engagement session : katera + charlie

i had such a blast at this session. the weather was perfect! katera and charlie really made downtown glow. i love katera's style and the outfits she chose! i am so excited for their wedding next year. engagements are so great for getting to know the couple and to let everyone warm up around the camera. 

joe & paula wedding // hamilton ballroom // wichita falls, tx

i would like to introduce to you joe and paula cortez. paula ask me months ago if i shot weddings and as much as i was nervous to  say yes, i was equally excited! i love weddings and what they stand for. joe and paula are such a beautiful couple. they are hard working owners of defining moments nutrition  and defining moments dance studio in iowa park. the venue was the hamilton ballroom in downtown wichita falls. the day was amazing and i'm so grateful i was apart of it and was able to tell their story.  

new stock // now available online

hey guys! i've been working on designing and printing the new Fall line of shirts and onesies since July! I can't believe it's here. lots of labor, thought, and time went into his line and i hope you enjoy. i will be introducing it locally at Christmas Magic at the MPEC this weekend!! there will be never seen shirts, onesies, coffee mugs, tea towels, and more! come see me! if you aren't local please browse our online store

have questions?? contact me and i will do my very best to help! 

november // i've been waiting for you

november has been the month on the calendar for me for MONTHS! it's here and i couldn't be more excited. i am so thankful for those of you who follow along! i've had a full schedule with designing, photography, screen printing, fundraising, and ... LIFE. 

i started designing my fall line of clothing and home goods in July and started printing in August/September. everything is designed, printed, priced and ready to hit the shelves! my online store is up NOW!  i encourage you, if you are local, to come to christmas magic this weekend. i will be there all day friday thru sunday. i will be introducing all of my new goodies this weekend at christmas magic and then they will be available at the alley cat vintage mercantile (900 Indiana wichita falls, texas 76301) starting November 9th and 10th.  

american apparel shirts // little h creative

i've also been busy with mini sessions that started in September and i finished up last night.  i have a good number of full sessions this month and i am so excited to spend time with families, to learn about them, and to tell their story. 

November, i am so happy you are here. i can't wait to get all the boxes of stock out of my house and onto the shelves. this is what my basement has been like for MONTHS! boxes stacked on boxes. i've got big dreams of having a space for all of this. 

i am excited to breathe and to put more focus on my family. i am ready to give thanks for my business and my wonderful clients. 

on another note, halloween was a hit this year. annie and jane were trick or treating fools. the weather was perfect. 

inspiration

inspiration

what inspires you? what makes your clock tick? 

for me : inspiration is a lot of different things. for my work i have to get inspired on a daily basis. inspired to get out of bed, dress myself and the kids, eat, make coffee, and work. on a given day i have ( or feels like ) 100 different things to do. 

for day to day tasks i find inspiration in the little things. the color that surrounds me in my home & outside, the roof over my head, water in my house, faith in God and knowing he is always near. 

my best work comes when i am free.  whether it be with graphic design or photography, being TOLD what to do or how to do something makes me anxious. i am a self employed individual because i like making decisions, i like working hard, i enjoy creating and delivering beautiful things to people, i care about each and every one of my clients. my work is very personal to me. when i create something through a design or session it is apart of me. i am giving each person i engage with my best work. 

passion is one thing but turning that passion into solid work is my job.  i'll blog more about the recent workshop i attended soon but going and being around a lot of creative entrepreneurs is what inspires me. my challenge now is figuring out how to continue to be inspired. at home // in my zone. 

one major thing that gives me inspiration is working with my hands. screen printing, cooking, feeding our chicks, and playing with my kids keeps me inspired.  

i encourage you today to think about what inspires you. the more inspired you are the more you will accomplish today & tomorrow. 

family session : S A F B

this season was so much fun, i know i say that about all of them but getting to go into a hanger on Shepard Air Force Base was pretty amazing. the family was so sweet and the little boys, oh my goodness, adorable. blood hair and big blue eyes were melting my heart. nicole really loves black and whites so that's what i'm showing a majority of. due to security on base and for the pilot i can't show all of them. enjoy! 

 

traditions : oktoberfest

i am of german decent. polka music, sausage, sauerkraut and beer are a part of me. my family started going to Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg, Texas about 8 years ago. i've had to miss one or two years but other than that ryan and i have been every year. we know polka better together than we two step. we started going before we were married and before we had kids. now that we have kids the dynamic has changed a bit. we don't stay as long, we don't go to the wineries, and we don't shop the town. we rent a house out of town, wake up to the kids, brew coffee and relax. we try and save all energy for the festivities. 

friday night is a lot less crowded so we try to get our dancing in then. saturday starts with face paintings... this is a big thing for us. this was annie's third year getting her face painted. she patiently waits in line (anywhere from 45min - 1 hr 1/2) it's crazy but for our kids, worth it. it's the first thing we do. once the faces are painted we are off to snag a seat and polka the night away. the girls love to dance, hop around, and do the chicken dance. 

we end the weekend by getting one of every pastry at the old german bakery in town and then attend mass as a family. the pastries go fast so we wake up early to claim our sweets. life is good. this trip is short but l leave so happy and excited for the years to come. 

we stayed at river road ranch, mini's house, this year. it was a first for us and it was great. the pedernales river is really close so we fished and canoed during the day. the kids especially loved this part. 

bridals : paula

paula is a such a beautiful person. i am so thankful she thought of me when she got engaged to joe. i have had so much fun getting to know them both. paula and joe were married on Saturday at the Hamilton Ballroom. i am now excited to show you paula's beautiful bridal portraits taken Downtown Wichita Falls. 

little h creative : three parts

this space, my business, is little h creative. i am kathryn hager, owner and creative entrpeneuer that has a vision for this space. i get ask all the time exactly what i do and often i have clients that only know about one part of this three part business. 

  1. first, i screen print. i have been printing shirts for about 7 years now. i have learned so much and continue to get excited about designing and printing shirts. i print all of my own retail clothing for my booth space at The Alley Cat Vintage Mercantile and for my online store. i have also started printing custom orders again. which means if you have a fundraiser or event you would like shirts for i can design and print the shirts for you. contact me for more information and to get a quote. (minimum order of 25 shirts) 
  2. second, i am a graphic designer. i have been doing this for about 2 years. i have a bachelors in business marketing and i think that is what sparked my interest in design and graphics. once i started printing more for myself i needed a better way to market myself and design my own shirts. learning adobe illustrator has changed my life and now i feel the options are endless. i love designing my own merchandise, logos and branding, and being able to help others has been such a blessing. design services include designing wedding invitations/stationary, logo & branding for creative individuals, businesses and events, and t-shirt designs. 
  3. third, i am a photographer. i shot for hobby for about 3 years and have been professional for over a year. i attended a Joy Prouty // Wildflower Photography workshop in March 15' and that really developed my mind for capturing moments. i love shooting natural moments through lifestyle and simple sessions. i enjoy people so getting to know you and capturing those moments is such a joy.
little h creative


first day of autumn : we have eggs

it may not feel like autumn in north texas but just knowing that cooler temps are near makes me happy. our chickens are also quite happy. we were out doing our daily chores and i noticed more eggs than usual. annie started gathering and pretty soon she had a shirt full of little brown eggs. the cooler mornings means we are going to be eating a lot more eggs! these little hens bring so much joy to our family. we are overjoyed that we have been able to keep them alive AND they are giving us something in return. 

thank you chickadees. 


empty bowls : october 13th

This past weekend was great! annie turned 4 and we had our final bowl-a-thon for Empty Bowls. Empty Bowls is a fundraiser for our Wichita Falls Area Food Bank. In short, the artist in Wichita Falls throw 1,000 bowls to hand out as part of your ticket into the event. The event is held on October 13th this year at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU from 11AM to 1:30PM. 

Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the area United Supermarkets, Market Street, or at the Food Bank in Wichita Falls. I am helping with the event this year and I strongly encourage you, if you haven't been, to consider attending. All proceeds benefit the hunger in our community. 

Lunch is included with your ticket. around 20 restaurants from Wichita Falls will be donating and serving a variety of delicious soups. 

We held 3 bowl-a-thons this year and had such a great time, the talent is amazing. There is so much  more work that goes on besides these three days.  The help we receive from the ceramics department at MSU is huge and we are forever grateful! 

Everyone really welcomed little Annie in on this past Saturday's bowl -a- thon and it made my heart warm to see how excited she got about something being made by hand. 


r o u t i n e

let's talk about routine and schedule and what gets me through the day.

routine

things i can't live without:

  • planner - i picked up an hour to hour calendar at Target a few months ago and it has changed the way the i look at my day. i was writing a mile long list on each day and hoping to accomplish all of it (rarely) which left me frustrated and overwhelmed.  now - i break my task up within the hour and i have a much better idea of what i can accomplish  hour to hour and day by day. don't get me wrong, i still get overwhelmed but it's MUCH better and i get way more done. 
  • coffee - i know this is an obvious. it's not just the caffeine that gets me going but the act of making it, hearing it brew, and holding a warm cup is just what i need to get my day started.
  • snacks - for me and the kids. when they are getting frustrated about me working i know its snack time and i try to take a time out to feed them and myself. 
  • flavored water - hah, can you tell i'm a beverage girl. i can't drink water all day so i have to change it up with crystal light, lime water, tea, la croix and the list goes on. 
  • iphone - another obvious but it's amazing how much work i can get down with my phone and laptop. i can read emails (with edits) and take action while working in adobe illustrator. 

those are the top essentials that i could think of and here is my week in a glance: 

  1. Monday - I have my two kids and a niece all day. It's usually pretty chill since our weekends are busy. 
  2. Tuesday - Annie and Jane go to school and this is the day i power work. i schedule clients for consultations, meetings with groups i volunteer with and currently i try to be in the garage screen printing and prepping screens to print. I then pick kids up from school, come home, get dinner prepped, kids in bed, and then off to work again designing, editing, and emailing. 
  3. Wednesday - Annie is at school and Jane is home with me. its great for us to hang out and right now she actually likes to play by herself a lot which is great for me and getting work done. i do not print with Jane outside so my work is mostly done on the computer. we pick annie up from school and usually grocery shop and then go home. 
  4. Thursday - the day goes about the same as Tuesday. Power work, try to get a bike ride in, and then get the kids. the biggest goal is to do things that i can't do when the girls are home or with me. 
  5. Friday- i've always been the type that thinks Fridays are meant for relaxing. that isn't the case currently but since i have both kids at home i try really hard to take it easier. 
  6. Saturday- again, we try to take it easy but i occasionally have sessions booked. 
  7. Sunday- we go to Mass and relax. 

Well thats the basics! It's not perfect and i work a lot but i truly believe all will pay off. i know and have learned from my parents that you have to work hard to get somewhere. thanks for reading and please let me know if you have questions! 

senior session : sydney

i hope you are having a good day and if not, i'm sure this will brighten you up. sydney was so beautiful for her senior session. we started off in a beautiful backyard and then went downtown wichita falls, texas. 

if you are interested in booking a session please contact me  . For more information you can check out more on my portrait sessions here.

// working from home //

i've decided to start sharing some of my experience and pieces of my day and business. i went self employed around 5 months ago and though i have a lot to learn i've also learned of few things. i'll start by saying the two main reasons i wanted to work from home and be self employed is to 1) to make my creative outlet a reality - in the past i had to work in an office all day dreaming and thinking about the things i could create the moments that needed to be captured. it was tearing my mind up and i finally couldn't take it anymore. 2) my kids : i wanted to be home more, to watch them, talk with them and learn from them. 

working from home

there is so much that goes into working from home. there is probably no way i could cover this topic accurately but i hope by sharing a piece of my story i can inspire and encourage you in some small way to live your dream. i read and did research by other self-employed / working from home individuals before i (we) really made this decision and it helped but it really couldn't prepare me for the excitement and challenges i face. the biggest thing i have to keep on my mind and focus on is a ROUTINE. routine is not just a must for the kids but also myself. i struggle and am working on mastering this routine. because my work is so unpredictable on what exactly i will be working on i have to narrow my "routine" to having basic STRUCTURE in my day. at least two or three days out of the week i totally fail at keeping structure around the house or in my schedule. 

i have to think about whether or not i brushed my teeth. when did i bathe last. have i spoken to someone besides the kids and hubs in the last 24 hours. when did i last workout. eat. drink. and sleep. 

this is my life. i love this life and am so blessed by the work that fills my day. i will be talking more about my exact "routine" and what exactly i do. i plan to start sharing about new products and what we have to look forward to ask the holidays fast approach. 

i'd love to hear what works for you and if you have any questions for me, about me, please... do ask. 

portrait session : tylar turns 2

the age of two is a hard age to shoot. the most common word used is "no" by said two year old. i love getting creative with the little ones. her mom and i decided the dairy queen in archer city, texas would be a fun place to end our session. what toddler is going to say no to a banana split?

it worked out perfect! her adorable outfit matched perfect with the bench seats inside the dq and there wasn't a person there. we had the entire place to ourselves.  

i'm sure you've noticed the sunflowers are absolutely beautiful this year. so happy we were able to get some of this little lady in the field before she decided against it. 

tylar has so many expressions and i love each and every one of them. she is such a ham and i just love watching her grow. 

now booking portrait sessions. click here for more information on the different sessions i offer. 

senior session : tarah

i had so much fun at this senior session. it was a beautiful evening with a little cool front that blew in. a blessing in our blistering hot august summer days. i love all the texture from being downtown and the beauty from the mountain bike trail near the Falls. 

booking seniors now. click here for information on booking a portrait session. 

newborn lifestyle session : emsley

this session was so sweet. ms. emsley was wide awake almost the entire time. she was so calm and sweet. i love newborn sessions in home, they are comfortable and cozy. it was so sweet to see how in love mom and dad were with their new addition. it brings great joy to my day to see and witness this love. 

i am now booking newborn lifestyle sessions. i have limited spaces in the fall so contact me if interested! 

legacy session : schalk

i had the pleasure of spending a weekend with this beautiful family. i worked for john schalk, president of schalk oil company in wichita falls. i also worked for his dad thomas schalk before he passed away in 2012. family and the importance of family is at the center of my life and every legacy. everyone has a legacy to be left. the important part is capturing this time for the generations to come. 

spending the time at their lake cabin was a huge blessing. john's parents, tom and betty, bought this lake house many many years ago for $15,000 and that included the house, dock, and a boat. can you believe that. he has great memories of this place and now he is getting to share them with his wife, daughter and friends. 

tom spent every day at schalk oil company. he worked 8-5 just like everyone else. he was the sweetest man and i miss him dearly. he loved his granddaughter with his whole heart. he would be so proud of the lady she is becoming. she is beautiful she like her mom and this session is for the entire family but also just for her and the legacy she is going to be left. 

tom was also a fan of cowboy hats and when we were at the cabin john mentioned this. perfect opportunity to get everyone to try one on. these are some of my favorite pictures from the session. 

i encourage you to consider a legacy session at some point. don't let all the wonderful memories you have of your grandparents, parents, and children go uncaptured. let the memories come to life so the generations to come can look and remember.