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[ i'm celebrating with a contest! ]

05.10.2010

first, let’s celebrate!  my new web site, blog, logo and overall re-branding are 99.9% done, and i am so excited to share it with you.  such a beautiful job by the ladies at silverbox creative studio!  [ thank you susan, michelle and kym! ]

now, the contest!  i love pictures with vibrant colors, but I especially love how my new design looks with black and white portraits.  So, i am offering a complimentary, all black and white session plus a 4×4 petite-album to one  winner! If you would love some gorgeous, rich, creamy black and whites for your walls, leave a comment on this blog post or send me an e-mail to be entered in a drawing for the b&w session. Forward this to your friends so they can enter, too - if a new client that you refer wins the complimentary session, then you will also win one!

The contest ends Sunday, May 16, so don’t delay! [Winners will be selected randomly and announced on the blog on Monday, May 17.]

Note: contest open to both new and previous clients. Winners must reside in Northern Virginia. Session will take place before June 23 in the Reston/Herndon area. Session limited to 1-2 subjects; additional subjects $25 each.  Session proofs and orders will only be available in b&w.

and, of course…what’s a post without a pic…

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by christa

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[ pie. ]

05.09.2010

i have met so many wonderful mothers and grandmothers in my job.  the love you have for your children or grandchildren is always obvious from the moment i meet you.  sometimes things start out a little hectic (we all know getting children ready for their portraits is stressful!), but my favorite moment during a session comes when i look back after i take the perfect picture and see so much love and pride on your face – you can finally relax.  you know you’ve done a good job, although you may not hear it very often.

here’s to all of the wonderful mothers and grandmothers i have met…and those i hope to meet!  happy mother’s day!


i wish you each a day of love, handmade cards and noodle necklaces…and maybe a guilt-free piece of pie all for yourself, too! no sharing…you deserve it!

just for fun | tags:

by christa

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[ under construction ]

05.06.2010

you might notice the blog looking a little different right now…it is “under construction”.  The wonderful designers at silverbox creative studio are giving my blog a facelift using the new logo and patterns they designed.  keep checking back – because when it’s done, there will be a celebration…with giveaways, too!

don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss anything…should be finished soon!  oooh, i’m so excited…

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[ product preview: frames ]

05.05.2010

I am so excited about the frames I am offering!  So many yummy colors and styles!  The finishes on these beautiful handmade pine frames are so unique…ranging from distressed shabby chic to elegant metallic glazes.  And that’s not all…every frame can be customized with coordinating trim, making your framed piece a one-of-a-kind work of art for your home.

With so many colors, options and styles to choose from,  I am confident that we can plan a framed display that works with your decor and enhances the beauty of your finished portraits.

Just you, me and my frame samples…together we’ll create beautiful, timeless art for your home!

Note:  Please allow up to six weeks for custom framing.

What are you waiting for?  Call today for your portrait session and we’ll create beautiful images to frame in your home!

Sessions are available by appointment only.  703.623.4415 | info@portraitsbychrista.com


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[ product preview: albums ]

04.28.2010

I often hear, “I love so many of the portraits from our session!  I can’t narrow it down!”

If this is the case, the Session Album is the perfect option for you!  This album is a stunning presentation of your session’s images…20 custom designed pages, beautifully showcasing your favorite portraits.  The Session Album is available in your choice of twelve luxurious, textured covers.  This will be an album that you display and share with friends and family for many years!

Also available…the petite session album.  It’s the perfect companion to take in your purse and makes a wonderful gift for grandparents.  You’ll love the simplicity of this petite album…a clean, modern design that showcases ten of your favorite images.

Note: each album is custom made, so please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.


Spring is in full bloom, which means it’s time to schedule a spring or summer portrait session.

Sessions are limited and dates filling quickly, so call or e-mail today!   703.623.4415 | info@portraitsbychrista.com

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by christa

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[ sharing a recipe ]

04.22.2010

i was cooking these carrots with dinner…shocker, I know, because those who know me know i really don’t/can’t cook and prefer my dinner from a menu!  i thought i would share the recipe with all of you…my kids are so picky (and so is their mom!), so if these are a hit in our picky house, then they must be good!

glazed carrots

1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut on the bias 1/4 inch thick

1 oz. (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter

heavy pinch kosher salt

1 cup good-quality ginger ale

1/2 teaspoon chili powder  *my son loves it with extra chili powder!!

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

In a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat, combine the carrots, butter, salt and ginger ale. Cover and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove the lid, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cover again and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the chili powder and increase the heat to high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the ginger ale is reduced to a glaze, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.

(Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown from the Food Network.)

can’t have a blog post without pictures…i didn’t get a picture of the carrots before we ate them, but here are some pics of my kiddos.  these were taken last weekend.  i love these because even though the pics are just snapshots taken with my point-and-shoot camera, they represent the things my kids are passionate about right now – horses and hockey!

just for fun | tags:

by christa

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featured session…so sweet!

04.20.2010

big blue eyes that make you melt…

and a few more because she’s so adorable…

baby photography|children's photography | tags:

by christa

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if your walls could talk {featured walls}

04.14.2010

More from my original post about sharing your wall displays…

I love seeing how my clients display portraits in their homes.  When I visit a client’s home for the first time, I love checking out wall spaces and seeing what they have displayed.  I just love to walk into a room and see your existing portraits and see empty places waiting for some new ones.  Your existing portraits tell so much about your family, and your blank walls give us so much room for creativity!

The three wall displays posted below are quite different in style, yet give you great ideas for your own home.

This first one is from my mom and dad…a wall for their six grandchildren!  hmmmm….wonder where they will feature their great-grandchildren?!

This one is from the Singer family – several b&w wall displays throughout their home, and plenty of spaces to add their family portraits this spring!  b&w displays can create such a classic display, and can also be perfect for a contemporary decor.

This last one is from the Campbell family – love their huge canvas over the fireplace in the family room – it make an already cozy room feel so warm.  i’ll bet many of you have a space like this perfect for a large canvas or framed fine art portrait!

Thanks everyone for sharing your wall displays!  so many great ideas!

It’s not too late to share your wall…keep ‘em coming!  They are such inspiration for all of us to get our own pictures off the CD or out of the box and put them on display!  If you would like to have your beautiful display featured on my blog, just send me an e-mail to info@portraitsbychrista.com and attached the jpg image files of your displays.

Look around your home – do you have wall spaces that need to be filled?  Call me today 703.623.4415 to schedule a spring portrait session and we can work on telling your family’s story on your walls!

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by christa

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our cat, lucy…

04.13.2010

last week it was the dog (who is getting better)…now it’s the cat.

our hearts are heavy this week…our cat has been “on an adventure” since sunday night after dinner.  at some point that evening she managed to sneak away and we haven’t seen her since.

please come home, lucy…your family misses you.

updated 4/15:  yipee!  she came home this morning at 6am!

just for fun | tags:

by christa

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our dog, mandy…

04.09.2010

this week, my blog post is about my dog.

my dog is almost 16 years old.  what’s that, like 112 in human years?  besides the grey on her face and the few extra lumps and bumps on her body, today is the first day we can see physically that age is catching up to her.

on wednesday morning, we woke to find her stumbling, walking crooked, trembling, dizzy, eyes twitching like crazy…not good signs…signs that pointed to a possible stroke.  the vet confirmed that something was indeed wrong, but the diagnosis was “old dog vertigo“, apparently something very common in older dogs, with no known cause really.  we’re treating her with stuff humans take for motion sickness, and it is slowly starting to pass – she isn’t bumping into as much when she walks although her head still tips to the right and she definitely still lists in that direction, too…but she has returned to barking anytime I am on the phone which is a good sign!

so, just a little tribute to my “old dog”…if we could all look this good in our old age!

UPDATE 4/12:  she’s feeling much better – still walking a little crooked and hold her head in a tilt, but her personality and spirit are back to normal!

just for fun

by christa

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