Portrait Parties--A Word from our Hosts

Our portrait parties have been very popular since the day we started offering them. After holding these parties for many years, we thought it would be nice to hear from you, the hosts, that pull these parties together.

Our first host is Greta Eskridge. Greta has hosted 4 portrait parties and she shares with us why she keeps coming back for more.

I attended my first portrait party with Dodgen Photography 5 years ago. Not only did I come away with wonderful pictures of my family, I also decided I wanted to host a portrait party of my own.

It seemed like an easy thing to do, a fun way to introduce my family and friends to Jeremy's amazing photography and also, a really easy way to earn some credit towards purchasing more photos from the session.

I was right. It was all those things. But after hosting my fourth portrait party this year, I have found it to be much more.

I host my parties in the fall. (That way there is plenty of time to order pictures for Christmas.) We have used three different locations and in those four years, our family of three has grown to a family of five. Hosting the portrait parties has been a fantastic way to document our growing family, as well as the families that join us each year. I love looking through each family's portraits to see how every one has changed from year to year.
It has become more than a party. It has become a tradition.

If you are hesitant about scheduling your own party or being a hostess, let me put your mind at ease. Judy and Jeremy make it easy. Finding people to attend won't be hard either, once they see Jeremy's photos.

I look forward to working with Jeremy each year for my portrait party. The pictures he takes are some of our family's most treasured possessions. I am so glad I decided to host that very first party. I look forward to doing it for many years to come.

In addition to this post, Greta is going to be a contributor to the Dodgen Photography blog. Greta is a stay at home mom of 3 kids. She is pursuing a new found love of photography, and writes two blogs of her own, Lilly and the Brothers and Picnics in the Park. Look for more posts from Greta on photography news, book reviews, craft projects and more.

Recycled Forest

I love artist, Yuken Teruya's work in which he transforms everyday objects (like toilet paper tubes and Happy Meal Bags) into intricate vignettes. I also thought it fit in nicely with our series of posts about the creative reuse of cardboard.

Signs of Spring

The first day of spring is right around the corner and with it comes the return of the monarch butterflies who will reawaken after a four months in hibernation. Many of the preschools I photograph at raise butterflies from larva each spring, giving the children the opportunity to witness up-close the complete life cycle of these beautifully delicate creatures.

Small Friends Preschool takes this a step further with their butterfly tent that is large enough for a child to sit in. Climbing in the tent gives each child the opportunity to get hands on experience with the recently hatched butterflies, and gave me the opportunity to capture some great photographs during my annual visit.









If you are interested in raising butterflies at your home, it is pretty simple and inexpensive. Amazon offers the Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden kit for just over $14 (plus $3 for five butterfly larvae and special food, ordered using the included mail-in voucher). The kit is reusable and the larvae are available year round, so you can raise butterflies at any time of year, though butterflies should only be set free in temperatures over 55 degrees Fahrenheit.



Where Butterflies Grow, by Joanne Ryder is an excellent picture book about the life cycle of butterflies and would be a perfect companion to the butterfly kit. Read it before starting and refer back to it throughout the process as a reminder of what will happen next.

We first discovered it online as an audio book. It may seem strange to have an audio only version of a picture book, but Joanne Ryder's text gets children's imagination actively involved from the very first line. "Image you are someone small hidden in a tiny egg...." This line sets the stage for an engaging journey from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. Ethan has even acted out the story while listening.



The picture book is equally enthralling. It's detailed watercolor illustrations by Lynne Cherry provide lots for kids to observe and discover. As a postscript, Ryder includes suggestions on how to prepare a portion of your garden to attract butterflies or encourage the ones you have raised to stay.

Pizza Box Tabletop Soccer and Cardboard Tube Marble Run

The latest issue of Family Fun magazine has several cardboard reuse ideas that look fun and fit into our series of posts about creative (re)uses for cardboard. Our favorites are Tabletop Soccer made from a pizza box and a magnetic Marble Run made from paper towel, toilet paper and wrapping paper tubes. Click the preceding links for complete instructions.

Cardboard Fire Station

Making believe is the gist of his whole life and he cannot so much as take a walk except in character.

Robert Louis Stevenson

A couple of years ago when Ethan said he wanted to build a fire station, I thought he was talking about a little one for his numerous fire engines. When he clarified that he wanted one that he could fit in, I was not sure where to start.

Inspiration came when we realized we could use his loft bed for the frame and the box from our new wagon for the walls. Curtains the he could open and close, a door through which the fire engines could come and go, and door knobs for the front door helped complete his vision.

One of the things I love about cardboard structures is that they are temporary, so when the kids have a new interest or want a new challenge, the box can be modified, stored or just recycled. To make these transitions easier, I like to use Velcro Cable Ties when attaching the cardboard to furniture like loft beds and table legs. They make it easy to attach and detach cardboard without ruining the furniture or the box. I did not take detail photographs at the time, but you can see the small black straps along the sides and under the main door of our fire station.

What always amazes me (a perfectionist) when creating things like this, with and for Ethan, is how much his imagination will take over to fill in the gaps, look past the inconsistencies in scale and smooth over the flaws in construction. I have to remind myself that it is more important to make it, than to make it perfect.

Now I implore you to go collect the props, set the stage, and open the curtain to your child's world of make believe.

For more creative cardboard project ideas, click here.

Happy Valentine's Day

A Different Kind of Valentine

A couple of Februaries ago, a tree branch stood on a bookcase in our living room. Little red and pink hearts, on white ribbon swung from it. It was a Valentines Day decoration, of course. But it was something a bit more than just colored hearts and ribbon.

Each heart had a message on it. They were love notes for the whole family. Encouraging words, thoughts of thankfulness and simply things we liked about each other. In a few minutes time, we could remind one another of the special love we share. A love that is bigger than candy conversation hearts and boxes of chocolate (although those things are quite nice too).

You can incorporate this idea into your own family's celebration of Valentines Day. A simple tree branch can be found in your yard, or bought at a florist shop. Just make sure it has plenty of space to hang your hearts.

The notes can be hung every day for each member of the family, or you could choose one person each day to shower with love. Because they are small, these notes can also be easily saved for years to come as a special reminder of Valentines Day that year. You can even put them in that shoe box your child decorated to keep all his valentines in. Or if space is an issue, a Ziploc bag will work fine. The most important thing is remembering those special words you shared with one another.

We'd love to see your tree and hear about how your family added this idea to your Valentines Day celebrations.

Look for the Helpers

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in this world.
Fred Rogers

I am sure that it is no coincidence Family Communications, Inc. sent this as their Fred Rogers quote of the month, in light of the recent events in Haiti. It is good advice for children and grown ups. Tragedies can leave us feeling helpless, but here are a few ways to help:

Talk with your children. Family Communications has some good tips for helping children deal with tragic events in the news.

Donate to one of the relief organizations, like American Red Cross. Text “90999” with the message “Haiti” to donate $10. The cost will be added to your cell phone bill.

Charity Navigator has an extensive list of organizations that are assisting victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

Christina Katerina and the Box

I can't write about cardboard box creations without mentioning one of my favorite books, Christina Katerina and the Boxby Patricia Lee Gauch.

When Christina's family gets a new refrigerator, she gets a world of possibilities from the box it came in. The story follows Christina and her friend Fats, as they transform the box from a castle to a secret clubhouse to a race car to a summer mansion where they throw a lavish ball for their stuffed animals and dolls. The box is finally damaged beyond repair when Fats decides to wash it off with a hose. Fortunately, Fats' family just got a new washer and dryer...

The simple line drawings, by Doris Burn (who also wrote and illustrated the wonderfully imaginative Andrew Henry's Meadow, another favorite of mine) provide lots of inspiration for box creations.

Cereal Box Houses

Photograph from Bella Dia blog

Continuing with our series of posts about creative reuses of cardboard, here is a simple box house idea from the Bella Dia blog. When I was a kid, I always looked forward to finding the prize in the box of cereal. Now the box can be the prize. I think mine would have a garage door cut in the side for my Hot Wheels. Go to Bella Dia for detailed instructions.