Inky-Dinky-Do Blog

The Hunt is ON!

OK if you are new to the annual hunt then just follow along.  It is easy and most of all FUN!  The quality of the photos is not as important as you might think.  The point is to have fun, be creative and show me what you can come up with.  In the case of a tie breaker we have been known to be pushed over the edge by the most creative use of our logo etc. 

Who can play- Everyone- that we aren't related to and are not professional photographers!  Teenagers, Moms, Grandma's, make it an office or class  challenge!

Keep in mind these don't have to be AMAZING photographically.  The point is to have fun and be a little creative.  Camera phone, iphone, real camera photos- all will be fine.

How to submit- you can drop a CD, you can link to an online gallery, or you can email your entry.  *Make sure we know which images is for which number on the list.

The Deadline...Dec 31st at midnight- winners announced on New Years Day by midnight!

The Twist...
Twist #1- Stephanie has to do the Scavenger Hunt as well.
Twist #2- You can come up with 10 additional suggestions for Stephanie to have to do too!  Yes, first come first serve.  No one person can post more than 2 to keep it fair.  Think before you post and make it count! All 10 have to be posted with in 1 week.
Twist #3- IF Stephanie doesn't complete the Hunt and you do- you will receive a free session & wall portrait!  I know what you are thinking, but you can't sabotoge her!  Face it, it is the busiest time of year so really with family coming on top of it do you really think she can get this done?  We don't.  :)

Watch the blog each week for special bonus opportunities!  Oh yes, we have some fun planned if nothing else than for our entertainment!

The Hunt List...

1) Something snappy
2) Something Moolicious
3) Fluff
4) 5 Golden Rings
5) inky-dinky-do + You = ?
6) have Mercy...
7) Zoom zoom
8) team work
9) a tower
10) show me a mascot- bonus if you are with them - triple bonus if you incorporate our logo!
11) feathers, fur or fins?
12) you with someone in uniform- and oh yeah you need to make them smile & thumbs up!
13) something Lush
14) a favorite holiday treat
15) come on Mama show me Drama
16) a test
17) spell something out- your can't use actual letters or fonts.
18) tacky, tacky, tacky...
19) Symbol everyone knows
20) you must be on or at the Edge


The Prizes...
• 5 hours of private photographic teaching by Stephanie herself complete with lunch!  Yep, you can learn how to use those buttons on the camera!  This is the most requested thing at the studio and usually is reserved for Stephanie working with professionals at a couple grand a day- so enjoy!
• Complimentary Portrait Session
• some  more cool stuff to be announced as we go!

It is time again.... The Annual Scavenger Hunt!!!

You spoke- we listened!  I know we have a lot of teachers that play and complained about the timing so this year no excuses!  Not to mention lots of crazy fun!  Watch the blog this week for rules, the items and a fun little twist because we can!

The holiday rush!

I love my clients and the crazy schedules we all keep!  For everyone that has noticed that Thanksgiving is next week, it is too late to book your sessions!  I know, it snuck up this year when nobody was looking.  My magic wand can make people look fabulous, but the ability to turn back time seems to be an update I might need to upload to it. 

Possible solutions-
•If you have done a session this year and want to use an image from that session for the card- drop us an email by Saturday 5pm and we can get something to the lab for you.

•You could book a session for early Dec. (yes, that means call now for booking that session!)  and send out New Year's cards.  No you wont mail them out the day after Thanksgiving, but it wont look like you forget people!

•I know you are thinking I have a picture of my one child but what about the other three, I can't possibly send out a card featuring just one child.  This is true unless it happens to be a birth announcement from the family at holiday time!  Or, if you want to just admit that is your favorite and next year if the kids are really good they might make it on the card... Ok, maybe that isn't the best idea- but the birth announcement idea is good!

HOURS FOR THANKSGIVING.....

Friday the 21st 9:00-11:00 Open pick up.

Monday the 23rd  10:00-12:00 Open pick up

The 24th & 25th- Tiffany will be scheduling a few appointments Please call to schedule 661-588-1984.

Closed the 26th- Dec 1.  Come on it is a holiday involving food- you know we are going to celebrating!

It's Back! Halloween at inky-dinky-do!

inky-dinky-do is doing the Witch's Studio again!  This year we will be benefiting the MS Society!  You guys asked for reserved times (I know crazy and packed when we do open house style!) so we listened and I think we have come up with a great option.  For a little donation to a great charity you can snag your own time and even have our great lab print up a little picture package for you!  Not to mention you still get the image file to print as you wish!  Just when you thought it couldn't get any better!  You can call or email to reserve your spot! 

October 28th & 29th   (Wed./Thurs.)

Option A - $30 donation to MS society
•Reserved 15 minute block of time
• Bring a friend if you wish!  (up to 4 in the image)
•1 pose printed as 1-5x7 & 2- 4x5’s
•the digital file emailed to you for printing
* want each child individually?  then book a spot for
each-it cost less than pizza night & the $$ goes to charity!

Option B - $20 donation to MS society
•Reserved 15 minute block of time (up to 2 kids in the image)
•the digital file emailed to you for printing

Option C - Free 
•stop by between 2:00 & 3:30pm the 28th only
•a low res mini file for web only emailed to you
•limited to current clients only about 3 minutes of photo time 

Check the reservation schedule-
what is your appoinment time and what is still avaialable
**this will be updated daily- keep in mind as people book spots it might become full before you see it on the schedule. 

So what is MS anyway? 


Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord). It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. This means the immune system incorrectly attacks the person's healthy tissue.  MS can cause blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis, and blindness and more. These problems may be permanent or may come and go.

Approximately 400,000 Americans have MS, and every week about 200 people are diagnosed. World-wide, MS affects about 2.5 million people. Because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not require U.S. physicians to report new cases, and because symptoms can be completely invisible, the numbers can only be estimated.

Can MS be cured?

Not yet. There are now FDA-approved medications that have been shown to "modify" or slow down the underlying course of MS. In addition, many therapeutic and technological advances are helping people manage symptoms. Advances in treating and understanding MS are made every year, and progress in research to find a cure is very encouraging.

Today was Powder Puff Day!

I know some of you wanted to see some pictures from today's Powder Puff Game.  Thought I would share a little video.  THe Thunderwoods lost today to the Nowottenators.  This keeps the winning streak for Mrs. O's & Mrs. N's class.  All the students had a great time watching and while those girls were fierce the real entertainment was watching the kids and those boys as mascots!

Click here to see a largerQuicktime version on our site

Out of the office-phone lines and Angela out this week...

Sorry to fall off the radar guys.  During our move we ran int oa couple snags- transferring phone lines and what not.  If you haven't been able to reach us via phone- fear not- email is getting answered- phones are getting sorted out.  We had a great idea to transfer the phone to Angela's cell Friday night- only we didn't anticipate Angela's son ending up in the hospital!  Yes, just what every Mom with a child in the trauma unit needs- a ringing phone.  Since we couldn't un-transfer the phone at that point we had to let them roll.  Now that Max is back home and phone line should be taken care of we will be returning whatever calls weren't lost in translation so to speak!  Again email is a great way to reach me during the move.  The studio is closed until next week and with Angela being out for obvious reasons we are running just a touch behind in getting the studio move settled. 

We do want to thank The Center for Neuro Skills in Bakersfield for being so helpful to us this last week.  They were wonderful at explaining things to Angela's family and giving recommendations.  We are happy to report that Max is home from the hospital and doing much better.  A very big thank you to our clients for understanding and allowing Angela to step back as needed.  Now we all agree that it will be great to have her back soon since I don't even know how to access voice mail!  :)  Yes, it is a good thing that I use the camera and not the phones!

2009 Changes

(new posts will appear below this one so scroll down if this is old news to you!)

2009 is all about simplicity- for us & for our clients.  The kind of simplicity that brings peace, simple joys and sense of family.

I know we have been pretty quiet lately on the blog.  We have been pondering what changes we wanted to make for the new year.  It was worth the wait because we have some serious changes coming your way! 

I have so loved watching all our inky-dinky-do kids grow up and document their lives.  We also have become part of the Bakersfield community since moving here and we aren't too proud to acknowledge that economic times have impacted our area and many of our clients.  So many of you have become like a big extended family for us and of course would love to still see the kids grow and share in the little joys that happen.  So we have reached a decision.  We are opting to close our boutique on Calloway Drive and focus soly on the studio and creating the best value for our clients.  Sure the boutique was nice, but at the end of the day staying affordable to our clients during a tough time is more important.  Angela will still be scheduling and thanks to modern technology she can do that virtually anywhere.  Previews will happen at the studio instead of the boutique.  So the only difference is you get to come back to the studio and visit me twice!  I'll make sure that candy bowl is refilled!   The studio will be as it has always been by appointment so that we may give you our full attention. 

Because we are moving stuff around (you notice there is no photo of boxes piled high!) we are essentially closed until the 9th of Feb.  Now don't panic, orders moved over and we will be checking them in next week, appointments will be scheduled, we are just buried in boxes.  My office is looking suspiciously organized thanks to Kim today!  The studio is getting a face lift and we are getting excited about the new set up.  Sometime, I'll have to tell you all about my trip to IKEA... never been in one and they sent me alone... you can only imagine! 

So in review.... the boutique location is closing and  we are revamping things at the studio to give our clients the best possible value and keep inky-dinky-do portraits an affordable luxury.  Prints are at the studio and scheduling will continue with a slight break for remodeling.  Watch for updates and new stuff to come! 

The path to the studio door.  Ok- when it isn't winter!  The roses should be great this spring!

Holiday Deadines are aproaching!

Don't forget a few important deadlines...
orders placed by December 4th for holiday cards
orders placed by December 10th to be in time for Christmas.
**Orders that require framing or albums may take longer so please place all orders with frames by December 1st to be safe!**

The Boutique is open by appointment only for the holidays. 
Angela is helping with shoots and deliveries which takes her away from the boutique at this time.  Please be sure to call so she can set you up with an appointment and give you her full attentio!    661-588-1984. 
The studio as usual is by appointment only.

The studio will be closed December 18th- Jan 6th.  
Newborns will be photographed around the 29th- we ask that you email the studio or call to set those cute little babies up.  Face it we can't not do those babies on time! 
All other sessions will be scheduled before the 18th or after the 6th of Jan.

The boutique will be closed Dec 24th- Jan 2nd.  Angela will check her email, but no previews or pick ups.  Please make sure you pick up your holiday orders before the 24th or after the 2nd.  We have a tradition of spending much needed time with our own families at Christmas and we appreciate our clients that have allowed us to share in the holidays. 

Email is a great way to catch us during the down time.  You can reach us at info@inky-dinky-do.com.  Or Angela directly by changing the info to Angela@....

Finalist for the Going for Bliss free Wedding Give Away!

We have narrowed it down to three couples!   One of these lucky couples will win  5 hours wedding day coverage &  DVD of images from inky-dinky-do at no cost- Nada, zip, zilch... not even a tip baby!  talk about a cool Christmas gift!  The winner will be chosen by myself and my team of local judges and announced on Christmas Day at noon!  So Stay tuned and be ready to hear all about our winners on Christmas!

Josh & Hazel  02/28/09

Mark & Melissa  5/16/09

Eric & Angela   7/11/09

Congratulations guys!  We will be talking to each of you soon to get more details and make our decisions!  We want to thank everyone who was nominated and everyone who did the nominating!  It was fun reading the stories and while choosing couples was harder than we thought- we feel we came up with some super sweet couples. 

 

FOUND!!!!!

Guthrie is home!!!!  I can't begin to explain how excited Madison will be when she gets out of school.  A super sweet college girl named Macy saw Guthrie and Bronoco out around 11pm Sunday night.  About the same time we realized they broke out and went on an adventure!  Had we turned right instead of left we may have seen them.  There were a few people that tried to catch them and I guess Bronco just wasn't going to have anything to do with that idea.  Guthrie however hopped right into her car when she opened her door.  Yes, that would be our Guthrie.  So she took him home and he has been living the cushy college life ever since!  Luckily she saw one of the flyers and called.  We had to force her to take the reward, but I hope her puppies will have a new toy and college students can always use some extra $$!   Nice to see there are just people that have big hearts left out there!  I hope Macy calls because she has the cutest new puppy that I know Madison will be happy to photograph as a big THANK YOU MACY!!!!

edited to add Madison & Guthrie as usual after school today thanks to his safe return!