Elf On A Shelf | Clayton, NC Family Photographer

We have had a great time this Christmas season with having a couple of our own traditions.  One of them being "Elf on a Shelf".

Last year we introduced a boy elf (whom was bought at Carolina Pottery) to our family and our girls decided to name him "Elf".  He did some pretty cool things last year, but I didn't photograph them.  This year I was determined to capture the shennanigans.

Our Elf usually shows up the evening of Thanksgiving (when the girls are asleep).  After each photo I'll leave a little blurb about what was happening!

Hopefully this will help ya'll with some ideas should you ever get "stuck"!  Enjoy!



My oldest daughter had her regional cheer competition on "Black Friday", so Elf came out in full spirit to show his support!




Caught Elf the second night trying to ride on the backs of our cute lil' owls.  Getting too lazy to fly back to the North Pole so soon?



Building something fancy!



What a naughty Elf!  Dry erase marker on a few of the photos in our living room!



Elf was wanting his own zipline in the kitchen!




Not too sure if he was trying to make some coffee...but he sure got himself into quite the predicament!




Late night game of chess with his buddy Barbie.  I wonder if Elf is getting lonely?



Hey, it was a Friday night.  And he likes it cold so he was hangin' out in the fridge!



Either Elf was getting lonely, or he thought that he could use an extras set of eyes and ears for reporting back to Santa.  So, along came a girl elf whom we named "Dot".  The Little Pets were there to greet her!



Elf and Dot became good friends, and cozied up inside a stocking for the night.



"Hangin" out in the bathroom.


Reminding us to "smile".



Elf and Dot were definitely being naughty when they swapped out the stockings for CLEAN underwear!



All set for their "date night" with one of their favorite movies!



Barbie had reported a stolen vehicle last night.  The criminals were spotted after picking up a Christmas tree.



Elf and Dot were trying to give the girls a message using our "Merry Christmas" blocks that the living room needed some tidying up!



The elves crash landed into our tree after a night of flying their paper airplanes.


Logged onto Pinterest to check out what their friends have been up to.  Or were they researching some ideas?



Dang it!  They found my stash!



They thought this was SO much nicer than ice fishing!


(Excuse the crappy photo collage).  But, the two of them were hanging out in our stairwell.



Elf and Dot decided that they wanted to decorate a tree in our dining room.



Elf and Dot praying for the children and families from Newtown, CT.



Dot snuck into my youngest daughter's room and Elf snuck into my oldest daughter's room while they were away at a sleep over.



Getting into the Christmas spirit by playing some carols.  Notice they're sitting by the "Jingle Bells" selection?



Unfortunately the elves came down with some sympathy sickness after the girls both had a fever.



Apparently having a "Pony Parade" is the thing to do in the North Pole.  So, they decided to have a pony on every. single. step...



Practicing their "Cirque Du Solei" moves from our ceiling fan.



Yes.  This has to be my favorite.  I caught Elf in my office using an old point and shoot for his photoshoot for the "2013 Girl Elves of the North Pole" calendar!



Doing some DIY on the gingerbread house.  How nice of them!


Dot knows too much.  Trying to keep her quiet a couple more days.


The final day the elves always go all out and decorate because it is my youngest daughter's birthday (Christmas Eve).  And it is always the last day we see the elves since Santa comes that night.

I hope you enjoyed some of our elves fun!

Next year will be quite the challenge with having to come up with more ideas!

My Baby Turns 4 | Raleigh North Carolina Child Photographer

Four years ago I was blessed with our youngest daughter, on Christmas Eve.  She has so much energy and a larger than life personality.  There isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't make me laugh (this girl is hilarious).  She fills my heart with so much joy and love.  It makes my heart break, just a little every time her birthday comes and goes.  Can't they just stay little?

I hope you enjoy the personal post.  There will be a few more to come following the holidays!

With much love from my family to yours... MERRY CHRISTMAS!


Birthday Boy | Raleigh, NC Children's Photographer

I have had the opportunity to photograph this little boy for his annual "birthday" photos again!  And it is an amazing how much change takes place in one whole year! It is so much fun just watching their personalities grow and develop.







2013 Session Packages|Raleigh, NC Photographer


2013 Session Packages

Package #1 ($250)
pre consultation/detail planning with photographer prior to your session
one hour of photographer's creative time
two outfits
ten carefully selected and edited images in a personal online ordering gallery
five high resolution digital images with print release (printable up to 8x10)

Package #2 ($375)
preconsultation/detail planning with photographer prior to your session
two hours of photographer's creative time
four outfits
twenty carefully selected and edited images in a personal online ordering gallery
ten high resolution digital images with print release (printable up to 8x10)
four mounted 5x7 gift prints
one 5x7 spiral bound brag book with 10 images

Package #3 ($500)
preconsultation/detail planning with photographer prior to your session
three hours of photographer's time (this can be split into two different days)
unlimited outfits
thirty carefully selected and edited images in a personal online ordering gallery
fifteen high resolution digital images with print release (printable up to 8x10)
choice of four 8x10 mounted gift prints OR one 16x20 standout
one custom 10x10 10 page book of images from your session
additional 15% discount on gift prints and specialty items

Maternity Mini ($150) OR ($100 if booked with Newborn Session)
half hour of photographer's creative time
three digital images with print release
session images uploaded to personal online ordering gallery


Newborn Session ($375)
four hours of photographer's creative shooting time
preconsultation with photographer prior to session for detail planning
10-20 hand selected and edited images uploaded to a personal online ordering gallery
ten high resolution digital images with print release up to 8x10
five mounted 5x7 gift prints
twenty five custom designed two sided birth anouncements
$50 discount coupon off of the "Grow With Me" session package

"Grow With Me" Session Package ($550) OR ($500 w/ Newborn session paid)
four half hour mini sessions at ages 3,6,9, and 12 months
three high resolution digital images with print release up to 8x10 at each age
images uploaded to a personal online ordering gallery

***BOOK ALL THREE! (Maternity Mini, Newborn, & Grow With Me) only $900!  That is a savings of $175!!!


Event Photography (homecomings, births, parties & other)
please contact me for details as each event will be priced accordingly

High School Seniors (packages starting at $250)
please contact me for more details

Referral Incentive
for every booked session with referral you will recieve your choice of two 8x10 gift prints (from a previous session) OR $25 off of your next booked session!!!




If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me.  I would LOVE to hear from you!  If you are interested in booking a session please use the "contact me" tab on my website.  I look forward to meeting you and making some beautiful, memorable photos!


**$100 retainer fee is due within one week of booking to hold your scheduled session date (this fee goes towards your package price)

**all packages/prints/products are subject to NC sales tax

**prices are subject to change at any time

**due to the personalized nature of these products all sales are final




Design Wars Results | A Salena Baca Original

What fun the first segment of Design Wars was!  The votes have been tallied, and our winner is....Tara Murray of Mamachee * Crochet Makes Me Happy!!  Congratulations Tara, your designs are inspiring, fresh, fun, and we look forward to following your continued progress!

Our runners up, in order of votes received, are Frayed Knot, Optimistic By Nature, Baca Creations, CrazySocks Designs, and Unravel Me.  Thank you ladies, your work is truly original, and your designs are nothing short of brilliant!  See our flyer for the list of winners, and their vote count!


Also, for the lovely fans who commented to vote on our host blog, a few were randomly selected to win special prizes from each designer.  Only 1 winner was chosen per designer, and a reply was made under their comment vote on the official blog to notify them.  See our flyer for the list of winners, and their prizes!  Winners have 5 days to contact the designers for their prize, starting today.



My sincerest thanks goes to everyone involved who made the first ever Design Wars possible; this has been an incredible journey of new friendships, possibilities, crochet designs, and harmony!  Happy hookin' everyone!  :)

~Salena Baca


Design Wars Round 1 Finale | A Salena Baca Original

With the first ever Design Wars coming to an end, I must thank all the wonderfully talented designers who were kind enough to join me for the round!  Their dedication to crochet is astounding, and I think you will agree when you see their Design Wars Challenge garments - WOW!  Also, we would not have a fair forum without the lovely and talented Kimberly Dierkhising, so I thank her with all my heart for being our dedicated blog host for the durations of this segment!

How do we end the November/December 2012 segment of Design Wars?  We vote for our favorite design!  Voting is open NOW through December 7th, EST.  Cast your vote by commenting below with the number of the designer that you would like to vote for, as follows:

-1 for Optimistic By Nature
-2 for Unravel Me
-3 for Baca Creations
-4 for CrazySocks Designs
-5 for Frayed Knot
-6 for Mamachee * Crochet Makes Me Happy

Remember, the designer with the most votes will be crowned Design Wars WINNER for this segment, will choose the yarn for the following segment, and will hand pick two designers to join the January/February 2013 Design Wars challenge!

Finally, to sweeten the honey pot each designer has prizes for 1 lucky (and random!) fan who votes for them!  See our flyer for official prizes and details!  Votes will be counted thoroughly, and all winners will be officially posted on the blog.  You can only vote ONCE, if multiple votes are cast, only the FIRST vote will be counted.  Be sure that you don't leave your comment name anonymous!  Thank you for your interest and support in our progress, and please stay tuned for the January/February segment of Design Wars!

~Salena Baca



Designer:  Katie Hanken
DBA:  Optimistic By Nature

Glitter wave shrug - Ta da!  I am so proud of this design!  I think it is possibly my best design work so far.  Why you will love it:  This shrug has a lovely drape to it.  It is soft and elegant and would compliment both a casual and formal look.  I really wanted this to be a fun and easy pattern to make and wrote it so that is crocheted in one piece minus the cuffs at the wrists.  This way there is almost no sewing involved - only 2 straight seams at the wrists.  It incorporates a wave design that is addictive to crochet and easy to memorize.  It uses only simple stitches - single and double crochet (and a few hdc's) ;)  I am working it out in 3 sizes - S, M, and L.  It uses about 3 skeins of yarn.  I hope to have the pattern finished in time to whip up for that holiday party.  Ring in the New Year with this gorgeous sparkly shrug wrapped over your shoulders!  :)
Vote for my design because it is beautiful!

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Designer:  Theresa Grant
DBA:  Unravel Me

This cute stocking is great for all ages.  Done in a pretty chevron pattern, this pattern is an exercise in shaping and how a little goes a long way.  Not for the faint of heart, but not as hard as it might look, you will love making this unique stocking to hang on your mantle!  Vote for my pattern because it is fun to make due to its unique construction.  Besides that, it's really cool!

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Designer: Salena Baca
DBA:  Baca Creations - Crochet By Salena

If you're into handmade this holiday, hats are just the trick for the season of giving!  Don't let appearances fool you though, this is a fast and fun pattern that provides interesting stitches that are easy to replicate!  This openwork shell and rib style is fun to wear, and can be sized for all ages (newborn to adult!).  This design deserves your vote because it was made with peace and love, and no elves were harmed in the making of it! :)

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Designer: Danyel Pink
DBA:  CrazySocks Designs

This garment is called the Sarah Snood.  It's a neck-warmer/cowl, with an optional scalloped edging that can also be worn over the ears as a hood.  The Sarah Snood is lightweight, stretchy, versatile, comfortable, and beautiful.  The pattern includes toddler, child, teen and women's sizing.  This pattern is very easy, works up moderately quickly, and would make a great gift for all of the girls on your shopping list!
Please vote for my design!  The pattern will be released very soon, and I just know you'll love it!  :)

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Designer:  Jonna Ventura
DBA:  Frayed Knot

Are you looking for the perfect blend of casual AND glamour?  Well look no further!  With the slight shimmer running through the yarn, these wrist warmers add a touch of glamour to any outfit (especially this holiday season!)  and are also perfectly cozy to keep you warm on those chilly nights.  This pattern can be easily adjusted to make any size, child to adult,  short and long!  It will provide instructions for all of those variations and pictures are added to help you achieve your look. A simple knowledge of the basics turns this intricate look into an easy and fast project!  I asked my husband why people should vote for my design and he said, "Because it is the most rocking-est (pretty sure that is not a word) design EVER!"  As I'm typing this he's saying he was joking and not to quote him...Great!  SOOOOOO...if you agree with what my husband didn't mean to say...then VOTE for mine!!  The rocking-est design ever!  :)

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Designer:  Tara Murray
DBA:  Mamachee * Crochet Makes Me Happy

Garment description:  Meet the sparkly Lola Slippers!  These are so much fun to wear and make!  The open work on the top is especially fun when wearing colorful socks or tights beneath.  The Lola's come in size 11 youth all the way up to size 12 women's (My four year old daughter is pictured wearing the smallest size).  You'll love how these fit.  I put extra time and effort into making sure the fit around the heal was perfect.  You'll love the ways these pretty slippers fit!  Why the design deserves a vote:  Vote for my pattern because...this is a toughy!  As I'm writing this, I have yet to see the designs of the other talented designers I get to work with (I'm dying to see them!!).  I would really like to think this design will be well loved and get itself a good number of votes but I definitely want teh best design to win!  So take a look around and vote for what you like the best!  And thank you for voting!

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WOW!  I really don't know how anyone will be able to choose!  Six very different designs!  None of the designs are even of the same type of item!  (i.e. hat, decor)  That is how amazing all of these designers are!  Always, stepping outside of the box and challenging themselves to come up with something GREAT!

WHO WILL GET YOUR VOTE???

Small print:  I'm just the host blog, and these photos are NOT my work.  They are the work of the designers or the photographers watermarked on the images.  If you would like to see my work please find me on my website or on facebook.