Here are a few tips that I’ve learned the past few years:

1) Time of day matters!!! The best shots were early morning (8:30 am) or late afternoon/evening around 6:30 pm.

2)  Bring a towel or something for the kids to sit on.

3)  Wagons, Buckets & stools make really cute props (and keep little ones somewhat contained!!)

4)  A small step-ladder can change your perspective for some different angles.

5)  Watch out/be prepared for bees and mosquitos and even snakes (thank goodness I’ve never come across a snake, LOL)

Here are some of my favorite images from this year:

Feel free to comment with any helpful tips you know for awesome Bluebonnet photos!

Cheers!

Gina

Miss Ashlyn just blew me away with her beauty, personality and sweet manners!

And that Louisiana accent…. I could listen to it all day

She came all the way from Jennings, Louisiana to Galveston, Texas to do her senior pictures with ME!!!!

I am so incredibly lucky!!!! (and honored)

Just look at how many awesome shots we got!!! I’m glad I don’t have to pick just one favorite!!

Thank you so much Ashlyn for finding me, and thanks to Jenny & Milton for bringing her to Texas – you have definitely raised an awesome young lady with a bright future ahead of her!!!!

Cheers!

Gina

Today’s first session in the awesome new studio was an unbelievable success!

For Liam’s 9 month session we did part in studio and part on-location for the bridge shots.

I have so many favorites but here are just a few to tease you!!!!

Look at that adorable naked baby….. doesn’t it just look like he’s communicating with the teddy bear?  Too cute!

Precious, precious, precious

Liam’s Mom contacted me to do his newborn shoot, and then we just kept on going with the Bella Baby Program to capture his first year (3, 6, 9 months and 1 year birthday session).

Comments are most welcome!!!

Contact me for more information on the Bella Baby Program or to do any photo session for you {Newborn, Kids, Seniors, Engagement, Families}

Cheers!

Gina

I mean, Really…..

Where did 25 years go?

My baby girl, Lauren Elise turned 25 today!

I still remember the bubbly baby girl & toddler,

the sweet little Beauty Queen who won her very 1st pageant she entered at age 2,

the inquisitive and active little girl who was always involved in some activity or sport,

and OH, those fun teenage years… who could forget those?

the College years and the UH Cougar Marching Band,

and now just look!!!

She has grown into a lovely and wonderful young woman,

Beautiful,

Independent,

Confident,

Successful,

Ambitious,

and very recently married to her high school sweetheart! (October 14, 2011 in Las Vegas) (I promise to post about the Wedding soon!)

Well time certainly does pass way too quickly, but lots of very special memories have been made!

I just know that I am so immensely proud of her and proud to be her Mommy!!!!

I love you, Lauren!

I”m so happy to share these amazing pics, I know her parents Erin & Steven are super proud!!!!!

Comments are always welcome…. contact me to do a shoot for you!  Newborns, Kids, Seniors, Engagement, Families and even Boudoir!

Cheers!

Gina Hickman

Well thanks to Pinterest, that is!  I have been pinning away all these delicious-looking recipes and finally started trying some of them.

You can find so many mouth-watering recipes and links to food blogs that show pictures and step-by-step directions on how to make each recipe.

I even created a Pinterest board that is specifically dedicated to “Crock Pot Creations”!  Click here to see all the deliciousness I’ve been collecting, but I have to warn you… you may get addicted to Pinterest yourself!!!

Here are some of my favorite recipes:

Baked Potato Soup

Pulled Pork

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Here are a couple that I MUST try soon!!!!

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Crock Pot Ribs

Brisket Tacos

I really want to get a new crock pot, not that mine is broken or anything…. but it’s ancient!

Really!! It is over 20 years old, I mean it’s the kind that doesn’t even have a removable pot… you have to put the whole thing in the sink to wash it (cord and all), LOL!!!

This is the one I have my eye on:

Does anyone have any crock pot recipes that you want to share?  Please leave me a comment or a link to your blog (or Pinterest)

Cheers!

Gina

I know I do!!!!

Everyone (or every woman) that I know does too!

I’m happy to share with you these adorable Gift Certificates that I now offer:

You can purchase these Gift Certificates in any amount and they can be used any time during the ENTIRE year after you purchase!!!

They can be used for Session Fees or for Prints and Products.

Give me a call and get yours today! Would make an awesome Valentine’s Day gift, Hint Hint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!

Gina Hickman

409-256-9116

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,900 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

She had so many great ideas and had found some places that I hadn’t even used yet in Galveston!!

He was such a good sport and I really think that they both had fun, and it was definitely easy to see that they were very much in love!!!

Here are some of my favorites, it was really hard to narrow down because they were all fabulous

Thanks for being such a wonderful couple to photograph!!!

I’m linking up with Ms. Jenny’s Alphabet Thursday for the letter “E” – for “Engagement” of course!

Cheers!

Gina Hickman

Here was the inspiration for my dip:

http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/11/mississippi-sin.html

I actually saw the recipe on Pinterest and it has been on my “Foooooooood” board for awhile.  What is Pinterest, you say?  Read here for my blog post about that

As you will notice, that recipe calls for ham… Well I know around here we LOVE some bacon, so I substituted bacon and bumped up the spice a little bit and made mine like this:

CREAMY BACON DIP

16oz sour cream (I used Daisy light)

8oz cream cheese, softened to room temp

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 pack of bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

3-4 green onions, chopped

1 tsp hot sauce (I used Tabasco)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt

pepper

French bread loaf
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, except French bread; stirring until well blended.

Using a gentle sawing motion, cut vertically to, but not through, bottom of the loaf, 1/2 inch from the edge, to cut out center of bread. Lift out center of loaf. Fill hollowed bread loaf with the dip. Wrap loaf with foil.

Bake dip at 400° degrees for 45-min to 1 hour.  Open top of foil and broil for a few minutes until top is golden & bubbly.  Serve with Crispy bread, crackers, fritos, or potato chips.

I combined all of the ingredients last night and baked it this morning so I could bring it to work this morning for our Thanksgiving luncheon.  I didn’t take a picture before everyone started trying it…. Hey, it has bacon in it so it’s for breakfast right???

Well this is what was left by 9:30 a.m…….

an empty French Loaf!

You simply must try this dip at your next event, you (and the people who eat it) will be so glad you did

Linking up with Ms. Jenny’s Alphabet Thursday for the letter “C”! Click the link to check out all the other participating bloggers and their “C” Posts

Cheers!

Gina