We decided to do a lot of lacey, vintage-esque details and during the shoot were so excited and couldn’t wait until this day came and we could blog it! We made a LOT of the items ourselves. I was personally in charge of the guest book concept and I think I pinched a nerve in my thumb cutting out flowers for hours on end! We used frames as a main concept in our design and wanted fabric to play a fun part too. Our little details were that our menu was chosen as previous meals our fake couple had and the tables were significant to the couple, so table 2 stood for the 2 adorable pets they had together and so on, it was fun making up our fake couple We really took it to the next level though!

I love everything about this stuff and when we lit the candles and put it in a more romantic mood I wanted this as my own wedding again!! I love the lace details all over the place (and if you have leftover lace from your mom or grandma’s dresses, you can use that as your something old! How amazing would that be?!). And since that guestbook is just sitting in my house so I may be bribed to give it away! You thought I was just a wedding photographer didn’t you?

Here’s a small tease and get over to EAD (details and overall; DIY instructions) to comment and leave us lots of love!

Kara
Contact | Portfolio

Now, she’s 40ish pounds, happy, content, loved more than she knows. Even though she has severe separation anxiety (but she’s getting better and hopefully off her meds this year sometime) she’s happy. She gets to cuddle, sleep on beds, play fetch (or just run and get it and run around not bringing it back), she loves walks and playing with other dogs even though she wimps out sometimes. She’s fed well (we feed her Wellness) and gets a few treats here and there. She just wants to be around us and a pillow to lay her head on (yep, she uses it like a human, it’s ridiculous). I love everything about her, even her neurotic things. I love how she rolls onto her back when she’s sleeping or when David comes home so she can get a belly rub. I love the way her little paws lay when she’s sound asleep. I love her giant ears and when they flop in the wind. I love how she slinks off the couch with her back legs still on it. I love how she rings the bells to go outside. I love watching her play by herself and toss balls up in the air and watch them fall all confused. I love that she traps and hunts flies in the house. I love how she thinks she can catch a bird when it lands in our yard (I fear the day when she brings back a surprise!). I love how she now tells us when it’s time for bed by running back to our bedroom and waiting to be let in to her bed. I love how much she wants to be petted sometimes and will pace back and forth under our hands or around our legs (we’re pretty sure she’s a cat too). I love the looks she gives us, she seems to have so much personality. I love how excited she is to be fed and how she runs down the hallway (it’s way cute). I love her so much and I’m so thankful she came into our lives just over a year ago (her gotcha-day was last Saturday the 8th).

So without further ado, my puppy

Kara (David and the Isabelley)
kara@karaschultz.com

Here’s what you need:
2 ripe avocado’s (they’ll be a little squishy when you squeeze them…think a little softer than a nerf ball)
1 lime
cilantro
red onion
garlic
1 tomato

First, cut those avocado’s!

mash those suckers and don’t get rid of the pits!

cut the tomato and about 1/4 of the red onion, I like my tomatoes bigger and my onion finer.

chop up the garlic and add it in!

you only need a bit of cilantro, just a few pieces will do, a little cilantro will go a long way!

add that in and then squeeze the lime juice in and mix!

Put the pits back in, it’ll keep it from turning brown really fast, I’ve had it last several hours without turning brown!

Serve up with salty tortilla chips! If I need a bit more salt I add a small dash of lawry’s seasoning salt. MMM time to go eat the rest!

Kara

When Tate’s in a room, he finds the fan and stares at it, so I figured this had to be taken.

hands are delicious

Wedding season is just right around the corner too!

Kara
kara@karaschultz.com

I have not one but THREE Celine Dion cd’s. Yep.
I have the Hilary Duff cd and still listen to it. Hello 2004. (crap, that was SIX years ago!?)
Today, I listened to R. Kelly’s “The World’s Greatest.” I still knew all the words. Pathetic.
Ashlee Simpson gives me hope that anyone can sing…
Flashdance is a song I always sing when I karaoke because Irene Cara is my namesake (parents changed the C to a K)

And a quick look at my artists, these are also ones I’m semi-ashamed of: a*teens (how?!), bbmak (does anyone else remember these people?), c&c music factory (ahahaha), geri hallowell (seriously kara…), hoobastank (whobastank, youbastank!), m.c. hammer (this song on just dance for wii is so much fun as is who let the dogs out…oh I should’ve included baha men in this list), mandy moore (I have 2 cds), merryl bainbridge (this had to be 2001-2002…I feel old.), spice girls, 98 degrees (there is nothing to redeem myself).

I have been thinking about first dance songs, and since I have the most random assortment of songs ever, why not talk about the less talked about songs. I have an eclectic style to say the least, so without further ado, some songs for first dance consideration:

slower songs:
marry me – train – off their new cd and it would be AMAZING as a first dance song. Perfect speed, lovely words.
love song – 311
into the mystic – van morrison
I’m yours – jason mraz
satellite – dave matthews band
like a star – corinne bailey rae
god only knows – beach boys
feels like home – chantal kreviazuk
stand by me – ben e. king
all along – blessid union of souls
have you ever been in love – celine dion (remember the first part where I called myself out on this.)
runaway – the corrs
100 years – five for fighting
belief (acoustic version) – gavin degraw
meaning (acoustic version) – gavin degraw (bonus points if you pick this, this was our first dance song
look after you – the fray
better together – jack johnson
you’ll be in my heart – phil collins
one – u2

faster songs:
many the miles – sara bareilles
two hearts – nick west
save the last dance for me – michael buble
for once in my life – michael buble
upside down – jack johnson
let’s stay together – al green
the way i am – ingrid michaelson
each day gets better – john legend
only heart – john mayer
you found me – kelly clarkson
this will be – nat king cole & natalie cole
higher and higher – rita coolidge

So there’s a short list! But hopefully if you’re looking for some different options this helps! And you can make fun of the random things that are in my itunes!

Kara
kara@karaschultz.com

Don’t judge these, I had no light when we met at the Brickhouse in Downers Grove located at 1461 Butterfield Rd Downers Grove, IL 60515-1004 (630) 963-1104 who have an awesome atmosphere!

Kristen from Kio Kreations who has been working hard on the layouts talks about where we stand and is rocking a new haircut

Mike from MDM Entertainment is focused on something…listening very intently as you can see (p.s. did you know MDM is now doing affordable uplighting!? ::swoon::) And Matt’s in there too, he almost skipped out on his bill on accident

Faith from Photobooth Express looks over our handouts

Cynthia is hiding from my camera per usual (if she didn’t love her headshots so much, she’d kill me for this)

Patti from With Love Bridal planning starts going over what needs to be done.

Pat Pecirno who is a videographer looks on!

then the computers come out…

my notes. I had to make a new list for myself, these were just ideas I just kept jotting down!

A chance to show off my custom iphone case, isn’t it fun!?

There was some wine and beer involved.

look at those stacks of business cards we got handed!

Our goal for rollout is May 1, so I’ll be blogging about it much more and you’ll see articles here that will be going over there and will be easy to find! We’re sad that not everyone could make it but we all look forward to seeing each other again!

I have some exciting other things coming up like boudoir posts and some guest blogging!

Kara
kara@karaschultz.com

First, this is how she spent her birthday, hello nylabone #3

She’s such a princess, she uses pillows like humans do.

I’m not sure how this is comfortable…

“can I go back to sleep now mom?”

“seriously, you woke me up AGAIN?”

“aaah stretch!  This sock looks delicious…”

Hi honey, nope, this isn’t your sock that I’m letting her chew on while taking pictures, not your sock at all….

And now it’s cupcake time!  Notice how she perks up when the cupcake gets set down…

“is this mine mom?  I’m just going to sniff it….”  (notice David in the background ignoring this whole situation…lol)

“um yeah, this is mine.”

“this is delicious!”

“I’m just going to take it before they realize what’s going on and take it from me…”

(notice the frosting on the carpet…thanks belley…I seriously can’t wait to get it replaced this May!!)

gotta get all the crumbs!!

“is there any more left on the plate!?”

“thanks mom!!”

Now wasn’t that fun!?  Happy 1 year Isabelley

Kara

kara@karaschultz.com

She loves all things plastic (especially milk cartons), she’s incredibly camera aware and will on occasion be nice and pose for me, she loves food and kongs filled with treats, and squeakers and just walks around squeaking away! She maybe barks once a day if we’re lucky unless my parents are around, then she barks at them! She wiggles her entire butt to wag her tail. She’s destroyed 3 indestructible nylabones and the black kong for “tough chewers” was no match for her teeth!

When we wanted a dog, we knew that we wanted to adopt one, not only because we had no breed restrictions but I was also adopted so it was something more personal to me (and here I start crying…).  My mom joked that we went through a lot of what they went through when they adopted me!  And it was just for a dog!  There are millions of puppies, dogs, kittens and cats of every array in shelters and rescues and every day they’re turning away animals or looking for fosters (we’re waiting to foster until we get Isabelle’s separation anxiety under control).

So I made a slideshow of the snapshots over the past 9 months of her life, enjoy the craziness that is the Belley!  She’s currently enjoying her birthday napping on her favorite couch!  Tomorrow or late tonight I’ll post the birthday celebration!

I also hope you all come to the studio opening on Sunday! Isabelle will be there so you can meet the puppy And because since all our friends and family will be there…..there’s no one to watch her!

Kara
kara@karaschultz.com
3.2

The Engagement Project suggested that I write about something I complain about most to which I said my disaster zone of a house and dirty dishes.  Seriously, these are the things that drive me NUTS.  You know what’s the worst?  Is trying to break my husband of his bachelorness (hi honey, love you) and piling dirty dishes in the sink.  We have one of those giant deep double sinks in the kitchen, one side to wash in, the other to have the dishes drip dry, he likes to pile them in there.  All. the. time.  It’s my biggest pet peeve and I think he gets yelled at for doing that at least once a week!  On the other side, I leave tons of water glasses or coffee mugs out, so we’re kind of equal!  And I know I work from home so my house should be immaculate, guess what, it’s not!  Though I work from home, it’s not like I can not work and just clean all the time nor do I want to.  I do spurts throughout the day, but that’s what you get for waking up at 5:30am every morning.

She then suggested that I write about some of the cute, romantic stuff I see on shoots or the like.  I said that I usually make fun of myself, trip over my own feet (or fall), or throw my husband under the bus, usually it’s a combination of all three.  Don’t worry, I always sacrifice my body for the safety of my camera.  Someone once said how you’re not a great photographer if your camera body is in perfect condition and I wish I could say that people didn’t bump into it, or I hit it against a wall, etc.  I’m pretty sure that I threw my husband under the bus in the last segment so maybe we’ll talk about how clumsy I am.  See, the problem is that I don’t pick up my feet and wear crocs that are non-slip.  And before you crucify me for wearing crocs because I see it coming, I wear the semi-cute not ugly gardening shoes ones!  They’re the only shoes that I can wear 10+ hours carrying 40lbs+ of equipment, running, jumping, squating, and the like with still being able to walk the next day.   These are the ones I wear:

The next suggestion came from my friend Otto and was to blog about my passion for photography, I told him that post would take a year to make and it was in the works anyway, and I don’t feel like being deep today!  Ha!  We’ll do that next week sometime!

I am stressing out about getting my space ready for the big opening on March 7th from 12-5…I suggest you being there to try my dad’s wonderful chocolate chip cookies (no joke, I had these at my wedding!) and some great giveaways like enlargements, accordian albums, portfolios and who knows what else!

Then Anna suggested that I blog her and her parents dog that I took pictures way back in November of!  And there will be more but I pulled 2 for the occasion!

I love this one of Kuba, he was EXHAUSTED after our photo shoot and I love the drool spots on the concrete.

And can you blame Scooby here for scratching?  I love how he looks so into it and like he just got the right spot.  I love labs!

And since this post is random, I just saw a brown blur run across the frozen tundra that is my backyard.  Love you Belley.

Kara

kara@karaschultz.com

I’m going to write what she’s thinking in quotes, because we talk for her, she stutters because she’s always excited!  It’s a habit that we can’t break.

“hi mom, can you let me sleep and get the camera out of my face?”

“here we go again…can’t I just sleep??”

“yeeeeees??”

she’s a toy destroyer.  This was a toaster.

“seriously mom, can you stop with the pictures now?”

It’s rare that I can actually capture this…when she gets off the couch she slinks off and is lazy.

And I never can get upside down sleeping Belley….unless it’s on my iphone and there’s no sound…and even then I have to be very quiet and careful!

she loves to tug on the sock!

“my sock!”  (p.s. don’t judge the carpet, we moved in and this is what was here…we were waiting until post-puppy to replace it…it will. be. gone.)

I just love how she holds things with her little paws!

I’d like to think she was winking at me but caught her during a blink!

“are we done mom?”

Oh how much I love my little Belley-cakes!