faith as a mustard seed...

hello loves...
  i am writing this tonight with no fancy pictures or lovely smiles at the bottom of the page... just some words. i want to start by saying that i love facebook... i do! it has connected me with so many amazing people who i would never meet before i walk the street of gold.... people all across the world with so many different walks of life.  One of those people is Lizzie Metcalf. We did a blog post about Lizzie's strength and faith during such a crazy mountain-filled time of her life. We oohed and ahhhed at her pictures, but I think i oohed and ahhhed at her strength more than anything. i have been blessed to share her story of courage with so many, including some of my youth who struggle day to day.

well, today, that same sweet strong Lizzie share with me a story about another amazing woman of faith who is battling right now, Raelyn Luchansky. She is one tough beautiful momma who was diagnosed with cancer while being 6 months pregnant with her second child. i am a little  over 7 months preggers right now and cannot even begin to imagine the emotional, confusing, roller coaster that i am sure she went through... her sweet baby lived through her first 2 rounds of chemo and was born, a beautiful boy! Right now Raelyn is struggling with finding a form of chemo that works. she and her family have stood so strong, so straight and true for Christ during all of this... when so many of us would faint and falter, she still wears a smile.

so this is my challenge to you... in the midst of all the Christmas hustle and bustle... just take a few minutes and say a prayer for the Luchansky family. Turn off the radio and pray. Pause from facebook and pray. Pray while you are cleaning, eating, working... pray for strength for their family. Pray for joy during the tough times. Pray that the tears of confusion will be replaced with tears of pure love. Pray that peace will come to them through the uncertainties. Pray that His beautiful will may shine through into their hearts. Just pray.

I believe in the power of prayer. i saw it do some pretty amazing things growing up in my life. i cling to the verse in james "the effectual FERVENT prayer of a righteous man availeth much"

You can view Raelyns story at this link
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/raelynluchansky

and you can view some of the lovely photos that Lizzie did for their adorable family at S'Wonderful Photography on facebook... share their story and share the prayers!

xoxoxoxo :)
Lollie and Cryssi Pin It Now!

Apples Falling Down... a day with the wagoners :)

Very rarely does my little and adorable family have days like today. Tony and I sat and talked about how we could not remember the last time that we had a full day with just the {4!!} of us :) And so, last minute, we decided to bundle up on this rainy cold day and make the venture out to one of my favorite little places nestled in the country of Mooresville... Carrigan Farms for some apple pickin.

There was nothing that I loved more than watching my sweet love carry my bundle of a best friend on his shoulders digging deep into the trees to find hidden treasures, with me {and baby} swinging my camera in tow just capturing our fun love. I wish I could have frozen today and snuggled with it for my whole life. It made me fall in love with my family so much more than yesterday. 

And so, I wanted to share my first day of fall with you... with the smell of fresh apples in the air and the taste of cider on your lips :)

Much Love and Fall Hugs from the Wagoner clan

Tony, Lollie, Havie G, and baby girl :)

xoxo

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SMILE!

So, this morning, after loads of pregnancy tears for absolutely no big reason, a song popped in my head that I wanted to share with all of you lovelies on this hot summer morning! When I looked it up, I was surprised to see that the music is by none other than the genius Charlie Chaplan... a man dedicated to making people smile without even using his mouth to talk. The words are so simple and yet ring so true to me in all of life's little bumps and bruises. Take the time today to not only be happy but to share a genuine beautiful smile with someone God put in your path. You never know the impact that precious gesture could make...
sending some to all of you :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) {times a million!}

mile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile



That's the time you must keep on trying 
Smile, what's the use of crying? 
You'll find that life is still worthwhile 
If you just smile

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Castles of Broken Swingsets

Christen and I are two crazy girls...seriously! We were raised by a crazy mother who would do egyptian dancing in our rooms after midnight, or would creep into our rooms whispering *Watermelon toast... watermelon toast* Do not ask me where that came from, I have no idea :)She would snuggle with us in her bed and scream *STEAM ROLLER* as she proceeded to roll over us squishing us to the limit :) She would make us songs while driving down the road and by the time we arrived home, they were forever embedded in our brains.  We were raised in a house full of girls... 1 awesome momma and us 4 sisters and we loved each other fiercely {and still do!} 

Some of the fondest memories I have of Cryssi and I were in our back yard, rapidly collecting wild onions and grass to make into a poisonous stew to ward off the evil witch! Our daddys wheelbarrow was the boiling pot and our giant spruce trees limb was the spoon. Our backyard was our inspiration. It was a land where girls who wore hand-me-downs could be princesses... where grass necklaces could be diamonds... where a broken swing set could be a castle... and we sisters could be warriors :) It was our happy place and I still go home to momma and daddys house and smile from those back yard memories. 

Growing up can be a good thing, but there is also some bad that is mixed in. When dreamers turn into adults, we sometimes forget about all of that bunched up inspiration that made our eyes sparkle. Being photographers without a studio means that Christen and I have to be constantly searching for that sparkle to return. We cling to inspiration and sigh when it hits us. Inspiration takes so many forms... sometimes, it can be in the form of a person, and that is what we are celebrating! We want to share stories with you that have inspired us to be better people... better photographers... better women of God. We want you to sit in your comfy chairs, wrap up in your favorite blanket, have that warm cup of coffee or tea in hand and share in what makes us go day to day with smiles inside and out. Some of these people we have never met, but hope to! Some of them have been in our lives for years and others for months. Some have made us laugh until we hurt and others have made us shed tears of joy. All of them are beautiful people full of joy and inspiration just oozing from them. All of them see life through a different lens than what we use. All of them have a boldness that quickens us to take that extra leap of faith. I promise that you will all fall in love with each of them!

We will be posting our first Eye Sparkler on Thursday and you ALL HAVE to meet her! I am not going to spoil it but she has made Cryssi, I, and our familys look at life differently. She has made us cry and smile and want to attack the world with love. She is a warrior in every sense of the word and has a passion that is contagious. :) We have been anxiously waiting and cannot wait for you a to meet her :)

Cant wait to share our stories with you!!! PS, we would LOVE to hear your eye sparkler stories! Who has inspired you in life?! Who makes you want to wake up each day and embrace life a little harder? Cannot wait to hear!!!

extra extra xoxo

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Jane Austen Affair : A Sassyfras Workshop {2011}

 

We are tickled pink to announce our workshop.  We have been planning and scheming, and giddly planning this workshop for several months now, and can't wait for you all to see the location that we picked.. It is flawless.  To give you a little hint to how awesome it is, 2 of the houses were actually used in the film the patriot.. yeah jaw droppingly gorgeous:)!

We have limited spots available, because we really want this to be an intimate affair.  We will be concentrating on having fun, and helping you build a successful business  in a happy way.  If you are looking for over the  top styled sessions, and learning from A-Z how to build a successful session, everything from outfits to props, then this is the workshop for you!:)

Please email us @ sassyfrasstudios@hotmail.com, if you are interested.  We will be sending out getting to know you questionnaires within a few days of your submission:)! Much love and can't wait to meet you all:)!

xoxo
Lollie & Cryssi

{A peek into the location}























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the fragility of life...

Life can blow by so fast that we barely even feel it. We live each day with thoughts such as "what should I wear? What do I want to eat? or Do I want to go shopping or take a nap?" that completely take over our lives. I would even venture to say that more than ninety percent of the thoughts we have each day revolve around us. We, myself included, are at times selfish and undeserving of the blessings we are given. The Bible tells us in James 4:4 that our lives are like vapors... here for a bit and then completely gone... all it takes is one single moment of a blinked eye to completely erase someones life.

This afternoon after hearing about all the devastation in Japan, my heart aches for people I have never seen. My biggest worry this morning was whether I would have my daughter ready for the sitters in time to make it to work. I barely kissed her goodbye and left my beautiful home without a second thought of thanks for all the joys I have in my life. It saddens me to know that there are thousands if not millions of terrified people across the sea just yearning for a bit of hope, a bit of help, a bit of love... especially when I take so much for granted every second of every day.

If you can help with the crisis in Japan, then I urge you to. If you will pray for the people hurting and confused then I plead that you will. It is our job to be a light to the hurting and a hope to the hopeless. Take a moment just to look around you... at your phone, your computer, your extra cushiony couch, your husband/ wife, your children, your home, your clothes... be thankful! And do not be afraid to show more love today than you did yesterday... show more love tomorrow than you did today! Because life is fragile and we all need to be thankful for every breath of it.
Much xoxoxo and prayers to all those affected by the earthquake and tsunami
Lollie and Cryssi Pin It Now!

A Little XOXO

One of our adorable brides just recommended this song to us. She said it reminded her of us and how we are blessed with the opportunity to capture all these amazing peoples memories. It is so true! Every person God sends our way is a new adventure full of breaths of excitement. We are honored and blessed! Just wanted to leave you with a little love and thanks for all your encouragement and support to two crazy sisters ;)
We send you all much LOVE! We will try to post some while in Cali to be on the lookout for our adventures!

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Nope... We have Not arrived....

I like to be peppy... I try to be the optimist and encourager and yet at times I fail miserably. Yep, you guessed it, I am human! Being a human means that I have lots of room for error and also lots of room for growth. It is a beautiful thing called LIFE that God gives us each and every day of our whisked away lives. When Christen and I first began Sassyfras Studios, it was with a leap of faith and alot of prayer... it was with giving away free photoshoots and jumping up and down when someone complimented our images... it was with alot of hard work AND alot of encouragement from fellow photogs around the world.
Lets go back in time 2 years... I will never forget showing my pathetic *and boy were they pathetic* images to Lawrence Chan of Furious Photographers. Looking back on those images, I would be appalled for him to see them again. But, for whatever reason, he reached out to me. He encouraged me more than once and told me to go for it whole heartedly. He even welcomed me to LA for a cup of coffee and tips in shooting any time I wanted. It kept me going and believing in myself. Honestly, anyone in their right minds would have looked at those images I sent him and laughed or even shook their head in amazement of how crazy I was to believe that I had even a tiny bit of talent in photography, but that was not him. I do not know anything about him but I know that he has the gift of encouragement.
Now lets jump ahead to today... No, Sassyfras Studios has not even come CLOSE to arriving in this business... Every day we talk about ways to make ourselves better, stretch ourselves, learn from others. I will say that I am no longer ashamed to show chan my images but I still know I have so much work to do and so much I can gain from within myself and my dreams.
The past two weeks have been so sad to me. I have seen so many photographers all over the web bashing one another... laughing at other peoples pictures and discouraging people. Those photographers may not have the best equipment or knowledge of lighting... they may not use the most flattering poses or your favorite type of editing... BUT, they have a dream. They have something inside of them that says, *Hey, I LIKE this and I want to try it out!* I am so glad that when a child plays with the game operation, we do not laugh at them and tease that they could never be a surgeon. I am so thankful that when someone gives their first speech in communications class, we do not point fingers and say that they will never be an international journalist... and I am glad that we did not jest when people had the desire to fly to the moon.
Stop your negativity and just let these people fly! Give them the chance that someone gave you! If you feel that you are at the point in your career that you can laugh at other peoples dreams then you obviously have perfected the art of photography. I for one am still growing and pray that I will never be that person. And, I ask anyone reading this to remind me if my pride ever gets too big that I forget that we all have dreams and it is MY job to encourage others.

For all you growing photographers like myself, keep flying high and chasing whatever inspires you... Do not give up if someone is low enough to put you down. We were all given a beautiful purpose in life and I pray that you will grab ahold of yours and never let go. Listen to the words of this song or find them here from the movie tangled...
http://www.xtralyrics.com/lyrics/i_ve_got_a_dream.aspx





Much xoxo Pin It Now!

Getting a Little Snap Happy

It is about that time of year again... where I wake up with the sound of wedding bells ringing in the distance. We are leaving for the grand state of California in exactly 1 week, marking the kickoff for our wedding season. Exciting? Definitely! Every wedding gives new personalities, new dresses, adorable shoes, swoon worthy decor, and of course... 2 crazy photographers. I guesstimate that in the next 5 months we will have snapped our cameras about 40,000 times... crazy, right?! The motion has become almost habitual now, much like how a typist will randomly type words in her head all day.

I love being THAT person on the biggest day of a girls and guys life. The one that also becomes the lip-stick finder, the butt of the groomsmen jokes, the floral mishap fixer, the smile maker. It is alot of responsibility but has the biggest level of fun in return.

Today, while thinking of this big time of year fast approaching, I was rummaging on the web through anything and everything photography related and tripped on this amazing site. I looked from camera to camera to camera, to camera bag, to film to all things adorable and was literally grinning from ear to nose to ear. To me, there is nothing as fun as a camera... BUT what is even better is when you actually have a FUN camera. How fun would it be to lug one *or all* of these around all day. I do love my beautiful Nikon in classic black, but it lacks a certain inspiration when I glance at it; whereas I doubt if it was the shape and color of a juice box, I would have no problem beaming and showing it off to any and everyone that would glance my way.

So, all you snap happy shutterbugs, go take a browse at these adorable cameras at Four Corner Store www.fourcornerstore.com. Go ahead and buy one if it will put a smile on your face. I am already scheming up a reason to buy a juice box one for me... um I mean my daughter:) Pin It Now!

Midweek Love Fest : Courtesy old school Destiny's Child

we LOVE opera of the bells by Destiny's Child.. ABSOLUtELY amazing and gorgeous: Merry Christmas... can you feel the spirit:)?!?!?

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Mid-week {Love} Fest : Via the talents of Fine Frenzy

SO I am ALWAYS in a frenzy over the Fine Frenzy's music. It is always gorgeous. ONe of her more popular songs is goodbye my lover.. which you may know better than this one. I found this video of one of my fav songs, and one of my fav movies. HOpe you enjoy, and that it lifts your spirits on this hump day:)!

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Mid-week Lovefest : Courtesy Meaghan Smith

This video makes me so giddy. It really brings me back a few years to lazy saturday mornings in front of our wooden panel tv, curled up with the sisters watching old school bugs bunny videos. I hope this little {diddy} brings a smile to your face and a flutter to your heart. Meaghan Smith is definitely climbing up my {love it} music chart!

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Friday- Slice of {Sass}

I very rarely get personal on our blog, but I'm feeling the need to think about a very special person near and dear to mine and Lollie's hearts. We grew up with our meemaw teaching us what the definition of hospitality, grace, loveliness, kindness, and of course Sass really meant. From Jitterbugging in her den, to listening to stories from long ago about war, life, and of course love, she showed us how to be a spectacular person. She always told us we would do great things in life, and I know that if she were still with us, she would be our #1 fan, and trust me if you had known her, you all would be her #1 fans.

I scarcely ever think about meemaw without shedding a tear or two. She was our joy, our worlds, and her home was our safe haven. We even came up with our name while swimming at our home {Sassyfras} it seemed so much like something that she would say.. we considered {Fric & Frac} too .. hehe one of her favorite terms.

She was the shoulder to bare our burdens, through our not so graceful teenage years, and a voice to sing with us while cruising to the nearest Kholes {or as she said NOLES} for our next shopping trip. Her house was filled with laughter, cookies, and the best back-scratches you could imagine. Life seems so much more grey without her here. If you have ever lost someone, you know how you try to grasp onto ever scent and memory for as long as they will linger. There are days I still walk to her closet, open the doors, reach in to one of her very sophisticated stylish dresses, breathe in a scent and pray that it is still there. I wish you could have known her. Everyone that knew her loved her. She never met a stranger, and if she did she would invite them into her house for a sandwich and a coke {never diet}.

As, I look at our business, and the expansion that we have had over the last year and a half, I think to myself, that Meemaw must have made a VERY good friend in Jesus since she has been up there! I know she rejoices with us, with every new client and shoot we book.. especially the weddings. For now, I just want to leave you with a small grasp of this amazing woman. She meant everything to us. Lollie & I can never listen to Moon River without thinking of her & my sweet peepaw and the love that they shared. So, to get your Friday started with some Love, and in loving thoughts and memories of such an incredible woman....

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Mid-Week Love Fest : {Thanks} Rosi Golan

I heard this song recently, and I can't remember where, but it makes my heart pound thinking of my own husband. This would be a wonderful first dance, or reception song. Hope when you hear this song, you close your eyes and think of the person that you love the most~

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Mid-week {Love} Fest- Via the Weepies

Be My Youth.. My Kissing Booth... My Little Sweet Tooth:

If these lyrics arent enough to make you swoon, this video will be! Hope you are having a happy Mid-week day!!! Check out all the new goodness on our facebook and Blog!!

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End of the Week- Love Fest

I needed a little love pick me up this morning.. and I thought you may too!!!

If you are planning a retro or vintage themed wedding, including this song in your reception playlist is a must! (In my humble opinion, at least. )

Morgan’s songwriting is ace as always. Take Perfect in My Mind‘s lyrics:

I don’t have forever, but I’ll live like I do
Feels like endless summer with the light shining through
All I have is borrowed, my skin and my bones
All I have is borrowed, but I wear these summer clothes

Every thing is just fine
Every thing is just fine
So long as I’m by your side
It’s perfect in my mind

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Mid-week {LOVE}fest

Here is a yummy pick me up for the mid-week slice of sass.. We love love love {Love}. Hope this makes you as happy as it made me. Shout out to Sammie Abernathy from Birds of a Feather for reminding me of this vid.

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Mid-Week Slice of Sass : Courtesy Angel Taylor

My mom showed me this song a few months ago, and {Me, Cryssi} being the hopeless romantic growing up, being the girl who had a boyfriend constantly and fell head over heels in the first month {which lead to many heartbreaks} SOB, she said this song was perfect for me! So glad I found my one who loves me like no-one else ever could... so here is a little cheering up for this somber rainy wednesday. Hope it makes your day a little more sunshine and smiles!



<3 ya guys
the Sassy Sisters Pin It Now!

MId-week Love Fest

I heard this song on a show the other day, and fell in love... found this cute charlie chaplin movie set to it... ENJOY!

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Midweek {Slice of Sass} : Loving Yourself

HHHMMMM.. the number one thing I think to myself or hear from moms are I will get family pics done when I lose weight, or I will get pics done when my face clears up, or when I shrink 5 inches. So I ask you and myself... WHAT IS OUR PRoBLEM? Do you really think your kids are going to look back at that pic in 20 years and think to themselves WOW I really wish mom had lost 10 lbs for this pic. I can answer that... NO.. and if your kids do then they are selfish brats that need a good kick in the tail {but your kids would never do that ;)} ONe thing that I wish I had more of growing up is good family pics.

So today I say embrace your flawz love yourself for that infectious laugh. Love yourself because you make the best dang brownies. Love yourself because you are the most important person to someone in the world. Love yourself because you have purpose. Love yourself for the reasons that everyone else loves you. We are going to change this world one mindset at a time.. So open your arms, wrap them around yourself, and see the beauty of every fan and client that we see through our lens..

So on this mid-week love fest, the person we are swooning over is ourselves.... ps the song doesn't start until a minute in {just heads up}

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