Zander S.
Aren't babies just THE BEST? Yesterday morning, I was able to spend a little time with brand new mom, Katie (you may remember her from our maternity shoot) & her absolutely gorgeous little boy, Zander. Only 10 days new, he still is in that unbelievably cuddly, soft, teeny-tiny stage where every feature looks so delicate and fresh and every movement gets a big "aaahhhh" from onlookers. Love this stage!
Aren't babies just THE BEST? Yesterday morning, I was able to spend a little time with brand new mom, Katie (you may remember her from our maternity shoot) & her absolutely gorgeous little boy, Zander. Only 10 days new, he still is in that unbelievably cuddly, soft, teeny-tiny stage where every feature looks so delicate and fresh and every movement gets a big "aaahhhh" from onlookers. Love this stage!
^ Did you see the little baby toes??? And perfect little baby face??? And all that hair??? (sigh) Seriously, what a way to start my morning! After a really stressful few weeks (#housebuyingisnotfun), this baby-pick-me-up is just what the doctor ordered.
I think one of my favorite parts of being able to photograph newborns, is getting to see all of the brand new baby details: the skin that's so new it's still a little flaky, the barely-there downy hair on their body, tiny ears + adorable cupid-bowed lips.
Man, someone better warn my hubby, too many more of these newborn shoots and I may need an intervention... or a minivan ;)
Zander, you are so loved already. Wake up every morning knowing that you have a wonderful support system around you, a Mom who is smitten by you, heart + soul, and all of the capabilities in the world at your feet.
Welcome to the world, little man.
Reilly M. : Beach Birthday
It's so crazy what a difference a year makes! Last year, Reilly, the fam & I headed out to Oak Island for a beach birthday shoot to celebrate Reilly's 2nd birthday.
Lots of fun, of course, but it's amazing to me how little cake actually made it to her mouth vs. her cute outfit!
It's so crazy what a difference a year makes! Last year, Reilly, the fam & I headed out to Oak Island for a beach birthday shoot to celebrate Reilly's 2nd birthday.
Lots of fun, of course, but it's amazing to me how little cake actually made it to her mouth vs. her cute outfit!
Orange Frosting EVERYWHERE! (2012)
This year, Reilly was happily enjoying the beach, feeding the seagulls, collecting shells on the beach and just generally enjoying her day.
Which of course ended with a bright yellow cupcake and surprisingly little frosting on her clothing :)
She was entirely too cute with her yellow birthday cupcake. Love this girl!
As a child, I would go to the beach with my grandparents and always make a spectacle of myself as I threw slice after slice of bread into the air, surrounded by a ridiculous amount of seagulls. One of the highlights of my childhood memories, and I still like to feed the seagulls to this day. For this shoot, I thought it would be fun to get Reilly in on the act, and to take a few seagull inspired shots for her big day.
Well, apparently my memories seem to have omitted that just a handful of bread can and will bring out a TON of seagulls!
(INSERT SCENE FROM "THE BIRDS" HERE)
So many seagulls came to our bread slice buffet that we had to have Reilly's Dad wander down the beach to give us a little breathing room!
Thank goodness for those Dads who are good sports :)
And speaking of good sports... when Reilly decided she wanted to play "Barbershop" with her Grandpa G, and pulled just a BIT too hard on his hair, let's just say I was "camera-ready". Like I said, definitely a good sport :)
Happy 3rd Birthday, Reilly! I have loved watching you grow up with my lens :)
Stacey K.: An Announcement
Do you know how hard it is for me to keep a secret???
Especially an incredibly happy, exciting, surprise like this???
Do you know how hard it is for me to keep a secret??? Especially an incredibly happy, exciting, surprise like this??? Stacey contacted me a little while ago to fill me on in the scoop: they're expecting!!! Yay! For those of you that have been following along for awhile, Stacey & Jonathan are the proud parents of Elle, the happiest 2 year old I've ever met. She's soon to be a big sister and I seriously can't wait to be that little babe's personal paparazzi! Stacey & Jonathan, I'm so happy for you two and am so excited to meet the next little member of your tribe :)
^ Stacey's big cravings? Oreos & pickles!
Stacey, you're absolutely gorgeous. I know one thing for sure, your children have surely hit the genetic-lottery ;) Congratulations!!!
Elle: 2nd Birthday Shoot
When the chilly weather keeps you inside on photo shoot day, what do you do? Well, if you're Stacey + I, you clear out Stace's front room, whip out the bubble gun and let the newly 2 year old Elle run around indoors where it's nice & cozy!
When the chilly weather keeps you inside on photo shoot day, what do you do? Well, if you're Stacey + I, you clear out Stace's front room, whip out the bubble gun and let the newly 2 year old Elle run around indoors where it's nice & cozy!
Brace yourself.... here comes the 'tude!
Oh yeah, work it, Elle! Feels very "Charlie's Angels" to me, lol. This girl is a NATURAL.
In between all of the bubble madness, we decided to make a break for it and test out the weather for a few backyard pics. My goodness is this little girl stunning, or what?
Back inside we went after it started to get a bit chilly, time to BRING ON THE CAKE! It wouldn't be a birthday without cake now would it? Red Velvet cake...my fave!
What a fun session this was! I cannot believe we're already celebrating your 2nd birthday, Elle! We ended this session with a bang, that's for sure, because Stacey had a little surprise 2nd birthday gift for you, didn't she? You're going to be a BIG SISTER! wooooohoooo! Cannot wait to meet the new family member, I have a feeling my camera is going to be very, very busy ;)
Happy Birthday, Elle and CONGRATULATIONS, Stacey & Jonathan!
Rylan L.: Downtown Wilmington 1st Birthday Shoot
Cupcakes + coffee shops, win-win, am I right?
Cupcakes + coffee shops, win-win, am I right? Well, when Jen and I talked about planning Rylan's official 1st birthday portraits, we had the downtown Wilmington area in mind because of all of the location options you can find there. But what wasn't in the plans was the 40 degree weather and what I'd like to call the "frozen tundra wind tunnel" effect we experienced every time we walked between buildings! We were troopers for a few minutes, just enough time to get a bunch of cute pics of the little birthday boy :)
BRRRRR! -------->
Even with lots of Mom cuddles and his thick hoodie, we knew it was time to get this little guy indoors.
Luckily, we were just steps away from one of my favorite coffee shops, Java Dog Coffee on Front Street in the Cotton Exchange building. Delicious coffee, hot chocolate for the kids, great atmosphere, and dog-friendly! Love this place, if you're in the area do yourself a favor and stop in :)
Once inside, we found a comfy spot next to the window overlooking the downtown area and grabbed a hot chocolate for Rylan along with coffee for the grownups. Mmm! Add a birthday cupcake and VOILA! Is it wrong that I can totally relate to the 1 year old's urge to smash my face into a cupcake first thing in the morning?
Rylan, you are so lovely, you little charmer! Happiest of birthdays to you from your favorite paparazzi!
Rylan L.
Don't you just love birthdays? Especially that most special of birthdays, the 1st birthday :) I love waiting to see how the birthday babe will react to all of that frosting at their disposal with NO ONE to tell them not to dive in head first! Note to self: must attempt to dive in head first to a cake at least once in my life. Side note: mmmm cake....
Don't you just love birthdays? Especially that most special of birthdays, the 1st birthday :) I love waiting to see how the birthday babe will react to all of that frosting at their disposal with NO ONE to tell them not to dive in head first. Note to self: must attempt to dive in head first to a cake at least once in my life. Side note: mmmm cake....
Pizza, family, presents, cupcakes, what more does a boy need?
Rylan, happy birthday! You are so very handsome, I can't wait for our 1st Birthday shoot in the near future :)
Wedding Planning: The Ultimate To Do List (Part 1)
Last week I got together with the lovely Vanessa. After chatting for a bit about how her wedding planning is coming along, I realized that having just gone through the planning process myself, I had a few handy-dandy tips for my brides-to-be out there!
Last week I got together with the lovely Vanessa. After chatting for a bit about how her wedding planning is coming along, I realized that having just gone through the planning process myself, I had a few handy-dandy tips for my brides-to-be out there!
I thought it may be nice to put together a little blog post with all of the websites that were beyond helpful when I planned my own wedding last year. Here's a few to start the ball rolling!
First up: Fiftyflowers.com! Ahh-May-Zing. What a money saver! Yes, it took a little more work than just having them delivered by a florist, but putting together your flowers is something that is very doable, and with a little help from a few friends, takes no time at all!
Easy process: you can search by color, specific flower, etc. I personally really wanted a big fluffy flower like a peony or garden rose, but considering the season of our wedding (autumn), we opted for huge carnations and mums, which filled up the vases so well and had the same visual effect I was hoping to achieve.
Best customer service, ever! They called as soon as the order was placed to confirm. They called when the flowers left their facility. They called to let me know they arrived at the postal center. They called to verify that I indeed was the one that had just signed for them. They called the next day to make sure they were good. Awesome experience, and couldn't recommend them enough if you're feeling like you can tackle the floral process!
Every photo you see of our wedding day was taken by the AMAZING Laura Ivanova of Laura Ivanova Photography. Now, the websites listed are all aimed to help save you time and money, which all brides like! However, the first thing & most important investment that we gladly spent money on was our photographer: worth.every.penny. The photos of your day, if they're done by the right photographer, will bring you right back to the moment every time you look at them for the rest of your life! Invest in those memories, people!!!
2nd website lifesaver: Save-on-Crafts! Hold on to your glue guns ladies, we've hit the mother-load! Burlap, lace, birch bark, cake toppers, gift boxes, nests, floral, moss, banners, cake stands, chalkboard, mercury glass.... my heart SINGS for this site! If you ever had an "I could make that!" moment, this site is for you. Every piece of a DIY project you could possibly need is on this site, and at SUCH reasonable prices. Happy shopping :)
Purchases (Left to Right): 1. birch vases, chalkboard tags + twine 2. gray flower girl basket 3. sola flowers hand-painted with watercolor 4. gray striped paper straws
Our wedding took place in Long Island, Thor's childhood home. Sounds fantastic, in theory. However, we live in North Carolina. My family is in DC. Most of our friends are spread out across the country: FL, CO, TN, MN, KY, etc! So, planning a stateside "destination" wedding was pretty darned tricky. Well worth it...amazing...wonderful, yes! Of course! But very tricky! Specifically when it came time to book services, and we weren't able to go check them out for ourselves: bakers, musicians, officiants, etc. Then, I came across this little web gem: Gigmasters.com!
We were able to contact multiple musicians + officiants from NC, preview the musicians set list and hear them perform. The people we booked were great, the process was simple and we stayed in budget very easily by only contacting those who fell into our price range.
Good luck Ladies ( + you super helpful Grooms)!!! 2nd round of the To Do list will be up soon :)
Apparently, I'm an "adult".
Sign # 214 that I've somehow gotten old: I find myself daydreaming about stainless steel appliances, hardwood flooring and the perfect Farrow + Ball paint colors. Apparently I'm what the masses would call "an adult".
Sign # 214 that I've somehow gotten old: I find myself daydreaming about stainless steel appliances, hardwood flooring and the perfect Farrow + Ball paint colors. Apparently I'm what the masses would call "an adult".
One of my serious loves in life is planning, so the moment that the hubby + I found a home and made an offer, I began planning each room's layout and design. Naturally. For those of you who know me, the words "Tiff" + "list" go hand-in-hand. At any given time I will have a list going, which leads me right to my next love: PINTEREST (feel free to click on over and check out my latest folder)! Hold the phone... you can LIST using PHOTOS? Game. over.
If we're lucky and things continue to go smoothly with this house purchase, I have some major decorating cravings to fill! You can check out a little bit of what I'm imagining our living room to be like in this etsy/pinterest/overstock.com filled visual :)
Fun, fun, fun!
(Click collage to view larger!)
via etsy shop dirtastudio
Love the photo arrangement via this pinterest find!
A Beach, a Pup + a Little Time
Sometimes all you need in life is a beach, a pup + a little time.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love animals- our pets in particular. Our aussie shepherd Scout has been with the family since 1999, this year he turns the big 1-3! What an old man... I can still picture wandering around the shop looking for a pup, realizing I had somehow lost Thorsten in the middle of all of the puppies. Then I saw them. Thor was in a little side room with the sweetest chocolatey-brown puppy I'd ever laid eyes on, and in his hands was a tiny cow stuffed animal that we now lovingly refer to as his "moo". Love at first sight.
Lately, it's been taking a little longer for Scout to hop off of the couch, to get up after lying down, to walk up and down the beach house stairs. After a little research, I decided to try out glucosamine treat supplements from our pet shop to hopefully help limber up those stiff joints that sneak up on us all over the years. Fingers crossed they helps our little buddy out!
Scout's favorite thing to do since we moved to North Carolina is to walk on the beach. Usually, he runs around the house as soon as I grab his leash, so anxious to get there he's out of breath before we make it out the door! In an effort to help strengthen up those puppy legs of his, I took him out on a little beach romp today before work, something I'll be doing everyday from now on for my little love. But man have our walks gotten quite a bit slower. Oh Scooty, you're such a good boy + so very loved. Here's to getting out of the house + amping up the vitamins, good luck buddy!
Beautiful Holden Beach, NC
Katie G.
A lovely maternity shoot with Katie G.
New year, new experience thanks to the addition of our hair and makeup stylist, the oh-so-talented Ms. Stacey King! I swear, this girl's MAGIC. I mean, just look at how gorgeous Katie looks in her maternity session. Oh man...
How cute is his little profile???
Katie, I'm so excited for you and I cannot wait to meet this baby boy of yours!!!