Please note: the studio phone number has changed – it is now 602-570-0698.   All calls/messages placed to the old number will still be taken/returned, but please update your records to reflect the new number.  As always, I am reachable via email at meggan@megganjacks.com

Well, it has happened – The 2007 schedule is completely booked. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who chose Meggan Jacks Photography for their holiday portraits! I still have several weeks of sessions to complete, but I no longer have room in the calendar to schedule additional sessions.

I am scheduling sessions for January and February 2008 – so if you missed getting a session scheduled this fall, then the early winter/spring time is definitely a great option – the weather is still spectacular in AZ for on-location sessions!

Just as a reminder – Please be courteous to other clients by placing your order within the two week gallery publication time frame. I build my workflow around this two week ordering period and schedule sessions based on clients placing orders within the alloted time frame. If you are having difficulty blocking time on your calendar to sit down and put together an order and would prefer to meet in person (to make it an actual appointment) just let me know. I would be happy to meet with you in person to put together an order.

I celebrated my birthday on Friday – I love birthdays… well, for the most part.. next year’s birthday might hurt a smidge. LOL

What I love most about birthdays is that you get to eat cake and I LOVE CAKE!! My parents came to town for the weekend and my mom made my favorite type of cake – Mayonnaise Cake! I swear it’s the best chocolate cake EVER! Tastes nothing like mayonnaise – even the staunchest of mayonnaise haters will admit that this cake is pretty darn good (you just can’t tell them that it has mayonnaise in it before they try it!)

So, now that I’ve peaked your interest in this delicious cake, I will share the recipe:

Mayonnaise Cake

1 1/4 c sugar
1 c Miracle Whip (okay, so it’s not really mayonnaise, but USE Miracle Whip!)
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
6 T cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 c water

Cream sugar and Miracle Whip, add vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and then add to sugar/MW mixture. Mix in water. Bake in greased and floured 9×13 pan for 30-40 minutes. (also makes a nice bunt cake, but you definitely have to bake it closer to 40 minutes.)

Yum Yum Yum!

errr… I mean LIVE!

I’ve had a new website in the works for about a month – technical difficulties delayed the release, but I persevered and it’s all set to go!  The new MEGGANJACKS.COM is beautiful, if I do say so myself – and packed full of new material (and a few you’ve seen here on the blog!)

I have one or two tweaks left – mostly a product gallery and a wall display idea gallery – but I didn’t want to delay any longer in getting the new site up and running.

A big THANK YOU to all my wonderful clients I’ve had the pleasure to work with – your support makes it all possible!

I hope you all enjoy the site (but be sure to let me know if you see any typos! LOL)

Every fall it seems that I shift gears here at the studio from photographing bellies to photographing families. I think it’s just that the pregnant women out there get so wrapped up in the holiday preparations that time just flies by and before they know it, they are holding their new baby bundle in their arms. I know last year I photographed several newborns in late fall/early winter where mom commented “I wanted to do a maternity session, but I just kept forgetting to schedule it!”

So pregnant mamma’s with your pregnancy brain – here is your reminder – DON’T FORGET TO SCHEDULE YOUR MATERNITY SESSION! Yes, the studio schedule is filling up with holiday sessions, but we do have some room left for protruding bellies. Just give me a call and we will get it worked out! I promise you won’t regret it!

(Oh, and a super cute story about this image – This mamma-to-be’s session was scheduled by her hubby as a surprise. I just adore thoughtful daddies!)

It’s still hotter than heck out right now, so I’d like to start thinking some cool thoughts and mention holiday sessions for this fall. We are currently scheduling holiday portrait sessions for September, October and early November. I strongly suggest contacting the studio soon to book your session, as I anticipate filling up the schedule early!

Typical turn around time for a portrait session, from time of session to time of delivery of your actual portraits, is 4 weeks. During the fall rush, the turn around time can extend out to 6 weeks due to volume delays at the various vendors we use (such as printing labs and framing suppliers). To ensure that you have your holiday portraits or greeting cards in hand to send out on time, please keep this 4-6 week time frame in mind when scheduling your portrait session.

2007 Holiday Schedule

Sunday, October 14 – Mini Session Date (click HERE for details)

Saturday, November 10 – Last day for holiday sessions

Saturday, November 17 – Last day for collage, canvas and portrait handbag orders.

Saturday, December 1 – Final day for standard portrait and greeting card orders.

Saturday, December 7 – Final day for RUSH orders (25% surcharge placed on rush orders) (Standard portraits and greeting cards only. Specialty products not available for rush priority.)

We will be accepting *limited* appointments for our maternity & newborn clients from November 11-December 15th. The studio will be closed from December 16th through January 11th.

For all the heavily pregnant gals out there, I want you to know you have a sympathetic friend here. Both of my children were born in the summer (8/18 & 7/31) and I can attest to the fact that there is nothing quite like enduring an Arizona summer when you are 7-9 months pregnant. The first pregnancy wasn’t so bad – I worked in an air conditioned building and I spent much of the evenings and weekends in the pool. The second summer pregnancy about did me in. Let’s just say Kevin learned to wear flip-flops VERY early that summer! I couldn’t even see my own feet let alone bend over far enough to tie his shoes. I will also admit that most days he ran around the house in his underwear unless he managed to pull his own pants on. It just took too much effort to get him dressed!

I have also come to the conclusion that pregnancy is 4 weeks too long for a reason. By week 40 you are so desperate to get that baby out that you don’t really care WHAT methods it will take to extract that child out of there, you just want her born NOW! I am a huge fan of epidurals, but this time last year when I was pregnant with Sarah, I was prepared to go all natural (and sell my first born! LOL) just so that I could come to the conclusion of my pregnancy!

So, my word to the wise for the Arizona ladies out there – try to avoid conception from August to December so that you don’t spend weeks 30-40 of your pregnancy in prime of the AZ heat! However, if your little one demands that they be a summer baby, I highly recommend lounging in the pool with a cool glass of water or lemonade or a little shopping therapy at the mall to distract you from the heat!

The studio will be closed from July 4th until July 12th. I am traveling out of town for my brother-in-law’s wedding in NW Indiana.

Please feel free to email me at meggan@megganjacks.com. I will be checking emails periodically during my trip.

Hope you have a safe and wonderful 4th of July!

June 13, 2007: The studio will be closed from June 13th through June 20th. If you would like to schedule a session, please contact the studio via email (meggan@megganjacks.com) or call the studio at 602-942-1113 and leave a message. I will return all messages when I return! Thanks!