Monthly Archives: February 2012

New Wedding, Engagement, and Boudoir site is live| Leap Year Tradition

Posted in Boudoir "Girly" Sessions, Engagements, Personal, press, Uncategorized, Weddings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on

Well this is the year people! A year when you get that extra day to catch up on something.  You get an extra 24 hours that you don’t normally have. I’d love to know what your going to do with your extra time.  What is leap day and why do we have it?  The geeky version of why we have leap year is so that the Gregorian Calender ( that most of the world uses) lines up properly with the earth’s rotation around the sun.  The more fun and romantic version is that women can propose to men.  Myths are that if a woman proposed to a man on Leap day he couldn’t say no.  It was a way for a woman to take control of her own love life and to help along those men who were sitting on the pot a little too long if you know what I mean.  This was a tradition that was pretty rampant until the 1960′s and free love took control of the world.

Well for me no matter why I’m thankful for the extra day. Here at Jill Johnson photography it is a very exciting Leap Day because we are launching the beginning of our new sites. Yes sites, you heard me correctly.  We will be launching our new wedding, engagement, and boudoir site today which can be found at www.jilljohnsonweddings.com.  Hopefully in the next week or two our new site www.jilljohnsonkids.com will be completed as well. (It is currently live as well as a teaser but is still under construction).  On top of all that our blog has been experiencing a new overhaul and will shine in it’s full glory with all it’s bells and whistles.  It has been very exciting and busy around here as we worked on creating a new  interactive and user friendly site.

Now is all of it complete?  No, but honestly, when is a site ever completed?  It is like a woman’s wardrobe constantly changing and evolving.  But I would love to point out some of the things about these new sites.  First of all you can still find all of my work at www.jillljohnsonphotography.com.  Here you’ll find a landing page that can direct you to the site you are most interested in.   It will also give you a sneak peak of some of our most recent gossip, news, and photos on the blog preview strip, and last but not least special flower buttons for you to share what you found with your friends, families, and social medias. Keep checking back because we are still adding more things to all of these sites as they evolve but for now we felt it was a great teaser.

The blog and the kid/creative portrait site will also have some of these great features as well as some other little tidbits that we’ll share when they are closer to completion.

Most of all I would love to thank all the people who have helped me put this all together.  It would have been released on the next leap year if not for their amazing help.  Pamela Francisco of Pamela Francisco Illustration, Eric at Big Folio, Ken Leslie (blog builder extraordinaire),Luke Goodman for the films, Andy Mark, and of course all my fellow photo peeps for their support and suggestions.

I hope you enjoy looking over the new look and I would love to hear what you think!  Stuff you love! Stuff you would still like to see! Suggestions will be taken in to consideration :) .  I love what I do and I”m so excited to be sharing just a little bit about my world.

 

Brad Pitt, A California King, and Two of my best gal pals| A Valentine Day Memory

Posted in Personal on

I thought the title might get you.  Valentine’s Day always brings up a wide range of emotions and memories for me.  But one of my favorite Valentine Memories was Feb 14, 1992.  I had recently moved to Santa Barbara, California to attend Brooks Institute of Photography to finish my degree. On top of that I was nursing one of those horrible, heart breaking, take the air out of you, all guys are scum break ups.  So, barely knowing anyone but a handful of friends I had just started to make, the thought of Valentine’s day made me want to just skip the whole day in general.

But God blessed me with two wonderful, crazy girls who would become lifetime friends and I believe the friendship really cemented itself on this particular night.  All three of us were single, no dates, and either was crushing on a guy or like me hated all men that night. Sorry guys but it was a great night of guy bashing. The kind that was good for my soul and that only another woman will understand.  We spent the night on my roommate’s bed with a chocolate cake with candy, cinnamon hearts on it, chips and dip, and Brad Pitt. (yes we were in our early 20′s how do you think we could eat that)  O.k. but let’s be honest it wasn’t the real Brad Pitt but his debut in Thelma and Louise.  I had to admit his debut in this movie gave me a little hope that not all men were bad.  With no shirt and his cowboy hat I think we all found hope in the existence of men.  A favorite phrase from the night and I don’t even remember why is “You can butter my muffin!”  It’s been just about 20 years since I’ve seen the movie and remember the general idea of the plot. But that night with my new friends was unforgettable.

The ironic or somewhat funny part of this story was really the next day.  These same girls and I headed to L.A. to a friend’s art show at the Bijou Pig.  You guessed it we met up with some of my roommate’s guy friends and on that night I met my husband.  Fate has a sense of humor! One night men were scum and the next night this guy brought a little light in to my world. He opened his mouth, sang and he had me at the first note :) .  Tomorrow it will be 20 years since we entered each others lives and had that 4am breakfast together at Denny’s (it had a windmill on it).  I think it would be smart of him to send Brad Pitt a thank you note for softening my heart again :) .  Or I guess maybe I should because I found a real keeper that night.

Hope you find love and laughter today no matter what.  I’d love to hear a favorite Valentine memory of yours.  Leave me a little love note below.

 

A Little Girl’s Mission | Apples for Haiti Orphans

Posted in Community/organization awareness, Destinations, events, Kids, Personal | Tagged , , , , on

Hey everyone just wanted to share this with you.  My nephew and his mom just went on a missions trip to Haiti to work at an orphanage.  My great niece sensed such an urgency to help these kids that she started her own fundraiser.  I am so touched and proud of her and her giving heart.  What a great way to show the love of Christ and for her to see that SHE can make a difference in someone’s life no matter how big you are.  Read below to hear more from her and if you can help her please contact them below for where you can send your donations.  Below is also some photos of her dad helping at the orphanage, and Bailey.  She’s the little blonde :) Last if you would like to leave Bailey a note of encouragement please feel free to do below.

 

Hello,

My name is Bailey Grace Eden, 6 years old, and I would like to help the children in Haiti.  I am asking for your help in raising money to help buy apples for the orphans.  Apples are very rare and the kids will love them.  I want to help so they can be happier and not be hungry.    My grandma told me that some kids don’t have any food and they eat dirt.  I would really like you to help me so they don’t have to eat dirt.

For one week I am going to read books and would like you to make a pledge to support my reading in effort to raise money for the children.   Please make a per page pledge that I will read in my Level  1 learn to read books.  Thank you very much for helping me raise money for the children in Haiti.

Name of Supporter:   _____________________________________________________

Your contact info  (email/phone):_____________________________________________

Pledge amount per page read:  _____________________________________________

Or designated donation:     _________________________________________________

I will be reading from Wednesday, February 8th-Tuesday February 14th.

 

A note from Bailey’s parents:

Our daughter has such a heart for the children of Haiti.  Her grandma and her dad have just returned from a 10 day mission trip.  Since their return, her passion has grown immensely.  She has such a sense of urgency in raising money to help feed the orphans in Torbeck.  She stated that she wants to send some right away to help out until she can raise more.  I ask you to help support my 6 year old in following her heart and living out her love for Christ by helping the less fortunate.

When I asked her what her goal is she said, $1000.  There is a team going to the orphanage on Feb 20th.  Bailey has a strong desire to send the money that she raises down with this team.

Please email your pledges to Amanda Eden at anjohns782@aol.com   or contact them via a message on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/amanda.johns.eden

https://www.facebook.com/edensco

For more information regarding the orphanage visit: http://www.childrenofisraelorphanage.org/

Thank you.

I Gave Birth to a Monkey | Our little gymnist

Posted in Kids, Personal on

This weekend my youngest son and I are heading out to Las Vegas!  This weekend he’s going to be competing in a competition in Las Vegas with kids from all over the country.  Besides this being the biggest competition he has participated in, we are so excited that our nephew from Colorado will also be competing this evening in the level 10′s.  This will be the first time the two cousins have been at a meet together and we are more then thrilled to watch the big cousin do his things.  So we would love for any prayers and good wishes for the two of them!  Below are some of the photos of Aidan from meets this year.  I wasn’t kidding when I said he’s a monkey.  The things this kid does makes a mother shutter in fear and stand in awe.  He just loves gymnastics and he works so hard.  He’s at the gym 12 hours a week and is carrying all A’s at school.  He’s a rockstar and we are so blessed that he is ours.  If you would love to leave Aidan some love I know he would get a kick out of it.