Little Bites of Heaven

Lilly | Central Illinois Lifestyle Photography

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:11:00 +0000

This beautiful baby girl spent the first half of our session really working the camera + the second half, she spent upset with me for dragging her into the big bad world of nature. Lilly is a tiny one year old + reminded me very much of my girls at her age. She was really quiet + sweet, but she also has a side to her personality that involves a bit of a spark.

Courtney + Tom, I had so much fun + it was wonderful to see you...you have such a tender + loving family. Enjoy your sneak peek...

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Halen | Central Illinois Lifestyle Photographer

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:54:00 +0000

This little one's Mamma has been waiting oh so patiently for this sneak peek of their session from almost 2 weeks ago. Halen is the most charming 9 month old I have ever spent time with...full of smiles + just in love with both the game 'so big' and his Mommy (you should see the way his face lights up when he is with her...so sweet!). I am so excited to show you the rest, Brooke...and you won't have a long wait because I am almost finished with your session!

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

It's time for a contest!

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:52:00 +0000

I stumbled across Clickin' Moms this summer, and joined on a whim as the result of a (crazy good) special they were running at the time. Since then, I have found it to be a wonderful community of women, one that has helped me to learn + grow in ways I hadn't expected. Only recently have I started to truly explore all that they have to offer + I am a little disappointed I didn't utilize it sooner. The forum is filled with advice, talent, tips, product reviews, discounts, tutorials and so much more. In fact, I recently discovered another local photographer + we set up a lunch for next week!

The best part about the community is that there are amateurs working alongside professionals + everyone has respect for one another. You don't have to be experienced to join, the only requirement is that you share in a passion for photography.

Clickin' Moms has generously offered one of my readers the chance to win a 1 year (a $50 value) subscription!

Here's how to enter...

There is so much wonderful gear out there, but you can truly take wonderful photos with just about any camera you have. It's true. Take a look in the Halloween post (just below this one). Some of the pictures in the post were taken with my sister in law's DSLR (mine is being repaired...I am not sure I will ever get it back!) and some were taken with my pretty basic point and shoot. To win, correctly identify which two photos were taken with my point and shoot. All comments with the right answers will be entered into a random drawing and the winner will be notified via email. (so make sure you leave your email address!)

Contest ends November 12th at midnight cst and the winner will be announced on November 13th.

The only rule is that in order to win, you cannot already be a member of the community, this contest is only open to new members.

Can't wait to see if you win? Click the banner to sign up today!

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Halloween.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Things are slowly starting to return to normal around here. Well...maybe we are not so much returning to normal, as we are regaining a new sense of normal.

I couldn't resist posting a few of our Halloween pictures from this year...The Peaches had a blast. We only trick or treated at one house, but they ate enough candy to make a grown man sick. Yet they hung in there, digging back into the bowl time and time again for just one more. M&M's were by far the favorite. I think James ate an entire Sam's size bag alone. Though the girls were not far behind in terms of volumes of candy consumed...

Cameron was the butterfly, James the dragon + Ella the busy bee.

Lydia + her friends painted their shirts. How awesome did they turn out?!?!

This is by far, one of my favorite photos of the evening...

If you want to see more, there are some additional images posted on my Flickr page.

I have a fun contest planned for tomorrow...and it is going to involve some the photos in this post. So pay attention + I will see you back here bright + early! (Ok, maybe I won't actually be here bright + early, but I do promise the post will be up sometime tomorrow.)

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

When it rains.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:32:00 +0000

This past week has been a rough one.

Among the things we have been dealing with? A broken camera, a job loss and a car accident (no injuries, thankfully).

But all of that pales in comparison to the most devastating news. On Wednesday night, my uncle passed away. Gumbo was a wonderful man, he was my father's brother...and he will be greatly missed in our family.

Today is his visitation, tomorrow his funeral.

Comfort is something my family, my extended family, is going to need a lot of over the next couple of days. If you pray, could you send some up for everyone who loved Gumbo?

Much love...
Rachael

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Josh, Lindsay + Nikolina | Family photography

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:10:00 +0000

My sister-in-law and brother have been trying to schedule a family session with me since July, but the timing just never worked out well. There have been several times that the weather thwarted our plans + it threatened to do so again for the one we had scheduled this upcoming weekend.

But early this week the temperatures made a climb into the upper 60s (on the very day that just happened to be their 2nd anniversary) + so we decided to use the pleasant weather to our advantage and headed out doors for their session.

And I have to say that I am so glad that we did, because I am loving the results of the unexpected change in plans!

My beautiful, curious, very entertaining niece...

and her Mommy + Daddy.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.

Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Music Giveaway | Brandi Carlile

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Photo by Jeremy Cowart

Brandi Carlile is an extraordinary singer-songwriter. Critics are praising her artistry, Paste Magazine calls her the "best voice in indie rock" and her childhood idol Elton John duets with her on her new album, Give Up The Ghost (released by Columbia Records on October 6th).

Brandi was inspired to pick up the guitar and learned to play after seeing the Indigo Girls in concert at Lilith Fair. Her last album, The Story, debuted on Billboard's Top 200, peaking at #2 on iTunes and was named one of VH1's "You Oughta Know" artists in addition to having many of her songs featured on various episodes of "Grey's Anatomy".

She's toured with the likes of Ray Lamontagne, Dave Mathews Band and Sheryl Crow, who raved about Brandi's live performances, "She has the most amazing voice I may have ever heard. Soulful. Country. Perfect in every way and propelled by taste."

I just love her sound and happen to think that her newest album release is incredible. So I am beyond excited to be able to give away a copy to one very lucky person!

If you want to win a copy of Give Up The Ghost, just leave me a comment below with the title and artist of your all-time favorite album. If you want to earn an extra entry, just spread the word about the contest (via Twitter or a blog post) and leave the link in another comment.

Contest closes at midnight (cst) on October 27th and the winner will be chosen via random.org.

If you can't wait to see if you win, you can listen to her first single right here...

or you can purchase your very own copy of her album here.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Pink Week.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:34:00 +0000

If you would like to see more of this week's entries, head over to I ♥ Faces.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

I caved.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:54:00 +0000

Despite our success during the day yesterday, I have to tell you that I gave in this morning at about 5:00am + put the little ones in diapers.

It wasn't for my sanity (though it was an incredibly wonderful bonus), but for theirs. I really just don't think that they have the sleep time control yet since they slept right through peeing through everything; waking up to confusion + tears several times throughout the night because they were wet and cold. Exhaustion is not going to help them learn anything, nor is it going to help me teach them.

I plan on continuing to potty train, because I do think that when they are fully awake + alert they are aware of the signs + ready to potty train. But I just don't feel it is fair to push them.

I am going to continue to use cloth diapers at night + perhaps during nap time as well. I know that most advice recommends against that, but I think that 2 year olds are smart enough to differentiate between daytime + sleep time. The Peaches have no difficulty with that concept in regards to their taggies, the girls' thumbs or James' babi (pacifier), so I am hoping that it translates to potty training as well.

And if it doesn't, then maybe they aren't quite ready yet.

All I know is that right now, they are tucked back into bed, sound asleep + warm. Which is what life should be for a 2 year old.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

In the trenches.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:06:00 +0000

We started potty training today.

Needless to say, the day was long.

After going back + forth between the merits of potty training The Peaches one at a time or doing a potty training boot camp, I decided on the latter. There were several things that nudged me in that direction, but since they are all showing the signs of readiness, potty training all three of them at once made the most sense.

That, and the fact that I really am just tired of changing diapers.

Though the day was long, it really wasn't an awful day. It was filled with lots of accidents, lots of successes, lots of laundry + lots of happy dances. I kept them in underwear all day long + full of fluids so that they could get lots of practice. We even made an hour long trip in the car to pick up Lydia + James was only one who had a very small accident. Naptime was a bit of a struggle for Cameron, but we made it through the worst of it + she ended up napping next to me on the couch while I tried to get some work finished. There were even several moments towards the end of the day when each of them let me know they had to go before I even asked.

They went to sleep tonight in their (already washed several times today) big girl + big boy underwear. I made sure to cut off all fluids about an hour and a half before bedtime. I made everyone go one more time before we headed upstairs. Of course, when I put them down for the night, both Cameron + Ella had accidents immediately. So I changed them, tucked them back in + said goodnight.

I have no idea how things will go as the night progresses; since I fear the worst I am hoping that it isn't as bad as I imagine it will be. But just in case...I plan to enjoy this moment. Because for right now everyone is asleep, everyone is dry + everyone is happy.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

{love stories}

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Savvy Photographer

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:58:00 +0000

If you are a photographer, you must check out this site. There is so much inspiration + fabulous ideas to be found there, plus they have incredible giveaways. This weekend's is pretty darn amazing...you don't want to miss it!

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Catching up.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:30:00 +0000

I have not been feeling very wordy lately.

Probably because I am spending all my time catching up from the great computer crash of 2009. The new computer is amazing + having a laptop (I haven't had one since I was pregnant with The Peaches + in the hospital) has increased my productivity tenfold (well, on the business side of things, anyway). I am looking forward to repeating this past Sunday afternoon every week; spending time outside the house, catching up on work at a favorite local coffeeshop.

The business consulting is going amazingly well....I am so excited to be able to be a part of such an incredible program + feel wonderfully calm and optimistic about where my consultant is leading me in my business. Which is a welcome change from my usual frantic energy + anxious mindset when setting off on a new adventure. Photography sessions are also chugging right along + I have to say that I truly enjoy each of my clients. It is wonderful to get to know so many different people + I feel honored that they trust me to use my art to capture their moments.

The most exciting news (for me, anyway) is that I placed my first print orders from two different clients yesterday + I am working on an invitation order today. I cannot wait to get them back + see how they turned out!

And before I forget to mention it...I am planning on doing a few Halloween costume mini sessions for a couple of friends next weekend, so email me if you are interested!

Lydia finished up her cross country season last weekend at Sectionals + did well despite a hip injury, getting her 2nd best time of the season. She has a form of tendonitis on her hip bone, which is related to her growth plates still being open. Once she is finished growing she will grow out of it, so in the meantime she just has to stretch her muscles to ensure that they don't tighten up. Seriously, though, I wonder how tall this girl is going to be...she is already 5'9''!

The Peaches are busy, as always. And funnier than ever. The things they say + the things they do just make me laugh many, many times throughout our days. I will have to capture some of their energy + humor on video so I can show you, because words just cannot do it any justice.

And since so many of you said you missed their faces, here are some recent images...

I ♥ Faces “Excited” Photo Challenge

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:49:00 +0000

I know you all have seen this photo before, but it is one of my all time favorites + what I thought to be a perfect entry for the 'Excited' theme for this week's contest over at I ♥ Faces.

You can visit I Heart Faces to check out the rest of the entries.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.

Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

1, 2, 3....whee!

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:26:00 +0000

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

And just like that...

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:30:00 +0000

I am back to operational.

Thanks to some help from people who love me + believe in me. People who are helping me to make this dream a reality.

With each step I have taken so far, I have encountered signs. Most have been positive, encouraging me to continue to where I am headed; some have been negative, making me think that I should not continue to push forward.

The one thing I have realized over the past few weeks is that even the setbacks, roadblocks + bumps in the road are there to help me get where I want to go. They force me to think, analyze, verify that this is the direction I want to take. They make me choose, they make me act, they make me follow through.

I sat last night, for 20 minutes or so, with my new computer (still in the box) on my lap; hesitating to open it, as nervous as I have ever been.

John was trying to watch a baseball game (one that determined who his team faces in the playoffs) + patiently kept saying, 'Rachael, it is just a computer.'

And I know that it is, of course, just a computer.

But symbolically it is just so much more than that. It is a new beginning. One where I gather everything I have encountered + experienced, keeping only those things that enhance my spirit + leaving behind those that destroy it. It is the moment that I choose to forget everything I think is truth and instead believe something new.

I have spent so much of my adult life focused on who I was, that I kind of forgot to be who I am. And now it's time to be her, time to be me.

If you know anyone who is looking for a photographer, send them my way. If you are looking for a photographer, send me an email. I am bursting with ideas + I want to get them out in the world as soon as I can.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Setbacks, roadblocks, bumps in the road...

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Early last week, my computer died.

Yes, the new (used) computer that John purchased for me just a few months ago. We had just really gotten to know each other, my computer + I; spent enough time together to really fall in love. And then she died.

As part of an assignment from my business coach (thank you to the grants for the program), I was rearranging our house. Setting aside a room specifically for work so that I could draw boundaries, separating my home life from my work life. Though that is hard to do when your work is very much about life + very much in your home, I understood my need for it. We all worked furiously the weekend before to clean out a room, so we could devote that room to work/art/creation.

And then early in the week I finally moved my computer from the kitchen to it's new home. I was excited to have this space, my own space, where I could focus + hopefully get more done in a shorter period of time. As I proudly scanned my new workspace, full of inspirational touches, I was happy to see that the transformation was near completion.

Satisfied with the outcome of all the hard work, I turned off the screen + switched off the light switch, getting ready to head upstairs for bed. But, in my haste I failed to realize that the power strip my (still on) hard drive was plugged into, was plugged into the same socket that the light switch controlled + as soon as I realized what I had done I switched the flip to turn it back on + then just as quickly panicked + switched it back off again + then on again.

As a result, my computer would not boot up; I believe that I fried my power supply.

So, I freaked out. And had a bit of a meltdown. I wondered how in the world we, I, could deal with such an enormous setback. Even believed I didn't have what it took to launch my photography business, pursue this dream. I let doubt not only creep in, but take over.

Until I realized that it was something I needed. The lack of a computer to distract me forced me to spend time rearranging my thoughts + developing my ideas. It allowed me time to just stop everything I was in the middle of so that I could gather all of my strength as I move forward. It also allowed me to spend more time focusing on my family, to learn how to separate the two worlds.

And now, with much more clarity than I had before (and I thought I had a lot of clarity before), I know again that this is what I want to do. And I now know why I want to do it + how I want to do it + the focus I want to have.

I also know that I am looking forward to every last bit of the experience.

Even the bumps in the road.

My computer is currently in for repairs. Still. And I have yet to hear word on its diagnostic analysis, so it won't be back until tomorrow at the very earliest. In the meantime, I am plugging away on whatever machine I can find. Unable to be as productive as I would like to be, but certainly not giving up.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Marshmallows.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:01:00 +0000

Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo.

This video made me smile. It is a new version of a study originally conducted in the 60s, looking at a correlation between delayed gratification + impluse control with success + happiness later in life.

I just love watching the faces of the kids as they try to resist eating the marshmallow...

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Peaches' choice. (Day 2)

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:36:00 +0000

Everyone chose sandals with socks again today. Cameron actually chose pieces that match. So did Ella...sort of. James, not so much. But he loves his red + navy striped shirt, blue + orange plaid shorts + a turquoise vest combination.

And they are all loving the freedom of choice + expression.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.

Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Peaches' choice.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:44:00 +0000

As part of a scavenger hunt I am participating in, I let The Peaches pick out their own clothes today. They all got to choose each piece they are wearing without any input from me...top to bottom is 100% reflective of their personalities.

For some reason everyone went with socks and sandals. No one wanted tennis shoes, crocs or even mismatched shoes. Just sandals.

James picked out a succession of tops...an orange t-shirt, followed by a striped polo, followed by an orange polo. He had trouble with the bottoms, but eventually settled on the shorts he is wearing. And of course, he had to include his favorite red socks. He has been obsessed with those socks for about 9-10 months now. On our way out the door to play outside, he also decided to throw on the beads.

Ella's combination was the least crazy...her choices were all about what she likes best. She chose her favorite bottoms + her polka dot socks (of course they are both pink). And after much deliberation, went with her favorite shirt on top...orange, green, yellow + blue stripes with geese. Though she insists that the geese are in fact duckies. She went with a red Elmo hair clip for her accessory.

Cameron knew exactly what she wanted to wear the second I opened the closet door. And she most definitely chose the best combination of pieces...khaki pants with a polka dot sunsuit over the top. She wanted nothing to do with shirts. And she had to add her favorite red (printed with nursery rhyme characters) socks to the mix. She also chose to accessorize with an Elmo hair clip.

I LOVE it. Love it all. The craziness, the color, the personality.

I think I might let them choose what to wear everyday.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.

Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

16 hours of free education.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:08:00 +0000

On September 28 + 29 there is a free (yes, FREE) marketing telesummit featuring some of the biggest names in the photography business. This is such an incredible opportunity. To be able participate in an event boasting the industry's top photographers + offering 16 hours of education for free... how could I pass that up?

I am so in. And I cannot wait to see what they have to share!

(Now I just have to figure out how to carve out 8 hours to listen. Two days in a row. Or maybe I should just break down and buy the recording...)

Want to join in the fun?

Visit the website for more information.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Feisty.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:55:00 +0000

Remember when I wrote about how much Ella loves to climb?

(If not, you can find the post here.)

Well...this morning at the park, she fell for the first time.

She was climbing up a curved ladder (there is a picture of it in the initial post) and just lost her grip. I am nearly positive that it was only because she had grabbed a little toy train (her newest obsession, preceded by Pink Puppy, preceded by Pookie, etc...) + had it in her hand as she was navigating the rungs, because the girl is incredibly sure-footed.

It was a big fall, one that I was sure would result in massive (ok, that may be a slightly exaggerated word choice, but I did think she would surely be hurt!) injuries. But instead, my little tough girl real cried for about 15 seconds, fake cried for about 45 seconds + then hopped out of my arms without even a scratch + went right back to climbing.

I knew she could hold her own from her very first days of life.

Feisty, I think, is the word I used.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.

Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Carly.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:01:00 +0000

Carly is a young girl with autism. She spent her life overwhelmingly misunderstood + endlessly frustrated until she found her voice + a way to share her thoughts with the world. Her story consumed me, just as it did Ryan + Cole @ Pacing the Panic Room (where I stumbled across the story).

And so, of course I must share it with you...

Carly's blog.
Carly's twitter.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

Just because...

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:04:00 +0000

Cameron had an appointment with her eye doctor on Saturday. He said that everything is looking good, no more patching continues. And then promised to put her in thick, ugly glasses held together with duct tape when she turns 13.

I think I will take him up on his offer. Especially having a 13 year old now, who just said goodbye to her glasses.

After her appointment we stopped by the NICU reunion. We only saw a few people we knew, but the babies had a wonderful time playing indoors + out. Sort of. Actually, they were serious grouches for the majority of the time we were there. A late bedtime the night before plus an early wake up call plus the refusal to eat breakfast on the road equaled one giant mess.

I snapped the photo above while they were looking out over the water...one of the few moments of calm in our stormy Saturday morning.

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.

rachael.schirano@gmail.com (Rachael) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:37:00 +0000

{found here}

Subscribe to Little Bites of Heaven.
Follow me {littlebites} on Twitter.

Visit my print shop.