There is beauty in three’s…As I browse cyberspace and read other photographer’s blogs ocassionally, I realize that every session is gushing with love and adoration for clients.  And honestly, I used to not really understand how they could feel that way about a family or individual they had only just met.  But as time has passed, I’ve realized a few things.  When you spend a few hours with a family and you watch them interact, you really do gain perspective on the kinds of parents they are, the enormous love they have for each other and the overall vibe to their little family dynamic.  It’s easy to begin to feel a friendship with people you are photographing and for me, it’s truly one of my favorite things in the world.  And now I know why other photographers gush.  It’s because they feel it.  They are creating art from the beauty they witness, and to me, there is nothing more interesting and beautiful as a family truly in love with each other…or a couple in love with each other…they know how to love and be loved by each other…and they make cute babies…=)After spending an hour with this family, I know there is beauty in three’s.  In fact, I think there’s magic in this particular family of three.

Thank you to this lovely family for allowing me to photograph your darling, spunky, energetic little peanut and to capture the love between all of you.  I can’t wait to share everything with you!

xoxo

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I met up with a lovely family of three tonight – and this little darling was spunky and fun and beyond adorable.  I just wanted to share one quick one before their actual preview.    I hope this mama smiles when she sees this little “sunburst” – gotta love a little flare! I’ll back soon with more from this one, and another session is up tomorrow evening in the same local – a new hot spot, for sure.  And a huge thank you to my friend who has graciously made her property my new home away from home!!!!  xoxo

Does something seem out of place to anyone else?  My son has decided his bed is entirely overrated and has become a master at finding odd places to sleep at night while no one is looking.  ;)  I usually discover these scenarios around 10:30 when I haven’t been paying much attention to anything other than my computer screen, the laundry or a book.He’s still just 2, but he’s got mad sneaking skills, balancing skills and zipping skills to go along with his adorableness.  He cracks me up!  He’d zipped himself in and was discovered only after he rolled over and pushed his little foot up against the wall; at least I’m getting a good laugh at the end of each day.  =)

Motherhood has to be the most hilarious job in the world!  =)

I’ve been a little MIA for a variety of reasons lately – one, we are on vacation.  Well, my hubby is on vacation so that means I am on vacation and am required to keep the schedule to a minimum for camping and mountain adventures.  =)  And you know what?  Even though I wasn’t so sure I wanted or needed a break mid-summer, it has been entirely refreshing and incredible to have some downtime.  My mind works overtime constantly and so to take a step back requires a great deal of effort.  But it was perfect and I need to do it more often!!!

The hubby is heading back soon and I have two shoots over the weekend, which I’m really excited for.  But until then, it’s movies, sunshine, errands and getting acquainted with my new computer.  ;)  I’m officially a Mac girl….and am still adjusting.  =)

But onto what else I indulged in over the past month.   (My taste buds are always tempted by the adorable bits and pieces of babies – these piggies were no exception!)  =)  I think little ones are by far my favorite subject for obvious reasons…I attended a retreat with the lovely Barb Uil of Jinky Art, and truly, it was an experience of a lifetime.  I believe in bettering yourself, no matter what stage of the game you are at, and this was truly inspiring for me.  I’m ready to take my business to new heights, new ventures, new looks and in new directions.

A huge, HUGE thank you to Barb, who is such a kind, generous and incredibly talented woman; I feel blessed to have met her and her sweet family.  I loved every minute of it!!!  Here are a few images from a few of our many shoots – I haven’t had time to process everything we took, but this will give you a small sampling.

Another huge, HUGE thank you to Teresa, our lovely host and owner of the beautiful Meadowbrook Farm.  It was not only a gorgeous location to shoot at, but SHE was amazing.  We got to chat more on our last night there, and honestly, she’s one of the people that stick out most in my mind.  She exudes all kinds of loveliness and is one of those genuinely adorable people.   =)

I’ll be back with sessions from this coming weekend!  (or maybe a few of my own babies before then…)

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Just a little sneak peek at some of the fun we had in Montana last week!  The retreat with the world renown Barb Uil of Jinky Art was incredible, incredible, incredible (did I mention it was incredible??!) and not only did I adore meeting her and her family, but I also met some very talented, wonderful ladies from across the country.  It was so fun to be surrounded by people who are as passionate about what they do as I am; I absolutely loved every minute of it!

Just one image for now.. but many, many more to come along with so many details from the fabulous retreat!  =)

So you know what?  For whatever reason, I have become a sentimental sap lately!  Seriously.  I have pretty much taken the month of July to devote to my family, as my hubby scheduled his vacations this month (and so I did not schedule much at all) and I was determined to take a step back, evaluate my business, take in my summer and spend time with my children.  And that I’ve done.  But I must tell you about this little man…(disclaimer: I took this yesterday, but he has since had a haircut.  )

He is my heart….one thousand and one times over.  I am so smitten with this little person that it’s actually hard for me to even write about it because there are no words to describe the way I feel.  Jack.  He is sugar on a lemony-kind-of-day.  He is my smile on a chaotic morning and my blessing on a day where life just doesn’t feel quite right.  This child is pure bliss.  He’s funny (have I mentioned he’s funny?!?), he’s kind, he’s brilliant, he’s precious in every way, and best of all, he’s MINE.  =)

I often think of him as an old man in a tiny body – the kind of little one who wants to take care of me, love on me, consider me, truly….I think the kid is in love with me.  And guess what?  I’m perfectly fine with that.  I adore it.

I went to pull him out of his car seat at Kmart tonight, and he randomly said, “Mama, I LOVE you.  And I love your beautiful eyes.”  I’m not kidding.  He’s two.  And these are the kind of loves I receive all day every day.

Could I get any luckier?!?    I think not.

Don’t worry, if you’ve read this far, you receive an award.    I’m all done.  And now I will go tuck him into bed.  =)

More up soon from the amazing retreat I just attended – lots of fun posts coming your way!

Sisters are one of the greatest things God ever invented.  Truly, you have uncontrolled access to another closet full of stylish clothing (case in point: she actually wore my clothes for this shoot, haha), a collection of makeup that seems to work just right with your complexion and back in the day, a variety of male friends to choose from.  Seriously though, they are a friend to rely on when others let you down, a believer in your dreams and someone to grow old with.  I am blessed enough to have two of them, both of which have become even more invaluable to me as time passes and we acquire more lines and wrinkles and the battle wounds of motherhood.  I adore them both for different reasons and at the risk of sounding entirely sappy and overly sugary, I am so grateful to have them in my life and to call them my best friends.  At the end of the day, family is all that matters.

My oldest sister was here last week and we squeezed in a quick family session the night before they left.  We didn’t get much light to work with, but when it was all said and done, I do think we captured some sweet memories.  My other sis will be up next!

Here is where the cuteness begins…Yup, they’re darn cute together…but we’ll come back to them later.  Onto their sweet family of four…and their adorable littles…the kissing pictures were cracking me up….because that’s when my brother-in-law actually enjoyed the shoot.  =)  And so, I decided to photograph quite a few of them together…And one last one of the little miss that I took on her 10th birthday…To my sister: I hope you love these.  I miss you so very much and can’t wait to see you again!  To my other sister:  I love you more than words can describe and am so grateful to have you just a few minutes from me – you are next girl.  Here’s to many more years of sharing clothes, sharing secrets and sharing sisterhood.

xoxo

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A few weeks back I shot a wedding in Malibu, CA with/for my friend and photographer Kamee.  I am so grateful to have been not only invited to shoot with her (she’s amazing…check her out if you haven’t already!) but to get in on this incredible, INCREDIBLE wedding day.  Their day was filled with sentimental treasures at every turn that reminded you just how in love they were and just how much love went into the planning of their big day.  An entire table of framed photographs full of their memories together thus far lined the wall of their reception room, a table adorned with jars of homemade jam served as wedding favors, their incredible engagement pictures were blown up as a reminder of their relationship and hung for guests to see; truly, everywhere you turned there was a sentiment of sorts that could bring you to tears.  Sigh.  I should really start carrying a box of kleenex with me, but I digress.  Needless to say, this couple had it all.  The love, the details, the beauty and everything that let’s you know they are in it for all the right reasons.  Perfect for each other would probably be an understatement.

The bride getting ready and looking beyond stunning…from her shoes to her dress and flowers, the day was nothing short of chic…their first look was adorable and perfect, just the two of them (and us two little paparazzis)  =)…their chemistry undeniable…and heading off to the ceremony…the groom could hardly contain himself as his bride walked down the isle…and officially Mr. & Mrs…  =)the reception details were unbelievably beautiful…even with homemade jam for every single guest…and back to the happy couple, truly, meant for each other.  They are too cute…I just feel so grateful, humbled and happy to have been a part of such a beautiful day – Helen and Glen, you are made for each other and I was so very blessed to be a part of your wedding!!!!  And to Kamee, you know how I feel about you my dear.    So much love coming your way!!!

xoxo

It is so hard to imagine that my sweet, sweet baby girl is 5 years old today!  Truly, I still remember those first contractions that hinted at labor the morning of her birth, and then welcoming her with my husband that night at 9:30pm.  There were so many things about that day that didn’t quite go as planned and had us all on pins and needles, but the thing I remember most is just. how. beautiful. she was.  Oh my word, truly, I assumed I would consider my child beautiful, but God had not prepared me for just how much my heart would swell that day.  I fell in love with her instantaneously and my heart has never been the same.

I had no idea that a mother could love like this.  Forever.  No matter what.  You just LOVE without ceasing and somehow that is very fulfilling and oh-so-rewarding.

Sophia Grace entered our world 5 years ago today in a tiny little bundle that weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz.  Tiny and perfect.

My girl just 24-hours old

in 2005:

And 5 years later:

(more images below…keep scrolling…;))

And yes, I still think she’s the most beautiful thing in the universe (I’m sure I might be a tiny bit biased).  She is kind-hearted, spirited, smart, energetic, independent, loving, affectionate, playful, brave, strong-willed, caring and nurturing all at the same time.  She is my fireball all mixed up in this delicate little package that exudes confidence and joy.  Everything in her world is exciting and completely deserving of drama and bouncing-up-and-down excitement; she certainly gets the most out of life.

We had her party with our family on Sunday, all of which was planned and decorated by her.    Did I mention she was independent?  Oh yes, the entire event was polka-dots…there were polka dots on the cake, plastered all over the walls, polka dotted candles and polka dots on her dress.  It was a styled affair.    Then yesterday I took her out for some photographs…of course…and then we hit the pool.  And today is finally her ACTUAL birthday (she wasn’t sure she should have her party before she was officially 5…this brought on many tears until I could convince her otherwise) and when I asked her where she’d like to have dinner, she said McDonald’s was her pick.    Ha!  She always cracks me up. But back to the images from yesterday…

I will admit, she does not like having mommy “officially” take her pictures.  She has problems with her eyes and “bright” light, and gets lots of nervous energy flowing through that tiny body.  That’s why mostly everything I do is entirely candid with my family, and rightly so.  Who wants a million “posed” pictures of their children anyway?  But once in a while, I love to document in style.    And this was her attitude when we got started:Have I mentioned she is FIVE??  =)

But, she recovered and we moved on to better things…I couldn’t ignore my other adored little peanut who was just patiently sitting in the stroller…who then asked if I would take his picture too.  =)  Umm, sure Love.no problem.  Because you are the other most beautiful thing in my world.  and we finished the shoot with a long afternoon at the pool:HAPPY BIRTHDAY my sweet baby girl.  You are 5.  Finally.

xoxo

The lucky winner of this cute dress is:

Comment #2: Kristin Cook!

Congrats and send me your address so I can mail this sweet little dress to you!  And just so everyone knows it was truly random, I plugged in the numbers once and this is what I got! 

Another giveaway coming soon!  =)