{Let's take a look back}

I have something to admit. Although I am a photographer, and I love photographing families, babies, and weddings, I barely have pictures of my husband and I.  Except for those taken by other people when we are out and about at events, we have no actual pictures.  You would think that being a photographer,  my home would be inundated with photographs of my husband and I, but sadly it is not.  There are times, almost two to three times a month where I say, "We ARE going to go out and do photos".  Then we usually get distracted by the nice weather, and pizza, and such.  I even keep my tripod in the car in hopes of randomly setting up shots of my husband and I.  It's not like we don't got to gorgeous locations.  We are always frequenting parks and museums and cute diners and such.  We try to make it a point that when the weather is warm, we go out at least one of the days that he has off from work and go to the park or walk along Main Street.  My baby shower is in July, and I still need to have pictures for the save the date cards and invitations..have I done those yet? Nope!

Being that I am due in August, I am positive that there will be no shortage of photographs of my darling little baby girl. But I definitely want to make sure we have lots of family pictures together. I also want lots of pictures of my husband and I BEFORE she arrives so that we can share with her how awesome and eclectic her parents are.  Also, people pick me to share their lives with.  I come in and photograph them and their families, and even with the most casual photo shoot, those are memories that last forever.  So it only makes sense for me to share with you.  With that being said, here are some photos of my husband and I, that of course were taken by other people at random events. Don't be alarmed at the costuming!

As you can see, with the exception of one image, my husband and I like to dress up... A Lot!  We frequent renaissance faires every summer (I am a ren faire addict) and go to other events such as the Steampunk Worlds Fair. Pretty much give me an excuse to dress up in a different time period and I am there!

Till next time folks. Hopefully, I'll have some "regular" portraits of my husband and I.

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{Children's Session-Oliva and Sophia}

Prepare yourself, I have another too cute for words session to show you.  I recently photographed sisters Oliva and Sophia at their home, and once again, I can't express how adorable those two are. I wish my sister and I had cute picture of us, but we spent the first half of our lives sneering at each other, no cuteness there. But I am glad to report we are now closer than ever!  Any who, back to the adorable babies. So yes, I headed over there to photograph Olivia and Sophia. The first sign I knew we were going to hit it off is that their playroom was filled with Disney. And if you know me, I love Disney.  Olivia was sporting pajamas that had Lightning McQueen on them (two points if you can guess where that movie is from), and there was a bunch of Tinkerbell plus Disney Princess stuff. What more could I have wished for?  Here are a few from their session, I hope you enjoy them!











Aren't they absolutely precious.  I can tell you this, they both adored the tutu's.  I don't think I had a tutu when I was younger, so it's always fun to see little girls prancing around with tutu's on.  A very special thank you to Trinity's Tutu's for making such amazing products!

Now onto the weather. It has been getting progressively warmer.  Yes, I am happy. But it has also been humid, and it seems like every other day it is raining!  I have three sessions lined up for this weekend, and so far it says it is not going to rain. I will definitely be keeping my fingers crossed!

But for now, I must leave you.  A trip to Rita's water ice is in order!!!  Till next time Pin It

{Big Macs and Barbecue Sauce}

My husband and I love to go out and eat.  I wouldn't go so far as to say we are food connoisseurs, but eating out is one of our favorite things to do.  We have been together for seven years, and except for the winter months, we eat out almost twice a week.  Even in winter,  we try to trek out in the snow (this past winter was horrendus) to go out.  We have our usual spots that we enjoy.  Typically late night Thursdays, we go to Denny's with friends.  For a while we went to TGI Fridays where they had this prime rib stroganof that he loved, but they stopped offering it.  Saturdays we head down to the farmers market and usually get food from the Amish sector or pizza. Oh my god, the pizza at this place is the closest to New York pizza that I have had since living in Delaware!

And not to mention family gatherings and Thanksgiving and Christmas and the like.  That deserves it's own blog story. But one thing: MACARONI AND CHEESE!

Today we went to the mall, because it was nice out, I wanted a Big Mac, and I desperately needed new maternity pants.  A good friend gave me hers, now while they fit, she is about a foot shorter than me, so they always kept falling off. Let me tell you, having your pants almost fall of while walking in the grocery store is not a fun thing.  But yes,  I had a Big Mac, and it was the most delicious thing ever. But you want to know what was even more delicious, the french fries and barbecue sauce!  Barbecue sauce is my new favorite condiment, and it may be because I am pregnant, but I vow to put it on everything I eat!

And that is all. Pin It

{Childrens Session: Lexi & Livy}

It's no secret that I love kids. I always have, and with my own on the way, I always will.  My latest childrens session with sisters Lexi and Livy was so much fun.  These two girls are absolutely adorable. Lexi, is a natural little diva and loves to pose in front of the camera. Livy, well she is one years old, and at that age, they do their own thing. So it was very interesting to see me rolling around on the floor with her to get her to interact with the camera.  For her shots, we pulled in everyone to make noise and get her to smile and laugh. Grandma, mommy and her sister were behind me making noises, playing peek a boo and who knows what else. But one thing that she seemed to love was the tutu that I had brought for her to wear. It must have been the fluffiness.  Oh, and can I say I loved the natural light coming into their home?  GORGEOUS! Here are some of their shots:











And I couldn't resist, but this image is the coolest little baby in town...



I'm excited, I have another children's session with sisters set up for this Friday. A 3 year old and a 1 year old.  My second tutu should be in by then, so we'll have double the tutu action! I also have an engagement session set up for Saturday, but it may rain.  I swear, April has been the wettest month for me. Days that you expect to rain, it doesn't and days that you expect it not to rain it does.  All I know is if April showers bring May flowers then it better look like I am running through a garden come May!

Till next time! Pin It

{Wedding: Amy & Matt}

Yesterday I shot the wedding of the fabulous and fun Amy & Matt. Let me say that this wedding was epic! The groomsmen were a riot and kept my on my toes all night.  The bridal party was gorgeous, I loved their dresses. And the flower girls and the rest of the little ones there, I just wanted to scoop up and hug! Everything about this wedding was amazing, and I am glad to have been a part of it.  It's amazing to see how much love and energy flows about on a wedding day. You not only have the love between the couple, but from their friends and family as well. Everyone, and I mean everyone was all smiles for the wedding. Well except for the little ones, who became a bit chilly while doing portraits. But never fear! Nothing a few pretty colored parasols can't solve! And the brides grandmother, I have no words. The woman is the epitomy of awesome. She out danced almost everyone on the dance floor.  I can only hope that I can move like that when I am older!

The wedding took place at Running Deer Golf Club, which is a gorgeous location.  The ceremony was outdoors, and overlooked the golf course. The main hall had huge, bright windows (perfect for a natural light lover such as myself), and a lovely hardwood floor.   The flowers were too die for, in gorgeous  shades of pink and ivory.  Like I said, everything was perfect.  Here are a few (well not really a few, because I loved them all) of my favorites!



















There are a lot more! You can see more of the previews over on my Facebook page.

In the meantime, I am going to enjoy the rest of my day off. The weather is gloomy, and usually on gloomy days I curl up in bed and watch Law & Order or other criminal type shows. I have no idea why I watch them, I just find them to be very interesting and it somehow captivates my attention.  Have a great day! Pin It

{The smell of soap}

I am a person who loves smells.  Smells are so intense and bring back so many memories.  Now that I am pregnant, and have the super nose, some smells are amazing, others...not so amazing. But there are still smells that bring back great memories. One of them is soap. Yes, it may sound weird, but I love the smell of soap. My favorite soap is Dial Gold. I love it because it reminds me of my grandmother. Much of my youth was spent with my grandparents. They lived a few minutes away, but I stayed with them almost every weekend, and pretty much every summer. Whenever they went south for vacation, I was there right along with them.   My grandma, almost always used Dial Gold. It may be a weird thing to remember, but even to this day, the smell of that makes me think of the Saturday mornings when I would wake up to the smell of her cooking pancakes, then jump in the shower, then run down stairs to eat. Usually the meal was grits, eggs, and bacon, and I must say...I love bacon.

That was almost twenty years ago...wow.

I now have a new favorite smell, not to say that I have forgotten the smell of Dial Gold, but this smell is a new chapter of my life. It may be even weirder than the Dial Gold, but I love it none the less. It is the smell of Old Spice. Not the Old Spice that your grandfather used, the one that came in that white glass like bottle, with the metal cap, nope! I'm talking about the new brand.  I love it because my husband wears it. And when I smell it, I am reminded of all the nights i've spent in his arms, laughing, watching documentaries, and that smell is his smell.  I can literally smell him like a mile away!  It may seem extremely odd, but it's one of those love things!

I also love the smell of babies! They smell so sweet! And clean and fresh.  When my baby is born (4.5 months to go!), I am sure I am going to love her smell also.

As I said, smell can create and bring a lot of wonderful memories.  I may be getting a bit sappy, but you can't blame me, I am a pregnant woman! I love the smell of laundry fresh out of the dryer, the smell of all the food cooking on Thanksgiving, and the smell of my dog when she would come back from the groomers (I even asked what sort of shampoo they used because she smelled so good!).  What are your favorite smells, and what memories are associated with them? Pin It

{Engagement Session-Jessica and Scott}

In case you haven't noticed, the past week has been raining like crazy. But thankfully today, the rain stopped and I was able to shoot Jessica and Scott's engagement session. Although the sun wasn't out, and it was quite cloudy, the weather was still fairly nice, and we had a great time. We headed to Franklin Square in Philadelphia for their shoot, and for a small location, it does have a lot to offer. First, I passed it like 30483083 times, because I was expecting a huge park with a huge sign. Then, I had to circle it 304930493 times to find a place to park. But it's Philadelphia, what can you expect? Thankfully, being a Sunday, traffic was super light, so it was not an issue.

Franklin Square has a carousel (yay!), milkshake and burger stand (TASTY KAKE MILKSHAKE!!!) and a mini golf course. It is quite a happening little spot. Oh my god, I said "happening" I feel old now! Well without further ado, here are some previews!











I am so in love with the carousel shot. Funny, when I was younger I was terrified of carousels. I always thought I would fall off. I was also terrified,well actually still am of roller coasters. And remember that ride with the suspended swings that spun around, yeah...terrified!  But I would like to think I have grown out of that.

Till next time folks! Pin It

{Sunny days!}

Sunny days have finally started showing, of course mixed in with some rainy days. I am sure you are tired of me talking about the weather, but I am huge on weather. Basically, if I don't have nice weather, then I can't do sessions outside! I need to be outside.  Now I can guarantee you that once the summer officially hits, and it gets into the 80's and 90's I will be complaining that is too hot.  The perfect weather for me is sunny, with temperatures in the lower 70's. If I can find a location that is like that all year round, I will be a happy panda.

So what have I been up to?  Same thing as usual, editing photos, setting up schedules, complaining about the weather, surfing the internet and all that good stuff.  My husband and I took a trip to the park this past Thursday, and just walked around.  I love walking around with him, it has been one of our constant activities since we have been dating, and that was almost 7 years ago.  We like to pick a location and just walk.  And whatever we find interesting, I typically photograph.  Here are a few from our latest "expedition":

With that last shot, I actually laid in the grass with my camera.  I'm a pretty hands on/physical photographer. I love the look on peoples faces when I am rolling around on the floor to get the images that I want.

I also wanted to say congratulations to Shimul & Shiv!  I did their maternity session a few weeks ago, and they had their baby boy, so congrats to them!  I have been on a baby kick lately.  Since being pregnant, babies take on a whole new world to me.  It's weird, I can't explain it, but things have already changed! And that actually amazes me.  I think this baby is going to be super creative because I now have all these ideas to set up concept shoots and I am embarking on new creative projects.  One of them being painting.  I can't paint to save my life, but I painted a piece and I loved it, and so did some of my friends.  I'll share it with you, but keep in mind that I am no Picaso or Van Gogh:

Now, you may be asking, what is that?  Well this is my ode to all the pregnant geeky/nerdy/offbeat mothers out there.  The little pink thing is baby Cthulu, and SHE is pink and is wearing a crown.  I have no idea where the whole concept came from, but it's a part of me.

I have also updated my website...again.  I am going to say that being creative means never being satisfied. Which can essentially be a good thing.  I am always changing and always changing for the better. Which is why my website is on a change.  It is the first thing that people see, it is essentially my handshake. My spokesperson.  It is what represents me to my clients, their friends, and their families.  So of course I want to put my best foot forward.

For now, I am going to head to bed. I have an engagement shoot set in Philadelphia tomorrow, well today actually since it is 1:31 am.  Tata for now! Pin It

{Pregnancy Series-Week 21: Me!}

Being that I am pregnant, and I photograph pregnant women and babies all the time, I wanted a fun way to track this journey of my pregnancy and to share it with you.  After all, my photography is my life, and by proxy you are sucked into it. With that being said, I am going to do a weekly picture update featuring my expanding belly and myself, and sometimes including my husband and props and all sorts of fun stuff.  I think this would be a cool way to update folks and later on, the baby (when she can read) can look back and see how awesomely geeky her parents are!  So with that, I present you with the first in the series, week 21. Yay! We are 1 week past the halfway mark!!!



Now keep in mind, almost ALL of these pictures are taken randomly by me, so they will not be all flashy. Pretty much when I am having a good moment during that week and not feeling like a whale, I will break out the camera. But I definitely hope to incorporate more awesomeness in the future.

I would love to offer this to clients in the near future. A weekly or monthly portrait session package with witty sayings and captions. What do you think? Pin It

{Creativity for Engagement Sessions}

Hello my lovelies!  Did you enjoy your day today? It reached 82 degrees here in Delaware (or at least that is what my car told me) and I was in absolute heaven! There was a light breeze which made today perfect! I spent the day with my grandparents, mom and sisters, even though I should have taken advantage of my newfound energy and hopped up on the Spring cleaning. But I figure, Spring just started, the cleaning can wait!

Now that it is finally warming up, more engagement sessions and such are being schedule. I am super excited, as I love engagement shoots as much as I love weddings.  The engagement shoots give me a chance with the couple before the wedding to know their personalities, what they like, and for them to get to know me also.  Now although the engagement session is significantly shorter than your actual wedding, it still is a very important session. And I love nothing more when I have a great couple that puts time and consideration into making an epic session. Whether it has a theme or awesome location, it's always great to see that love come out on camera with a story being told.  With that being said, I want to share a list of some of my favorite wedding/engagement sites for you to get some inspiration for your session.  For me personally, I don't think anything is over the top. So if you want to go with a picnic theme, something with balloons, or something from your favorite movie...like, let's say, "The Notebook" then go for it! Creative couples rock!  I have also been featured on some of these websites also!  Here they are

http://emmalinebride.com

http://glamourandgraceblog.com/

http://www.utterlyengaged.com

http://sparkleandhay.com

http://www.thebrokeassbride.com

http://weddingchicks.com

Definitely check them out and get all the inspiration you need. Also, WeddingChicks has an awesome section where you can customize FREE wedding items, such as monograms,invitations, save the dates and more. I absolutely love and adore them

So let's get back to your engagement session.  As I've said before, it is important. This is you and your fiancé showing how much you love each other and the story of your love!  Definitely pick a location that has meaning to you or a location where you can carry out a theme.  Parks, wineries, restaurants, cafe's, ice cream shops, farms, open fields with flowers, etc are always good places to start. But keep in mind that if it is a private residence, ask the owner/manager for permission. We definitely do not want to run from cops while shooting!  If you have a theme go for it. I personally love themes that come from movies. How about, "Dirty Dancing". Him in all black, her in all white, and bam! Instant awesome session. And the best part is, you can dance! What else?  "Titanic", "The Notebook", basically any awesome vintage movie (I love vintage by the way), heck, incorporate zombies if you want.

Next up is props, even if you are not going with a theme, props are always fun. The most important prop being the engagement ring. But since your session tells a story, props that reflect your relationship should always be on hand.  Do you like dogs? Bring a dog! Borrow a dog if you have to.  If you are doing a picnic, then bring a blanket, food, cookies, wine glasses, anything you can think of to make your session pop.

With these being the photos of you two before you are married, you want them to be memorable! Remember, we are telling the story of your love and relationship. I say we because I just take the images, YOU are the main characters!

Till next time!

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