The loves of my life.

Feeling the love... | Thanks!

I just wanted to say that I am totally feelin' the love! I've recently gotten so many new inquiries for weddings and fun shoots, as well as emails from aspiring photographers and random blog followers that are coming forward and introducing themselves! It's so great to hear that this little blog o' mine has connected me with so many wonderful people!

Last year was a great year for my business but so many times I felt overwhelmed and overbooked. This past winter has been a great break, not only because I have a beautiful new baby but I also had the chance to step back from work and reflect.

My challenge right now and for the rest of the year will be to find that perfect balance of work and play. I will be cutting back on weddings and sessions so if you have specific dates in mind it's never too early to get on the schedule!

A couple of heads up:

June weekends are booked
November weekends are booked

These are filled with weddings and I will not be booking on Sundays. Please plan accordingly because I really hate to say "no" when contacted for a session but this year I am sticking to my rules as a promise to Oliver. :)

Christina and Ben | Minneapolis Engagement Session

I'm baaaack! I was so excited to shoot this session today, it's been months since I've shot an engagement session and they are one of my favorite types of sessions. What better couple to kick things off than Christina and Ben?

I am so lucky. It was like a day of shooting models!
Ode to Sixteen Candles.

One of my faves:



I can't get enough of the light rail!
Another fave:
I was freaking out about this light... and we found green grass!


Thanks guys! SO excited to shoot your wedding!

Olive and Oliver

It was almost a year ago when Megan first contacted me. She was just starting up her business and had some questions for me. Since then she's helped me with a couple of weddings and we've become friends. You may remember these photos I shot with her husband... well, it was a big secret at the time but we were both newly pregnant when these photos were taken!

Her due date was February 14th and mine was February 15th. She ended up having Olive on February 15th and I ended up having Oliver on February 14th!

Today I got to meet Olive and I got a photo of the two together at the end of our quick little visit.

I am so thankful for all of the wonderful local photographers I can now call friends that I've met over the years!

Happiness.

One month old!

First of all, I'd like to thank my Sleepy Wrap for allowing me to get this post done.
I started my morning with Aidan sitting in this chair by the window in this moody light. I HAD to grab some photos and thankfully he let me! I tried to get him to smile and he said, "But Mama, remember you said I look funny when I fake smile?" haha

Then it was Oliver's turn. Here are some of his random faces these days:

These were taken on Sunday for his one month photos. I can't believe it's been a month already! I hope he keeps his blue eyes!
Yes. I tattooed my baby. See, shortly after he was tatted, he immediately got into the role:
He started trying to hold his head up at just 2 weeks. He can be freakishly strong at times!
Ahhh... what a proud mother I am. :)
For the most part, Oliver is doing great. He's still not sleeping for long stretches at a time so sleep deprivation is still rearing its ugly head. I am in total denial that my full time leave is coming to an end. I have my first shoot scheduled for this weekend as I slowly start to accept shoots. Don't get me wrong, I am anxious to start shooting and I miss it, but I don't feel like I have anything under control at home yet so throwing work into the mix is going to be challenging.

I've been trying to stay on top of emails as best as I can, but if you've emailed and hadn't heard back yet, be patient, I'm doing my best!

btw- yay for Spring! I'm so excited!

Daisy Fields | Gap

Oh my goodness, I want to photograph a cute little girl in this outfit in a field with my green couch! So. in. love. It's only $96.50 if anyone wants to buy it. :)

Baby items | my favorite things

Since I'm in baby mode I thought I'd post some of my favorite baby items. I'm amazed at all of the baby "stuff" out there that you're led to believe you think you *need*. This time around since it's our third and final child, we are trying to only buy the absolute necessities unlike with our first where we registered and received every possible baby item there is! By the time you have your third you just realize what a waste certain things are.

Boppy: This is nothing new and we had one years ago with the boys but I just wanted to state this is an absolute must! If you are on the fence about getting one, there is no decision to make. You NEED one.
This is also a must in my opinion. Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle: We received one in the hospital and it has been the *best* thing we have that we never had before. I hated swaddling before because my boys always squirmed their way out the blankets and it was just a pain. These are so warm and cozy and really help keep the baby firm instead of floppy. I always wrap him up before my older boys hold him so he's not so fragile and vulnerable.
I don't actually have this but I saw it at Target yesterday and thought it was so cute! Boon Grass Drying Rack:
Children's Place Stretchies: These are great pajamas because they are fitted to little newborn bodies and have a zipper! Very convenient for middle of the night diaper changes.
Baby Trend Snap 'N Go Stroller: I ended up getting a great deal on a Chicco Keyfit30 carseat on craigslist but didn't have the matching stroller to turn it into a travel system. This inexpensive little stroller does the trick! I hate to invest a lot of money during the infant stage because it goes by so fast. This is perfect.
Tommee Tippee milk bibs: These are great for the occasional newborn bottle feeding. The neck hole is small enough and there is a wide padded lip around it to catch and absorb the excess milk. Plus they're super soft!
My favorite Etsy stores:

Nini's Handmades:

Laundry Monster:

Nissa Lisa:


There are SO many other talented artists on Etsy and this list could be endless. If you're looking for great and unique outfits and accessories for your next photo shoot, don't forget Etsy! Often times parents feel limited to whatever Gap or Old Navy has out but don't be afraid to think outside the box or mix and match! Always feel free to email me for clothing ideas, I'd love to help!

One last newborn tip: Oliver just had his first newborn tub bath. He has HATED baths from birth but I finally figured out how to bathe him without freaking him out. I wrapped him in this thin towel and lowered him into the water while he was still wrapped up. I knew he hated the feeling of the hard plastic tub on his skin so this trick worked and he enjoyed his first bath!
Feel free to share your favorite products or tips. Is there anything I am missing? I can't believe how fast this time is flying by! I already have a couple of shoots scheduled later this month!

18 days old

Oliver's Birth Announcement

This is Oliver's official birth announcement. I found this hat on Etsy and fell in love. I spent a week brainstorming what to do with the announcement, then it hit me! Since it was a cupcake hat, the birth announcement HAD to be a recipe card! I was so excited, I had it designed in one night while I was still pregnant. I photographed him when he was just 4 days old.

See the white blanket? Well, originally I intended for him to be naked in the photograph, but two minutes into shooting he decided to poop! He was so content and I didn't want to disrupt the peace (I had spent all morning getting him happy!), so I just kept shooting and folded up the blanket to cover the mess. Now that's a story to tell him someday. :)

Here are a few shots taken when he was 6 days old. He's still a bit jaundiced in the photos.



This shot is truly a gem. He was sleeping on the couch and I happened to have my camera sitting there. I picked it up to get a shot of him sleeping and he suddenly smiled like crazy! I think he was having a good dream!
The boys love having him around and are always asking to hold him. Aidan especially loves to cuddle with him. They've been such good helpers and they look forward to playing with him when he gets a bit older.
Life at home with Oliver has been great so far! He's a very good baby and is pretty much only fussy when he's hungry. Feeding him, however, has been a full-time job! It's been 6 years since I've taken care of a newborn and I forget how demanding their schedule is. I thought they were supposed to sleep all of the time? :) I don't have much time between feedings and being sleep deprived so the computer, dishes, and everything else just has to wait!

Thanks for sticking with me and I'll try to update more often (as my schedule allows). Thanks for all of the well wishes! We are truly blessed to have him!