October

I've been away for a while and finally decided (with some "encouragement" from Michael) to get back on the blog wagon...

October was brilliant! I got married the 11th!!

The weather was spectacular! It was hovering around 80 degrees and we were sweating at times- thank you global warming! I could not have asked for more. The girls wore chocolate and copper and looked stunning. My bridesmaids were an unyielding form of support and we made it through with a few bumps- but no one came out worse for wear. The groomsmen were gentlemen (until they found out that there was a class reunion in another room and they pretended to be people they weren't).

The food was great- the flowers were spectacular- the cupcakes were awesome (no matter how rude the woman at the bakery was to me and my husband)- the music kicked ass!!

I would like to say at this point that it took me months to create the playlist- I left the dj and my guests very little wiggle room for requests... Everything from Justin Timberlake to Van Morrison, Barry White to Snoop and Dre, and Jackie Wilson to Bob Marley. My girls walked down the aisle to the strings rendition of Yellow by Coldplay and I came down to Truly, Madly, Deeply by Ray LaMontagne (get that ridiculous cheesy pop song by Savage Garden out of your head). Mark and I came back up the aisle to Is This Love by Bob Marley! Everyone who knew the song sang it. Our reverend, "Father Tom," as we called him, is actually the partner of my best friend, Michael. He went online and became a minister to preside over our ceremony. The belief was: keep it simple, keep it close with the people we love the most. Anyhow, Tommy came in to Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode; the bridal party came in to Beautiful Day by U2; Mark and I came in to I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash. We cut the cake to Everlong by the Foo Fighters and I danced with my father to The Way You Look Tonight by Tony Bennett. Our first dance was to Hold You in My Arms by Ray LaMontagne.

Let me not forget- when my father walked me down the aisle, before he gave me away, he sang me More I Cannot Wish You from Guys and Dolls the Musical. I had loved that song and he promised to sing it for me if ever I got married. He had been working on it, but I didn't push him. I figured if he would sing it, it'd be during the reception. My father, much to my surprise, turned to me and sang before he turned my hand over to Mark. At one point, toward the end of the song, he forgot the words. I joined in with him and we finished the song together. Not a dry eye in the house. I felt like the luckiest little girl in the world!

Amidst the crying there were laughs and playful banter at the gazebo (we were married outside). We laughed and cried and generally tumbled through with smiles and eye swipes.

A very dear friend of mine did the reading from Miss Spider's Wedding. There had to be a reading- but I didn't want anything boring or overused. So, I chose the book that I had read years prior. My mother remembers me telling her that that would be the book I'd choose the reading from- I think I was 17 or 18 when this was decided. However, I went through many poems and prose and scoured different websites for help with this reading. I kept going back to Miss Spider and decided that, indeed, that would be the reading. Mary came up with a foreword and made everyone smile with her lighthearted rendition.

My flowers were insanely beautiful! They were comprised of white freesia, champagne roses, bronze mums, copper seeded eucalyptus, and hypericum berries. The girls had bronze mums, cymbidium orchids, and hypericum berries. They were the most amazing things I'd ever seen and I kept them in my classroom until all of the heads fell off and my students strongly suggested that I either buy new ones or let the old ones go because they were "too dead." It broke my heart to give them over the the garbage can, but I will forever have the memory of those magnificent creations.

And, for those of you that truly know me, know that I had to grab the mic and sing some karaoke when the dj busted out Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. Someone snapped a shot of me singing and it is the most hilarious thing. I think that shot, perhaps above all else, demonstrates exactly how much fun I had. Some friends nominated me as "the bride that had the most fun at her wedding." I refused to be put off or disheartened by anything that day. My photographer had a headache, I offered up some crackers and 7up. My shoes were bothering me, I took them off. My lipstick and veil were stolen- (I have to admit that really sucked) but I got over it.

I could not have asked for more. What a Beautiful Day!!

The images came from another friend of mine- thank you, Donna!

Sarah and Mike

On Saturday August 30th, I was lucky enough to be granted entry into a very special day for Sarah Rigby and Mike Orcutt. Their wedding was something that centered on a love that is so obvious, it shines right through the photographs.

Sarah and her family were warm, welcoming, and hilarious! By the end of the first hour it had been as if we'd known each other for years. What an amazing group of women! The girls looked lovely in their simple but classy black dresses and Sarah looked stunning in her ivory gown. She kept it simple- ivory and black. Classic- just like her.

The day was gorgeous! Mike and Sarah are so clearly smitten with each other that every moment there was a smile or a loving glance.

What a first dance! The tenderest of moments were captured: his hand brushing the hair out of her face, her head thrown back with laughter at a private moment they shared during the first dance, the sneaky smile she gave him when they locked hands for the last time they would touch before becoming man and wife, and so many more.

It was my extreme pleasure to play the part of historian for these amazing people who will have the loveliest of happily ever afters...

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!!!

Comiskey Park (I will never refer to it as "The Cell")

On Tuesday 3.19 a couple of my friends and I were invited to an event by a parent of one of my students. She, Donna Binbek, is the publisher and editor of Pour Magazine (http://www.pourmagazinechicago.com/- for those of you that love wine and great food). The event was held at the Stadium Club in Comiskey Park. For as many times as I've been to Sox Park, I'd never ventured into the Stadium Club. It's for the elite Sox

fans ( I guess). Well, needless to say, I've been ruined! The seats in the Upper Deck next to God will no longer be good enough. Oh, the shame of being spoiled!!

The three of us were totally stricken when we approached the doors. I thought for sure we'd be turned away- they would have been able to sense we didn't make six figures (well, maybe we did combined). But! They let us in- how silly of them!!

There were food stations with delicious food and an entire dessert bar upstairs! This gig cost us nothing! Free food, free drinks, free music?! We felt like wedding crashers!!

A big THANKS to Donna for getting us in!! We've been invited to the Civic Opera House on April 22nd. I'll let you know how that one goes as well.

Lily

Hi there everyone!

Well, let me tell you, yesterday I went to my friend Sara's house to take photos of her darling daughter, Lily. This kid is beautiful!! She comes from good, Irish stock and it shows.

She's got a little bit of hair which will be beautiful and red! Her eyes are a crisp blue and her skin is alabaster. She gets that from Sara. Everything else is Aaron. Sara jokes that when Lily is up on Aaron's shoulder it looks like he has two heads. Lily is off the charts tall- her dad is well over six feet and Sara eeks past five feet. Trying to take a picture of them together is always quite a challange- his head is usually chopped off or she's missing part of her chin.

Anyhow, I've included a picture of this little lass! Isn't she beautiful?

Craigslist

I put my first ad up on Craigslist.com. There is an enormous amount of people on that site looking for things. How are you supposed to make sure that they stop and check you out?
I know that I hate reading a lot in what are supposed to be short descriptions. I move past those. I visit the ones that have links to pages or photos up. I skip those with poor grammar or spelling- If they cannot spell it, I do not trust them enough to be in charge of it.
What are your thoughts on how to make someone want to visit your ad? Do any of you use Craigslist? What is it you look for?

Spring Break!

So, today is the first day of Spring Break!! To those of you who are teachers, you understand the reverence we have for this phrase. To those of you who are parents, perhaps you're on the other end of this. We shout in jubilation, "Horray! Ten happy days!"
Here's how Thursday morning goes:
1. The alarm goes off
2. We linger in bed for a few minutes
3. We roll over (and here's the good part) we turn off the alarm- knowing full well that we won't hear it again for TEN DAYS
4. Get out of bed and continue our daily routine
5. Pray that the day goes off without a hitch and continue to look at the clock on the wall wondering why it's moving so slowly. Never have you wished time to hurry forward (well, at least since Winter Break)
6. Walk out at the end of the day, wish everyone a happy rest, get in your car and drive home. Perhaps you didn't even bring work home with you- Bless your heart! (I know I didn't!!)

The best is yet to come....
Here's how Friday goes:
1. You get up when you want!
2. You do what you want when you want to do it!!
3. There is no one nagging you, "Ms. Donnelly, tell Evan to give me my pencil back!" or "Ms. Donnelly, Jasmine is threatening to beat me up after school. Tell her to stop." or "Ms. Donnelly, Phillip breathed on my food and now I can't eat it. Tell him to stop!" You get the point...
I teach 8th grade. But now, I am just Sarah. No Ms. Donnelly for the next 10 days!!
4. Enjoy each quiet moment we have!

Spoiler- to those of you with children, perhaps you don't get to participate in the quiet, sleeping in, restful, no complaining days that childless or empty nester teachers have... sorry to offend!

The Arrival

Well, this has been a long time coming. It's official! I'm official!! Today, I gave birth to my new life. Sarah Donnelly Photography is now in effect!
Photography is something that has been my passion for as far back as I can remember. And, I am at a point in my life where if I don't do it now, I never will.
Please visit my website and let me know what you think. New images will be added after photo shoots- so make sure you visit often.
While the site is still a bit rough around the edges, I'm certain that time and experience will polish this baby up quite nicely.
Thank you for visiting!