We are Family - Wingard

"I adore his smile, I cherish his hugs, I admire his heart but most of all... I love that he is my son!"

-Unknown

Children are placed in our lives for us to care for, cherish, love and teach but most importantly show us how to live and enjoy our lives. They are the most rewarding gifts given to men and women. If you are a parent you know exactly how quick we can go from one emotion to the next by just a little look or phrase that our children say or do. I know as a parent of a 4 year old daughter I have been taught more lessons thus far than any other time in my life. Everything, and I mean every little smile, laugh, tear, hug, fit, sassy remark or inch they grow changes your life and opens your heart and mind to understand what real love actually means.

I can tell you when I met the Wingard boys my heart was smiling! They all are so much fun and full of personality and charm. The happiness and admiration these three guys share will surely melt your heart. It is a photographers dream to have clients that jump out of their jeep and are enthusiastic about taking photos and the moment my camera went up they were themselves. I got the opportunity to capture the real faces, smiles and fun these three guys share with each other. Thank you Tom, Nathan & Gavin for sharing a few moments of your time with me! I can't wait to see you guys again for more photos and for goodness sake - LET'S GET YOUR DAD'S JEEP DIRTY!!!

See you on the trails boys! <3

To view the entire Wingard Family Gallery please visit this link.

Let them be Little Series - Cooper

Meet Cooper! He had grown quite a lot since our last photo session! He is one of my favorite little boys to shoot because he is such an inspiration and joy!

You may remember Cooper last year when we did a session on the Campus of UGA in Athens, GA. He was the cutest Bulldog fan! Ladies, lock those little girls up because this little guy will be stealing hearts when he gets older. He has one of the best mom's on the planet as well, Mrs. Susan and I have known each other since the day we were born. The both of us even share the same birthday!

To be a part of the Let them be Little Series please contact us at jennifer@southernbellegroup.com to book your session. Remember we have photographers all over the United States so please keep us in mind no matter where you are located!

We love to travel and see new places and meet new people!

Hell on Wheels

What could be better than beer, custom bikes,
loud music and pin ups???

Hell on Wheels, hosted by Garage 71 and Grease Inc Magazine was held at the American Legion in Buford this past weekend. What a great event! There were bikes, cars, pin ups, bad ass trophies and fantastic music!

This year there were tons of great folks, amazing custom bikes, lots of beer and tons of laughs! New friends were made and the family expanded. Vendors such as CG Customs, Southern Cycle, WT Customs, Unknown Customs, Atlanta Baggers, and many more. You can check out their websites by clicking on their names or click the links at the end of this blog.

A very special thank you to the American Legion in Buford for hosting this event and letting us all enjoy your facility and hospitality. Cheers to Garage 71 and Grease Inc Magazine for another successful year for Hell on Wheels.

To view the gallery please click on the link here. Share and place orders for digital downloads, products or prints from that site.

Southern Cycle -
Complete custom work from bikes to cars and trucks. Custom bars, bikes, exhaust, frames and so much more! If you want creative and bad ass this is the place for you! Contact Zane and Sean, tell them Jen sent ya!

CG Customs -
Custom paint jobs that have been featured in magazines on bikes, cars and even boats! Contact Chris for all of your custom paint work on bikes or if you have a boat he also does fiberglass/gelcoat repair and paint!

Unknown Customs -
If you want the best bagger or street bike mods please take a moment to check out what Greg has to offer! His bikes are the biggest and the most fantastic big wheels I have seen in the South! These folks are great at custom work including frame rake, wide tire kits, extended swing arms, air ride, audio/video, etc.

W.T. Customs -

Complete Custom bike shop that can assist with all your motorcycle needs. Check out their facebook page as well as their amazing bikes. W.T. Customs has had a couple bikes featured in Easy Rider Magazine! You won't go wrong with this bike shop!

Don't forget to book your photography sessions to show off your own custom bikes or your toys! We love photographing boats, bikes, cars, trucks, etc of all kinds!

Friends & Family Day with the 185th in Winder!

“In this house, we do DOGTAGS, we do REAL, we do LAST MINUTE, we do DEPLOYMENTS, we do MISTAKES, we do HUGS, we do SKYPE, we do REALLY LOUD, we do PATRIOTIC, we do LOVE”

— Unknown

Whew! Today was full of smiles, laughs and good times! Stories shared between friends and family members of the 185th Assault Helicopter Battalion in Winder, Georgia! The soldiers opened up the hangers and had a Blackhawk Helicopter, bouncy house and a few other vehicles available for the kids and adults to enjoy and learn about what they do in their chosen field of expertise as well as food for everyone.

The kiddos enjoyed learning about the helicopters, night vision, and so much more! Sitting in the pilots seat or in the rear of the helicopter was a treat as well as sitting in the front seat of a military vehicle. The unit is unique and has soldiers that have been deployed numerous times, tons of wonderful stories and lots of experience and knowledge to share with friends and family members. It is always fun to hear stories of camel spiders, jokes and fun times shared while over seas or here at home. This unit is a family and they take care of one another and their families!

Thank you for all that you do, have done and will do. I know I appreciate the sacrifice you all have made and look forward to visiting with you all again!

To find out more about this unit please visit their page on Facebook by clicking here!

To order prints, products or digital downloads of this event or to just take a look-see, please click on this link:

Friends & Family of the 185th Gallery

Chestatee Wildlife Preserve & Zoo

You know it is going to be a great day when you hear the word ZOO!

What better way to kick off the 4th of July holiday than with a trip to the ZOO?!?! Our pick was the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve & Zoo in Dahlonega, Georgia. This is quite the little place to take your family and friends. You get to see animals that have been rescued and taken care of in their new homes. They have lions, turtles, elk, alligators, bears, wolves, zebras, exotic birds, and so much more! Live animals encounters are available as well as group rates for schools and other organizations. This is a must see if you are in Northeast Georgia!

Take a look at all the fun our group had during our experience!

You can also make donations on our website to help out this organization!

Gone Fishin'

Little boys, like Parker, love to fish and do other boy-ish things with their Dad and his buddies when they are younger. I got the chance to photograph this experience with Parker and Alex just the other day. Parents teach their children so much with every activity and conversation. Children are sponges and soak up all things around them daily. Important lessons are taught from the smallest of activities and conversations with children.

Parker is 3 years old and loves Brantley Gilbert, Zombies, Fishing, playing with his cars and is always fun to play a little golf with or even bake a cake! He is such an amazing little guy that has so much happiness to share with the world! Check out what he, his dad Alex and Ryan caught when they went fishin'!

To book your lifestyle session please contact me at jennifer@southernbellegroup.com for rates and information. No matter where you are, near or far, we can accomodate your request with our professionals!

Adopted is my favorite breed ... Taffy

My cat came out of nowhere and became my everything.

Taffy is a female domestic medium hair cat at the Humane Society of North Iowa. She came to the shelter in May 2014 and is looking for a place to call home. I met Taffy earlier this week and she was well mannered and extremely sweet. She is a mix of colors and is medium sized. Unfortunately, Taffy doesn't have a story, so this would be a perfect opportunity for her new family to create a loving and safe place for her to call home. Cats are such great animals. Taffy is beautiful and charming, she would be a great addition to your family!

If you wish to adopt Taffy, please contact the Humane Society of North Iowa! She is waiting for you!

Please call the Mason City Stray Animal Shelter at 641-424-3617 for more information.

Adoption fee covers the following veterinarian services: Spay/neuter surgery, rabies vaccination, flea and wormer treatment, feline leukemia test in cats, heartworm test for dogs.

Arty Party Time at Clear Lake Arts Center

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”

— Picasso

The paiting we were going to paint tonight!

The question, "have you ever painted before" is commonly answered, "No", "Not since elementary school". or "HA! I can't paint, my wife/sister/friend made me do this". If you are in the Mason City and Clear Lake areas and are looking for things to do you can start with Arty Party at the Clear Lake Arts Center. This sounded fun and hey, it was an open bar with beer and wine while you paint, so even if you couldn't paint you were destined to have a little fun trying! I signed Dr. Winchester and I up for the class! We were both excited because this was a first time for both of us.

Once we arrived, we both noticed the landscape we were going to be painting was displayed at the front of the room and immediately became nervous and a little intimidated. There was no way either of were going to be able to pull this off, then we remembered we could drink beer. So, on the way to the bar we went!

Our teacher gave us a few pointers about painting on canvas and the rule of thirds for art, which as a photographer that made sense to me. As we started putting paint on the canvas both of us were still at this point really nervous but really excited. We had already decided that our paintings were going to be nothing short of horrid.

Arty Party has an open bar with both beer and wine to enjoy while you paint your masterpiece!

We were taught to start at the top and work our way down for the background and the tree in the painting was last. So we began to put down our sky! Blending was the technique used here. We used blue and white to make our sky/clouds.

Up next, the treeline in the background. Whoa, I was not good at this but Dr. Winchester was very good at this. I wanted to blend with long strokes but quickly learned that was not correct and doc showed me how to use shorter and more rough brush strokes. At this point, he was just slapping paint on the canvas. Grass wasn't as complex as the treeline. So that went fast and well, minus doc's "John Deere Green" lawn. The group as a whole at this point were laughing and having a great time as the pressure seems to be easing.

Rocks! This was the hardest portion of the painting. Rocks shouldn't be this complex but geeze louise, they were tough. Everyone had painted various forms of rocks and we also were taught how to create the color brown. We were taught how to create shadows and highlights on the rocks by using black, white and lighter shades of the rock colors. We also had to create the shadow in the water from the rock bed.

Half way finished - Doc's on the left, mine on the right.

Lastly, we added our tree! The tree in the painting had a grassy patch around the bottom as you can see from the original painting. I attempted the grass and completely ruined it so I decided my tree just cast a shadow! My tree branches were not great at all so I kept adding leaves to the tree to help cover up some of the disaster. Dr. Winchester's tree was fantastic! Little did I know that he used to doodle trees in school when he was bored!

With both of our paintings complete according to the art teacher, we decided to add our own special touches. Dr. Winchester added snow geese and I added a tire swing. Each of our painting were totally unique and both of us were highly impressed with ourselves and each other. This was so much fun and we will be back to do more!

To sign up for an Arty Party class, visit their website and check the calendar for events. Come out with us next time we go and have fun! You are not allowed to know what the painting is prior to the class but it is really fun to bring out your inner Picasso and Maynard Reece!

Clear Lake Arts Center
17 South 4th Street
Clear Lake, Iowa
641-357-1998

Adopted is my favorite breed ... Kayla

“Dogs have a way of finding the people that need them ... filling an emptiness we don’t even know we have!”

— Thorn Jones

Meet Kayla ...

Kayla is a female Blue Heeler, about 5 years of age that arrived in May of 2014 to the Humane Society of North Iowa in Mason City. I met Kayla on Tuesday and I have to say, she is very sweet. A little shy at first but once we got outside and away from the high energy of the kennels, she was happy, as you can tell from her photo! Kayla is a such a sweetheart and loves tummy rubs! Her breed is known for herding. So if you don't have cattle, sheep or other animals that need herding she may be able to help herd the kiddos in the car before school each morning!

Kayla's story courtesy of HSNI.:

I am such a beautiful girl, with a bit of a round physique:) I have great manners and am house trained. Fearful of strangers, I need some time to get to know you. My former owner said that I was not socialized well with people, so it’s really not my fault. In a matter of days here at the shelter, I made fast friends with all the staff. They adore me! I like other dogs and am trying to make some canine friends also. If you are interested in meeting me, please stop at the shelter and ask the staff to get me out. It might take a little while for me to warm up to you, but I am well worth the wait cause I am the sweetest thing you will ever meet! Please call the Humane Society of North Iowa at 641-423-6241 for more information.

Adoption fee covers the following veterinarian services: spay/neuter surgery, rabies vaccination, flea and wormer treatment, feline leukemia test in cats, heartworm test for dogs.

Right Breed for You?

Happiest in wide open spaces, ACDs Blue Heelers) are very high-energy dogs and extremely intelligent, so they need a job - such as herding, obedience or agility - to keep them happy. While wary of strangers, the breed bonds closely to its family, though the owner must establish themselves as the pack leader. Their smooth, short coat requires only occasional baths and brushing.

-Source: AKC.org

Adopted is my favorite Breed ... Cowboy

Live like someone left the gate open

Cowboy is a male Yorkie/Chihuahua Mix that is full of energy and spunk! He arrived to the Humane Society of North Iowa in May of 2014 and is about 2 years of age. Cowboy is a small pet and the perfect size for YOU!

Cowboy and I became friends just yesterday and I haven't seen this much life in a dog in a long time. He was super sweet, fun and energetic. Very photogenic with lots of personality. He is in need of a new family that will lounge around and play with him. Please take a moment to visit the HSNI as a prospective family ready to adopt or just as a guest or volunteer.

Cowboy's Story courtesy of HSNI's website:

“I am starting to feel comfortable here with a couple of my new friends. It does take me a little bit before I completely trust, but once I do we will be friends for forever. I like the yummy treats and being cuddled with. If I really like you I might even sneak in a kiss or two when your not looking. I am going to need a quiet home where I can feel safe and secure. If you are interested in me, just ask the ladies at the front desk to bring out Cowboy!!”

Please call the Humane Society of North Iowa at 641-424-6241 for more information.