I'm so excited about our new store!

I’m thrilled to officially launch our new product store! Now you can make your treasured memories last forever with all of these amazing printed products. Put art on your walls or on display in your home showing off one of your favorite things — your family.

I’m loving the new gallery boards printed on beautiful matte art paper and mounted, they look wonderful displayed on their own or in a custom frame. And the simple print stands show off 12 of your favorite images in such a fun way — they are even safe for tiny fingers to hold and enjoy.

Family photos are an investment. Don’t let all of your digital images languish on your phone or laptop that no one ever sees. Your family deserves to be seen!

New look, more fun!

We are freshening things up a little bit over here. For starters, your next photo session will be sent to you in a gallery with a whole new look, offering you a great visual experience and a slideshow that you can share with your loved ones.

The new pricing structure will give you more options than before. You will notice the Basic Package isn’t much different than what you are used to — it just breaks everything down a little differently. And the great thing is that you will get a print credit for the new beautiful online store (more on that soon!) no matter which package you choose. It’s time to get those photos off your phone or hard drive and up on your walls where you can enjoy them every day. And so can everyone else!

That's a wrap for fall

Thank you to all of the families who allowed me to get a glimpse into their lives and spend an afternoon or evening creating memories together. The laughter and giggles, the hugs, the love — those connections are what it means to be a family. And capturing those moments is one of the best parts of my job. Here are a few highlights.

If anything helped us make it through this year, it was the strength of family -- their love will always shine through. Thank you for a wonderful 2021.

Puppy party

I love throwing birthday parties for my kids. We’ve done our fair share of trampoline parks and inflatables, but my favorite ones, and the ones my kids still treasure, are the ones we threw at home in the backyard or dragged the folding table and chairs up from storage to set up in our living room.

I’m the first to admit that I’m a little nuts about it. We’ve made ninja swords out of foam pipe insulation wrapped with red and yellow duct tape and set up a balloon obstacle course. We’ve hung 100 paper snowflakes from the living room ceiling when Elsa was so new that Frozen decorations were non-existent. We’ve made tiny cakes out of marshmallows dipped in chocolate for a doll tea party.

This year for my daughter’s 8th birthday, she wanted a puppy party. We sought out our local humane society, thinking that would be the perfect spot. And it was — it was new and spacious and even had a party room. But my daughter had visions of sitting on the floor with puppies climbing all over her, licking her face, snuggling in her lap, lots of oohs and ahhs. She remembered the rescue adoption event at the pet store that we went to last year where we found our own own dog. But for the safety of the children (and the dogs too!), the humane society doesn’t offer that.

Since what she really wanted was a puppy adoption event, I decided we could create one. With a few clicks on Amazon, we soon had a bundle of plush puppies and paw print balloons on the way to our house. I found puppy adoption certificates on Etsy and craft supplies at Michaels. Upon arriving, each girl picked out a puppy, filled out an adoption certificate and then made a collar and carrier to take their puppy home in. We threw in a few animal-themed games and made some paw print cupcakes (which my daughter loved decorating!)

And yes, that is my 10-year-old son wearing a “puppy poop” hat. Luckily, his sister has a sense of humor!

Your tribe is waiting

Everyone should book an extended family session at least once in their lifetime. A big family session like this can include anyone -- grandparents, adult siblings, cousins, in-laws -- the whole crazy bunch. Sure you will get the photo of everyone smiling at the camera, but you will also get those priceless connections of everyone in your tribe.

If you haven't ever done it, book one now. You will cherish these moments with your family forever. I promise.

2019_03_02_1.jpg
2019_03_02_2.jpg

Five reasons to take photos this fall

20171108_0128.jpg

I know it's still summer and my kids have only been in school for a week or so, but when I woke up this morning to take our puppy outside, it actually felt like fall! You can almost smell it coming -- those crisp mornings with a slight breeze where all you want to do is sip a cup of coffee, open up the windows and breathe it all in. And sure, by noon it's warm enough to shed that sweater and remind yourself that it really is still summer, but it's coming y'all.

And for more proof, the fall photo sessions are starting to book up. If you haven't scheduled yours yet,  Click Here to send me a note and get on the calendar. Still unsure? Here are 5 reasons you should have your photos taken this fall:

1. Every family needs to have fall photos taken at least once. There's a reason every family photographer gets crazy busy this time of year -- fall family photos are simply beautiful. From the soft, warm shades of September to the amazing colors as the leaves change in October and even the earthy tones in November, there is something magical about every part of fall. 

2. The neutral colors in fall will look great on your walls. You can showcase beautiful images of your family on your walls and guarantee a smile every time you walk by. 

3. Most people look good in blue. And blue looks amazing with fall leaves. It's a great complimentary color to all of the golds, oranges and browns of fall. It also doesn't hurt that your skin might still have a little bit of that summer glow! :) 

4. Wouldn't it feel great to have your holiday cards already figured out before it's even September? Seriously, you'll be the first ones to get them out this year. And you won't have to bribe everyone to smile for a last-minute family photo taken with your phone. (And as an added bonus, professional fall family photos make amazing Christmas gifts for grandparents!)  

5. And let's face it, playing in the leaves is just down right fun. I'm talking the best smiles. Your kids will be laughing and having a blast -- and you will get to capture these moments forever.

So get booking! I'd love to hear from you!!

Summer the way it should be

Every summer I long for my kids to have the kinds of summers I remember. A time when there were no video games in our house or iPads or You Tube or even basic cable until I was 13.. A time when playing was easy. I would spend my days roller skating or riding bikes with other kids in the neighborhood, build a secret fort in a clump of trees nearby, or make up games to play on the driveway (one year it was hitting wooden croquet balls up the sloped blacktop in an attempt to hit the garage door -- which, unfortunately,  did not go over so well). We would run through sprinklers in the yard during the day, catch fireflies in glass jars with holes poked in the lids at night and not come inside until it was past dark out. 

So once baseball, hockey, dance, soccer and lacrosse finally come to an end in July, my summer list comes out. I don't sign my kids up for summer camps (with the exception of swim lessons because I feel that is like riding a bike -- you just have to do it). I want them to just be kids. I want them to get bored in the summer and have to come up with unscheduled things to do on their own. I want them to read books in a hammock, get dirty feet from playing outside and go to the local swimming pool with their friends. I want them to ride their bikes, swing as high as they can to try to touch the tree branches in the neighbor's yard and feel summer. Because the time is always shockingly short -- next week school starts. 

So this summer we went tent camping with cousins and good friends, cooked dinner and roasted s'mores over a campfire, kayaked, leaped off the "jumping rock" into the lake, paddle boarded, played UNO and Pick Up Sticks a thousand times, picked raspberries, went canoeing, danced in wildflowers, had piggy back races, built sandcastles on the beach, ran a seven-minute mile, climbed ninja courses and hunted for trolls. It was the summer of dreams. And no one asked for the iPad. 

FALL SESSIONS OPEN NOW

Fall sessions are officially open and they are going fast! Pull out your calendars and book your date now!! Bonus: you'll feel super on top of it because you will have your holiday card photos already figured out! 

20180728_1128.jpg
20180727_1383_fb.png
20180804_0116_fb.png
20180804_0271_fb.png
 
 

Summer wedding

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

It may have been 96 degrees, but you would never know it looking at this beautiful couple! Thank you for asking me to capture your special day Jacky and Josh. 

 

20180616_0736_fb.png
20180616_0981_fb.png
20180616_0851_fb.png
20180616_0942_fb.png
20180616_0911_fb.png

Just in time for Mother's Day...

Attention Dads & Husbands (and Moms who want to lay out some strong hints to the Dads & Husbands): One of the best gifts you can give the mom in your life is an amazing picture of her with her kids. Mom is never in the pictures - because she is always the one taking them! Now's your chance to capture those special moments with our first ever Mom's Mini Session Event. The moms and kids in your life will thank you!!

mothers_day_minis.jpg

Make prints!!

I just dropped off a gallery of canvases to this amazing family. They are planning to put them over their couch in the living room. Do you have a blank wall in your home? Fill it with big canvases of the ones you love. It will put a smile on your face every time you walk into the room. 

blog_20171103_1.jpg
blog_20171103_2.jpg

And then they were teens

You have a ton of photos of when they were babies -- when they first learned to sit up and walk, their first birthday, their first day of school. But as they grow, life gets busier. There are soccer games and birthday parties,  softball and dance class, homework, and let's face it, they'd rather hang out with their friends more than you. Family dinners become inhaling something in the car on the way to hockey or baseball or soccer or music lessons or play practice. 

But it won't be long before even these days are gone. And you will want to remember how they were now. How you can still laugh and hug and love being a family even though the sticky toddler kisses have been replaced with kids taller than you. Because even this is a short window, and someday you will be wishing you still had to chauffeur your 14-year-old to practice. Treasure these moments and schedule a family photo session now. You won't ever regret it. <3

blog_20171029_001.jpg
blog_20171029_002.jpg

A stroll along the Riverwalk

If you haven't been downtown to the Riverwalk recently, now that it's warming up a little you have to go! I absolutely loved this session!! We met there at 9 am on a Saturday this fall and it was the perfect time to go. There were only the occasional runners along the walk, but other than that, we had the entire place to ourselves. I hadn't been there since they renovated it and now I can't wait to go back. Saturday mornings are the perfect time -- you can get downtown easily, find great parking with Spot Hero and then grab some breakfast at one of the great spots in the Loop before heading to the Riverwalk. It's actually peaceful there before the rest of the city wakes up. After our photo session, the family planned to do the architectural boat tour and then grab some lunch before heading home. What a perfect day! 

blog_20171021_001.jpg