Category Archives: updates

Hello There!

So for my last update I reported that we had started the process of laying the floor in the studio. WHEW – what a job that was!  But I’m happy to report that the floors are finished and WE LOVE THEM!  Another major install was getting a toilet.  WOO-HOO!  I’m not really sure why getting a toilet makes me so happy…just does.  Lori was excited too and just like most kids her age, she couldn’t wait to check it out and give it a try.  Works perfectly.  It’s the little things that make us happy:).  We also had to add the baseboards and trim – what a difference that made!  Those were the last major projects of the studio – at least for making it functional.  We still have a small punch list to go through – touch-up paint here and there, fix a few scratches in the floor, add a few minor touches to the camera room, decorate, etc. etc.  But that’s it, the major work is done!  I have no set timeline on those little things – they’ll get done when they get done.

But in the meantime, guess what???  Drum roll please….THE STUDIO IS READY & I’M IN!!!  Yep, you read right… THE STUDIO IS IN BUSINESS!  Officially, I have been in for a little over two weeks.  Moving office equipment, props, camera & studio equipment and trying to get situated and find my “zone” is taking me a little time.  And on top of that still trying to conduct business as usual.  I’ll eventually get used to everything and it will feel like home (or home away from home).  But I have to say that I am LOVING every minute of it!!!  Even if I have a hard time remembering where I put things:)

It seems that I’m always lagging behind in keeping this blog and facebook page updated, but that’s been true more so this last year as we’ve been consumed with this major project.  My little business had been bursting at the seams and taking over my house for quite awhile.  My house is really bare now that the props have all been moved to the studio (most of them anyhow) and Lori thinks she has two new playrooms to fill with toys.  But I really feel fortunate that my husband has let me take over the house for the last 8 years and given me the chance to grow.  And I’m very blessed that my husband has worked so hard on the studio build over the last year (not to mention just putting up with me in general).  I know he’s probably more thrilled about being finished than I am – he actually has a little free time in the evenings after work.  I’m also extremely grateful for all of my wonderful clients for trusting me to photograph their child, their family, wedding, or event over the past 8ish years. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my clients…THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

So here’s a few iphone pics (again excuse the quality) of the last of the progress and how the studio is coming along.

Enjoy!

 

 

Final touches on the cabinets.

Hobby Lobby find!!!

Lori is the best help ever:)

Love my toilet – lol!

Floors, baseboards, & trim *LOVE*

TV up & random furniture from the house!

“North Light” windows in the camera room.

Another view of the camera room.

Storage {never enough}.

Office before the big move…

during…

TODAY! Didn’t take long to fill it up:)

Props dub as furniture for now.

Lori helping AGAIN! This time she’s testing out chairs for me:)

A little bathroom décor.

Mirror hung!!!

Lori & Meow Meow for the first “official” session in the studio!

 

 

 

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Here’s my weekly studio update…

Id like to report that a lot of work was done over the last week.   And that is true… A LOT OF WORK WAS done last week (at least if you add up all the hours).   But the progress pics really don’t do justice for the actual amount of work completed.

The work we started was laying our floor.  I can tell you that I’m in love with how it looks,  but no so much with the work involved.    “Snap & click” says the instructions and to that I say “Kiss My Asterick”;).   How about “snap, click, tap, beat , pull it apart & start all over”… that’s more like it!   But {not holding our breath just yet} I think we’ve found our rhythm.

And again, I use the term “we” lightly … have to give most of the credit to my husband!   He’s amazing {and tired of this project}!

So this week we’ll continue beating the floor in.  And sometime this week I hope to find the time to do a little touch up painting and maybe buy a toilet (funny how I keep forgetting about that until I’m out in the studio working – good thing I’m not too far from the house).   Not sure though how many hours I’ll actually get in there this week….it’s a busy, busy work week for me — two different days of on-location office staff photos, a maternity session, a couple of meetings, the normal everyday things I have to do and a wedding.

So until next time…ENJOY!!!

 

{ps…sorry about the blurry iPhone pics}

 

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So it seems I’ve been MIA the last several months, at least on the virtual business side of things.  My last blog post was in April and the last “business” facebook post at the beginning of July.  I post frequently to my personal facebook page but I realize not everyone can see that page (but feel free to friend me – Sheila Sturgeon Hebert – one can never have too many friends).   I tend to keep that “personal” and not business for some silly reason (and vice versa on my business page).  Not for any reason in particular, I just do.  

But a few recent conversations had made me rethink why I do this & have given me the realization that maybe I shouldn’t.  It seems by not keeping my virtual business worlds updated I’m sending out the wrong message – WHOOPS.  A few questions I’ve gotten recently…”What’s going on with your business?  Are you still in business?   Have you been busy?”  My answers to the last two…yes and YES!!!  I’ve just neglected keeping my virtual worlds updated. Sorry and (my famous last words) I’ll try to do better.

 There is no good explanation for my “lack of presence” on this blog and business Facebook.  And my apologies for  session “sneak peeks” I missed.  I could tell you that I have been BUSY.  But aren’t we all?  Honestly, I just haven’t made the time (no excuses) and for that I apologize…I will do better (there are those famous last words again;).  Really, I will try!

But there is one thing that has kept me EXTREMEMLY busy recently and I was shocked that to learn that not everyone knew this (can’t you all read my mind- hehe…kidding of course ).  But that one thing is — {drum roll please} – building my new studio!  Yes, I said “studio”…EXCITING STUFF!!!

My new studio was not what we originally had in mind, but I won’t bore you with how we ended up here.  The new studio is actually something like plan D or E…but regardless of what plan we’re on, just know this is THE ONE!!!  And it is going to be the perfect little studio!!!  At the time of writing this, I would guesstimate we are about 90% complete.  But I’m not putting a completion time on that last 10% – all good things to those who wait (I’m really not good at being patient but I’m trying).

So here are some pics (mainly iPhone taken so please excuse the quality) of the last 38 and 1/2  weeks…(And I know that for a fact thanks to Instagram…thank you Instagram for keeping track of that for me…speaking of Instagram you can find me @sheilahebertpix).

 1. BEFORE of the outside and some of the inside of what WAS my husband’s workshop/now my studio.  Once we moved all of his things to his new building, we pretty much started with a clean slate…a slab, roof, and four walls.  Oh and a lot of dirt:)

 

2.  Getting ready to frame new outside walls where the garage doors were.  I had fun with this step…at least until the concrete drill was taken away from me due to a safety violation – lol.  And yep, that has happened more than once in this project:)

 

3.  Next, I bought my first real purchase for the studio construction project…doors and windows!!!  It was also EXTREMEMLY COLD around this time of year – as much as I wanted to be IN the new studio, I didn’t want to be out there!!!  We (and I use the word “we” lightly…I’m more of the sit back & watch type) had to frame the new outside walls and doors.  Lori also created the first piece of art for my new studio:)

 

4. On Valentine’s Day 2014 the framed walls went up – the greatest Valentine’s Day gift ever:)    Now things were really starting to take shape!  And a few days later for my birthday Jason and Lori gave me a breaker panel…PERFECT!!!

 

 

5.  Pinterest became a serious job now!!!  You can see my random boards HERE

 

6.  Next, we added the plug housing box thingys (yes, that’s the technical term).  Side note…I’m only adding this picture to say it saved a big mess down road.  It’s a good thing I took a ton of pictures of the building progress and knew the exact locations of all the plugs & wires (even after sheetrock).  This was also the beginning of the wiring phase.

 

7.  Wiring almost complete and plumbing started!!!  The A/C was also installed somewhere around this time.

 

8.  One of the last things I did before sheetrock – wrote some of my favorite bible verses on the studs!!!

 

9.  Sheetrock and texture!!! 

 

10.  I LOVE my cabinets!!!

11.  Painting begins (inside and out).  Plus all the little things…light fixtures, fans, cover plates, etc.  Side note…I NEVER, EVER want to pick up another paint brush!  This may explain why the inside of my house is so plain:) 

 

12.  Counter tops and sinks installed!!! 

 

 

 

 

13.  While installing the cabinet knobs & pulls, I decided to “age” my kitchenette cabinets a bit…super happy with the outcome.  Interior doors and door knobs are in too!

 

 

 

14.  So now we have the floor in and it’s next in line!!

 

 

15.  Just a NOW picture of the studio exterior — the siding and painting are complete.  New doors and windows in & check out my cute little porch lights.  They add a nice touch and also illuminate the way back to the house so I don’t step on a snake…EEEKKK (which actually just happened last night).  We still have landscaping work here, but that will come soon enough (and if I know my husband…it will come sooner rather than later).

 

 

So that’s it and that’s where we are — I hope you enjoyed this public service announcement!!!  I should have been doing this all along the way — this update took way too much time to put together.  So lesson learned,  I’ll post more frequent updates and I’ll really work at getting the most important things uploaded…SNEAK PEEKS:) 

 

One last thing…THANK YOU to my sweet, wonderful husband for all his hard work over these last 38 and 1/2 weeks (not counting those to come).  Thank you to my family & friends who have helped along the way (both in physical labor-type help in building the studio & for helping me with Lori).  And THANK YOU Lori for being as patient as you possibly can be at 6 years old…I promise ONE DAY we will finish:).  And last, but not least…THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of my past, present, and future clients!!!  I love what I do!!!

 

🙂

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