and the winner is....

gosh sakes you kind, generous, & loving people! thank you so much for everyone entering! your stories were all so lovely, sweet and.....inspiring for me to love even harder! i asked each one of you to tell me what makes you so special as a couple to be chosen and you all exceeded my expectations. i didn't determine the decision on your stories.....i will not judge....oh boy....i will NOT judge your love relationships because thats not my place but i will say it's so so so so refreshing to hear how much you deeply love your mates.

i randomly chose the winner with a random chooser from random.org, wow i just said random alot in that sentence....pardon me. i gave each one of your comments a number and also for the email i recieved, they all were ordered by the time you sent your comment and the total was 14. just wanted to let you guys know how i did this so it's completely fair. so thanks again to all my followers, i will giveaway a free session once a year.....so always stay tuned! love you all!

and now to the moment of truth......

the winner is..... #11

Amy i will send you an email soon so we can get to work on your shoot! congrats lady!

update on giveaway...

snow...rain...damp...cold...wind....when will we ever get to see, smell, feel, and have summer! pocket and monday love to look outside our window, especially when it's snowing. they also love getting all cozy in there red blanky...hahaha!

so i got to thinkin about this giveaway. i really want everyone to have the chance to enter. so i am extending the contest till this wednesday evening. thanks so much to all who have entered already, your stories are all so beautiful and i truly enjoy reading how much you care for the people you love! there's so much negativity in this world, we have so much to be thankful for....and photographs are a huge reminder of showing inner emotions that could be forgotten so easliy. so thank you again to all of you and good luck!

time for some giving....

gosh did i have a great little vaca or what....but now i'm back to the grind....

i'm feeling inspired today, full of love, and want to make somebody's day by giving a FREE COUPLES session away!!! so here's the dealio...you have to be a follower of my blog and leave me a comment saying what makes you and your lover so special to deserve this wonderful giveaway, also if your email isn't on your profile than leave it in your comment. i will be choosing the winner randomly this upcoming monday march 28th in the evening, so you have all weekend to get yourself entered and tell all your friends to join in. goooood luck to all of you couples, can't wait!

have a happy weekend everyone!

spring break...

out of office till march 21st. i will return all phone calls and emails as soon as i get back. have a splendid week everyone!

pocket and monday are ready to get out of here....

me etsy...

hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend!

i've been working hard to really get going on my etsy shop...it's taken awhile and i'll slowly keep adding items but it's up and running and i hope you go check it out:) PocketmeetsMonday

i enjoy making and creating things, but sometimes i get in way over my head and spend way toooo much time on one thing....result is my husbands gets a bit jealous haha...so i have set days where i'll work on my projects.

random note: creating something makes me relax...it's very therapeutic for me...so i hope to have more items up with in the next couple of months. i will announce on my blog whats new and previews of whats to come...so keep checking.

but for now....

i made 15 of these hand stitched 5x7 baby onsie shower invites for my really good friend who is having a baby girl in march...so exciting! if your interested in having some invites custom made for your special event...contact me...i can make any custom design, shape, and color.

to all the ladies...

valentines is coming!!! what are you doing for your special someone?....hmmmmm

well THE perfect, most shocking thing you could ever do for that special someone is...a boudoir session with me!!!

February 5th

Mini Boudoir Session $150

45 Minutes session at Special Location

2 Outfit Changes

5x5 10 Page Album

email me for more information and to reserve your spot, there are only 5 spots available mnwphoto@gmail.com

what's a boudoir session you say?

the term "Boudoir" is a french word for a woman's dressing room. boudoir photography is photographs of women in lingerie. boudoir portraiture has been gaining immense popularity in recent years, especially for anniversary gifts, christmas gifts, and of course the holiday celebrating love.....valentines day gifts.

why?

I myself did a boudoir session for my 1st year wedding anniversary. i planned for 3 months behind my husbands back picking out my outfits, working out, tanning, finding the perfect place, and making him an album to keep. the day of the shoot i was soooo nervous and shy and i couldn't believe i was doing this.... so i thought about him the whole time to ease my nerves. after the first couple of shots i really started to get in-tune with my inner woman and i LOVED the experience. it helped that the photographer was not awkward and make me feel so comfortable, she was amazing and that is important in doing something like this.

when i got my pictures back.....my jaw dropped. i was so mad at myself....for....being so hard on myself.....i looked confident, sexy, classy, and just beautiful. from that moment on i have appreciated my body and how i embrace who i am and shake what my mumma gave me haha

i started to think as i was making the album for my husband that these images will be sent down from generation to generation. that my kids, grandkids, great grandkids will all see me in my prime, especially before kids, and all the wonderful details that life puts on your body. plus my husband can keep this album forever and one day when were both old and wrinkly, he can open it up and remember who he married! that was so special to me!

the day came where i finally got to give this album to my husband....i was so excited and nervous. he opened it......his eyes, mouth, skin, all just started to glow. he was in shock. he absolutely LOVED it....he started to get choked up.....he could not believe that i would do something like this for him. he said "its the 2nd best gift that heavenly father has ever given me, and your my #1" now he hides it from me, sometimes i'll find it under his pillow, at the very top of our closet, or he will have fallen asleep with it in his arms....no joke...it's his favorite thing ever haha

this is an EXPERIENCE ladies and i want you to feel absolutely beautiful and comfortable in your skin. i am a woman and i know how and what you will be feeling but i promise you that you will have a blast by the end of the session.

so think about it and let me know, the spots will go by fast!

thankful...

this post i want to dedicate to Rebekah Westover. first thing i did when i got engaged was search for the perfect photographer. i found Rebekah in Utah Bride Magazine and immediately when online to check out more of her work, i was in love and knew she was the one to capture my special day!

her work is pure, timeless, classy, creative, real, sharp... yet so soft, and she knows whats she's doing. after she shot my wedding i asked her if she could teach me a couple of pointers and so generously she said "for sure". i was on cloud 9 because she was so willing to help me.

these pictures come from some of the sessions that she invited me to shoot along beside her and this is where i really learned about my camera and how to capture the moments i see.

Rebekah, thank you truly! for sharing your talent with me and inspiring me always. i will always be grateful for all the things you have taught me and for being such a great friend. your AMAZING R!

be kind to one another....kindness can go a long way....

change is gooooood....

hello my fellow readers! as you can see i've made a few changes....& i'm really excited about it. i want to share all of my, passions, photographs, goodies, idea's, personal experiences, tips from a-z and tonz more... i'm still in the process of updating a couple of things so don't mind the construction.

as for MNW Photography, it is still alive and kicking! i will ALWAYS be doing photography & this blog will consists mostly of my work. i am NOW booking weddings for 2011, book fast, i'm feelin this year is gonna be a busy one.

enjoy the changes and don't be shy....leave me some love....i would adore hearing from you

& whats a post without a photo......boring.....here's my little family

joshua.....my handsome husband

pocket.....my first baby pup

monday...our second baby pup

our good friends took the pictures of us right at the end of summer....oh how i miss the warm yummy light!

Everything & the Kitchen Sink....

We've been up to everything....I haven't had anytime to work. So I'm letting you all know what the heck is going on....I've been getting ready to move out of our first place and it's actually been kinda emotional for me. This was my husband and I's first home together and we have made a lot of priceless memories here, not to mention we have learned a lot about bills....blah! So were down sizing but it's going to be totally worth it and then one day I will have my very own home to destroy the way I want it....YES!

It's a crazy time in my life and I promise there will be lots of posts once we get settled in, as for now thanks for being my trusty fellow bloggers and I'll be back soon so don't forget about me!!!!

Blissfully Thankfull.....

Today I feel inspired to talk about the most selfless, sweet, kind, strong, understanding, loyal, passionate, spiritual, funny,

and most of all LOVING man I know......My husband......Joshua! I'm a corny person but I find corny to be very truthful....I know all you woman who loveyour husbands dearly but sorry my husband out does them all haha...He has been the most amazing best friend and eternal mate and I want him to know how thankful and lucky I truly am to have him!

Life is not easy and to have him by my side makes me soooo happy, he keeps me going, he tells me everything I need to hear, he knows me for me, he makes sure that I am protected, he makes me truly laugh, he loves me unconditionally, and he would go to the moon and back for me any day!!

So this weekend go appreciate everything you have in this life and embrace all the things with an open mind, and never stop loving!!!

Drum Roll Please.....

The winner of the Free Session Giveaway is......

The Larson Couple

Thanks to all who entered! I loved hearing all your stories and wish I could give you all free sessions, it really was so hard to choose, so I let random.com do it for me so it was completely fair.

Stay Tuned cause I'll be doing these giveaways through out the year....

The Larson Couple, please email me and we'll start setting up dates and details.

Thanks Everyone!!!

Weekend......

I leave you with one of my mum's favorite little finds, she really wanted me to take a picture of him, so she could put it in a frame and hang it in my little sister's room.......I loved the idea!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

FINALLY.......

I've been off of February because I am now a Proud Owner of a Canon 5D Mark II!!!!! You have no idea how happy it makes me....

I really had a hard time deciding between the Nikon D700 or the Canon 5DM2, love them both, one day I will own a Nikon.....pshhh one day.....

I had to say goodbye to my old Olympus Evolt, it was a peppy camera but I wanted more. I also have been learning like crazy all about my Canon and what it can do, so all I've been doing is shooting.....

Ofcourse I've gotta leave you guys with some photo's I've taken with it and who do you think has been my number one muse.......my one and only......Pocket!

Gotta have some self portraits....

Frrrriday.......

Hope everyone has an interesting weekend!

I leave you with one of my favorite moments in my life....First Hot Air Balloon Ride, I recommend it to everyone....

so gorgeous and it's a rush.....what could be better!

Ew Ew Ew can't wait for Monday.......so stay tuned!!!!!!!!

My Favorite New Mini.....

I have to share with you all that I got this FujiFilm Intax Mini 7s Instant Camera a couple a weeks ago and I'm obsessed!!! The quality in the Film is Gorgeous and I recommend it to anyone, I just LOVVVVVVVE IT!

I'm sure you will see lots of posts with it in the future, plus it's so much fun!

Happy Friday!!!....

Hope you all have an exciting weekend....life's too short....so go live it!

Today I'm craving a Summer sky....

Unique Cake Toppers...

I have been asked quite a bit since my wedding back in July of 2009, where did you get your cake toppers and how much are they? I tell everyone I made them out of Clay...

There is a personal special story behind the Groom and how the couple came to be. It all started when I would sit in History class daydreaming about the man I was going to marry and what he looked like, what color his eyes were, how tall he was, silly girly questions like that. As I would sit and day dream I would also doodle this long, skinny, tall, dangly odd looking man everywhere, all over my school books, journals, notebooks, and on the inside of my ring finger and I called him "My Little Man".

So the end of my Junior year I met the man of my dreams, the one I had been so curious to meet,"My Little Man" Then 3 1/2 years later "My Little Man" proposed.....

Wedding Wedding Wedding...this was the fun part to me, choosing everything I've ever wanted, and I new exactly what I wanted. Plus I love details, so when I had to start thinking about my cake toppers I knew I wanted My Little Man up there and I knew exactly what to do. I made him out of clay, everything from his tie color to his tiny little Boutonniere, he was as perfect as could be. Then I really had to start thinking, he needs a bride to be, so I sketched forever on how and what she would look like. Finally she was perfect and I could tell My Little Man just loved her...

Here they are "My Little Man & His Little Woman".....

Since I've had so many people interested about where I got my cake toppers I started thinking maybe I should make them for Couple's who want something different and unique on there cake. So if your getting married and are wanting some done for your cake then contact me and we can talk about pricing and customizing them to look and fit the Bride and Groom perfectly.

I would love to help any bride out cause I know how many things are going through there stressed out brains, this will be something to remember and keep forever!

Photographs by Rebekah Westover