Category Archives: About Us

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A peek into *my* family!

So, it truly doesn’t happen very often. Getting my kids into the studio is much like getting them to eat exotic foods. Lots and lots of complaining….until FINALLY….they try a little and they end up LOVING it.  

On this day, the goal was originally a family photo. But, I realized quickly, that there was NOTHING in any of their closets that would remotely match each other. Preparing for a family photo truly is a shopping event as I am sure many of our clients know! Well, I didn’t have time to shop…I had willing participants, so we scratch the family idea and went with individual shots.

I can’t complain really….They are each their own person, and we all know…getting the 5 of them in one shot, looking at ME, while not touching each other or arguing would have been nothing short of a miracle. So, here they are…meet The Wylies! 

Alexis: 
7th Grade
Sax Player
“The Helper”

She is starting to really grow up, and these photos are proof of that. Lexi has turned into an incredible young lady! She is very thoughtful, and is always thinking of others. She will be our child that lives at home forever….and we are TOTALLY OK with that! 

 

Aiden:
3rd grade
First year Tae-Kwon-Do student
“The Thinker”

 Ohhhhh, yes. And I truly mean thinker. Always thinking about a way to make a dollar…..thinking about a way to bother his siblings to their wits end. Some of the stuff Aiden comes up with is just freakin’ hilarious. His thought process is so fast that at times his mouth can’t keep up. His logic and rational arguments keep us on our toes. He will be our first child to move out. And, the first one to have saved up enough money to probably buy his own home by age 20, LOL! 


 

Kieran 
Pre-K
The video game pro
“The  Lover Boy”

 
This child is nothing short of sweet. Watching him interact with others truly makes us proud. He is so sensitive to the needs of the people around him that it is ALMOST to a fault. Even at the age of 5 he has such a mature way of handling situations involving things that are unfair to him and can always see the bright side of it. His laugh is infectious, and his smile can light up a room. The things that fly out of his mouth are nothing short of hilarious. Though you can’t really tell from these photos….he is a lover at heart. The first one to come snuggle in the bed, the first one to give kisses for no reason…..the last one to go to bed because he needs “just a little more mommy lovin’ ” :)  

  

Kelsey
10th Grade
Guitar Player and Vocalist
“The  Artist” 

Ohhhhh, this one. I could write an entire blog dedicated to this one, LOL! Talented isn’t a strong enough word to describe her musical skill. She can write a song in minutes….music, verses, bridges, refrains and all. 9 times out of 10 that song is directly related to something in her life. She has a way with words that is almost magical. You WANT to hear her sing…you WANT to know what comes next. And, after only one listen, that song is stuck in your head for days on end. Her talents don’t end with music. She is also a fabulous drawer….whether a project for school or just doodles on the paper, you wonder how someone with no training can create such things with something we all use everyday….a pencil. At 16 she is finally figuring out who it is she really is…..and LIKING it!!! If dealing with her is what life is like dealing with most teenagers, then we truly have it MADE! I never thought raising a teenager could be this….dare I say…..”easy”……but because of her ability to hear what we say to her, and actually apply it, she has made us proud to be her parents!  

 

Ella
3.5yo
Bug lover and Princess of all things WILD
“The One” 

The one….you know….the ONE….that ONE child….that reap what you sow child. She is the one. Every ounce of trouble Greg and I ever gave our parents will be handed back to us 10 fold in this one little spitfire of a girl. She’s feisty, scrappy, resourceful…. and doesn’t put up with anyone’s crap! Being the youngest of 5 can’t be easy, but it has sure helped her grow wise beyond her years. Talk about not knowing what will come out of your kid’s mouth….yeah….we always hold our breath when she starts a conversation with people. Ella meets no stranger. She’ll talk to anyone….anywhere…..anytime. And, will likely talk about anything! Her feisty, independent attitude is what makes us love her even that much more. We would never try to break her spirit, make her any less of who she is, but she does often need some reminding that she is in fact, only THREE years old. Three going on 30! 

 

So, there they are…..my 5 little bundles of joy. Bundles of nerve, bundles of exhaustion, excitement, attitude, and love. The bundles that I love so much it hurts sometimes….the same bundles that I want to duct tape to the ceiling fan at least twice a week. So very very different, but so very much the same. Life in the Wylie house wouldn’t make any sense without them.

Athens Area Maternity and Baby Fair!

We had a blast today at the Athens Maternity and Baby Fair! We talked to about 150 people, and boy, my throat is sore now! We had a great time meeting all of the mommies and mommies to be. We’ll be drawing names to win our Belly to Baby package and a baby’s first year From the Crib package as well as a bunch of other things sometime within the next 3 days.Don’t forget to check up for our Manic Monday giveaways, and sign up to have blog updates emailed to you on the right!http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/2747463911_cb6a8c2ce8_o.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3137/2747462809_e2df1a82c6_o.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/2748295932_37ccabe4d0_o.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/2747463063_ced4c585b6_o.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2747463199_03c5dbe48c_o.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/2748296236_debddd3e2d_o.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2748296330_3b5f4c812d_o.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/2747463607_e168369b32_o.jpg

Featured!

Whoo hoo! Stylized Portraiture is the featured blog today over at Blogs of Photogs! Check it out if you’re of a mind to see more photographer blogs. Here’s what they said about us:

” Stylized Portraiture is the dynamic duo of Frankie Wylie & Heather Lickliter. They both have fabulously distinctive styles, but each SO different in their looks they achieve. I think you will really enjoy their blog, its like a two ‘fer one! :) They have so much info on their blog for current or future customers, it is really brilliant. I am impressed, and that is not so easy. ;) They serve Athens and North Georgia. Enjoy!”

Our Open House

Our studio open house was yesterday! Thanks to everyone who came out to Tracy St to see us! We ended up with about 30-40 people out, which was great. Frankie and I had fun talking to everyone there. We ended up with a LOT on our walls too. We have a wall of nine 20×24’s, a family wall with 2 16×20’s and 4 11×14’s, a wonderfully large 40×60 family canvas, 8 11×14 B+W’s and 4 10×20 storyboards.

Thank you to everyone who entered our drawings too! Prizes apply to a new session with Stylized Portraiture. Winners are:

Jacki Wood: Free session
Jessica Lawhorn: Free session
Missy Minardi: Free 16×20 Canvas
Karen Prasse: $50 gift card
Beth Greeson: $50 gift card
Christi Ward: $50 gift card

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Because sometimes, I am just a mom….

And today was one of those times! Seriously, I get asked all the time about photos of my kids. The grandparents and aunts are the only ones who REALLY complain, but I can handle that :)

See, the thing about being a photographer is that you aren’t JUST some one with a camera. You are the person with the camera, and the computer, and the bank account, and the clients, and the contracts, and the events, oh, and the vendors, and the conferences, and let’s not forget about the continuing education….oh yeah, and you are the person studying for your CPP (certified professional photographer) exam.

And then, as if that isn’t enough…..You are the wife (who fails miserably at housework), the mom (who often forgets to sign permission slips), the friend (who never seems to be available for lunch or dinner dates), and then the daughter and sister….the one thing you’ve been all your life and here lately haven’t had much time to be (hard to travel to Florida when you are booked every weekend).

And, even though I juggle all of these things and occasionally get a little overwhelmed…..I LOVE THEM ALL. I am NOT complaining….I am NOT whining….I am PROUD, I am HAPPY, I am FULFILLED! The only time I do get a little whiny with myself is when I realize that I don’t have pics of my kids…and I don’t mean NICE photographs, I mean snapshots, everyday randomness, the stuff, that when you look back over you laugh so hard b/c “OMG, LOOK at Ella’s outfit!” “Dear Lord, WHAT is on Kieran’s face?” “Umm, Aiden, are you SURE you want to wear that to church?” “Alexis Nicole Wylie, what is going on with your hair?” “Kelsey, honey…..is that face your making REALLY necessary?”

Those photos that you might not blow up and hang on your wall, but that you will appreciate just as much when they are grown. Ok, so off my little “I stink at taking pics of my own kids” pouty box…..

Today…I was just a mom…with just my camera….and just hanging out with my kiddos on their last day of school.Their last day of school *crying*……It makes me so sad that this is their last day because my little ones love school SO MUCH! They go to Faith Presbyterian Mothers’ Morning Out program. Two days a week, three hours a day. Just perfect for them. We love Faith too, I couldn’t design a better school for my kid’s personalities and needs. Every year, on the last day, they have a full out FUN DAY!!! Different stations are set up and the classes visit them individually and have a grand ole time together. Kieran and Ella were beside themselves with joy, and if I could make every day this fun for them, I certainly would. All the hard work is worth it just to see their smiles so big!!! And some randoms from the day….click on it to view it full size!

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She

My gorgeous best friend.
We were in Augusta yesterday for another friend’s graduation from medical school. She and I were walking back from dinner (8 blocks in the stunning warm air and sun) and I spotted a backlit field of grass. She’s very patient with me and allows me to kidnap her for pictures when I want to. :P She is a perfect model, so we were only there for about 5 minutes total, but I love the results.

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It’s KILLING me!!!

April and May are huge wedding/engagement/bridal months for us. And I can’t SHARE THEM :( At least, not until after their weddings. UGH. I will have some photos coming up this week from Heather and Matt’s wedding that took place in Watkinsville, with their reception at the Georgia Center on UGA campus. I can’t WAIT to get some of those up for you to see, and some of her bridals too!!! So no, I promise, Heather isn’t doing all the work, I just can’t share yet…..BOO HISS.

Mmm… Garlic Chicken Pasta

I created this recipe though trial and error over about a year. I’ve been perfecting it for quite some time, but figured you might want to give it a try. I have NO clue how much fat there is in it, but it’s pretty darn tasty. I do this on nights that I have little time to cook.

What you’ll need:
Chef Paul’s Poultry Magic - Thanks to a friend for turning me on to this. It’s stunning on just about any kind of poultry. 
Adolph’s Seasoned Tenderizer - Make sure you get the yellow-capped bottle!
Lawry’s Garlic Salt - This is great for other things as well. Love this stuff.
Sweet Basil Leaves - Flavor not noticable to me, I use for the smell.
Parkay - Sticks or tub
Chicken. – Pick up some Ready to Cook, Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins that have been individually frozen. You’ll find them in big bags near the fresh chicken. You can use fresh chicken, but the frozen is easier to work with.
Pasta! I prefer radiatore or cavatappi, but shells or rotini work almost as well.

 

Ready the Chicken: Grab a plate and your bag ‘o chicken. Pick out two med-small tenderloins per person being served. Place on plate and dust the bottoms with Adolph’s and Garlic Salt, then dust the tops with Poultry Magic and Basil. Throw it in the microwave! Mine works for 1 minute per side per two filets. If I’m making for just myself, then it’s two minutes. If I’m making for myself and John, then it goes for 8. Yes, the chicken will be cooked most of the way through when you’re done. This is because it’s MUCH easier to cut up, and I’m paranoid about food poisoning.
Ready the stove: Pan for pasta, skillet (non-stick is great) for chicken. Turn the pasta pot to high, turn the chicken pot to medium or med-low if your stove nukes things like mine does. Put a pat of Parkay in the bottom of the skillet and lightly dust with Poultry Magic. If you’re making a sizable amount of chicken, wait to turn on the skillet until you’re 3/4 of the way done. Otherwise, you’ll Just have butter popping everywhere.
Chop that chicken: Cut the chicken filets into centimeter to inch sized chunks. This can take a while, so make sure to watch that skillet! Once the chicken is chopped, add it to the skillet (watch your hands for butter popping!). If you waited too long, just add another pat of butter. If you were too fast, let the butter cook a bit more, other wise the chicken will take forever to finish.
Cookin’: Lightly sautée the chicken chunks. Add some more Poultry Magic while it’s cooking. I like it to look a bit brown from the seasoning. Throw the pasta in now. Your chicken bits will be done before the pasta, but if they finish at the same time the chicken will be way too hot to eat. It needs to sit around a bit to cool while the pasta is getting done.
Prepare the plate: Grab a dinner plate (or more) and the Parkay again. Add two pats of Parkay to the plate, then throw some Garlic Salt all over the plate too. I know it sounds like we’re getting waaaaay satly here, but the blandness of the pasta will balance it out.
Grab that chicken!: Once the chicken chunks are done, throw them onto your plate with the butter and garlic salt. I like my chicken dryish, so I let it sit in the skillet until all of the butter is gone and the chicken is getting a little tan. If you let the chicken get too dry, bits of it will begin to flake off, making your pasta a pain to eat. If it’s too juicy, the whole dish will be too wet, and it’ll be really nasty as it cools.
Eat it: Mix up the chicken bits, pasta and butter. Eat! The plate sure doesn;t look like much of a recipie, but it sure tatses good. If you find it a bit bland even with the chicken bits, add a little table salt to the top and mix in. Be very careful with it though, as it can quickly become too much.
Let me know if you try it!