I would never claim to be a music buff and I definitely do not ‘follow’ pop music, however I would absolutely call myself a music lover. I love how a song can completely change your emotions in an instant or transport you to a different place. I love how a few notes of a beloved tune can bring on a flood of memories. I love how the same song can mean something completely different to each person who hears it. I love how music can transcend time - that a song my mom loved when she was my age can mean just as much to me 30 years later. That’s a lot of love!

With that in mind, I’ve decided to start doing “Tuesday Tunes.” I can’t promise I’ll consistently post a song every Tuesday, but when the mood strikes, I’ll share something that I’ve been listening to, that is on my ipod or that just struck me for whatever reason.

I was driving a country road in the rain this morning when this song came up in my playlist. I love Bob Dylan’s music, love Adele’s voice, love everything about this:

Now for the giveaway! All you have to do to be entered is go to my Facebook page and become a fan. Then come back and leave a comment on this post letting me know that you’re a fan. On Tuesday, July 7th, I will select a winner using Random.org. If you are already a Facebook Fan, then it’s even easier! Just leave a comment and you’re set. Comments must be received by 12 noon CST on Tuesday, July 7th.

So, what do you win? One lucky winner will get a free custom photography session and a 11 x 14 Standout Print of the image of their choice. That’s a $250 value!

Standouts are one of my favorite products for creating a modern, polished piece of custom photographic art for your home. Your image is printed and mounted on 1.5″ gator foam with a black or white finished edge and comes ready to hang.

By entering the contest, you are agreeing to the rules and regulations of the contest found here. Good luck, everybody!

When I showed the sneak peak from my shoot with the ladies from Modern Muse Makeup Artistry, I did not give the full picture.  Katie, the owner, is expecting her first baby in a couple of months! Since the images from the shoot are for commercial purposes, she didn’t want it to be obvious that she was pregnant, however I couldn’t help but get a few pics of her little bump. How cute is she?

I just can’t wait to see the beautiful little girl that will come from such a hot mama!

I cannot even begin to do justice in words to what I got to be part of yesterday, so I’m just going to let the photos speak for themselves.

I have to give ‘Dad’ credit for a taking a couple of these during the actual birth. The doctor would not let me in once she was pushing, but I handed over my camera and he got some great shots. Stay tuned for Averie’s newborn shoot in the next week or so.

The Sharp family definitely holds a special place in my heart. You may recognize them from my header. Back when Baby K was just a couple months old I was shopping with his mom and she mentioned she was planning to take him to one of those chain store, cookie cutter, tilt your head and smile photography studios to get pictures of him. Now, I have nothing against studio photography, but I 100% believe that the experience and product you get from these types of places cannot even begin to compare to that of custom lifestyle photography. With passion for photography and a dream, I begged ‘Mom’ to let me do my first “professional” photo shoot for her family. She gladly accepted and that was the very beginning of what is now Constance Elyse Photography. I fully believe that if it weren’t for that shoot, I would not be at the place I am in my business today…I’d probably as far away from that goal as I was back when she agreed to let me do the session.

Their first session was only days before ‘Dad’ deployed to Iraq. After our planned mom and baby session had to be postponed twice due to weather, illness, etc. we decided to make it a family shoot while he was home on his mid-tour leave. Well, I arrived at the location a little early for our shoot and came to find that the venue was otherwise occupied and unusable. With it being yet another triple-digit temperature day, we decided to do a mini-shoot on the grounds of the apartments we both live in. Here are some of my favorites from our 30 minute session:

R was so sweet with his little brother.

You’ve gotta love a dad and his boys!

I really adored working with R this time. He’s such a handsome kid and was up to all of my ideas.

Sharp Family, you are always such a joy. I’m so happy to be able to watch your family grow and honored to document it.

I adopted my dog from a local shelter 4 and a half years ago after she was abandoned by her first ‘family’. I took one look at her cowering in her run and knew she was THE dog for me. Many other people thought I was crazy. She was scared of everything, including me for quite a while. She would pee at the drop of a hat, or the raise of a voice, or the approach of a man. But over the years she has come out of her shell and is truly the most wonderful dog anybody could hope for. She is totally chill 90% of the time, but always up for some play and cuddle time. She’s still timid with strangers and pretty neurotic, but her neuroses only compliment my own. We are perfect for each other and I just adore her.

One of my favorite things about Keller from the very beginning was her fur. She is the definition of scruffy. She’s both speckled and spotted, with about 15 different shades of beige and brown making up her wiry coat. She’s got these adorable black sprigs of hair coming off the ends of her ears. She just looks like she came from a pound.

While I do love the look of her usual hairdo, she sheds a ton and we’re on our 5th 100+ degree day this summer (before summer has even officially started). With my new apartment’s cleanliness and the heat in mind, I decided to make both of us a little more comfortable.

Here is how my precious Keller usually looks:

Here are a few snapshots of how she looks now, post groomer:

She is so punk, with her cute little mohawk.

I had the great pleasure of assisting Elle of Ella Bella Photography on a newborn shoot for twin boys yesterday. They were so tiny and squishy and precious. I haven’t had much time to look at all of the images I got yet, but I couldn’t wait to share just one.

Here they are, only one week old:

I just love Mr. Man on the right there sucking on his lip and the looong fingers on the left. Thanks to the K’s for allowing me into your home to spend a few sweet hours with your two little miracles.

My session with this precious young family was such a joy! I work with ‘mom’ and have known Baby K since before he was born.  They met me bright and early at 8:30 AM and merely an hour into their shoot it was already sweltering in the Texas sun, at a location with limited shade. But they never complained and Baby K did not fuss or cry once in the two hours I spent with him.

R Family, I know you’ve been anxiously awaiting a peek at some pictures, so here are just a few to whet your appetite:

Who wouldn’t be inspired by these three beauties? Katie is the owner of Modern Muse Makeup Artistry and I could not have been more thrilled when she asked me to take some new shots of her and her two assistants for her site. She is a total natural in front of the camera and I had a great time with all of them.

Kristen is the newest member of the Modern Muse team. She claims that she is not photogenic, but I couldn’t disagree more. You be the judge.

Then, there’s Bonnie. She is just lovely and always makes me laugh.

If you have an event for which you want to look extra special, you absolutely cannot go wrong with these three. Not only will they make you look your best, they will make you feel great!

Thanks for coming out, ladies!