I'm Starting a New Adventure...Portrait Parties!

Host a Portrait Party!
NO SESSION FEE! NO OBLIGATION!
Just FUN, FREE Gifts and Beautiful Portraits!

You’ve been to make-up parties, food parties, kitchen parties, etc….Experience the newest wave in social gatherings. Host a Portrait Party!

You can host a traditional portrait party or choose a theme:

Newborn, Teen, Couples, Cheerleaders, Playgroup, Seniors, Football, Preschool, Birthday, Scouts, Soccer, Dance, Sports, Holiday, Retirement Party, Valentine’s, Dress-Up, Make-Over (During a Mary Kay Party), Wedding, Christmas, Mother’s Day Out, Tea Party, Baseball, Halloween, Baby Shower, Easter, Outdoors, Mommy & Me, Daddy & Me, Family Focus, Pets, Graduation, Reunion, Bring a Prop, or Make Up Your Own!


WHAT’S A PORTRAIT PARTY?
Portrait Parties are a fun opportunity to have beautiful portraits of your children, other family members, friends or co-workers! There is NO SESSION FEE. The event takes place at your home, or another location of your choice, where everyone is comfortable and natural. As the hostess you will receive a complimentary portrait package and earn a discount on portraits of your own, based on your guests’ order totals.

You and each guest family will be schedules for a 15 minute photography session. In that time period, I will capture anywhere from 15-50 images of your guests. During each session, portraits of groups, individuals or a combination of both can be taken.



HOW DOES IT WORK?
1. Invite 8-12 guests
2. Fill in simple schedule of guests planning to attend
3. Party Time! I take your guests portraits!
4. I edit photos and post online galleries
5. Guests place their orders with you
6. I make ordered photos and products look beautiful
7. You deliver orders to your guests after about 2-3 weeks!

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
• For hosting 5 or more guests, receive a $35 package of your favorite pose FREE:
o 1 8x10
o 2 5x7

• For holding the party on the original scheduled date, receive 16 FREE WALLETS
• Receive ONE FREE PORTRAIT SESSION for each guest who spends $100 or more (multiple sessions could accumulate into a nice leather bound album in the future)
• Receive a percentage of your guests’ order total in print credits
o Totals up to $300 – 5%
o Totals up to $301-$500 – 10%
o Totals $501 and up – 15%
• Four levels of FREE photos gifts with minimum order amounts!
o Including…keychains, mousepads, greeting cards
• Enjoy the company of your friends and their children all dressed up for their photo shoots
• Enjoy the beautiful photographs of your family

If you are interested in hosting a portrait party, I would love to hear from you. For more information give me a call at 717.421.4221 or via email at cdhphoto@gmail.com

Got My Machine!

I got my new sewing machine. Hip hip hooooray! I could not have been more excited to get my machine. I searched the serial number and it dates back to 1916. I love antiques! As soon as I find a new belt for the wheel, we will be up and running.

New Blog Site

Hello Dear Followers!
I have changed my blog site. It is now www.courtneyhurley.blogspot.com

Sorry for any inconveinence, I just wanted to make my website and blog the same name.

Thank you!

Back in the States

I'm back in America and let me just say God is good....Ameena!

I went to my hair dresser the other day and through a very random and odd connection she knew someone selling a sewing machine. The same exact kind that the woman at Smile taught me on. I got a great deal and purchased it! I'm so excited, its dated back to 1918! I am so motivated I have so many ideas and I can't contain my excitement. I'll be able to make more quilts like the one above. I also have the possible opportunity to be in a Philly artshow so please keep your fingers crossed. I'll keep you updated on whats yet to come. God Bless

Softner

Today we woke up at 6am because we had to load up the van and begin our journey to Kampala. Once we arrived we got some lunch and then hung out at the Matoke Guest house. I was so sleepy I went into the room and laid down. My face hit the sheets and I smelled laundry softner! I forgot how much I loved that smell. As soon as I smelled that I felt like I was at home and I was out. Mmmmmm can't wait for good laundry soap and softner. God bless who ever invented it, I miss it lol

A new Nyka

I went to visit my baby girl on Tuesday at Awindjo House. She looked like a new girl. I was so happy to see her and we played together all day. She has done for HIV testing but we are still waiting for the results and she is currently getting over a case of Malaria but she is so much healthier looking. We were laughing and playing and she was talking to me. I was a little bummed though because she has a new name. They said her mother told them her name was Amina and I said "no its Nyka" and they looked at my confused so we decided that her name was Nyka Amina and they went by the second name. I had to get used to calling her by that name but she responded to both so thats good. It was hard leaving her at the end of the day, I wanted to take her with me but I said my goodbyes and said a prayer that God will keep her protected and healthy. Wednesday was my last day at Smile and it was such a sad day saying goodbye to all the children but I got a happy surprise. Nyka came by for a visit. I had Paulo come over so he could see his sister and as he approached the area he thought he was in trouble and I said "Paulo its Nyka!!" He got the biggest smile on his face and he came running over to me and Nyka lifted her arms out to him and he picked her up from my lap. I was so happy that he got to see her, I know he misses her. He walks around holding other kids now because he misses her so much. My prayer is that they will continue to see each other throughout life even though they can't live together. Even though it was a sad day of goodbyes my heart was happy seeing the two of them reunite.

Not quite ready

In a few short days I will be saying goodbye to Tororo. Every day the children continue to tell me how much they will miss me and it makes me sad. Juma is a 12 year old boy that our team has grown very close with and he is so sad about us leaving, every day he reminds me that we are leaving and he doesn’t want us to go. He fears that things will not be the same without us and that bad things will happen to him so I kept telling him that he will be ok. A while ago I taught him what a pinky swear is, so I pinky swore him that I would see him again someday, if not on earth than in Heaven. I think that helped ease his mind a little when he realized that there will come a day that we will meet again. I wish I didn’t have to leave him behind but I told him that he is in my prayers to grow up to be a strong spiritual man and leader and I was joking saying that he might be the future president of Uganda some day and he got a big smile on his face. He needs to hear words of encouragement because it’s not something that he often gets.

I’m going to miss the crazy ways of the hotel that we live in. We come to get our complimentary breakfast every morning having to bring our own coffee and juice only to have our waiter ask to try it, along with the times we order something on the menu only to find out “it is finished” I will miss African greetings where they say “hello…how are you…well done” And I’m especially going to miss the girls on my team. I have spent so much time focusing on the fact that I’m going to miss the kids and woman at Smile but I have forgotten that I will have to say goodbye to my new family. The six of us girls have bonded so well and it is going to be bittersweet. We plan to meet up again but I’m so used to seeing their faces 24/7 literally so that will be a definite adjustment when I get back. Its so amazing at how well we all got along. Of course we weren’t perfect but we never had any major issues and I think that is a testament in itself. I feel like we truly displayed a sense of team work even from the first day upon arrival at Pearl River when we did a team building activity and we were told that we were the first group to actually complete the task given to us, we were shocked because it seemed so easy to us so I just wanted to say a thanks to God for allowing us all to be together and fit so well. It has been a lot of fun.

Today we went to Sipi Falls and thought we were going on a stroll to see some waterfalls and little did we know it involved hiking down a steep mountain but with the help of some local boys we made it and once we arrived at the bottom we all jumped in the water. It was so fun we were screaming and laughing and then screaming some more but I just wanted to post a few pictures so show how close we really are. I’m clinging to Jessica because I’m freezing and we’re all holding on to each other helping one another and I even had a freak out moment when Stephanie verbalized her thoughts on if leach’s were in the water and I went crazy but we all survived and made it out alive. I love these girls and this beautiful country of Uganda.