Nice to meet you....

well, it will be nice to meet you in September when we all gather for the event. I have to tell you that when these three amazing ladies asked me to teach this year I jumped at the chance. I had heard such wonderful things about the event from last year so I am so so excited to be traveling to Utah to join in the fun this time. But I guess I should back up just a little and introduce myself...I am Janet Hopkins, co-owner of House of 3.

Just a little about myself, I live in Texas with my husband Rick and our four children so there is never a dull moment around here. I love anything vintage and the hunt for finding the vintage treasures is really the best part. We just recently renovated our house when our last daughter was born and I was lucky enough to redo my studio as well so I thought I would give you a little peek into where I create:

I think one of my favorite things in my space is my large island that I work on. It is two ikea dressers with a granite piece on top. Lots of storage and a great work surface that I can spread out on! My other favorites are my clock and my vintage cake pan that I use to store all of my buttons and jewels in so that they will be close to me when I need to rummage through them for that perfect embellishment for my next project.

I hope you enjoyed seeing a little piece of my world....I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones in September!

Janet

Show your face!

I feel like a tiny fish in a big pond here at Spark. I'm pretty sure it was a mistake that I got asked to be a teacher, but let's not tell the Spark girls, ok? Phew.


So. I am Wendy and I am a photographer. My husband and I are a team and we photograph a lot of things. People, mostly. Among our most inspirational subjects are children. I know, I know, it sounds like a Hallmark card, ew. But, really. Kids are walking, talking, occasionally tantrum-throwing examples of how to live life to the fullest. Everything is approached with an all or nothing attitude, and I think we can at times learn a lot from that.

From a photography standpoint, kids are a fascination. The range of facial expressions a kid will show us in a minute or less is pretty much amazing. I, like every other mom, like to take my kids out for little photo sessions for fun, and man, I get some crazy stuff. Take this photo, for example.


Just one second earlier his smile was as wide as Kansas. Here's what I think went down.

Isaac: (smiling, yea, even beaming) Can we play Chutes and Ladders now?
Me: No.
Isaac: FROWN FROWN FROWN.

You see? So anyway, I looked through the files and these were definitely the best, hands down. While at times I may wish that my kids could reign in their crazy emotions, other times I'm glad they remind me that life is about feeling. And once again I'm inspired to go experience life to the fullest. (yes sometimes I throw tantrums too, so what?)

Before I part, I'll give you shutter bugs one little completely-unasked-for piece of advice: Don't hold your trigger finger in the hover position just because that kid of yours is pulling a frown of the most EPIC proportions. Click away and just ROLL with laughter as you go through the images.

xo,
wendy

Mom 2.0: Defining A Movement

I stumbled upon this this morning and it inspires me...Weather you are a mother or not, you have a mother and can appreciate it...Being a mother is on of the most creative things as women we can do...
Happy first day of June...
kiss kiss
m