katherine & co.

Sweet little Eleanor. Six months. As tiny as they come. And so unbelievably adorable. When I first laid eyes on her this past Wednesday, I just fell in love. I wasn't sure if it was her huge blue-green eyes. Or her round cheeks and creamy white skin. Or that adorable little chin that sits below the most perfect little pout. Or her button nose. Or her perfect strawberry blonde "bed head" hair ... And then I realized it wasn't one thing that made me fall in love with Eleanor, but everything about Eleanor that made me fall in love with Eleanor. Even her name. Eleanor. So as I was ooohing and ahhhing over my new found love for the little sprite, I just about fell over when Katherine told me that they brought along a sweater that they wanted Eleanor to wear for a few pictures. A handknit sweater. From a relative. Who lives in Norway. Norway. Never mind that the sentimental story alone had me weak in the knees ... But, Norway? For you see, dear reader, my father's father was from Norway. And as it turned out, both Katherine and Drew have relatives in Norway. In fact, both Katherine and Drew attended the same high school, but never crossed paths. Until college. Where they met. Fell in love. And eventually married. While Katherine works at SMU, Drew is in a doctoral program at Southwestern for something to do with genetic research. It was a title that literally had five really large and scientific words in it (and rather intimidated me, the sweater loving English major), but he pretty much wants to determine lifespans. I'm assuming in people, but I didn't really get that far. Because Eleanor's lovely face kept calling to me, and I had to answer. Guys, she is sweet as she is beautiful, and it was so much fun getting to know you. Thanks for coming out to see me, enjoy your sneak, and ha det bra!

becca & co.

My camera will always hold a special place in its lens for this little girl. This four year old skinny-jean-UGG-wearing little girl. Her mama (who will always hold a special place in my heart) took a chance on me 3 years ago this bluebonnet season. Eva was my first non-family/friend subject (let it be noted, however, that her faboosh mama and I have since grown quite fond of each other). This marked my 4th time to work with Eva. Becca chose some great spots in downtown Dallas (she has an eye for that; two, actually, with lashes coated in the most amazing mascara that makes her eyelashes look like something out of a magazine ... I digress), and Eva could not have been cuter. When we were ready to get things rolling, I called my little muse over to our first spot. "In a second," she called back. "I'm dealing with a rock." Dealing. With. A. Rock. What four year old talks like that? For the rest of the session, she danced, collected bird feathers, rocked out to the YMCA, did whatever I asked of her, and just did her thing. So very well. By the end of our session, she and I had had a ton-o-fun together. We were practically besties. As we were getting ready to pack up, Eva found a lonely orchid flower forgotten on the ground from a wedding held on the site the day before. She leaned over, picked it up, and gave it to me. She then offered me not one, but two, silly bands. Two. And then she found two more flowers on the ground and gave them to me. And, without having to be reminded that someone else was in our company, she found another one and gave it to her mommy. And then she found a leaf. And an acorn. And three more leaves (and, in case you are wondering, leaves can be brown). And as she handed over each and every treasure to me, I asked her, "Eva, why are you so sweet to me?" She was quiet for only a second before simply stating, "Because I like for you to be happy." Ummm ... Eva Girl, did you mean to melt my heart? Or just steal it? Because you're guilty of both. Becca Girl, what can I say? You believed in me without even knowing me. Thanks for sharing your girl with me the last few years. As always, it's an honor. Enjoy your sneak, and tell Eva I'm still wearing the bands.

amy & co.

Little Boy Drew, I heart you.

With your hair so red and your eyes so blue.

Seriously, I heart this boy. Just such a sweetie. Never mind that the camera eats him up with his gorgeous coloring and megawatt smile. Or that I could ... what with his gorgeous coloring and megawatt smile. It had been about a year since I saw him last. He is walking now. Everywhere. And just so curious. He loved the steps at the park, the acorns on the ground, the really creepy iron elves that decorate the grounds ... all of it. And I can honestly say that Mike and Amy loved chasing their little redhead all around the park. I've always loved Prather Park because the gorgeous stone steps remind me of someplace in England. Or Ireland. And Drew? Well, one look at the wee little lad (hopefully you read that line in the ridiculous Irish accent I was using while writing it), and you can guess whence Drew reminds me. The park could not have been more perfect for him. And it was a big milestone at the end of the session, when Drew got to sit in the big boy swing. All by himself. This was a first for him, and the moment he realized he was sitting in the swing, on his own, was just too sweet. He took one look at his adoring parents, one quick glance at the crazy lady with the camera, and then down at the ground to make sure he was, indeed, sitting there by himself. Priceless. Amy, thanks so much for coming back to see me. I always have so much fun with you guys, and this time was no exception. Hope Spidey gets lots of treats this Halloween, and enjoy your sneaky!

april & co.

Sweet little Maverick. It had been a little over a year since I last saw him. But you never would have known it by the way he greeted me. Within seconds, he flashed me his sweet smile, told me that he was going to be a pirate for Halloween, and then pretty much lavished me with attention and affection for the entire hour. I'm not kidding. When I asked what his favorite song was (because, as my hautties know, I'm not above singing anything to anyone if it gets me a smile), I was beyond pleased to find out it's one of my faves: Soul Sister. Mav's giggles and grins were pretty much contagious at that point, and I'm just telling myself that Matt and April were laughing with me and Mavman, and not at ... me ... Speaking of April, don't hate her. I know. I know. She's tall. And skinny. And pretty as the day is long. Don't forget she had that whole Reality TV star thing going for her ... But seriously, don't hate. She's just about as sweet as they come, and Mr. Matt could not be more of a sport. Last year he rocked the teal blue shirt like nobody's business, and I could all but hear the relief in his voice that this year April chose a more masculine color for family pics. And I, for one, was beyond tickled that April chose to bring along some vintage shades for Maverick to wear. Beyond too cute for any description. Take a looksy yourself. This sweet family was the perfect way to begin my Sunday morning, and getting to watch Maverick play on the playground was the perfect way to end the session. Guys, it was so great seeing you! Thanks for letting Maverick play with me for a bit, and enjoy your sneaky to the peeky!

laura & co.

The perfect way to end a perfect weekend of the sweetest sessions was with the sweetest Sister/Brother duo. I had the pleasure of photographing these cuties a year ago, when Patrick was just turning two. Even back then, he and big sister Elena had the sweetest bond. One year later, it's stronger than ever. Two years his senior, Elena is so gentle with her baby brother. And he is so in awe of her ... it's what sibling revelry is all about, dear reader. For an hour, they posed with me, played with me, and shared their favorite toys with me. P's is a mini Thomas train, and E's is an American Girl baby doll she has had since she was a baby. Named Bitty, and given to her by her grandmother, the doll holds a special place in Elena's heart. She was so cute as she snuggled and sang to Bitty, and it reminded me of how cute she is snuggling with another little sweetie (who happens to own a mini Thomas train). Laura and Pablo, thank you once again for letting me work with your kiddies! They make my job entirely too easy and entirely too much fun! Enjoy your sneak!

penny & co.

Oh, Chandler. Must you be so sweet? Must you be so unbelievably cute? Must you make me want to scoop you up and take you home with me? Just so that you can follow me around, with that constant grin, strumming your little air guitar, and singing Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It". I'm not kidding, dear reader, this soon to be three year old can rock with the best of them, and he literally could not stop smiling for our entire session. Or singing. Twisted Sister. He greeted me with the biggest grin, played for an hour with me (with the biggest grin), and left our session with ... you guessed it: the biggest grin. At Chandler's age, it's really all about the candids. Capturing the child in the moment. Because it's just pretty much impossible to ask a two year old to sit a certain way. Cross his legs a certain way. Hold his arms a certain way ... unless said two year old is Chandler. It's the craziest thing. And just about the cutest. Oh, wait. The cutest was when I tried to join in on his toddler karaoke session, and I got one of the lyrics wrong. He stopped, mid-air guitar, and corrected me. Twice. Such a sweet boy, such sweet parents, and I absolutely love working FOR Chandler. 'Cause I'll be honest, this kid knows how to work it.

jenny & co.

I know. I know. With such a fantastic large group session on Friday, you're thinking there is no way I would be just as lucky with another photo session for 12 on Saturday. I'm not gonna lie: I was worried, too. Never mind that I've worked with Jenny and Patrick about 1/2 a dozen times. And that each session is better than the last. That Chris and Victoria gave me the honor of taking their engagement pictures a few years ago. That little Camille is always my Go To Girl on each and every session ... that I just adore Jenny and her family. But I just couldn't fathom how I'd be lucky enough to have two back to back flawless Big Family sessions. But when a session for 12 ends after a little over an hour, and everyone is still smiling and joking and as happy as they were when they first arrived, and when the sweaty beast of the photographer is invited to join the family for lunch ... it's safe to assume the session went well. I'm pleased to report, dear reader, it went better than well. Which, if you know Jenny, really shouldn't shock you. Jenny's brother Rob and his lovely wife Amy were in from Sugar Land this past weekend and are parents to the adorable Ellie and Anna Claire. These girls were just as sweet as their cousins, and between the three girls, I am pretty sure haute shot photography has the cutest little set of assistants. Ever. Mr. Ford was ever the ham, making his Cheese Face on cue and loving every second of running around with his beautiful cousins. Chris, hubs to the lovely Victoria, was such a sport as I made him kneel in wet grass. And if I've said it once, I've said it too many times. But I adore these types of sessions. Watching the dynamics is so much fun, and noticing little things like Anna Claire and Camille having the same smile makes me smile. Or that all four cousins were impossibly blessed with the most amazing blue eyes. The sweetest part of a session like this is watching the matriarch and patriarch of the group watching their children. And their children's children. And I wonder what they're wondering, and I'm certain it has something to do with pride. And love. Beyond anything they've ever imagined. The shot of Terry and Caroline (aforementioned matriarch and patriarch) looking off and smiling at their grandchildren running around the park is a new fave of mine and pretty much sums up what I love about this job. They raised an incredible family, and it has truly been an honor working with so many of them over the last few years. And now, if you'll excuse a shameless and unsolicited plug: Jenny's husband Patrick (a huge Saints fan, but don't hold that against him) recently opened up his own dermatology practice in Ft. Worth. Take a look at his website, and if you're looking for a great doc in the Ft. Worth area, I highly recommend Patrick as your guy. Jenny, thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me meet the rest of your family. I absolutely loved them, and I hope they all enjoy the sneaky! And next time, I'm so coming to lunch!

andrea & co.

What was supposed to be a family shot of 12 ended up being a family shot of 11 at the last minute. Poor Richard (hubs to the lovely Kristen and daddy to the adorable Kaylee) ate a yogurt that had expired the day before, so he stayed home with a nasty case of food poisoning. While his presence was missed, the rest of the fam rallied and posed and laughed and smiled. And I have to say, I was absolutely impressed with everyone. Every. Last. One. But especially the littlest girls, Sadie and Kaylee. Born three weeks apart, these cousins came to see me when they were newbies. Even then, they were such well behaved little girlies! With such a large group, our session ran over the typical hour mark. But the little girls were smiling and happy the entire time. I know I've shared with all my readers that I come from a large family. I am one of 5. My mom is one of 10 ... and big groups just make me feel at home. And Andrea's family was no different (well, except when Kristen accused me of abusing my 14 weeks prego sister/assistant extraordinaire; but what do you expect from little sisters, right, Andrea?). At the trunk of this family tree were Patricia and Dennis. Married for 60 years. 60 years. All the way in from Oklahoma, they were just about the cutest little couple this side of the Red River. Patricia actually knitted the blanket Miss Kaylee used in her newbie shoot, and Dennis once did wedding photography back in the day. With film. Film. Had I known this little piece of family trivia prior to the session, dear reader, I probably would not have slept a wink the night before! Brenda and Steve, Andrea's parents, aren't far behind in the Marital Miles, logging in an impressive 40 years! Andrea mentioned that they had never had professional photos taken of them their entire marriage, but you never would have known that. Naturals in front of the camera, and so very clearly still in love. Matt and Nicole (who I, for some unknown reason, kept calling Michelle) were such sports during our mini-session. Married for 3 years, they were too cute as the posed precariously on the rocks in the water. Kristen and Andrea were as fun as ever, and my sister and I had fun laughing and joking with them. But the real stars of this fabulous session? 10 month old Kaylee and Sadie. They literally smiled in ever shot. Even the big group shots. Just too sweet for words, and such little angels. Andrea, thank you for organizing this entire session! It was an honor, so much fun, and enjoy your sneaky!