Life These Days

Is it me, or is the year 2013 flying by???

Time these days seems so short and now that the weather is getting nicer and the buds and colors of spring are starting to pop up, I'm super excited to get back into the swing of things! I have some fun family sessions coming up, a few weddings of my own and lots of second shooting dates for weddings to look forward to. It's true, things are pretty dormant in the winter but it's a great time to take a step back and revamp for the upcoming warmer months.

Now that tax season is over (PHEW!) and the colors of spring are here I'm trying to set forth some more personal goals for myself to make this new year better than it already is. I'm looking to do a personal sessions of mine to have photos taken of me in various yoga poses that I've learned over the months and show off some of my skills. I have a long way to go with yoga, but it's helped to quiet my mind! I'm also trying to take my camera out once a week and take some personal photos just for me. Whether it's a trip to Longwood with a photographer friends, or documenting my life, ideally I'd like to have more of life captured. I've gotten more into a health food movement which is great for my body! I'm trying lots of new smoothies and green drinks and overall just trying to read all labels on my food so I can live a healthier life. I've purchased lots of books to read which is you're looking for some interesting reads about living a healthier life, check out these books: Crazy, Sexy Diet, Slim, Calm, Sexy Yoga and The Healthy Green Drink Diet.

Some other great reads I've been lucky enough to get my hands one are:
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told you About Being Creative

The Secret (SERIOUSLY a GREAT read!)

Unjunk Your Junk Food: Healthy Alernatives to Conventional Snacks

The Nine Rooms of Happiness: Loving Yourself, Finding Your Purpose& Getting Over Life's Imperfections

I just got back from a wonderful vacation in Nags Head, North Carolina. While I didn't take many photos this year, I'm happy I took a step back from the camera. I had time to catch up with friends, my boyfriend and actually read a few books! The weather wasn't ideal for a week at the beach, but I brought the warm weather home with me, so spring has finally sprung!

My boyfriend and I just celebrated being together for two years and we documented the occasion by having photos taken from one of our good friends who is an AMAZING photographer. Seriously check out his website and take a peak at his awesomeness:

Having a business is all about balance. I think over the past couple of years I've come to a better understanding of having a personal life and being a business owner. You have to come up with a balance that WORKS FOR YOU. And that's exactly what I'm doing. Stay tuned for more exciting blog posts and happy spring everyone :)

Welcome to The World, Charlotte Ann!

I have a fondness in my heart for newborns, especially when I get the capture their first few days in this world. Newborns are so cuddly, cute and in general fun to photograph! I had the pleasure of capturing a few photos for my brother and sister-in-law as they introduced their newest child into the world, Charlotte Ann Simeone! Little sister to Andrew and Samantha Simeone, this family is now complete! Each of my nieces and nephews have their own unique personalities and I can't wait to watch them all grow up! The past few years of being an Aunt has been amazing and I'm so excited to have three special nieces and nephews in my life! I've captured each of their lives over the years, but doing newborn photos for Charlotte holds a special place in my heart.

Congrats Greg and Liz on your beautiful little girl...don't worry my camera will still be around over the years documenting your family :)

Welcome to the world!!

 

 

 

Baby's 1st Vera Bradley.

 

Sweet baby girl smiles!

 

 

 

One of the best newborn photos I've taken to date :)

 

Big brother, Andrew!

 

Big sister, Samantha!

 

Two peas in a pod...and now to add another pea to the mix :)

 

The Lovebirds

When Stephanie and Mike Elwood got married last year, their wedding theme was The Lovebirds. It's only appropriate that their blue and red lovebirds which adorned wedding photos presented themselves in their maternity photos. See example here:

When Stephanie got in touch with me about doing photos at a local library in Hockessin, it was definitely outside my comfort zone but I am so glad we were able to shoot at this location! There were such creative spaces at the library and so many colorful books to provide fun backgrounds. Stephanie and Mike are truly lovebirds. They are best friends. They make each other laugh and share a humor that other couples want to have in their own lives. I felt right at home taking photos of Stephanie and Mike. I've known Stephanie since grade school and her sense of humor and laugh ARE still the same. It's truly incredible to meet people years later and they haven't changed a bit!

I had so much fun taking photos for Stephanie and Mike as they are expecting a little peanut in just about two weeks! The baby will be a surprise but you can tell these expectant parents can't wait to meet their first child. Best of luck to the both of you as the journey of parenthood begins, you two will be fantastic parents!

Enjoy just a peak into Mike and Stephanie's lives :)

Adorable!

Whenever I look at this photo, I laugh!

Love the sense of humor between these two!

A favorite!

A Family of 3...Growing to 4!

It's hard to believe that it was just a little over a year and a half ago in the fall that I met Tiffany and Mike for the first time to document their growing family. At the time, Tiffany and Mike were expecting their first child, Gavin. Fast forward to a year and half later and another miracle is on the way, baby Luke! Tiffany and Mike are one of the few family's that I have had the privilege of documenting their growing families as the months and years pass. From maternity photos, birth milestones and everything in between, the Schreppler's have become amazing friends and clients to my business. I love watching their beautiful family grow and they genuinely love the photos that I take for them. In fact, when you walk into their house, you can tell that Tiffany is lover of photos, they are all over the place! Enjoy a peak into this family's life...and hopefully soon there will be a new family session to document their lives...including baby Luke!!

 

Beauty...even in the cold winter months!

Thanks, Tiffany for all of the fantastic photo ideas!

Such a great mommy and son photo!

 

Poor little Gavin was getting over being sick, but we managed some smiles!!

 

 

Happy 1st Birthday, Dane!

Despite the dreary and cold winter months and the fact that I don't have a studio or office space, I always find it a pleasure when families still want to do family sessions. Sometimes it's hard to get creative in the cold weather, but then there's a gem like Longwood Gardens with SO much color to brighten up any family or photo session! When Melissa Highberger contacted me about wanting to do one year photos of her son Dane at Longwood Gardens I became super excited to see color again! Winter can drag on and without a lot of snow, backdrops for photos sessions are very bleak, but a Longwood Gardens, the possibilities are endless!

I met Melissa, her husband and Dan at Longwood Gardens where we took in the sights and sounds of the Orchid Exhibit. Even though Dane was getting over a cold, he was a trooper and we even managed some smiles out of him! Enjoy a glimpse into Dane's one year photo session and stay tuned for family and lifestyle sessions to come!