There is truly nothing I love more than watching my little clients grow up (okay....maybe that's tied with baby snuggles....) and these two have been with me since their newborn session. I cannot believe Jackie and Katie are 2 now! I feel like that first session was just the other day; time truly does get faster and faster every year.

To celebrate this momentous birthday, we had a baking party! Treats were courtesy of The Cake Crafter and the girls loved them all!

Happy 2nd birthday, Jackie and Katie!

Adorable, sweet, happy Daisy. How I will miss seeing you every 6 months! You have been a sweetheart since day 1 and I know you will continue to be such a light in your family's life always. I love that mom choose a completely simple session to focus and highlight YOU!

Happy first birthday, Daisy!

My last post wasn't as upbeat about taking my children's pictures, but this time was a different story. Gummy bears after every pose for the win! (Hey, I am totally not above bribery, especially when it works...) These are the images that make my heart melt as a mom - seeing my kids together and being nice to one another (ok ok, so there were some hitting and angry faces involve, but those don't get edited). They don't even need to be looking at the camera, as long as I can tell they are in the moment and enjoying themselves. These were also taken at my FAVORITE place to photograph in West Chester, such background diversity, and an overcast day, which made for the perfect, soft lighting. My schedule is filling up quickly (VERY limited spots left in June and July and October, like 1 or 2 spots each) so if you are planning on outdoor family sessions, please get in touch with me asap so we can starting making memories and creating beautiful art for your home!

It was such a pleasure to have little Ellie in the studio this morning to celebrate her first birthday with a cake smash. She has the biggest, most beautiful brown eyes and longest lashes ever! She is also so full of personality and smiles and had no problem digging right into her cake and getting messy! I'm sure with two older brothers that getting messy is a normal occurrence. ;)

Happy first birthday, Ellie!

I really do love when my little newborn clients come back to see me! It always amazes me how much they've grown and all the personality they have now. Miss Gabriella is no exception. She's walking, talking, and is such a smiley baby! Mom was looking for a whimsical, fairy theme for her first birthday, and so she got just that. I think every little girl should be allowed to wear fairy wings and eat icing off a spoon on their birthday!

Happy first birthday, Gabriella!

2 blog posts in one day? Unheard of for me, but I couldn't WAIT to share more images of Mr. Adorable (aka Adam)! He is such a smiley baby, so full of personality, and truly has this baby model gig down. ;)  Adam is on my Watch Me Grow plan, so I've seen him for his newborn session, this sitter session, and I cannot wait for his cake smash session in July!

Watching little Miss Phoebe grow this past year has been a lot of fun. She is so full of personality and definitely knows what she likes and doesn't like, right mom?!


And, what better way to celebrate a first birthday than with a cake smash! These sessions are always so much fun - and messy! Phoebe's favorite part was by far the bubble bath, but she was all smiles throughout the session. Special thanks to The Kake Lady for the AMAZING cake!

Happy first birthday, Phoebe!

Although our session was rained out last Thursday due to the weather, we were able to reschedule this for Labor Day, and it definitely made for a fun morning! Little Charlie is celebrating turning 3, and preparing to be a big sister! Her brother Jack is due at the end of the month. We met at Springton Manor farm, which really has some gorgeous land, and a variety of animals for the kids. The goats were SUPER friendly, one even smiled right at the camera! 

The day I was headed down for vacation with my family, I got a call from a local photog/friend in distraught. The mommy-and-me mini session she was supposed to have that evening got cancelled due to the overcast weather. So, after loading up the car, we booked it to the beach in torrential downpours, and got there before any rain made it. Although it was still overcast and no pretty sunset, I was greeted by these happy, smiling faces and knew it was going to be an awesome session. Just look how beautiful Megan is with her two adorable boys!! And their coordinating, not matchy-matchy, outfits were perfect!

Being in landlocked PA, I have never done a shoot at the beach, but boy am I glad I did. The sand brings out the best in skin tones as there's no green color cast to content with. Hallelujah!! The beach has always been my happy place, and maybe we'll have to start taking extra long vacations just so I can book sessions down there. Anyone up for it next year?! ;)

Photographers don't like to shoot mid-day unless it's overcast because the light is so harsh. Instead, we prefer what is known as the golden hour (an hour before sunset or an hour after sunrise). This time, however, is not always ideal when you have children that have early bedtimes or need help getting ready in the morning. So, I try to tweak it a bit and pretend that golden hour stretches for about 2-3 hours ;) On Sunday morning though, I couldn't have asked for a better "golden hour." My session with this sweet family started at 8am at a local nature preserve and converted barn. The sun provided us with enough light, without being too harsh. Combine that with 3 adorable kiddos and their parents and we ended up with a fabulous family session! Little Emily just turned a year old and has officially "graduated" from my baby plan. I've so enjoyed watching her grow and I hope to see her again in the future. Happy first birthday, Emily, and thank you to her parents for allowing me to capture all these special memories!

I had the pleasure of meeting this sweet family at a new (for me) outdoor location in Glenmoore, PA yesterday evening. The weathermen couldn't make up their mind, first it was 40% chance of rain, then 0%, then 70%, then back to zero, so I was a bit worried we would get there and it would start raining, but boy am I glad that was not the case! Their little girl, Delaney, has the absolute best head of red hair and is beyond adorable! I would be happy to take this wonderful family's photographs any day and I will definitely be returning back to this location. Red barn doors, stone walls, tree lined paths, and goats - yes please!

I am so excited to share with you some images from all the absolutely adorable and well-dressed kids I had in the studio last weekend for spring mini-sessions. I know the parents are anxiously awaiting their images, so I plan on getting galleries out tomorrow or Friday. But, for now, enjoy all the sneak peeks!

Oh my goodness, isn't little Eden just simply adorable?! She came to the studio in Kennett Square last weekend to celebrate her first birthday with a cake smash. Mom did Baby-Led-Weaning with her, something I followed with my own daughter, so Eden knew what to do with that cake right away! Mmmmm, icing! She may have been super serious about her eating, but other than that, she was all full of smiles and personality! 

Last weekend I traveled to Collegeville for this little lady's first birthday party. Mom had picked out 2 adorable outfits for her to wear and had a beautiful dessert table on display. The decorations and cake even coordinated with Marin's outfits. While I was there, I was able to photograph Marin with her relatives and was a first hand witness to the love that surrounds her and the entire family. It made me wish I had hired someone else to take pictures at my own kids' parties!

The rate at which my business grew this year is beyond my comprehension. When I started in July/August I assumed I would get maybe 1 or 2 clients a month, doing this more as a hobby. I don't think there is any way I could have imagined having 30 full-session clients and 18 mini-session clients in a matter of 5 months. My January 2016 also has 4 newborns and a sitter milestone session booked. I also have clients already booked in April, APRIL!

These last two months have been extremely hard for my family with me going from a full-time mom to a busy business-owner, 2 unexpected deaths of close relatives (my grandfather and aunt), and illness after illness for my kids, BUT, I still seriously feel extremely blessed and fortunate! I LOVE what I do and I LOVE all my wonderful clients who are supporting me in this journey.

Something else I LOVE is when I finally get a chance to take pictures of my own children. This is my daughter, 15 months old, and her first time at the indoor children's water area at Longwood Gardens. We were there for breakfast with Santa (which did not go well - she only screamed and did not want to go near him, much to our disappointment, oh well...), so thankfully I had my camera with me when we decided to quickly stop over at the Conservatory. The excitement and pure joy on her face made all the stress of the last couple of months just disappear. And, once I finally got these images on my computer, I was able to relive that moment all over again.

This is what photographs do - they freeze a moment in time, a moment you can look back on year after year, and they make you smile. I wish I could say we will all live forever, but we won't, so make as many memories as you can today. Take pictures, have your picture taken, capture those memories, and get those pictures printed - BIG and ON YOUR WALL! Life can change in a blink of an eye, book your session today and let your memories live on in beautiful photographs! Thank you to all my past, present, and future clients. I LOVE you all and I LOVE your support!

Blake isn't always very willing to get in front of the camera. In fact, he usually just runs away. But, thankfully all I had to do was tell him we were going outside to "play" and he could have a lollipop, and he sat still long enough to let me take his picture. I loved every minute of it! He has the most stunning blue eyes, which really sparkle in the sun. These are some pictures I took in our backyard on the 4th of July. It's no Longwood Gardens, but it's great for outdoor pictures with its ivy, archways, stone walls, and plethora of greenery.