a baby story...

Every now & again I have to pinch myself when I look back on moments like these…  I know I'm not some big shot photographer with a huge following or clientele.  But I've always been a firm believer in quality not quantity.  I am just so happy to remember where I started & to see my continuing growth in portrait photography from then until now.  I've truly enjoyed getting to know my clients and being able to share in the stories of their lives.  That's the good stuff.  And this baby story will forever be near & dear to my heart.  

Well this day was unreal…  You see, some people can grow tiny humans, I just don't happen to be one of them.  One such amazing person invited me into her delivery room…  What an incredible and wonderful life experience…  Something I was never sure I would ever be intimately familiar with personally.  My heart goes out to you & your family for including me in such a beautiful & private moment.  Your new baby boy is absolutely perfect in every way…

And if it wasn't exciting enough to welcome this sweet baby boy into the world, I was invited into their lovely home to snuggle him and his perfect little toes just a short week later!

home sweet home...

I must say… I am REALLY loving me a few front porch shots lately… like ALOT.

There's just something so nostalgic about a family all crowded together on their front porch sharing a moment & a smile.

 

I even decided I needed one for myself… 

AND… it was while I was setting up the self-timer, that this happened… be still my heart.

day in the life...

I really love documenting moments.  The little ones.  The so seemingly ordinary- that we just skip through life not realizing how much they hold a place in our heart- moments.  As I look through these, I find that I was drawn to the quieter times… They tell our story.  I picked an ordinary August day & followed these two around.  And although I didn't quite get an entire day (more like an afternoon & evening- oh and lots of napping)- I now have the stills of some of my favorite happenings between the two loves in my world…

and that means everything.

a few of my favorite grams...

So… I don't think I've mentioned that Instagram is one of my favorite & quickest go-to's for documenting and sharing our travels and day-to-day memories… or wait, maybe I have a few times, haha.  Now if you are a lover as much as me, then you MUST check out copygram -a company based in Sweden, with an eye for artistic perfection.  For my first purchase, I decided to go with the 4x4" matte 300 gram cardstock.  The best part? -they put all the pertinents on the backside.  Date, location, & even your written sentiments… perfect for recalling the memory of that special moment you captured, so when you feel like reminiscing… all the details are there!  They are so clever.  

Gracie's first ride in a convertible, complete with winding German roads. 

A few random chairs in… hmmmm, where was that again?  Oh wait, just flip over the card… and yep, there it is… those chairs were in lovely San Gimignano!!  

Cochem Castle silhouetted by the gorgeous sky, during our cruise along the Mosel River.

A few vintage street signs at a local Oklahoma salvage yard.

Bierre vom Faß :: translation- beer on tap, need I say more?

Oh & that time I went to Oktoberfest and did a jumpshot in front of a ferris wheel with my sis!

a handwritten menu, from an amazing little restaurant nestled next to the Mediterranean in the south of France… first time I ever tried mussels, and they were yumtown.

Sunflower fields (or "girasole" as they say) in the Tuscan countryside.

my sweet Gracie girl… Oklahoma sunsets… doorways in Siena… 

I even spy a piece of my alma mater… BOOMER.  Campus Corner, University of Oklahoma.

Oh just a few vintage CHAIRS that really wanted to come home with me… 

A handful of my all time favorite family snapshots atop our hand-stitched wedding quilt.

Grace snoozing… you know, the usual.
Visiting Volterra, one of the many hillside villages in Tuscany!!

Oklahoma ice storms, the Tuscan countryside, jumping & celebration, Deutschland castles, fests & more fests, good times with FRIENDS, walks with Grace, windows & shutters & doors- oh my!! beachside sunbrellas in France, springtime blooms & wandering butterflies, colorful little German villages, Florida starfish, naptime & playtime, FAMILY. College Graduation, Italian Cathedrals, sweater weather & the changing autumn leaves, Oktoberfest, those matchstick trees in Austria, HAPPY vintage finds, train rides thru Europe, parked vespas & pretty window boxes, wine tasting & olive picking, new business ventures, daytime exploring, the golden hour, farmer's markets in the piazzas of Italy… It's these treasured moments… looking back, experiencing & loving LIFE!!  I mean… so many pretty places I never even would have imagined visiting, and yet somehow we were able… And these little coffee table copygram gems make looking back so much fun & an even better conversation piece when sharing the memories with family & friends.  

So what are you waiting for?  Go get yours!!

back with family...

After four long years… we took a week long drive from the east coast, and were able to visit family along our way home from Germany.  It was so nice to see everyone after such a long time away… It was wonderful meeting my nephew for the first time & seeing my niece again!  Here's a few pics from our afternoon together.  

Until next time… eat some yummie Chicago style pizza for me!!

little miss claire bear...

The first time I got to photograph this cutie, she was in her mama's belly… Now she's eight months old, where has the time gone? So full of personality, when she wasn't sticking out her tongue or making all her sweet funny faces, I'd catch a glimpse of her cute one-toothed grin. Such a joy & full of wonder…

amongst the wildflowers...

Have loved every moment I've been able to spend with these two… from the time they were three weeks old and about five pounds each, to now at eighteen months.  It's been a pleasure to photograph these sweet babies, and who knows… maybe I'll see them again somewhere down the road, when we're all back stateside.

a day in the fields...

I've been so incredibly lucky to meet the most wonderful clients here in Germany, I will seriously miss you all!  I must say the part I've loved the most is seeing families & babies grow.  The first time I suppose you could say I actually met this sweet, sweet doll of a girl… was when she was in her mama's belly.  Then I had the pleasure of photographing her again a short time after she was born.  And now… well she's already a year old!  I can't believe how fast the time goes.  She was the perfect little model too, just letting me snap snap away, never even getting fussy… so what's your secret Mom & Dad?

and with so many more, I'm having a hard time picking my favorites!