OFF THE WALL SERIES ~ "UNPLUGGED"...

My new series of Portrait Art... "Off the Wall"
I had the perfect family...
All very willing to go along with my outrageous ideas and here is a shot of the scene
with my awesome assistants... Lisa and Raquel.

She wanted something different,
I can do different...
WE ARE HAVING FUN NOW!!!!
Smiles,
Sher

Fabulous people in my recent Lifestyle Photography

DOUBLE adorable TROUBLE!!!

YES, they are twins!!!
(I told their parents I hope I knew them when they were 16!)

I absolutely love my job!
I know I have said that a thousand times, but I can't help it.
Everyday is different.
Business people, little kids, pregnancies, Sport teams.
It is the perfect career for my AAD and CRS...
(Adult Attention Distraction and Can't Remember Shit)
Here is a glimpse into the last two months in the
"Patrizi Real Lifestyle Photography

for Fabulous People World".This is my really good photographer friend and her family.Beautiful couple ~ there are 2 of God's little creations in there....
It's the season of twins!!!...and then,
I fell in love at the Qatar Little League
LOOK at those eyes!!!
He is about 7!!!
Next week I have the Swim Team, a new born and tomorrow I am shooting A Halloween gig, and one of my very favorite 6 year olds with his family and we share the same Birthday.

When I found out I was so excited, I said
"Ryan I am going to be 50 and your going to be 6 on October 1st!"
and he said "So, Ms. Patrizi, When I am 50, you will be hummmmmmm..... and I said "DEAD!!"

Stay Fabulous!!!
Sher*

Where did my upper lip go?

I know I had an upper lip at one point, but I have just realized it is gone. How does that happen? You turn 50 and just poooffff NO LIP!

Then that leads us middle age gals to think we should try and regain our youth. So instead of going to the lip rejuvenation doctor I thought I would just see what I could do with the one I have got first in Photoshop... I can't even photoshop a new one on... It completely disappears when I smile. I refuse to do Botox on my lip in fear of looking like a platypus.

So I guess that is one more thing that I will learn to live without. I can still talk, eat, drink from a straw and kiss my sweetie. Look at the good side, my lipstick will last twice as long now.

Maybe if I just continue to wear low cut shirts with cleavage no one will notice.

Celebrating Empty Nesting...

Who says empty nesting has to be sad and miserable and lonely.

If you have prepared your children to be the best they can be in the adult world then why not embrace this new season of your life? I am taking the attitude after Sybil my assistant and friend here in Doha, she has four kids that are gone and she is excited. After all, we have been doing the "Mom thing" now for 26 years...
Isn't it time for us?

Yes it is....
I choose to celebrate !

Something is missing...

CHILDREN!!!
I have no more children...
The only thing remaining in her room now
is a lonely wrinkled used blue graduation gown
hung sideways on the hanger dangling from the open deserted closet door.
The room is empty now and echos with cold silence...

Life changes regardless if you are ready or not.
Remember that saying "Ready or not, Here I come!"
Well it is true.

Day 5
after the mass exit of all kids and grand parents.
The dust has settled here in the villa...
Graduation is over.
A vase of smelly water and six once beautiful wilted red roses
from Josh the boyfriend,
that I am trying not to throw out,
lingers in the kitchen...
and life for Ashlynn has only just begun...

Life for me, well, I am really not sure.
Is it the beginning, the end, or the beginning of the end?

Breakfast is lonely now.
Bella has a worried look on her face.
Chris and I can actually talk about something besides what time curfew is...
and disagree..
(He always let them stay out later)

Today is bittersweet.
Bitter because I don't think you are
ever really finished raising kids or being a mother.
But you wake up one day and they do not need you anymore.
To be honest, everything else that matters, it is really time for them to teach themselves.

Sweet because I have been worried and fretting and consumed with
grades, friendships, curfews, appropriate clothing, teenage issues, drama, boyfriends, girlfriends, what is right, what is not, driving, drinking,
where the role of parenting stops and where it doesn't...
and now I do not have to think about all that 24/7.
I'm FREE!
They are free too.
It's time...and I like that.
It feels good because I know we did the best we knew how.
I know they will always remember where home is,
who God is
and the love of family is instilled in their hearts.
I feel like a 3 ton heavy chain has been weighting down my shoulders
these past 13 years of raising four teenagers.
Hallelujah
Praise the Lord - we made it!!!
The Patrizi kids are all now young adults,
fending for themselves and living together
in a very small house in Austin Texas this summer.

A perfect reality sitcom...

One overgrown boy in black flannel robot shorts and no shirt, wearing cowboy boots,
sitting next to his 3 foot pile of laundry and three half grown sisters
waiting on him, rubbing his back and working part time at his sandwich rig
all wearing each others clothes, wondering who is paying for groceries,
who ate all the Owens sausage biscuits,
fighting over who's turn it is to clean the kitchen
and I am not there to referee!!!

It is a beautiful life.

It is time to celebrate
what we have accomplished
in all the hard work and endless time and energy
you put into making sure they wear clean underwear and study.

It is time to be proud of the people they have become.
It is time to realize
if they do not wear clean underwear
it is not your problem.

I am jealous when I hear them all laughing
and seeing the girls together on Skype lying in the same bed
cracking up and hugging and just generally loving each other.
What an awesome feeling in my bones.

There is a part of me that can't wait to get there and be a part of it,
and then knowing it is only for a short time.

One day in the next few months, I will drive away from that laughter
get on a plane and travel back to the other side of the universe alone
and only see and hear them through cyberspace.

I am not the only one in the world doing this.
But it doesn't make it any easier.

They will always be my children,
I will always be their Mother...

Our lives will be lived apart, on other sides of the world
only to reunite on occasion.
But,
It will be like Christmas every single time we are together.
I am excited about that.

It is the season for freedom...

Now that all the kids are gone,
I have to make sure
Chris is not serious about having a
naked room.

Smiles,
Sherry

Once upon a time.....

Once upon a time there was a very happy young couple....

having pretty little girls...


and then another...

Little sister
listens and anticipates
the arrival of the new sibling in her life...

Oh what a day to cherish...

I can't express the
"wonderfulness"
to be the person that is able to

stop the time,

savor the moment,
and
create the memory...

As Daddys play with little girls

and mammas kisses toes
Carpe diem....

Seize the day!!!

Tomorrow is different....

This is what being a photographer is all about.
My camera is like a time machine...
In it, I preserve today!
How cool is that!

I got everything I wanted for Mother's Day... my kids....

I feel very proud and privileged to have such a fine group of young people to have been blessed with the honor of being their Mother.

Living through the eyes of other people's children...

As my life comes to another decade and chapter...

Empty nesting and turning 50,
I don't know which is worse...

Or should I say which is better!!! :0

My children are growing up which is a good thing,
it's like the
Lion King ~ the Circle of Life,
it is supposed to be this way,
kids leave the nest, and Moms turn 50!

But there is always something good that comes out of turning the page of life.
I could be 50 and in a bad mood, or
I could be 50 and act it!

I could be an empty nester with nothing to do
because I had devoted all my life to kids
instead of making one for myself along the way...

Looking back...
25+ years of being a Mom
Then one day there is no PBJ lunches to make,
no one to stay awake and pray to see the headlights turn down the driveway.
No report cards, teacher conferences, no bleachers to sit on.
Even though there is Vonage, Skype, Email, Texting, IM and phone calls,
there is still no bleachers.

I have sat on bleachers watching little league baseball, soccer, football, cheerleading, dance recitals, swim team, middle school volleyball, basketball
(which was terrible score 2 - 0),
high school dance competitions, walked golf courses, football season tickets, Rugby games,
tennis matches, volleyball, you name it we have sat and watched it and photographed it!!!.

So now what?

Now I sit at a computer and stare into the eyes of children,
Children that are not mine, but for a split moment in time ~ I can pretend.
I spend one hour taking the shots, and 3 hours looking at them afterwards.

Seeing the wonder and enchantment in their eyes,
and the pure raw love in the eyes of the Moms and Dads.

Knowing that this moment in time
is brief
and every minute
should be cherished.

Every bleacher you sit on, enjoyed......
because one day your seat is filled with another younger Mom.

So today I will not sit here and feel sorry for myself
because I am going to be 50 and not have any kids left to tend to,
I am going to celebrate others that have a lifetime of bleachers to sit on...

Rose and Mike,
Finley might not have started walking yet,
but sooner than you think he will be running on a field somewhere...
buy a cushion, and linger.
How lucky you are to just be beginning the
Circle of Life...


Best of luck in Singapore, Doha will miss you.

Cupcake Art

Yes, It is a Bella cupcake...

I bought this at the Friendship Festival this weekend at ASD. It has to be the most adorable cupcake I have ever seen. It has been sitting on the counter in the kitchen for 2 days while Mr. Patrizi has salivated over eating it. But he wouldn't dare!!! He has asked several times, "What are you going to do with that?"

About 9 months ago I had a one year Birthday shoot and I had iced a pretty pink cupcake with sprinkles and a candle and put it on a pretty pedestal, left it in the kitchen went to the shoot in the Souqs and when I returned with the baby, guess what....

NO CUPCAKE!!!
Chris was sitting on the stool with icing on his face!!!

I had a fit, and he ran to the store and came back with a muffin and he iced it and made it into a Birthday muffin.
Now would you eat a cupcake sitting on a pedestal with a candle in it if it weren't your Birthday?
He is getting the Bella cupcake tonight in his plate,
she only licked it a little bit...

Having your Cake and eating it too!!!

Precious Connor turns O-N-E!!!

Following your heart...

It is Valentines Day, February 14th 2010.
What "love" do you have?

My love is when I get to see one of my college kids on Skype,
even if they are showing me stitches from the night before.:(

My heart is full and empty,
happy and sad, up and down. I miss my kids...

We all do not know why we are here,
but we do know this is where we are suppose to be
at this time in our lives.

Have I followed my heart to Doha?
I would have to say yes I did.
I followed my LOVE to Doha and my heart came along.

For me, I have a love I am forever thankful for.
"Mr. Smooth" some call him, today with a sore hamstring.

20 something years of a sweetheart that is ever growing...
He makes everything alright. No matter where my heart decides to wonder...
My sweet Chris the Gentle heart.

I have followed my heart and it brought me here and
I am fortunate, lucky and thankful.

But what advice do you tell your kids
about following their heart?

At any given moment, one of the four is trying to decide whether or not to follow their head, or their heart?

Sometimes we have to do both...

Nicholas ~ I am so proud of you for really trying so hard to follow your heart. I believe in you and believe your world
will be a better place because you seek it...
The Happy heart.
Amanda ~ You will find the right path soon to follow once college is over and real life kicks in...
You will find joy in your heart,
because you create it...
The Joyous heart.
Alexandra ~ Following your heart will be harder because you think so logically your brain overrides your heart, which is something we can all learn a lot from...
The Sensible heart.
Ashlynn ~ Sometimes following your heart is hard. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy...That is when your brain has to take over.
Consult with sister #2...
The Young heart.

Today I wish for my children and all my family and friends
a moment to pause
and really ask yourself

"Am I following my heart?"
And if you can say "yes" to that -
rejoice, you are lucky...

And if you say "no",
then change something.


Following mine today, Sher

One big happy Family...

Recently I had the privilege,
and I do mean privilege,
to do a photoshoot of a family I consider friends,
with kids I know and love.

I just wanted to share a brief peek
into the fun and genuine laughter
this family shares on a regular basis.


If we could all be so light hearted,
sweet to each other,
faithful, loving
and most of all
just enjoy the moments
you are together...

Thank you Albanese Family
for sharing your Joy with me....

I had a great day....

This is why...

Seniors Last Chance....

Calling all Seniors....

We have a few appointments left for the 2010 Seniors.
Please book your shoot before
March 15th
to insure your prints and invitations will be back in time for Graduation.

Don't miss out...

Announcment...

Amanda calls the rug!!!
:)

Too busy to BLOG, This is why...

OMG!!! That stands for OH MY GOD!!!

These were the cutest twins on earth... I fell in love but did not loose 10 pounds doing the shoot like I had hoped for. Anais and Alira from Australia...

I could go on and on...but for some reason my computer is not allowing me to upload any more images...

I have met new people, been with old ones, shared laughs and really enjoyed the past month with all my clients ~ that are now my friends.

January has been very busy in Doha. The weather is fabulous, friendships are plentiful, there is so much to do, and life is good. We are all working hard...

Amazing enough, I even have on a sweater... It is below 65 degrees I think and we whimps are all freezing.

As the first month of 2010 comes to a close I stop to think about if I did anything different or tried to be a "better me" like I said I was going to do...

So far I can honestly say nope, haven't changed a thing... I haven't exercised more, eaten less chocolate, been nicer to my kids, prayed more often, given more time for charity 0r none of that. But I continue to find positive moments to be thankful for every day. Sometimes that is all we can ask for...

February brings love and flowers and more chocolate, Oh boy!!!
Keep smiling... It's contagious...
Sher

When I die....

Tonight as I was discussing, is there a such a thing as a rug that is too big? Ashlynn, my youngest of four said:

"We have so much stuff MOM, when you die, it is going to be like Christmas.... Three Christmases!!!"

WOW, think of that.... When I die, it is going to be like Christmas... I kinda like the way that sounds. A wonderful celebration, of family and friends... Not that I want it to be too soon. I am still collecting gifts for everyone.

I wonder who will get the rug?