ME with straight hair for a day...

That was fun:-)

Volunteered to shoot the Polycystic Kidney Disease Walk 10-24-09

This was a great event... My good friends Steve (nephew of longtime "WHO" keyboard player Rabbit Bundrick) and Kathy Bundrick's son Cade was diagnosed with this disease 3 years ago...

The first year they participated (2008) they were the number one money raisers, so this year Kathy coordinated it... It was a success!! Lots of people showed and the live music was fantastic...

Crawler and Fear vocalist Terry Slesser sang with Wil Hudgens on bass, Steve Bundrick on drums and Randy Wall on keys... A great performance and I got to shoot it...

Photos will be posted on 11-25-09 at www.dixieanndalton.com/pkd

Stephenson Family Benefit

October 17 was a great day and turnout for all that were involved in the Stephenson family benefit at Cedar Creek in the Heights...
I happily donated my time and after digitally enhancing and uploading the images from the party, any and all print purchase amounts will be donated to the family as well!!!


The link to view the images is www.dixieanndalton.com/steph and they ARE CURRENLTY VIEWABLE:-)
Thanks to everyone who has helped the Stephensons and thank you to anyone who purchases prints from this event and hopefully I help you remember this special day with your images!

A big thank you to the following purchasers of images:
Jacquie Darrah - $ 23.82
Keith Lejeune - $ 9.74
Mary Hooper - $ 23.82
Travis Stepehnson - $ 57.37

~~~The "Surprise" Wedding~~~~

This is an Oprah-story if I ever heard one myself... I sound a little country I know, but this Surprise-Supposed-To-Be-Birthday-Party turned "Surprise Wedding" for Chrissy and Michael Lavispeare is somethin' to write home about!

This couple had been dating for over a year and had talked about getting married and possibly eloping... Favorite dresses and rings were circled in magazines so Mr.Lavispeare knew what to look for when he was shopping!

Thats right... With the help of family and friends, they pulled it off...

Chrissy was told that she was going for an exquisite brunch at Vargos and she should "dress nice"... Upon arrival to the restaurant, instead of being shown to a table to sit and eat, they were shown to the staircase that led down into the main Vargos ballroom. 74 family and friends shouted, "Surprise! Happy Birthday!"

Chrissy was thrilled, happy and a little embarrased I think... Michael came and met her at the base of the staircase and you can see there smiles here...

She went around the room and greeted her friends and family as she said, "Everyone I know is in this room." Michael then took Chrissy by the hand, led her to a table and he proceeded to the center of the room with a microphone and a letter that he read outloud to her and the guests... In some since of the word he was roasting her about how she had purses that were more expensive than his car and how he remembers the first time he saw her beautiful blue eyes from way across the room:-)

After his 10 minutes of reading aloud, he went and grabbed her hand, escorted her to the center of the room and handed her the microphone and an envelope... She opened the envelope and read aloud the invitation that had been mailed to all of the guests that said, "Please join us for a Surprise Wedding on September 26, 2009~OH MY GOSH, that's today!!" ... Michael immediately dropped down onto one knee and said, "Honey will you marry me?" and Chrissy responded with, "Of course!"

WOW!! It was spectacular! While taking photos of the bride getting ready, she said "If I would have picked out my dress myself, it would have looked just l

Ashley Bitz Photo Session for her New Cd Release

Ashley Bitz~
An extremely talented girl
Photos to come... CD photography is always tons of fun, especially when there are lots of people and ants to dodge...

Another happy couple! Get ready to cry!

Merry Christmas to you too Dixie! We just finished viewing all the images!!! We have been extremely busy the last few days, and we just now got a chance to sit down and really enjoy them. Oh my Godness......these pictures are the most INCREDIBLE pictures either of us have ever seen!!! They are sooo amazingly gorgeous!!! (If that's even a word!) We loved how you captured everything we remember, and the things we dont (like the food line we never saw)! We thought the idea of you taking pictures of all the families there turned out awesome!!! Everyone we have spoken to have said that they share our opinion of you and your talented ability to capture some of the most amazing and treasured moments. Everyone agrees that your images are the most artistic and professional images they have ever seen!!! We absolutely ADORE them! We will cherish them FOREVER! WE ARE SOOO INCREDIBLY THANKFUL TO HAVE FOUND YOU!!! You are definitley the best decision we have ever made!!! We can see your passion and dedication in each image you capture and for that we want to say THANK YOU! It means THE WORLD to us that you put your heart and soul into every picture. Because of that, you will always have a special place in our hearts. We can't wait to meet in person to exchange the balance and CDs and discuss further the things we loved. We will let you know when we can get together.

Thank you again Dixie.

Love always,

The Buchmans

I ADORE THEM!!!

Again, a happy client makes a happy Dixie!!

Glenda and John have been an awesome couple to work with... through their engagements, bridals and their beautiful horse and carriage wedding at Lyndsay Lakes in Cypress...

Here are her words from the recent email I got from her today...

Hi Dixie!!!

Oh my goodness!!! I AM BLOWN AWAY!!! John forwarded the link to me and I just finished looking through them! I just have one thing to say.......BRILLIANT!!! I absolutely ADORE them!!! You are too MAGNIFICENT for words!!! You NEVER fail to amaze me!!!

You are.......a genius! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

I can't wait to show everyone!

Love always,
Glenda

Why I do this...

Just wanted to share the thoughts of one of my repeat clients... Receiving these kinds of emails reminds me of why I truly do DO what I do... Photos tell stories in so many ways that words can't... The tears, the love, the joy... forever and ever...

Dixie you have outdone yourself! EVERY single picture is absolutely adorable! I don't know what else to say except I love them! Thank you for capturing my family in the most beautiful way. The pictures are worth way beyond what we spent on them, they are priceless! Can't wait to get the CD! I am looking forward to many more moments in our lives that you can capture!
Thanks again!
Jessica

See tiny fingers and tiny toes,Bright baby eyes, cute baby nose

Bella Terraza and Tuscany of Garden Oaks displaced brides

http://www.dixieanndalton.com/

I am interested in providing a 1 hour portrait session to a displaced bride as well as all of their high-resolution images on cd with print release. The winning bride will receive her choice of one of the following types of shoots: bridal, engagement, family or trash-the-dress.

I would like to ask for the following from the brides in order to qualify...
A copy of the brides' contract to verify that she was a displaced Tuscany of Garden Oaks or Bella Terraza bride. I am asking that the brides visit my website at dixieanndalton.com and then email their name and wedding date to me, as well as which shoot they would prefer if they do, in fact, win.

I will hold a drawing on Halloween night with the first trick-or-treater that comes to my door to be the one to pull the name from the cowboy hat.... and there will be photos to prove it:~)

Kirby's last day

Today was the day that I had to lay my baby Kirby (my 20 yr. old cat) to rest... we will meet again and I miss her so... she was kind of like a dog and she would appear on a complete stranger's lap within a few minutes of them being here, wanting affection of course... and the typical response from people that had never seen her before was, "what is that?"

Kirby was a Cornish Rex, which is a rare Egyptian breed with short curly hair...

My best friend from early childhood finds me on facebook!!

Check out the photo she sent me...

Can you guess which one is me?

I love the 70's... wish I were here for the 60's...

Sarah Bettens is the shit!!!

Travelled to Austin to see one of my favorite female musicians, Sarah Bettens, of K's Choice - the awesome rock band from Belgium... Check her out.... her voice makes you listen, then think....

http://www.sarahbettens.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6XR7VzibSY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HI57-5wn30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz0hFY6KqhU&feature=related

The Pandos in Galveston

The Pandos were awesome... Thought I would share... They found me on the internet several months ago when they were planning their summer vacation from Georgia to Galveston... They hired me for 3 hours and it was great capturing the group of in all sorts of combinations... I wanted to share my special touch to one of their more abstract family group shots...

Meek gets married!!!!

WOW!!! Meek and I have known eachother since we were 12... 1986, Sixth grade, Sugar Land Jr. High with our pink and multi-colored chuck taylors... I love the 80's... Don't you?

Meek and her honey have been together for many years and I feel so honored to be a part of their life and their family....

As for her wedding: great shots.... great cooperative GROOM!!!@~~~ I love you Kenny! Thank you muchly!!!!

The wedding and reception took place at the ever-so-beautiful-Hotel Zaza, across the street from Hermann Park which was a great place for after-the-ceremony-romantic-walking-hand-in-hand-photos... They will love them.... that's all that matters!

I love you Meek~ Congratulations darling~

~Dixie

Shooting Freelance...

Covering Skanksa Construction and their ever-so-famous "stretching before work" motto...

Me, the only woman for miles, gets to tell the boys what to do... sweet.

This is fun, and I love shooting for journalistic purposes. Wish that more would come around sometimes.

My new website has launched...

Hello and thanks for checking in. My new layout on my website has been officially launched as of today... Hooray... A LOT of time and effort wnt into this, and it is a done deal...

My clients appreciate me as an artist, not just a woman with big hair walking around with her big camera.

Enjoy the site and check back often.

http://www.dixieanndalton.com/

Angelica's 15th

A quinciniera for a lovely Colombian girl by the name of Angelica... I got the priviledge of shooting her posed photos (in her beautiful coral dress) as well as her party... We did her posed photos last month in Spring at my favorite spot for romantic shots or posed portraits, The Mercer Arboretum... check it out!!

The 6 couples line-danced, while intertwining meringue, salsa and some "grease is the word" action... It was great~!!!

The greatest part about this gig was that part of my services were donated (1/2 of my shooting was a give from me to her) and the other part of the services I performed was a gift from my friend Randy TO Angelica and her family because of the financial troubles her family is undergoing because Angelica has blood cancer. Remember kids, she is only 15 years old.

It would surprise you.... She looks and appears healthy and is just about recovered and will hopefully remain healthy until they find a cure...

Early detection is the key...

My little secret....

You ever communicate with someone and expect something that you don't get? Well, it happened to me today... When I put it all out there, i'm vulnerable.... and when I am vulnerable, i am weak... so there you have it... Sometimes I get it; sometimes I don't... Healthy, healthy, healthy is what I need and yearn for, but I seem to set myself in the wrong direction at times...

i forgot how it feels...

i forgot how it feels... sometimes it feels right, but you know it's wrong, sometimes it feels wrong, but it is truly right... Then there's the small chance that it feel right because it is, in fact, just plain right~ and this is where i stand...

maybe we'll meet again~