Monday, November 28, 2011

Love & Laughter make Life that much Sweeter

I HEART FACES theme this week ... Bust a Gut :)   I knew instantly the photo I needed to enter!  This is from a fall wedding last year, and I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use this pic in a contest or something.  Jamie and Michael are adorable and fun together, and I was so happy to capture this moment at the beginning of their ceremony.  I don't remember exactly what the officiant had said - but it was when Jamie's Dad was handing her over to her new hubby ... and as you can tell, Michael was just a little excited!!!  His reaction was priceless ... and all in attendance got a good laugh out of it as well.  Laughter is just one of the things that a marriage needs, and I don't doubt they lack any of it ;)  Such a warm, sweet, loving couple who also knows how to have fun - their entire day was full of laughter and smiles.  I think there were several 'guts busted' throughout the evening's festivities ;)



To see some other funnies, head over here

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Autumn Splendor

I Heart Faces photo challenge this week is Autumn Splendor ...
Perfect???

See what others have entered here

...and pleased to announce - the above photo placed 4th in the challenge!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Let Them Be Little ...

The theme is Let Them Be Little this week over at I Heart Faces.  Having two of my own, I know what the thrill and excitement and pure joy of becoming a mother feels like. It's a new kind of love that you never knew you had. You are blessed with this amazing miracle, so tiny and fresh ... and before you know it, they are all grown up! My children are 10 and 6, and it feels like just yesterday I was in the hospital holding them for the first time - incredible how fast the years fly by. You spend the first year so anxious with anticipation for them to sit up, say their first words, start walking ... and with a few blinks of the eye, they are off and running :)
I think all moms have said "if they could just stay like this forever" ;)  We all know they don't - they grow like weeds, actually ... and while we miss the 'baby' stage, we continue to change as well, learning right along with them that life is about growing, changing, and developing into so many more greater things that we never knew possible.
I love this moment in the hospital, right after my sister had her first child - a baby girl! Daddy snaps her first picture, and at this moment they realize that life as they knew it is forever changed ... and they wouldn't have it any other way :)

Check out how everyone else interpreted this week's theme 
by clicking here

Monday, October 17, 2011

Pretty In Pink

Ever been tickled pink? That's the theme at I Heart Faces this week ... in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
After browsing through some past sessions, I came across Elsie's gallery - how adorable is she?!?
Tickled pink??? I think so :)


Others have shared too ... go check them out here

Monday, September 26, 2011

People's Choice Time

I Heart Faces theme is 'Best Face of Summer 2011' this week, and it works a little differently this time around.  After all the entries are submitted, they will go through and narrow down their top picks ... then whatever makes the first cut will be posted and the voting is open to anyone and everyone :)  Hopefully Wednesday I'll get to announce good news that I made it in the final selection and send you all over to vote for me!
I've taken lots of pics this summer; lots of incredible shots of amazing clients - I'm so grateful for everyone who has trusted me to document a special day or part of your life, you all give me reason to keep doing what I'm doing.
Because it's too hard to pick just one shot from so many great sessions this summer, it wasn't hard to figure out what my choice was going to be. And if you are one of my clients, you know how excited I've been this year, waiting for the arrival of this special little face from my Summer of 2011...

I have anxiously been waiting for this little face since last year, when I found out the exciting news that I was going to be an Aunt.  I've had the excitement a couple times before, only to be saddened twice due to my sister's unfortunate miscarriages.  So although excitement came again, it was with a little reservation. With lots of prayers and the good grace of God, our family was blessed on July 7, 2011 with  7lb 8oz of pure joy ... Baby Bristol was here!
I'm so happy to finally be an aunt ... but even more happy for my sister.  She's my one and only 'baby' sister, and though at first it seemed so strange to think of her as having a baby of her own - she's an incredible mother {just like I knew she always would be ;}  She's been Auntie to my two children for almost 11 years now, and I can't think of a better one - she's changed diapers, rocked them to sleep, read books, tucked them in bed, kissed ouchies, gone to the park, helped set up lots of birthday parties, came to school events, cheered at all their sporting events, taken them at the spur of the moment, sat through lots of emergency room trips, spoiled them rotten ... and loved them just like they were her own.  She's my 'little' sister, my Burrows Girl, my hoo haa ... and my best friend.
Now it's her turn to be a mom ... and my turn to be the Aunt; I hope I can do half as good a job as her. I'm excited to be on this adventure of motherhood together :)  I don't know how many times my kids have gotten mad at me and wanted to go to Auntie's ... and someday, Bristol will probably do the same thing  :)
Seeing our children grow up is an amazing and bittersweet experience, knowing they don't stay little for long ... knowing that my sister and I are there for each other makes the journey special.

So what better face to enter than the sweet little angel face of my first niece;  'roo roo' as we like to call  her :)

You can check out what other's considered their favorites by clicking here

Monday, September 19, 2011

Let The Sun Shine Through ...

Ashley and Scott had a beautiful garden wedding this past Saturday ... the day was as gorgeous as the newly married couple. These two are so much fun. Ashley's smile is just as bright as the sun's rays ... and Scott love for her is just as warm.  I Heart Faces photo challenge theme this week is 'A Touch of Sun' ... I thought this shot was perfect :)  

Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Sampson!
Wishing you the best time soaking up some of that vitamin D in sunny Jamaica :)

Check out some other rays caught on camera by clicking here


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Back to School ...

I Heart Faces is having a 'back-to-school' theme week.  My kids are lucky to be in Michigan ... they don't  head back until after Labor Day.  While I love summer break, I also love getting back into a bit of a routine.  And this time of year doesn't just mean back-to-school ... it means football {NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL ;} fall soccer, pots of chili, hoodies ... and all of the other things I love about fall!
And it's not just back-to-school either ... this year is big - I have a 6th grader :(  Yes, I know it's supposed to be exciting, and it is ... but a 6th grader, just the sound of it freaks me out a bit :)  I had my first kiss in 6th grade... the thought of a boy's lips on my daughter is a little disturbing. Knowing that she is growing up gets more and more scary with each passing year ... my 'baby' is at the point of needing a bra - lol - I know it sounds silly, but I'm the mom ... and I'm entitled to freak a little about this :)
My son is a big 1st grader this year :(  Again, I know it's supposed to be exciting, and it is ... but it also means school all day and that makes me sad as well! lol  It just adds more worries to my plate ... what's he doing, is he eating all his lunch, is he listening, is he playing nice at recess???  Legitimate questions to think about :)
Bittersweet to have both children in school all day. This is it, they are growing ... and there's no stopping them. My hopes and dreams are that they will hope and dream big, and make the right decisions along the way to reach everything I know their little determined minds can achieve.
Every year I make them hold up what grade they are in and take a picture while waiting for the bus ... they may think it's silly now, but think of the laughs will have when we look at them 20 years down the road :)
You can head over to I Heart Faces and see some great captures from other proud moms {and dads!} by clicking here.  

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

And this week's Challenge ...

WHITE!  Over at I Heart Faces, the theme is white.  I think this one of sweet little Addison is perfect ... I love the crisp, clean white and the pop of her eyes, what do you think? {and who doesn't love polka-dots ;}


Check out more here

Monday, August 15, 2011

Mirrors of the Soul

It's all about the eyes over at I HEART FACES this week ... and my little buddy Kaiden has some baby blues that you can easily get lost in ...

I'm so happy to have met his wonderful family. Mom and dad are such sweet people, and his older sister, Lilly, is a doll face as well. As a matter of fact, she visited me over the weekend and we had a special 'tea party picnic' session in celebration of her turning five :)  Hopefully one of her pics will be perfect for an upcoming theme week ;)
You can check out more mesmerizing eyes by clicking here and heading over to I Heart Faces

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

What better place ...

to have an Engagement Session than on the shores of Lake Michigan.  St Joseph Michigan is such a cute little beach town ... you could spend the whole day window shopping, enjoying the great dining, riding the carousel, listening to live entertainment, grabbing a drink and pizza by the depot and watching a train roll in, cooling off in the splash pad, walking down by the pier, playing a little beach volleyball ... and then ending it with a front row seat to some of the most beautiful sunsets.
I love it when my bridal couples pic St Joe for their engagement session.  We can start up on the bluff ... there's plenty of great alleys and doorways and nooks and crannies to photograph in.  And then if we time it just right we can head down to the water and finish up ... some pics in the beach grass, along the pier or near the rocks ... and of course near the water - or IN the water if there are up for a little fun!
John and Jenny weren't shy at all to get a little wet and sandy, and we got some great shots because of it!  It's not all the time that you can just expect your clients to run out and take a plunge into Lake Michigan, but thanks to the heat wave we've been in for the past couple weeks, the water is so inviting :)  When we were done with pics, I even got in with them and we waded waist high while we talked about the details of their wedding day. 
When I saw that I Heart Faces photo challenge this week is WATER ... there was no doubt I had to enter something from this couple's session. As if there pics aren't gorgeous enough ... the two of them are darn right beautiful - from the inside out.  I'm not quite sure how Jenny fits a heart so big into such a tiny package,  and John is the poster child for 'how-to-treat-a-lady' {and your local dentist office} ... the perfect gentleman with a perfect smile :)   Though it's obvious that Jenny looks up to John ... I think he looks up to her too ;)  ... they are the perfect compliment to each other.  Starting out as High School Sweethearts, their love has grown and changed & developed and matured over the past nine years and they are finally ready to take the plunge into marriage ...  I know it will be as warm and inviting as the waters of Lake Michigan. 

In just a couple weeks they will be surrounded by their family and friends as they take their vows and become husband and wife ... and someone very special has a front row seat for the day - Jenny's grandmother fought a hard fight and went to be with Jesus over the weekend.  Though she won't be there in person, she will fill the day in spirit. A very special lady who has helped make Jenny the remarkable woman she is today ... she will be honored on August 6th.  I know she will be watching from above with a smile as big as the groom's, proud of her granddaughter and everything she's become ... and amid the laughter and cheer of the day ... grandma will be up there too, eyes closed and head back, with a big old belly laugh, celebrating this new chapter of Jenny and John's Love Story.  I feel privileged to be a part of this love filled day. 

You can head over and see what others have captured by clicking here

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Photo Challenge {Props}

I Heart Faces photo challenge this week is Props ... and after culling through tons and tons of cute, adorable baby images with unique little 'props' being used, I came back to this one - Sara and Aaron's Wedding Day :)   The day was full of love and fun, and when we were limited on time and locations for some bridal party portraits, I figured pulling a bleacher section to the middle of the gym floor might make for something cute since these two are high school sweethearts ... I LOVE how it turned out!!!  Their bridal party was just a handful of the people that were 'cheering' for them ... this amazing couple is blessed with many friends and family who offer their love and support for a lifetime of happiness!

You can head over to I Heart Faces to see what everyone else has entered by clicking here

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Let's Hear it For the Boys :)

I bet you're singing the song now, right?  That's the theme of this week's photo challenge from I Heart Faces ... and as soon as I read the title, I can't get Deniece William's hit out of my head!  I had a handful of images I was trying to narrow down {a new dad with his baby boy, a group of handsome groomsmen, my husband's softball buddies in action}... and then decided to go with the one below; from some personal photos of mine. My son recently turned six ... and he couldn't have a 'cowboy birthday party' without dressing like a cowboy himself. He's got it from the hat down to the boots, with a real belt buckle wrapped around his little wranglers ... I don't know that I've ever seen a more handsome cowboy actually ;)  He holds the title of "Sheep Riding Champion" at last year's rodeo ... which is only fitting since one of his favorite movies is 8 Seconds. And he's made it quite clear now that he's six, he no longer wears disney character undies and the spiderman decor in his bedroom has to go ... he's a big boy now :)  It's hard to believe that he 'graduated' Kindergarten this year and is growing up faster and faster every day. He's my youngest; my natural born athlete, my snuggler, my helper; my smart, happy, silly little man with a heart of gold as big as the moon.  A smile that can brighten anyone's day ... let's hear it for my boy!!!

Others have entered some great interpretations of the theme as well ... go check them out here

Monday, June 6, 2011

From A Distance...

It's another photo challenge from I Heart Faces ... this week's theme is 'From A Distance'.  A particular image popped into my mind instantly ...  this is from a wedding last Fall.  Jennilee and Garrett married on the beautiful Mackinac Island with their closest friends and family by their side.

It was the fairytale wedding Jennilee always dreamed of ... and she was more beautiful than any princess in the storybooks. On the ferry ride back, all the passengers exited and the new bride and groom stayed behind to sneak in one last kiss before stepping back onto the mainland :)  
I never met these two before their wedding day {as we live on opposite ends on the state} but they are one of the sweetest couples I've had the pleasure of getting to know! The kind of people that you meet and feel like they're old childhood friends. Garrett is in the military, and has been gone since a week after they became husband and wife {and was gone beforehand as well - he came home the night before their wedding} ... leaving Jennilee home with their two precious boys. It's been a year that this bride has been missing her soldier, and the boys wanting their daddy to come home ... and soon they will all be together again!  Until then, Jennilee will continue to be the strong and faithloving woman that she is, handling everything on her own ... until that much anticipated day that Garrett comes home {for good} and makes all their dreams come true ... again and again and again :)  

Others have captured some pretty spectacular things from a distance as well ... click here to see more

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

May's Best Faces

May has been a busy month ... a wedding, engagement sessions, family sessions, newborns, birthday pics - lots of great clients and great images coming across my computer screen. I've worked with past clients, and met new ones ... and have been reminded several times this month how lucky I am to be able to do what I love and meet such amazing people with amazing stories.
I Heart Faces is having the 'Best Face of May' contest this week to end the month ... so I shuffled through hundreds of pics and decided to go with this one from Angie and Zach's E-Session.  These two are getting married in the fall, and after doing their engagement pics, I cannot wait for their big day!  And a huge thank you to them for bearing with me as I had just had my wisdom teeth removed two days before we met up on the St. Mary's campus {where Angie just graduated from! :} I wasn't feeling the greatest and worried that we may have to reschedule ... but we got through it just fine and their pics turned out AMAZING! Love is written all over these two, just look for yourself ...



You can head over and check out what all the other great photographers have entered as well by clicking  here

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

I Heart Baby Bumps {and Yellow!}

I Heart Faces is going with the Yellow theme this week.  I was surprised when going through all my images that I had quite a few that would be great entries ... but I decided on this one.  Katie first contacted me as a last minute bride and we were able to pull off a beach wedding in a matter of days.  Her and her husband also live a couple hours away, so probably not the most likely that we would stay in close contact ... but it has been completely the opposite :)  I have photographed their wedding, their maternity session, their newborn session, and now, just this week, I got to visit and photograph the whole crew for a family portrait {Nick has three other boys and baby Liam is now 3 months old!} They are such a beautiful couple ... and I consider myself lucky to be able to see their love and family grow :) They started out as clients, and have ended up as friends ... one of the reasons I do what I do.

                                     CLICK HERE to see what others have entered

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

April Showers brought May flowers!

I Heart Faces is having a {non}contest theme this week, May Flowers.  The ladies of I Heart Faces are busy with a workshop, so this is just a fun week to roam around the yard, walk around the neighborhood, take a stroll though the park ... wherever you decide to go, grab your camera and find some of the beauty popping up all around. We had plenty of April showers; I didn't have to go far - our yard is blooming with May beauty :)
This tree is right outside our front door.  It's beautiful this time of year, and welcomes you with such a lovely scent when it's in bloom ... wish it lasted longer.  Sometimes in the evening after the kids go to bed, I'll grab a drink and sit on the front steps, just admiring it's beauty and aroma.
Here are a few other signs around the yard that Spring has sprung ... little buds of hope as I like to call them :)

                                 You can check out some of the beauty caught by others here:

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Motherhood

I Heart Faces photo challenge this week is Motherhood - this image is from a newborn session today. My old friend Jessica gave birth to her second little bundle of joy one week ago today ... Baby Marin is named after his grandpa ... and I know grandpa Marin is up in Heaven with a big smile right now :)


Happy to announce that this shot placed 10th!!! 
Thank you so much!!!

                                                                                    

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

I've Got My Fingers {and toes!!!} Crossed for This One!!

CRAVE PHOTOGRAPHY is hosting a MORE THAN AMAZING Giveaway!!! Not only is it an ALL EXPENSE PAID 2 Day WORKSHOP, but there are several other Vendors participating in the AMAZINGNESS of the whole thing!!!

You can check all of them out on facebook here:
CRAVE PHOTOGRAPHY FACEBOOK
FLORABELLA ACTIONS FACEBOOK
ZOZOBUGBABY FACEBOOK
JESSICA DROSSIN TEXTURES FACEBOOK
MCP ACTIONS FACEBOOK
GRACYLU ORIGINALS FACEBOOK
ROCK THE DROPS FACEBOOK

If I woke up tomorrow as the winner, I'll be having a giveaway myself :)  Pay it forward!!!

For now, off I go to find my suitcase ;)

Monday, April 25, 2011

I HEART FACES {PET WEEK}

It's Pet Week at I Heart Faces.  Jewel wanted to make her debut in this maternity session too ... after all, she is going to be one of baby's proud Aunties :)  Jewel really is like a family member - after she jumped in for this one, we gave her 10 minutes of fame and got some great mug shots of this gentle beauty all by herself.  
{And baby will be here soon! Due at the beginning of May; we're all excited {Jewel included} to know if it's a little prince or little princess :}

You can check out more here

Monday, April 18, 2011

The Wind is your Friend

I HEART FACES weekly challenge theme this week is Wind.  The first session that came to mind was Becca's Senior Shoot last fall. We headed to the beach and it was definitely windy that morning ... though it worked in our favor {most of the time} to get some really great shots. Becca is gorgeous, and even more so with a little wind blowing through her hair :)  The image I selected for the weekly challenge shows this just slightly with her golden locks, but highlights the theme with the natural setting ... check out the waves rollin' in...

Check out other great entries here

Monday, March 28, 2011

Just one of my "Slices of Life"

I Heart Faces is having a "Slice of Life" photo challenge this week.  I had the perfect picture picked out ... a super sweet and tender moment of a family adoring their newest member  -  until my daughter came home with her new bottle of body lotion from her little shopping trip with grandpa.  'Slice of Life' lotion, how funny! So while I meant to do something fun with it yesterday, it totally slipped my mind ... due to the fact that I've been sick and laid up on the couch all weekend :(   My nose is raw from blowing it so much, and I think I went through an entire box of kleenex and a whole container of Vics just yesterday.
While I was getting my son ready for the bus this morning, I saw the lotion sitting next to my camera. I had enough time to snap one picture before he headed off to Kindergarten.
These weekly photo challenges {almost} always require you to have a face ( hence the name, I HEART FACES ) and then follow some theme ( this week's being "Slice of Life" )

So here it is ... literally ... I HEART this FACE, and he's just one of my "Slices of Life"


(I'm off to the Dr.  hoping to get some medicine to get rid of this germ bug once and for all ;)

Monday, February 28, 2011

Through Thick and Thin, Love will Win

This looks like a sweet Engagement pic, right? Nope... Angie and Bobby are high school sweethearts that are celebrating 15 years of marriage this summer! 
I offer a different special every month ... and since it's February, we are celebrating love. Angie and I actually had this session planned for weeks, but it wasn't until the day before that she let Bobby know what they'd be doing that chilly, snowy, Saturday morning. They both came looking fabulous {and like they are still in high school!} and Bobby was such a good sport! Angie thinks this might be the first time that they've had professional pictures taken since their wedding ... it was time, and I'm so glad they did - we got some amazing shots! 
I HEART FACES is having an "Anything But a Face" photo challenge this week. It's been a while since I've entered, and knew I had some great choices from this past weekend's session. Here is one of them ...

I look forward to doing some family portraits this summer with their two children {and furry family members too!}  Pictures are always something we wish we had more of, but so easy to put off - till you get your hair done/till it grows out/till you lose 10 pounds/till the kids are a little bigger/till the weather gets nicer ... and on and on. 
I say why wait? Why wait till it's perfect? Life isn't perfect ... there are moments happening every day, and no days are promised ... freeze some of those memories and put them in photographs. Photographs that will be passed down, for years to come, telling your story. Remember reading books when you were younger ... what was your favorite part? Looking at the pictures? Everyone has a story to tell ... does your book have pictures?

Take this link to look at what others have captured as well...

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

2011 ... The Year of the Kelly Moore Bag

Time to throw out the old camcorder bag and get into style with an ever-so-cool Kelly Moore Bag!  Kelly is a photographer based out of Louisiana - you can check her out here.  And if I'm lucky ... maybe I'll get to experience one of her workshops ... until then, I can't wait to get my new bag!


kellymoorebagpromo2.jpg