Sarah Grace

A little over a week ago I went to a friend's house to take some shots of her daughter, Sarah Grace, who was just over 18 months old. Anna, Sarah's mom, warned me that I better eat my Wheaties because Sarah was going to be a tough nut to crack.

"Ha!" I thought. "Children love me! I'm charming and funny!" and off I went.

Well, Sarah Grace took one look at me and was quite wary. Perhaps she believed her mother was leaving her alone with this stranger who had crazy hair and was trying to get her to smile. Sarah Grace was having NONE of me!

She cried and clung to Anna but soon she started to realize her mom was not leaving her and therefore she started to open up to me. Sarah began to show me her toys, the fact that she could walk on the couch, hug her dog Bella, and give Bella treats. We were laughing and taking pictures and she was pleased to see how pretty she looked on the screen of the camera.

When she opened up to me she was nothing but smiles and dimples. Her beautiful creamy skin, bright blue eyes, and blonde curled hair was just darling! After playing for almost an hour she showed me her bedroom, the bathroom, her hat, and her mad phone skills! She was hilarious! I'm glad that we got along so well- the photos show that!

It was my pleasure to photograph Sarah Grace- what a character she is under that coy exterior!!

Thanks Anna for trusting me with your most darling daughter!!

Wedding Shoes or Wedding Blues....

Well, here I am less than two months until the wedding and I have hit a wall. I figured shoes wouldn't be a problem to find. Everything else was a breeze- the dress, the tuxes, the place, the invites, the cake... all of if fell right into place. Shoes... why wouldn't they be easy to find?

Clearly, no one let me in on this little secret- they are a pain in the tush. The dress needs to be altered and I cannot do anything about it until I find shoes. And I can't find shoes. So, perhaps I will just go down the aisle barefoot.

Here's the problem: Mark and I are the same height, so I cannot wear heels (and not that I do anyway- but that option for a heel doesn't exist). Next, the dress is champagne and ivory and finding a pair of shoes to match is difficult. Furthermore, I am looking for something so specific that I don't think it exists. The treatment, I need to get over myself. My mother (and I'm sure everyone else is thinking this but are being very polite about not saying it) believes I am overthinking everything.

Who knew the details were problem?

I've included some pics of shoes that I love... but they aren't in my size. Some are peculiar and unexpected, but I think that's what I love about them!!

Let me know your thoughts!

Madeline Rose Donnelly-Reed

My sister, Kate, had her first baby on Sunday July 13th at 4:08 a.m. My mother, father, and I were with Kate and her husband Jim for this wonderous occassion! (However, my father and I were booted during the actual labor- which I truly believe was the best for everyone.)

Madeline Rose weighed in at 6 lb. 7 oz. and measured in at 20 inches long. What a sight for sore eyes she was! It was as if she was singing instead of crying- a whole lot of ah-ah-ahs... instead of yelping. She was alert and knew her mom and dad immediately! Every single person in that room (including the nurse who delivered her) was stricken with how lovely she was.

What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday night!

Welcome to the world Maddy!

Love,

Aunty Sarah

Andrew and Audrey

On Saturday afternoon, I took a drive out to a friend's house to take some snaps of her children. Lisa, a friend of my friend, came into town and wanted her kids photos taken as well. How could I resist? These kids are knockouts! We played and worked for a couple of hours.

My friend, Nadine, has three children under 3 and her friend,


Lisa, has two. So, with four mobile children (Ben was sound asleep in his baby chair) it was interesting to see how little they cared about me, my camera, and the fact that their mothers wanted great shots of them. They instead, as most children would, preferred to play!

All of the children were darling and absolutely photogenic!

I've only just finished with Andrew and Audrey photos.

A New Addition

Well, it should be said at the start that my mother is a bad influence. When I play hookie and we go out, I usually come home with a new camera, car, or animal. On our way to thrifting, we stopped at a pet store and made a bee line to the puppies. Immediately we saw, shuffling around in the top crate, a pug puppie. Oh! We gasped and clasped our hands! "Can we see him?" we asked the employee. This little pug came out to us and took right to sneezing and wheezing and loving on us. I knew right then that I was in trouble. He was a love. Weighing in at 4.9 pounds of playful this 8 week old pug had stolen my heart.

My mother and I walked out of the store with this boy in our arms and in our hearts!

When I got home, I was a bit worried that it would take Mark some time to warm up to him (Mark wanted an English bull dog). But, I was wrong! You could see right away that this little darling swept Mark away as well!

Now came the incredible challenge of naming him. We searched online for names and tried on the ones we liked. Mark and I were calling out names to see what he would respond to. This list included.... Murphy, Butch, Jack, Tater, Ike, and the list went on.... and then it came to us... OTIS!!!

So, our darling little tyke is named Otis and he fills up this house with a spunky kind of energy that Rascal and Henry (our cats) couldn't create. He has me up 4-5 times a night with his crying and begging to be freed from his crate- which I refuse to do. Otis loves to bite our toes, shoe laces, and nip at the cats but he is incredible and has the desire to do nothing but love and amuse us.

Though I believe my mother is a bad influence (we've already had a laugh about this) I thank her for opening our world up to this little guy!

Nan

Yesterday, April 20th, was my Nanna's 78th birthday! My family took her out for dinner and all of us (my mom, dad, fiance, and sister) all had a great time! Nan looks fabulous! She's down 10 pounds and was able to wear a pretty dress that she'd had to put away for a few years. Proudly, she strutted in announcing her size (which I won't dare reveal- I shouldn't have even announced her age) and grinning like a cheshire cat! After a great dinner we got our waitress and a few other good sports in the restaurant to sing the Happy Birthday song. She pretended to be embarrassed but she loved it!! Nan passed around her slice of cake and we all had a forkful. What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday night!!

Happy Birthday Nan!!

My Dearest Friend, Marcy

Let me tell you a little something about my friend Marcy- without her, I'd be lost! She is the brainchild behind my logo and now my wedding save the dates, invitations, and response cards!! She and I have been friends for 15 years. It's pretty incredible saying that out loud. But, she's the cat's pajamas if ever there were such a thing!



Mark and I have been going back and forth with regards to the wedding invitations. Our largest concern is that, after all, they are only pieces of paper that will be discarded. So, the thought of putting all of this money into the invites is heartbreaking. Another close friend, Michael, told me about these fantastic invites that his friend had for her wedding. He raved about these things! Told me they came in hard cases and were just gorgeous.... and also that they cost 5 dollars an invite. I asked him to show me these tremendous things.... and guess what... he threw it away. Thus, I began my search for classy yet cost effective paper. And though this may surprise some of you, I found it! At Target!!



The paper feels high quality- it's textured and that gives the illusion of it being pricey. My mother always told me that I had champagne taste on a beer budget. I didn't believe her until I had to start paying a mortgage. (I get it now).



Anyhow, she turned over yet another Saturday for me to create these things. And, like usual, she did with an undying amount of graciousness and humor! They are beautiful and she has my continual thanks.



Thanks, Marcy! You are the BEST!!!