A New Addition to Our Family... 2010-01-03

No...not THAT kind of addition!

This kind is the four-legged variety! It's been about five years since we had a pet in the house and while I must admit it was nice to not have to worry about cat hair on my wool coat or letting the dog out on an absolutely frigid morning, I also missed things like the purr of a happy cat (my grandfather used to tell me was the cat's motor), and the warmth that an animal can bring to cold feet in the wintertime! The kids were wanting a pet to play with and take care of (it's never too early to start teaching about responsibility), so when I heard about this kitten needing a home (and the fact that it was going to go to the shelter...aka kitty prison) my heart melted a little. Isaac wasn't completely sold on the idea. "You'll never see me overjoyed to have a cat", he said. But guess who was playing with that kitten the first night we brought him home? :)

So I'm pleased to introduce Leonardo Pepperjack Claypool, Leo for short. Yes...the kids named him.


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Baby Blake 2010-01-13

Kathy and Tom got their Christmas present a little early this past year. Baby Blake arrived December 19th! His parents are clearly over the moon, and he is just a tiny bundle of CUTE! Check out a few pics from Blake's first photo shoot!



A little Daddy time...




He's so aware of everything going on around him...








A little time with Mommy...



And the new family...


Who can resist all the baby details?? Baby blankets, baby booties, baby hands...





Baby feet...




And then he fell asleep...












And one more moment with the new Mom and Dad...



Kathy and Tom, I can't thank you enough for having me there to document not just your wedding day years ago, but to chronicle the beginings of your beautiful family. Congratulations! (more...)

Courage 2010-01-25

I have written before that I knew I wanted to be a photographer at a pretty early age. At just 12 years of age, I could see it…literally. I would close my eyes and see myself flying over a herd of wild zebras on the savannah shooting them as they sped along (maybe there were just too many National Geographics hanging around at our house), There were times I would invite my friends over to play dress up, and then “model shoot” (seriously…I still have a few of those shots laying around somewhere).

There were a few years between then and the time I graduated from high school though, And even more before I graduated from college. There were times that vision of me as a photographer wasn’t quite so clear anymore. “Be safe”, other voices told me. So the plan of being a photographer got interrupted from time to time while I completed my degree in that quote-unquote “safe” field. But it seemed like every time I would let myself drift away from the camera, something would end up leading me right back to it…And I am so glad it did.

I do believe that we are all given our special gifts in life, and our job is to figure out what it is and pursue it. Only when we do that will be ever achieve pure happiness. It sounds so obvious and maybe a little cliché, but it is the absolute truth. Believing that is the easy part, having the courage to go out on that limb and actually do it, well…that’s a little harder. Like jumping from a high dive, courage to pursue your passion takes a lot of deep breaths, stepping back and looking at the big picture, and asking yourself some really hard questions. But in the end, we take that plunge; fell the rush of the jump and the splash of that cool water that is justification that we have done the right thing.

Aside from the love of my husband and family, photography is what moves me, it’s what makes me breathe. My job is capture emotions, people, events and the little glances that make up life…and it just doesn’t get any better than that!

At the risk of sharing way too much here, I am posting this photo almost against my better judgment. I found it during a recent trip to my Dad’s place and it really summed up the paths both my younger brother and I chose. It’s a photo I took complete with a blue construction paper backdrop (too look like the sky. Remember…age 12) of a scale-model of the space shuttle my brother made out of modeling clay. He is now…you guessed it, an engineer. If there’s a message in this, it’s “Parents: Encourage your little ones to pursue their dreams at the earliest possible moment”. Because they may just know exactly where they’re headed.

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Flowers... 2010-01-27

Flowers! Who doesn't love flowers? They're part of what makes a wedding a wedding, and part of each bride's individual style that make her day so unique! Check these out...

Top left: Orchids and Ivy created this masterpiece for Celeste's September wedding to Adam at Bryn Du Mansion. Top right: The orange calla lilly creation that Bloomtastic fashioned for Amanda's wedding to Steve. Bottom right: Katie's one-of-a-kind bouquet was made by All in Bloom. Bottom right: Bloomtastic's gorgeous bouquet for Leigh-Ann. Top left: Sarah's red rose, and feathered bouquet by Costco. Top right: Rosary detail on Sarah's bouquet. Bottom left: Heather's carried a sunflower-inspired arrangement by Conell's Maple Lee for her June wedding to Jon. Bottom right: Amanda's gorgeous hand-made bouquet of ivory roses, white ranunclulus and star of Bethlehem (yeah, she made it herself...you can check out the details here.)
We can't forget about the boys! Top left: Adam's boutonniere (Orchids and Ivy), Top right: Samer's rose was a perfect match for Leigh-Ann's bouquet above (Bloomtastic). Bottom left: All in Bloom created this unique piece for Eric's lapel. Bottom right: Jon's boutonniere for his wedding to Heather at Pinnacle Golf Club (Connel's Mapple Lee).

And how about bridesmaids? Featured here are (clockwise from top left) Orchids and Ivy, All in Bloom, Leaha's handmade daisies with nautical detail, Costco, and Bloomtastic's calla lillies.


The flowers don't end after the ceremony! Stay tuned for featured cakes!



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Mmmmm, Cake! 2010-01-28

In Roman times, newly married couples would have a loaf of bread broken over their heads to bring them luck and prosperity. Thousands of years later, that tradition has given way to the wedding cake! Layers and layers of confection and true art that is usually less messy than bread being broken over one's head!

Check out some of these amazing cakes!


Top left: This Fourth of July masterpiece complete with festoons and fondant swags was created for Brent and Leaha's south Florida wedding by Jan from Cake Creations by Jan. Top right: Scrumptious Crumbs made this bejeweled, ribboned cake for Sara and Chuck's wedding. Bottom right: La Bella Torta created this monogrammed design for Amanda and Jon's wedding in April. Bottom left: Misty and Kenny chose a floral cake from Linda's Cakes.




Top left: Celeste and Adam got to cut into this beautiful cake with lavender accents by Dodie Tipple. Top right: Golden Delight made this tiered tower for Leigh-Ann and Samer's wedding in May. Bottom right: Bella Luna designed and baked this one-of-a-kind confection for Katie and Eric's weddiing in October. Bottom left: Amanda and Steven chose a three-tiered, ribboned design from Alice's Piece of Cake. (more...)