The Winner is.... (drumroll!)

JOE & NIKI!!!!



Congratulations you two!

Thank you all for voting and making this beautiful couple the winner of our wedding contest! All the couples that I photographed last year were awesome and what a tough choice to pick your favorite, and you all seemed to agree since it was practically neck & neck up until the last minute. How fun!

Check them out on our website under the 'wedding portraits' section and Joe & Niki... I will be in touch with more details!

Enjoy this week... I'm so excited for the great weather we are going to be having... Wooo...!!!!

Happy Monday!

Emma :: 6 months old

Not a care in the world... sort of...

Don't you ever wish you were little again without a care in the world, besides eating, sleeping, and dirtying your diaper? Ha! That's really weird to think about now, being as most of us have been out of that stage for MANY, MANY years now. But what I would give to not have any other issues other than when my next feeding is, when my next nap is, and not worrying about finding a bathroom every 10 mins or so since I drink so much water, (haha!) that would be the life right?

Hmm... now that I actually wrote it out, it sounds just a tad weird and not something I would want to go back in time to do, a bit of a non-eventful life. I guess I'll keep my life how it is even if it does involve aches & pains, joys & not so joyful moments because it's so worth it, and we learn and grown each time things come our way!

But Emma, on the other hand, can totally take my place. She can stay in that cute little body she has and be her cute little self with no cares other than the few she may have. But what a sweetheart she is, even if she was not in the best mood and did not really want her photo taken, that's ok! She did great and she has grown so much since last year when I took her newborn photos. She's grown into her personality and is just a doll! What a sweet, sweet girl!


Emma was just the cutest... and look at those cheeks!



Can we say... adorable?!



Loved it when she smiled and laughed...



Haha...



Isn't this the sweetest face... EVER?!



She wanted to eat her shoes... (I wish I was that flexible!)



First time in the grass... not sure if she's a fan or not.





She was spent... seriously did not want anymore of it!



What's a kid's shoot without a crying baby, right?!

I'm barely alive... but I'm still breathing!

Breathe in and breathe out... that's what I keep telling myself over here...

I would like to say I have a HUGE pain tolerance, but right now I'm struggling just to remember to breathe these days. I'm having some major back pain and am having a hard time "taking it easy." If you've ever been in my position, back pain or pain in general just plain stinks! I haven't been able to sit much because that hurts, walking hurts, laying down hurts, basically doing everything hurts... Errr... just go away already! Needless to I've been pretty bummed lately!

The only thing that has felt good lately is the fact that we just purchased two replacement Mac Computers. Both are much needed around here as my "L" key has fallen off on my labtop and my iMac is getting to be pretty slow, (ehhh... I hate slow computers!) I have had both for so long, they are due for a upgrade. I'm super excited to get them and have working buttons on my keyboard... haha!

Happy Thursday!

Weather Heaven

Oh wow... I think I died this week... seriously! I have died and gone to weather heaven!!!

I have not once thought about a computer or even bothered to sit down inside at it all week, hence the fact that I did not even post until today. (My apologizes, as I'm sure you can all relate to how I'm feeling with the nice weather!) I'm such a weather snob! When it's nice out I have a hard time doing anything inside, especially the fact that being cooped up all winter long has taken a huge toll on my mood. I needed some vitamin D and I even got a little pink in my face yesterday from sitting outside for so long. I'm sooo ready for summer!!!

And you know what summer brings????

Lots of summer WEDDINGS!!! Yay!!!! Oh I'm sooo excited to start my wedding season in just a few short weeks. I've been waiting all winter for it to be here, and the next thing you know... it will be! I can not be more thrilled...

Here's to all the weddings we have this coming year and the weather we have been given this week, as I'm sure it will be snowing again soon... BOOO!

Top #5 Wedding Photos

Weddings are my favorite... EVER!

I'm not sure if it is the beauty of the bride, or the expression from the groom, or the emotions of the families, or just seeing all the hard work and many, many, MANY long hours of preparation for that one special day coming together FINALLY! It just might be all of it combined and many more details, but let's just say, they are my FAVORITE EVER!!!

I really wanted to do a few contests, but weddings was so hard to chose from since we did so many beautiful weddings last year. I had WAY too many favorite wedding photos. We had such great couples, wedding parties, and families... I think every single one of the couples were just awesome! I had a really hard time narrowing it down to five, but I FINALLY made my pick.

You all can decide which one you like the best. Same rules apply as the Kids Photo Contest:

Pick your favorite photo, but please vote once per day, I'm going by the honor system here so if you feel the need to vote over and over again for the same photo all in one day, I hope you feel REALLY REALLY REALLY guilty about it! Haha!

I'm so excited! Let the voting begin... but make sure to read the details below...

#1 :: Jonathan & Jenn



#2 :: Scott & Tami



#3 :: Joe & Niki



#4 :: David & Kelly



#5 :: Cody & Taylor

***Winners will receive a 6 x 6 gallery wrapped canvas and the FRONT spot to the wedding section of our website.

***Voting will end Sunday March 28th at 9pm. Please vote only one person/per day, but feel free to send this on to your friends & family and encourage them to vote for their favorite as well!

***I will put an abbreviated voting box at the top of the page to simplify voting, so you don't have to scroll to find the voting box, but will continue posting the fun stuff going on so make sure to keep coming back and checking out new posts.

Chicago Style

I'm such a city girl!

OK... maybe not! But this past weekend, I totally living like a local.

Todd and I, along with another couple, went over to Chicago to visit friends of ours. Our friends moved into a condo on Michigan Ave. just TWO miles down from the Magnificent Mile. Right Downtown...Wow! Can we say... JEALOUS? How fun would that be to live that close to all the shopping places you can imagine, not only that, but how fun would it be to live within walking distance to LOTS of other things like the subway, restaurants, work, etc... I loved it! I have to say that Todd got major brownie points from me this past weekend. Saturday he recommended this 'Earth Friendly' restaurant called Karyns on Green that had really good reviews. He talked everyone into going and I was so excited! We go there to find out that they don't have any meat there... oppsss... Sorry guys! I was LOVING it, but felt terrible that everyone else was a bit in shock. But no worries... everyone was up for it and LOVED it! So what a great experience that was for them.

When we left though, I pulled an "Abby". What's an Abby you might ask. I'm basically known for being forgetful... opppsss! I forgot my purse with my driver's license in it. What are the odds? Oh well... who needs to drive or should I say 'legally'. TOTALLY KIDDING! My friends mailed it back so I'm legal now! Haha!

All in all, Chicago is the BEST and I'm going to dream of one day Clawson being like Chicago! Ha... that might be a while huh? Ha!

Todd & I lovin' the city, but he says we can't move there... booo... haha!



Walking by "The Bean" or as the locals call it "The Cloud"





This was taken while running, hence the blurred view... but I love all those lights...



We got all dressed up for dinner one night... (Yes that's me, even though I never wear stuff like that, I was totally livin' like a local!)

And the Winner is...

LILY!!!!



Thank you all for voting and making Miss Lily the winner! All the little ones were SO cute and I'm sure you all can agree that it was a tough choice. Those five were just a few of my favorites of last year, even though there were so many more that was so hard to choose from!!!

Check her out on our website under the 'bellies, babies, & kids' section and Mom & Dad Lily... I will be in touch!

Stay tuned this week as I have another contest for 'WEDDING' Portraits (my favorite!) and a wrap up of the weekend in Chicago (Good times!)

Selective Hearing

Does anyone else feel like sometimes your kids, pets, or even yourselves just has those days in which they plain DO NOT listen?

Todd calls it "Selective Hearing." Ha!

I am totally guilty of this habit, but only towards Todd. Ekkk... did I just admit that? Oppss... Well, the last couple of days, I feel like I have rubbed off on Maddox. Is it possible for dogs to pick up on your worst habits? Hmm... I think so. I have not been able to give him enough of my attention, and for that he's been a total rebel child. I let him outside last night and he would not come for the life of me, I said "Come get a treat" so many times, which is usually an automatic come, but nothing! As soon as Todd comes to the door and calls for him, he's right there. Err... he usually listens to me more, what is going on this week? Todd said it's because I took him to the vet the other day to get his shots, but I'm convinced it's because he knows I do it as well! He's teaching me a lesson here... errr... what a bad dog! Haha!



Happy Tuesday!