HELLO everyone!  Happy Friday! and WELCOME to the 2012 Valentine’s Day Give Away hosted by Staci Bailey Photography!!!

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, love is in the air and I think it is safe to say that we all LOVE our town!  The mountains…the lake…the seasons…the local businesses…..and most of all, the PEOPLE!   Once again, to celebrate our community, friends, family, customers, & clients…..AND to say THANK YOU for your year round support, 25 Sandpoint vendors are coming together and putting on one heck of a give away to celebrate YOU!

The give away starts today – Friday 2.3.12 and ends Thursday 2.9.12 at 5:00 pm PST!  We will be sharing the LOVE all week long!  OK….guys and gals listen up!  Five…that is right….. FIVE winners will be announced next Friday (2.10.12) right here on the blog…just in time for Valentine’s Day!   The lucky winner of the GRAND Prize will get to pamper  themselves and their sweetheart with an unbelievable line up of incredible prizes!  But don’t don’t fret and frown…..the other 4 winners will be enjoying some pretty amazing prizes as well!

Here’s how to enter:

1. REQUIRED ENTRY - Go and visit every one of these awesome vendors facebook page and “LIKE” their page.  Yes, a lot of work….but also a LOT OF GREAT PRIZES and a chance of WINNING BIG!   (Prizes are listed below the vendors name above the logo.)  Click on the names of the vendors next to their number and it will open a new window and take you directly to their facebook page.  Once you have liked ALL 25 vendors, come back here to this blog post and leave a comment that you are now “officially” a fan of  all these local businesses!   What a great way to get the inside scoop on what’s happening at their stores!   You can give them some love and leave a comment on their page telling them that I sent you over or what you love about their store….but that is optional and completely up to you!

2. BONUS ENTRY - like this blog post AND link this blog post to your facebook status and type  ”Enter the AMAZING Valentine’s Day Give Away hosted by @Staci Bailey Photography!”  Be sure to put the @ sign in front of my business name to tag it! Then come back here and leave a comment telling me that you like this post AND shared on your facebook page!

And that’s it!  After you enter, you can sit back and relax, and wait for your name to show up as a WINNER!  Good Luck everyone!  And THANK YOU! for all your support!

1. Sandpoint Newsline

Our favorite advertiser!

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*** GRAND Prize ~ The Ultimate Valentine’s Day Gift Package ***

2. Staci Bailey Photography

Mini Session with cd of images

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3. Trinity at City Beach

$100 Gift Certificate

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4.  The Rub Down

Two 1 hour massages – $110 value

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5. Acacia Skin Care

One Express Facial – $30 value

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6. Sand Creek Salon

One Pedicure with Kristy Rief

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7. Botanica Salon and Tanning

Two Free Mystic Spray Tans – 100% private auto booth – $60 value

Two sets of Shellac Gel Nails with Brooke Spencer

One Haircut and Deep Conditioning Treatment with Renee Russo.

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8. Petal Talk

(sorry no Facebook page, but still a GREAT store and you need flowers for V-Day, right? wink. wink.)

$20 Gift Certificate

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9.  Miche Bags

Miche Wallet with 50% coupon off additional purchase – $25+ value

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10. Northwest Handmade

Heart Stone Necklace

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11. Java Junkies Espresso

$20 Gift Certificate

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12. Sweet Magnolia Bed & Breakfast

Overnight stay for two (valid through 4.30.12) – $125 value

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13. The Pie Hut

One cream or fruit pie

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14. 2nd Wind Fitness

5 pass workout card – $25 value

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*** 1ST RUNNER UP ***

15. MickDuff’s Brewing Co.

$25 Gift Certificate

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16. Maps & More

$20 Gift Certificate

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17. Athlete’s Choice

$50 Gift Certificate

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*** 2nd Runner Up ***

18. Ivano’s &  La Rosa Club (please like both)

$25 Gift Certificate to either:

or

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19. Litehouse

$25 Gift Certificate to the Litehouse Blue Cheese Factory Gift Store

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20. Zany Zebra

$20 Gift Certificate

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*** 3rd RUNNER UP ***

21.  Second Avenue Pizza

One 3 topping large pizza

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22. 7B Board Shops

$50 Gift Certificate

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*** 4th RUNNER UP ***

23. Eichardt’s

Two appetizers & two drinks

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24. Finan McDonald

$25 Gift Certificate

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*** FINE PRINT ***

* Contest begins Friday 2.3.12 and ends Thursday 2.9.12 at 5:00 pm PST.  After the end of the contest five winners will be chosen from Random.org and announced on the blog Friday 2.10.12!   You will have 48 hours to contact me for your prize.   If the winners do not contact me by Monday at 8:00 a.m.,  new winners will be chosen.

Contact info:  stacibaileyphotography@yahoo.com     *    208-610-4274

* This giveaway is in no way associated, represented, or run by Facebook.

* In the case of an out of town winner, you will need to reside in the US or Canada and will be responsible for shipping charges.

* There will be 5 winners…one for each prize package.  Winners will be verfied before announced.

THANK YOU so much for participating!!!

A client of mine shared this collage she made up of their daughters newborn session!  (One of the many benefits of having the digital files from your session!)  She wanted suggestions on how to display it and I suggested an Organic Bloom frame!  The display she created is SO CUTE!  And I think the Jessie frame in Espresso Bean is the perfect match!

A couple more examples…

GOOD NEWS!!!

Online ordering is now available for all Bonner General Hospital nursery photos!

You can order directly from the site Baby Faces…and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me!

MORE GOOD NEWS!!!

All hospital images come free with the purchase of a regular studio newborn session!  Remember, newborns photograph best within the first 10 days of life, so please contact me BEFORE you have your baby to set up your studio appointment!

Don’t miss out on their first professional pictures….time flies and they are only this tiny for a little while….

Meet Baby “J”…..he was SO DREAMY to photograph! Here is a peek into his session from last Sept! (YES, I am still playing catch up!)

Every now and then…..I just HAVE to take her pictures for fun!  I simply LOVE everything about her!

Hello!  As some of you may remember, last year I teamed up with a bunch of great photographers and did a year long project called Project 52.  This year we are being kind to ourselves  and cutting it down to only one post a month instead of one a week!  This year the goal is to focus all of the posts on family.  Each month we will have a theme, however some of us may or may not follow the theme.  We might instead decide to make up our own theme for that month – whatever we want to do!  It’s much more relaxed and should be just as fun…..with less stress for me!  This first month’s theme is “self portrait”.  Ha ha ha ha ha.   We all know I am not the biggest fan of being in front of the camera, but occasionally I will brave it….sort of.

This last weekend we stayed home and it was wonderful.  I cleaned and organized for most of the weekend and put together some fun projects for the kids – which I really enjoyed as it seems like forever since we have done any fun projects.  One of the projects was making a Monster Mask.  You just take a paper bag, cut out holes for the eyes, and decorate!  Super easy and super fun!

Bella putting “makeup” on her monster…..she added 3 noses and lots of earrings!

Oh yes, that is MY oldest MONSTER!

His rasta-monster was my favorite.

And finally my self “monster”  portrait!  hee hee

Want to see some other self portraits?  Just keep following our circle starting with Haley Brooke Photography – Denver Area Photographer!

Kicking this GORGEOUS sunny Monday off with a session preview! One of my favorite girlies! LOVE her!

Happy Friday!  We are almost through our first week of the year and so far it has been a GREAT year!  I have high hopes that ALL of 2012 is going to be FABULOUS!   As most of you know I did a 52 week project last year and it was quite interesting!  Of course I started out guns-a-blazing, but then fizzled out as the year went on and busy season set in.  Soon, I was finding that it was time to post again and it felt like I just did!  And many of my supposed to be “creative, challenge myself” shots ended up being “whatever I have on hand and is close to the theme” shots!   It was much too labor intensive.  So, this year I am teaming up with most of the same gals and we are going to be doing a project called “12 in 2012″.  It will only be 12 themes this year and most of mine will be revolving around my family!  I started out in photography taking hundreds…no wait, thousands!….of photos of my babes.  Now they are lucky if I take any!  Usually when I do it’s for the wall of shame……photos that they really don’t want me taking!  ha!  Photos that will be used in the future for black mailing as teenagers.   Like the one I just got of the Big O in a pink princess dress because his sister some how talked him into doing it?  Yeah, those kinds of photos!  And I would actually LOVE to have some photos for my kids that have me in them!  So we will see how it goes!

What’s coming up for this year…….

I am still offering newborn photography to all Bonner General Hospital babies!  So far it has been SUPER FUN!  It really is amazing to get to see all these sweet brand new babies and capture crisp, clear photos for their parents!  It is curing my baby itch!  ha!  I can’t stress how important it is capturing your newborn those first few days…they change so quickly and those magical first few days are a blur before you know it!   And of course I still offer newborn photography in the studio!  Remember, if you are interested in a custom newborn photography session at the studio, please contact me BEFORE baby is born!  Ideally posed newborn photos are taken within the first 10 days of life when baby is still brand new!

Coming up this month I will be working with an amazing designer Corina Nielsen Designs to rebrand!  I am super excited to work with her and see what we come up with.  I am really looking forward to it!   She created Keri Meyers brand and it is fabulous!  Speaking of Keri Meyers…..who just happens to be another favorite baby photographer of mine….I will be attending her workshop in June of this year!  I can not tell you how excited I am!   June is just not going to get here soon enough!  She is a fantastic newborn photographer and I am totally amped about getting to learn in person from her!  Jinky Art is also coming to Seattle this fall and I would LOVE to go as well…that was actually the plan first…but Keri’s workshop over ruled!   My babies come first because that is what I LOVE to do!

I am still writing for Prop Insanity and hope to continue to do so this year!  I have met some awesome people and am so thankful for Miss Tracy Joy for having me be one of her writers!  It has been an amazing experience so far!  I also have some other fun projects in the works for this spring that I hope to be able to release info on soon, however as they are still in the works I am going to keep you waiting.  So not fun I know, but I am still ironing out the details.  But once I get all my ducks in a row, I will let you know!

I want to send a GIANT THANK YOU out to everyone for all of your support, for following me, and for being so great in 2011!  I treasure my clients, friends, and family and feel so blessed!  THANK YOU!  Without all of you, Staci Bailey Photography wouldn’t be possible!  I hope you continue to follow along in 2012!  It’s going to be a great year and I look forward to capturing your A.L.L.!!!  Your angels, your love, your life!!!  xo

My mom sent this to me around Christmas time and I had it in a post ready to share….just never published it.  But as usual….better late than never, right?  ;)

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas… For Moms

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the abode Only one creature was stirring, and she was cleaning the commode. The children were finally sleeping all snug in their beds, while Visions of Nintendo and Barbie flipped through their heads. The dad was snoring in front of the TV, With a half-constructed bicycle propped on his knee. So only Mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter, Which made her sigh, “Now what is the matter?” With the toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand, She descended the stairs and saw the old man. He was covered with ashes and soot, which fell with a shrug, “Oh, great,” muttered Mom, “now I have to clean the rug.” “Ho Ho Ho!” cried Santa, “I’m glad you’re awake, your gift was especially difficult to make.” “Thanks, Santa, but all I want is time alone.” “Exactly!” he chuckled, “So, I’ve made you a clone.” “A clone?” she muttered, “What good is that?” “Run along, Santa, I’ve no time for chit chat.” Then out walked the clone – The Mother’s twin; Same hair, same eyes, same double chin. “She’ll cook, she’ll dust, she’ll mop every mess. You’ll relax, take it easy, watch The Young and The Restless.” “Fantastic!” the Mom cheered. “My dream has come true!” “I’ll shop, I’ll read, I’ll sleep a night through!” From the room above, the youngest did fret. “Mommy? Come quickly, I’m scared and I’m wet.” The clone replied, “I’m coming, sweetheart.” “Hey,” the Mom smiled, “she sure knows her part.” The clone changed the small one and hummed her a tune, as she bundled the child in a blanket cocoon. “You’re the best mommy ever.  I really love you.” The clone smiled and sighed, “And I love you, too.” The Mom frowned and said, “Sorry, Santa, no deal. That’s my child’s love she is trying to steal.” Smiling wisely, Santa said, “To me it is clear, Only one loving Mother is needed here.” The Mom kissed her child and tucked her in bed. “Thank you, Santa, for clearing my head. I sometimes forget, it won’t be very long, when they’ll be too old for my cradle and song.” The clock on the mantle began to chime. Santa whispered to the clone, “It works every time.” With the clone by his side, Santa said, “Good night. Merry Christmas, dear Mom, you will be all right.” Written By: Karen Spiegler (Originally published in December 1993 issue of Manic Moms)   One of the greatest gifts God can give is our children – just as God’s greatest Gift came as a child. During these crazy weeks before Christmas, as you shop and bake and clean and decorate and mail cards. . . think of this as a reminder to take a moment for extra hugs and kisses and make sure your children know how much you love them. That’s what it’s all about anyway, right? Merry Christmas !

It doesn’t need to be Christmas to give your babes extra hugs and kisses…..that should be an every day event!  Blessings to you!