Congratulations to Molly Murphy and family! You’ve won the Seventh Generation starter kit (which I promise you’ll love!) and a complimentary session with MZP and 5 digital negatives to take place sometime this fall!  I can’t wait!

Thank you to everyone who participated in MZP’s celebration of Earth Day 2010.  I hope you’ve found some new things you and your family can do to reduce your carbon footprint…thanks for making this planet better for our children’s children!

Shoot me an email mz@melissazihlman.com with your address, and I’ll get it sent your way!!

And now…for the final contest of the week.  They are our my family’s favorite products to clean with! Its a Seventh Generation Free & Clear gift set.  Something to get  started…products you will love, I promise!  This set comes with:

• 2x Liquid Laundry (32 oz.) – This unique, non-irritating blend of plant-based surfactants and enzymes powers out the toughest stains.
• Hand Dish Soap – Tough on grease, gentle on your hands and the earth. No phosphates, safe for even the youngest dish-washing family members.
• All-Purpose Cleaner – Cleans and degreases hard surfaces, indoors and out. Non toxic, it creates no harsh fumes. Safe for your family and the planet, great for wet mopping; not recommended on wood floors.
• Auto Dish Tabs (15-count tabs) – Concentrated automatic-dishwasher pacs deliver phosphate- and chlorine-free detergent in convenient packets. Environmentally friendly, safe for your family.
• Glass & Surface Cleaner – Effectively cleans glass, mirrors, chrome and other hard surfaces – without streaks, toxins, fumes or harsh chemicals.
• Liquid Fabric Softener – Free & Clear 40oz.Canola-derived fabric softener makes your laundry naturally fluffy and static-free. Add to your final rinse cycle or use for hand-washing delicates. Truly free and clear of fragrances, dyes, and masking agents.

And (as if that wasn’t enough right?) a complimentary weekday session with MZP and 5 digital files ($1200 value)!! Sessions must take place between September and November 2010.  I’m willing to travel to any location (airfare provided by winner, but come on…$1200 in prizes for a little plane ticket, that’s nothing!).

Contest ends Sunday, April 25th at 11PM CST

How to enter: Leave a comment below with something your family does to “do your part”  Inspire others to get on the bandwagon and embrace their inner hippie!  Good luck!

Extra entries:  Blog it, facebook book it, or tweet it…and then come back and leave a separate comment saying you did it!

Fayla and her family were nominated by their friend Holly.  Holly wrote about some of the hardships that have plagued this family over the years, but how their unwavering faith is a true testament to the amazing people they are.  In her letter I learned how much Jacen, Fayla’s husband, does to help his family.  I learned that Fayla has cystic fibrosis, and is one of the oldest living patients with her original lungs, that she’s had 36 surgeries in her 34 year of life, and that she is a true woman of God.

From Fayla: “To say it has been an easy journey would not be a true statement, but I can say that God has been with me every step of the way.  I have been so blessed with an amazing, faithful husband and two beautiful children.  I was told that my bearing a child was very slim, but my son is a testimony that “they” don’t have the whole picture.”

Fayla and her family were so much fun to photograph – they were up for anything and the kids even brought an outfit that was “all them.”  I love when a kid’s personality shines through!  And Fayla and Jacen were excited to also get some images of the two of them together – celebrating their love.  I’m excited to share this family with my blog family, and thank you to Holly for nominating such a deserving family.

Much like when Katrina happened, watching the news on the horrible situation in Haiti saddens and frustrates me. There are many incredibly brave men and women who are out there volunteering their time and risking their lives to help. I wish I was in a position and of strong enough constitution to do the same.

But I’m not.

So instead, I’m going to try to do something to help. But, we need you, too! Here’s the deal:

You and your sweetheart could win a romantic photo session at dusk in the heart of Dallas!

• This session will be photographed by me on the evening of Friday, February 5th.
• Session is for up to 2 adults and will last between 1-2 hours.
• Winner will also receive 25 fully processed, high resolution images on CD. Print to your heart’s content!

How to win:

• Make a MINIMUM donation of $10 to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund.
• Forward a copy of your receipt to mz@melissazihlman.com.
• All entries must be RECEIVED by midnight (Central time) on January 28th.
• Winner will be drawn at random and announced on January 29th.
• That gives you a week to shop and find a babysitter, if need be.
• You can enter as many times as you’d like, but each entry must be the minimum $10 donation.

Other details:

• Session participants must sign a model release.
• Session must be held in DFW on Feb. 5th.
• No cash value, non transferrable
• If the winner does not claim his/her prize by Feb. 1st or cannot claim the prize, then another winner will be drawn.

But wait! There’s more!

If you are a photographer and would like to hold your own Helping Hearts event to help Haiti, please contact us ASAP so we can send you everything you need to get started!

And PLEASE blog, Tweet or share this link on Facebook! You can also follow Helping Hearts on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography — over $3200 worth, to be exact.  The winner will receive a full digital collection which includes all digital negatives,  a custom image box full of 5×7 prints from their session, and a 20×24 gallery wrap canvas.  It’s in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives $1400 worth product – a session, 5 digital negatives and their matching 5×7s, and 3-3×3 mini accordian albums. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside within a hour of Keller, TX.  Tell me who you know, what they’re experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

If you don’t know someone that could use this, pass the link on! Post it on your blog, facebook, myspace, email it to your friends and family because I’m sure they could spread the love to someone they might know.

* You must e-mail me the full story at mz@melissazihlman.com

The deadline for submissions is December 20th.

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve — get nominating! I can’t wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season — and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

mz

The comment-a-thon will go on all month, and I’ll make drop off to the Roanoke Food Pantry weekly – they are desperate need of food this winter! You can comment as often as you like – pass it on to your email list, there is no limit to my donations! I have had a very blessed year in my business, and I can’t think of a better way to give back to the community!

So comment away…I’ll update each week with the number of cans I donated! My goal is 300 cans by the end of the month!

Special thanks to Chris + Lynn for the inspiration – and to Scott of Think Photographics for letting us all know about it! Other photogs – if you are running this on your blog, let me know and I’ll get you added here!

Other photographers participating:

Christine Tremoulet

Thanks mom and cookie for helping me wrangle the kiddos…it was a lot of fun for me! I hope they both sleep amazingly well for you tonight!

Mister B, here is a little sneak peek for you…can’t wait to see you again in September!  Hope the first day of first grade is awesome!