Presenting the year’s first blog entry.

I make lists every year. I don’t call them resolutions, I call them wish lists. I have high hopes that 2008 will be even better than 2007 was (and 2007 was pretty sweet). Last night as the girls and my husband rang in the new year I had a sense of purpose, a sense of solid footing of what my direction will be this year.

For any of you blog stalkers, something that has been in the works for a long time will come to fruition this year – earlier rather than later! I am so excited to able to share the news with you…but not quite yet. I’m not ready to shed light on the subject just yet. I promise you though, you will see the light soon. 🙂

(Evil, I know, making you wait like this. I promise it will be worthwhile and fun and perhaps a bit educational (hint hint)).

Coming up this month, I will premiere images for my blog readers from my new camera. Yes, I feel like the ultimate traitor and dove into the Nikon pool with the purchase of the D3. More on that later tho.

(Gosh, I’m the ultimate in cruel these days, aren’t I?)

 

 

If you haven’t seen the YEAR IN REVIEW 2007 slideshow, please feel free to click on the link and do so. I enjoyed 2007 so much that I go and look @ the slideshow once daily. It is so wonderful to remember the smiling faces, the happy families and the WARM WEATHER! Ahhh, the warm weather. Speaking of… DH and I talked about our upcoming trip (around spring break) to Destin. I simply cannot wait! We hadn’t been there in almost 3 years and truly, I think I’m going through withdrawls. If you’ve never been to the panhandle of Florida, you simply must look into going at some point. Destin is my perfect vacation spot, enough nature to satisfy that side of me, with a side of great shopping and good food. The softest sand beaches known to mankind (or at least to Marmalade & Co.) and beautiful emerald colored ocean. Simply paradise.

 

So there you have it. Here’s my list for 2008. How many do you think I can get crossed off before 12/31/2008? 365 days and counting (since day #1 is already almost gone….)

THE LIST

Thanks for dropping in. I send all my blog peeps a happy and relaxed 2008 lined with many successes and many wonderful things!

xoxo, Mare

Posted in Photography Related
Contact Me♥Email This Post♥Back To Top
add a comment
link to this post
email a friend
  • Elizabeth - January 2, 2008 - 10:22 am

    I like the Plan a Parisian getaway… can I come.. teehee.. Happy New Year Girl.. so looking forward to another year of following your work and being inspired by you

  • Melissa - January 3, 2008 - 12:35 am

    it’s a workshop…isn’t it??? yayyyyy!!!! haha!!

  • Joyce - January 3, 2008 - 11:41 pm

    Woo-hoo!!!! : )

  • Laura - January 7, 2008 - 10:13 am

    You are such a tease. Spill the beans.

  • PamN - January 8, 2008 - 4:28 pm

    oooh, I hope it’s a workshop!

  • Jessica - January 10, 2008 - 1:16 am

    You’re coming to Destin? If I should bump into you on the street and immediately recognize you and scream with excitement don’t be afraid 😉 I’m just a huge fan. Destin would be a FAB location for a workshop sometime don’t you think?

  • Paula - January 10, 2008 - 9:33 am

    Like the blog! Happy New Year!

  • Marianne - January 18, 2008 - 9:31 am

    Jessica,

    Hehe…Destin would be a fabulous place for a workshop. You’re SO right!

    Melissa, yeah, you got me, a workshop. 😀

  • Melissa - January 18, 2008 - 5:46 pm

    yippee!!! when and where?? I will be there!!!

2007 was a very good year. I had a blast getting to know all my clients, many have become friends and so many have children that are growing alongside my photography. It’s been a true honor to photograph so many wonderful children, families and the occasional new life (figuratively & literally!). Thank you to every one of you, friends, family, clients, acquaintances–that have touched my life this past 2007.

I have, once again, put together a year in review slideshow. Although it takes much work to get these together I find it fun to go down memory lane and pause for a second on the goodness that was 2007. Please get a cup or glass of whatever your poison might be 😉 and join me in retrospecting this past year in pictures.

I adore every one of you. Thank you for being an integral part of my world.

2007 In Review

(if you don’t see the image, click here)

Thanks for stopping in,

xoxo, Mare

 

ps: If I happened to exclude anyone, the slight was completely unintentional and contact me to have it added in!

Posted in Chicago Baby Photographer and Chicago Suburban Newborn Photography, Chicago Children's Photographer, Chicago Maternity Photographer and Suburban Chicago Pregnancy Photography, Limited Edition Mini Sessions, Photography Related, Suburban Chicago Child Photography and Chicagoland Photos of Children and Families
Contact Me♥Email This Post♥Back To Top
add a comment
link to this post
email a friend
  • Elizabeth Pellette - December 28, 2007 - 2:10 pm

    Oh.. those images were spectacular.. wow.. I loved them all.. what a wonderful slide show.. I throughly enjoyed it.. thanks for sharing

    Happy New Year to you

  • mare - December 29, 2007 - 9:11 am

    thanks elizabeth for taking time to comment! and thank you…i just pulled images as i saw them in the file folders…so much work but i’m glad it is enjoyable.

    happy new year to you and yours as well!

  • Waynette - December 31, 2007 - 7:10 am

    this is a wonderful collection from a wonderful artist!

  • Annette - January 1, 2008 - 10:29 am

    ‘Mare:
    Wow ~ loved the review!! Happy New Year!

  • Stacey Woods - January 7, 2008 - 10:56 am

    Good gracious those were breathtaking!! As you know, I adore your work, and your style. You are such an amazing photographer, and you were QUITE the busy gal this year, I must say! I hope you’re getting some much deserved rest by now. 🙂 Thank you for allowing us to see this slideshow… truly gorgeous, Mare! xoxo, Stacey

I get emails every day from people, clients and often photographers around the country (and world sometimes which is awesome) and it feels so nice to have my work recognized and appreciated.  I feel very fortunate that my work with children and families touches so many hearts.

This past couple months I was featured on a few sites, I was one of Blu’s 50 days, 50 photographers (back in November) and now, yesterday actually, I was lucky enough to be featured on the blog Blogs of Photogs .  A big thank you to Mary Hanson for featuring me and saying oh so nice things to me about my work.  Feel free to click on the link which will take you to the 12/26 entry as seen below.

December 26 Featured Photographer

I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season.  I have rec’d numerous emails and letters and cards with holiday wishes from so many of my client families and would like to take the time out to thank you for your thoughts and well wishes this holiday season.  Stay tuned for some fun stuff!!

xoxo, Mare

Posted in Suburban Chicago Child Photography and Chicagoland Photos of Children and Families
Contact Me♥Email This Post♥Back To Top
add a comment
link to this post
email a friend
  • Elizabeth - December 30, 2007 - 9:06 pm

    Thats awesome congrats

Happy Holidays from Marmalade Photography

May your days be merry & bright!

xoxo, Mare and the Drenthe Family

Posted in Chicago Children's Photographer, Suburban Chicago Child Photography and Chicagoland Photos of Children and Families
Contact Me♥Email This Post♥Back To Top
add a comment
link to this post
email a friend
  • Elizabeth - December 26, 2007 - 11:34 am

    Hope you had a wonderful holiday . Love your card .

  • mare - December 26, 2007 - 6:36 pm

    Thanks E! You too! I hope everything was merry & bright!

  • Waynette - December 31, 2007 - 7:12 am

    love chocolate… little snowflakes on it? I can not tell from the screen. Very nice Mare.

Good morning!  For the record, yes I feel chipper this morning. The kids *could* sleep in if they wanted to but of course, they didn’t. And me? I got up earlier than I ever need to when they are in school. They’re off for the next 2 weeks and I am so excited to have them home with me (check back with me at the end of the 2nd week and see if I still feel this way! LOL).

Last night we went to Navy Pier for Winter Wonderfest. We had a blast. It’s nice because Friday and Saturday nights they are open until 10 p.m..   The fest is one of our family’s annual little winter outings (the other is the windows on State Street) I think we’ve gone five of the past seven years. The first year the Fest was in existence, we happened upon a sign/billboard thing near Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park advertising it. We were down there visiting a physician for one of the kids when it occurred to us that this indoor thing is a better option while toting a newborn in a stroller than doing the Zoolights display at the Lincoln Park Zoo (which we still, almost seven years later, have still not done. it’s so mild temperature wise in Chicagoland these days, perhaps I should get the kids bundled up and just do it! I’ve been at the zoo more times this past year than I care to count, I think I should just take the advice of one of my clients and get a membership just for parking purposes!)

Anyway, Winter Wonderfest was amazing last night. They’ve added several attractions that weren’t there before and the girls and I went ice skating. I used to ice skate (A LOT) when I was a kid, took lessons for a number of years and entered competitions. How is it that I forgot HOW MUCH I love to skate? Seriously weird how I just totally forgot that I love skating. So last night was a great reminder of that. We went on this amazingly fun glider ride that made Maddie & I feel like we were flying. It was way cool. We did the usuals…the cookie decorating (Maddie has given the icing they use a serious thumbs down, Duane joked with her: “What did you think it’d be like?” I did everything the kids did, I love being a kid again, climbing up the inflateable HUGE slides and sliding down with no worries, riding the train, rocked on the big ginormous rocking horse…I probably was the biggest dork there. No matter, I had fun!

Here’s a few with the point & shoot camera (for the record, YES, I am still having a blast just pointing and shooting. Now that I’ve read the instruction manual (hehe) I get the camera features a bit more so I feel a little less chaotic with figuring it out.). Fair warning, I’m not doing anything to these files , just uploading them after resizing them. That’s the whole point of this little camera! 😉

Thanks for stopping in, enjoy!

All the Pretty Trees

The Big Tree

3 Girls on the Rocking Horse (and they sell the pix too, I bought one even tho this p&s shot isn’t 1/2 bad)

L Girl on Skates (for the first time)

On A Train

 

Doesn’t Maddie look THRILLED? 🙂

xoxo, Mare

Posted in Chicago Children's Photographer
Contact Me♥Email This Post♥Back To Top
add a comment
link to this post
email a friend
  • Elizabeth - December 23, 2007 - 7:51 am

    This looks like so much family fun… glad you all had such a great time.. and If I dont get back to you before.. I Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas

  • Joyce - December 27, 2007 - 9:33 am

    That last photo is hilarious! Merry Christmas. 🙂

« Older posts Newer posts »