Form submitted successfully, thank you.

Error submitting form, please try again.

ashleyannphotography.com bio picture

Welcome!

Welcome to Ashley Ann Photography: creative! This blog incorporates a little bit of everything I love. I hope you enjoy my photography portfolio, as well as, find some creative ideas for other things. Please contact me at ashley@ashleyannphotography.com if you have any questions. Make sure to leave a comment if you see something you like. You will find that some posts are password protected. If you would like the password, send me an email and let me know how you found the blog. Thanks for visiting!

Studio news:
For information regarding SnapShops, look under the "categories" tab for SnapShops. Or visit my website.

I am currently no longer taking new clients for 2009. I am no longer booking weddings for 2009. If you are looking for a local photographer, please go to the "info" tab, you will find a listing there of local photographers. If you are a local photographer and would like your name added, please send me an email.

8:30am {fun, but I’d rather be sleeping}

2 boys awake at the crack of dawn, breakfast cooked/served/cleaned, shade, shaving cream and a mom running out of ideas….

I recommend unscented shaving cream. All my boys love to play in it and the clean up is easy if they are in swimsuits.

Our oldest (5 going on 17) was smart enough to still be sleeping.


Evidently I didn’t give him enough to drink with his breakfast.

For those of you disgusted by the picture above - I disinfect our hose each morning after I dust, vacuum and clean windows. I also have some ocean front property in Arizona, from my front porch you can see the sea. (You’re my new best friend if you know the legend those lyrics are from.)

And clean up…how cute are those shaving cream footprints?

All that fun, yet I really wish he did THIS in the morning instead.

Jamie - George Strait!!! LOVE him....

Faith Buss - ..if you'll buy that I'll throw the golden gate in free...

liz winsby - That is one of my girls favorite summer activities. They love the shaving cream. I'm starting to run out of things to keep them occupied. I was just thinking this morning that I need to get on the Family fun website because they always have cute ideas!

Anna - Classic George. I love your blog and reading about your boys because I have a 7 1/2 month son so I like to see what's in store for him in the future. You are such a creative mom! We live in North Texas...not too far from OK so maybe one day I can come take a photography class of yours! Happy 4th to you and your family!

amanda torres - Shaving cream...that's a potent scent! I used to use that in my classroom. 22+ kids with shaving cream all over their desks...overwhelming. Unscented shaving cream is of God!

Beth - Love me some King George! I'm on the countdown to his concert at Cheyenne Frontier Days - a sweet birthday surprise from my hubby. I'll sing along for you. : )

ashlee - his bedding is amazing!! where is it from???

meg duerksen - i have 8 cans of shaving cream that hiding away waiting for the perfect day to bring them out for a great big fun mess! i hope it's not at 8:30 though....ugh.

tanya - George Strait ROCKS! What fun pix (even if it is super early). :) We joke that we're going to get Mia an automatic water/feeder found at Petsmart bc she wakes up early, bright eyed asking for cereal and chocolate milk. I'll let you know if it works out for us in case you'd like to try as well.;)

Photo Tip {shooting fireworks}

Photo Above: ISO 100; Shutter Speed 13 seconds; f/11, 24mm; ON A TRIPOD

I hope you all enjoy Independence Day celebrations tomorrow. I thought I’d share a few tips for capturing fireworks:

1. You MUST use a tripod (or set your camera on something stable). This is the one time a year I use my tripod :)

2. Get everything set up before the fireworks start: find a great location without people blocking your camera, know where your timer is on your camera, make sure you have lots of memory and battery, you might also need a small flashlight to help you see your camera

3. Turn off your flash

4. Keep ISO as low as possible

5. Shutter speed will be slow…5-15 seconds depending on what you want. On the photo above I wanted to see the bridge, so my shutter speed was slow. If you want to freeze more movement, the shutter will be faster.

6. Play around with your shutter speed during the show, but once you find a setting you like remember it so you can use it for the finale

7. If you shoot right after the sun goes down you’ll get a vivid blue sky…like the shot above

***If you are using a point and shoot or don’t know how to change settings on your dslr, look for a “fireworks” setting on your camera. You can also play with the Tv mode, making the number smaller…

kim whitten - Great tips! Especially to capture the blue sky. :) Happy Fourth.

Emily Beaty - That's beautiful!!!

design*sponge

designsponge

I returned home from swimming with the boys…another attempt to induce labor. Bummer the baby didn’t come, but fun to come home and see my bed featured on design*sponge. I’m a big fan of all the creative genius over there, so I consider it an honor to be featured there…fun stuff.

go check out design*sponge, but plan on spending a lot of time there…so much great stuff

Lisa - Oh my goodness! That is awesome! I love that blog. The bed truly is amazing. It deserves all of the attention it gets :-)

Melissa Shepard - I've been seeing your stuff popping up on at least three of my favorite blogs, congratulations! You are so gifted and creative, keep it up!

Chrissy - I think that you are a creative genius... I'm new to this blog world and found yours and I love you decor and photography!!!!! Thanks for sharing your life. Maybe someday I will figure out how to make a blog myself:) Many blessings... with your family and your new arrival soon!

evie s. - Wonderful project and such a bright and lively room! Saw this on DS* today, but my friend Natasha has sent me links to your blog before. You do great work! Congrats on the baby girl!

Cristina - I so feel your pregnancy pain... My third pregnancy went over by almost 2 weeks (and that was AFTER we moved the date forward -- TWICE!). At the end, I tried everything (except for the nasty and questionable ways) to induce my labor. Nothing seemed to work. My midwife finally OK'd maternal acupressure, since it's safe and non-invasive. You might want to give it a try... This is the book I used: http://naturallyinducelabor.com/guide All the best and congratulations on running such a successful photography blog... What an entrepreneurial spirit you have!

Cagney - The bedroom is gorgeous! I would love to know more about the piece that you have hung from the ceiling. My daughter bought a bunch of chinese lanterns, wanting to do SOMETHING with them. We haven't figured out how to make them look great. What did you do here? Is it a light fixture as well? Great job!!

entering the girl world {sure fire ways not to induce labor}

For the record the baby isn’t due until the middle of this month…however, I was done being pregnant about a month ago (probably more like 8 months ago). I tried just about everything in the Oklahoma heat wave, well everything active to get to meet her a little early. I think I’ll spend next week laying down eating chocolate and let the boys live on snacks and tv - maybe that will get me to a hospital.

We headed out to BlueBell’s Taste of Summer - it was nearly 100 degrees when we arrived at 9:00am. I think the boys liked the trolley as much as the ice cream.

The first round of popsicles

My second bowl. I would have ate so much more, but once I sat down I couldn’t get back up to get in line again.

I asked the plant manager how many scoops of ice cream it takes to put a woman into labor - he just laughed at me. His wife was 9 months pregnant 4 times too.


Later that evening I chased the boys with my camera at a splash park. That didn’t work either. Our youngest loves splash parks as much as his brothers.


A pool date with my oldest. Upon entering the pool I did have the thought, “What happens if my water breaks while I am swimming? Would I know? If I did know, would I tell the lifeguard or just sneak out.” I probably would have told and then would have been remembered as the lady who they had to close the pool down because she contaminated the water. That didn’t happen either. (these pics taken with my point & shoot - and underwater casing)


We saw the boys’ cousins there….my boy being flipped by his uncle.

Underwater with his cousin. The water was real cloudy from chemicals.

I’m off to find a Hershey bar and a good chick flick…and a babysitter to chase the boys

keely steger - Ugh. Pregnant in the Oklahoma heat. Not a good combo- but not much longer! Hope and pray your sweet girl comes soon!

amanda torres - I am cracking up because I remember the post when you were 9 months preggo with Rett. How funny! I can't even imagine how ready you are!

Kari - Go outside this evening and shoot hoops for 2 hours! :) It worked for me ~ I guessed I almost bounced her out myself, as I was dilated to a 7 when I got to the hospital that night. She was even 10 days early at that! I pray that over the course of the next few days, God will bless you with loads of excitement, rest, comfort, lots of Hershey bars and best of all a sweet bundle of joy to rock in your arms! May God bless you & your family!

April - I think this is the first time I have ever commented on your blog. I LOVE it! I love all your photos, I wish I was that good:) Really, really beautiful:)

Shanalea - I hear ya about being done 8 months ago. I laugh when I hear about ladies having thier first. They relish in the fact that they are pregnant. I on the otherhand am over it and ready to be done. Yeah that you are this month. I have 3 and half months left. Ugh! I hope to see this little girl when I come to Oklahoma.

Entering the girl world {the nursery}

First, let me say ‘thank you’ for all the sweet comments on the pallet bed we made. I somewhat finished the nursery so I thought I post pictures of the rest of the room. I’m going to add pictures of her once she arrives.  Obviously, there is not a crib in the room. We’ll move her brother into a twin bed in a couple of months and then move the crib into her room…until then I’ll enjoy rocking her by the window, snuggling on the bed and letting her sleep in a cradle in my room so I don’t have to drag myself upstairs at night.  I really like having things in my home that have a significant value to me…not so much a monetary value. I have a treasure of things from my grandmas & great-grandmas, so it was fun to finally get to use those in a girly room. Onto the pictures:

I convinced Chris to tear up pretty new carpet (if anyone local needs carpet…email me) and install hardwood floors. We used pine, which is a soft wood because I want it to get dinged up with time and I wanted to paint it white. I have always wanted painted white floors…now to convince him to do it to the rest of the upstairs!

Details from the pictures below:

1. For the window tie back I used tatting handmade by my Great-Grandma. It is actually supposed to be sewn on the edges of a pillowcase, but I like it on the curtains (which my mom made).

2. A ‘framed’ Cora Pin…it is a reminder to me of how God used a precious baby girl - and how I pray my daughter will impact her world. The framed picture below it is of my Grandma & Grandpa Rankin. They live a mile away from us and I am so grateful my boys get to see them nearly every week. Nothing beats seeing my grandparents on the floor playing with my boys.

3. A quilt made by my Aunt Sandy, my monkey from childhood

4. The fact that my daughter has 3 big brothers will play a large role in the woman she becomes. I am grateful for this and celebrate it. Originally I was going to find some Alphabet cards for the letters of each of her brothers names…then I decided that was too much. So, I convinced my sister to design a poster that says, “B is for brothers”. I wanted it to have paper cut out people in pink and then 3 (for each of her brothers) in orange. I love how it turned out…my sister has crazy talent.

1. The framed picture from the local newspaper is of my Grandpa & Grandma Corbett in their massive garden. I have so many memories with them that center around their garden and food. The nursery overlooks our garden and the flowers in the vase are from our flower garden. My grandma passed away last year and we spend most Saturday nights with my grandpa. On the birdcage are more flowers made from paper. These were hanging from a wooden platform that Chris and I stood on when we got married outside. The two ceramic figures were painted by my oldest two for their sister…they love seeing them displayed on the dresser (which was mine as a little girl).

2. The hankerchiefs were my great-grandma’s and my grandma’s. The shoes are the first thing we bought when we found out we were having a girl.

3. The top quilt was started by my great-grandma and then finished by my aunt. The bottom quilt was made by my grandma..she makes all the kids quilts.

4. The framed pictures include our Dresses for Africa dresses, my pregnant self (will be replaced with a pic of her), a vintage poster my grandma gave me as a little girl, a fun poster from etsy, and  a mirror given to Chris and I as a wedding gift.

A few ‘before’ & ‘after’ pictures:

Thanks to all my family who handmade precious treasures for her room: my husband, first son, second son, mom, dad, sister, aunt, Grandmas, Grandpa, Great-Grandmas

Lisa - Oh my goodness. I love how it turned out. So many little treasures. What a special room and a special little girl.

bopha - Wow, what an amazing room. She will love hearing about all the special things and all the great stories behind them.

Rachel - It's beautiful. It is a perfect combination of your eclectic style weaving in vintage DIY with family treasures, social justice, and of course, those crazy big brothers. It reminds me so much of you. I love how the room is a picture of the wonderful legacy passed down to your little girl. She has no idea what amazing things lie ahead for her......

Carrie Sowell - Wow! Wow! Wow! You are one busy girl whose imagination must never turn off! The room is amazing and perfectly you! We also can't wait to meet this special little girl! Hope you're doing well!

Katie - This room is perfect! Thanks for the inspiration :)

Courtney Connelly - The nursery is perfectly done as it reflects your family in every detail! Can't wait to hold sweet baby girl!!!!

sheridan - Love it! You've created a beautiful room that holds very dear memories for you...how fun to walk in there each day!

patti - it's just beautiful. now i want to redo my girls' room! thanks for sharing!!

Jess - Megan told me about your blog a month ago or so. I have been reading ever since. I love the nursery. So beautiful and full of meaning and memories. And the Cora pin in the frame is awesome. It made me cry. I love the idea and may have to frame one somewhere in my house too. Thanks for sharing with me. Praying for a healthy little girl!

Shannon Phillips - I LOVE, I LOVE, I LOVE!!!! I didn't think it was possible but it looks even better than when I saw it in person. She is one blessed little girl and she for sure has the coolest room I have ever seen!

crissy - I love this nursery! I think it's great that it's not like the cookie-cut nurseries that you normally see. I love the originality and just looking at your pictures...oh! that room just looks so inviting and lovely. Your baby girl is a lucky little thing. amazing.

Lauren - What a blessed little baby! Love the room! And, I love you!

erin conrad - so i'm not a big fan of nurseries. i can never get into the pastels of pink and blue and storks and noah's ark. just not my thing. and i don't have any kids yet but i like thinking about what i would like to do someday...anyway, this is hands down the MOST AMAZING nursery i have ever, ever seen. i am in love with every part of it. it is perfect. job well done! i can only hope someday that mine could be half this beautiful and wonderful.

Lisa JM - Oh my goodness! What an inspiring room. You are so fortunate to have so many talented people in your family. How special for your daughter that they have all contributed to her room! Did all the paper lanterns come from Michaels?

Lisa JM - sorry - i see that the lanterns came from the Martha Stewart Collection at Wal-Mart! So Fab!

tanya - Simply stunning. She will be the happiest little girl in the girliest of rooms. Precious.

Sarah - You have to share where that awesome light fixture came from...or at least how you took the seperate items and put them together! :) This baby has an amazing room!

meg duerksen - amazing ashley. serioulsy amazing. i want to paint my floors too.

Emily Beaty - Loveeeee her room!!! WOW! That pallet bed is amazing; you are so creative. I love your style. :)

ashlee - a.m.a.z.i.n.g!!! thats all i can say!

pallet daybeds are all the rage… | pia jane bijkerk - [...] wrote a great post about how she made her pallet bed! Please check it out here. Also photos of the full nursery here. So. Beautiful. 2 Comments « thank you for the mention: selvedge! « » [...]

SnapShops Round 4 Student Pics

I am excited to share some of the pictures the girls from the last SnapShop took…I ask them to send me 1-2, usually I weed them down if they send more. However, I didn’t do much weeding this time….(these are in no particular order…)

Charissa - Thanks for a great class Ashley. I've been having a lot of fun practicing. I am anxiously awaiting pictures of your baby girl!

megan nix - had a blast, as i knew I would!!! THe pictures look great. Everyone did so well!!

Where did you get that?

There were lots of emails and comments asking for information on some of the stuff I used on the bed…so here you go:

The quilt was made by my Aunt Sandy using Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern fabric and pattern

All of the lanterns are from the Martha Stewart line at Walmart:

White Eyelet Lanterns

Orange & Pink Lanterns

Pom Pom Flowers

The Polka Dot garland was also from WalMart, but I can’t find it online.

To attach it to the ceiling I made a rectangle frame from dowel rods. I then tied each lantern to the dowel using fishing line. Finally I found 2 ceiling studs, drilled holes into the beams, attached 2 eye hooks and tied the frame to the eye hooks using twine.

DIY {pallet reading bed for the nursery}

UPDATE: For those following a link directly to this post, you can find pictures of the entire nursery HERE
UPDATE: I recently found out the owner of the bed that inspired mine, check out her incredible site HERE

When we began planning the nursery I really wanted a spot I could read with our kids and snuggle with them. Since I won’t be working as much, I have great hopes that maybe every once and a while I could cuddle down for a nap with one of them. So in working on the nursery, I began working on a ‘reading bed’ for us. Granted this will be a great bed for naps and for kids, but it is not designed to be an adult bed. I was inspired by this picture and then made it my own.

Materials:

Wood pallets (ours a bit smaller than the standard size)

Palm Sander

80 grit, 200 grit sandpaper

5 large caster wheels

4 hinges

Thick foam for the ‘mattress’ - mine is from a fabric store then covered in a down comforter and soft bedding

The instructions are a simple as can be: Sand the pallets good and smooth. Bolt the two together on the tops and bottoms. Add caster wheels to all 4 corners and one in the very center. The wheels on mine are locked, except for the center one. I used an old door to sit behind it - just because I liked how it looked. Simple enough.

Before & After

I began building it when Chris was in Egypt. Before he left he told C to help me out while he was gone. I was in the garage sanding and C said, “Mommy I don’t think you should be doing that. I can do it.” Thus, he had his first experience with a palm sander. He did a great job. My dad helped me attach the hinges and wheels. Thanks dad.

The quilt was made by my Aunt Sandy, the monkey was mine when I was a little girl, the pillows are from Amy Butler fabric and the white blanket is from Ikea…

Thanks Sandy for the quilt! My mom made the cute stacking rings in the basket by the bed. Yes, I come from a great family.

A few close up shots. I choose not to sand all the markings off the pallets. The last shot is a reflection, not a framed picture.

I also need to thank Tom & Weston for finding me pallets and delivering them. Those suckers were heavy. Thank you!

Now I just need a sweet baby girl to cuddle up with on it….

Eventually I’ll get pictures of the rest of the room posted…

Jenny - So cute Ashley! Where did you find the round lanterns?

Aunt Sandy - WOW, WOW, WOW. The room is amazing, I love it. I can't wait to see it in person with the sweet little baby girl in it. Love the reading bed, what a great idea. It's so neat to see Corbett in there working on the room with you. He's such a good helper. Great room and great pics. Love it, love it, love it. Aunt Sandy

leslie - wow, so pretty ashley! i posted about your room today. thanks for letting me share!

Carol - Everytime you create something, I'm just blown away by your talent. You are proof that breaking all the "rules" works just beautifully. Love the room and can't wait to see the baby in it and me preferably holding her!!!Love you!!

Jeannette - I expect amazing things from you!! This is so awesome, I love it. Everything is wonderful!

christina larsen - So creative. My oldest is wanting a platform bed in her room. We saw pics in pottery barn and I said, surely you could make one on your own, it couldn't be that hard. Well, you proved to me it's not. Not sure when that project will get started, but thanks for the directions and motivation.

Lauren - As I look as this, I can see the talent goes deep in your family! I love the quilt from your Aunt and the ring toy from your Mom! And your bed is awesome, of course :) You guys are very gifted!

kayla - freaking adorable! what a beautifully wonderfully DIYully fantastic idea! baby girl will undoubtedly love it.

Natasha Perryman - Super cute. I have been on the lookout for some cute bedding for when Avi Joy moves to a big bed. Did you make your quilt or where did it come from? If you have a minute I would love to know. Thank you for Always inspiring me to be a better and more creative mommmy! Natasha (natasha.tobefree@gmail.com) or facebook Natasha Perryman

Cate O'Malley - Ok, in the great minds think alike category, love it! But no, not the bed (although I love that too!), but the pink tissue paper pom-poms over the bed. Martha Stewart yes? I used those exact things (love them!) as decoration for my daughter's first birthday party in February, and after the party, I couldn't decide what to do with them... then I had the brainstorm to hang them over her crib, like a much prettier mobile, or just something fun and girly and swirly for her to look at. The problem? I can't get those suckers to stay up! They're strung on fishing line - tape to the ceiling (even lots of it) didn't work, and I hate to use something more permanent or less pretty than the poms themselves. Help!

jill - VERY neat...this belongs in a magazine! :)

Natalie Jane - LOVE! It makes me want to do my new baby's room all over again!

meg duerksen - you are amazing ashley. this is so industrial and pretty. i love it. the prettiest room around. it's gorgeous!

Laura Casey - I stumbled across your blog through a link. Such a beautiful room - and I LOVE the lanterns and paper flowers above the bed. Inspiring. Please share where you found those great white lanterns and the others as well. Thanks - and congratulations on your baby. My fourth babe just turned 16 months and I am sad I won't have great nurseries to decorate anymore.

patti - love this idea! i saw your link posted on "whatever". you have a beautiful nursery! thanks for sharing!

Jesse - Super cute Ashley, I love it!

ashlee - amazing!!! i also love your painted wood floors! what kind of paint did you use and how does it hold up to so many little people?

bopha - you never cease to amaze, it all looks awesome.

Lisa - wow. it's perfect! this is like something out of a dream. you are so stinkin' talented. I do think the reflection picture SHOULD be a framed photo :-)

Melissa - I adore what you have done here - It is sweet, and girly but in an elegant, sophisticated way - the door was a great idea. And the painted floor - I want to do that so bad at my house. Melissa marie

Ryan - I just saw your bed made it onto Design Star! Awesome! Congrats! :)

BlueBell Taste of Summer 2009 - tomorrow

I am not bashful about my love for BlueBell ice cream. In fact, as I write this it is 100 degrees outside and since hot coffee doesn’t sound great I am snacking on a bowl of BlueBell coffee icecream while I type. If you mix double stuff Oreos with BlueBell Coffee ice cream - incredible. Chris used to work for BlueBell when Corbett was one. Corbett and I would go visit him for lunch once a week and get ice cream straight off the line…words do not describe how good it is. In fact, that was my one request of him for my 30th birthday…figure out how to give me that. Each year BlueBell hosts Taste of Summer. It is pretty much an all day event. For a small admission price ($4.00 over age 6) you get all the ice cream you can eat - and there is all kinds of games, entertainment, etc. We’ve gone since Corbett was 3 months old…all my pictures before 2007 were on film, but here are a few from the last two years:

2007 Corbett & Hudson (I think Hudson and Rett look so much alike)

2008 - crazy how much older they look than the year before

Taste of Summer is this Saturday. You can find information on times and admission here.

I know I said I post pictures of the nursery this week, but I didn’t get around to it. I will have a post on Monday on the reading bed we made for the nursery…so check back then. sorry.

christina larsen - We have a love for BlueBell in our house, too. Yummy. We so wanted to go tomorrow, but aren't going to be able to. Have lots of ice cream for us.

meg duerksen - if we didn't have ball tourneys....we may have made the drive. my husband loves blue bell. :)

Abigail Smith - LOVE, love, LOVE BlueBell ice cream. There is nothing like it on a hot summer day. Nothing.

Cate O'Malley - Sounds like great fun - love the pics, as always!

Julia Leinen - So, we took your advice and went to the Bluebell Taste of Summer this weekend. We loved it! We had a great time and will definitely go again next year. Thanks!

Ashley - I just found your website thru d*s - great daybed btw.I was born in TX and love Blue Bell ice cream. Unfortunately you can't get it in NC. I am so jealous!

DIY {various free printable projects}

So here is a little collection of free downloads I have found online…too many cute stuff available out there!

Thanks You’re Sweet labels for cookies by Blissfully Domestic

Printable Popcorn bag by Mushy

Super cute Bookplate labels by Orange You Lucky

A variety of cute printable labels at the Container Store

Cute Pet ID Tags printable onto shrinky dink paper by Martha Stewart

Craft Calendar by Canon Creative Park

Vintage Trims Gift Tags by doe-c-doe, found at Craftzine

bopha - very cute, i love the cookie bag labels. Thanks for showing us these great ideas so we don't have to look for them.

Kari - Thanks for the ideas! I spent over 2 hours on Blissfully Domestic- Creative site!!! Found lots of neat ideas for Christmas gifts- thanks Ashley!