Happy 5th Birthday My Sweet Baby Girl!

Riley you are 5! It feels like just yesterday that you came into our lives and filled a hole in our family I didn't even know was there until you arrived. How I wish you could stay little forever...but you are growing and changing so fast and I am in awe of you every single day.

You are beautiful and kind.....


Super silly and hilarious! Daddy and I laugh every single day because of you.

You love your sisters and cousin and they are truly your best friends. You would rather spend time with them than anyone else in the world.

You swear you are marrying Connor....and I believe you. He is the yin to your yang....you all are like "peas and carrots". I have never seen two kids play together like you do, never a cross word....so maybe I will have some red headed grand babies with big brown eyes some day.

You love animals....which is so much like your sister Abby.

You are sassy and short tempered. You know what you want and you will not let anyone push you around....and in this you are so much like your sister Emily.

You love your Daddy....oh and me too...but you really love your Daddy. You are his little clone....it amazes me sometimes how much you two look alike. You have his big brown soulful eyes...which just melt my heart.

Your curls....gosh your curls. Strangers stop us on the street...in the stores, just to comment on your curls.

When I took this picture earlier in the year, you said it was a heart for mommy. YOU my sweet baby...are my heart!

And you have a wicked fashion sense. Maybe it is because you are our third...maybe I am just too exhausted all the time. But I don't fight it...you are the queen of your wardrobe and you get to pick out what you wear most days and most days you look like the image below.

We love you sweet girl, you complete us and this family would not be the same without you in it. Hope your birthday was all you wished!

Who the heck doesn't love CUPCAKES???

I know I love cupcakes! Let me tell you about a good friend of mine and the delightful little business she has started. Kelly Payne (a beautiful past Bride of mine) has created this little business of hers called Kelly's Cupcake. Check out her blog at www.kellyscupcake.blogspot.com
She makes these "works of art" which are beautiful cupcake towers. She also makes custom cakes. She is making a cupcake tower for me for my youngest Riley's 5th birthday coming up soon...Riley loves bugs...so Kelly is making her a lady bug cupcake tower...I will be sure to post pictures. :)
Check her out! I highly recommend her for any event you are needing cakes.
And of course I can't post without a picture (that would just be boring). So below are some of Kelly's cupcake tower creations photographed by yours truly.
Mmmmmmm....these are making me hungry ;)

Star!

Kala is such a sweet heart and I was so excited when she dropped me an email asking me to do some head shots of her. I have know Kala's boyfriend Torre since he was born (his sisters graduation party is featured here on the blog) and I when Kala first contacted me I was thinking...oh she and Torre are getting married and they want me to be their photographer (maybe down the road..hint hint!)...but instead she told me how she is competing in the Miss Missouri Pageant and she needed some head shots. I was thrilled! I think they turned out soooooo good...but how could they not. Kala is so gorgeous and I for one think she would represent good ole' Missouri well. Good luck Kala and keep me posted. I am "rootin" for you girl!

This one (below) is my favorite. She has the prettiest eyes!

Gor-geous!

This post is huge...because I LOVED soooo many of these. TS is a shining star! And I have watched enough "America's Next Top Model" to know what I am talking about...ha ha! But seriously....her look changes so much through these pictures...depending on her facial expression, the angle (I will take a wee bit of credit on that one) and her hair/make up...and I think she is amazing! Your rocked it T!!


Ok, real quick. The pic above is my absolute favorite!

"T"is my sister in laws niece. When her mom contacted me to take some updated portfolio pictures for her modeling portfolio, I was thrilled. We had so much fun...my sister in law did her make up and hair and we had wardrobe changes....the stuff girls dream about :) I hope everyone is just as thrilled with her pictures as I am....and let me tell you she is as sweet as she is gorgeous!

Had such a great time...thanks again guys!

BIG THANKS!!

The beautiful baby boy below belongs to my friend Cathy. I wanted to take pics of her little guy to thank her. Quick explanation....when I started my photog biz over a year ago...I sent out an email to all my friends and family telling them what I was doing and asking for their support. Cathy has been sooooo instrumental with doing just that. I would say 80% of my clients come to me because of Cathy's help. She is doing something so simple as posting my website on her works electronic bulletin board. Something that she probably thinks is very simple....but has meant the world to me. So thank you Cathy...I hope these pics of your beautiful boy will be treasured by you and Tony for years to come. They are just a small token of my gratitude.

Let's get to the good stuff :) Look at this baby!!! Those eyes are breath-taking. You should of heard me while I was editing his pictures...my hubby thought I was crazy....I kept saying....OMG! OMG! They just blew me away....beautiful baby + beautiful lighting = very happy photographer.

Cathy said he just started doing this lip smackin thing...it was the cutest...it was like he was chewing gum...here he is doing it a little.

He gave me big smiles right from the get go....had mom and dad over my shoulder for some of these...which made his smiles even bigger.

He also does this thing when he gets tired...he rubs his ear and kind of rubs on his cheek. Gosh, he is just too precious for words!

Then outside and into the infamous basket. He did great, poor guy was squinting a little though. We were in the shade but the sun was still bright.

Then we tried some balls......

Then I had to check out his bedroom....adorable!! Just like I thought it would be. This last one is my favorite....I don't know...I just love everything about it...he is all snuggled into mommies arms.

Photographer tip 101: Anytime your inside...turn off your flash...open up the curtains and blinds and get close to some natural light. Natural light is gosh a million times better than artificial (hence why I will never step foot into a photo studio again...if I can help it). All of these pictures besides the 2 in the basket were taken inside using natural light. Ok, that's your lesson for the day :)

Cathy & Tony...you have a beautiful family! I hope you love your pictures as much as I do!

Beautiful Family

Meet Martino and his handsome boys. I tell you I love my "photography" job...I meet the nicest people...this family tops my list. And they were so easy to photograph...talk about photogenic. Wow!


Ok, look at this young man and his dazzling smile....he is gonna be fighting the girls off in a few years. And I think I told all my friends and family about him after my shoot...the most polite young man that I have met in a long long time...he offered to help me carry my equipment (which I shamelessly took him up on). He was up for every pose I stuck him in..and actually made me feel like he was having a good time..which made my night.

Now on to the newest family member...he was the best baby. I think mom and dad were surprised...but I think I am the "baby whisperer"....ha ha! He just smiled and smiled anytime I came near him. So sweet!

I got to put him in my basket...which I love! He was so happy to sit in there and chill... it was the cutest thing.

See told ya...BIG smiles....melts my heart!

I could tell right away the T.J. loves being a big brother, he was so gentle...it is like he has been doing this way longer than 1 1/2 months...he is an old pro.

This is one of my favorites...brothers hands...amazing the difference in size.

I love all these black and whites. So timeless.

Gosh, I could just eat him up! All these babies I have been photographing lately...giving me baby fever...(not good!)

I saved the best for last. This is my favorite of the session....somebody loves his Daddy! And it shows....
I really wanted to get a family shot, but mommy wasn't going for it...I am a woman I know how it is. But let me tell you if I looked as good as she does after just having a baby...I would be asking everyone to take my picture...ha ha! Maybe next time we can talk her into it.

Martino, thanks for sharing your beautiful family with me and braving the soggy conditions. Hope to see you again so I can watch this little guy grow up and T.J. too!