Friday Photo Journal - Week 23

Hello friends! It has been a busy and exciting week. I announced the launch of my new photography business website, compliments of Big Step Design, on Wednesday, and on Thursday I was featured on the BP4U blog. I am so honored and thrilled to have been blessed with winning the website design and being offered an interview by BP4U! What a great week! I am also filled with gratitude for the many friends and family members who have been so supportive of my business venture. Thank you!! Your encouragement means the world to me. Mwah!

 We have been busy enjoying the summer temps. The kids have played outside in our puddle of a pool (not more than a bucket really, ha) and we have taken many bike rides and walks. Here's a peek at our week. 

  Now it's your turn. Link up your pics below.

Also linking up today with The Long Road to China.

Little Things Thursday - Fair Little Ladies and Fairy Dust

I found a fantastic little spot for a photo session last weekend. Two little shops with cheery cottage style and Key West colored paint. I took my girls to shoot there Sunday evening and they gave me a real work out. I was running all over to keep up with them, especially Little Miss, lol. It is always a challenge to coerce your own kids into cooperation in front of the camera. I did manage to get a few shots that I like, among a bunch of throw-aways. I hope to be able to shoot there again soon, perhaps with some more cooperative subjects ;)

I still have more editing to do, but here are some of my favorites so far.

I hope you have a beautiful day!

Linking up with Kim today for:

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

Don't forget, tomorrow's Friday Photo Journal blog hop. Come by and link up your favorite shots of the week. You can grab the button in my sidebar.

The Big Reveal - My New Photography Website by Big Step Design

Over the past few years of blogging, I have entered many giveaways and won some awesome swag. I have also hosted several fun giveaways and I always love sharing great prizes with my readers.

Several weeks ago I entered an online giveaway to win a package from Big Step Design that included a professional photography website and marketing materials.   This was a big package valued at over $1200 and I thought my chances of winning were slim to nil. Still, I was struggling to get my photography business off the ground and I needed a more professional looking website. I knew that was a must. I had looked at several sites offering web design and prepackaged templates, but wasn't terribly excited by any of them. So, I entered the giveaway and hoped for the best, but really had little faith in winning.

I was absolutely floored when I received an email telling me that I won the whole package! Not only a brand new sparkly website, but also a video portfolio and print marketing materials!! Seriously. I cried. There have been some financial changes in our family recently, and I was really needing to lend some more support to our family's budget. This was a huge blessing for me. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and just knew this would be the push I needed to get my little business off the ground.

Shortly thereafter, I was chatting on the phone with Chelsea of Big Step Design about my vision for a professional website. She was so open and knowledgeable, and she really helped to guide my decision toward a site that fit my style and needs. I knew my business was in good hands and I couldn't wait to see the final product.

We worked together over the next couple of weeks setting up the landing page and importing posts from my blog. Chelsea made sure that all my concerns were answered. She was a great resource in helping me understand the back end of the site and how to best utilize SEO to improve my web presence. My favorite features of my new website include the Pinterest style port folio and the contact form for client inquiries.

When I saw the beautiful finished product, I was over the moon with excitement! I absolutely love my new photography business website. The design is sleek and easy to navigate and it is just gorgeous. I am so thankful to Chelsea and Big Step Design for the wonderful work they have done for Melissa Bliss Photography.

If you are in the market for a new website design, I highly recommend using Big Step Design. They offer fantastic packages especially for photographers, and they are so attentive and helpful.

As a special treat for Serendipity is Sweet readers, Big Step Design is currently offering $100 off their packages! If you sign up through the links on this page, you will immediately be given a $100 discount.

Here's a link to find out more about their wonderful website design packages: Big Step Design Photography Website Packages. Don't delay, go check them out! You won't be sorry.

Tuesday's Communal Global - Sweet Sisters

Greetings friends. I hope you all had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend! It was a little cool here, so we didn't venture to the beach or pool, but we did relax at home and enjoy some bbq. I also spent some time shooting at a workshop and with my girls.  It has been while since I have joined Communal Global and I thought today would be a good day to do so. Here's a shot I took yesterday of my girls. I found a perfect little spot for a photo shoot and they sure gave me a workout trying to capture them. It is always so much more challenging with your own kids!  Guess I worked off our brownies and ice cream ;)

Thanks for visiting! How was  your weekend?

P52 - Week 21- Happy Memorial Day!

 Wishing you all a safe and happy Memorial Day! I am so very grateful for all those who serve our country in the military and as public safety officials. Let us never forget the sacrifices these men and women and their families make!

I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

Ahh, summer...I'm ready...bring it!

Linking up with these lovelies: Gina and Tamar.

Friday Photo Journal Blog Hop - Week 22

Greetings friends and welcome to this week's Friday Photo Journal blog hop. I am so glad you are here!
Life has been crazy busy the past few weeks, but I am looking forward to a holiday weekend and to visiting all my bloggy friends to catch up on your news.
I am also looking forward to a big fat juicy burger and some warm sunshine and outdoor fun.
What do you have planned for the weekend?

About the collage:
4 days a week we head to Norfolk for our homeschool P.E. classes. I have two kids in the younger class and one in the older class (they meet on different days), so I have an hour each day to spend touring the sites of Norfolk with whoever is not in P.E. on that particular day. We usually walk. On Wednesday, I took my youngest and oldest down to the river to explore and find the geese. I popped my wide angle lens on my iPhone, snapped away, and got some fun shots.

Now it's your turn. Link up your pics below.



Thanks for visiting. Have a safe and wonderful weekend!

Little Things Thursday

Had some time at the park yesterday to play with my camera. Of course, I only got about 2 minutes of cooperation, but I managed to get this:

I hope you have a beautiful day!

Linking up with Kim today for:

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

Don't forget, tomorrow's Friday Photo Journal blog hop. Come by and link up your favorite shots of the week. You can grab the button in my sidebar.

WW- In the Garden

Hello friends. Happy Wednesday! Today I am sharing a few images that I took on Monday on a walk in Norfolk. We explored a lovely garden area and Little Miss was my little garden fairy ;) It was bright and sunny, mid-day and she was buzzing around little a busy bee, so I only grabbed a few images before we moved on.

Thanks so much for visiting!

Don't forget to join me for Friday Photo Journal!  Capture those precious memories and share your favorites in a post, then link your posts here on Fridays. Visit friends and encourage one another!

P52 - Week 20

Good day my friends! We have a wet start to a wet week. Looks like rain will be in our forecast more days than not. I guess I'll be shooting indoors this week...or breaking out the umbrellas. I am still dying to get to the beach for a sunset shoot. Don't think that will happen this week though. 

Here's my pic for P52. A curious Little Miss at the window. She had just heard her Daddy's car pull up in the drive way. Squeals, the quick patter of feet and big hugs followed shorty after.  ;)

Linking up with these lovelies: Gina and Tamar.

I am also contributing today over at In the MOMent with. Stop by and check out my post for a yummy simply sweet recipe.

Friday Photo Journal - Week 21

Happy Friday friends! I am so glad you could join me this week. 

It has been another busy week for me , and I was without my computer for a few days, so that meant no photo editing. I took a lot of photos with my iPhone, as usual, though. We had much warmer temps this week too, so the kids enjoyed lots of water play.  We also made several visits to the river in our neighborhood, where the Canada Geese are out with all their goslings. 

Here are my pics for the week. I can't wait to see yours :)

  Thanks so much for visiting! Have a wonderful weekend :)

Melissa Bliss Photography Norfolk-Virginia Beach, VA Family Portrait Photographer

I feel so blessed to be able to do what I love for a living. I adore my job! I get to work with some of the most amazing people and I love getting to know their stories. I put together a slide show of some of my recent work with families and thought I'd share it here. And, I must send out a huge thank you to all of my wonderful clients for entrusting me with your memories. I hope you enjoy the show!



You may view more of my recent work at www.Melissablissphotography.com and at www.facebook.com/melissablissphotography. Thank you for looking!

Little Things in the Great Outdoors

Hello sweet peeps. I have been absent for a day or two as my computer was in the shop getting a tune up and some much needed added memory. I got her back this afternoon and I am happy to say that she's running like a dream now, thanks to the best husband on the planet and the super awesome folks at Mac Specialists in Virginia Beach.  Hopefully now when I stay up until midnight editing, it will be because I have a slew of new clients to take care of, and not because I am waiting for my images to process ;)

Here's a little pic I took on Tuesday of Little Miss as we explored the great outdoors during our Girl Scout meeting. 

Linking up with Kim today for:

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

Don't forget, tomorrow's Friday Photo Journal. Come by and link up your favorite shots of the week. You can grab the button in my sidebar.