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« with love from nina & tom | Main | Handmade For the Holidays »
Monday
Dec082008

Gift Exchange

Twelve dancing princesses twinkled, giggled and clickety-clicked in fancy shoes throughout my home yesterday. Twas my girl's sixth birthday party. I'm not sure why, but I'm rarely thrilled with my birthday party shots. Perhaps because they often seem overly posed. Rushed. Yes, it's great to be happy and smiling and posing in all silliness, but I prefer catching subtle glances at a slower pace. A spontaneous moment when my presence is long forgotten and they forget to say cheese.

Speaking of forgotten... I often forget December birthdays in the chaos of the holiday season. Do you? Well, Zazzle is the only super speedy, on-demand custom solution that produces products with your fabulous images and designs within 24 hours of ordering for great gifts like hip, fitted t-shirts, canvas prints, note cards, magnets and even skateboards. A perfect solution for last-minute gift givers. And in the sisterly spirit of gift giving, leave a comment on this post and FIVE winners will be chosen to receive 1 set of 20 cards and 1 sheet of 20 US postage stamps customized with your image and design. Use them for holiday cards, greeting cards or birthday thank you notes. Hey! Now there's an idea.

AND...Congratulations to busymomma66 for winning the Tracy Joy bag. Fill it well.

Reader Comments (155)

I love Zazzle! Seriously. I actually do. =)
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKaryn
love this giveaway! and that photo makes me misty eyed.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterjenna
What a beautiful picture, those girls in their sweet dresses. And please count me in.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterDiane
Love the photo!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMod Girl
Are you Mrs. Claus???
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKelley
That is the BEST kind of picture!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAubrey
I love this girly shot. So cute with the beads and sparkles!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterlisa
That is a birthday party shot to be treasured - a REAL moment!
Love Zazzle!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterChristina
I'm in!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterBecky
LOVE IT!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterkrista
Love the photo in this post!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSandra
What a fabulous photo! I'd also like to throw my name in the hat for the Zazzle giveaway!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKimberly
how fun! i remember on my 12th birthday i had 12 friends over and my mom later said "never again!" ha. your photo looks like pure fun and dress up.

thanks for the linky for last minute ideas. i'm a terrible procrastinator!!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commentercamerashymomma
this photo is priceless - the candid ones are always the best.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterspread your wings
My favorite birthday photo is of our son's first birthday with the same swirling mayhem surrounding a little person who is just standing still, trying to take it all in.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSuzanne
yay! :)
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterdevan
Love the photo, and good point about birthdays! My son's bday is the 29th, which is way too close to Christmas, so we celebrate in June (his half birthday) so people don't have to feel bad about forgetting his bday in the midst of crazy holiday schedules.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAngie
It looks like the girls had a wonderful time and you captured their joy.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterIrene Lenihan
I am pregnant and due any day now. I feel badly that my child's birthday will be so close to Christmas, but hopefully we'll find a special way to celebrate it every year. :)
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJessica
How sweet!! Happy birthday!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJackie
I have two kids with holiday birthdays. Shutter Sisters please help us!!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterNicole
what a gorgeous photo!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterTracy
I would be graciously ecstatic to win this prize! :)
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterbuttercupyaya
Beautiful photo!
And I love zazzle.com...my teenager is addicted to it.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMelissa
Oh, yes! Those December birthdays! My hubby's is on Christmas and mine is 9 days later both his parents and my mother all have birthdays in December as well! I'd love some extra help!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSteph Wiese
wish I may...wish I might...have this wish...those cards would be out of sight!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commentermarty
What a great party picture! My own birthday is in a week. Zazzle is a great company. I used to work for a company that used them all the time. Here is our Christmas Card: http://umbrellablog.com/holidays/christmas-card-2008/
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJamie
so awesome!! love zazzle
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commentersammie
sign me up! thanks.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commentercathy
Cool stuff! Yay for giveaways!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKristin
What a great birthday party shot!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterliz
Little girls in all their glory...they are a splendid bunch!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterLucy
Those stamps are tempting!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterElaine
How do all do it?!?!?
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterLucy
Sweet! Since I'm the constant procrastinator I would be thrilled with this giveaway!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJackie
What a great site! I would love to win. ;)
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKarly
Ohhhh pick me! I would love that!
I bet your daughter's party was a lot of fun! :)
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commentersandi
I actually remembered the Dec birthday this year!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterRachelle
I've found my boys sometimes challenging to photograph - they can be especially non-cooperative! One has a December birthday; last year we took some boys tubing in January. That was fun to shoot - cold, at night! Yikes!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterclaudia
What a beautiful image...and a great prize!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterStephanie
I have started looking at this blog everyday because I am coming across brilliant artists and new websites to explore throught this blog!! Thanks!! :)
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterHeidi Rumph
My daughter's birthday is exactly two weeks after Christmas, which has given us the gift of continued celebrating while others fight the January blues. She'll be 18 this year. Keep capturing moments like these...they fly by.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSherry
I'm used to the birthday in december thing, and being overlooked. I was born on Dec. 21 and don't think i've gotten a decent thoughtful gift since i was 5. Cheers to this give away!!!!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterjeanne
Sounds like something that should be an ah-hah moment in a real simple magazine. I thought I was the only one that forgot stuff during the busy season.

Becky
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterBecky
Photo gifts are the best--keeping my fingers crossed!!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAbbie
Wouldn't it be fun to set up a zazzle exchange? Create a set of cards/stamps and then exchange a few with a few other people for a totally diverse selection?
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterdarla
Love that photo. I am a candid girl too... I just don't like posed as much. I can't wait until my 17 month old daughter starts having her birthday parties!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJanine
Great idea for a giveaway.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterleaca
Yay, giveaway time!
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJulie Alvarez
I hate feeling like I might have missed part of the party, while photographing it. Lovely shot.
December 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterRobin

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