Can I just start off by saying that I am so in love with this entire session! The colors, the lighting, the subjects, everything just lined up perfectly, and I couldn’t be happier with the photos. This is the first professional portrait session I did with my new camera, and I don’t know about you, but I can tell a HUGE difference!

I met these two darling’s mother Jenn back when we were both working in cosmetics, and I was still in school for graphic design. She was just starting her very own business- a cute, funky-fresh retro themed line of baby apparel, bibs, burp & bum rags, and blankets: Pearly Grey. (Fun Fact Alert!: she was my first “client” for design! I created her logo, hehe) Check out her site and if you know anyone who’s expecting, she makes these awesome little Hospital Take-Out kits that are completely adorable (they even come in a Chinese-style take-out box!)!! I just gave one as a gift at a baby shower I attended, and you should have heard the “oohs” and “aaaahs” it got. Total win.

Jenn and her family are just beautiful. She is such a wonderful person, and her kids are to-die-for gorgeous!!! So of course, when she said she wanted to do newborn photos for her newest addition, little Liam, I was more than excited!!! It’s always fun to work with other artists, and Jen is just so laid back in general, I knew we would get some really great photos!

A lot of people ask me where I shoot, if I have a studio, bring props, etc. I am an on-location natural light photographer. That means that I show up with my camera, a few basic essentials, and my talents. One of the most important things to me is to capture people’s genuine self, which means capturing them in their own element, with things that are special or important to them. When I showed up to Jenn’s house, I was more than thrilled to walk into her completely adorable kitchen!!! These photos were shot in her kitchen right next to a sliding glass door. All natural light. Of course, she has a completely adorable kitchen, I mean, look at the wall color!!! And not to mention the black and white tile floor… my mind is spinning with all of the possibilities that I didn’t take advantage of… well, we’ll just have to do another shoot This woman has got style!!

Now, onto the photos! Welcome to the world little Liam Vincent You are perfect in every sense of the word.

Liam’s older sister Jane Pearl was such a perfect little model for me too! She wanted so badly to be a part of the whole shoot, and I couldn’t have asked for a more cooperative little model. Isn’t she completely gorgeous!? I can hardly believe she’s just 5 years old…

And she just loves being a big sister You can tell she takes so much pride in it. Little Liam, you are in good hands!

These next shots are probably my favorites from the entire shoot. Completely beautiful <3 There were too many good ones. Just look at how peaceful little Liam looks in her arms

Another cute shot of Jane I can’t help it, if only all 5 year olds were this excited to have their photo taken! haha.

Check out those little lips

A few of my faves with mommy, of course!!

I just love his expression in this one, it’s like he’s saying “awww come on mom! geez…” haha, I just had to post it!

And we just had to get a couple of product shots in there for Jenn to use to promote her business!

And of course, the adorable chair shot! (I know, I posted it in the sneak peek, but I just can’t help but post it again I love it so much!)

Thank you Jenn, for being so great, and for choosing me to take Liam’s first photos I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

<3

i have so much to say about this darling little boy and his family, but that will have to wait for the full post, as i am about to run out the door… for now i’ll leave you drooling with these

<3

Have you ever read the book “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman? Well, if you haven’t you should, it’s a very interesting book!

“Of the countless ways we can show love to one another, five key categories, or five love languages, proved to be universal and comprehensive—everyone has a love language, and we all identify primarily with one of the five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.”

At the end there is a quiz that you take to determine which of your love languages are the strongest. My top results were “Receiving Gifts” and a tie between “Words of Affirmation” and “Quality Time”. Everyone speaks all 5 languages to some degree, but it’s natural for most people to have a dominant one or two.

This was no surprise to me by any means. I value gifts, little and big, immensely. Whether it’s a quote written down on a napkin, or a beautiful sparkly something, it has the power to take my breath away. I also love giving gifts! I feel like it’s a great way to show that I’ve been thinking of someone, and I always put great time and effort into selecting and preparing special presents for people.

I believe that this is why I love photography so much. When you take someone’s photo, and then give it to them, it’s a very special gift. No one can ever relive the moments that have passed, and memories fade with time, but a photograph lasts forever. Those little moments frozen in time to remember and hold on to forever. There’s just something so special about that.

So it was to my complete surprise when I opened my mailbox this evening and there was a “You Have a Package in the Manager’s Office” slip sitting atop my mail! I racked my brain trying to think of what it could possibly be… did I order something? Did Mark order something? A print order? A large envelope from the insurance company (you know, one of those horribly ridiculous packs of paper that they are required by law to send out once a year or something.. waste of trees!) None of those. I raced up to the office since it was about to close, and eagerly handed her my slip.

“Ah!” she said as she turned around and picked up a medium sized brown box.

She handed me the box, and it was sealed with SAINT CUPCAKE PACKING TAPE!!!! Saint Cupcake?? But, who? How? Why??? What was in there?! My mind went racing, thinking who would be so nice as to send me something so amazinly sweet and awesome… and what was in it?! I thanked the manager and raced back to my apartment. Once I got in the door, I cut the tape and opened the package.

The glory of it all. I LOVE this place. It is the first cupcakerie I ever stepped into years ago, and I’ve been in love ever since. My good friend is friends with the owners of the place (one who is a graphic designer superstar– in case you couldn’t tell..) How gorgeous is this presentation!?! I flipped the card over…

Of course!!! My lovely bride (and friend of MANY years) Jesse from last Saturday’s wedding! She had asked me for my address and I thought nothing of it. WHAT. A. DOLL!!! At this point I have serious little pink hearts floating all around me, I’m so happy. Pink + cupcakes + amazingly gorgeous packaging/design= DROOL!

I realize that it’s not just cupcakes, but an entire “Saint Cupcake cupcake kit”!!! What the heck!? Completely amazing.

Six un-frosted cakes, 6 containers of different flavored frostings, six spreading sticks, and six little baggies of sprinkles! No sparing on the presentation, this is completely adorable and to die for! Not to mention tasty!1

Naturally, I had to take some fun photos of my kit before indulging

Hot fudge!? That’s my fave!!!!

pink, pink, and more pink!!!

a pile of frosting cups!

YUMMY!!!

Thank you SO much Mr. & Mrs. Thiel & the Davis’s!!! You totally made my day SO much sweeter (literally & figuratively!) You rock, and I was honored to be a part of your special day!!!

Now, something sweet for you… a sneak peek pic from your wedding day!!! Enjoy!

Now if you’ll excuse me, IT’S CUPCAKE TIME!!!!

<3 <3 <3

One of my very most favorite blogs is featuring me and my new packaging!!! I feel so honored, especially since I have been following Robyn (the blog creator/admin) and her work for YEARS! Stop on by Paperie Boutique and check out the post

I just realized that I haven’t posted this yet. I didn’t order enough this year to send to everyone, even though I thought I ordered more than enough… but that’s the way it goes I suppose… so if you didn’t get one, please know that Mark and I still love you.
Here is our Christmas card for 2009 <3

*photo by my friend Kevin Russ!

One of my all-time favorite bloggers that I follow does a “10 things i love Sunday” post every week, and I adore it! So I’ve taken her idea and run with it, because it’s something I look forward to reading on her blog, and also it inspires me! I also think that in general, it’s good to focus on the good in life, so what better way to do that than to stop, think, and share some of the things that I love about life, or just love in general with all of you?

Here are ten things i’m loving this week…

one.
Hostess cupcakes! I know, it’s completely horrible and they are awful for you, but for some reason, I’m totally addicted! <3
I bought 2 boxes at the store today because they were on sale! Good thing one of my goals this year isn’t to lose weight, haha! Here are a couple “hostess cupcakes” that I made last year for valentine’s day…

two.
Romance. Romantic gestures. Particularly boys who do out-of-the-ordinary, sweet, creative things for their girls. Something about that just gets me every time. Whether it’s in a magazine, book, movie, advertisement, a friend’s story, etc. I just can’t help but get butterflys in my tummy. Absolutely adorable.

This painting is done by my favorite artist- Kurt Halsey. He used a photo of Mark and I as inspiration. One of the most precious things in my life <3

three.
A&W cream soda. Completely delicious, and completely bad for me. Yummy!

four.
HGTV! I have been totally addicted to this channel for about the past 2 months. I used to watch it a lot before, but now, from the time i get home, to the time I go to bed, it’s on. And I love it!! Can’t get enough! They have so many crafty ideas and projects, plus there is so much to learn about renting/buying/owning! Loves it!

five.
Bangs. Straight bangs particularly. It’s probably because it’s been completely dark and gloomy here lately. Rain, darkness, gloom, cold, wind, snow, darkness…. it all equals blah! But for some reason, it also reminds me of London… which is somewhere that I hope to travel to someday, but from what I hear it’s dark and rains a lot there… although I could be completely wrong. Anyways, yes, loving the straight bangs!

six.
Cupcake flavored foods! It’s funny how things become “popular” and then everyone jumps on the bandwagon. This week I’ve discovered and purchased Cupcake flavored Magic Shell, and Cupcake Pebbles cereal. I love both! So weird, but so fun!

seven.
Goals. As the first week of the new year, everyone is making lists of goals and aspirations, and everyone seems so positive about life! I just love it. I’m such a list-maker and goal oriented person that it’s hard when other people don’t “get” that, but this time of year, it’s almost like everyone is on the same page. It’s quite refreshing! Not to mention, I have my very own list, which is exciting

eight.
Blogging! I have been doing such a good job at blogging every day! Even though today is only day five, I already feel like it’s part of my daily routine. It encourages me to not only write and connect with you all every day, but also challenges me to think more creatively, and makes me more productive! I can’t wait to start shooting again so I have more photos to post on here for you all.

nine.
Sunshine. It’s dark when I leave for work, and dark when I get home. It’s even dark out during the day on the weekends. This has made it extremely challenging to play with my new camera, since my main light source is natural/available light. It’s been quite discouraging, and I cannot wait for the days to be longer and the sun to come out more! Oh sunshine, I love you so much, please visit again soon!!!

ten.
Laptops. I finally got my laptop, and it’s been SO nice to have! Not only can I now work on the go, but I can watch movies in bed, surf the web anywhere in the house, and just be more mobile in general. Such a luxury, but I love it!!!

Well, it’s time for bed, my puppy keeps scratching my arm because he’s ready to go cuddle up
What is one thing you’re loving this week!?

*all photos not by me were found on weheartit.com

Well, I went to New York almost two years ago… I’ve finally found a little time to go through some (and when I say “some”, i’m being completely literal!!!) of the photos I took while I was there. Thinking back on my trip, there are SO many more things I wish I would have taken photos of, but I am still happy with a lot of the photos I did take.

I went to New York with my best friend Ben, and his sister (also my friend) Jenna! It was a great trip, but a week in New York is just not nearly enough time to explore everything. There is definitely still a billion things there that I’d like to visit and do.

I have to say, I’ve been horrible, and Ben and Jenna haven’t even seen these photos yet… I know, 2 years is awful! It’s just been crazy with everything going on, and I took so many photos it’s overwhelming to look at them all!! But here are a select few that I thought I would share with you all Enjoy!

Every morning for breakfast we’d enjoy a cappuccino and a pastry from a nearby bakery. I should mention we stayed in a little hotel in Little Italy! How perfect!? This was just one of the delicious pastries that we enjoyed for breakfast (I know, naughty!!!)

I think that this photo was taken after dinner actually… while waiting for dessert! (also below!) Ok, so we had cappuccinos more than just for breakfast I can’t help it, EVERYTHING in New York is soooo delicious! The food, oh the food!!

Tiramisu!!!

Central Park was amazingly beautiful!! Everything I imagined it to be, and then some…

The John Lennon memorial, in the “Strawberry Fields” of Central Park

We also made it up to the top of the Empire State building! Such beautiful views, and even birds!

I think about half of the photos I took during this trip were of Ben, lol.

Who could forget Dylan’s Candy Bar!? This place was magical! Like a candy wonderland, they have EVERYTHING!!! And how cute is their logo!? Perfect design.

Now, you know I couldn’t very well go to New York and not try the “best cupcakes!”. My friend Dan told me about this place, the Magnolia Bakery. I have to say, they were pretty good, but they look prettier than they taste I couldn’t resist taking a million photos of them! I’d also never spent $25 on cupcakes before… but hey, that’s what vacations are all about, right?!

The vendors on the streets are insane, it’s like Saturday Market every day!!! I just had to snap a pic of these yummy fresh pretzels

Another memorable part of New York was the Taxi rides (sometimes a little crazy!!!) and all of the amazing advertisements and signage.

And of course, I just had to take a photo of this…

I can’t believe it’s been almost 2 years since this trip!!! I can’t wait to go back someday again and explore some more

Oh, here’s a video of Ben and I ice skating in central park, one of my favorite parts of our trip (other than the food! lol)

<3

What would cake be without the icing? Well, it would still be quite delicious, however it wouldn’t be quite as beautiful.

I’ve been working really hard the past few months to completely re-brand my entire business. With that, I’ve upgraded my blog, revised my logo, defined my colors better, designed client materials and had them printed, and ordered all new packaging for my prints and digital images. I’m hoping that this will make my brand more cohesive and recognizable, let’s hope all of the little details pay off, and my clients love the look and upgrades!

First of all, I’ve switched from putting my digital images on CDs and DVDs, and now clients will get their images on a USB Flash drive. I’ve decided to do this for a few reasons, 1) Most importantly, the images will be safer for a longer period of time. As time goes by, DVD’s and CD’s can lose data due to deterioration. 2) USB Drives can be re-used, recycled. If a client prefers, they can back up their USB Drive, and use it for other things. 3) They look nicer It may be my personal preference, but USB Drives are compact, sleek, and sexy! Here’s a peek at what you’ll get when you purchase digital images from me-

Print orders will come in luscious chocolate boxes adorn with pretty pink bows!

And inside, your precious prints are wrapped in matching pink tissue!

Another new thing I’ll be doing for clients, is creating “referral cards”. This is a complimentary gift with any print order. Most of my clients are referrals, so what better way to get my name out there, than to give my clients miniature photos from their session with my contact information on it?! Everyone loves a wallet-sized photo to hand out to friends and family, so far my clients love this!!

I’ve also been working on updating all of my client materials. I’m not quite finished yet, but I have a feeling that in this field, there will always be more that I want to create! Here is a taste of materials that I’ve had printed to hand out to my clients and possible clients.

There are a few more items that are still out at the printer, but these are the most used materials. Let me know what you think! Branding is always a work in progress, ever-evolving, but I feel like I now have a solid foundation on which to grow and expand. This is seriously so exciting for me, and a huge step towards building my business!

I hope you all had a wonderful New Years weekend! What are your resolutions/goals for the new year?

<3

today, i found the best thing ever!!!

CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT!?!?!

Also, my darling boyfriend surprised me by having my new Tiffany’s bracelet re-engraved with the same thing as my original one, plus the word “Forever”. I was seriously so happy I cried. He is the best, I love him more than words.