lisa & co.

Meet Miss Elisabeth. Pure. Deliciousness. Incredibly perfect cheeks. An adorable little pout. And that ridiculous head of glorious hair. She came by the studio for some newborns shots (and at four weeks, we were pushing the envelope on that!). Poor baby girl was suffering from some horrible reflux that day, but when Daddy Martin rocked her, she slept like a baby. Also along for the shoot was big brother Jacob, who is 6 1/2, fearless and has the same head of hair as his sister. When he wasn't in front of the camera with his megawatt grin, he was hanging out with my babies. And I guess they must have had fun, because my youngest asked if he could spend the night. Go figure. Billie and Lisa (E's grandma and mama, respectively) also came along for the session, and when we weren't laughing at the noises Martin uses to lull Elisabeth asleep (which absolutely work, mind you), we were laughing about everything else. Such a fun fam, wonderful sense of humor, and oh my heavens, what beautiful babies! The hat Elisabeth is wearing in the second shot is the one Lisa wore when she came home from the hospital as a baby. Special thanks to Billie for all the Behind the Scene help she gave me. And a huge thank you for the entire family for coming out and letting me document this little moment in time! Enjoy your sneak, guys!

carla & co.

I've taken pictures of the tow headed Beckett before. And I've taken pictures of his sweet cousins before. But I've never taken pictures of them together ... which is what Carla, their grandma, wanted done. And oh the fun we had! Mr. Beckett, who has a penchant for the word "no" (and you should really get him to say the world "walk" for you), was the Entertainer of the Hour, keeping his cousins, Grandma and Auntie laughing the entire time. Abby, Parker and Claire (all siblings whom I'll be shooting again in June) could not have been any sweeter with the two year old boy. In fact, they all wanted to hold him during the pictures, but politely took turns (without being told by an adult) so that everyone had a chance to hold B. And you could tell that Beckett loved the attention given to him by the older ones, as well as how much he adored them. Carla, thank you so much for bringing your lovies out to see me. Susan, I can't wait to see you guys in June. And special thanks to the kids for being such angels during the session. It's always so much fun with you guys. Enjoy your sneak!

michelle & co.

What do you get when you plan a Playgroup photo shoot for over 20 people? In a nutshell, two rained out sessions, a few last minute cancellations, and one very patient Mommy. I've worked with Michelle and her family so many times now, I've lost count. And this was the second time she took to organizing a Playgroup Photo Session. The last one was about a year ago, and for the little ones who made it back out to see me, I was amazed at how much they'd grown! And so pleased to see how sweet they've remained. Ever the ladies' man, Slaton was picking wildflowers for the lovely Miss Ella; and, as always, he was so willing to sit and pose for me! Ella, who donated her gorgeous hair to Locks of Love a few months back, has always loved my camera. So much so, that a week or so ago she told her mommy (who was attempting to take pictures of her in the backyard), "Mom, I won't smile for you. I'll only smile for Miss Jennifer." Ella, you may move to the head of the class, my Sweet. Little Boy Brooks was not at all happy with the idea of sitting in grass or random chairs that the crazy lady with the camera brought along, but he was perfectly content eating goldfish and playing with his race car. Mr. Miles? Aside from bestowing unto me his wisdom of pasta with pasta sauce, he was Mr. Poser when it came time to take pictures with his lovely mama and his little friends. Miss Madeline and Miss Addison were on their way to their cousin's birthday bash, but they allowed me to capture a few sweet moments with their Mommy and Daddy. Loved when Miss Maddie licked her daddy's cheek, rather than kissing it, as well as the expression of delight on Addison's face when it happened. And what about Mr. Bennet? So dapper and all boy. With an arm that would make Tony Romo weak in the knees, Bennet was throwing balls, blocks and anything else he could find. A gold star goes to Reagan, Slaton and Brook's daddy, for not only holding the reflector like it was his job (well, it was, but he did it with precision), but for making a point to take a few solo pictures with his lovely wife, Courtenay! The older ones in this playgroup have known each other for almost five years. Which is a long time when you're only four. The bond they share with each other is the essence of all things innocent and child like, and it was so sweet to see them play together. The last shot of them snuggling up so sweetly to one another has to be one of my all time faves. Michelle, thank you so much for coordinating this session. So many times! Ladies, thanks for bringing your sweeties out to see me again, and enjoy your sneaky to the peeky!

stephanie & co.

It had been a year since I last saw Mr. Sam and Miss Claire. And in that year, Claire learned to walk. And talk. Just a few days over two years, this precocious little girl can talk circles around me! She just celebrated her 2nd birthday in the park, with cupcakes. Pink cupcakes, she's quick to point out. And Sam? Sigh ... Sam. I fell in love with the redhead on the spot last year. And this time around, even more so. The boy's favorite foods? Asparagus and tomatoes. At four. And his favorite color? Orange, of course. Which is why he wore his favorite orange shoes during the entire session, and why he loved the orange umbrella I grabbed at the last minute on the way out to see them. Claire and Sam were absolutely too sweet together. Lots of hugs, kisses and hand holding. And if feeding children tomatoes and asparagus is the recipe for such sweetness, my own kiddies are going to be eating them by the plateful! Collecting rocks, dancing to Snow White and searching for squirrels was the perfect way to spend an hour with this sweet, sweet family. And, of course, the Purple Pie Man. Stephanie, thanks so much for sharing your sweeties with me! It was too much fun, and enjoy your sneaky!

teresa & co.

I met Teresa and Dallas at the hubs' office holiday party. We sat with them at dinner, and I was instantly enamored by the Ken and Barbie couple. Teresa is a fashion designer (the dress she wore that night was killah and made me feel like Mrs. Doubtfire in the woefully inadequate beaded top I chose to wear), and she was recently back from a trip to Asia. Where she picked out textiles and fabrics for her new line. I really didn't think she would be interested in my recent trip to Kroger, where I picked out broccoli and carrots for a new recipe. And, luckily, Dallas was explaining how he came to bear the name, even though he was born in Iowa. So the table was spared my thoughts on Triple Coupon Thursday. Dallas, you see, was born very prematurely. So early, in fact, the doctors warned his parents that he would most likely not survive. So that young couple, in a hospital room in Iowa, chose a name for their son that they thought was strong. And Dallas he became. And now, years and years later, and standing at 6'6", I think they made the right choice. And sitting with the couple that night at dinner, I just knew they had made the right one in each other. I had a feeling Stephen would come home one day from work saying that Dallas had proposed, and not too long after that holiday dinner, he did. The sinfully gorgeous couple will wed in Hawaii this Labor Day, but they allowed me the honor of photographing their engagement pics this past weekend. In Dalls. Guys, it was so much fun! Congratulations on the engagement, good luck with the planning, and many, many happy wishes for the future!

tracy & co.

They met at a pool party last Mother's Day. He swam up to her and said, "Happy Mother's Day". And this past Saturday, they become husband and wife. She in a lace and bead encrusted gown. He in a tuxedo and black patent leather Chuck Taylors. They danced to "Feels like Home". The vocalist, watching them both dance across the floor, started crying. And then I did, too. The afternoon was exceptionally breathtaking, beautifully executed and one that I'll remember for a long time. And the most amazing part of the day? The families had both been hit with some tragic events in the week leading up to the wedding. The loss of a dearly beloved family member, news that another was very sick ... what could have been a very somber gathering of friends and family turned out to be an inspiring one. The details that went in to the event, from the Wish Tree where guests could write messages to the couple, the promise necklaces the couple presented to Tracy's children during the ceremony, to the ridiculously fun Kids' Table and Lipstick and Moustaches on a Stick: it was an afternoon planned for the guests, and Tracy and Nate clearly wanted them to feel loved, welcomed and appreciated. Two of my favorite moments: the Best Man's speech (Ear Muffs aside, Isaac had some very funny lines) and watching Nate cut a rug with his grandmother. The whole afternoon was spectacular, and I see nothing but happiness, laughs and lots of love in the future for this amazing family. Tracy, thank you so much for allowing me to capture The Day. Enjoy your sneak, Mr. and Mrs. H!

heather & co.

Sweet Mr. Pierce stopped by the new digs for his one year session! I was fortunate enough to take this sweet boy's newborn photos, too booked to take his 6 month photos ... and so very happy his equally sweet mommy came back for such a milestone session! Pierce brought along his two favorite boys: Daddy and Eddy. Who just happens to be the sweetest golden retriever. Ever. This entire family is so laid back and easy going, and it truly made my job so very easy. When he came for his newborn session, he slept the entire time. So when he came back a year later, I was blown away by the intense color of his eyes; they were ... piercing! Combine the killer blues with his sweet little self, and you have a recipe for Mr. Charming in the Making. The one and only time Pierce made the slightest protest was when Heather tried to get him to wear his birthday hat. Still, true to form, he finally allowed us to snap one quick pic of him smiling in it. We shot in the new studio, a nearby park and out back, and nothing (not even the quick walk to the park) fazed this fun family. Heather, thank you so very much for bringing the guys out to see me. Pierce has grown up so much in the last year, and it was an honor capturing this moment for you!

lauren & co.

No matter how many times I work with a family, I always walk away having learned something new about them. And I love that. Oh sure, I already knew that Lauren and Paul met in college, when he was the cashier in her grocery line. And yes, I knew that they would eventually fall in love and marry in a romantic Scottish castle years later. But I didn't know that Lauren was actually born in England. And that she used to have a British accent. But then lost it when her family moved to Iran. Where they lived for a few years until permanently making Texas their home. Nor did I know that Lauren, who loves having Soph's pictures taken regularly, used to have portraits taken of her cat. Yes, her cat. As in feline friend. This, dear reader, has to be my most favorite Lauren fact to date. While the cat didn't make it this session, Sophia did. And aside from her first experience in grass (which was not very popular; her "Home Alone" expression below is her reaction to sitting on the lawn), she loved the outdoor session. With her flaming red hair, creamy white skin and killer blues, she's a show stopper. And at one point we had amassed quite a little crowd of onlookers. And who can blame them? I certainly didn't get enough of her deliciousness. Which leaves me counting down the days until our fall session! Guys, thanks for being so flexible with the rain, and enjoy your sneaky!