Maternity Photography by Koren

May the sun bring you new energy by day,
May the moon softly restore you by night
May the rain wash away your worries
May the breeze blow new strength into your being
May you walk gently through the world
And know it’s beauty
All the days of your life

I’m opening a new studio in Greenwich, CT!!!!! SO EXCITING!!!

The buildout is in full swing, but I’m planning an all-day extravaganza to open my brand new studio on November 14th.

Where: 85 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich, CT
When: November 14, 2009

Stay tuned for more details!

After having a baby, one of the biggest concerns mothers have is getting the post-pregnancy weight off. As we all know, sometimes its a little difficult to get motivated or find the time to try to figure out what you’re supposed to be doing. If you have the means, getting a personal trainer is great, but if you don’t, well, there are other tools you can use that can be just as effective. And once you drop the pounds, a boudoir photography session is just the thing to show off your new body!

One of the coolest sites for weight loss and getting healthy in general that I’ve come across is the LiveStrong website. The Lance Armstrong Foundation, along with Demand Media, created the site to encourage everyone to live a healthier lifestyle, to transform their lives, really, and have infused it with a ton of tools to keep you motivated and informed. One of the best is My Plate, a completely free food tracker. It calculates how many calories, fat grams, protein grams, etc, you’ve consumed throughout the day. MyPlate has many of the brands of food you know and love, so after a quick search, you input how much you ate, and it’ll do all the math for you. Easy, right? On LiveStrong, you can also blog about your journey, upload pics, join groups and get local exercise routes from other members to try. Its very cool, and my favorite part is the tagline: “Dare to Change Your Life.” How can you NOT be motivated?!?!

If you haven’t heard about Frank Warren’s “PostSecret” books or websites, then you are missing out on a really great social experiment. According to Wikipedia:

“PostSecret is an ongoing community mail art project, created by Frank Warren, in which people mail their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. Select secrets are then posted on the PostSecret website, or used for PostSecret’s books or museum exhibits.

“Since Frank Warren created the website on January 1, 2005, PostSecret has collected and displayed upwards of 2,500 original pieces of art from people across the United States and around the world.”

Some of the postcards sent in are sad, some are funny and others are very uplifting. Here is a sampling of some of the postcards sent in:

Every little girl loves a tea party, but not every little girl gets to celebrate her birthday with a fabulous “Alice in Wonderland” themed tea party! I came across these wonderful photos at jessica claire. Are these not the cutest decorations?! What a great idea! Makes me wish I was a little girl again just so I could have one too.

Toys R Us is great, but sometimes you want to give your child toys full of whimsy and magic. An awesome place to go is ROMP, an exclusively online store started by mom and designer Jenn Labelle. Not only do her products make great gifts, but they’re also awesome accessories to have on a baby or children’s photography shoot. Below are some of the cutest toys I’ve seen in a while (take note of the wooden camera – my favorite!):

Found this awesome little quiz, and decided to go ahead and do it. Marcus Buckingham wrote “Find Your Strongest Life”, which will be added to my library very shortly. According to the website:

“Find Your Strongest Life also introduces Marcus Buckingham’s Strong Life Test, a unique profile-builder that measures individuals against nine distinct roles—Advisor, Caretaker, Creator, Equalizer, Influencer, Motivator, Pioneer, Teacher, Weaver—and reveals each woman’s Lead Role, the role she was born to play—the role that she and her closest friends and family will recognize as her core self. Used in conjunction with the book, the Strong Life Test can be a powerful tool enabling women to tap into their best selves and find their strongest lives.”

So if you need a little direction, this is one great place to look for guidance. Take. Quiz. Now!

I love Russian tea cakes and have been known to whip some up for clients to snack on during a photo session. This is a great recipe from Betty Crocker (Dec 25, 1987). Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 c soft butter (NOT margarine!)
1/2 c sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
____________
2 1/4 c white flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c finely chipped nuts (optional)

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients, then stir into creamed mixture. Chill about two hours. Roll into 1″ balls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and roll in powdered sugar immediately. Roll again when cool.

How cute! As a blogger, this thought crosses my mind all the time. Get one at Forever 21.

Here are a few great coupon codes to use for some fabulous discounts! You can find these and more at dealnews.com, one of my favorite discount shopping sites. You’re welcome!!

Babies R Us – Use code “930411″ to get a $5 off $25 coupon. Expires 8/31/2009.

Blue Nile – Use code “SPECIAL20″ to get 20% off (no min). Expires 12/31/2009.

Bobbi Brown – Use code “Eyes66″ to get a free full-size Shimmer Wash eye shadow w/ $65+ order. Expires 9/27/2009.

Lord & Taylor – Use code “LOVE” to get 15% off regular & sale items, 20% off clearance. Expires 8/25/2009.