If you have been reading this blog for over a week, you might know that I love Melissa Tash Studios. Melissa has taken pictures of all our children, has given me tons of advice and does our Christmas card and family pictures every year.
She makes us look good when someone (*ahem* possibly me) has something in their teeth, a child has spit up/ random stains on their outfit, torn her backdrop or has screamed for 30 minutes (or maybe that was me with the screaming?).
Seriously, I have so many links of pictures she has taken for our family, it’s kind of ridiculous. Just scroll down to the post below this if you think I’m exaggerating.
The main reason I love Melissa Tash Studios is because I love Melissa. She is a wonderful friend who showed up at the hospital to take pictures of my newborn when my camera died. She is also an awesome mom, wife and for some Melissa trivia- Army veteran. (For more trivia- she’s with her family here sitting in front of her first car!)
She is an amazing person who is fantastic at what she does. Those are my favorite kind of people to be around any time- especially my birthday week!
Besides being a good friend, Melissa is an award winning, professional photographer. She started out skipping classes in high school to go to the dark room, then became a mom with a camera (like many of us) and then made the leap to professional photography. For the past 7 years, Melissa and her husband Jamie have run a wonderful studio in Huntsville, Alabama and also have a fabulous school portrait company- Spoiled Rotten Photography- and have developed that as a franchise opportunity.
You see pictures of my kiddos all the time, but Melissa actually takes pictures of other families, too! 
I love this newborn picture
or this one that’s a favorite of mine- what with the hat and the dandelions- oh my- adorable! (And I should mention I know this gal and she a doll with or without all the cute accessories.)
Melissa photographs senior pictures (love this beautiful girl, too)
Christmas cards (see our 2009 card above), and amazing family shots for any occasion.
To kick off my birthday week of giveaways, Melissa is offering a $200 Gift Certificate to Melissa Tash Studios! Isn’t that exciting?!
Here’s how to enter for your chance to win:
1) Leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite family picture is. (The comment area requires an extra click. See the 3 tiny pictures below- underneath that where it says X comments in orange? CLICK THERE- NOT on facebook or anywhere else. You will leave your name, email address- it WON’T be published- and website if you have one. Then leave your comment in the big blank box.)
2) Go to the Melissa Tash Studios Facebook Page and become a fan. Then come back to leave a second comment to say “I became a fan/ already am a fan of Melissa on Facebook” or something creative like that.
That’s all you have to do! Each comment is a separate entry. Two chances to win this fantastic giveaway!
I’ll have random.org choose one winner Friday of this week.
Have fun! I can’t wait to hear about your favorite family pictures!
About Hillary
celebrating your birthday is always fun! beautiful photos! i recognize the monogram- melissa must be responsible for that big pink flower the other day
Dawn´s last blog ..coming around again
i guess i was confused about the clicking… my family pic that i love? we had our photos taken at the beach 2 yrs ago. right after that my daughter got her ahir cut short and by the time we got the pics back it didn’t even look like her! still love it though
i am now a fan of melissa’s fb page 
Dawn´s last blog ..coming around again
I am already a FB fan of Melissa. She comes to our school to take preschool pictures. These pictures are awesome! My favorite family picture is one of both of mine together against a blue backdrop that she took two years ago. She took so much time getting my kids to feel comfortable with her and the smiles show it. I also got a really cute weathered frame from her at a great price (she brought some to our school when we picked up our pictures) to put the picture in (11×14). I would love to win some more $ to spend with her studio!
Katie Maehlmann´s last blog ..Todays Run
Happy Birthday! My favorite picture is one of my kiddos on the boardwalk at the beach. It’s very sweet, but a couple of years old now. We really need to get new ones done!
Kim´s last blog ..Settling into School
I’m already a fan of Melissa’s page. She actually did some pics of the kids at school a few years ago. Love those shots too!
Kim´s last blog ..Settling into School
Her pics are great! I love the family pics of my two kids together at the beach.
Wanted to start off w/ Happy Birthday Hillary!!!!! I love our family beach pictures the most, but I also love any outdoor pics that we can have taken as a family!!!!
Ashley
Ashley Hart´s last blog ..Weekend Wrap-up
My favorite picture is a black and white of my daughter, when she was about 3 years old, at the balance bar during ballet class. She has her hair pulled back in a half ponytail and is wearing a cute little black leaotard and skirt. She’s now a teenager (need I say more?), and whenever I need to be reminded that there IS a sweet little girl in that hormonal head, I look at her sweet picture!
Hey Hillary!
My favorite family photo is one that my sister took of us at Falls Mill. It was a loonnnggg time ago. I don’t know why in the world we’ve waited so long to take another.
That new gal of yours sure is sweet!
Happy Birthday Week! My favorite family photo is one where Lee and I are giving Blake a “kiss sandwich” – something he was really into at the time. There are a whole series of pictures where he is trying to stop us and then we finally each planted a big one on each cheek.
Amanda´s last blog ..Jam-Packed Weekend of Fun
Would Melissa be willing to travel to South Carolina if I win? Just kidding. I didn’t think so.
I am in desperate need of a good family portrait. We have not had a decent one since my son was one-year-old and and now he’s 11.
mary bailey´s last blog ..Growth Spurt
Just became her 500th fan!
Amanda´s last blog ..Jam-Packed Weekend of Fun
It’s sad but true….I do not have a family photo of my little family of 5. I am usually behind the camera taking shots. I have several of my kids that I adore. My most favorite ones are from our 1st trip to the beach and someone had dug a HUGE hole in the sand and they were dressed as pirates coming up out of the hole…It is precious! I don’t even have any professional pictures of my little Pudge!! I am such a bad Mommy!!!
I am now a friend of Melissa on FACEBOOK now!! I love these pictures!!
My favorite family picture is one that makes me look 10 years younger…and 30 pound lighter!
chrisannan@juno.com
I am FB fan 502!!!!
not sure if I have one, like many I am normally behind the camera and not in front…but if I had to pick one, it would be of us at MontEagle that a friend snapped of us….i had no make up on but thankfully it is far enough away that you can’t tell (I hope)
thanks
glad to be a fan…she is amazing!
I wasn’t going to enter this one, because, hello, don’t live in H’ville, but then I thought….shoot….it’s 2 hours. Totally worth the drive, and I’d get to see you, and our E’s could meet. Count me in. And as far as fav family pic….probably this one: http://www.thewriterchic.com/2010/05/according-to-merriam-webster.html until we get “real” ones taken at Duncan’s tree….whenever that may happen.
My favorite family portraits were with my mom, dad and little sister when we were 2 and 4. We didn’t do the whole family pictures again until I was in my 20′s! You’d think that’d mean I’d make sure to get in the pictures with my kids, but so far I haven’t…
Hey girl! I love Melissa too! She’s the best-est ever, and I’m not just saying that ’cause I want to win the giveaway..I truly think that! Anyway, enter me please?!?
I have a picture of my “family now” which my husband used to propose…adorable! Only problem, we added a cat…we need new pictures!
….and I’m already a fan on Facebook!
Jenny McNees´s last blog ..300 miles!
I am now a fan on Facebook! and real life too.
I have admired Melissa’s work via your blog but now I like her on Facebook too
Happy Birthday Week, Hillary!!!
My favorite family photo is one of my family when I was 6. It inlcudes EVERYONE; which is rare.
Just became Melissa’s Studio’s 507th fan on Facebook.
My fave pic thus far is one of my two little ones grabbing on to one another and laying a big kiss on each other…LOVE IT!
Just became a FB fan of Melissa’s…She does a phenomenal job as a photographer…I really want to win:o)
I love the family photos my family takes whenever we’re all together. With five grown siblings it’s not very often, but we got a really good pic two Thanksgivings ago. I LOVE family photos so much that my mom calls my house my “art gallery”.
Laura´s last blog ..wreaths for the Fall
Oh, and I just because a fan of Melissa’s on facebook!
Laura´s last blog ..wreaths for the Fall
Happy Birthday!
My favorite family picture is one from C’s newborn photo shoot. She was a few days old and just the looks on Jason’s and my faces as we stare at Charlotte is beautiful!
I have to be honest…I do not have a family photo of all 3 of us. Is that bad? OK I know its bad. But my fav. pic of Nathaniel is one I had taken when he was 2. He had just ran into the dryer door that morning and had a beauty of a shiner. I already had the appt. made though so there was no backing out. The whole backdrop is white, its just him sitting up and he has the cutest look of question on his face. Funny thing is how he raised his little eyebrow in the picture really made it look like he didn’t have a black eye at all.
Oh and I already ‘like’ her on facebook.
Happy bday week! I love this giveaway! I am all about some pictures! don’t have a family fave b/c matt hates getting his picture made!! sure would be nice to have one where we all look good and happy! ha
carrie´s last blog ..cantgetenough
My favorite family shot of the whole family from our family reunion on Monte Sano, but the girls weren’t here yet, and Ollie was on the way. Would LOVE to have a session with Melissa!
And I’m already a fan of Melissa
I don’t have a favorite family photo shot because we’ve always used Sears, JCPenney, etc and have never gone through a professional photographer. I’d like to start doing this though because pictures are priceless!
I became a fan of Melissa on Facebook.
My favorite family picture is one my friend Natasha took. It was outside in tall beautiful green grass on a gorgeous fall day. Both of my kids were so sweet and cooperative that day. Which made the day even better. So often photo shots are stressful for the mamas. : )
I just became a fan of Melissa on facebook!
Love Family Beach Portraits! (Don’t have one yet!) … But my fave would be just plain outdoor pix… natural lighting. Love photography myself. Happy Birthday Hillary… hope its a great week for you.. .and this looks like fun…..
Lisa
Oh, and i was already a huge fan of hers on FB… of course she doesnt know me… i just like to look at her awesome pix… Wow, scary.. FB Stalking! Ha ha ha.. really am fond of her work. Maybe i’ll meet her one day! Thanks again! I need to meet up with you sometime soon.. and put some orders in…
Lisa
Happy B’day!!! I love any family pic that has sweet children!!!
I’d LOVE to have M /Tash make our pics!!!
YEA!!! I am now a fan of MTS!!!
my favorite family picture is one from memorial day at the lake…me, my kids, and the super special boyfriend sittin on a picnic table bench, just being us. i love any family picture, but honestly, my favorites are the “real” ones, the ones you catch at just the right moment when everybody looks good, but don’t look like the photographer is going, “okay, smile…no, SMILE…hey, kid! Smile!!” those are the ones that capture the joy and love of family. i think that those are truly the best family photos.
i’m a fan of melissa’s on facebook now, too!
Sarah´s last blog ..REVIEWS!!!
My favorite family photos are the ones where you can tell a family was having a fabulous time at the photo shoot. Where the family is relaxed and where you can tell they are enjoying their time together. I love the one of the family in front of the car!
I already am a fan of Melissa Tash Studios!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am already a FB fan–just saw that this had to be a second comment!
Katie Maehlmann´s last blog ..Todays Run