Lovely big sister…

Really, are these eyelashes fair?? And such a little ham to boot…

The family all together…

These two were great together!

Thank you, Simpson family for letting me share this part of the Holiday with you!

The first I would consider my favorite “Candy” Store. Although they don’t really sell candy. They sell Teas. Hundreds of loose leaf, delicious smelling, wonderful tasting Teas. Take a look inside Fleur de Teas…

Cozy welcoming tables and chairs, holiday decorations, Tea and treat samples…I just love this place! Rows and rows of exotic, soothing, yummy Teas. Under every bag is a little jar with a small amount of tea so you can see, touch and smell before you buy. How clever is that?!

Not to mention all the fun Tea related accessories you can buy from mugs to diffusers, hand poured Candles and even a line of luxury Bath products that smell heavenly!

And to top it all of, the owner Holly, is one of the nicest most knowledgeable people you could meet. She will gladly answer any questions and tell you all you want to know about a particular tea, or suggest one to your liking. My favorites are White Cloud, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Creme Brulle. So stop on by and buy some Tea or a Gift basket! Fleur de Teas is located at 5812 N 16th St. in Phoenix AZ. They are on the Southwest corner of 16th Street & Bethany Home Rd between the Phoenix City Grille & Salon Kismet. Find them online and like them on Facebook, too!

Continuing on our tour of Yumminess…do you know about Smeeks?? If you don’t, you should! Smeeks is a darling little one stop shop for all things sweet. I jokingly refer to Fleur de Teas as my favorite “candy store”, but Smeeks is my kids favorite, hands down!! I know they are dreaming of one or two of these treats in their stockings this year…

Smeeks also sells a nice assortment of sugar free and vegan candy as well as fun retro candy and candy from Asia and Canada. Besides the treats, you can pick up a fun gifts for all ages. They have some pretty unique items you won’t find any where else, guaranteed to put a huge smile on the face of the recipient. Plus, gotta love the little gnome!

So come, be a kid in a candy store, for real Indulge your sweet tooth and discover one of Phoenix’s best kept secrets. Smeeks is located at 14 W. Camelback Road in Phoenix, AZ. You will love them in person but you can also Like them on Facebook!!

Alas, our treat fest is over for the day. Just in time to head out and do some shopping for stocking stuffers! Hmmm, three guesses where you will be able to find me this weekend…

Next week…find out all about my three favorite places for a healthy body and mind. Until then, Happy Friday!

A new favorite…

Merry Christmas, Hills! Thank you for letting me share this day with you

I would love to pay the blessings forward by gifting a complete Portrait Session including all High Resolution Images on a disk. There are no limitations this year on who can win….Nominate a family, a new or soon to be mom, or a High School Senior. Husbands, think your wife is amazing and know she has always wanted portraits done? Do you have the most amazing Mom/Dad/Best friend whom you want to give the gift of memories? Tell me all about it! What I loved last year was reading about the teens whom you love and are proud of. I am so looking forward to reading your stories this year!

Tell me about the truly wonderful person who should win a free portrait session! Tell me (in a few paragraphs please!) why this person is so wonderful and most importantly, why do you think they should win a free portrait session. These do not have to be hardship stories. Tell me about the person who makes you laugh the hardest or bakes the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. Me and my trusty nominations committee (READ: Me, my husband, my mom and my three kids!) will pick one lucky winner based on the entries. And yes, you can nominate yourself!

The What:
The winner must live here in the Phoenix metro area. Portrait session will take place between Feb 1 – March 30, 2011
The winning entry will receive a 2 hour Portrait Session at a location here in the Phoenix metro area and the entire disc of all the final, edited images (usually 30-35 per session). There is no obligation to purchase anything! Wahoo!

The Who:
Nominate someone in your life and email me as to why he/she is so wonderful and deserving of a free session. (and remember, you can nominate yourself!)
I must receive all emailed entries by Midnight PST Friday, December 10, 2010. The Winner will be announced by Noon PST here on this blog and on my Facebook page on Monday, December 13th….just in time to make this a great Holiday Gift!

The How:
Send emails to sandi@sandishipleyphotography.com. Email me your entry by the deadline. Include your own full name and contact information. Also include the name of the person you are nominating, how you know them, and why they are so deserving. If you want to include a small picture of the person you are nominating you may but it is not required! The winning entry will be emailed to make arrangements for contacting the winner. Tell a friend!

The Fine Print:
Emails MUST be received before the deadline. Entries received after Midnight on Friday 12/10/10 will not be considered. Winning person(s) must either live here in the Phoenix metro area or be able to get here and session must be completed in February or March of 2011. Dates will be scheduled according to photographers availability during those months.

That’s it! Let the nominations begin!! Again…send entries to sandi@sandishipleyphotography.com

Looking back I had to laugh…shopping for three kids, different genders, ages and sizes is much harder than it looks! But we did it. I feel your pain for all of you who have ever asked the dreaded “What do we wear??” question.   So here are some of my favorite shots from our afternoon out.   And yes, my cards actually made it out this year in time for Christmas

1. Purchase a Session Gift Certificate and and I’ll include a $100 Print credit! Know someone who has always wanted to have pictures done of themselves and their family? Let that someone know you love them by giving them a gift certificate that includes both the photo session and $100 to use toward their print orders. Gift Certificates are a beautiful and easy way to give portraiture as a gift to your friends and loved ones. The rich pearl certificate is enclosed in an equally stylish Envelopment with a Sandi Shipley Photography brochure so your gift recipient can immediately see the exceptional quality and the value of your thoughtful gift. Gift Certificates can be mailed directly to the recipient or to you to deliver in person!

2. Book a Maternity Session receive a complimentary Newborn Session!
There are few things more beautiful that a woman who’s ready to bring new life into the world! Maternity sessions are a perfect way to capture the love between two people and the excitement of starting a new chapter in your lives. Maternity sessions can be done in the privacy of your own home or on location at a favorite spot here in Phoenix. Follow up with a session capturing your precious newborn and your family together. Tiny toes grow so fast! Don’t let the newborn stage go by without creating treasured keepsakes!

3. Book a Senior Portrait Session and get a free 8×8 Album of all your images! Senior sessions are done on location and focus on all that is unique about you! Fashionista, serious Athlete or Entrepreneur in the making, tell the story of who you are with custom images. Get out of the cookie cutter plastic prop factory and do something different that you will love. Senior sessions are now booking with only a limited number of sessions available in the spring.

Email me at sandi@sandishipleyphotography.com to purchase any of the above or for more information. Happy shopping!