hours.

Dear Mollie: It was a pleasure to shoot with you. Let's do it again sometime soon. I'd like to personally and publicly thank you for helping me out and making this project twice as good as it would have been without you. I'm sending you a TiberRiver pedicure as a big thanks. You rocked it, photographer lady. You're ready to do this.

Dear Internet: I know a great photographer who is looking for families, babies, couples and other great life moments to shoot and build her portfolio. Contact her here.

The moral of the story is: AWESOME. Mollie took a leap (with the help of the Ya-Yas) and surprised herself, delighted the rest of us and came away with a whole new photograph of how her life might unfold. SEND HER SOME LOVE. Leave her some comments. Take that leap yourself.

Imagine just where it might take you.