Easter AND New York

We had a wonderful Easter weekend which I kicked off Thursday afternoon when I took Jack to see Hop. It was an adorable movie and he is always so good at the show. He just sat and ate his popcorn and drank his Coke...too cute!


Then Friday evening was dinner and a movie with the girls. We ate at Global Gourmet in Carbondale (which was amazing) and saw Water for Elephants on opening night! We had a blast and have decided to turn it into a monthly tradition!


Also, if you live in or around Southern Illinois you know it was a crappy weather weekend. So no outside Easter egg hunts and no picture taking. VERY disappointing! Yesterday was lunch with Bronson's dad and Suzanne and family and this morning was breakfast at our house. But I did snap a few pics at the farm several weeks ago. Taking pictures of my son is getting increasingly more like herding cats, but I got a few that were worth sharing...















And finally all the MAJOR work stress I've been dealing with over the last month or so is coming to a close...but not before I have to spend a week in Rye Brook, NY (which is quite literally a stone's throw from Connecticut) for live training. I'm excited to finally have the "King Integration Training" behind me and also kind of excited to check out Pfizer's compound. I hear The Learning Center is state of the art and the hotel looks pretty sweet too.....

Doral Arrowwood Resort










Unfortunately this means I'll be signing off for the next week, but I'll have plenty to catch up on when I return!

Some MUCH Needed Rest & Relaxation

This weekend my mom, Jack and myself travel to St. Louis for a little get away. It was a trip with many purposes...I got some late birthday shopping in from my mom and dad, we both had a list of several must get items to fulfill, and most of all, we just needed some time away.

We visited all our favorite places. We ate at The Cheesecake Factory and The Macaroni Grill and I got some AMAZING deals at my favorite retailers (The Loft, Ann Taylor and The Limited)...and by the way, all three stores had 40% off everything! We picked a great weekend to "get away"! :) Plus I had coupons on top of all that great savings. I even crossed over to my mom's store, Coldwater Creek, for a couple purchases....and trust me, I really didn't want to love anything in that store, but these two things might have found their way home with me...


I LOVE this top...





...and as far as the white jeans go, hand's down the most comfortable I've ever put on....I'm really not kidding, although I wish I was. But really the fit was pretty fantastic too! Don't worry, I'm not sporting the "mom jeans" just yet!





I've also been coveting some great flats lately. I was going for subtle and classy, yet comfy and I finally made my decision and went with these from Cole Haan. And you know me, I never buy without a sale or coupon. So I took advantage of their "Soles4Souls" program and donated a pair of shoes and received an extra 20% off my purchases! It was a win win!!

Easter Special Success

Here are a few of my favorite shots from my recent Easter special last Saturday. I was a little worried about the weather, but fortunately the rain held off and the day turned out to be beautiful!

And again, these pictures are further proof that I truly have the cutest clients! I had so much fun taking pictures of these little cuties dressed in their Easter Sunday best!

*Also, a big thanks to my mom (aka, the "Bunny Wrangler"). Because of her, I was able to return the borrowed bunny back to the Williamson Co. Animal Shelter all in one piece!

.....and Thomas the Train it is!

I plan one big party every year and that is for my son's birthday. I usually spend a lot of time, and more money than I'd like to mention, even though a lot of my decorations and details are DIY. And needless to say, Bronson cringes every year as well. I always gear up around spring time and I'm ready to start planning. Now keep in mind Jack's birthday is June 24th and it's now April 10th. What can I say...I'm a planner!


But I have tried to convince Jack that we need a Cat in the Hat party....believe me, I'VE TRIED, to no avail! How cute would it be to have all red and white decorations with everything in rhyme? I know...I'm disappointed too! So, Thomas the Train it is! I've been thinking and planning and I'm so excited this year he will actually be old enough to have friends over and they can play and have fun! So here are just a few pics to give you an idea of what I'm planning...


A great party always includes great desserts! I've employed the help of Jen at All Things Exquisite (who is an Etsy seller that lives in Utah) to make some adorable cookies for the party. If you check out her site to will see she's SUPER talented and pretty reasonably priced.




I've also put a deposit down on this bounce house so Jack and all his friends can jump around (in the comfort of our backyard) like little crazies!! But I'm not telling Jack. It will be one of his birthday surprises. It's kind of nice being able to celebrate with his party on his actual birthday this year!





I have a few more goodies up my sleeve but you'll just have to stay tuned for those! I just hope I can pull together a successful Thomas party for my little boy and one the adults can enjoy as well!

A Vintage-Style Shoot

I have recently gotten my chair back after sending it to get recovered. To jog your memory, I purchased a 1950s era wing-back chair to use as a photo prop. Can I say one more time how much I love this chair?

I have had a very specific look in mind I wanted to capture with this chair. So Suzanne and I headed out to a field behind their house to fulfill my vision, although I was the subject this time! It was definitely a learning experience for both of us....I'm not use to being in front of the camera! Yikes....that's hard work! :)

And when I saw this dress at The Loft, I knew I had not only found my Easter attire and adorable dress really for everyday, but the PERFECT dress for the vintage shoot!! And the "Jackie" pearls were the perfect accessory!

I hope you enjoy viewing the shots we got....Suz did a pretty great job!


















(*The last chair is just another prop I picked up at an antique store as well.)

Wedding Reception Recap

I promise this will be the last Bhrett & Josh wedding post! But I did want to share the reception pictures I took several weeks ago. Almost two weeks after we celebrated the nuptials in Colorado, Bhrett & Josh held a reception here at home for all those who couldn't make it to the actual ceremony. It was definitely a family affair with Bronson on guitar and vocals (again) and me behind the camera. Bhrett has so fondly nicknamed me the "mamarazzi"....pretty cute huh?

To Upgrade or Not....That is the Question!

Without getting too much into camera jargon, I LOVE my 50mm lens. For what I do, in my opinion, it is the perfect focal length. I started with the Canon 50mm/ 1.8 and for Christmas was lucky enough to upgrade my favorite lens to the 50mm/1.4. Now to most of you that means nothing, but money is a language we all speak....so here's the break down. The 1.8 was $100, the best bang for your buck and the 1.4 runs $450. To me, it was totally worth it (or should I say my mom and dad since they are the ones that bought if for me?).

Now for the shocker! The 50mm/1.2 is $1500! That's right, fifteen-hundred. There is no decimal between the 15 and those zeros. Not only do you get the extra stop (which I don't care too much about) but it's made with a special glass that is called "L-glass" by Canon or often referred to as "pro-glass". It apparently costs a lot of money to manufacture!? I've rented pro-glass before but it's been awhile. So I again rented another lens but this time it was the 50mm/1.2. My goal was to see, is it worth it!

Well, here are the few pics I've taken since I've had it. I shot these in the back yard the other night while Jack was running around totally uncooperative like a little hooligan (what else is new?). You can be your own judge, but so far, this girl says....NO WAY. They are good, but not $1000 more good!! Maybe someday if I'm ever a full time professional I will justify such an expense, but for now, I love my 50mm/1.4!