You may hold my hand for a little while, but you will hold my heart forever.

A fellow photographer and friend, Lisa Russo has a similar shot hanging in her home. When I saw it, I knew I must have one of my own for my mantle.  My favorite part of this photo is her little elbow dimple…

All who know me, know my heart lies with my family.  Without them, there would be no photos, no blog, no photography business.  But lately, I feel my blog has been a bit disconnected from my life and family – the true heart and soul of my work.  I’ve debated on whether or not to become more personal here and invite my readers into my life more.  I very rarely post photos of my own children here and it’s not because I don’t have any to share! But I just wasn’t sure how much you all want to know about me.  Sometimes I feel a little self-centered I guess in thinking that anyone would care what I have to say.  But I’ve decided to follow my heart and share just a little more of the inspiration that led me to this amazing career.  It is my hope that in learning more about me and my family, you will understand my work more and the direction I feel my photography is leading me….   telling our story and maybe someday, telling yours.

Much love,

~ M

I packed up her onesies today.  She has completely outgrown them.   Actually, she outgrew them months ago but I had been putting off getting rid of them.  I was still putting them on her under her jammies at night – stretching them tightly over her diaper to snap them.   There is something about a white onesie that is the epitome of babyhood to me.   The white cotton,  the chubby little baby legs exposed, and the way those little tiny snaps make that “tinkling” sound in the dryer.  I remember bringing Will home and lying on the couch with him while listening to the sounds of the snaps in the dryer as his tiny little clothes tumbled about.    That was 6 years ago, when I was still breathing in the moments of new motherhood.

The music of the snaps has been replaced by running feet, silly songs and contagious giggles.  And while I embrace these moments of childhood, it is still hard to let go of the baby days…

While I know the rain brings lush green grass and flowers,  it has also left me with several canceled sessions.  Hopefully the weekend will bring blue skies for us and I’ll be able to post some new sessions soon.   I will begin scheduling my summer sessions very soon!

Here are a few of my little lady in her Easter dress.  Too bad it was so dreadfully cold the day we shot these.  She had to wear her little jacket to keep from freezing.  Come on spring!

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter spent with the ones you love.

Yes, another post about song lyrics!  Lately, there have been some amazing songs that I really love and at the top of my playlist is “American Honey” by Lady Antebellum.    Not only is the song beautiful, but so is the video.  See and hear it HERE (after the Geico ad… which did make me laugh!)

Haven’t you ever had those moments when you wish you could go back to the sweeter time?  The simpler days of childhood. Barefoot in the grass, riding your bike on a warm summer day, your summertime crush… go back to American honey.

There’s a wild, wild whisper
Blowing in the wind
Calling out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing’s sweeter than summer time
And American honey

My sweet girl, may you grow up slow and sweet – just like American honey.

The knit dress is from a pattern by Kyoko at Cotton and Cloud. Her patterns are gorgeous!

You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed
Sing like bird, dizzy in my head
Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Oh, you make me smile

-from “Smile” by Uncle Kracker (yes, I just quoted a Kracker song)

Hear it

HERE

Every day, these beautiful little people make me smile.  I am one lucky momma.

We took advantage of the gorgeous weather and made a quick trip to the daffodil fields this evening.   They are blooming a little early this year thanks to our warm weather and the tulips are not far behind! The sweet little sweater Maddy is wearing is from a pattern by the very talented Kyoko of Cotton and Cloud. I will be showcasing some of her other lovely designs later this week here on the blog.

Seems like forever since I’ve blogged about my own babies.  I know it’s been less than a month but I really would like to get in a more regular habit of doing so.  I take a ton of pictures (obviously) but what often happens is I get caught up editing sessions and my own children’s photos get stuck on a hard drive somewhere and rarely edited.  The biggest problem had been my very OLD computer that just needed to go. Editing was so exhausting and slow.  But thanks to my shiny new Mac, I’m in love with Photoshop all over again and have been busy catching up on some editing.  A fast computer makes for a much happier photographer!  And let me say – if you are a photographer using a PC and have been toying with the idea of going Mac… DON’T BE AFRAID!  It has been a super easy transition and I am loving this computer!  No tears shed… and believe me – computers have been known to make me cry!

Ok – here are some recent snapshots of my kids. Nothing fancy but they show who they are at this very moment.  Capturing the little moments – that’s what it’s all about.

Maddy loves balls – she is destined to be a superstar at some sport someday.

Proof that I have a son!  My silly boy.

And the reason you don’t see many of Will… most of the shots are a little something like this.

On a scheduling note,  outdoor sessions will begin again in March.  I have a few spots still open from March-May but they are becoming limited. Please contact me soon if you are wanting to book a spring session.  And 2010 SENIORS…. Don’t wait until the last minute to contact me!  I absolutely LOVE seniors and hate saying no when my calendar is full.  Time is running out!

~ M

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday! Enjoy your family and friends.

I will be out of town through New Year’s and will be returning all emails then.  I get to enjoy a little snow filled wilderness escape with my family… looking forward to a crackling fire and lots of hot cocoa.

Merry Christmas to all,

~ M

You turn two today. I don’t know how it is possible. Time goes so quickly – too fast. Miss Maddy, you are truly a joy and a blessing beyond belief. The little light of our family. We all love you so much (even your brother… who gets a bit grumpy when you dump his crayons on the floor or pull all of his clothes out of his dresser just for fun but he loves you just the same)

So many things I love about you. Here are just few..

• Your chubby toes and the way your 2nd and 3rd toes are “webbed”. Yes, my little duck. Daddy says it is something your future husband will tease you about.
• When you want to dress up like  a princess in the pettiskirts just to push the shopping cart through the house
• The way you play with your food. Yes, playing with food is a no-no but how cute is it when you make your bits of turkey “gobble” on your plate or march your chicken nuggets around saying “bawk-bawk”
• How you are warm and cuddly just like a little puppy
• Your kisses.  You must be a little bit European because you must kiss both cheeks.  We never taught you that – it’s just you.
• How you are always sticky. Little fingers of stickiness.  And always smelling so sweet.
• How you bob your head and dance in the backseat – with rhythm,  I might add. You definitely get that from Mommy.
• The morning good-byes you give Daddy.  So many hugs, so many kisses and waves.  He loves every minute of it.
• How much you love your bunny.
• The way you say “I love you” .

The list could go on for days.  My sweet, spunky girl – I love you so.   Happy Birthday!