Friday, June 29, 2012

The Rootin-est, Tootin'-est Party!

Welcome to Boston's 2nd Birthday!  We love a good party theme, and Toy Story is one of the BEST! 

*Invite and all printables by Scribbles!  Go check them out!

Deciding on a theme was hard, since my son loves a lot of things- we literally cruised the party section at Wal Mart SEVERAL times asking him what kind of party he wanted.  Finally, I chose we decided on good ol' Woody's Round up.  A great way to come to the final choice is to check your resources- what do you have and what theme does it lend itself to?  And, of course, browse pinterest for some helpful ideas.  After doing both of those, I decided that with access to a horse (bullseye for these purposes) and a bounce house (buzz's bounce party) and lots of cute ideas, everything was pointing in one direction: FULL BLOWN TOY STORY CHAOS!

Let's tour the party:

Cute banner and welcome sign?  Check.  The Grandma's teamed up to make the banner and my husband and I spent a tortuous lovely afternoon taking some Toy Story themed shots of our little man.

So, in planning the party decor, I decided I wanted to steer away from the traditional "go-to-wal-mart-and-buy-every-toy-story-thing-in-the-party-section" and give the essence of Toy Story without going overboard.  I wanted you to walk in and get the theme without me regurgitating the Pixar characters in your face.  

In Toy Story 2, we learn that Woody is an antique toy full of life and love.  This is where the real theme came from.  I decided I wanted an antique toy look with lots of life and color.



I made the candlestick center pieces (tutorial to come), chose a simple brown-paper table cloth (perfect for some classic crayons), and made Boston his own Woody Throne.  For the plates, I opted for a cute, vintage plate... which, was 75 cents compared to 1.99 that the Toy Story plates cost and gave a much more antique vibe.  To tie the napkins, what better than a barrel of monkeys?? For the party favor, I wanted to do something different and clever.  I came up with an Etch-a-sketch, putting each child's name in the view window- classic, colorful, and FUN!


Being a photographer, I feel that no party is complete without a photo booth set-up.  My sister came up with the clever idea to make it a "Mr Potato Head Booth," since he has all kinds of fun parts for props.  Although you may not have a nice stand/backdrop set- throw an old sheet up, pull out some old costumes and toys out, and VIOLA!  Your very own Photo Booth! :)


I wanted a little gaming center- the old fashioned kind, so I set up some puzzles and old toys on a table in the corner of the room for the kids to play with.  



No movie-themed party is complete without a private-viewing.  I wanted this set-up to feel fun and fancy-free.  My inspiration was Bonnie's room in Toy Story 3.  I love when she throws all of the toys up in her quilt, and knew I wanted to incorporate that into my party.  Combine these two ideas and I had a quilt-tent with a popcorn station in front of our big-screen showing of Toy Story.


Okay, now on to the goods! :)  I love to bake, so I decided to fill the cake-table with all sorts of Toy Story inspired goodies!  


I love jars filled with treats- I just find it so cute!  Add in some clever movie references, and BAM!  I saw several people who gave out sheriff badges for party favors, but I wanted something more creative... SWEET FIND: star candy dishes left-over from another party.  Fill with yellow candy and the result is yummy sheriff badge-inspired candy!  FUN FUN FUN!  AND, I must give credit for the mason jar cuteness to pinterest.  I combined 3 different mason jar ideas to come up with these gems and LOVED how they came out!  PERFECT for my young guests!


"...and some extra teeth, be careful, they chatter!"  Chatter teeth apples- I know, way to go and ruin a perfectly healthy snack!  Cookie tattoos from Michael's made cookie decorating a BREEZE!  Now, on to the cupcakes!  For Toy Story inspiration, I went to a site and started looking at all of the quotes.  I then came up with "snake in my boot" cupcakes (chocolate, oreos, chocolate frosting with oreo crumbs and worms),  "haystack" cupcakes (think german chocolate), "alien" cupcakes (pina colada were far out enough for these with some green frosting and candy eyes), and then Red Velvet and Boston Cream Pie as crowd pleasers.  All-in-all, one tasty table! :)





Now for the piece-de-resistance!  I knew RIGHT when I decided on the Toy Story theme that I wanted a Lemonade stand.  But, I was on a budget, so I wanted it to be free.  Stop laughing, a girl can dream.  And dream I did.  I dreamt up a way to turn 3 free pallets (thanks, dad) into one adorable stand.  But, alas, I am but a girl and could not make my dream a reality- insert 2 strong men: husband and his brother.  They slaved for hours and brought me this beauty!  SWEET, huh?  We even re-used the nails from the pallets, so the only cost was a pack of wood screws.  Can't beat that!  As I mentioned before, LOOK AROUND, see what you can come up with with the resources around you!  Just because it's amazing, doesn't mean it has to cost a fortune!  Think outside the box and your next party will be a total hit!  (ps- pallet lemonade stand tutorial will also be on the blog next week!)

*Photography by Looky Loo Photography
*Party Styling by Looky Loo Events
*Party Printables by Scribbles

Well, thank you for touring our Toy Story Extravaganza!  I hope it inspired you for your next party, or at least made you chuckle!  Until next time my party-goers, Ta Ta!

xoxo,

Thursday, June 28, 2012

INTRODUCING: Looky Loo EVENTS!

We are now SO happy to tell you our big news for the company!!  Looky Loo is expanding and branching out!  Now, you can come to us not only for beautiful pictures, but also for styled events!  GASP!  I know, I know, all of you are now rolling your eyes and wondering HOW on earth could you possibly think you have time for this?!?!

I Don't!

BUT, I do have some new members of the team that I would like to introduce you to.  With new members, I will be able to fulfill the needs on both ends and bring you more!  I am SO STINKING EXCITED!  We have already done our first party together (featured tomorrow) and I cannot wait to show what we have been up to these past few months!  

The "Looky Loo Events" tab will now be your one-stop-shop for all things party.  I will update you with all my latest events, info for you to use when throwing your own parties and some fun DIY tutorials as we forge on through crafting stylish and affordable parties!

Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to our team!



PALOMA McCAULEY, will now be the HEAD of Looky Loo Events as well as in-training for the latest Looky Loo Photographer!  YAY!  I LOVE working with her and I know you will LOVE all of her amazing ideas and talent!  She is a rare find and I am so glad we snatched her up!  Her full bio will be on the blog tomorrow along with our first party recap AND her first "FASHION FRIDAY WITH PALOMA."  That's right, on top of everything else, she is going to give you fashion tips that you can work into your photo shoots and life EVERY week!  Paloma will also be styling shoots and helping to move our company forward into fashion photography.

Okay, calm down- wipe your brow.  This DOES NOT mean we will only take pictures of models wearing the latest line of Chanel.  This DOES mean we will work with what you have to bring out the most beautiful and fashionable pictures we can.  You would be surprised what gems we have found at the back of people's closets!  You have all you need sitting right in your own closet, you just need a fresh pair of eyes to help you discover it.  And that is where our style team comes in!  

The other new member to our team is MANDY FREELAND!  We are so excited to have Looky Loo Events working exclusively with Scribbles for all of your paper needs.  She is handy, crafty, and SO talented.  But, I can gush on and on about my sister... here's her bio so you can get a feel for yourself:

Sometimes I think I have chocolate sauce running through my blood, with cross-stitched hair, and an origami heart.  I love crafting, baking, cooking, and creating.  I'm handier with the computer than the oven, so I've honed my talents toward the paper and digital crafts.  That's how Scribbles by Park Avenue got its start. 
I have a terribly creative sister, Cindy of Looky Loo Photography, who has nailed party planning down to an artform.  She and I have paired up our talents with another family member, Paloma McCauley {stylest extraordinaire} to offer our experience and abilities to the masses as Looky Loo Events.
I'm a mommy to Bradley and Emily, wife to Brian, architect-to-be, and graphic designer.  I love creating paper and I love family gatherings {ask anybody!}.  I stumbled onto a graphics program in early 2010, creating some printable party items for my nephew's first birthday party, and haven't looked back since.  I opened up an Etsy Shop and have helped many families and organizations throw birthday parties {for young and old}, weddings, fundraising events, bridal showers, and everyday gatherings. 
I love the idea of an inexpensive handmade party.  My heritage is full of crafty women who make everything from quilts to pies.  It's only natural that I pass on that passion for homemade care to others.  And in these times, I like to think I'm doing my part to not add to polution or wasteful spending... hence the printables.  They are "shipped" by email and the clients print them from their own computers.  It's paper and ink {not plastic} and there are no wasted shipping materials used.  What is more environmentally friendly?  Plus, the client has the ability and freedom to print as many as they need for their event.  That means that not only do they only print what they need, but they haven't wasted money buying premade products that they won't use. 
That's me, in a nutshell.  There is nothing more precious than family and friends.  Gather together with kindness and love, and enjoy every moment together.

Mandy will be chiming in on the Looky Loo Events page and helping us with Styling Events!  Thank you girls for joining the team!  We are SO excited to work with you and to bring some style to Looky Loo!  I know you will love their work as much as I do!

xoxo,


Monday, June 25, 2012

GRAND FINALE GIVEAWAY!

The time has come, the time is here,
To give to you our biggest cheer!

We are so grateful to all of our fans for all of your love and support!  I LOVE to read your sweet notes and work with your smiling faces!  I cannot ever thank you enough!!  

But, I sure can try! ;)  To thank  you, we have held a series of giveaways this entire anniversary month. And now, we are holding our biggest giveaway.

What, you ask???  Well, photos, of course!

We are giving away a styled, themed, family Photoshoot, with Loo Who!  We'll work with you to get a unique and fun theme to match your family.  Help you come up with the perfect outfits, and shoot an extra-long, 2 hour shoot at the location of your choice!   Sound amazing??  GREAT!  Enter TODAY!

Here's the scoop to entering:

You get 1 entry per task completed.  Just do as many things on the list as you can, then come back here and comment on this post, telling me everything that you did.  SO many possible entries!!

*Like us on Facebook

*Follow our blog (hit the blue follow button on the right)

*Follow Looky Loo on Pinterest

*Follow cindylookyloo on twitter

*Tweet about the giveaway

*Blog about the giveaway on your own blog

*Share the giveaway on Facebook

*Pin the Giveaway on Pinterest

*Comment on your favorite Looky Loo picture on Facebook

*Comment on the Looky Loo wall on Facebook telling us your DREAM THEME

*Pin your favorite Looky Loo picture on Pinterest (must be from the blog, since you can't pin from Facebook)

*Get a friend to like our Facebook page (1 entry per friend and your friend must tell me you sent them)

12+ possibilities!!  May the odds be ever in your favor!! :)

Get going my Little Lookies!  This contest ends Friday night at midnight, winner announced Saturday morning!  Have fun!!

*Shoot is limited to the SLO county area, otherwise normal travel fees will be added.


**Does the idea of a "themed" shoot have you quivering in your boots??  Don't worry, themes can be as simple as a color scheme or "the outdoors", or, for you adventurous ones, as fun as carnival, movies, or eras.  But, most importantly, it should be something that screams: YOU!  Below are some links to themed shoots that I love!


UP Theme
Love is Eternal Theme
Our Love is... Theme

Your theme ideas are not the basis of the winning decision, there will be a drawing on Saturday morning, so don't be afraid that your idea is not good enough- we LOVE each and every idea! :)

xoxo,


GIVEAWAY #4 WINNER!!


Since it's Boston's birthday, I decided to let him have a turn picking the winner!  Without further ado, here is the winner of the Looky-made bow tie 3-pack:







CONGRATS ERICKA!!!

I will contact you shortly to confirm colors and get your address!  

As for the rest of you, STAY TUNED!  The GRAND FINALE GIVEAWAY will be announced TODAY!!  YAY!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

GIVEAWAY #4

WOW!  This month has gone by SO fast!  But, we still have some GREAT giveaways for you!  And, right now is one of them!  If you have noticed in my personal family pictures, I'm ADDICTED to bow ties!  And, since I have boys, I always like to show how you can dress them up and style them, too!  So, for this giveaway, I am giving you a set of THREE Looky Loo made (it's like hand-made, but by me)  BOW TIES!  Below are some examples of some I've made in the past- but you get to choose your color scheme and I will make them!  Sound fun!?  Great, here's how you enter:

Do as many of the following, 1 entry per task completed, then come back and comment here telling me everything that you completed!

*Follow this blog (hit the blue FOLLOW button on the right)

*Share this giveaway on Facebook (at the bottom of this post, click the little F button)

*"Like" us on Facebook

*Put your ideal color scheme in your comment

GO!


*Will mail winner their bow ties- so no restriction on location!
*Contest ends Sunday, June 24th at midnight!
*Good Luck!



Concept Shoot #2




Giveaway #3 WINNER!!

Ok friends, this is the day you have all been waiting for! (well, at least a few of you have!)  We are now going to choose the winner of JEFF'S FIRST SOLO PHOTOSHOOT!  Woo Hoo!  Because of the Hulk sitch last time, I opted for a computer generated Random Selector this time............ so here we go!


After using the Random Selector at Random.com, the winner is..................

TIFFANY!!!


Woo Hoo!!!  We will contact you soon to give you your options!  Jeff is SO excited to work with you and your cute boys!  As for the rest of you, STAY TUNED!  We will have the next Giveaway up TODAY along with our latest Concept Shoot!  Thank you for Tuning in to Looky Loo today!

xoxo

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

TUNE INTO JUNE GIVEAWAY #3!!

Welcome friends to yet another GIVEAWAY!  This one is very near and dear to my heart!






So, what do all of these images have in common and what do they have to do with the giveaway???  Well, if you have been following us for a while, you know that the black & less-girly logo represents the photos taken by El Jeffe.  I have spent the last year teaching him everything I can about the camera and am SOOO proud of how far he has come and the photographer he has transformed into.  It hasn't always been easy- I require long hours of practice and will not settle for less than his best.  But, he has always taken the criticism with the encouragement and it has made all the difference!  I was taught by teachers and mentors who were real with me- not just cuddling my ego, so I used this same technique with Jeff, because I feel the best way to grow is to see that you need to improve. 

With that said- I am proud to announce that El Jeffe will now be taking his OWN clients and doing shoots by himself!  Don't worry, he has the Looky Loo brand of approval and knows the "Look!"  

What does that mean for you????

We are giving away El Jeffe's FIRST SOLO Shoot to one lucky fan!!  He will style, shoot and design a session PERFECT for you!  It can be used for either an Intimate, Family or Reunion Shoot.

Now for the important stuff.. Here is HOW to enter

Do as many of the following as you can possibly handle, then come back here and leave a comment telling me which items you accomplished.  You get 1 entry per item accomplished, so make sure the odds are in your favor!! :)

*Like the Looky Loo Photography fan page here
*Friend Jeff on Facebook
*Comment on your favorite El Jeffe photo up on the fan page
*Follow this Blog
*Follow Looky Loo Photography on Pinterest here
*Share this giveaway on Facebook

There you have it, SIX possible entries!!  Now, go ahead and get to it!

Giveaway ends NEXT WEDNESDAY, June 20th at 12pm.  The winner will be announced Thursday morning!

GOOD LUCK!!

**Photoshoot is limited to SLO county, otherwise subject to normal travel fees.

Giveaway #2 WINNER!

Well, by now you MUST know, I am extremely old fashion!  So, when it comes to picking a winner, I like to do it the old- "pick a paper out of a jar" way!  Today, my oldest son, SUPERMAN wanted to help, so I let him do the honors.  Without further ado, here is the drawing for our winner of a Looky Loo Peacock Headband!

*Disclaimer- my son may, or may not, be obsessed with the Hulk.  This in no way inhibited his ability to choose a winner "fair-and-square," just put a brief pause in the process!

CONGRATS ANA!!!

I will email you shortly to get your address so I can mail you your beautiful headband!


To all of the rest of my Little Lookies:  STAY TUNED the next giveaway will start momentarily!!  And this is an EXCELLENT one, so don't go to far!

As always, here's Looking at YOU!

xoxo,

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Today, I am doing my very FIRST Link-Up!!  And this one is a VLOG link up, so you actually get to SEE me!!  Woo Hoo!  Here's the scoop, Raven of A Momma's Desires & Pacifiers & Becky of From Mrs to Mama listed a series of questions to answer via video.  Sounded like FUN to me and a great way for you to get a sneak peek into my life!  

These are the questions I chose:
*Favorite room in the house
*Show us your favorite pair of shoes
*A piece of jewelry you wear every day
*A current favorite picture
*Favorite book you are currently reading
*Most favorite sentimental thing you own
*Your favorite accessory
*Something you recently purchased

READY???  WATCH!!

**Disclaimer- I only do make-up and hair on weekends, so keep in mind this is a weekday and I am in my usual messyhair/nonmakeup state!  Thanks! ;)  








Hope you enjoyed linking up with me and getting a closer look into my life!  Link up so I can hear about your favorite things!





Here's Looking at You my little lookies!!

xoxo

Monday, June 11, 2012

Meet The Crew: El Jeffe

So, I told you that we would both be introducing ourselves and giving you a closer look at the lives behind Looky Loo.  Now, it's Jeff's turn!  Here are the backstories behind my partner:

Jeff, aka El Jeffe: Photographer and Head of Marketing-


I was born and raised on the outskirts of Paso Robles, on 20 acres of rolling hills covered in oak trees. Growing up we had all sorts of animals, ranging from llamas to pigs. My dad was the swine leader for Templeton 4-H and forced invited all of his children to take a pig to the fair. I guess I should thank my dad, because I did meet the LOVE of my life at the fair. Living so far out of town left my brothers and I to make up our own fun in the summer time. (Side note: my sister locked us out of the house so that we would not get it messy.) That led us to shooting guns and exploring the property. You know, boy stuff! If you follow us, you have seen an old beat up pick-up truck with lots of bullet holes used in some of our pictures. You guessed it, that is on my parents property and the carefully placed bullet holes in the truck are complements of yours truly. I had to learn to be creative, living so far away from other humans, and trying to keep myself occupied. I used to hit rocks with a baseball bat for hours, it is very therapeutic, you should try it sometime.


That is where my passion for sports began. I played baseball and basketball from the time I was about 7 or 8, up until the end of high school. I still play “old man softball” and pickup basketball games early in the morning and talk about how I could have gone pro:) After high school and a short, but very meaningful relationship with Cindy, I served a two year mission in Mexico. This is where my nickname, “el jeffe” or for those who don’t habla espanol, “the boss,” came from. Serving a mission taught me a lot about caring for other people, never giving up, being grateful for what I have, how important each individual is, and how amazing indoor plumbing is. After returning home from Mexico, I studied Exercise Science at BYU. I thought I wanted to become a doctor or something cool that would impress the ladies. Turns out that I did not want to spend all my time studying, I like being around people way too much. (I must have been deprived as a child.) As Cindy said, I returned home one summer from BYU, she came home from Sonoma, we fell madly in love, and she helped me see the light, BUSINESS! We moved home to the beautiful central coast, I took some pre-req. business classes at Cuesta, transferred to Cal Poly, and I am so happy I decided to change majors.

I feel that the business background that Cindy and I come from is a huge asset to our photography business. We pride ourselves on having excellent business ethics, customer service, giving you a product of the highest quality, and something that you will absolutely love and cherish forever. Cindy got me into photography about a year ago. At first I was curious because she made it look so fun and easy. I hate to let the cat out of the bag, but it is not that easy, although it is super fun! Cindy has tried to teach me what she has learned, but there are a lot of things that cannot be taught, and just come naturally to her. She has an eye for beauty and naturally knows what will make you look your best. I love working with my wife and watching her create and design, it truly is an art. I feel blessed to work with YOU, our friends, and with my Smokin’ Hot Wife, Whoo

Thanks for tuning in, Keep It Classy!
El Jeffe

**Much love to my sweet husband for humoring me and writing this! HE is such a trooper! :)  Be sure and enter our 2nd giveaway here.  You only have ONE more day!!  AND, Stay tuned the rest of the month- we are adding to our team, our business, and of course, more giveaways!!  Thank YOU!

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Senior Shoot WINNER!!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered- it was so fun to hear your ideas and inspiration!  There are some very creative seniors out there!!  But, there could only be one winner, one senior we want to sponsor this year... The decision was hard, but we fell in love with all THREE ideas she gave along with an entire pinboard of inspiration!  (way to go OVER-THE-TOP)  Without further ado, our winner is:

CAMILLE ANDRUS!

We are SOOO SUPER excited to bring these dreams to life and will contact you ASAP to set up your shoot!  Thank you all for stopping by Looky Loo!  If you didn't win, don't worry there will be more opportunities to win this month!  See our 2nd giveaway going on NOW right here.  And be sure to get to know the eyes behind the lens by reading each of our bios this month, starting with me, Loo Who here!  Thank you for stopping by and best of luck to all of our contestants in all of the upcoming giveaways!  Stay TUNED TO JUNE, because the best giveaways are coming up!! :)

xoxo

Friday, June 8, 2012

Tune Into June: Giveaway #2!!

As you have probably noticed, Looky Loo is not only the home of fun photos, but also fun accessories!!  This year, I wanted to give you the opportunity to own your very own Looky Loo original piece.  So, for this giveaway, we are giving away a hand-made headband.  And, in true Looky Loo fashion, it is over-the-top!  Here is a peek at what you can win, featured on these lovely ladies:


 It's peacock, it's feathers, and it's bejeweled... what more could you want?!?  Yours will be made just for you (since I cannot part with my prop, and you don't want used merchandise)!  Ok, ok, I'm sure all you really want to know is how/when to enter. 

*Well, enter NOW by following these SIMPLE steps:
1. Like my page on Facebook
2. Follow me on pinterest
3. Come back here and tell me you did steps 1&2 (if you've already done 1&2, then all you have to do is say so in step 3)

GET GOING this giveaway is MUCH shorter and will only last until TUESDAY, June 12.

Best of luck my fellow fashionistas!

This contest is open to all ages and locations- I will mail the goods to the winner!  (and, I have worn this little number myself, so don't think you have to be toddling to pull it off!)

xoxo


A Closer LOOK at The Team: Loo Who

Since we are about to introduce some new members to the Looky Loo team, we thought we would take the time to officially introduce you to us- the eyes behind the lenses of Looky Loo!

Up first: Cindy, aka Loo Who.  Head Photographer, Event Planner, and Stylist


My story began on a little ranch in the hills of San Miguel- surrounded by breathtaking views, room to play, and, of course, horses!  The first question I usually get asked is if I can ride a horse.  Well, yes, I CAN ride a horse- but, no, I do not do it often.  (I am terrified of heights and of riding things with their own brain- weird, I know... in my defense the horses I was surrounded with were thoroughbred race horses- not really what you would call "riding material" for a child!)  Now and then, my dad would "slow down" an old race horse for us to walk slowly  gallop around the track full speed ahead!  This ranch is also where my love for picture-taking began.  My parents bought me one of those huge plastic child cameras "that really works!" and I shot away at everything in sight!  They were even kind enough to develop rolls of film for me to scour through my "amazing work!"  ( my standards for amazing were much, much lower then!)





This was also where my passion for baking began.  I would bake anything we had ingredients for- and while a lot of things burned, some of it was actually quite good- or so my parents reassured me.  At the young age of 10, I was the head chef of my own local 5-star restaurant: Corslew Diner- complete with pretend chandeliers and amazing imaginary decor (well, at least the scenery was real!)  However, the food was real and so were my 2 only VIP customers.  Now I have transformed that love of baking and incorporated it into my business by including baked goodies in sessions with kids.  I am not above bribery, and the "cookie" smiles that have come from that baking passion are PRICELESS! :)
Fast Forward a few years and I was a crimson-bleeding, imaginary-animal-loving BEARCAT!  High school brought on its usual amount of teenage angst, fun, and trouble... but its also where I learned to dream big.  My teachers pushed me to do my best and I found a love for trying new things (interior design, psychology, drama...).  After my huge sports career was unexpectedly ended due to a rare surgery on my lower left leg in middle school, I turned to the only "sport" left: cheerleading.  Yep, this is where all of my pep, style, and rhyming came from!  Go Team!

Next stop: Rohnert Park, Ca.  Don't worry, I didn't know where that was either until I became a student of Sonoma State.  Although my 4 years at PRHS gave me an undying love for Crimson, I took a mini time-out from the red tones and donned a blue cheer uniform (gasp)!  However, I did stay close to my imaginary-animal-love, this time cheering for a Seawolf---- do you think they howl under water?!?!!  Besides the fun, I did crack open the books and received scholastic honors.  In fact, twice departments stalked asked me to switch majors.  I started out as a marketing major and left as an accounting major- which both have prepared me for the 2 jobs I have now.  (if you're scratching your head at 2, realize that my first and most important job is mommy)


Lets do a little rewind before I tell you my fairytale.  Just before my junior year in high school, I decided to sell Kettle Korn at the fair- uniform: red shirt and overalls.... I know, so glamorous!  Well, my sweet outfit did manage to catch the eye of one special security guard and we began talking the nights away.
Okay, now fast forward 5 years.  I bumped into my afore-mentioned security guard, we went on a few dates, and 5 months later we were married.  (when you know, you know- right!)  I was so blessed to marry the love of my life and since that day we have spent 4 1/2 amazing years together, as a team.  We have 2 beautiful boys- Thing 1 and Thing 2 and could not be happier with our lives!


I have a sign in our home that reads: Faith, Family, Friends.  I try to live by that motto and have worked to fit it into our business.  I know, you're thinking "what does religion have to do with photography!??"  For me, being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has affected everything.  From the time I was young, I was taught to love others, serve others, and to be honest and have integrity.   I strive to run a business with all of those qualities.  I was also taught to avoid debt and live within my means, which has also been a strict part of our business plan.  Building Looky Loo has not been easy on our meager student income, but I have saved and worked hard to never put our family in debt to grow the business.  It may have been a longer route, but I have always felt that things that are worth while often take a while.





My family is also a HUGE part of the business.  In fact, its the whole reason I started down this road.  When I first found out I was pregnant with Thing 1, I went crazy making a list of things I needed to learn in order to be what I thought was a "good mom."  Among the things I learned in that 9 months were: cooking, sewing, quilting, stain removal, and bread-making.  Between preparing myself to be a mom, and preparing for my baby to come, photography got pushed aside.  After Thing 1 was here, I decided to revisit the list and photography really stood out to me.  I really wanted to learn how to take good pictures of my beautiful baby.  (who doesn't think they have america's next top baby model sitting in their bassinet!?)  So I did what I do when I really want to learn something new and went back to school.  My passion quickly evolved from only taking pictures of my family to taking them for other people as well.  My sweet husband has been SO supportive the whole way and when I approached him about joining the team, he openly accepted the challenge.  Our extended family has also been amazing- lending a smiling face for practice and lending a helping hand in the care-taking of Thing 1 and Thing 2 as we are whisked away to photoshoot after photoshoot.
Lastly, friends.  I LOVE my friends!  And, by friends, I mean YOU!  We have yet to do a shoot where I don't walk away saying, "wow!  I really love them- they are so great!"  You are what really keeps this business going and we really could not do it without all of your love and support!

Yesterday, as I endured yet another painful migraine, I exclaimed to my husband, "My life would be perfect if only I didn't have to have these wretched migraines!"  (I was a little distraught at having to leave yet another project to isolate myself in my cave for hours.. if you know me you know that I HATE being by myself!)  But, as I sat and pondered that thought, I realized that NO, my life IS perfect, even with the migraines!  Because without having to endure the hard times, we would not be able to fully appreciate the beautiful ones.  (I cannot tell you how much I value my vision and hearing the day after a migraine!)  After all, I am trying to make a career out of capturing the beautiful moments!
I really apologize, this was only supposed to be a couple paragraphs to tell you who I am!  But, alas, I guess there's just so much to my life, even in these short 26 years.
In the end, this is me:
My name is Cindy.  I am a wife, a mother, a photographer, and I am a Mormon.  (yes, had to add a mormon ad... lol)

I hope you enjoyed your tour through the life and times of Loo Who.. Stay tuned- later today we are starting another giveaway, tomorrow morning our Senior Winner will be announced and next week El Jeffe will take you down the road of his life!  Thanks for taking a Look!!

xoxo