Our church, Believers Statesboro, is having a New Year’s Eve Party tonight!   We are going, so come join us!  It is a kid-friendly event so bring the whole family.

It begins at 10pm and goes until 2009!!!

So don’t sit at home if you don’t have any plans, come join us at the PARTY!!!

p.s.  bring your favorite dessert to share

  Christmas break means LOTS of time to catch up with friends and cousins.  Cousin Brooke and Edie Grace had a spend the night SPA party.  They enjoyed making spa treatments and trying them out.

The next day was spent with cousin Alayna. In addition to spending the night - she joined us on another annual tradition - Ice Skating at the civic center in Savannah.  We survived both visits and the ice skating adventure - with no scares (maybe a few bruises).  Our far away cousin Sydney joined us for pottery painting fun at Edie Grace’s favorite place on Main Street - Free Spirit pottery.  Cousins Mackenzie and Olivia visited as did Edie Grace’s friend Sara.  One of my favorite memories as a child from the holidays was the opportunity to spend time with family and friends.  We are fortunate to have lots of family and friends that we enjoy spending time with.  This really makes the season so much more special to us.  

Christmas here is full of traditions at our house - just like yours.  We began Christmas Eve with a new ritual - a Christmas service at our church.  Then on to Guido Gardens for our visit of the beautiful Christmas lights.  Then we headed back for cooking cookies, preparing reindeer food and getting ready for Santa.  While we were outside LATE Edie Grace saw the blinking of Rudolph’s nose and knew we had to cut short the rest of our preparation so she could head to bed.  He indeed did come again this year and yes again he was better to us than we deserved.  Some of Edie Grace’s highlights were her Wii, pogo stick, stroller for her cat, a pink fur coat, a spa factory, her own digital camera, a collectible doll she recieves annually from her far away aunt Deb and uncle Russ, tickets to Cirq - OK well you get the drift - it was a VERY good Christmas for Edie Grace again.  Here are a few snapshots of the past few days.  Yes we did have a PINK tree this year.  It is Edie Grace’s favorite color.  While we were away on our anniversary trip she convinced her Mema Cathy to purchase it for her.  It was a nice touch don’t you think?

Our downtown neighbors, Yard and Haus, are having a HUGE four day sale!  (friday, saturday, monday and tuesday)  Some items will be marked down as much as 75%!!!   (most items are at least 20% off!!!)

Bring your Christmas Cash and shop till you drop!!!

Also, don’t forget to bring in your silk arrangements and let Todd work his magic.  He can use many of your pieces and add some new pieces from his stock.  You will leave with an updated piece without a huge investment!  Now that is shopping smart!!!  (prices vary)

happy shopping!!!

We are continuing our Christmas Day tradition by sharing with you a few of my favorite 2008 "Lori Grice" created Christmas Cards.  You will notice (or not) that my Christmas card is not in the video.  That is because we worked so hard to get all of your cards and portraits ready on time - that we did not quite make the deadline.  We are working hard to get New Year cards ready soon.  Keep watching!  By now, nearly 10,000 homes have been brightened this Christmas with a custom created Lori Grice Christmas card.  The feedback has been amazing so far.  Your Christmas cards have created quite a buzz all over the country. 

If you sent or received a Lori Grice created Christmas card - please reply here to this blog and let me know what you or your receivers thought?  People love feedback on their Christmas cards.  I would love to share your thoughts.  That is so much fun!

Enjoy a sideshow of a few of this years Christmas Cards:

Thanks for another GREAT year!

Merry Christmas,

Lori, DeWayne and Edie Grace

(We did not get all the cards into the slide show - we will continue to update it as time allows)

Every now and then something incredible happens to you.  Yes even more incredible than receiving a congressional appointment to design one of the ornaments for the White House Christmas Tree.  I am talking indescribably, tremendously terrifically incredible.  Life changing incredible…do you understand?

In August I had the opportunity to photograph a couple so special that I do not have the time or the words to explain - just how special.  I had met Beverly and Dustin at church.  They were the cutest (and tallest) couple I have met in some time.  They are one of those couples that you walk away thinking - they are special.  I really did not realize how special until I received a call from Bev in August.  She had been diagnosed with breast cancer and wanted me to do portraits of her and her husband Dustin and their family.  Bev was 30 and they had both just graduated from law school and were settling in to make Statesboro their home - when this news hit.

Of course - I was honored to photograph them.  Beverly is doing great and is receiving the most special gift of all this Christmas - a SECOND chance.  You can read about Bev’s journey on her blog by clicking here.  Bev’s friends are putting together a benefit in her honor to help raise much needed funds to offset the medical expense cost.  Visit it here and purchase a ticket for the event.  It would be a great Christmas present for you and Bev!

Today, by email, I received the picture posted on this blog along with this wonderful note from Bev:

"Lori, 
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the beautiful pictures — and the WONDERFUL frames. We were so surprised when we opened them. You don’t know what a dream of mine it has been to have you take our pictures. Thank you so much. Attached is a little picture of us enjoying your gift . . .
Beverly Barr"

Thanks Bev and understand that we both have made a dream come true on this Christmas Eve.  I fulfilled your dream of creating a Lori Grice portrait for you….and you fulfilled a dream of mine by beating cancer and being here to celebrate the most special Christmas ever!  You also have helped remind me and everyone reading this today - just how special Christmas really is.  Thanks, Bev and Dustin, for touching me.  Your email and story force each of us to pause and remember the real reason for the season!

Merry Christmas!

  This morning I made my third appearance on WTOC TV’s Mid Morning Live with Jody and Sonny.

Click here to watch the interview on WTOC.  They invited me on the show to tell them about the ornament and our White House visit.

You will be happy to know that Sonny joins you in being an addicted Lori Grice blog reader!  So THANKS Sonny, for not only reading my blog - but also having me on your show again.

Jody and Sonny are really two of the most down to earth people you will ever meet.  They LOVE their job and it shows.  They also love sharing good NEWS.  The last time I was on the show many of you emailed me with LOTS of questions about the experience.  This time I asked DeWayne to take some "behind the scenes" pictures so you can get a feel of what it is like on the set.  The best way to describe it is organized chaos.

You asked me what Sonny and Jody are like in person.  Well, what you see on TV is what they are REALLY like.  Sonny - well he is even more animated in person than on TV.  He knows EVERYONE.  He will ask you about your parents, grandparents…and your grandparents neighbors and cousins.  He has an phenomenal ability to remember details - LOTS of details.  He ALWAYS has a kind word about you and SOMEONE you both know.  He is scattered - but controlled - thanks to Jody.  Now Jody is more reserved off and on camera.  She is incredibly composed and does her homework.  She also has an incredible memory and pays great attention to detail.  She  brings the "girl power" and the BALANCE that makes things tick around WTOC.   She is normally the first on the set - with her cue sheets and list of guest very organized.  As they begin the countdown to go live - in comes Sonny and the room lights up!

When the camera goes live - they blend together perfectly making the show interesting and engaging.

Sonny - did I describe it correctly?  We will all await your comments.

Thanks again for the wonderful honor of being on your show and for all both you and Jody do for the Coastal Empire.

On Sunday, the Statesboro Herald published a full page story about the creation of the White House Ornament and my trip to the White House.  On Monday, they placed the video interview on their online show - "Studio Stateboro".  The interview was really great and they used a lot of the images I took at the White House.  Thanks a million to all the great folks at the Statesboro Herald for this great story!

Click here to see the full interview on Studio Statesboro.

  I am amazed at how many of you read my blog and open my emails.  Twice now I have done late night emails for incredible specials - the next day only.  Each time I am stunned at how many of you read and respond.  You know how rare it is to get anything discounted from me - that you jump on it FAST.  I did both of these to reward you faithful blog readers.

Here are some highlights of Saturday’s $49 sessions:

Keep us in mind for all of your candid printing needs.  Access us online by downloading this software.  It will walk you through the process and you will be stunned at the quality and value.

I have had a busy few weeks since returning from the White House reception.  Of course, my main priority has been to get all of your Christmas portrait surprises completed in time for Santa to deliver on Christmas.  I have also been a little busy with the merger and partnership of Regency Photo and the launch of the new consumer options with Lori Grice Express Photo.  In between all of this I have been talking and talking and talking to reporters from ALL over.  I can’t tell you all the places you will see me in the next few weeks - but I can talk about a few.  Today on the front page of the Statesboro Herald - in addition to the cover of the Lifestyle section you will see a tremendous story written by Holli Bragg about the White House Ornament.    For my Claxton and Metter clients watch your local papers this week for a story and for those of you who are home on Tuesday morning - tune in to Mid Morning Live with Sonny and Jodi on WTOC TV - I will be a guess on their show at 10AM.