A Little Bit of Everything { Kansas City Photographer}

 
Today I'm going to catch up on what's happening!  My last few posts have been about dear, wonderful people fighting the Big C.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.  I know Matt and Hollie, along with their families will appreciate it!   More Hollie updates will be coming.  I believe she is in her fourth week of chemotherapy now.

  On September 17, The Great Midwest Balloon Festival arrived in Overland Park!  This was their first year and judging by the tremendous turn out, I know this is going to be successful in the future!  This is a charity event with all proceeds going to Hospice and other various charities.  There were 38 pilots the first year.   The musicians donated their time for the festival also.  Naturally, Pat was there and he opened up the festival with his solo playing.  They didn't kick him off the stage, so that's always a good thing.

  I am setting up Mini Sessions for the end of October and first part of November.  If you haven't had a family portrait done in awhile, you need one!   Christmas is just around the corner and prints make wonderful gifts, as well as those Christmas Cards that need to sent out to family and friends!   The times are booking quickly, so let me as soon as possible if you are interested.

  I think the rest of this post will be a few pictures from my latest sessions.  Not everything is posted on Facebook, because believe it or not, there are people that are not on Facebook.   :)

  These are few from the Great Midwest Balloon Festival.

Lauren (my favorite model) came to see Uncle Pat play

Pat doing what he does best... JT on that Olson guitar

Annie and Hollie (looking for beer)

A few of my favorites from recent sessions...

 

Seriously, if you're home needs some deep cleaning, call Greenway Home Cleaning.   Dee will take care of it!

Natalie is a 2011 Senior that does whatever I tell her.  I love her.  

I do love this image of Audrey (2011 Senior)

Ashley (another 2011 Senior) from Perry/Lecompton High School.  What more is there to say?    Awesome young lady.

Be sure to find the 2011 Seniors to get your freebies!!!  



What would a blog post be without the munchkins!?

Zoey's new smile! 

Maddie picking flowers and Justin Bieber's biggest fan!

Seriously.  Steve McQueen clone right here.

This sweetheart gave me 'attitude' and rocked it the entire session!

   Will post some of my favorites from upcoming sessions soon!

Taking It All Off!

Sunday was a big day!  Only the most incredible people were allowed to attend the event!  Parrot felt particularly honored to have been asked to be there for the long anticipated 'going bare' day.

Hollie has been feeling well, but the chemo effects are beginning.  It was time for the event everyone, especially her eldest daughter Brooke, had been anticipating.  Take one last look.  This is the last time you will see this head of hair for about 2 years.

Of course, she really didn't have far to go.  Her hair is so short already.  :)  Her girls, Brooke and Kennedy ran their fingers through her hair one last time!  Although, I think Brooke enjoyed more than Kennedy.

Hair stylist extraordinaire, Jeanne, prepped for the first phase by putting the clips in place and preparing the... CLIPPERS.

     Brooke took the first swipe at mom's head.  Now, Brooke is not a teenager, so I know this is her way of taking this chapter "head on" in her way... or maybe she just wanted to use the clippers??

And so it went.  Brooke was really getting into this 'head shaving' thing as mom longingly looked at her mane in her hands and saying goodbye... for now.

Now, anyone who has even met this gal KNOWS this could not be just a SIMPLE ceremonial shaving of her head. 

 She needed to take advantage of the opportunity to rock the style she has secretly dreamed of sporting.  I do believe Brooke was truly getting into this head shaving thing. 

    

                                                                                                                                                  

 Yep, Brooke took full advantage and felt the power with those clippers in her hand.

Hollie's husband, Gary, had his request also.  And yes, this was his shave style request before it all came off.

                     (Insert redneck joke here)

When all was said and done.  Brooke had finished the task of shearing her mother completely bald and she did an awesome job!  Hollie actually looked FABULOUS!  

She is TOTALLY GI JANE!!     

Brooke suggested she wear a scarf on her head for her soccer game.  Scarves are so stylish now.  

 

I don't know.  Pretty good look for Hollie, don't you think?  Brooke and I broke out singing "It's a Hard Knock Life" at this point.   Maybe she needs a 'different' scarf.  

No matter how you look at this, Hollie just looks fabulous bald!  She only needs wigs live out her fantasies of having long hair and to keep her head warm in the upcoming winter months!  Hollie TOTALLY ROCKS BALD!    

 

Totally Wigged Out! {Kansas City Portrait Photographer}

     Today, Hollie received her second round of chemo.  After her first round last week, no extreme ill effects.  She tires easily and wants to sleep A LOT!  It will probably be a few weeks before she loses her head, I mean hair, but it's never too early to prepare! Wednesday morning, she had an appointment with incredible Patty at Brian Joseph's to choose her new look for the next year and a half. Since, Hollie has very short and very thin hair, she was excited to try on the alter egos that surrounded us in the lovely shop.  Much of the time, I just felt like I was being watched by a hundred eyes. Patty has a pretty amazing selection of wigs and products for women battling cancer. I was blown away with everything available from eyebrow/eyelash cream to help keep them during treatment to creams for the burns that occur with radiation therapy. Amazing.  It's come a LONG way since I worked in Radiation Therapy 30 years ago.  (did I just admit that?)

Patty also has pretty shiny things in her shop which just brightened the whole place up and made me smile.  Girls do love pretty shiny things.

     I had no idea there was SO much to know about wigs!  Synthetic vs human hair, hand woven vs machine stitched and on and on.  So much to think about and consider!  

After soaking up all this information, the fun began!  First the nylon cap since she hasn't lost her hair yet.
The discussion of 'bald caps' then popped up.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Hollie next wearing a 'bald cap' just for fun and grins!

    At this point, the real entertainment begins!  Hollie has very thin and very short hair.  You know you always want what you can't have when it comes to hair.  If you have curly, you want straight.  If you have short, you want long.  She can have ANYTHING she wants!  The possibilites were endless....

until she began trying them on.  So here are the different faces of Hollie as you probably have not seen before!


     Here we have the Elvira look.  Long, layered, and black.  It's really, really strange seeing this gal with very long black hair when she usually has short spiky purple hair.  So, on we went to the next one...

    They say 'Blondes have more fun', but 'they' have obviously not met Hollie.  This is what Hollie would like as a teenage blonde.  ha.

Just because she is a soccer mom, does not mean she wants to look like one!  Cannot imagine her EVER looking like this for long.  Way too normal.  :)

     This is hair longer than she has ever been able grow on her head her entire life.  I was pretty sure she was going to choose this one no matter what.  What girl at some point in her life wants long luxurious hair without it being a tee shirt hanging from your head??  

     Jennifer Aniston is adorable and we all secretly would like to look like her, right???  This is as close as Hollie will get.  Nice.  Not to 'normal', but not purple and spikey.   Good look for her!

With this wig, she's ready to grab her guitar and hop in the VW bus.  Woodstock or bust!

Then she saw it.  Grabbed it.  Put it on.  Not only is it luxurious long hair, but she became J-Lo instantly! Hairbrush sufficed as microphone and she demonstrated her ROCK STAR skillz.  Oh yeah.  Definitely, J-Lo.

    It seemed as if she had chosen the two wigs to live with for the next couple of years.  One luxurious long hair wig and the 'Jennifer Aniston' style.  We headed to the desk to get all instructions and more goop needed help with all the side effects soon to come from therapy when we spied what seemed to be a beam of light from heaven in the next room.  We looked up and it's as if the angels sang.  There it was.  The wig that was Hollie.  We looked at each other and it was that 'Oh Yeah' look.

JOAN JETT!  The moment she put that wig on, we knew it was the one!  Now she is a total and complete ROCK STAR!  She has always wanted Joan Jett hair.  Now she has it.  What a glorious day!!

She is one happy gal.  Joan Jett and long luxurious hair she has never had in her life!  She was totally ready to rock her new style as we left Brian Joseph's two hours later.  Great choices girl.

I do hope your chemo went well today.  Hang in there.  Only two more years and new boobies!

B-B-Q!!

Who doesn't love a BBQ?? Saturday I attended a BBQ and pool party with hubby tagging along for grins. This was a fundraiser for a young man who has been diagnosed with lung cancer and is a dear friend of Zoey's mom (Kara). You all know Zoey! So we had to go and of course, I had to take my camera.

I must say, I don't know Matt, but he must be one pretty phenomenal guy! So many people attended and gave freely to help him and his little girl. Amazing group of people. His mom and brother were also in attendance, as well as his little girl. Matt could not make it with all that he is undergoing now. The band that performed was "Exit Plan" and they were AWESOME! Jeff Furst played a solo set first and thought for a moment it was hubby up there taking over the microphone. So, you know I loved Jeff's set!

The image above is a few of Matt's friends who bought the T-shirt with his artwork on the front, website on the back. Yes, I do have mine and love it! By the way, all you friends of Matt out there... your body art is incredible!! I was extremely impressed with all the gorgeous (is that the proper word?) tats.

All the pictures I took Saturday are available on DVD from Kara for $10. Every cent goes to Matt.

Matt, our family's prayers are with you and your family as you battle this enemy. I don't know you, but I have been moved by all who love you.

LIVE LAUGH LOVE and CANCER

Yesterday my sister's best friend began a journey. It's going to be a long one. This is a journey we all fear and wish no one had to encounter. Hollie has Stage 2 breast cancer of the aggressive sort. She has two young children ages 10 and 6. This battle will stretch over the course of about 1 1/2 years. Knowing Hollie, she is going to kick this cancer in the butt. Her positive, fun, adventurous, and hilarious look on life will be her saving grace.

She has successfully had her first chemotherapy treatment. It took all morning to administer it into the port on her chest.

So, we went to hang out with this crazy gal for awhile. As always, her attitude was unbelievable. Her cousin Chelsey will spending most of her free time at Hollie's to help around the house and with the girls. Chelsey, you are going to be a God send to Hollie and her family.

Of course, we will all be there for Hollie during this chapter in her life. I will do my very best to document as much of the journey as possible for her. (Looking forward to wig shopping day!)

My sister, well, she will be at Hollie's side at every single step for any need or want of this crazy woman. She will be there for her little girls. What's two more at Jeanne's home?

Keep Hollie in your thoughts and prayers. She is one of a kind. She will keep everyone updated on Caring Bridge also, so look for updates there! If you stop in to see her at Caring Bridge, drop her a line. Just click on her name in this post or go to Caring Bridge and type in her name holliepickert.

Stay tuned for information on an upcoming FUN fundraiser for Hollie also! We all know October is Hollie's favorite month! My question is what will she choose to be for Halloween this year? Lord only knows, but I have some ideas!