Just a Quick Post This Morning...

I'm home editing photos this morning before heading out to meet Lindsay and Hannah (yes, they're in town for Hannah's first birthday party!) and wanted to share one of my new favorite photos with you:

It's photos like this one that keep me shooting and editing. Man, I LOVE photographing children! 

Ok...off to see my two favorite ladies! Check back next week for photos of little miss Hannah's first birthday party :)

We're Home!

Aaron and I had a BLAST in Kansas with Lindsay, Joey, and Hannah last week! We slept, ate, and shopped a lot - all signs of a REAL vacation :)

I had the opportunity to do three photo shoots while in Kansas (thanks, Lindsay!) and came home with 1,586 photos to sift through. Yes, I'm SO serious. I promise to post some here when I get them edited :)

Check out this photo of me and my favorite little princess:

Very frameable, don't you think?!

I can't wait for the Smiths to come back to Charlotte for a visit in the middle of August. We'll celebrate Hannah's first birthday and complete her first year of photos :) Keep your eyes peeled for Hannah's 9 and 10 month photos coming soon!

Arden - 6 Months

I love photographing ALL children, but those who range in age from 6 to 12 months are usually the most fun for me. Arden fit right in to that group and made my job very easy by being so darned CUTE!

Arden's mommy made her tiny purple tutu! So precious!

Don't you just LOVE her flower headband?

Taking a snack break :)

Thank you, Krystin, for giving me the opportunity to photograph your sweet, beautiful, laid-back baby girl :) I hope to see y'all again soon!

Ashlyn - 12 Months

When I met Ashlyn's parents and Grandma at Freedom Park for her 1-year photo shoot last month, I thought I had died and gone to Heaven.

Not only is Ashlyn gorgeous, but her super-cute parents brought props with them to our shoot; a pink adirondack chair, bubbles, silk flowers, a birthday girl crown, and even a cake for Ashlyn to play in! I LOVE clients who know what they want out of our time together and go the extra mile to make it happen :)

I hope you had a fabulous 1st Birthday party, Sweet Ashlyn! Maybe I'll see you again soon :)

Check out the rest of Ashlyn's photo shoot here.

Grayson - 9 Months

I'm so far behind on blogging photos of clients it's not even funny. And what's even more not funny is that I have 6 photo shoots in the next 3 days...and that will put me even more behind.

But, hey. Business is booming...and I can't really complain about that!

I know you remember sweet Grayson from his 6-month photo shoot in April, right? Well...I took his 9-month photos a few weeks ago and, let me tell you, it was the easiest photo shoot I've done in the past 4 months. Seriously. The child never stopped smiling! We breezed through 3 outfit changes and 4 gigabytes of memory in less than 35 minutes. Simply amazing!

When Grayson's mom, Lindsay, e-mailed me last week to ask if I would photograph Grayson's first birthday party, I was so honored! Faithful clients really do start to feel like family after a while...and it's so nice to be invited to capture such a fun, sentimental, important moment in a child's life :)

Speaking of first birthdays, just wait until you see my next photo post about little miss Ashlyn. Just. You. Wait.

:)

Better-Than-Takeout Veggies

Ok.

I know I haven't posted many recipes lately...but that's because I haven't been baking much in the past few months. I've been making an honest effort to eat less junk and more, well, good stuff. Like fresh fruits and veggies (from our local farmer's market!). And homemade hummus. And rice & beans. And trail mix. And stuff like that.

I know, I know. That sounds like rabbit food, you say.

That might be true, but it makes my body feel oh, so good! You should try it sometime!

Here is the {super simple} recipe I created for lunch last week and have eaten almost a dozen times since then:

Better-Than-Takeout Veggies

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 handful of fresh green beans, ends snapped off
2 handfuls of fresh broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
dash of black pepper
1 Tbsp. Ken's Lite Asian Sesame with Ginger & Soy salad dressing

Heat the oil to medium-high heat in a frying pan. Add the broccoli and saute for 3 minutes. Add the green beans and pepper and saute for another 2-3 minutes until the beans are cooked but still crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and add the salad dressing, making sure to coat all of the veggies. Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

I made these veggies again for lunch yesterday and threw in some fresh asparagus. Get creative and add your favorite veggies! Let me know what you think!

Hannah - 8 Months

Would you believe me if I told you that my favorite blue-eyed beauty recently moved to Kansas City, KS with her Mommy and Daddy?

Her Daddy got an AWESOME job there...

...and Hannah seems very happy about it, dontchathink?

One of the best things about moving to Kansas City is that Hannah will only be a short drive away from Nana (and Papa) in St. Louis!

One of the worst things about these beautiful ladies moving to Kansas City is that...well...they're all the way in Kansas City (instead of here with me!).

But, fear not, my favorite blue-eyed beauty! Aaron and I will see you, your Mommy, and your Daddy in less than 3 weeks when we fly to Kansas City to see you :) We're counting down the days!

Yes, We ARE Alive.

Oh gosh.

Getting back to blogging after not posting for almost 2 weeks is one of my least favorite tasks to tackle...but I'll do it anyway. Here's the Cliff's Notes version of our week o' vacation:

Saturday, 6/13 - Sean and Tonia (and Asher and Cooper!) dropped us at Fontana Dam and left us to be eaten alive by bugs, ahem, I mean...enjoy our time in the Great Outdoors. By the end of our first (half)day of hiking, we went 6 miles and I had the beginning of what would turn out to be massive blisters on my heels.

Sunday, 6/14 - Aaron and I hiked from campsite 113 to Spence Field Shelter. The (not-so-accurate) trail map said our hike that day was 11 miles. The Ranger said it was 12(ish). The trail signs said it was 13. We think it was actually closer to 14. When I finally got to take my boots off that evening, this is what my feet looked like:





Oh...and somehow during the day I managed to get a bunch of chigger bites on my lower back and legs. Ugh.

Monday, 6/15 - Aaron and I survived our first night in a shelter...but not without being woken up at 2am by turkeys "gobbling" and mice chasing each other. We started the day's hike at 9:30am feeling refreshed and optimistic...but that only lasted for the first 8 miles or so. When we arrived at a sign at 3pm that told us we had another 5.2 miles to hike (instead of 2.5 miles like we thought) before we reached our shelter, I melted down. Tears flowed and frustration took over. My feet hurt. I had new, painful blisters forming on my shoulders and hips. I twisted my knee earlier in the day and I was trying to pretend like it didn't hurt. My back felt like it might crack in half from the 33 pounds of stuff I was carrying in my pack. But, somehow, Aaron talked me through the entire 5.2 miles and we made it to Siler's Bald Shelter. After inspecting my blisters, chigger bites, swollen right knee, and other hiking wounds, Aaron suggested that we bail out at Clingman's Dome the next day. I, of course, didn't even want to entertain that idea. I didn't want to quit...and I wanted to hike the entire 70 miles...even if I had no feet to walk on by the time I got there. My stubbornness was overruled by my husband's better judgement and he decided that we would, in fact, end our trip at Clingman's Dome the next afternoon for the benefit of my health (and his sanity, I'm sure).

Tuesday, 6/16 - Aaron and I made the leisurely hike (only 5 miles!) from Siler's Bald to Clingman's Dome. It was (by far) the most beautiful day of hiking during our trip and it was nice to see something other than, well, trees while we walked. We made it to Clingman's Dome (a total of approximately 35 miles of hiking in 3 days!) by 3pm and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching tourists pass by as we played Phase 10 and watched the sun fall on the horizon. Aaron's Dad arrived at 8pm to pick us up and he shuttled us to our 4Runner that we had dropped off at a ranger station near Davenport Gap the previous Saturday. Aaron and I went back to his parents' house in Simpsonville, SC for the best shower I've had in my entire life and an evening of uninterrupted sleep in a bed.

Wednesday, 6/17 - We slept. All day. Seriously. We woke up to eat at 10am, went back to sleep at 11am, and woke up to eat again at 2pm. Now that's what I call vacation!

Thursday, 6/18 - Aaron and I left Simpsonville and were home by noon. We relaxed at our house for most of the day and decided that we would take a spontaneous trip to Asheville, NC the next day.

Friday, 6/19 - Aaron purchased (online) 1 night in a super-cheap hotel in Asheville, I threw some clothes in a bag, and we left our house at noon. We got to Asheville by 1:30 and ate lunch at Doc Chey's Noodle House. We walked around the city, visited some really weird stores, listened to the community band play for a bit, and then went to eat hummus and have a drink at the Jerusalem Garden Cafe. Before we headed back to our hotel for the evening, we visited the French Broad Chocolate Lounge for some South American dark chocolate truffles, a homemade citrus agave and ginger soda, and a beer float (Pisgah a-la-mode)!

Saturday, 6/20 - We checked out of our hotel at 11am and went downtown to eat at the Mellow Mushroom (one of our favorite restaurants EVER!). Aaron likes the Mellow Mushroom for its snobbish beer menu. I like it for its hummus and salads. We left for home at 2:30pm and spent the rest of the weekend doing laundry and preparing to go back to work on Monday.

SO. There you have it. Our vacation didn't go exactly as planned, but we had a blast and enjoyed each other's company for a solid 9 days straight. It's just what I needed before kicking off a busy summer with the boys!

Stay tuned for some photos of a few cuties I photographed before leaving for vacation last week! You'll want to kiss their faces and pinch their cheeks...I promise!

Blair - 6 Months

One evening last week, after a long, exhausting day with Sam and Toby, I went to a client's house for a photo shoot. I almost died when I laid eyes on little miss Blair and saw what she was wearing:

Yes! A tutu! I'm not sure if you knew this, but I LOVE photographing little girls in tutus. It doesn't get much cuter than this, does it?!

Love. It.

Blair and Mommy

I had so much fun photographing Blair and her sweet Mommy, Denise! I hope to see you again soon, beautiful ladies!

Yes, I'm Blogging at 1:30am

I had a wonderful late-afternoon nap today...but now I'm wide awake. 

What's a girl to do when she can't sleep? Edit photos, of course!

I took a break from editing photos for clients to work on one of myself, Aaron, Bryn, and Tiffany from Rebecca's wedding 2 weekends ago: 

Needless to say, it's my new favorite. AND it's going in a frame. AND I hope to be taking this photo again someday with that lovely lady on the left standing next to my brother in a white wedding dress.

Ahem.

We love you guys!

Ahhhhh...

That's the sound of me being refreshed and refocused after a long, relaxing weekend spent in Charleston with my family! I'm so refreshed, in fact, that I've had a hard time jumping back on the blogging bandwagon this week.

Anywho, I'm baaaaaack...and have lots to share!

I haven't updated much on the boys lately, so here's what's going on with them:

• Toby has been officially potty-trained since our little "potty party" almost 6 weeks ago! Who knew it would be so easy (knock on wood)?!
• Sam had his last day of preschool yesterday! He'll start kindergarten in the fall and neither Liz nor I are ready for that. Heck...we had a hard time processing Sam's last day of preschool. How in the world will me make it through his first day of Kindergarten?! Oh, boy...I need to change the subject...
• The boys got the movie Toy Story a few weeks ago and it's all we've been watching during TV time. I love that movie, but it might have to mysteriously disappear for a while if they ask to watch it again (just kidding...sort of...).

In other news, Aaron and I had a fabulous time at my best friend's wedding in Charleston this past Memorial Day weekend. I had the honor of standing next to Rebecca (in my favorite color blue, nonetheless!) as she married her best friend on Saturday. We partied like rockstars and danced like fools at the reception (photos coming soon!) and have lots of memories to look back on forever :) Thanks for inviting us to be a part of your special day, Beccaboo! We love you and Ryan!

And, to round out this smorgishboard of a blog post, may I present to you my 4 favorite photos from my marathon weekend of photography (from 2 weeks ago):

1-year-old twins, Abbey & Sadie and their 4-year-old brother, Jake. Most photographers would label this photograph a "failure." I, however, think it's hilarious and super-cute. I did end up getting some group photos with no tears (click here to see them), but I still like this one better :)

5-month-old Gracen with her generous, coffee-providing, super-sweet Mommy and Daddy. Little Miss G still has the most fabulous baby hair I've ever photographed...and I hope it stays that way for a looooong time :) Don't you just want to kiss all over that cute little face?!

Beautiful, icy blue-eyed, 1-year-old Miss Katy. Enough said :)

And, as if you had any doubt she would work the camera yet again, here's Katy's 5-year-old big sister, Natalie. So dramatic. So modelesque. So...FABULOUS! Will someone please book this child as a model?!

So...there you have it, folks. You're all caught up! I'm looking forward to starting Summer activities with the boys (going to the pool, the zoo, the park, etc.) and I'll be sure to take lots of photos to share with you!

Strawberries!

I feel like most of my recent blogs have contained LOTS of photos...and I'm okay with that! I didn't think you'd mind, either :)

Last weekend, Aaron and I had the pleasure of keeping our friends Cooper and Asher at our house while their mommy and daddy had a weekend to themselves! I can't tell you how blessed we feel to have such wonderful friends like Tonia and Sean. Their boys put a sparkle in our eyes and we love them to pieces!

As a fun activity on Saturday afternoon, we decided to take the boys to our favorite park in Fort Mill...and then to the Springs Strawberry Farm down the street from our house!

Here are a few photos of our fun-filled day (and PLEASE excuse the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad 3pm lighting!):

(Below): Here's a funny little sequence for you:

Picking

Looking

Tasting

Stuffing

INHALING!

I'm SO GLAD there was not a "choking" picture at the end of that! Ha! Oh...and just in case you were wondering...Asher contributed not one strawberry to either of our buckets. He ate every single one he picked!

And, in case you didn't know, most 5-year-old boys (ahem, SAM) despise my camera. I tried to get some photos of Cooper! I really did! But...he wasn't having it. So...I snuck this photo of Cooper as he snacked on a strawberry from the bucket.

Can you tell that Asher wasn't excited about leaving the strawberry patch? I LOVE his grumpy faces :)

When we got home, Aaron and I washed and cut the strawberries while we watched the boys play with Aaron's old G.I. Joe and Ninja Turtle figurines. Does it surprise you that my husband has 20-year-old toys from his childhood sitting around our house? I didn't think so.

And this...

...was how Aaron and I ended our Saturday :) I couldn't think of a better way to reward ourselves after a long, hot, sweaty, (strawberry) juicy, FUN day of parenting!