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The Ridgeway Chatter bio picture

Welcome to The Ridgeway Chatter

It is said that I came out of the womb telling the doctor what to do so I figure it is my lot in life is to talk. I am one of those rare people who actually enjoy public speaking. I know - crazy! As a matter of fact if I could choose anything to do it would be to be able to give my opinion to lots of people and get paid for it. Ha!

So, my staff thinks I talk too much and that I should start talking somewhere else, so I started this blog. I will talk about things that interest me, give advice about probably nothing and just chat about what goes on in my world, mainly the professional photography world. Oh, and I will share some of my favorite photographs.

I have been married to John Ridgeway for 48 years (no, really 24 yrs), but we work together everyday so I'm entitled to double it. LOL. We are complete opposites. The man has had a LOT of patience.

So check in with me often, I promise, you won't be bored!

What will February Bring?

Thursday, January 21, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized

My goodness. It is almost February; where did January go? Usually, John and I are gone most of the month to our conventions and conferences, but not this year. We decided to pick ONE conference this year and stay home and work on new ideas and things that just get overlooked most of the time. I’m not sure what happened, but I don’t feel anymore caught up and ahead of things. I should have left for the month of January. LOL!

Lynn and Georgeine (Cheryl's parents)

So what does February bring? Well, for me it brings in several things. First, John and I will be celebrating 25 years of marriage on February, 16th. Can you believe it??!!! I can’t. I don’t feel old enough to be married that long. I did get married young (21), but still…

February 17th is my mom and dad’s wedding anniversary. Yep, Georgeine and Lynn are still hanging in there after raising their three kids. Yikes! Cudos to them. My parents crack me up.

February also brings Valentine’s Day. A day started by the florist industry to generate business in their slow time, but boy, did it catch on. When I was younger, I really didn’t like Valentine’s Day because if you weren’t the recipient of any Valentine gifts, cards, acknowledgement, etc. you just felt bad. In high school one of the student groups would sell carnations with a message on it and then they were delivered to the recipient in their classroom in front of all of the classmates. WOW!! What a boost to your self-esteem; you were thought of in a beautiful way in front of pretty many people. I received some carnations and then sometimes I didn’t. I would always watch those who didn’t get a flower and it was just sad to me. It was way sadder when I didn’t get one. You just felt like no one cared about you. When I was dating I didn’t want a gift or a Valentine’s gift. I just wanted that person to be nice to me all of the time. And, still, to this day John doesn’t send me flowers on Valentines Day, per my request. I never wanted to put that kind of pressure on him (or myself).

When I became an adult I realized that it didn’t have to be your husband or your boy/girlfriend that was the only Valentine. I have several girlfriends that I give Valentine cards and little candies or fun little things to, just to let them know that I am thinking of them and that I love that they are my friends. My parents and siblings, I love them and think they are special. I think that Valentines day should be appreciating those that are special to you no matter who they are.

I remember a few years ago (10+) that we did a Valentines special and took photographs of couples, kids and anyone who wanted to be photographed on our heart set. Do you know that I still have that photograph sitting out. Yes, I do. It was fun and it showed in the photo. This year we decided to bring that special back. We call it our ‘Sweetheart’ Special. You could grab your honey, your best friend or even your children & have a portrait made. When was the last time you had a photograph made. People love you and want to see your smiling face daily. I know… there are probably days that maybe not!!! :-0

Anyway, just letting you know that Ridgeway is photographing this Saturday, Jan. 23rd thru Wednesday, Jan. 27th. I’ve included some information here. It doesn’t have to look Valentinesy (is that even a word?). You can be photographed on any set we have. We can make up the cutest, personalized classroom Valentines for your child’s classmates, but we need at least a week to get them back so if you’re thinking about it, just do it. It’s not that expensive and you’ll have a nice memory of this time in your life.

We’ll see what other fun things come our way in February. We have a few things cooking so I’ll let you know when they are set in stone. Until, next time, make your days fun and we’ll chat later.                        Cheryl

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by Cheryl

4 comments

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January 21, 2010 - 6:34 pm Cheryl - I will. I'll try to have it tomorrow and thanks.

January 21, 2010 - 5:31 pm Sara Rees - This sounds like fun... I'd like to get one with my children and another with my best friend... Hope to call for a session soon :-)

January 21, 2010 - 5:25 pm Debbie M. - Sorry, I meant to type "THAT'S GREAT!".

January 21, 2010 - 5:24 pm Debbie M. - Wow! Happy Anniversary! Thanks great. How about a photo of you and John on your wedding day?

Newborn Babies And The New Year

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized

The Malter sisters

   January is one of the busiest months for new babies and this year is no exception. In case you were not aware, our studio (Ridgeway) specializes in baby and children’s photography. You would think a guy that has no children wouldn’t be any good at photographing children, let alone love them, but John Ridgeway is one of those guys. It wasn’t always like that though. Years ago, John did not know what to do with newborns. As a matter of fact he mentioned way back when we were dating that he likes babies when they can start doing tricks. LOL! He was a great uncle, however, he didn’t want anything to do with those new babies and he certainly wasn’t going to change diapers. 

So how did we get John to start photographing newborns? Well, I had a phone call one day and it was one of my high school classmates and she had just had a baby boy and wanted him photographed. He was only 10 days old and like I did so many times before, I told her that he would photograph so much better when he was a little older, but she was adament that she have a newborn photograph. I scheduled her and the baby a couple of days later. When I told John he was photographing a 10 day old, he told me that he didn’t know what to do with a newborn that was going to be ‘art’ worthy. I didn’t care, we were photographing that baby and he needed to do it. The rest is history. Thank you, Tammy.

There are so many beautiful images that can be created with newborns and that first year of their young lives. I don’t think everyone knows that we offer different programs at different price levels to capture those ever-changing moments of a baby’s first year. We want to photograph your children, your grandchildren, your friend’s babies, etc. This is how I get my baby fix!!!!!! Haha! Really, I love babies and if they didn’t grow up and smart back and want to go to college and all of that stuff, I probably would of had a few, but alas, they grow up and we decided that we would prefer to spoil our nieces and nephews and your children.                                                                 

If you know someone who is pregnant and going to have a baby soon, Ridgeway gift cards are a great shower gift. We had one of our clients ask for Ridgeway gift cards for Christmas and boy, did her family take care of her. This would be a very personal gift and one that won’t wear out over the years. We all know that babies grow up so fast and the only way to remember those special little details is by photographs.

We can make up little gift baskets also that include the gift card. For Christmas we designed a few gift card baskets that included Dr. Brown baby bottles, photo charm bracelets, the cutest little baby frames and a few other items that fit into the baby basket quite well. Not a lot of time. Just call us. We can take care of getting you the gift card by mailing to you and you can just pay over the phone. I’m into convenience and sometimes we just don’t have the time to run around and get that perfect gift. What could be more perfect? A portrait session with John for the most beautiful baby portraits they can imagine.

We also have a Baby Registry. I know….you didn’t know, did you? Yes, any mom-to-be can register, free of charge, and we will supply her with little invitation cards that let the invited guest know that she is wanting Ridgeway Portraits.

Make sure that you check out the children’s gallery  http://www.ridgewaychatter.com/?page_id=137  I’ve posted a few new portraits.

I hope you have a fabulous week. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or give suggestions. We are always listening and love trying out new ideas. Chow for now…Cheryl

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by Cheryl

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January 15, 2010 - 1:46 am Cheryl - You know that we'll have some new ideas for that new little bundle of joy. John is already working on a different style for newborns. See you next week for Kendra's one year portraits. They are sooooooo cute and funny.

January 14, 2010 - 6:07 pm Mindy - Cant wait for you to Photograph my new baby girl when she arrives this spring !

2010. What Do You Want To See Changed?

Saturday, January 2, 2010 Posted in Uncategorized

Happy 2010! Every year people make resolutions only to not follow through with them. I quit doing that years ago. Unless it’s something you really want to do, you aren’t going to keep to that resolution, but far be it from me to burst someone’s bubble. I like the start of a new year like most people and always hope that it will be better than the past year.  For me 2009 wasn’t a bad year and it wasn’t the best year. It had it’s ups and downs just like most. I was lucky enough to have a fairly healthy year and I adopted my first puppy ever, Louie. He makes me happy. :) I have a great marriage and that is saying something in this day and age. Considering the economy, business was decent and we gained new clients and saw clients that we haven’t seen in years. It was like a class reunion this past summer because many of the people I went to high school with have kids that are seniors. I can’t believe how many of us that hung out together that have kids all the same age. It was fun.

So, since I don’t want to talk about resolutions what shall we talk about? I know…COURTESY! I don’t think people know what courtesy is anymore. I’m not sure that some parents  teach their kids what common courtesy is. Maybe it is just overlooked and assumed that their kids will learn it through living life. Ha! When I was younger, my mom would tell my brother, sister and I how we should be acting in public. For instance, when we were out shopping and we would be all over the place, walking in front of people or just being distracted, George (my mom) would yank our arms and pull us over to the correct side of walking – the right-hand side. She would say that you should always walk on the right hand side just like you would if you were driving that way people don’t have to avoid you and walk around you.  So, imagine my dismay when I go to the mall and people walk right towards you as if playing a game of chicken. Who’s going to move first? Whatever! I’m good the first 45 minutes or so and then the crabbiness gradually starts. I don’t want to be crabby; I just want people to act right.

Today, John and I went to the West County mall just to get out and I was so ready to go home after a couple of hours. Everyone just seems to be put out by someone else. I was also taught then when you see someone talking to another person or standing looking at something, you go behind them so not to disturb them. It’s obvious they were there first; you adjust. Do you know how many times someone went between John and I today, seperating us?

Another one. Who decided that stopping and having a conversation with two or three people at the top of the esculator is the right thing to do? Or, in doorways? John wanted to get an alarm clock from Brookstone and when we got to the store there were 6-7 guys (high school or college age) standing in the entrance talking to one another. It was obvious we wanted to go in, but did any of them move? No.!By this time, I was just wanting to make sure they knew they were inconsiderate and I asked them if they are pretending to be the door? (I know, rude, right?) One of the guys said “oh, I’m sorry” and then I heard another one say “Jesus Christ”. That almost made me turn around and say something more, but I controlled it.

How about just being nice to someone? Like opening a door for them and not caring if you are first or not. Sometimes it just feels good to be a little nice to someone and let them know that not everyone is uncaring.

When a client of Ridgeway Portrait Design comes to pick up their completed order, we like to carry it out the door to the car for them. It’s funny how many people think that is putting us out. We just do it because it is a nice thing to do and just like you were a guest in our home, we want to walk you to the door and say good-bye. Anytime we find that someone has a problem with some  aspect of our business, we try to make changes to accomodate them. For instance, calling the day for an appointment and reminding the person they have an appointment and at what time. Everyone’s life is so busy and hectic now days and it’s easy to forget things. I forget things all of the time and I love courtesy calls.

The definition of courtesy is: Doing something without charge, as a gesture of goodwill.

1. courteous behavior; gracious politeness

2. a polite, helpful, or considerate act or remark

3. an act or usage intended to honor or compliment

If I could do one thing in 2010 it would be to become a catalyst and activist for common courtesy. I’m not going to pretend I am perfect, but overall, I do exercise common courtesies and respect that everyone has bad days. Those are the days that maybe a smile and a hi or just letting someone walk in a door first may change their attitude. It is easy to be nasty to someone who might be in a bad mood and claim they did it first, but really… is it worth feeling bad about?

I, sincerely, hope that each and everyone of you has a terrific 2010. There will be ups and there will be downs, but it all averages out and the character of a person is in how we handle the downs.

Tell me about the one thing you want to change in 2010. Maybe together, we can make a difference. You never know until you put it out there. 

Looking forward to the full first year of talking to you on the Chatter.    Cheryl

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by Cheryl

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January 2, 2010 - 9:34 pm Sara Rees - As for what I would change... I will look in the mirror every morning for at least 60 seconds and smile... Studies show that if you look at yourself smiling for 1 minute a day, it will increase your over all well being. So, for my over all well being, and hope for a good day every day I will at least give myself the gift of a smile at least once a day

January 2, 2010 - 9:28 pm Sara Rees - Cheryl, I completely agree. Today was a prime example of the world lacking courtesey. Chris and I decided to go to Fairview to purchase a stroller. We made a stop for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. You would assume that people would be courteous here, but alas... no. Here we come, it's freezing cold, and we have a pumpkin seat with us. A wonderful woman leaving the building heald the door open for us so we could rush in, but we couldn't because a family of 6 decided to barrel right through the door and stop to have a conversation right in the door way. When we decided to leave we were met with another bout of rudeness. The aisle ways in the loby are just crammed full of junk, and I found a pile of cute shirts for Valentine's Day (thinking of Bella) and some man in his 20s just barreled right through us, knocking Bryce's pumpkin seat into a stack of decorative plates... crashing them to the floor. We ducked out completely embarrased... what is wrong with people

Courtesy

Friday, December 18, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized

Tis the season for people to be more rude than they are any other time of the year. Have you noticed this or is it just me? I have always been in retail and “taught” to be courteous to people. I guess what started this little post is that yesterday we went out for lunch with one of our employees. We have an hour and we know the places we can go and can’t in order to get back to the studio before our next appointments start up. It took 10 minutes before our waiter in come around. At this time I mentioned that we were on our lunch break and will he make sure that we get out on time. He agreed, took our order and left. It seemed like it took forever for him to bring out the drinks and then forever to bring out our food. It was brought out when we needed to be back to the studio. The other Cheryl asked for ranch dressing and he went back to get it, but never returned to give it to her. I’m sure there was a completely legitiment excuse for this poor service, but the tip or lack of reflected that.

The day before that, I am going to the bank to make a deposit and it strikes me that the two cars in front of me were extremely close to each other when turning left into the shopping center. As a matter of fact, I was trying to see if the first car was towing the second car. It was not and I thought how irritated I would be that this car was tailgating me ‘that’ close. Well, I guess the first car felt the same way and stops his car in the middle of the entrance and get out of his car to ask the tailgater what his problem was. The man in the other car was on the phone and refused to look at him, roll down the window or even acknowledge that he was even there. This sent car guy #1 into a tizzy and he pounded on the window with his fist. I of course, can’t move and watching the whole thing decided to just sit back because I didn’t know how violent the first guy would get, but after 4 minutes or so, it was obvious that the second guy was probably calling the police. I, finally, rolled down my window and asked if he could take this to the side. He said he just wanted this guy to pay for his rudeness. I just told him I understood because I saw him driving so close and he looked at me and said, “So you saw him tailgating me?” I said yes, and it seemed that was all it took for this guy to move on. He just wanted to be acknowledged that he was wronged.

When leaving from the bank I noticed there were 3 police cars driving around and I ended stopping one and asked if they were looking for the guy in the altercation. He said yes, and I proceeded to tell him what I witnessed. Why did I do this? The guy in the first car was younger, long hair, baggy pants and the second guy was more middle aged, more professional in appearance (from what I could see from behind him) and I knew that the cops just heard the one side. While they both were wrong in their actions I didn’t think it would be fair if the police were a little bias because of outward appearances. I don’t know; I just have to have everything evened out and fair and I am aware that people make judgements based on the first three seconds of meeting someone.

One more. It just drives me insane that when shopping and walking around a mall that I always have to play dodge people. When did the rules change about walking on the right side and not walking in between two people talking? What happened to saying excuse me, or ‘I’m sorry’ when bumping into someone? And, it’s not just kids, it is adults who don’t care about anyone, but themselves. Christmas time is suppose to be this special time when all mankind is nice and reflect on the good of humanity. Yeah right!!!

I think life would be less stressful if everyone would look up the word COURTESY. If everyone were a little more courteous, just take a second to maybe let someone go in front of them or just smile at them, maybe people would be a bit less defensive.

Well, that is my rant for the month. I think it is theraputic to be able to voice your thoughts, your dissappointments, as well as your successes. I’m sure some of you have more horrid stories of the lack of courtesy and so do I, but it was 5:30 in the morning when I started this blog and I just can’t think that synical that early. LOL!!!!

Now for some better news. I’ve posted some new images to the galleries. I truly love what we do. John is truly amazing at having children and adults relax so he can capture the real person. I can’t tell you the emotions that are felt when people see the images of their loved ones the first time. That is the best part of my job. John creates those images, but he doesn’t get to feel that love that is emitted when the images come up on the screen, big as day with beautiful music. It truly is an amazing feeling for me. Check them out and let us know what you think.

Children’s Christmas Portraits – http://www.ridgewaychatter.com/?page_id=904

I’ll be posting more links in the next day or two. Please come back and take a look. In case we don’t talk before Christmas, I wish you and your family and friends the happiest of Christmas’. Enjoy those that will be there no matter what.

Cheryl

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Free $50 gift cards on December 10th

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized

Gift Card Bonus InformationIt’s the holiday season and are you in the mood yet? I’m getting there, but there is so much going on at this time of the year that it’s hard to just sit back and enjoy the season. Well, we decided to have a little open house at the studio this Thursday, December 10th from 2pm – 7pm. We just want to have a fun day that we can just visit with our friends and clients and I hope that you can join us. We are going to have a selection of beverages including hot chocolate, wine, apple cider and more. We are also going to have a few sweets that have -0- calories. (I am sooooo lying!!!) I don’t know, there may be other things added when I go shopping —- You never know. :)

So what’s with the title of this little post? On Thursday we are having a gift card sale. For every $100 in gift certificates purchased you will receive a $50 gift card FREE. If you need more information regarding the details, just click this GIFT CARD link and everything is spelled out. We also have gift card baskets made up that include $50 – $200 gift cards. One of the Baby baskets includes Dr. Brown bottles, a photo charm bracelet, a burp cloth, a “Ridgeway Loves Me” bib and of course, the gift card. We have about 30 made up for a more unique way of presenting someone with a gift card.

We are also having a sale on all kinds of items…jewelry, photo purses, miche purses (limit stock) and even some of the furniture we have used in the studio as props or seating or just general use in the studio somewhere. Some of the items include chairs, a coffee table and anything else I can bring up that we haven’t used in a little while. I need to reorganize and we tend to purchase things for props, but then they become used too much so we have to create something new. We have some beautiful multi-image frames, 5×7 & 8×10 frames that will be 50% off. We are changing one of our vendors in 2010 and I want all the extra inventory gone. Come and check it out. You may just find a bargain at Ridgeway!!!

We would love to see you and just visit, but understand that your lives are as busy as ours and it might not be a good time for you to come by. If buying a gift card is on your list, but you can’t come by in person then call us. The bonus $50 gift card will only be available on Thursday, December 10th. This is the best and only time that we offer this kind of special. We don’t offer it every year and if we do, it is usually only 20%. This year, because the economy has been on everyone’s mind, we thought we would offer a 50% add-on bonus. It’s a win-win for all of us. You can use it for yourself or give it to someone that has been wanting to have portraits done – they will love it.

We would love to see you or hear from you. Again the details are this Thursday, December 10, 2009 from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. After that, we can’t offer the special because John and I are going to Chicago for the weekend, Shari (production manager) is going on a girl’s weekend, Melinda is on maternity leave so we just couldn’t leave Cheryl there to hold down the fort by herself so we are closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We’ll be back on Monday.

If you RSVP by Dec. 10th you’ll be entered into drawings for things like $200 in portraiture, photo purses and a bunch more stuff. Let us know how many to expect.

See you soon.     Cheryl

PS. I would love if you would pass this on to your friends. We are always looking for new friends and if they are friends of yours, I am sure we will love them.

IF YOU ARE A NEW FRIEND THAT THIS HAS BEEN FORWARDED TO YOU MAY  WANT TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG AND GET UPDATES ON A REGULAR BASIS.

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Let’s Talk About The “B” Word…

Monday, November 30, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized

Ha! Got your attention didn’t I? Well, the “B” word can be any number of words, but it needs to be one that people are somewhat reluctant to talk about. Years ago it was menopause. Seriously, who decided to keep that a secret? I want to know what I’m in for and when it’s going to start and what to expect. I think it only fair to warn our male partners that we are going to have a real reason to be bitchy for a few years. LOL!  :o  I tend to not like surprises like that. Now, I wouldn’t be opposed to getting a beautiful piece of jewelry or just something that means that John was thinking about me ‘Just Because”. (Hint, hint…John?)

So, what is the “B” word that I want to talk about? BOTOX. Yes, botox. Whenever you mention it to some people  they crinkle up their nose and say that they would never do that. Well, I’m here to tell you I have tried it and love it! Some of you may know how old I am, but I don’t want you to be able to say that I look older. My mom told me when I was quite young that I was going to have a lot of wrinkles because I made too many faces and was very expressive. I hated when she was right and she was right. I told her that I would do things to prevent that when I was older. I’m older. It’s time. You know that you are hardest on yourself and when I put on my makeup every morning and cleansed in the am and the pm, I just didn’t like seeing the lines in my forehead and that little vertical line between my eyes and especially my deep smile lines.

It’s funny because I have all kinds of conversations when helping people pick out their portraits and if the conversation ever gets to fashion, taking care of yourself, 0r blah, blah, blah… someone will ultimately tell me I don’t need anything done. I am flattered and say thank you, but of course I don’t need anything done; I already did it. (haha!) I don’t go around telling everyone, but I think it’s time that I did talk about it. I won’t pretend to be able to explain all of the particulars of botox, but it is not permanent and I would not recommend botox parties unless it is being hosted by a doctor. I can recommend a place to go that you can trust and it is administered by a doctor.

As a matter of fact, she is John’s and my family doctor. Dr. Kristen Jacobs is not only my doctor, but we have become friends. She is smart, very easy to be around and she is a cutie. She makes you feel comfortable and she is located in Maryville which is pretty convenient for me. Want to just check her and her services out? You can do that this Thursday, December 3rd from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm where she will be hosting an open house. She will be having great deals on Botox, Juvederm, Latisse (eyelash grower), laser treatments and so much more. If you call and RSVP by Tuesday, December 1st you will be entered for a chance to win FREE BOTOX!!! John and I will be there. John will be taking photographs of the guest with Santa so give it a try.

THE INFO:

Dr. Kristen Jacobs

2102 Vadalabene

Maryville, IL 62062

618-288-9117  for more information or to RSVP

www.kristenjacobs.com

If this is something that you’ve wondered about or have wanted to do, this is the perfect time to get more information. Oh, and it’s okay to bring a friend; these kind of events are always more fun with a friend. I would love to hear your thoughts about this so bring it on. You know I’m not shy and I don’t shy away from a good debate.

See you Thursday night….    Cheryl

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I Am Thankful For…

Thursday, November 26, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized

First, let me wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. While I sit here with my chai tea latte, hanging out in my Sponge Bob Square pants jammies and just enjoying the quite morning, I was thinking about what I should write about. Well, duh!!! It’s Thanksgiving morning and while I’m not an overly mushy person, I realize that I have a lot to be thankful for. I think this is more theraputic for me to put down in writing all of the things that are good about my life so here it goes…

I am so grateful to have a happy marriage. Sometimes, I take for granted that I have the love of my life with me each and every day. We have worked together, on a daily basis, since 1995 and while that can be a bit “challenging” at times, would I want it to be different? Probably, not. He is my complete opposite, which makes us the perfect match. He brings strengths which are my weaknesses and visa versa.

I am so thankful for my family. My parents have been the most supportive parents a person can have. Of course, there have been the little moments throughout my life that weren’t always perfect, but overall, Lynn and Georgeine are the reason I am the strong, independent woman that sits here today. I don’t see them everyday, but they are in my heart everyday. My sister, while on my list for moving to Germany with my niece and nephews, is very special to me. We have always been close and I miss talking to her on a more regular basis. Thank goodness for facebook. :) I also have a brother that is funny and very charming. We don’t hang out much, but he is a riot to be around and I enjoy is sense of humor.

I feel very lucky to have a few special friends that I trust with my life. My mom once told me that I would be very lucky to have one good friend in my adult life. Well, I have five. I love them all so it’s not important the order I mention them. While I tend to be the trouble maker and get accused of getting others into trouble, Debbie is the one friend that can get me into trouble. She is always happy and makes me feel good just being around her. Amber is the friend that I can dream with. She is an idea person like I am and I love bouncing things off her. Her and I are very much alike in the way we act and react.

Mary lives two hours away and her and her husband own a photography studio, also. They are the friends that have taught us that we can take a vacation and the business will still be there. Ha! Seriously, we vacation with them and spend a lot of weekends together. You can’t do that with many people, but we can with them. Mary and I call each other and drink wine together. Yes, you read it right. One time (at bandcamp…nevermind) one of us had had “a day” so one of us called the other and said grab a bottle of wine. I was sitting out on the deck for and hour and half having my wine, chatting on the phone when I realized I was a little drunk. LOL!!!!! I had drank almost the whole bottle. I meant to just have a couple of glasses. Oh, well!

My friend, Colleen, is very special to me. She also owns two portrait studios and lives in Pennsylvannia. I admire her. She is a great business woman and just sets a standard that I would love to aspire to. She is beautiful inside and out and has determination that I can only hope to attain. I can tell her my most private secrets and I know that she will take them to the grave. And, last, but not least, is Janice. Janice and I have known each other since our freshman year in high school. We took the same classes for the first two years at SIU-E and were bridesmaids in each other’s weddings. Janice is that friend that we don’t have to see each other for years, but when we do see each other it’s like it was yesterday and we carry on as if we are together everyday. I have other friends, but these five ladies are the ones I rely on and can cry with, share anything with and would do anything for. I love them and just wanted them to all know it.

I guess I am thankful for owning my own business. Haha! I say “I guess” because there is a level of stress that never goes away when you own a business. You don’t walk away from it; it goes home with you and you think about it at least 98% of the time. However, I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love the photography industry. If, I had not gone into this business, I would not have met some of the most interesting and wonderful people that I have or have traveled to the coolest locations. I get to put my own signature on the business and if something isn’t going the way we want it to, we can change it without anyone saying no.  I would be remiss if I didn’t say that I am so grateful for our clients who are our friends, also. There have been those people who have been with us since the beginning when we started out of the garage. Seems like a lifetime ago, but I am so thankful for those people who keep us going. You are the most special people.

I am very thankful for all of the “things” that I have, but honestly, it is the relationships that I have with all of you and the people close to me. I don’t think anything in my life would matter if it weren’t for the wonderful people in my life.

I am also very thankful for the new (& second) love of my life, Louie. I cannot believe how much joy that little dog brings to my life. He has changed my attitude about a lot of things, but mostly that he loves unconditionally, and that he likes me better than John. LOL!!!

I hope you all have (or had, depending on when you are reading this) a wonderful Thanksgiving. Just sit back and take it all in. Would you want it any other way? If so, make it happen. No one else can make those changes, but you.

Thank you and I’ll be chatting with you soon.    Cheryl

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November 26, 2009 - 5:30 pm Colleen Gonsar - I feel the same way about you. I am such a lucky girl to have met you and John. We are so lucky to have some great experiences together and I can't wait to have more. I know we will be lifelong friends. Thank YOU for being such a great friend.

Update on Cheryl’s World

Thursday, November 19, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized

This time of year seems to take me by surprise every year. Right now is a busy time at the studio and time just gets away from me. At least I bought a few Christmas gifts already. Usually I don’t do that until December. So that’s why it’s been a bit since I’ve chatted with you.

Louie is now 6 1/2 months old already and has doubled in weight. If you haven’t been in yet to meet him just know that he will be there to greet you at the door and want to give you attention. LOL! This puppy is so spoiled. He’s so use to being attended to by the whole Ridgeway team. So here is what happened two days in a row. He is now bolting out the door. The first time was at our home and he ran straight towards the street. I know not to run after him, but he wanted to play and ran right into the street with an oncoming car. Thank goodness that the driver was going slow, but I flagged him down and made him/her stop. John went around one way and I the other just incase he bolted again. Thank goodness, it had a happy ending.

So Thursday, he decided to try it again, but only now it was at the studio where major traffic runs both ways on Rte. 162. He ran and stopped to look at me, very close to the road. I yelled his name and squatted down as if to play with him. He usually runs towards me to try to ‘attack’ me, but this time he started to go into the street and a Madison County Transit bus was coming. John went out into the road and signaled for him to stop. I screamed because I was just too far away to do anything. The bus driver stopped and honked his horn which, actually, worked and made Louie run back to me. I have to tell you I have never been so scared in my life. When I got back into the studio I just sat in the chair with the little puppy in my arms. Aweful, aweful feeling. I would like to thank that bus driver and a few of our clients, Erik Pfeffer and Melissa and Deserae Miller who stayed there to help us. We are surrounded by wonderful people.

Now for something a little more fun. Amber Boyles-Pellock, who some of you met this summer is not at the studio anymore. Her time with us was planned out from the very beginning so don’t think anything bad. She was helping us out and we were helping her until she got her business up and running. She start a business called the Dog Nanny. I posted about it a little while ago, but I thought you would like to know why she isn’t here anymore. I didn’t really understand the type of service that she did until John and I went to St. Louis and thought we were going to be gone for about 4 hours, however, it turned into more than six hours. We should have called the Dog Nanny. We could of paid her to just come in and let Louie out to go potty, check his water and food and just give him some love. How great is that???? If you go on vacation you can call Amber, the dog nanny, and have her come to your home 3 times a day. That way you don’t have to board your dog and the dog doesn’t have to be freaked out. Check out her website and tell your friends about her. I think her pricing is reasonable and I can personally attest to her committment to animals, particularly dogs. We are close friends and some of us, fondly, call her a dog freak , but in light of what happened in the last few days with our dog, I am now, officially, in the ‘dog freak’ club. Here is her link happydogshavenannys.com Let me know what you think.

This weekend is our annual children’s Christmas special. I love, LOVE our set this year. It looks like a forest of trees without leaves right after a snow storm. It is beautiful. I’ll post some images as soon as I get a few processed. There are still a few openings left. Only two (I think) on Saturday, but Friday afternoon we have a few more openings.

Make a note in your calendar. Thursday, December 10th, we are having our Holiday Open House at the studio. We will have gift card specials, gift card gift baskets, 10% off all jewelry, purses and all boutique items. We will also have smaller frames available for 50% off and drawings for portrait sessions and portraits. But, it’s not all about the sale; it’s about just coming by and saying hi and having a drink and a little snack with us. It’s the season for friendship and we just want to touch base. Stay tuned!! I’ll be posting more information here on the blog before we send it out the general public. You, our Chatter subscribers, get first notice.

Make sure you check out the children’s gallery page and family page. I put new photos up to look at. As always, I would love to hear from you so don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts or you can ask me questions. I don’t care what it is, I’ll respond.

Oh, and our very own Melinda is going on maternity leave on December 4th. Her and her husband, Brian, are having their first child and he is a boy. He’s due December 8th. We are very excited for them and to see the new little Ridgeway baby. Ha! I’m sure Melinda won’t call it a Ridgeway baby, but you know we are all going to spoil him rotten.

Well that’s all for now. If I write anymore you will be reading a novel. LOL!

Talk to you soon!!   Cheryl.

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When Was The Last Time You Had A Family Portrait?

Sunday, November 8, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized

Personally, I  think family is the most important thing in life. I love my family, but I don’t see them as often as I should. My parents live about 20 minutes from John and I and we don’t see them for a few weeks at a time. We are busy with the business and my parent’s are busy with what retired people are doing. They have more of a social life than we do.  :) My sister and her family are in Germany so we keep in touch on facebook, mostly and I miss them; what do you do? Last year they came home for Christmas and I insisted that we get a family portrait done. My brother lives close, but it’s a rare thing that we see each other very often. Believe it or not, we are a very close family despite not physically seeing each other. Check out my family portrait

That brings me to my point. When was the last time you had a family portrait? 2 years ago, 5 years ago, more than 10? The average is 8 years. Unfortunately, many people think about having it done, but get caught up in their hectic lives and just don’t get around to it. It’s sad really. Most of the time it takes a crisis or a health scare to push a family to get their photographs taken. It’s way too many times that we have someone come into the studio and look at our samples on the walls and tell us that they wished they had a family portrait made before someone in their immediate family passed away. I’m sorry to have to bring this up, but it is reality and too many people take it for granted. Having a portrait done gives your children and their children a visual to look at as to the history of the family line. Sure snapshots can suffice, but why not have one that shows everyone at their best? Umm, I know the perfect photographer for that!! Haha!

Every year at this time of the year we get a lot of families in and we photograph them for Holiday cards and gifts for their family. This year we decided to fit in a “quick”  family special at an economical price and you get an 8×10 gift portrait or holiday cards included with the session fee.

On Wednesday, November 11th (Veteran’s Day) we are hosting the Traditional family portait special. Traditional means regular clothes on a set that isn’t Holiday related. 20 minute session and it includes 25 slimline cards. Check out the information below.

On Tuesday, November 24th we are hosting the Holiday set. This day is for those wanting the Holiday theme for Christmas cards. There are specially priced packages if you should need more than just the holiday cards.

If you are thinking about it, contact us right now. Either call the studio at 618-288-9000 or leave a comment on this blog and I’ll contact you. Don’t let your family grow older; you can’t go back. Now is as good a time as any! See you soon.

Cheryl

 

Traditional-family

 Holiday Family Special

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Children’s Christmas Special is Soon!!!

Thursday, November 5, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized

This time of year catches me by surprise every year. It seems like we are swamped with the summer season of high school seniors and we head into fall and then all of a sudden we are two weeks away from Thanksgiving. It’s enough to throw me into a panic. I will say that I usually don’t even start shopping until the beginning of December because I stress out over getting the perfect, personal gift for the special people in my life. This year I have already bought three gifts. I’m quite proud of myself.

The other thing that creeps up on the clients of Ridgeway is Christmas portraits of the their kids. Tis the season for that to happen. This year’s set is truly beautiful. It has a touch of fantasy about it and is all in beautiful white so that any color outfit, hats and scarves or coats will work on it. We are also doing our Collector’s Edition Winter Fairies the weekend before (Nov. 14th). It reminds me of a forest in the middle of winter after a heavy snow fall. Dropping from the sky are snowflakes, chandeliers, and other little fanciful surprises. Below is the information that you need for all of the specifics of these two promotions. We are getting full though. We have clients that have been doing our Christmas special almost since the beginning and know to get their time secured. When we sell out of those two days we will look at opening other dates, but for now, we are scheduling for the Fairies on Saturday, November 14th and the Christmas photographs on Friday, November 20th and Saturday, November 21st. Call us or message me and I’ll get you taken care of.

Have a great weekend. It’s suppose to be beautiful for a change. :)

 

Winter Fairies 2009

 

Winter Wonderland Christmas Special

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