Surprises Are The Ultimate Surprise!

Have you ever had a really good surprise pulled on you? Or pulled off a really good surprise? My life has been filled with lots and lots of surprises this year and some have been really good (like my 40th surprise party that my husband threw me) and some haven't been so good (like my grandmother passing unexpectedly). Up until this year, I really haven't had all that many surprises in my life. I had never had a surprise party in my 40 years and frankly can only think of a handful that I've been to. I have to say though that good surprises make life really, really sweet. LeRoy and I didn't find out the sex of our baby until he was born. I was shocked! My mother's instinct told me that I was definitely having a girl. Ha! That got blown right out of the water at birth but my baby boy was the best surprise of my life.
All of this is leading up to my recent weekend away to Atlanta. My best friend, Kelly who just turned 40 thought she was going to Atlanta to visit her sister for a nice "sisters" weekend to celebrate her birthday. However, her sister Holly and I and another friend Tammy from Missouri have been in cahoots planning the ultimate surprise for Kelly's birthday. I flew in first and was picked up at the airport by Holly's hubby who is a US marshall. We had to kill some time before meeting them for lunch so he gave me a complete tour of the US Marshall building...it was quite interesting especially since there was a huge bust the night before so all the marshalls were a buzz in the office. Anyway, back to the goods. We arrived at the restaurant first (Flip Burgers...super yummy if you're ever in Atlanta...go there) and I spoke to the hostess and told her that we had a big surprise going down right there in their little restaurant. I went to the back and hid by the bathrooms. Holly and Kelly arrived and got seated at the booth and the hostess came back to tell me where they were seated. I approached the table and Kelly was looking down at her menu so I decided to act like the waitress and I said, "Hi, can I get you something to drink?" This is where it gets good b/c Kelly looks right up at me and says, "No" and then proceeds to look back down at her menu. What the ?*&! just happened? I look at Holly and Erik like what now? Holly says, "Kelllllllly, are you sure you don't want something to drink?" Kelly looks back up at me and she's staring and staring and then BAM! It finally registered! She screamed bloody murder and jumped up and hugged me and was crying. We're jumping around the restaurant like a couple of idiots. The entire restaurant STOPPED and I even think one old gal choked on her burger. It was by far the best stunt I've ever pulled off. Soooo, if you haven't had a good surprise lately...then it's time to plan one. Life is so much more glorious with them!

It's A Popsicle Party!

These shoots are always so fun and a great way to remember the summer. I love the idea of decorating your kid's playroom with a collage of these playful shots. This is one of my son's best friends from school and his little sister. They are so cute and were definitely entertaining with all their great ideas they shared with me. They told their mom that they didn't want to wear swim wear but instead their "school clothes". So, with out further ado here's M & S...

Sunshine Press Album

My, my, my! Check out this sweet little number that I've just added to my product list. It's a beautiful 8x8 press printed album on watercolor paper and adhered to a sturdy board to make the album pages thick and sturdy. The metallic cover is just an added yumminess to this little piece of eye candy. This is a 30 page album with 47 openings for the photos. The whimsical pages make for a great family or child album! It's priced at $350.

Love Is In The Air

I had a couple photo shoots over the weekend and this family just started my day off on the right foot. The shoot started with them on a cute butterfly bench and before I could even take the first photo Sadia and Lucas were kissing. I loved it! I usually have to beg my clients to kiss and even then they usually do such a fast peck that my 8 frames per second camera couldn't even capture it so I have to ask them to kiss again! There was no asking a second time with these two...in fact at one point the kissing session kept on going so I coaxed them into a dip and they never stopped locking lips the whole time. :)
Lucas is in the Army and is home on leave until November and then he's off to Afganistan so there were a few times where I could just see the love pouring out of them. At one point, I could see Sadia just taking in the moment and trying to savor every bit of it. Then, their two twin girls were just cute as bug's ears! The whole family was so fun and playful and full of laughter that it made my job so easy. The photos speak for themselves.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND...

2011 SENIOR MODEL SEARCH

Hey Austin Texas Seniors! Brandi Nellis Photography is looking for some positive and outgoing 2011 Seniors guys and girls who would like to be a senior model. This is your opportunity to have your senior portraits taken for free and earn photo credit, too. We are located in South Austin and will be taking 2 high school seniors per high school including Bowie, Austin, Westlake, Dripping Springs, Buda and more. Because we are only accepting 2 models from each school, spaces are limited and not everyone who responds will be accepted as a rep. So, don’t wait!If you would like to find out more information, please contact me at b_nellis@hotmail.com.


What is a Senior Model?

They are spokes models that help promote Brandi Nellis Photography with their own gorgeous portraits. You’re going to tell your friends about how amazing your experience was anyway, so why not earn some credits towards photos while you’re at it? An ideal senior rep model has lots of friends and is a very outgoing and energetic person. We need reps who are going to create a buzz about us and who are going to have lots of friends to tell about it! Please only submit emails if you are serious about this.

What do Senior Models Do?

We are not asking you to be a sales person… your photos are going to sell themselves. We are asking you to simply tell all of your friends about us and show off your pictures! Create a buzz about Brandi Nellis photography. It’s simple really. The more friends you get to come get their senior portraits with us, the more free stuff you’ll get.

What do I receive for being a Senior Model?

- Complimentary photo shoot ($300.00 value). Multiple locations photo session that will last 2-3 hours. Includes 3 outfit changes. 50 spiral bound 4x6 prints that are yours to keep and an online gallery for 14 days.

-3 web resolution images to use on your Facebook pages.

-50 senior rep model cards with your images on them. (These are what you’ll hand out to all of your friends to get them to come get their senior portraits done with Brandi Nellis Photography)

-$50.00 print credit for every senior you refer who books a session with Brandi Nellis Photography. There is no limit on how much you can earn!

CONTACT ME AT b_nellis@hotmail TO APPLY!

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