Christina Forbes Photography Special Order Soap

I received an email one day inquiring about a custom soap order from Christina for her photography business.

After the email we had a long talk over the phone about her style, colors, feel, etc. Christina really wanted to have a soap as part of her presentation package for clients. She felt that her time spent with Jennifer Warthan of Warthan Farms Photography was very special and she wanted her clients to have a piece of that in their packages. So, we re-created similar soaps to those Jennifer had ordered.

She decided on the mini soaps because they fit her presentation boxes best.



The bars are simple, rustic and neutral in color. We wanted to keep with her logo and the feel of her blog, website, and social media sites.



The soaps are a cotton scent.

Christina plans to add natural string/raffia as wrapping and maybe some tags. I'm looking forward to seeing her final finishing touches.



I really enjoyed working with Christina. I love working with fellow artists to create special bars for them. I appreciate the opportunity to work with Christina. Please go visit her website!

4th of July Maternity Photography Shoot

Since I took my beginner photography class with Jennifer Warthan I've been on a mission to learn more and practice more. With that means I need subjects to photograph! Dynamo and Charlie have reached their picture taking tolerance level and appreciate when I find new people to practice on.

So, when Rachel and Clay asked me to take their maternity pictures I was beyond thrilled! Of course my disclaimer is that I make no promises, but that I will do my best! Rachel said that she knew they would be "heart pics" which I thought was super sweet!

We arrived one Saturday morning to two festively dressed friends!



Since Baby Lyons is due around the 4th of July it seemed only appropriate that red, white, and blue be the theme!

First, we snapped some pictures with their sweet dog, Bear, at their home! This is my absolute favorite!



Rachel was just glowing! You could really feel the excitement!



It's such a special time to be a part of and witness! There is so much love between them!



Clay had a great idea to head over to the Carillon and we snapped some great pics!! It had some beautiful architecture!


This little sweater was Clay's when he was a little guy! So, we had to incorporate it into the shoot! It's adorable! The lion for the Lyonses!



The red on the building went well with festive theme!



I love this one of Rachel glancing at the flag!



It was just a glorious day!

I just loved how the poses just came so naturally for them and fit their personality perfectly!



They are so sweet and were such good sports! I can't wait for Baby "Lion" to arrive!

Soon...



And, you can't be in Richmond without taking pics at a monument!

We took advantage of the beautiful brick wall nearby...



I'm so grateful to have been given the opportunity to be with our dear friends and help them document such a grand occasion. Thank you to both of you, Rachel and Clay, for asking Jeff, Charlie, and I to spend the morning with you! We love you!

Order up!

We work hard to make each and every request just right! Recently, we have had some lovely custom requests!



These pretty mini bars headed to a bridal shower! Scented with blueberry lemon verbena, these lovely bars were to packaged up with a tag saying "From Shelly's shower to yours!"



How clever!! I just love the bold navy blue! We try very hard to match colors (usually they are pretty close)!



Our friends at Warthan Farms Photography wanted soaps and lip balm for their workshop attendees! And, we were happy to provide! Jennifer loves pink and wanted to try the loofahs in addition to her custom cotton blossom soap. We also added some peppermint lip love to the package! Oh, I'm so excited!!



Hillary with Hillary O'Dell Photography wanted something special as a thank you gift when working with her new moms! So, we put together this pretty soothing lavender package! Lavender loofah soap, lavender oatmeal soap, and lavender mint lip love! What a special treat to show new moms how special they are to her!



Each and every custom order is tailored to fit the customer's needs and purpose! We enjoy helping you make your customers/clients/friends feel special! Thank you for trusting us to create something perfect just for you!

Warthan Farms Cotton Blossom Soap

I've been making soap and making soap! Recently, I received a special order from Jennifer at Warthan Farms Photography to create a cotton scented soap just for her clients! Remember the workshop I took with her?



She wanted a rustic bar that was natural and reflective of the farm and cottage where she holds her workshops and sessions!



This bar smells just like fresh clean cotton! We called it Cotton Blossom! I ground up some oats to give the bar a more rustic and natural feel as well as to provide exfoliation! The tags were special made with the ingredients listed on the reverse side and her logo on the front! The bars were wrapped with twine and tags attached!



































I really love how this bar turned out! Everything about it fits with her farm! It was a fun project and I look forward to working with her more!

And, I couldn't believe it when she included my soaps in her most recent giveaway! Be sure to enter!



I really enjoy special projects where we can customize the look and smell of each batch to fit a customer's needs!

Down on the farm with Warthan Farms Photography

You all know how much I love to take pictures! I get that from my mom! It's always been like living with the paparazzi! So, it's only fitting that I get that trait! So much so that if you look at my flickr account you'll see over 3,200 pictures of Charlie. I have my fur-child! He's my main subject to photograph! He even turns his head at times when I come at him with the camera. I know what he's thinking, "Not again, Mom!"

Well, Dynamo bought me a Canon Rebel about 9 years ago! I love this camera! It takes great pictures. I will attest to that! It's always in auto mode, though! I had no idea what to do with all of those silly buttons! That is until now! I happened upon Jennifer Griffin Warthan of Warthan Farms Photography thanks to our hairdresser! (she's Jennifer's cousin). After a few emails back and forth, I signed up for her Beginner Workshop! Dynamo has always encouraged me to learn more about my camera and this was the perfect opportunity! And, the plus was that I was supporting a local business. Her farm is only 5 minutes from my parents' house.

So...last Sunday I ventured to her Cottage right outside of the Town of Waverly. Right from the start I received a warm welcome. It was like I'd always known her! She was so friendly and personable. The class was small - about 7 of us. She brewed up sweet tea and her sweet and knowledgeable assistant made lots of delicious snacks. The environment was laid back. We all felt comfortable with one another as we grabbed our seats in her studio.



She did an excellent job of explaining the terminology and didn't rush through. She spent time making sure each and every question was answered, as well as took the time to get each different camera set up properly. Sure, the terms were slightly foreign to someone who only uses the auto button! And, I must say that it is still a work in progress for everything to click into place, but she was patient and deliberate with her talk. She allowed plenty of time for us to take notes and re-ask or re-word if necessary.

We even had models! My first efforts on manual weren't too good!







But, I learned that I didn't have the best lens to learn on! So, Dynamo got me a new lens that's supposed to be just right! What a sweetheart!

Even though the class was only 3 hours the learning still continues. I am now a part of a wonderful online closed group on Facebook that allows "photographers" to interact with one another. These are photographers of all skill levels! They post pictures, ask advice, and most importantly, encourage one another. And, since the class Jennifer has received a few emails from me with follow-up questions, which she has quickly answered. At one point she asked me a follow-up email saying, "did you get what I previously emailed you?" and proceeded to reword the explanation another way.

Recently, I posted this practice picture of Charlie in the group...



I asked for a little guidance! She didn't just leave a comment with advice, but instead Jennifer took the picture and then proceed to send me a quick screenshot on how to adjust the white balance!



It gave me a point to work from. And, I came up with this...



I think he turned out pretty good! My handsome little man!

And, I took this pic...



So, needlesstosay, I am super pleased with my experience and hope to go back for more classes once I get some practice under my belt! She's a very kind and helpful person. She wants you to succeed! Isn't that a great quality of a teacher? So, if you are thinking about finding someone to help you she's your lady! Check her out on her website and on Facebook!