Butterfly Sparks Designs

Tuesday

true beauty . lake jackson, tx photographer



i had a very cool string of moments at this session...
this session with both an athlete
and an artist-
an artist who is paying for her college education with earnings from her original work.

PAUSE. super impressive.




and resume:

we talked about the masterpieces she's created but, as she settled into herself during this shoot,
she was the masterpiece. is. IS the masterpiece.
elissa, i have always heard about you from your extended family (who has been {impressed} with you for years)! it is so easy to see why. you're a true beauty for so many reasons. 
thanks to you and your sweet mom for such a great day. and tell your brother, he's a stud. loved seeing you laugh because of him.

let's do this y'all, 

jen





Wednesday

a little weekend in Dallas ... dallas, TX . photographer

see this little man...
this is my buddy, Owen. our relationship started well. he was ready for his mini-session and showed his personality like a champ! 
(look at that smile)
and in an instant, i ruined his life. 
i made the biggest mistake i've made in this career. and you can bet i WON'T be doing it again.  
(this face...this is totally. my. fault.)

in the attempt to make his older (emphasis-older!) brothers laugh (i didn't even know he was listening. honest.), i blurted out... "for this next picture, i'm just looking at you kids! we're going to pretend mom and dad are in the picture, but really, i'm going to cut their heads off and show you the picture in my camera when i'm done!" 


(insert older kids laughing and me thinking i'm a genius for making them do so...) 


so this is where things take a little nose-dive for 2 yr. old Owen. but i didn't see it yet. as i looked up successfully from my "genius" humor attempt, i asked mom why in the world was my buddy wailing? 


oh y'all!


he recovered well though, and his little grin perked up for the rest of the morning. 
and so did all of the sweet faces that i was able to meet on a beautiful day in Dallas!


an amazing little lady, Joanna, organized this mini-session, hosted me from out of town, and made sure all the details were in place. 
and since i last saw her and her husband, they had brought home their gorgeous daughter from Ethiopia! i was thrilled to meet Maeve for the first time. 
she even "cooked" me pancakes with ketchup. such a lovely hostess just like her mama and daddy. 

please meet the gorgeous, kind, Peters family,

and the lovely, very sweet, Mendoza family!
thank y'all for such a great day. thank you for your patience and for making ME laugh all day!!


meeting new people, 




looking JOY directly in its eyes, 




watching families interact, 




and learning their stories 




make what i do oh so worth it. 
even when it's me learning what NOT to do.


let's do this y'all, 


jen




Thursday

contrast . . . by nikole, and a beautiful wedding to follow! . shiner, tX photographer

just before the wedding began, nikole, the beautiful bride, waited beyond the doors of one of the most gorgeous churches. she was taking a few, quiet moments alone and as she drifted toward the playground, I was struck.




she stood in contrast to the brightly colored, child playthings and looked out over them as if in deep thought.
what symbolism...
the bride, preparing for her groom, for her role as wife, for fulfilling a vow of sacred "oneness"...

and this was probably a moment she imagined long before she had the dress and the beautiful bouquet, long before when she was a child herself, playing with brightly colored things, led only by her imagination.




i think it's those moments we remember on the big days that fly by in a blur. 
in the same way, i wonder about her handsome groom. as he waited... 




the moments just before it all begins, moments swelling with emotion--

those are my favorites.




and with the walk of an aisle, a new life begins!



nikole and bart...we loved celebrating this day, and all that it meant, with you!



and to Shiner, TX--one of our favorite little cities--thanks for hosting this Alaska-San Antonio party...it's always good to see you.

let's do this y'all, 

jen 



Tuesday

a natural . yoakum, tx photographer

any chance you remember that old shenandoah song, "she's a natural"?
i'm going to guess no. the song is not well known and if you didn't love country music in the 80s and 90s, you just may have missed it. 


the song, in picture form, is allyson. and it goes like this.
the actual words are, 

"she's a beauty. the kind of beauty makeup can't create.
cause it starts within her heart and flows throughout her soul
with a genuine reflection on her face . . ."

the song isn't about her surface looks and we'll get to that in a sec, but speaking of surface looks . . .


she's not wearing a stitch of makeup, y'all. 
ok. mascara. and lip gloss that her mama reminded her to put on at the last minute. 
but, hand-over-my-heart, shut-the-front-door, no-i'm-not-kidding, that's it.


and i don't think she has a clue what a beauty she is.
most comfortable in her shorts and loafers, she's drama-free and she's as laid-back as they come...maybe a little stubborn, in her own words. kids adore her (yes, mine too!) which makes sense because one day, she might want to be a pediatric nurse. good thing she loves to read!
whatever she ends up doing, her easy nature, kind heart, and that smile will serve her well!
allyson, you are a true beauty . . . and i'm proud to S H O U T it with you this year! 

let's do this y'all, 

jen







Wednesday

to be honest . . . who knew? . seguin, tx photographer

tbh

i love this girl. 
actually, i love these two girls. 
they kept me young this night. and they taught me how to appropriately use "tbh." and suddenly, now i'm cool. but not cool enough to wear shades like these.

look at this beauty. 
that smile . . . 
it's hard to believe we met her about five years ago . . . that she is now a 
S H O U T . 2 0 1 2 senior. 


she wants to be a police officer. and she does a lot of chasing . . .


the opposition . . . 
and children!  if not a cop, she loves the idea of working with kids. future employers: i can confirm that she is great with the littles. mine send their highest recommendation. 


tia, whatever you choose, we're praying for you. we're missing hugging your neck here and hoping your paths, paved or not, are full of success.


and, if you make it to jamaica one day, can i come? : )


let's do this y'all, 


jen










Monday

he is named . . . TX photographer

Noah  . . . 


"Noah Amsler Beckham---born August 3rd, 2011. We chose the name Noah because in Genesis 6 it says that although the world was going through a very dark time, Noah "walked with God." That is our prayer for our son. Diane discovered the the name Noah actually means "comfort." God has brought comfort to Diane and I in our efforts to have a child, and comfort to my Mom in her sadness since the loss of my sweet sister Sara. Praise God for His faithfulness & comfort!!"


And I had the pleasure of meeting him when he was eight, brand new days old.


don't newborns take your breath away?
every inch of their tiny-ness makes you realize there is something so much bigger.
. . . a Creator beyond compare.


who makes mamas . . .


 and daddies. . . 
out of ordinary people.
and the entire experience becomes extraordinary.

Welcome, little Noah. We're so very glad you are here.
Diane and Grant-We were honored to get to meet your boy and introduce you to our babies.

Thank you.

let's do this y'all . . .

jen