Drum Roll Please....

I am sitting here at the work station thinking how to start this next post. I have been working on a project for some time. It has been a project that has taken much time, effort, patience, and sacrifice. Not only of myself have I had to endure and overcome my uncertainties, but the experience has humbled me to be able to work amongst those who support me and have helped me to develop this project. With feelings of trepidation, I have taken small steps throughout this process.

I started the blog unbeknownst to my family and my friends. It was my hope to get the Phia Photography name "out there," and thus allowed me a time of self - reflection. My posts convey the inspiration and style of Phia Photography.

I have invited a few minds to view my blog in order to hear the constructive criticism that has helped to develop Phia Photography in it's entirety.
Most notably, Michele Rivera of Misha Media has graciously allowed me to work alongside and learn first hand the intricacies of photography, both in style and technicalities. I withheld posting images of past events and weddings worked alongside her because I wanted to present a proper introduction to my schools of thought. The experience I have had working with a wonderful photographer has left me awe - inspired. The work and artistry that is made possible from Misha Media is truly that amazing. Michele has never stopped encouraging me to 'officially' intro Phia Photography. Knowing that a great mind was at a fingertips reach has made the steps easier and has allowed this project to come to fruition.


My husband Paul with KMS Films has stood by my side from the start. Paul has been holding my hand, figuratively speaking, and supporting me throughout this endeavor. He has been my bedrock, keeping me standing on solid ground and ready to catch me in case I stumble. Paul has stayed up late at night alongside me editing and sorting through my images. Paul's videography style and outlook have easily complemented the photography aspect. We work side-by-side in our personal life and have transitioned that work ethic in our professional lives as well.


My sister Gretchen had also been privy from the start. In the face of her own struggles, she has been my sounding board and confidante. Small glimpses of Phia Photography have been seen and read from The Gregarious(and Guapo) Griffin blog. I am partly responsible for authoring posts about her family, especially her son Griffin, who is diagnosed with Leukemia. It was not my intent to author under the Phia Photography name but rather under my Gmail account which blogger.com associates with my blog. In light of the adversity of events, I have learned great strength from Gretchen, and will continue to chronicle the lives that surround her.


I would be nowhere without mentioning my wonderful children. These little kids who literally work for all things high in fructose corn syrup have been my joy. They too have had to endure my every request for unusual poses, beautiful eyes, and 'pogi' smiles. Albeit, my demands may have sounded unreasonable, but every request was equally traded off for something sweet, or else never before allowed. Let us just say that The Dairy Bar has been our summer sweet retreat.


The Phia Photography website is still under construction but will be out soon. I invite my family and friends to read the blog, and to share this blog with others whom you think would be interested.

Without further ado, I present Phia Photography. Enjoy!

Decemer 2007/January 2008



May 2008




May 2008




May 2008




June 2008




June 2008





July/August 2008

"Summer Lovin' Had Me a Blast..." (press play)

 Grease - Summer Nights



The cicadas are singing their summer melody and the heat is all enveloping making it hard to breathe at times but the crew is getting through the day with minimum complaints. As long as no one is hungry or tired happiness exudes on the kid's faces just from being out and about.

My kids have been very social expecting to have many occasions and outings this summer. Our summer calendar was jam packed this season with summer camp, kindermusik classes, our weekly jaunt to the Kohl Children's Museum, live concerts at the park, and the summer reading program at the library.

The Museum offerings are bountiful. (Check out my review on yelp). Our routine included capping off the day with a hot pretzel. We learned that the Bavarian pretzel(lightly salted) from Kim & Scott's Pretzel Bakery & Twisting Cafe was an okay order for the milk allergy family member. The chocolate chip pretzel was also a sure bet for the peanut/egg allergy member of the family. The deal was sweetened when I scored a Buy one Get one Free coupon out of the Oaklee's Guide Summer 2008. I used one coupon each time we visited the museum. The library stacks gads of these small booklets next to the free Chicago Parent circular and Chicago Baby magazine.

Summer camp brought on new experiences and allowed my children to socialize, become involved in structured activities, and free play in a fun and creative atmosphere. Different art projects hang on the kitchen walls from each child. They are proud of the their work and like to display their efforts week to week.

It's funny that by the end of the Summer Camp schedule the kids have finally 'caught on' to the new ideas that have been presented to them from the start. For example, my oldest son ate all the lunch that was given to him on his last day. Prior to this, he would only eat the snack chips and cookie and disregard the sandwich and apple slices. Or he would take two bites of mac and cheese, and then wait to buy a snack at the pool concession stand. The choices at the concession stand consisted of soft serve ice cream, pretzel with cheese, or barbecue potato chips. It was the first all-day activity experience without mom or dad.

Another son of mine enjoyed his first camp/class without mommy and without his older sibling. His first day he was labeled an observer and chose to watch instead of participate. After explaining to him that he should become more involved, a realization came over his face, he understood that he did not have to wait for big brother or mommy to have fun. It's almost like he found his own interests, and independence, his own identity. He would exclaim to me after every class, "Mommy I was happy today with my teachers and friends!"

As for my youngest, and only daughter, she understood that her "pretty dress" that she adamantly asks to wear is set aside for the requisite camp shirt and shorts(or skirt). By her last class, all the kids understood the concept of circle time and everyone sang "If You Are Happy and You Know It..." I loved that the she got down and dirty with the paints and the glue and the playdoh, she understood that it was okay to get her hands messy. Best of all, I did not have to worry about stains or spills, because it was not my house.

Kindermusik classes allowed for us to keep in touch with our music classmates and their p-units. "Creatures in the Ocean" was the theme of the class. We learned about dolphins, and whales, sharks, crabs, the beach, and Sailboats. We loved it best when we jammed and danced to the tunes.The kids love music and especially parades. The July 4th parade was an extra special treat with marching bands. The kids enjoyed the cultural dance and festive costumes.

The Concert in the Park series introduced the kids to jugglers, magicians, and musicians with their eclectic beat, and some 'cheesy' jokes. It also allowed me an outlet to meet other moms and caregivers whom like me look for engaging activities for the kids.

The Summer Reading program has been a huge success and encourages the kids to enjoy reading. After reading a book (or books)the kids are given the opportunity to report the details of the book to a volunteer, play an age-appropriate game, and receive a small prize. Prizes ranged from Panera meal coupons, to plastic animal print sunglasses, to mood rings and even medals. The kids have read almost 100 books this summer.
The program introduced the kids to a new favorite author and book series. Ricky Ricotta and his Mighty Robot by Dav Pilkey and pictures by Martin Ontiveros. The series is one of the first enjoyable chapter books that has opened our eyes to "The Big Battle (In Flip-O-Rama). This series is a must read to find out who wins.

Summer Camp is officially over and I fret over what activities to do to fill up the last of the summer days. Summer is winding down and talks of Christmas party planning (yes believe it, heard over the yelp message boards) is making my head spin.
When the cicadas finish their musical score, it will be about time to pack the summer clothes away and ready for the start of school. School supply lists are out and crossing off checklist supplies looks to be an arduous task.
As of yet, a whole month remains for backyard barbecues, farmer's markets, and outdoor festivals. I will be cliche and say, "We still have the time to soak in as much of this summer sun and not let Summer lovin' happen so fast."

"...and so are the Days of Our Lives"

I create this next post dedicated to granules of sand.

The beach would not Be without it,
a castle would never be built.
It can flow with the water and move with gentle ease.
It scratches soft baby skin, yet can make smooth rough callus feet.
Sand will stick to skin like glue and maneuver a way to hide in every crevice.

After a long day at the beach, and what seemed like an even longer time in the car ride home, tiny granules of sand are seen everywhere. On the car seat, in my shoes, on the kid's noses, and even between baby's butt, sand pervades our being, from only one day of romping and running and molding and shaping this sand.


I am reminded of how wonderful a holiday can be when sand and surf and sun can enliven a soul. I remember the times I would visit the beach growing up. I especially remember the first touch of the burning sand on my feet and trying to run as fast as I can toward the water to cool my piggy toes. I did that today with my children and reminded them every burning step of the way that relief was not too far away. After seeing the pure innocent joy on the faces of my children, I feel that I in some way imposed this feeling upon them. This childhood memory is now imprinted upon them and will also be recalled every time they visit the beach.


After a day of merriment and camaraderie, the kids are way tired, and are in no mood to wash off and bathe. They would rather sleep soundly and feel itchy and scratchy with sand hiding all over their body. Fortunately, for my kids, I am fast and efficient with their baths and have them tucked into bed for the night.

"Be and Bring Good News to the World"

I do not take credit for the words in the title. These words come from the mission statement of St. Philip Neri's congregation. I wanted to pass along the emotion that settled over me when I witnessed wondrous music and song on a bright summer Sunday. The melodious voices heard matched the rhythmic beats of the musical instruments. Unfortunately, our late attendance only allowed for the last pew and thus, being unable to view the musicians and choir of St. Philip Neri happened only at communion. But it was here, at the time of communion that tears welled up in my eyes and made my son curious to ask me, "How come you are crying?" And all I could answer while controlling what would have been a waterfall of tears was, "Because I'm happy." The music selection during communion was "I'm In Love With Jesus" If you know this song then you may have felt the same when you first heard it sung. The angelic voice of the young singer was so strong and beautiful that all emotion poured out of me. I felt blessed and privileged to hear how this same faith based community worships and praises God. It was also the words of St. Philip Neri's pastor, Father Duris, "When you put your faith in God there is no need for worry," I felt like this message was hitting close to home. Might this be the answer to all my anxieties? Could this be a New Direction?

Happy Father's Day!

Sleep is a luxury
no time found
rest now
your day is
dwindling down

We greet you
with words
made with our
tiny hands,
with markers
and crayons
our banner
stands

From your boys
and girl
love and happiness
we employ
This day is here
we hope you enjoy

Holy %$@#!?

Where do I start this post? How about describing my emotions. My feelings can be encapsulated with Homer Simpson's famous line, "DOH!" You want to know why I feel this way? I was feeling high anxiety throughout the day that made me feel sick to my stomach. I could not steady my nerves nor my bowels. The bad feelings coupled with unlucky happenings. I never like to believe in superstitions. Friday the thirteenth came and went. But during the day little things just kept going wrong. When the one thing I had to do at Costco that usually only takes me 10 minutes actually became a total of 25 minutes. How about when I was running late getting back home and the last street light that I have to pass turns red AND the railroad cross bars come down. The kicker was when my most important tool fails me, on the field, while working a job. Am I just unlucky?
Wondering how my day went from bad to worse, the dialogue of Kung Fu Panda comes to mind. "The past is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the Present." I feel those words talking to me now. Yes I know now to prepare to not procrastinate and thus I would not have had to rush to complete my errands during the day. Having a contingency plan is in order to including packing for back up emergencies. Thinking about how to remedy the days 'unlucky' events is helpful, but I still feel shaken. And like the movie there is no special ingredient. It is the belief in oneself, in one's abilities that makes things happen and accomplishes the goal. The day was long and I am tired typing out my thoughts. A good nights rest should heal some of this emotion. But damn what a day. A day I will remember.

Summer Is Here

Press play button to hear Otis Redding while reading this post. Wow, where has time gone? Summer is upon me and I feel that the season has crept up from behind. I use to lay out my summer plans around festivals and weekend craft fairs. Now I sometimes do not have a clue what is happening on the weekends. Surviving daily routine and keeping up with weekly activities has been the challenge. Now summer camp and extra free time are on the agenda. How am I going to keep the kids busy without leaving them in front of the television? The time of transition is now. The last day of school will be tomorrow. Luckily camp registration and securing a spot for first choices begins in January!? So that time is locked in on the calendar. I guess I could check out the programs at the library. They always have the free reading program and free movie days. The movie theater also has free movie days. Wednesday evenings are free concerts in the park. So far the only planned events are Long Grove's Strawberry Festival. The one and only time to enjoy strawberry donuts. Yummmmmy. Whatever we do decide, I'm sure will be fun. Mind blowing? Maybe. Summer is finally here and before I know it, Summer will be a memory. Time to take charge of the week and weekends before time slips through my fingers.
My other concern besides entertaining the kids over the summer holiday is why have I not been able to look ahead to the days upcoming and why am I not preparing? The answer to these questions is probably because I have been taking on new projects and occupying my time with more knowledge and experience of a new hobby that I have been developing. (more info on this subject will come later). Weekends have been way busy for me. Or maybe the answer to my question is because I am and always have been a procrastinator. Always under the belief that I work better under pressure and off the fly (or however the expression goes). This could be the reason. But I have noticed my anxiety seems more real and not always under my control when working under pressure. Especially during times of transition. I could delve more deeply into this subject, but then I would get too Freudian for myself. I just have to face the fact that I should concentrate more on my family and not so much on myself. Time is passing by whether or not I am prepared. And if I do not want to get stuck with extra time with nothing to do but watch television, then I have to get my big butt in gear and figure something out. Planning activities for the family should allow for the day to unfold easily. Right?