you.can't.photoshop.that

{time.to.recharge}

2011-12-12T14:29:00.012-05:00

My last official Christmas photo session was yesterday. Up until yesterday, it has been a whirlwind of photo shoots, day after day, with editing taking place in the late hours of the night as my sweet girls sleep and my husband waits patiently for me to finish. I can't tell you how many times I said, "I'm almost done," only to have another five hours worth of work ahead of me. I can tell it's time to recharge. I've grown weary in taking pictures - not because I don't love it - but because I did so much, too fast. I'm learning every year to say "no" more, but it's still hard. I've met SO many amazing kiddos and families over the last few months, and I so hope that I've given them a little piece of the beauty that I see when I'm behind the camera.

So now I'm off to make Christmas cookies with my girls - a favorite activity of mine. These are the precious moments that I love. With the people that I love the most. So, I know I've been scarce for the last while, but I'm determined to stay that way while I love on my family who has been so patient with me.

{lets.talk.fashion}

2011-11-13T14:56:00.004-05:00

Yep. I'm still here. Amidst the MOUNTAINS of pictures to be edited, sessions to dash off to, picture packages to put together, Christmas cards to create . . . Somewhere, I think I'm still here. I've got TONS of pictures to share with you, but today I want to talk about fashion. Now, I'm no fashionista for SURE (hence the tye-dyed jumpsuit I wore in middle school), but I know that colorful, well thought out clothes make for great photo shoots, unless you were up at 5 am and missed your nap. :-) Now, you certainly do NOT need to spend ANY extra money on clothes for a photo shoot (though you totally can!), but it helps to really think about putting clothes together that "go" but don't necessarily match. I always recommend picking out two bolder colors (in the FAB pictures above, the mom chose a deep pink and a navy blue) and then building all of the outfits around those colors, adding in as many neutrals as you need (as you can see, they used blue jeans, a gray t-shirt, etc.). For extra fun pops of color, pick a funky color of shoe, a great scarf or a chunky necklace and really go crazy. So add some color to your next photo shoot. Add a lot. And, I promise, your pictures will pop SO much more. Even if your kid cries the whole time. :-)

{tis.the.season}

2011-10-24T22:08:00.007-04:00

While most retail stores have had their Christmas stuff out for a while, it's still not quite real here. For one, it's been 80+ degrees until just recently so sweating and Christmas just don't quite go together. Plus, I'm more distracted by the Halloween candy, since we're still a week away from that. And somehow Thanksgiving almost gets passed over each year, and I think it's one of the best holidays ever. Because of the nature of my work, the Christmas season really kicks into high gear about this time, as everyone has just realized that Christmas cards must be done . . . now. Don't get me wrong, I'm most grateful for this little photography business has allowed me the great privilege to stay home with my girlies, do various ministries, be flexible with my schedule . . . the list goes on and on. Oh, and all of the reasons above . . . aren't my clients the most beautiful clients EVER? I am so very blessed.

{crazy.busy}

2011-10-06T21:15:00.003-04:00

It's the craziest time of year for most photographers. Insane, really. All of a sudden, people realize that Christmas isn't all that far away (though some of our local stores have already been reminding us for quite some time), and so, it's that essential Christmas card picture that must be captured. So here I go, probably blogging even less, as if that were possible. :-)

{most.hair.on.a.baby.award}

2011-09-23T18:01:00.003-04:00

Holy Cow. I photographed the most stunning baby boy the other day with the most hair I have ever seen. EVAH. He seriously needed a haircut! Do you see the hair over his ears? Can you stand it? I'm certain my girls didn't have close to that much hair until they were, oh, 3 or so. Totally amazing.

2011-09-20T14:22:00.004-04:00

So I was doing a photo shoot for a different family out a most stunning barn, and, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of this blue horse trailer. Of course, I found this at the end of the photo shoot as the melt downs were occurring so I couldn't use it. BUT, I had another client out at the same location a few days ago, and I decided to BEGIN at the blue horse trailer. And, despite the fact that my little clients were eating apples as I snapped away, I LOVE the way the color pops. Have I mentioned how much I love color. LOVE IT. I really believe it makes or breaks pictures. So wear a little more color to your next session. A red necklace, an orange pair of shoes (sidenote: I have 3 pairs of orange shoes), a purple scarf, a pink tutu (side note: my girls have far too many tutus), a bright blue tie . . .

{pigtails.and.dimples}

2011-09-17T16:17:00.003-04:00

There's just something about pigtails and dimples. I'm not sure what the lure is for me, but I just love 'em. Lucky for me, this family had the CUTEST little girl with pigtails and a sweet boy with deep dimples. Oh, and two amazingly gorgeous sisters as well. LOVE!

{caught.off.guard}

2011-09-16T14:44:00.002-04:00

In the afternoons, Addy likes to read to me while I work on editing pictures. This particular afternoon, she had chosen some books from my bookshelf in the office. I didn't really pay attention to what she picked out until this convo took place:

Addy: "What does 's-e-x' spell?

Me: (almost falling out of my chair and gasping for breath and all of a sudden very hot on this unusually cool day) "WHAT?"

Addy: "It's right here. I don't know this word."

Me: "This book has to be put away. It's not really appropriate for 4 year olds."

Addy: "Why not?"

Me: Hoping if I ignore the conversation, she'll drop it. She does. Praise the Lord.

Just for all of you who have your mind in the gutter at this point and are totally judging what books I have to read, the book was called "Old Enough to Know" by Michael W. Smith. It was given to us as a white elephant gift last Christmas. It's a book that addresses having "The Talk" with your teenager. NOT with your four year old. I'm finally breathing again. . .

{laugh}

2011-09-14T19:33:00.002-04:00

There's is no sweeter sound in the world to me than laughter. Especially my two girls' laughter. These two sisters had a fabulous laugh session too, and this picture is a new fave of mine. Take time to laugh. As much as you can. As loud as you can. With whoever you can.

{the.best.babies.evah}

2011-08-31T15:26:00.003-04:00

So while a baby photographer sounds like a dream job, it can be quite the opposite. BUT, in the last week, I've had two of the best babies. They totally have tolerated me stripping them down, curling them up, wrapping them up, squeezing them into containers . . . And not even a whimper. Aren't they so beautiful?

{i.heart.faces.white.challenge}

2011-08-30T13:39:00.003-04:00

So living where I do, SO many people want to do white on the beach. On any given night, you can head out to any Hilton Head beach and see a large variety of people all in the same thing - whit shirts and khaki pants. Ugh. Not my favorite. Personally, I'm a color girl. The more color, the better! But, since the week is "white" week, I couldn't help but share one from a most recent session.

{pure.beauty}

2011-08-26T17:53:00.002-04:00

I know. It's be a while. Again. I'll spare you the drama, and I only have about 100 sessions to share with you, but for now, I'll share one from my session last Thursday. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I just love it. It's the picture of innocence, joy, and beauty to me - 3 things I need more of in my life. More to come. I promise!

{i.have.that.effect}

2011-07-28T17:15:00.002-04:00

Just in case you're curious, I have quite an effect on children when I'm photographing them. Really. Can't you tell?

{i.heart.faces.water.challenge}

2011-07-26T09:47:00.005-04:00

It's been SOOOOOO long since I entered on i.heart.faces, but this particular challenge brought an image to mind from a fairly recent session. It cracks me up because the parents were all excited about taking pictures of their little one on the beach . . . but guess where he was the happiest. At the water spout where you wash your feet off after the beach! He was highly entertained and super excited. Head on over to i.heart.faces for more splashes of fun!

{still.got.it}

2011-07-16T20:57:00.001-04:00

I was editing a batch of photos a few weeks ago, and I came across this jewel that absolutely made me laugh out loud. Yes, sir, you still got it.

{long.time.no.post}

2011-07-15T17:24:00.007-04:00

It's been quite some time since I had my last post. (Do you notice a pattern here?) I must say that the last month of my life has been quite a journey - mostly uphill. Perhaps one day I'll be able to share the path God has placed me on but, for now, I can honestly say that God continues to hold me by my right hand despite dark circumstances. Great is Thy faithfulness indeed . . . One of the great joys I've had in the last month is photographing some truly precious people. When I'm behind the lens, it's a different world - and it's nice to stay there for a bit. Here's some of the beauty I found in that other realm.

{choose}

2011-06-12T06:56:00.008-04:00

Each day we have tons of choices to make. And those choices dictate the journey that we will take that particular day. I love what Sarah Young's book, Jesus Calling, says about this . . . "You will get through this day one way or another. One way is to moan and groan, stumbling along with shuffling feet. This will get you to the end of the day eventually, but there is a better way. You can choose to walk with Me (Jesus) along the path of Peace, leaning on Me as much as you need. There will still be difficulties along the way, but you can face them confidently in My strength. Thank me for each problem you encounter, and watch to see how I transform trials into blessings." There's so much truth in this. But it's a choice as to what we are willing to see throughout our day. What are you seeing? What am I seeing? The "seeing" is one of the things that I love the most about photography. I love to see like no one else. And then reveal that beauty in a photograph. Here's some of the latest beauty.

{treasure.seeker}

2011-05-23T21:49:00.006-04:00

I want to be a treasure seeker. I want to be a person who seeks out what's good, what's positive, what's a blessing, what can be learned, what can be gained, rather than focusing on what's bad, what's negative, what appears to be a curse . . . you get the idea. There's treasure seeking in photography and there's certainly treasure seeking in life. When I photograph, I'm looking for the beauty in each person. Shouldn't I do that in "real" life? What about you? Are you a treasure seeker? Here's some treasures from the past week or so.

{granting.grace}

2011-05-11T13:30:00.009-04:00

So I've just come to accept the fact that this blog is not going to be updated as frequently as it used to. I'm coming to realize that I need to grant myself some extra grace these days. I think, particularly as moms, we expect SO much of ourselves and, in return, become impatient, grumpy, and lots of other not-so-nice things. And then things start to fall apart. Sometimes they fall apart on the inside, which is the most dangerous of all. Because, no one sees it. But it's only so long before the inside explodes. It's not pretty. So, today I'm trying to grant myself a little (ok, maybe a LOT) more grace. And so should you. Enjoy the latest and greatest. I continue to praise God for the lovely people he sends to Silly Goose.

{picture.plethora}

2011-04-28T14:47:00.010-04:00

As I said, the lack of postings has nothing to do with a lack of photography work - praise God! Every time I hop into my van to go to a photo appointment, I am SO EXCITED. Especially now. I actually get a quiet car. I can choose the music I want to listen to. There's not 5,00o people asking me questions all at the same time. OK, 5,000 is a slight exaggeration, but 4 sometimes sounds like 5,000! Truly, I am so grateful for each family that trusts me with their memories. What an honor and a privilege. Enjoy the latest!

{change}

2011-04-22T22:16:00.009-04:00

I'm not sure how many of you actually follow this blog and so anticipate the next posting, but, if you do, you've noticed by now that poor old blog has been neglected. BIG TIME. And it's not for a lack on things to post about. In fact, I've got enough for 1,000 posts - at least. Just no time to do it. You see, about 3 weeks ago, God brought a miracle into the Powell household in the form of two beautiful children who were in search of some love. The story in itself is just amazing, as it's only something God can do. And now, we are doing something that cannot be done without our God. For this is not easy. Nor is it always comfortable. I'm not big on change. I don't mind eating the same thing for breakfast - day after day after day. I've done the same 2 workouts for the last 7 months - day after day after day. I'm big on routines. I'm realizing that I find security in these things. Which is why God decided to rock my world (and the entire Powell house). He likes to do these kinds of things, I think. Because He loves me.

So, what you see is postings from about a bazillion sessions, with lots more to come!! This happens to be one of the busiest times of the year for me. So, amongst all of the absolute chaos, I have been desperately trying to keep up with all of the editing, extremely grateful for amazing (and patient!) clients. God always provides. Always. And this little photography business is living proof.

{my.happy.girl's.sixth.birthday}

2011-03-30T21:39:00.003-04:00

Though I'm a day late, I wanted to make sure I honored my sweet, happy, loving, beautiful, kind, caring, in-her-own-world, not-in-a-hurry Delaney. Oh how we love that girl to pieces. Her beautiful smile can absolutely and completely light up an entire room - no, an entire house - and you just can't help but smile back. She loves to love so if you're within 10 feet from her, you're likely to receive at least a hug. Ask the lady at Wendy's. Doesn't matter who you are. And I just love that. Because I have never seen Delaney act differently because someone is different from her. How much I can learn from her and her big old six year old heart! Delaney has slowed me down a TON, as I'm always hurrying from one place to the next. Not my Delaney. And now that her shoes light up, the pace is all the slower. (Thanks, Grammy, for those "Twinkle Toes.") We always say that "Delaney World" must be a wonderful place because she visits there often and can, well, appear rather blond. Take for instance our drop off at school the other morning. As she's smiling and telling us goodbye and she loves us at the top of her lungs, WHAM, she runs right into a brick wall. That's Delaney. And we wouldn't change a thing. I love you, little one. Happy sixth birthday. (Are you SURE you want to be six??)

{m.i.a}

2011-03-27T20:16:00.006-04:00

I just noticed that my last post was almost 20 days ago. WHAT? Where in the world did those 20 days go? I just know they're GONE. But, I DO know that Silly Goose Photography has been super busy over those last days. Hence, the lack of posting. Have no fear, though. You're about to be overloaded with pictures. Lots of 'em. Some of the pictures are from my sweet clients in the upstate of South Carolina. I came across a jewel of a downtown while I was up there. I so wished I could move that downtown to here! Alas, Bluffton has a few perks of its own, as you see! Enjoy!!

{location, location, location}

2011-03-09T19:46:00.004-05:00

One of the most fun ("funnest") things about photography is discovering new places to do photo sessions. This past weekend, I went to three brand new places, and I loved them all! Two were centered around barns, but each one has such a unique flair to it. And then this AMAZING playground with one of the most stunning backgrounds . . . seriously, I was in photographer heaven! All of the families were SO much fun to photograph, and I can't wait to have more families to photograph out at these places! If YOU have a place to suggest, I'm all ears!!

{missing.teeth.and.a.cute.bump}

2011-03-03T14:54:00.005-05:00

The {c} family was a delight to photograph! Don't you love the missing teeth?? Aren't the girls so precious together? And what about this beauty of a pregnant girl? How in the world do people look like this when their pregnant? Really? Can't wait to meet mr. {m} in a month or so!!

{out.of.towners}

2011-03-03T14:41:00.003-05:00

I am always floored when someone from out of town calls/e-mails to schedule a photo appointment with me! This is my second opportunity to photograph the {b} family, and I loved every minute of it! They even brought their newest addition along - a sweet baby boy! Poor baby was so cold, but he was a doll just the same. And that little girl - isn't she PRECIOUS? She made me smile the whole time!

{i.heart.faces.heads.shoulders.knees.and.toes}

2011-02-28T13:22:00.002-05:00

I know I just posted this picture from a most recent session, but as soon as I read the contest for sweet sixteen birthday with a bash where everyone had to get all dressed up! But, the best part was that several of her family members wore Converse shoes in honor of diabetics like this sweet young lady. SO FUN, right? The colors were amazing, and I just loved the contrast of the formal attire with these Converse shoes. Head on over to http://iheartfaces.com to see more of anything but faces!

{stunning.sweet.sixteen}

2011-02-25T19:31:00.005-05:00

This stunning young lady just celebrated her sixteenth birthday and, from what I understand, had quite the bash! Two things I'm sure of - (1) I never, ever looked like this at sixteen (or any age for that matter) and (2) I can't remember what I did for my sixteenth birthday. I feel the need for a counseling session. :-)

{fun!}

2011-02-25T09:34:00.005-05:00

I was out at one of my favorite locations with a super sweet and fun family, and it was just one of those times that I was reminded how fun a photo session is when it's relaxed! I loved that the parents were not at all stressed about keeping the kiddos in a certain spot, but, instead just let me capture them as they wandered about. Of course, I made suggestions and had chair out at a random (well lighted!) spots, but some of my favorites occurred in unexpected places. I think that's a huge difference in custom, on location photography versus a Sears portrait type studio. Kids just seem so much more at ease and act like themselves! Of course, there are still tantrums and snack demands, but, overall, I just feel so blessed to capture these kinds of moments.

{sweet.baby.boys}

2011-02-25T09:22:00.005-05:00

I had the utmost privilege of capturing some sweet moments of two brand new baby boys last weekend. They were oh so sweet and precious, and I just loved my time with them. I feel so honored that these brand new moms and dads allowed me to photograph these two tiny ones and have forever memories. The little one in the marine bib gets a special shout out because his precious daddy is still serving our country overseas. Pray for that momma as she has the first few months of this brand new baby to do alone. And can you stand the Texas longhorn hat on the other sweet boy? HOW PRECIOUS!

{fabulous.frames}

2011-02-18T12:28:00.003-05:00

I wanted to feature some oh so fabulous picture frames that I've just discovered! Aren't they so fun? So here's the deal . . . they are a bit pricey, BUT for those of you considering a canvas, I highly recommend that you think about investing in a really amazing frame instead. Then, as your kiddos change (because they do . . . ALL of the time!), you can just switch out the picture rather than having this big ol' canvas that no longer looks like you're kiddo(s). Does that make sense? I'd much rather have a frame that I can keep up forever and paying $15-$20 to replace the print. I've ordered several sample frames in a couple of super fun colors, so if you're interested in looking closer at them, they should be in by the second week in March! I'd love for you to swing by and see them up close and personal! What do you guys think?

{braden.in.a.bucket}

2011-02-17T10:55:00.005-05:00

So I love putting little ones into buckets, baskets, and the like. First of all, they look SO DARN CUTE. And, second of all, they can't escape. :-) However, it's quite fun to see how they TRY to escape. And Braden was quite the escape artist! He figured it out pretty quickly - thank goodness for a fast camera! Isn't he a DOLL?

{when.i.grow.up}

2011-02-12T15:58:00.002-05:00

So the other week, the topic of "what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up" came up between my two little girls. For whatever reason, my girls are fascinated with restaurants. I really have no idea why. Whatever the reason, Delaney declares that she will be a Kobe food worker, playing that part of Jasmine, costume and all. For those of you unfamiliar with Kobe, it is a Japanese style restaurant where they come and cook at your table with lots of fire and fun. We took Willy to Kobe for his birthday, and ever since, Delaney has been fascinated. Obsessed, really. Anyway, I wanted to make sure I understood Delaney, so I said, "So, you want to cook with all of the fire in a Jasmine outfit?" A most assured "yes." For those of you unfamiliar with a Jasmine costume, it requires a good amount of belly showing with basically a bikini top and then parachute pants from the eighties. For those of you unfamiliar with the Powell genetic make up, we are not really the belly showing type. At least, we shouldn't be. And, with fire involved, I'm thinking this may not be the wisest choice of outfit. Of course,

Addy must put in her two cents as well, so she declares that she will be working at an underwater Chic-Fil-A with a water slide, playing the part of Ariel. Now, I must give it to Addy that she might just be onto something. An underwater Chic-Fil-A? I wonder if it's ever been brought up. Of course, there's the minor issues of how do people breathe, how does the food stay dry, how do you even cook the food . . . But, again, minor details. Now, I'm sure most of you are familiar with an above ground Chic-Fil-A. For those of you unfamiliar with Ariel's costume, it also requires a good amount of belly showing and then there's the whole mermaid tale trade for legs. Refer to reason above for why this is not a good idea.

We'll continue to discuss.

{stunning.seniors}

2011-02-08T14:13:00.005-05:00

I have had so much fun photographing senior girls lately! Unlike my tiny clients, these girls listen to every direction and not even once did they throw a fit! As I was photographing these gorgeous girls, I couldn't help but think - holy cow, I never looked like THAT as a senior! No really, I didn't. As in, not.at.all. I would post a picture of me as a high school senior, but it would so pale in comparison to how stunning these girls are! SERIOUSLY?

{not.what.i.expected}

2011-02-06T20:39:00.002-05:00

Have you ever imagined something one way and then it's something totally different? And not a good different? This is one of those times.

My sweet husband and I embarked on a precious two night getaway to Awendaw, South Carolina this past Thursday. Willy (my husband) loves to research on the Internet and had found us a "cabin" (I will use that term loosely) for us to stay in and just enjoy being together and alone, as in free from children. Hallelujah. (I really do love my little girls. But every now and then I get the urge to run away. I don't run away. But I think about it.)

Anyway, we turn onto the muddy road our "cabin" is on, follow the directions and . . . there it is. It is not what I had in mind. But, praying for a good attitude and positive perspective (don't pray for those . . . God will test you. Like immediately), I hop out of the car and hope we're at the wrong place. We are not. The "cabin" is in the backyard of the owners' home. As in, I could spit on their front porch from where the "cabin" was located. As we enter the outdoor kitchen, I look to the right and realize that our living area is also outdoor, complete with two well loved couches. Did I mention it's 40 degrees and raining? As we head inside, it's quite tiny, which is not a problem, but I begin fervently searching for a shower. The shower is located in a different area outside of the cabin. DID I MENTION IT'S FORTY DEGREES AND RAINING? AND, I don't camp. Ever. This feels much like camping. I begin to become visibly unhappy. My sweet husband suggests we take a walk.

The walk only confirms my desire to go home. Without trying to be dramatic, we go through the, "Do YOU want to leave." "Well, do YOU want to leave?" "Do YOU want to leave." You get the idea. I want to leave, of course, but I want this to be my sweet husband's idea. To my relief, he decides to leave. Being two non confrontational people, neither of us wants to go to the owners' house and tell them of our decision to get the heck out of there. To my sweet husband's relief, they're not home. So we throw everything in the car as fast as possible (this will pose a problem later) and high tail it out of there, never to return.

Or so we think. Gratefully, Willy gets in touch with an inn in Charleston (he refuses to go home -we have free babysitting, after all!) and gets us set up with a room. At this point ANYTHING will look lovely. We check in, have a great dinner, etc., etc. All is well that ends well, right?

Wrong.

The next morning, I go in search of the library books that we had checked out, as I was so excited about reading IN PEACE. I ask Willy if he's seen the library books. Nope. He trudges to the car, only to find out that WE FORGOT THEM AT THE "CABIN." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Willy decides to call the library and do a hypothetical, "If we lost these three books, what's the cost?" Turns out to be $90.00. SERIOUSLY? FOR THREE BOOKS? We must return to the "cabin." NOOOOOOOO. We finally get a hold of the owner and have to confront the situation. Gratefully, there's really no hard feelings. (This HAD to have happened before, right?) She even offers us a baby goat. WHAT? Um, no thanks. We're not really goat people.

So, we return to the cabin. I run in, grab the books, and my van squeals out of there. Never to return.

And this time we don't. We enjoy the rest of our time in Charleston, only having a few minor bumps in the road, like being forgotten at Starbucks and the Apple Store. We never go to Starbucks, since we're not coffee drinkers, but I had a gift card, so we decided to stop for hot chocolate. Twenty minutes later, we still don't have our drink. We decide it must be a very special drink. Clearly, Starbucks would be out of business if people had to wait 20 minutes for a drink. We don't think of this. Once we've read EVERYTHING in Starbucks (I can tell you all of the artsy events coming to Charleston for the next month or so), Willy finally meanders back up to the Starbucks person (remember, we're non confrontational) to check on the status of our drink. They had forgotten about us. This kind of thing happened again at the Apple store, as punks walked in, got help and walked out, while I sit with my poor Iphone, awaiting a new screen because, apparently, the screen shatters pretty easily when you drop it in the parking lot. Who knew? Gratefully, after looking pitiful for a half hour, we are helped and in 10 minutes, my phone is fixed . . . for a small fee, of course. We get to read those pricey library books in peace, have a lovely dinner without anyone crying or asking how many more bites, etc. etc. and the rest is fairly normal.

And thus concludes our adventure. For now. Not what you expected, right?

{i.heart.faces.best.face.of.jan.2011}

2011-01-31T20:41:00.005-05:00

Just when I thought that business would be pretty slow for January, God showered me once again with ample opportunities to meet fabulous people and capture their precious faces for a few sweet moments in time. As always, I have such a hard time choosing!! Here's one of my faves! This BEAUTIFUL little girl had me smiling the whole time - isn't her smile contagious!?! Head on over to http://iheartfaces.com for more amazing faces . . . Oh, and it's "people's choice" week, so you can vote for your faves!

{any.day.now}

2011-01-28T13:36:00.002-05:00

On an INCREDIBLY FREEZING afternoon last Saturday (it actually SNOWED that morning!!), this beautiful, brave expecting momma headed out with me to a super windy beach to grab a few pictures of her cute belly. (How come mine wasn't so cute??) Anyway, the main reason that she wanted these pictures was to show her hero of a husband, who is currently serving in Afghanistan and, sadly, won't be home to greet his new baby boy until May. I am so very grateful for the brave men & women who sacrifice so much for our amazing freedom. He should be awfully proud of this gorgeous momma-to-be!

{location.location.location.and.a.beautiful.little.girl}

2011-01-27T13:08:00.004-05:00

I'm constantly scouting around for new photography locations. I love color, old buildings, stairs, anything broken down . . . leave a comment if you have any suggestions! Anyway, this particular location was found through no scouting of my own. It was a STUNNING, AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS plantation, complete with ruins, a line of oaks, a duck pond, and about 10,000 other fun spots. As soon as I pulled up, I was in love and, had the sun not gone down, my sweet little client may have been out there for hours. :-) I could totally shoot out there ALL OF THE TIME. Thank you, thank you to the owners for letting us tromp around on your grounds. I felt just slightly cool. AND can you stand how BEAUTIFUL this little girl is? LOVE her pink cowboy boots, and her dress is just plain FABULOUS. Can you stand it??

{i.heart.faces.innocent.wonder}

2011-01-25T14:15:00.002-05:00

So this theme could be played out in any number of ways, and I only picked 20 or 30 that would work. According to rules, however, just one picture is necessary, so here's the one. :-) I love photographing kiddos that are around 2 years old (minus the tantrums and constant need for a snack) because they are the picture of innocence. I can play all kinds of games with them, and they never roll their eyes or think I'm crazy. For this particular picture, I asked this {gorgeous} little fella if he thought anyone was inside the building. And, could he find a key? Well, he went right to wondering about who might be in there and where in the world was a key. And this look in his eyes is just full of innocence and wonder. When did we stop thinking that maybe, just maybe, something wondrous could happen, even when it just looks like an old, white door? Add some wonder to your day by heading over to http://iheartfaces.com.

{playin' in the rain}

2011-01-21T14:01:00.005-05:00

For Addy's birthday, both girls received the most ADORABLE rain gear from our sweet Mimi. So, of course, at the first hint of rain we had to don all of our gear and get on out there. (Never mind Addy had been throwing up that morning. Apparently, she recovers quickly. Me not so much.) Now if only someone could explain to Addy that, no, rain boots do NOT go with everything. :-) (No, seriously, she's been wearing them every day. With sparkly leggings. Because sparkly leggings go with everything too.) Pick your battles, right?

{'cause it's my birthday}

2011-01-17T14:20:00.004-05:00

So I'm two days late, but be assured I didn't miss a moment of my baby girl's FOURTH birthday. Yes, FOURTH. I almost choke every time I have to say how old she is. For heaven's sake, didn't I just bring that child home? Oh, but it would be hard to forget Addy's baby years, as she hardly slept so we had plenty of time to bond. While my little Addy has always been a bit of a challenge, it's in that challenge that we have found the deepest love possible for our little blond headed bomb shell. She's the one who will wear the same outfit multiple days - no weeks - in a row just because she wants to see how long she can go before I'm completely irritated. Currently, she's trying to see how many days she can wear her rain boots - even though it's completely sunny outside. They go with everything, you know. She's the one who refuses to follow the crowd because there isn't any fun in that. In fact, she'll see what everyone else is eating at lunch - and then choose something totally different. She's not a people pleaser - she really could care very little about whether you like her or not. But if you win her love, oh, you'll never want to let it go. She has the most beautiful laugh - one that, even if I've absolutely had it with her, I can't help but join in. It's like music that you want to replay over and over again. And there's the love of books that I just can't get over. I really have never seen someone so into books as my Addy girl. Her books are her treasures, and she tells the most fantastic stories as she flips the pages of book after book after book. This birthday, Addy really got that is was HER birthday - and she milked it for all it was worth. "I should go first," she'd say, "'cause it's my birthday." "I should eat this lollipop BEFORE breakfast . . . 'cause it's my birthday." "I should behave horribly and not get in trouble . . . 'cause it's my birthday." "I should tell everyone what to do . . . 'cause it's my birthday." Yep. She totally got it. If she could only stay little.

{dance, dance, dance}

2011-01-12T13:49:00.002-05:00

So for Christmas this year, we asked for help in paying for dance lessons for our two little girls. (Dance lessons in Bluffton are, well, not cheap. Apparently if you live near Hilton Head, you must be wealthy. So.not.true) Anyway, several of our precious family members stepped up to the plate to contribute to our girls' dream of donning tutus and ballet slippers! So, of course, I tried to snag a few pictures on the opening day of dance class of each girl, despite their bouncing-off-the-walls excitement. As I told the dance director, we're not looking for professional dance scholarships. We're just looking for an excuse to get all dressed up and make lots of noise while some precious teacher tries to maintain order in dance class full of giggly girls. Enjoy!

{i.heart.faces.smile.week}

2011-01-10T12:40:00.004-05:00

For those of you child photogs out there, you know that a smile doesn't always come easy . . . especially from your own children. It seems that the camera loses its magic when seen daily. :-) (ANYBODY??) BUT, praise God for my two girlies who LOVE to smile and who have such joyful spirits . . . most of the time. Before our very first dance lesson last Monday, I was grabbing a few photos of my oldest daughter, all decked out in her dance outfit, when my youngest decided to steal the camera for a moment. And steal she did. Can you stand it? This is her new smile when you ask her to smile. At least we know she has all her teeth!! Head on over to www.iheartfaces.com for more smiling than you can stand. I bet ya can't resist a smile of your own!

{relax}

2011-01-05T12:25:00.003-05:00

Often when a photo shoot is scheduled with a family for the first time, someone shows up tense. Nervous. Uptight. It's usually the mom. Why? Because moms are hoping for perfection but realistic enough to know it's not likely. But once a family knows me and sees what happens in a typical shoot, it's so much fun the next time around. This precious family has been so supportive of me from the very beginning, as each of the kiddos birthdays is consistently marked with a photo shoot. And so now everyone just shows up, no one's stressin', and it's just a ton of fun filled with genuine pictures. So relax. Your pictures will be perfectly imperfect. Just the way they should be.

{embrace.the.chaos}

2011-01-04T20:12:00.002-05:00

I love this family. They are so much fun to be around, and I don't feel so pressured to get "the" shot, as they happen to like the chaos. Which is good. Because it was chaos with five grandchildren, four parents, and two grandparents just days after Christmas. But doesn't it look like a blast. They may have left stressed out, but I left absolutely lovin' what I do.

{i.heart.faces.best.face.2010}

2011-01-04T19:42:00.004-05:00

Holy cow. It has been an incredible, crazy, whirlwind of 2010! Clearly, October, November, and December left me little time to blog, much less enter the i.heart.faces contests like I love to do. This week's challenge is to select the best face picture from 2010. ARE YOU KIDDING? HOW do I choose? WHO do I choose? So I just decided to select one from my very last session of 2010. I've been trying some new editing techniques in the last few weeks now that I actually have a little time to breathe. I've realized how easy it is to OVER edit once you learn so many fun techniques, tricks and actions. So I'm trying to go simpler. Cleaner. But with plenty of silly goose fun. Check out some amazing faces by clicking on the camera above or simply go to http://iheartfaces.com.

Happy New Year y'all!

{breathe}

2010-12-14T12:49:00.018-05:00

Obviously, this blog has been severely neglected, much like our fish that swims around happily, even when someone named Addy tries to "pet" her or someone named Delaney feeds her every 4 days. Clearly, the Christmas season is in full swing, as I stopped breathing momentarily when I realized I had about 2 weeks before Christmas and, umm, Christmas shopping had barely commenced. Alas, in case you're worried, Amazon.com is my new friend, and, ta-da, Christmas shopping is done. (And isn't it fun to get boxes on your front porch?) The time just before Thanksgiving until just about now always does me in and leaves me in desperate need of a break. I must admit that I've wanted to throw my camera and my computer at various times over the past week, but, now, it's all worth it, as I've just a few things to tie up and I.am.done!! Of course, I'll be hoping for someone to call me and take pictures for them in a few days but, for now, I'm loving this time to enjoy my sweet girlies and my precious husband. Christmas is absolutely my most favorite time of the year, and I'm looking forward to soaking up every precious moment. Thank you to each and every one of you who have encouraged and supported me. God is amazing, isn't He? So, go on, celebrate with your family. And don't forget to breathe.

Can you stand how BEAUTIFUL everyone is????

{most.grateful}

2010-11-23T14:01:00.012-05:00

Wow. I am so very grateful for the way God has so creatively and abundantly blessed my most precious family. And I am overwhelmed with gratitude to each and every family that has trusted me enough with their sweet memories. What a privilege. God does indeed give us more than we could ask or imagine . . . He is the God Who made the sun stand still for Joshua, He is the God who piled the waters high so the Israelites could pass through . . . He is the same God today, and He'll be the same God tomorrow.

{it's.11:35.pm}

2010-11-12T23:35:00.006-05:00

Holy cow. If you know me at all, you know I don't stay up much past nine pm for ANYTHING. I mean anything. And, yet, here it is at 11:35 pm, and I'm trying to sneak in just a few more edits before I lay my head down. Y'all know that means it's crazy busy right now. Hence the neglected blog. Oh I've had SO much fun with so many different kiddos and their families! I love capturing the beauty in everyone - it's there, you know. Just look and see.