On International Women's Day I am struck by the amount of hashtags referencing #likeaboss.  The one edit I would suggest is that we should call it #iamtheboss instead!  Women are not "like" anything.  We can do it all and I see it firsthand everyday.  

When I started in the corporate workforce on August 10, 1999 I remember we went through an orientation where I said my goal was to become CEO.  At the time I was thinking of that in regards to my current employer.

However, years later, I am proud to say that I created my own opportunity where I AM the boss, CEO and chief everything else and I am honored to work for so many female clients that respect my balance for work and family.  

Whatever you call it, women have the power to empower each other and I am thankful to all of those that gave me the confidence to take on this role in life.

#iAMtheboss

My best #pictureperfectpointer ever is one that involves you farming out the foto work to someone else.  How great is that?

Whether you hire a photographer, enlist a family member or even better, leverage a service provided by your vacation-of-choice, it is always worth the extra dollars to divest of that task.

Even as avid hobbyists that we are, there is nothing our family takes advantage of more than the Memory Maker services on our annual Disney trips.  Why we even tote the camera around I am not sure.  While each picture taken may not be frame-worthy, I can assure you that when you get a great one it is worth the investment.

Find a friend or farm it out, anything to create a free-from-stress foto opp!

So those pesky elves move around each night from shelf to somewhere unexpected..like the candy dish.  Our family this year decided to catch each night's antics by photographing where our two elves wound up.

While we often think of photographing the obvious moments in life, things like this are even better when you look back on them months or years later. 

I always look at our family photos as the scrapbook of our lives.  They remind me not just of the special occasions, but also of the everyday antics and annual traditions that we took part in through the years.  

Embrace snapshots, not shelves, this season!

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I was happily surprised this year to have two of our holiday photo package clients request that their dog be included in the family photos.  Of course we were thrilled to oblige!

As a fellow pet owner myself, I totally understand how our pets are just as much of the family as our human children (because let's get real...for most of us our pets were our first children, and in the case of mine they like to make sure I never forget it!).

Whether you get professional pictures or not, try and take that picture of your precious pet at least once a year, if not more.  If the kids aren't complying when you do their session and it is too much to aim for one group photo, a stand along image of your furry friend to include elsewhere on the obligatory holiday card works just as well.

Either way, your pooch, parrot or purr-fect pet deserves to have their cuteness captured.  

Of course at special occasions everyone has their cameras ready.  However, afterwards there is sometimes this false sense of security that you do not need to share you photos since there would have been a professional photographer there.  How could your images stack up against theirs?  Why even bother?

Do not doubt yourself or the value of your photos to the guest(s) of honor.  The pros are only human after all, so there is no harm in sharing.  Quite often they may miss something that to you stood out because you know the individuals and what matters most to them.  In fact, you should shoot away even more than you think and consider a post-event gift to the hosts by sending a link to the photos or even better...giving them a photo book of the pictures you captured.  When it is your big day you can never get enough!

Now you say you don't have time to make that book...well, I think I can help in that area.  Just ring me to get started!

Of course there are the obligatory shots at every birthday party that capture the guest of honor with a cake full of lit candles...as there should be.  However, do not forget to click away at all the fun times leading up to that.

For my son's recent luau-themed party we did everything from a limbo to decorating brownies as tikis (and have a ton of pictures of that as well).  Some of the biggest laughs came when we pulled out the whipped cream and a popular game where two kids could challenge each other to see who was best at avoiding a face full of that fluffy stuff.

The big highlight was when my son was able to challenge our long-time mother's helper since it was his goal to play against an adult.  Looking back, it was a sweet moment (pun intended) that we will cherish.

On your mark, get set...snap!  

While my patience may be slim on certain topics - especially if you ask my husband - I am always game to take 1, 5, or 10 pictures to get that perfect shot.  That being said, I never dare to ask the stand-in photographer who volunteers to capture a family moment to embrace the same craziness.

The good news is that when the best two shots have one different family member squinting or blinking in the best two images, I do not fear.  That is when my ability to take a face from one photo and copy it over to the next makes all things right in the world of Mom. 

​With technology I lead a charmed life!

Raising two sons that show no interest in having their picture taken, I have tried it all to capture that perfect family photo. Bribes, threats to take away bribes...nothing seemed to work.  In the end, my husband and I developed our own method that has a decent success rate. What is our secret?  Well, the tickle monster of course. 

There is this stretch of time, particularly between ages three and six, where asking my children to "say cheese" turns into this horribly forced smile with a chin so high up in the air you can barely see a face. Realizing that the tried-and-true "cheese" method was out, we endeavored to find something that worked for us - the tickle. Right before the photo is taken, we give an oh-so-gentle tickle and prompt them to look at the camera.  The result?  On the worst attempts, you still win by getting to enjoy the sound of laughter.  At best, you walk away with images like you see from our recent trip to Newport, RI.  Plus who doesn't love wrapping their arms around their little ones?  It may not always work, but it is worth the try!

Sometimes what makes a picture perfect is not the technique used to photograph it, but the subject matter in it of itself.  Of course that would apply to images of our family and friends, but for me it also is reflected in how a party theme ultimately came together.

The two images I selected this month are from back-to-back parties that I held at my home celebrating my son's 5th and my 40th birthdays.  

I get great pleasure transporting our guests to somewhere other than my regular dining room.  From table skirts to table cloths, we keep it fresh and most importantly fun.  Lately I have even leveraged my chandelier by hanging objects from it using ornament hooks. The decor helps me serve up the perfect themed menu from rainbow-inspired dishes for my son's Trolls party, to all-time favorite diner delights for my 1950s party.