What I Do ... Now.

My number one priority right now is Zoe, (who is really 15 weeks old this week).  I am a dad, then a husband, photographer, web designer.  So let me explain really quickly what it is I do.

I run a small sole proprietorship called Marc Blackwell Photography.  It's been a legal business since 2007 and it's been a lot of fun.  I shoot everybody, but I work with actors more than anyone else.  I shoot headshots, musician portraits, bands, families, you name it I've shot it.  I also shoot weddings with my amazingly talented wife.  She has a day job but we work on the weekends when we're together and someone can be with Zoe Toes.  Together we make a good team.

I also work with Stacey, my wife, and our good friends Brandon and Laura in a little company we call Red Letterbox Productions.  Brandon is an amazing music producer, crankin' out jams left and right for established and aspiring musicians.  Really, his sound is amazing.  And Laura is a bright and creative graphic designer mixin' up images, cd covers, social media graphics and more colorful stuff.  Stacey and I do photography together and I also create the websites for the group.  We're a one-stop shop for actors and musicians.  And it's been fun so far, we're really hittin' it hard this year. 

So I work on a lot of websites as well as taking pictures.  I've devoted myself into the world of CSS, HTML, PHP and Wordpress.  I can create a mean website that does more than look pretty.  And it's perfect work being at home I can do it whenever I'm not feeding, changing or playing with ZB.  :)

Here's to the economy picking up, and to doing our part by providing high quality services and products for fair prices.  It's how the world goes round. 

Much love,
-marc

Sunday Funday with Pancakes!

This late morning I awoke to coffee and pancakes that my beautiful wife made me!  Mmm... it was so good!  Now Horton Hears A Hoo is playing, friends are still scattering around the house and Zoe and I are blogging! 

I appreciate all the kind comments and support for this blog.  I'll keep it up so y'all can keep up.

I can't believe I'm posting a picture of a smiley face pancake, that seems very stereo-typical-daddy-blogger of me, but it's so funny.

Have a good Sunday Funday!

Peace,
-marc

The Blackwells in High Resolution!

The Blackwells all got together this holiday season to celebrate a late Christmas and festive New Years.  During the rare moment when we were all together someone, oh, I dunno, a photographer probably, decided to take a family photo!  Here it is, in all it's glory - the Blackwell's 2010 Family Photo!  I think you can click on the photo and see us all in high resolution! 

Today's just a fun day of hanging out w/ my beautiful wife and child.  We're actually having a client over right now to look at some photos that Stacey took before we went to Oklahoma.  And tonight we are having friends over to eat and play games!

 

The happy mom and baby together again! :)

Have a great weekend!!

-marc

We Miss Mommy!

The hardest part of Stacey going back to work ... is Stacey going back to work.  We're a team.  When one couldn't handle another dirty diaper, the other would change it.  When the other was just too tired to feed ZB, the other would make the bottle and pop it in our little girl's mouth.  If we wanted a second alone, we could.  But from 7:45 - 5:15 every day it's just me and Zoe.  Not that I'm complaining - having this much alone time with our baby girl is amazing.  But it's tiring!  And we miss our mom. 

Stacey is such a positive light in this world.  She's always questioning everything, trying to figure out the best way to be a better person.  She is an amazing mom who's heart is full of love for Zoe, me and her friends and family.  If you're lucky enough to get to know her, you should hang on for dear life because you're in for an exciting ride.  Having her around got me spoiled, and now that she's not here during the day it's really quiet and boring. 

So Zoe and I will hang out again all day today.  We're anxiously awaiting 4:00 pm, because on Friday's mom get's off work early!  We're still going to have fun though.  Maybe we'll go to the park today, or take a walk.  Our good friend Amy Paffrath will be heading over to work on her website a little bit today and yesterday Drew Seeley and I worked on his website.  I'm still able to get a little work done, but as Mrs. Blackwell reminds me often, my #1 job is Dad. 

Peace,
-marc

This Girl Loves The Camera!

I'm getting the hang of this.  I already had the hang of it, but that was when Stacey was always by my side, my partner in crime.  4 hands are better than 2, but when you only have two you have to be on top of your game.

Stacey jokes that I'm the "bottle master" at our house.  I'm always making bottles, cleaning bottles, preparing, finding, and making sure we have enough bottles for whatever we are going to do.  On top of that now, I'm dressing, cleaning, wiping and playing alllll day long.  I went to the beach around Venice yesterday with Jacob and that was a trip.  Not only on top of all my own responsibilities, like making sure the car is full of gas, safe and ready to roll, I need to make sure I have enough cash, diapers and stuff to ensure Zoe Toe's happiness and well being.  I was just getting used to taking care of my self, now I hafta worry about another little human being too!  It's nuts, and something I hope I get better at.

But this girl loves the camera!  I'm posting a video where Jacob and I were trying to get her to smile.  She was totally laughing before I started filming and then stopped when I hit record.  But the video is still cute so I'm showing you all.  I was taking pictures out the window yesterday while Jacob was driving an ZB kept pulling on the string trying to see what I was taking.  That explains today's photo, btw.

Stacey is doing well.  It's been a hard week, but she is transitioning well.  We're both completely different people now that we have a child and this week has been a big change for us as well.  But like all change in our lives, we're handling it like pros and trying to figure out how we can be better people for it. 

Have a great day!

Peace,

-marc

p.s. - I know that a couple posts ago I stated that Zoe was 15 weeks.  My wife corrected me that evening, it's actually 14 weeks.  But she will be 15 weeks tomorrow (Friday!)  

Our Baby Is Still ALIVE!!

Believe it or not, our baby is still alive!  She's been great the past couple days as Mommy goes to work.  And today, with NPR in the background, coffee brewing, and Z in her bassinet next to me, I feel like we have a good chance of making it through the day ... again!

Yesterday was an interesting day.  We feared that ZB might have gotten sick while we were in Oklahoma for the holidays.  So, after a bunch of coughs, a couple sneezes and a few runny noses we decided to take her to the pediatrician.  Turns out she does have a little cold, but nothing that time won't cure.  Whew!  Crazy though, that it was our first unscheduled trip to the Docs.

I was also able to get a few work things taken care of for Red Letterbox Productions yesterday.  My colleague and good friend Brandon Slavinski came over and we worked on our internal agreement, marketing strategies and other miscellaneous tasks that needed to be done.  RLP is a very exciting company that if you haven't heard of you should totally check out.  We work with actors, musicians and aspiring performers to create high quality music, photography, graphic design and websites. 

mmmm....this coffee is GOOD!  I kind of like waking up at 7:30 every morning.  Kind of.  I get so much done.

And last but not least my good friend Jacob Barnse, from our Oklahoma Christian days, flew out to California yesterday and is chilling for a couple days.  Somethin' about a Rose Bowl football game, I dunno.  But it's cool!  I haven't seen this guy since the wedding and it's fun to see him interact w/ Zo.  Oh how my life has changed since me and this guy used to hang out in college... :)

While I'm taking the day easy, I'm still gonna try to get some stuff done.  Then lunch w/ the mama and perhaps the beach later! 

Much love!
-marc

Now Playing: Mr. Mom.

Today starts my adventure as Mr. Mom.  I dropped my wife off at work at 7:45 this morning and came home with my 15 week old baby girl.  We turned on NPR, made some coffee and now as she naps I'm sitting down to post my first blog for 2010.

I thought about making a new blog to chronicle my new life as a stay at home dad ("SAHD"), but wanted to keep my current readers and figured making a new blog was just another thing to worry about.  I will be blogging from here for a lonnnng time.

What's on the agenda for the day?  I'm going to read a web building design book my brother Blake got me for Christmas, work on our 2010 Budget and Business Plan, take the X-Mas tree down and of course play with Zoe.  We'll see how much of that gets done, playing with Zoe might take most of the day.  :) It will be interesting to see how working from home works with an infant.  I'm going to take it slowly, and not try to get too much done this week but ease into being a SAHD, business man, photographer, web designer and blogger. 

If you have a second, stop by my beautiful and hard working wife's blog, facebook, and twitter to tell her how awesome she is for being strong and supportive.  We both never thought we'd be part of the growing statistic of families where the wife works, but we're taking it one day at a time with positive strides.  She's amazing, and I already miss her - but this will be good for us and the family.  We will be stronger and better in the long run. 

Alright - I guess that's it for today.  I want to promise more blogs, I always do - but I can't predict the future.  You'll just have to stay tuned and see what happens next! 

Much love,
-Marc, the new Mr. Mom!