First things first, today is our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of having our www.refusetosaycheese.com website!
To celebrate, we are offering these CRAZY!!
We’ll run these discounts until this Wed., December 3rd, midnight PST. If you’re planning on getting any of our products as gifts for Christmas, the next three days are the days to do it!
The Crazy Discounts are…drum roll….
DVDs (hard copies shipped to you) are 30% off! Coupon Code: thirty
DVDs that are the downloadable version are also 30% off! Coupon Code: download
All 101 Kits are 40% off! Coupon Code: forty
The upcoming Atlanta Workshop in January is 20% off! (We’re going to continue the Early Bird Registration Price until Wed, no coupon code needed!)
Enjoy! And thank you for making our first year of having the Refuse site so AWESOME!
Now, here’s some catching up we must do! You won’t believe our last seven days.
If you follow me on Facebook (MeRa Koh) or Twitter (merakoh), you’ve heard me mention our hardwood floors project this last week. Brian and I are home for five weeks straight! (YEAH!) We thought, ‘Hey, let’s get our hardwoods refinished on the whole main floor of our house! Why not! That will be a fun little project before the holidays start!’ Are we stupid or are we just STUPID putting “fun little project” with “refinishing hardwood floors” in the same thought?! Yes, the answer is we are STUPID!
We had no idea until 2-3 nights prior of all this starting that we would have to move every thing out of the main floor of the house. I mean that makes total sense, but for some reason it never occurred to us. The common sense of it all wasn’t there at ALL! We rented a Uhaul and moved everything into the Uhaul. Then we find out that we can’t stay at the house because of our dog and cat. We need to relocate for 7-8 days. I was totally stumped. But then my friend, Karen, says she is off to Cabo with her family the morning we have to move out. Talk about a total gift to us! We get to move into her place as they leave for Cabo, and in turn they have a house sitter for their dog.
Now let me ask you this. Who do you think had the best week of all? Us, the cat, or the dogs? 🙂
And who do you think had the worst week of all? If you guessed Prince Philip, the cat, you are right!!!
All in all, it’s been wonderful to be at Karen’s house. Aside from their dog having OCD and licking every inch of this house only to throw it up, and our dog having a bacterial infection in her colon that causes her to @#$% everywhere, it’s been so awesome (emphasis on “so”). I can’t imagine all this happening inside a hotel room. Wow, that would have been insane!
But today, today we get to start moving back in. I’ll try to post a photo of the NEW floors so you can get a peak of them! I can’t wait to slide across them in my socks!!!
How was your Thanksgiving week? 🙂
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Upcoming Blog Posts for This Week!
Do you know a Running on Empty Mom who lives in Seattle area? We’ve had such a crazy schedule that I forgot to post this nomination. If you have someone you know, that is local, we have saved a spot for her this coming weekend. Go ahead and nominate her in today’s comments.
If you attended the Chicago workshop, I’ll try and get that post up this week so you can see your shots and shooting conditions! And then everyone can sing your praises b/c of how amazing you all did!
We need to run a new Photo Contest. And yes, we need to post the Five Finalists for the Inspirational Object Contest. You are all so good to me for being patient. What do you think our new Photo Contest Theme should be?
I can’t wait to see your floors! I love hardwood, I wish we had some. 🙂
I am so excited for the 101 discounts! I’m picking up Portraits 101 right now!! Thanks Me Ra!! I hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
Sounds like you’ve been having an adventure! 😉 Enjoy your floors, I love hardwood floors but we’re saddled with carpet right now, ick.
Beautiful, beautiful wedding shots below, oh my!
And just when I thought I had a spending plan for the holidays, you go and offer up sales like that! 😉
Yay! I’ve been waiting for something like this. I think it may be too early in the morning, but I can’t get the coupon code to work on the 101 portrait kit. Please let me know what I’m doing wrong or if I can just add my problem in the notes and have it adjusted. Thanks so much!
Me Ra – I’m getting an error when I try to enter the coupon code (whether I’m logged in or not). I am trying this on the Portraits 101 kit. It says,
“Coupon not available. Possible reasons:
– the coupon code you entered is incorrect;
– the coupon can be used only by a registered customer;
– the coupon is disabled or expired.
Make sure you have typed the coupon code correctly; if you haven’t yet logged in, do so. If none of this works, report the problem to the administrator.”
I’ll keep trying, but it’s not letting me go through with it. 🙁
Congratulations! I can’t believe it’s ONLY been a year, WOW! You guys are on fire 😀
xo
I’m excited to see pictures of your floors. Thank you SO MUCH for the coupon code. I’m getting the Refuse to Say Cheese/Green box set for Christmas and I am SO EXCITED!!!! I can hardly wait! Blessings!
I’m a mom who’s running on empty in the Seattle area! I would LOVE to come to your workshop! I’m not a professional photographer by any means (nor do I have the means to pay for a workshop) but I’m trying to work up to some sort of profession with photography. Your workshop would be awesome! Thanks for even offering to give away a spot at all!
Contest ideas:
– winter wonderland / snow
– ’tis the season (anything to do with Christmas)
– one picture to describe yourself (self-portraiture maybe)
Hi Me Ra, I feel silly nominating myself as a running on empty mom, (especially that everyone is having hard times right now!) but here I go. My husband and I moved out here from Virginia one year ago away from our friends and family when I was pregnant with our beautiful daughter, Bella. Having lost a pregnancy before her, I know just how lucky we are to have her, and I love her to pieces. My husband and I both work retail hours that keep us from being able to use childcare, which is a blessing in many ways but also very tiring as we play Pass the Baby. I never had many preconceived notions of motherhood, but I never envisioned myself struggling to make ends meet as a mother.
Since my parents are on the east coast, my dad gave me his DSLR so he could have great photos of his granddaughter. But instead of just snapping photos here and there like I used to, I have found a wonderful outlet. If the photos aren’t of Bella, I’ll throw her in my wrap and we head out on a photo walk. I find that I am seeing the world creatively for the first time in a long time, and it’s wonderful.
I would love to join everyone at the workshop, as a break in this crazy season, as a time for creative inspiration, to meet some wonderful women, and simply to have a break from the nurse, work, nurse work cycle. Thanks for offering a spot, and I know whoever gets it will be very deserving.
ps. i can’t wait to see the object finalists! i agree with “snow” as a great next topic, though it’s hard to come by out here without a trip to the mountains. i think “simple gifts” would be another good one, whether it be hugs or charity or smiles, it would be refreshing!
I would love to nominate my daughter for the ‘Running on Empty’ spot. She is an incredible person with 2 small children. She is creative in every way and I feel she has what it takes to become a great photographer. Photography has always been a passion of hers and something she really wants to pursue. She currently takes pictures, as a volunteer, in hospitals for parents with babies in the NICU or babies that don’t live past their deliveries. It is a wonderful gift she gives to these parents and I’m sure that this workshop would not only help her in that area, but also as she works to develop her own photography business. Thanks for your consideration.
I want to nominate Kara Rue – she is my best friend and she is an AMAZING photographer. She would LOVE to be in your workshop. She and Randy have three kids – a 3.5 year-old boy and twin girls, 11 mos. They are amazing – adjusting so well to chaos of the three kids and Kara has her camera out everywhere. I can’t believe how upbeat they are when I know they are exhausted and totally RUNNING ON EMPTY :). Kara is so passionate about her work and her kids and would be a phenomenal asset to your group. Feel free to email me with any questions about Kara – I love her to pieces.
Hi, Me Ra!
I’ve been following your blog for a couple of weeks now. Do you plan to come to Phoenix any time soon for a women’s workshop? I know at three other moms I could find to attend, since there are so many young families here. It’s great weather in the winter months, so come warm up and teach us how to shoot!
I nominated myself a couple posts back… but I was so excited that I forgot to say why I deserve this nomination. I have two kids (3 and 1 yrs of age) and along with my husband, they are the light of my life. I had one son who was stillborn, and because of this I joined a foundation called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep where photographers volunteer their time to take pictures of babies, for mothers (parents really) who are losing or have lost their little one. I think that participating in this workshop would help me to do an even better job in this foundation and further my own career as a photographer. I am a perfectionist by nature, and would LOVE to be able to provide families with the best that I have to offer. I think that your workshop would teach me what I need to know to be become an outstanding photographer and put me on the path to success. Thank you so much!
I would like to nominate my sister, Bree Anderson, for the ‘Running on Empty’ spot at this weekends workshop. She is an amazing photographer that is starting up her own buisness, along with raising her two children (that are 3 and 1.) An opportunity like this would give her the extra boost she needs to be able to get out and show what she really has to offer.
sorry, I had nominated my daughter but neglected to say her name. I would like to nominate my daughter Bree Anderson, for the ‘Running on Empty’ spot. Thanks again!
Congrats on the 1 year and the floors, I know they are going to look amazing! =)
I feel a little silly nominating myself for this, but I’d love to attend your workshop and I am DEFINITELY a mom running on empty in all aspects of the phrase. Where do I even start…?
I am:
? A Full time working mom and wife
? A mother of an almost 4 year old little girl
? Married to a mortgage broker
? Paying too high of a mortgage for the house we live in
? An owner of one crazy, energetic dog
? An amateur photographer trying to start my business
? Obsessed with my camera and take it everywhere
? Trying to teach myself some photography skills because I don’t have time to attend classes
? A volunteer at a women’s shelter once a month
? Creator/organizer of a group dedicated to getting families outdoors trying new activities
? Just finished planning 2 Thanksgiving get-togethers
? Planning my daughter’s 4th birthday party
? Planning 4 Christmas get-togethers (My mom, my dad, His Mom, His Dad)
? Severely vitamin D deficient
? Iron deficient
? Planning our trip to Vegas for the WPPI in February…I saw you there last year
? Most comfortable when I’m being creative, but struggling to find inspiration
? Already booked (personally) for all but 4 weekend days for next summer (2009)
? Trying to stay positive inspite of it all and teach my daughter that life is an amazing journey!
So here’s my photography story. I think of my photography as quirky, emotional, and happy. I first became interest in photography in college, before then, I thought cameras only came out at the holidays. Almost 4 years ago I had my daughter and began photographing every second of her life. From the moment she first came home from the hospital to today and all the moments in between. And throughout this time, I have come to realize that the photos I value most are not the “perfect” ones where she is smiling at the camera, beautifully dressed, every hair in place. No, my favorites are the ones where her hair all messed up. The ones where she was caught doing something she shouldn’t have been or excited by the realization that she could do it herself. The ones that I can look back on and say “that was her then”.
A little over a year ago, I began photographing my family and friends family’s, from there it’s lead to co-workers and extended friends. I feel like I’m ready to make a jump, but I lacking some confidence and know how. I’m hoping that if I am chosen to attend your workshop, I’ll be ready to put this dream into reality.
Your story inspires me and I can’t wait to meet you…even it it’s not at this workshop!
Great news for the discounts! 🙂 I just tried to make a purchase but the code doesn’t work for me either, am I doing something wrong? I’ll try again later, anyways. 🙂 Congrats for one year!
I too am having trouble using the coupon code on the Portraits 101 kit.
Self nomination;
Running on empty? What stay-at-home Mother of a 5 year old and a one year old isn’t? I cannot say that I have suffered a tragedy in the last five years. (For that I am so thankful.) Nor have I done any thing particularly heroic that is deserving of such a great gift. It’s more of an accumulative of the last five years that has got me running on empty. It started when my son was born and five weeks later my husband took off to Iraq for 18 months. That was fairly exhausting. When he got back I started working part time again and within a few months my husband took a year to build a house for us in a town 40 miles away so he was gone all the time again, it felt sort of like Iraq take II with the big difference that he came home safe and sound every night. Sell the house, move, get pregnant again, have the baby, husband travels for work a lot… Have a little post partum baby blues, don’t quite make it back to work b/c it is just too overwhelming. Husband finally retires from the Army this summer and I have now agreed to continue to take the next year off work to support his busy schedule of getting his new business off the ground. All these things I do voluntarily so I am not complaining. Like I said, it is more of an accumulative of events with no more than 2 weekends away over that 5 years that has me running on empty.
Between all the time I spend running the household and “working” at the co-op preschool there is virtually no time for my self. Photography is my only hobby. I fell in love with your style 5 years ago when I saw your pictures in my Dr.’s office. From reading your blog and watching your DVD’s I have seen a lot of creative improvement in my pictures (thanks!) but would still love to get more help, I have a lot to learn! Even if you don’t pick me for your running on empty contest I plan on coming to one of your workshops somewhere down the road b/c I just love what you are doing.
I couldn’t resist entering when you put out this last minute contest. ?~Meg
I’m joining the “can’t use the coupon” team! I thought maybe it was because I was trying to purchase the Portrait 101 AND Wedding 101 kit together but from what others are saying it’s not working anyways… if anyone finds a solution please let me know (I have an order with my name on it burning a hole in my pocket)!!
Dear Me Ra,
My dear sweet friend Adrienne has been running on empty for quit some time now. If you think of major life changing events, she and her family have experienced all of them. In the past five years her family has dealt with the suicide of a loved one, death of a father, 5 job changes, relocation, and the unexpected addition of their third child. Through all of these challenges she has remained positive, strong and a blessing to her family. She has taken care and thought of everyone else but herself. A woman who has been there for others through such adversity truly deserves a weekend to revive her spirt.
Adrienne has always been able to capture beauty through a lens. Recently she has taken her love of photography to the next level. This weekend would bring her much needed rest, and help her to focus on someone whom she hasn’t in a long time… herself.
I am nominating my best friend in the whole wide world… Jessica Barrow. She lives in Bellingham and although she is not a professional photographer I know she LOVES taking pictures of her darling little girl and what ever she can find in her view finder. She is a very talented woman who is always trying to find a way to get through the day, the week, the month and sometimes just this moment. She is running on empty in every direction, but she still finds time to fill ME up! She’s the best friend, no wait “SISTER”, I could of met way back when we were in elementary school… she has picked me up and dusted me off and when I thought I couldn’t fight anymore she tagged me out and took over. I cannot think of anyone more in my life that is more deserving of that spot. Thanks Jess, for being, I love you!
I totally forgot to post a new contest idea!! I love the “simple gifts” idea someone else said. I also think that “family” or “traditions” could be a good idea.
[…] If you emailed Brian because your coupon code for our One Year Anniversary discounts wasn’t working (or posted the problem on our blog (LAUREN! :)), he will get back to you soon. […]
If we’re being asked to vote I’d like to throw in a plug for my wife Kara. I’m proud of her for the effort she’s put into her photography work, turning a part time hobby into a fledgeling business, doing her best to make family portrait sessions affordable for folks that usually might not be able to afford nice pictures of their kids. This is an opportunity for her to deepen her knowledge that we otherwise couldn’t afford right now.
Hi MeRa,
There are so many wonderful people doing such good work in the world and sharing their gifts with others. It is truly a joy to read all the posts. I love the idea of simple gifts too for a contest idea. Also of lights and sparkles.
Like many others, I would love to go to the workshop as I need some recharging and the joy of being with the incredible group of people that will be there would be a lovely distraction from the intensity of losing my mom this past summer and the intense grief of the holidays without her.
However,
I am not really feeling I should nominate myself, as much as I would LOVE to and am unable to afford it right now as a single parent running my own business. I know whoever get this opportunity will have a blast, as I have attended MeRa’s workshops before and LOVED them!!!!!!!!!! Ohhhh to be surrounded by cameras and kindred spirits…and the nurturing place of the Inn…My heart feels warm just thinking about it.
I want to share my story because I feel it is essential to the gift we as photographers give. About a month before my mom died she asked me to take a few pictures of her and my dad. Little did I know how precious having those last few “quick shots” of her would be. My mom always had photos, and loved making sure that we were well documented. However she had an illness that took away all her energy and eventually took her away. This made it so she did not make photos a priority and me coming “after her” with the camera was usually a “lets get it over with” When preparing for her memorial I looked thru the recent photos and found deep solace in seeing her zest for life and knowing that I can pass that photo on to my daughter and she has that photo to pass on to her children someday.
I feel this loss has given me so much insight into why I do what I do as a photographer, but more importantly as a documenter of family legacies. Truly the most precious thing along with the memories of a loved one, the image of them and the things they loved are the threads that live on.
May we hold this in rememberance when we go into work. It reminds me of a Photographers Prayer that I have on my desktop. I don’t know who wrote it, but it is lovely.
The Photographer’s Prayer
“Oh God, as I bring my subject into focus and prepare to make each portrait, never let me forget that I’m creating treasures for some family, a keepsake for loved ones. Make me sensitive to the qualities and virtues of others, that I may draw out into the light the beautiful radiant belongings of their hearts.
Help me to be an artist, collecting the beauty of every soul, the glow of youth, the gentleness, the laughter or tears of each life that is precious in Thy sight. Deeper than a means of livelihood, give me the perspective to see my photographer’s art as a service to others, making life richer and more memorable.
And, dear Lord, between the lights and shadows, the ups and downs and the rolling years, keep me from getting out of focus or off center, so that my life and work may be framed with dignity and colored with contentment …
AMEN” ?Author Unknown
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Can I just tell you how much enthusiasm you have stirred up in my friend Adrienne? We met when our oldest children were just 4 months old (9.5 years ago) and were blessed to spend the next two years living close to one another. I can’t tell you how many wonderful moments she caught on camera of our two boys exploring all the wonder around them. Life seemed hectic then, and looking back almost 10 years ago, we realize how simple those days were. She and her family have endured many hardships over the last few years. In that time, Adrienne stopped doing things for herself and took on the role of taking care of others. In this last year, with more personal struggles, she found strength in her passion for photography. She is on fire and her more recent photos are proof of it! What a gift for her get to spend an entire weekend devoted to taking photos – without the mommy guilt! Not only enjoying her most favorable hobby ever, but getting that so overdue break from it all that everyone needs once in a while. When you meet Adrienne, you will see firsthand the beautiful spirit that her photos reflect.
Photo contest theme suggestion: Divided yet united
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I know about some of those foods but not all. Well… we live and learn. For example bananas are a recommended type food for a lot of things.