As one door closes another one opens.... and this door is... a NEW BLOG. This will be the last post made to this blog. Please update your bookmarks, RSS feeds, or blogreaders to the new blog and website found at the following link:

NEW HIP Studio BLOG

And since I can't post without a photo...here is one last photo for the blog:

I know I just posted this photo on my blog last week, but I thought it was very appropriate for this week's photo challenge at I ♥ Faces.

Wow, I stink-- I linked to the wrong photo with no face and didn't even check it.. I"m modifying my post now to correct the mistake-- sorry about that!

Original photo which had no face removed... oopsie!

A couple weeks ago a segment aired on the Today show about newborn photographer (and colleague) Tracy Raver. If you didn't catch it, you can view it here as she has some amazing work to share => TODAY SHOW SEGMENT. Since then newborn photographers across the country, including Northern Virginia and including myself, have been getting calls to capture newborns like Tracy does. While I can't promise to do it exactly like Tracy, I can do it HIP Studio style! Newborn photography is an amazing art, but no two artists are exactly the same! Shortly after this segment aired, pediatricians and experts chimed in on the safety of posing newborns for the sake of getting the artistic shot. Rest assured, I will never put your newborn child in harms way during our shoot. So today it is only appropriate for me to share a newborn session with you :) And I even have some of big sister at the end! Enjoy!

I was all set today to post a session preview on the blog, but since mom and dad already have the gallery I'm delaying that one day. Today I want to take you on a little journey...

As I was searching for hair flowers at Marshall's today... I happened upon these gorgeous Renaissance Dresses for little girls. I touched them and the quality was really good (for a Halloween costume). I usually let the girls pick their costumes at Party City-- even there for the tear away polyester they end up spending about $25 each on a costume. Now they'd much prefer a more expensive costume from the boutique catalogs that we get in the mail! Every year they drool over the same one... it is a beautiful gown with puffy sleeves, a cape, and a crown. The little girl in the picture has beautiful long hair... every little girl's dream. They ask, even though they know the answer. Can we get this one? I look at the pricetag of $80-- and multiply that by 2 and add shipping! "Not this year... I reply." This request always surprises me a little because my girls are not what I'd call "girly girls"-- they are rough and rugged with a feminine touch :) So back to Marshall's... I look at the sizes of the two I had picked up and they were a 7/8 and a 10/12... just the sizes I needed. Then I look at the pricetag and it said $29.... SOLD! I brought them home and two very happy little girls proceeded to provide the neighbors with a wonderful Renaissance (or Narnian as they called it) fashion show. So if you have a Marshall's closeby and you have little girls who like to dress up, you might want to drop in and have a look this weekend!

It is Wardrobe Wednesday, and I have found a few things that could really spice up a wardrobe and look fabulous in pictures, as well! This first find is so adorable! It could really add a nice pop of color to jeans and a shirt without looking too girly-- with boys sometimes that's a challenge! I've seen the orange and turquoise striped one against an orange oxford shirt-- really cute!

These were found in the Belle and the Beau Etsy Shop

This next find is something that any little boy would love to play in. This would make a great portrait study for your 3-6 year old super hero guy! What a cute idea! This superhero cape set can be found in the Babypop shop on Etsy.

Now this next little find, I haven't decided whether it scares me or it's cute., one thing is for certain-- it is a conversation piece! It and many other monster designs can be found at the Etsy shop NissaLisa.

And last, but certainly not least, this hat which was introduced to me by one of my fantastic clients! She purchased it from the Etsy store, OopsIKnitItAgain. So, so cute!