Claire Drummond Photography

A Slight Interruption

2009-09-27T14:01:00.001-07:00

I'm working on a new website right now (yay!), and unfortunately it's not going as smoothly as I had hoped. :) Bear with me please while I get it all sorted out!

Engagement: Mel.Chris

2009-09-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

"It began on that night. He believed that it was to go on for the rest of his life." William Faulkner's Light in August, excerpt from page 167.

You know how some things are meant to be? Well, Mel&Chris = meant to be. I'm sure there are endless examples of how perfect they are together, but if you'll look at the picture above, you'll see my personal experience of how they're meant to be. You see, both Chris and Mel are avid readers (also, Chris is a Librarian) so I asked them to each bring along their favorite book. At one point during our time together, I took Chris' book, which is the one pictured above, and Mel's ring, and asked Chris if he by chance had a favorite passage in the book. Not only did he tell me no, he went on to tell me that there would probably not be anything in the book photo-with-engagement-ring appropriate. I flipped open the book. Scanned the page. Flipped the page. That's when I found the passage above. Appropriate, indeed...

I always tell couples when we first get started that the first few pictures are normally "throw away pictures." The subjects are nervous, we're still all getting used to each other, so more times than not, the first few pictures just aren't worthy. Not so with Mel and Chris. These two pictures were some of the first ones we took. (And make sure you check Chris' socks - love!)

The first part of our session took place at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art in Auburn. I'd driven past it many times, but had never stopped. It was perfect!

I absolutely LOVE the colors in this photo.

For the second part of our session, we went to the library. Perfect, right? I absolutely LOVE when couples make their engagement sessions personal. More than anything else you can do, a location that is personal to you will make you fall in love with your photos.

I seriously just want to post the link and password here so you can see ALL of the pictures from the library. They are priceless!

The best part of The Library Session? We sat in the stacks and giggled. Snickered. The.Whole.Time. It was awesome. There were times I couldn't shoot for laughing so hard. :)

Mel giggled a little too loudly. The quintessential Librarian, Chris shushed her. She shushed him back.

Mel&Chris, Thanks for one of the best sessions EVER! Can't wait for August 2010!

Wedding: Anne.Matt

2009-08-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new approach to blogging. Few words, lots of photos. Now sit back and enjoy a sneak peek of Anne & Matt's beautiful day!

Anne & Matt, It was an absolute pleasure to spend your wedding day with you. Best Wishes!

Wedding: Christie.Noah

2009-08-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous Bride.Groom + Amazing Friends&Family = very few words needed. Enjoy the photos!

Brothers. This picture of Noah and his two brothers makes me happy my own boys have each other.

The Classic Bride.

On to the reception. I loved this table - wedding photos from different members of Christie and Noah's families. What a great idea!

In lieu of favors, a donation to St. Jude's.

*teehee*

My wonderful assistant Sarah got this shot - love their expressions!

My new friend: Mark. Christie told me he'd be there, snapping away right along with me.

One of Mark's captures:

Unless I'm much mistaken, this moment is titled: Now, walk it by yourself...walk it by yourself....

Christie & Noah - thank you so much for welcoming me into your lives on this important day. Best Wishes for a long and happy life together!

Ridge: 6 Months

2009-08-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe this little man is already 6 months old. I've met up with him and sister Evie three times now - the other two times were for suprise pictures for dad and then again for 3 month pictures. Each time I see these two reminds of what a lucky girl I am to have such a great job!

Now...we all know that kids aren't always up for taking photos. Evie's dad really wanted lots of pictures of her in her Disney dress-up outfits, since she is about to grow out of them. However, Miss Evie just was not into playing dress up for me. We still managed to get some pretty great pictures of her in them. Here's a couple of the outfits we used:

Who says you have to smile for a photo to be great? This is actually my favorite picture of her from the whole day. I *love* the look on her face in this one - if it doesn't say 'toddler' I don't know what does!

Isn't 6 months all about exploring? And at this age, the best thing to explore? Grass!

Yes! A smile!

We took a break from sticking the camera in the kids' faces and let them play for a bit. Playtime=great captures. :)

Hey look! More grass!

My favorite of Ridge from the day - how could you not fall in love with this kid??? :)

Wedding: Eugenia.Chris

2009-07-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Eugenia and Chris were married in Auburn in an intimate family ceremony. Here we have the beautiful bride and her daughter pre-ceremony. Not only is her daughter every bit as gorgeous as mom - but she is the most polite, well-spoken, mature pre-teen I have EVER met. Eugenia, you've done a wonderful job!

After the ceremony, Eugenia, Chris and I went over to campus for a few newleywed pictures.

The reception was at Arricia in a private dining room. Warm and intimate, it was the perfect way for this couple to celebrate with their family and closest friends.

The details were absolutely beautiful. Take a look:

The award for Best Best-Man Toast Ever goes to this wedding. There were tears running down my cheeks by the time it was over. Beautiful, heartfelt, genuine.

Chris and Eugenia, thank you so much for opening your lives to me on your wedding day. I wish you two a life filled with many many years of laughter and love!

Graduate: Amanda

2009-07-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of having Amanda in a couple of my dance classes last year, and I was absolutely thrilled when she asked me about having portraits made in the Heritage dress she wore for graduation.

These were the first shots of the day...and I'm pretty sure they're my favorites.

This one is my favorite of the three:

I told Amanda that I think she should wear this as her wedding dress. Rework the straps a little bit, and voila! Unique, elegant, timeless.

Check the gorgeous details of the dress:

When I asked Amanda to sit down she said, "Oh, my nasty feet!" Yes...exactly... :)

Last shot of the day. High School is over! HOORAY!!!

Amanda - it's been wonderful getting to know you this last year. I know you're gonna have a blast at college - just don't forget to come visit the studio when you're in town!

Wedding: Claire.Andrew

2009-07-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Claire and Andrew's big day started at the Salon for the girls to get their hair done. I tried to convince Claire just to wear her hair like this. I'm not sure why she didn't take my advice. ;)

Claire and Andrew did not see each other before the wedding, so we did some fun photos that had both of them in it, but where they couldn't see each other.

Claire wore her aunt's veil.

I mean really, is it not the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen?

Right before the ceremony, Claire got a little worried wether or not her soon to be father-in-law had the rings. Her bridesmaids were assuring her that he had them, but her nerves were still working overtime...so I ran down real quick to where the guys were, and grabbed this shot. I came back and showed it to her for a little dose of reassurance.

One last quick kiss from mom before the ceremony...

And here they are - the new Mr. & Mrs.!

The wedding party -

A vintage car took the newleyweds from the ceremony to the reception.

All you Roll Tide fans out there will love this Groom's Cake:

Now, in my opinion, you just simply cannot beat a good candid. That said,
"smile and say cheese" photos can be pretty great too. :) So to all you wedding guests out there - if a photographer asks for your picture, give a huge grin! And never hesitate to ask the photographer to take a picture of you and the people you're with.

I've had some great dance floors this season, and this one is definitely among the top of the list!

Claire and Andrew left to Alabama shakers. As an added bonus, the shakers had confetti in them. Love!

The couple stopped for a "Roooooooooooooooooooooolllll Tide!" cheer on their way to the getaway car.

The moms jockey for position; one last kiss goodbye.

Andrew & Claire, thank you so much for having me there on your wedding day. It was a pleasure and joy to capture the memories for you!

Wedding: Shea.Justin

2009-07-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Shea & Justin were married in Madison and let me just tell you, I had a great time at their wedding! Shea and Justin are so awesome, and their families, wedding party and the guests were awesome as well. Really - you just can't ask for any more than that!

Hmmm...how many bridesmaids does it take to button up a dress? ;)

Totally love this shot of the guys. My favorite part? My two little guys! Love them!

As non-traditional as I profess to be, I do love.love.love when couples choose birdseed. It's just so ultra-traditional, yet you don't see it very often.

After picking all that birdseed out of Shea's hair (well, what was showing anyway...I'm sure there was more!) we came back in the sanctuary for more pictures. Here's a couple of my favorites of Justin & Shea.

On to the reception! Check out these super cute napkins-

The couple enjoyed their first dance before dinner...

...and then after dinner, every one else joined in!

Before the night ended, Shea&Justin's friends and family surrounded them for a last dance. Absolutely wonderful.

Shea & Justin, you guys were so much fun and made my job so easy! A lifetime of love & laughter to you!

Baby: Ashlyn Kay

2009-07-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Cuteness ahead. Serious.Serious.Cuteness.

See. Told ya so. :)

Ashlyn Kay is actually the niece of Kala, who was the beautiful bride in my last post. When AK's mom, Kristen, emailed me about taking one-year pictures, I was stoked! This little girl is a heart-stealer!

I just love it when little girls wear blue. Too too cute!

Ashlyn Kay rockin' the shades!

I love pictures of babies where Mom is in the picture...but not in the traditional sense. Just a hint of mom. And since my aim is to record this time in your child's life as true to reality as possible...then shouldn't Mom be a part of these pictures? Because really, at this age, Mom is never very far away!

And what a great shot of AK & Grandma! I know I treasure all the pictures I have of my grandmother holding me when I was little. I hope Ashlyn Kay will feel that way about this photo one day. :)

One of the things Kristen most wanted, was a picture of Ashlyn Kay smashing a cake. But I tell ya, this girl has a mind of her own! She wanted nothing to do with the cake - there was too much else to explore at the park!

Such a ham!

Check out this pucker-pout! I love it!

Happy Birthday Ashlyn Kay!

Wedding: Kala.Justin

2009-06-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

In one of the prettiest weddings I've ever seen, Kala & Justin were married at Oaks Plantation.

The details at this wedding were absolutely amazing, and the colors among my favorites. Elegant, yet rustic and classic Southern Country, the flowers wowed me every time I saw them. Sunny yellow and crisp white paired with river rocks in the vases, or rafia and burlap in the bouquets. Gorgeous, gorgeous.

And here's a wonderful idea that's always appreciated at outdoor summer weddings:

Love the tag Kala had sewn into her dress

The Wedding Party:

This picture of the girls is one of my favorites of the day, they are all too cute!

Another beautiful detail from the wedding - a custom runner, ordered off the internet.

My favorite cupcake display EVER.

Kala & Justin, it was an honor to be there for your big day. Wishing you all the best!

Wedding: Carolyn.Clint

2009-06-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

Carolyn and Clint were absolutely wonderful to work with! They danced around in front of the camera, they laughed and joked, they were silly, they were sweet, and most importantly...they were real. They pretty much did what I ask all my couples to do - pretend I'm not even here...unless I call your name. :) They did it really well too. There was no shyness, no pretense. Just honest emotion.

The Wedding Party. They.did.not.want.to.be.out.side. Can't say I blame them - it was HOT! So we got a few pictures outside, then went back in.

This arbor at Fountainview has to be one of the best places ever for an outside ceremony. So so pretty. And the minister put his own little twist on the service, which is always nice for someone like me who goes to at least one wedding every weekend. ;)

I absolutely loved how they did their cake cutting. Carolyn's daughter, Candace, got the first bite!

The Groom's mom with her other son. As the mom of boys, pictures like this always steal my heart. Sweet, sweet, sweet.

Quite possibly the sweetest guest at the reception. (i heart babies)

Once the guests were all settled in at the reception, I stole the Bride & Groom away for a few newlywed pictures.

These are some of my favorite pictures from the reception, and they were very accidentally taken. You see...I just wanted a bottle of water. So I went to the bar, which was in a tight little hallway. Well...the groom happened to be there too, sooooo...

P.S. The picture of the groom with the bridesmaid? --That-- is what happens when you make fun of short people. :)

P.P.S. The last picture on the right is of the groom and a guy I went to high school with. There was also another guy there that I went to high school with, and both of these guys were married to bridesmaids. It's a small world. :) Jason and Dewight - it was great seeing you both again!

At the end of the night, after the weather cleared from a huge storm, we were able to send off the Mr. & Mrs. in style. Hope you two had a wonderful honeymoon!

Wedding: Katie.Jason

2009-06-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

Katie & Jason's wedding day was one of the most relaxed days I've seen. No nerves, no breakdowns, no worries. Just the sweet sweet joining of two lives.

First Look:

Such a great wedding party!

Gorgeous outside ceremony at Rosewood in Pinson.

The reception was outdoors as well, and I must say I was amazed with how wonderfully lighted the tent was. (So often there's not much light under tents...the more light the better!)

The Groom's Dad - such wonderful smiles on these two!

My favorite groomsman, "The Spare" ;) and his lovely wife, who was Matron of Honor. Pucker up baby!

Congratulations Katie & Jason! It was an honor to capture the beginning of your life together. My love to you both!

Wedding: Jordan.Michael

2009-06-04T06:12:00.000-07:00

Jordan and Michael have been favorites of mine since their engagement session. These two are always tons of fun and up for just about anything. Not to mention how sweet and funny they both are. :) It was an honor to photograph their wedding.

Here's a few of the bridal details. Gorgeous!

It rained the day of Jordan and Michael's wedding, so we had to revise our plan of outside pictures. Luckily, the church we were at had some nice indoor places for pictures.

The reception was held at Gateway Lodge - love the rustic charm of this place!

Yes, they are indeed doing the Hokey Pokey. :) It was too funny!

Jordan & Michael - I know your life together is going to be full of love and laughter! Thank you for letting me be there for the start of your life together.

Engagement: Martha.Peter

2009-05-28T10:40:00.001-07:00

On a bright and sunny (not to mention windy!) morning, I met Martha and Peter at Auburn University for their engagement photos.

Since both Martha & Peter went to Auburn University (War Eagle!), campus was the perfect place for their session. And of course, we had to run around and snap photos with all sorts of Auburn-y things.

We also visited the Engineering building, where Peter spent much of his time. There we found the most gorgeous bank of windows.

We went inside the building to get some shots on a staircase there that Martha's mom loves, and en route, we got one of those great impromptu photos. This one may just be my favorite from the day. :)

Remember the wind I talked about? Sometimes, I hate the wind. Sometimes, it's my best friend. For this photo....definite BFF status! And I take back what I said earlier...THIS...is my favorite from the day. :)

Peter is also in the Army, so at the end of our time together, he and Martha changed clothes and I got to see another side of this pair.

Martha & Peter - y'all were terrific! Thanks for a wonderful morning!

Wedding: Stacy.Darryl

2009-05-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I was in Mobile for Stacy and Darryl's wedding. It had been years since I'd been to Mobile, so it was great to be back at my old stomping grounds again.

The wedding party got ready at Battlehouse Renaissance downtown, and we also got some pretty great pictures of the guys there before the ceremony.

The ceremony was held at St. Joan of Arc, also in downtown Mobile. Absolutely gorgeous!

After the ceremony, the wedding party went to a park (also downtown) for a few fun photos.

After we left the park, it was back to The Battlehouse for the reception. And what a reception it was! In addition to fresh fruit, pasta salad, Starbuck's Coffee, and an array of other goodies, guests were treated to stir-fry cooked to order. And when I say cooked to order, I mean that you walked up to the table, told the cook what ingredients you wanted (the ingredients were all sitting right there on the table for you to choose from) and he cooked it right in front of your eyes. Yum! After everyone got settled into the reception with their plates, I stole the girls away for a few pictures since we'd run out of time before the ceremony. Here's a couple of the gorgeous bride:

Back at the reception, the party continued at full speed. I won't apologize for the *way too many* dance pictures I'm posting here, because there were so many that I loved, it was hard to choose. And really, this is just a teeny-tiny sampling of the dance pictures...there are literally hundreds more.

Before we knew it, it was time to go.

Good Night Mr. & Mrs.!

Wedding: Kelly.Phillip

2009-05-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

Kelly and Phillip's wedding day was wonderful - the weather was perfect (yes, a little on the warm side...but for May in Alabama, I will NOT complain!), the families and wedding party were both absolutely amazing and made me feel so welcome. And the venue...ah!...the venue! Mountain View Manor in Springville is gorgeous, and has all the amenities any couple could want. Enough of that though - on with the pictures!

The Groom, his Dad, and Grandad. Look at these handsome boys!

There was lots of great dancing at the reception: in addition to the above traditional dances, there was everything from the robot to an attempt at breakdancing.

But this little guy stole the show! I promise you, I have two tons of pictures of him dancing! Here's just a little sample:

I had personally never seen this before, but I absolutely LOVED it and think everyone should do it! Both Bride and Groom take their shoes off, and they each hold one of their own shoes, plus one of their spouse's shoes. The DJ asks a series of questions such as: who takes out the garbage; who's the biggest couch potato; who hogs the remote; who is the silliest; who does the dishes; who's the most sarcastic. Each of them hold up the shoe of the one they believe the question fits. It was hilarious to watch!

Kelly & Phillip, I hope you guys are having a blast in Tahoe! Thanks for letting me be a part of your wedding day!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

I hope all of you Moms out there are having a wonderful day today. And for those of you who aren't moms, I hope you're making the day special for your own Mother. :)

Here's a picture taken this past Christmas. In it, you'll see the Moms in my family:

Starting on the left, there is Heather, my cousin Clay's wife, and the mother of two wonderful boys. Beside her is Amanda, my cousin Scott's wife, and the mother of another wonderful little boy. Next is my Aunt Jeanie, mom of Clay and Scott. I think she should probably win Mom of All Time after raising those two. (hahahahaha.....) Next to my aunt, is my own wonderful Mamma, and then I'm beside her, with my two boys behind me, and my daughter beside me.

I love you Mom, thank you for putting up with me, and loving me through it all. Happy Mother's Day!

Wedding: Patty.Clint

2009-04-25T22:23:00.000-07:00

Patty & Clint were married at her family's home in Evergreen, Alabama. A beautiful old home with gorgeous grounds, it was the perfect setting for a wedding.

Inside the house was a little...warm. Here is what Patty looked like most of the time before the ceremony:

The ceremony was on the front porch of the house. The family sat on either side of the altar, and the other guests sat in chairs in the yard. It was unique, and fit the surroundings perfectly.

The girls all wore the same dress, but in different colors. The guys wore seersucker. It was so so pretty, and fit the season wonderfully.

This piano was a wedding gift for Patty's great-great-grandmother. To keep the wedding tradition for this instrument going, it provided the music for Patty's ceremony.

A couple more favorites from the day:

Patty & Clint - I had a marvelous time at your wedding. Your wedding party, your families, your guests, your whole day...it was all amazing. Thank you so much for letting me be there for the beginning of your life together! Many happy years to you!

Wedding: Emily.Chase

2009-04-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

Emily & Chase kicked off my wedding season with a blast last week. I met up with the two of them at Emily's hotel room, and the three of us got in Chase's car and went to UA campus for pictures.

As we were leaving campus to go to the ceremony, we got stopped at every block by a red light. Photo op!!! *going to the chapel and we're...gonna...get ma-a-a-rried* teehee :) Seriously, this turned out to be one of my favorite shots of the day.

There ceremony was held in the back yard of The Cypress Inn by the river - very intimate, with the guests standing while they watched the couple tie the knot. (Which, by the way, I absolutely love for outdoor weddings...really, ceremony is an average of 15-20 minutes long. Unless you have guests who physically aren't able to stand for that long, then why not save yourself the hassle, not to mention the rental expense, of setting up all those chairs? I've seen ceremonies done this way several times, and it always lends such a relaxed atmostphere to the service.)

At the end of the ceremony, the guests celebrated the new Mr. & Mrs. with bubbles as they were walking back down the aisle. Love!

The reception was held in The Crow's Nest, upstairs at the Cypress Inn. Perfect location for the reception, and with a gorgeous view of the water! But let me tell ya - those stairs are steep! I was majorly impressed with how easily Emily climbed them in her wedding gown!

Emily & Chase, thank you for a wonderful start to the 2009 wedding season. I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

Bridals: Katie

2009-04-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's very rare that I get to post bridals here on the blog, for fear of the groom seeing the bride in her gown before the wedding. However, Katie gave me the go-ahead to share some photos of her, saying that there was no chance whatsoever of Jason running across them. Enjoy!

Thanks Whitney!

2009-04-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday evening, I handed my niece Whitney my camera in the hopes that we could get an updated family photograph. Whitney is a freshman in high school, and takes photography classes in her magnet program. I think she did a great job!

Engagement: Shea & Justin

2009-04-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning I left Millbrook in the middle of a thunderstorm heading to Birmingham to meet Shea & Justin for their engagement session. It rained on me off and on the whole way there, but thankfully cleared up about 5 miles out from my destination. It was wet...very wet...everywhere we went, but we made the best of it, and got some super great shots! I actually love the feel that a recent rain gives to images. It just makes everything... more...if that makes sense to anyone but me. ;)

You know, Old Town Helena really has everything you could ask for. A park, water, railroads, great buildings. If any of you Birmingham brides are still looking for a great place for photos, Helena definitely deserves consideration.

Shea & Justin's wedding is coming up in June - can't wait!

Milestone: 3 Months Old

2009-04-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

What a precious baby boy! Ridge just gets cuter every time I see him, and he always lets me snuggle him...which I absolutely love! (Don't you guys know that's the whole reason I love shooting baby pictures? Snuggle time!)

Ridge was fighting sleep just about our entire session, poor guy. But he held out pretty good, and gave us a lot of great pictures.

What makes Ridge happiest? The same as all kids - playing with Mom!

I can't wait to see the changes that 6 Months brings to this little man!

Curtain Call: Jordan & Michael

2009-04-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

I worked with Jordan & Michael for the first time back in November for their engagement pictures. These two were wonderful then, and they were wonderful again this past Saturday at their Curtain Call Session!

Now, Jordan & Michael did Curtain Call a little differently than most couples...they chose to do it before the wedding...reason being, Jordan wants to use the images at the wedding, instead of your traditional bridal portraits. Love it! (Before you start cringing, this is not Jordan's actual wedding dress. That dress is in fact, being kept nice and clean until the wedding day.)

A little history in this picture: the luggage was Jordan's grandmother's, and the hat is Michael's mother's.

Rusted out school bus? Perfect!

While shooting this, a guy slowed his truck and yelled out "Hey! Is there gonna be a reception afterward?" To which we replied: "Heck yeah! With moonshine & potato salad!" It was great. I tell ya; only in Alabama.

I simply could not choose between these two, so here they both are:

Across the street from the bus was an old gas station. We intended to use the front of the station for photos, but circumstances beyond our control vetoed that idea. Turned out that the side of the building was even better. I absolutely love the colors in this shot, and think that Michael's red tie sets the whole thing off. Also love that he's holding his dad's guitar.

After leaving there, we headed for Hicks Automotive. Basically, a car junkyard. The guys at Hicks were amazing! Laughed with us, couldn't believe what we were doing, but opened up their whole place for us, told us where the best cars were, and even let us borrow a shovel. (More on that in a minute.)

One great picture; three awesome looks. If this were my photograph, I'd have all three printed on canvas wraps, then hang them together, museum style. What an impact that would have!

Again, amazing colors. Can you believe I've said that twice now in one post? Me? The lover of black & white? :)

Jordan, like most brides, loves to look at photographs of other brides on the internet. When she ran across this infamous Trash The Dress photo on the internet, she wanted to use it as inspiration. A little morbid, sure, but such great fun!

Being big baseball fans, Jordan & Michael wanted to use the Biscuits Stadium somehow in their pictures. We figured we'd just be out in front of it, but we lucked out, and the fabulous people working there at the Stadium actually let us on.the.field. (!)

After leaving the Stadium, we went to the tunnell leading to the Riverfront.

We had hoped for photos at the splash pad, but the Riverfront was closed for the day. Thanks to the recent downpour, we easily found an alternate source of water.

Jordan & Michael - Thanks for the most fun I've had in quite a while! Can't wait for the wedding!

Engagement: Miranda & Donald

2009-03-22T12:38:00.001-07:00

After a crazy start to the morning, Miranda, Donald and I set about creating some wonderful engagement pictures. These two are an absolute dream to shoot: totally at ease with each other, always joking and playing around, and oh-so-obviously in love.

I love images that look completely different when done in color and then in black/white. I couldn't decide which of these I prefer, so I decided to share them both.

Has this been my week for feet, or what??? :)

Claire: Miranda, give Donald a kiss on the cheek.
Donald: Ohhhh yeaaaahhhhh....

Engagement: Lindsey & Aaron

2009-03-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

Lindsey & Aaron met me in Columbiana this week for their engagement pictures.

Aaron loves to fish, and is in the process of teaching Lindsey the finer points of the sport, so it was only natural that some of their pictures reflected this. This kind of personalization is the stuff I absolutely love to see! :)

More personalization here: Aaron brought along his guitar (he serenaded Lindsey on the steps of the courthouse - it was awesome!) and in this shot, you'll also see a mural in the background that his mom painted.

Engagement: Anne & Matt

2009-03-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

Anne and Matt were an absolute delight to hang out with Wednesday at Aldridge Gardens in Birmingham. It was great getting to know them before their wedding in July.

Engagement: Stacy & Darryl

2009-03-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

Stacy and Darryl stopped off in Montgomery on their way home from Mobile for a quick engagement session. Since they live out of state, this was the first time we'd actually met in person. It was wonderful getting to know them a little bit and discussing the game plan for their wedding day. It'll be my first wedding in Mobile; I can't wait!

Wedding: Melissa.Andrew

2009-03-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

Melissa and Andrew were married at the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The weather was beautiful, and we had no problems being outside for photos.

The Ceremony was held in The Ireland Room with the Reception in The Gardens Cafe. Not only were the surroundings perfect; the staff was absolutely amazing.

(Cupcakes in lieu of a Groom's Cake - love it!)

Melissa & Andrew - I hope you guys had a wonderful time skiing! I had a blast spending your big day with you...Best Wishes for a Beautiful Lifetime together!

Snow? Snow!!!

2009-03-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 6:15 to 74 degrees and the weather sirens going off: tornado. This morning I woke up at 6:15 to my husband opening our blinds and pointing outside: snow. Yup, snow. Only in Alabama. :shakes head:

For those of you who don't live in the South...I beg you not to laugh at the following pictures...or, at the very least...don't laugh too loud. :) We get excited down here over flurries; we break out the camcorders for anything more than that. This year is a little odd for us...this is the second year in a row it has snowed! Before that, it had been around 7 years since we'd seen snow.

So...here ya go...Alabama Snow!

Cole built this guy all by himself. "It's Daddy!" he said. *i heart cole*

Evie & Ridge

2009-02-26T06:11:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, I met Sarah out at Shakespeare with her two adorable little ones: Evie and Ridge.

I love Ridge's expression here; he didn't quite know what to make of the wind.

And I absolutely love screaming baby pictures. Perhaps because there are days that I wish I could just let loose and scream like this? ;)

This is probably my favorite image from the day. Hey - I never claimed to be conventional.

Sweat Pea Evie. :heart:

Precious Taliyah

2009-02-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

On January 14th, the world was blessed with the addition of a beautiful baby girl. Taliyah makes the third daughter for our good friend, Tommy.

Vacation's Over!

2009-02-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

Actually...it wasn't that much of a vacation, but it was really nice. :)

To catch you up:

New Year's Eve was a quiet affair this year. My husband was at work, my step-daughter wasn't home, and my boys were asleep by nine. I did stay up until after midnight, but that was about it.

On January 3rd, I hosted another Marathon Boudoir. Sarah was on hand as assistant, and Kendall was once again our hair/makeup artist. If you're interested in Boudoir, shoot me an email. They're amazingly fun, relaxed, and suprisingly liberating, so I've been told. These sessions are a perfect celebration of you, and make a wonderful gift for your significant other.

Be on the watch-out for two of the cutest youngsters you've ever seen: Evie and Ridge. The post of their session from earlier this week will be up in the next couple of days.

My first '09 wedding is next weekend...and I can't wait! I'm so super excited for Melissa and Andrew's wedding at the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Finally, on a personal note: today is my Anniversary. Five Years Down - A Lifetime to Go! I love you Lee!

It's great to be back! 2009 is going to be crazy busy: Get Ready!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

Reckon what it says about my family that THESE were the best photos out of the bunch?

Hope your Christmas was full of wonderful times spent with family!

Family: Brooks

2008-12-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

Not just any family...My family. My cousin Scott, his wife Amanda, and their son George. Oh, and we can't forget the newest addition to the family: Miller. I asked Amanda, "Miller...as in Lite?" She said her sister-in-law had asked if the dog's last name was Time. hehe. I'm thinking that it's probably Miller, as in Henry, that is unless there's an Alabama player with the name Miller, and then that would probably be it.

Amanda's mom, Jennifer, was with them, so we got her in a few of the shots too.

I absolutely adore this picture. It's certainly not your classic portrait, but then again, when have I ever been a huge fan of the classic portrait?

We had a blast hanging out with y'all, and lunch was wonderful! See y'all at Christmas :)

Senior: Arielle

2008-12-17T07:35:00.000-08:00

A quick shoot today with Arielle, Brianna's sister, to get a picture for her Senior Page in the yearbook.

Family: Massey-Palmer

2008-12-17T07:24:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving, after doing her annual shopping trip with her sisters, my friend Denise met me in the drizzle with her two precious little ones.

We didn't have ideal conditions for picture-taking, but during this busy time of year, we had to just suck it up and make the best of it...mind you, the children I don't think even noticed that it was raining.

I sent Denise in with the children for a few photos...every Mom needs pictures with her babies.

It was great seeing you Denise, and catching up. Hope to see you again soon!

Family: Payton

2008-11-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

Sunday afternoon was spent with Rachel & Brad, Rachel's parents, and her sister & her family.

Though it doesn't show his beautiful face, this is my favorite picture of Connor from the day...

Sorry Dad, but this one is too funny to not share :)

I had a blast - it was great seeing you all again!

Wedding: Sarah & Josh

2008-11-26T13:56:00.001-08:00

Sarah and Josh were married Saturday at Farmville Baptist Church. Simple. Elegant. Timeless. Amazing.

The First Look (so sweet)

The (Best Ever!) Wedding Party

What's a wedding without a little fun? I love off-the-wall stuff like this anyway, but this wedding party totally made it wonderful.

Here's a reminder to my future brides: When you send out your invites, send me one too. They're great to have around for photos!

The ceremony was absolutely gorgeous. And the flower girl was hilarious. She put a clump of flowers at every.single.row. She even went back to a row that didn't quite get enough and put a few more. I mean, really...aren't kids the best? The whole audience was giggling - it was great!

Kendall (the Maid of Honor) immediately starting crying (or trying not to anyway) the minute she got up to the front of the church. The emotion on her face for her best friend's happiness was a beautiful thing to see.

Congratulaions Sarah & Josh! I hope you two are having a fabulous honeymoon!

Oh! Oh! I almost forgot! Just for you Josh:

Engagement: Rachal and Brad

2008-11-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning found me in Downtown Montgomery with Rachal & Brad, who will be married in July of 2009. It started out pretty chilly, but on the whole wasn't bad at all!

We started out at the State Capitol. Sadly enough, after working in downtown Montgomery for around 10 years, this was the first time I had explored this side of Downtown. (The Commerce area is my usual stomping grounds)

Perry Street, between Washington and Monroe. I absolutely LOVE the Ginkgos here, it's one of my favorite "tree" areas in downtown.

What a gorgeous couple!

The look on her face tickles me here:

Congratulations on your engagement Rachel & Brad! July will be here before you know it!

Engagement: Kala & Justin

2008-11-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

This couple was a total BLAST! We met in Harpersville at Old Baker Farm and had all kinds of fun exploring the farm.

(what you can't hear in these two pictures are the three dogs who were our tour guides for the day crashing through the corn - they were hilarious!)

I had a blast guys! Thanks for a great afternoon!

2008-11-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

Happy 4th Birthday Nyla

I love you!

Nyla is my best friend Leda's daughter. She is an amazing little girl, just as her mom is an amazing friend. The guys in their lives, Taco and Tyler, are pretty A+ too. ;) Please click on Nyla's name above, and read her story. Then please...please...go give blood. Who knows whose life you might save?

Engagement: Jordan & Michael

2008-11-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning I met Jordan and Michael in Downtown Montgomery - what a blast! These two are a dream! They showed up raring to go - they were so excited to have fun and play and get some wonderful shots.

I met with Jordan a few months ago, and we started planning our course of action for their wedding photography. Must have fun? Check. Non-traditional shots? You got it! Expect the unexpected? Absolutely! For those of you who will be at Jordan & Michael's wedding, get ready for a guest book that will knock your socks off! For the rest of you...I promise I'll show you after the wedding. ;)

I love the way these two play around - they're like kids! For a good example, check out the difference between the next two shots:

(My favorite part is the devilish look on his face!)

Check out this gorgeous bride!

Family: Fulton

2008-11-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

Family in more than one sense of the word here...they are also :my: family. Loree is my husband's sister.

Downtown Montgomery served us well Sunday morning, and it was tons of fun finding fun places to grab photos of this family.

There are some "smile" pictures that look just like this one, but seriously, this shot is MUCH more their style:

This started out being a spin off from The Beatles' Abbey Road picture, but then quickly took on a life of its' own!

This one is my favorite...even though I had to endure cracks on my age from Buddy afterwards. "Girls, help Aunt Claire up off the ground...she might not can make it herself." ...or something to that effect.

Kayla and Whitney: Jump it Daddy! Jump it!!!

Loree and her girls

I had a great time y'all! See you soon!

The Corn Maze

2008-11-04T07:20:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Lee and I took the children to The Corn Maze in Titus. I had great plans of getting a beautiful fall-ish picture of all three of my kids sitting together amongst the corn...apparently my powers are not that strong. Can someone explain to me why it is I can get someone else's three kids to sit together for a picture, but not my own? First Cole wanted nothing to do with pictures. Then Cole decided to take the picture, but Luke wouldn't have anything to do with it. While I was wrestling with Luke, Cori got frustrated and left us. :sigh:

Will you guys be offended if our Christmas card this year is just a picture of the kids eating dinner? Because really, that's the only time I can get all three of them to sit still in one place.

Since Cori and Briana beat us out of the maze by a longshot, their picture ended up being on the tractors.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

Wedding: Rachel & JJ

2008-10-28T07:18:00.001-07:00

*Thanks to all who have patiently waited for this blog...I know it's late, but life has been crazy. In an effort to make up for my tardiness, I'm posting a few extra pictures. Enjoy!*

On October 18th, Rachel and J.J. (or RayJay, as Rachel's sister calls them) were married at St. Mary's on the Highlands in Birmingham. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. I'm always suprised that more Southerners don't get married in October. The weather is perfect!

Rachel is a big fan of wide angle shots. And with a chapel this gorgeous, wide angle was definitely called for!

After we finished the bridal party and family pictures inside the church, we headed outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. The courtyard at St. Mary's was perfect for pictures.

(Can you tell my girls were a lot of fun? I love it!)

We moved around to the front of the church, and it was perfection all over again.

I absolutely LOVE the front steps here. Another thing I love? Rachel's shoes!

While we were there, I called J.J.'s mom over for a mother-son picture. I guess having boys myself, these pictures are always among my favorites. I
will have this picture at my boys' weddings. :)

Confession: this was staged. But isn't it wonderful?

The fabulous shoes of the day:

I won't tell the story behind this shot. But trust me, it was hilarious.

Can you guess what these two are doing? Hint: It's late afternoon on Saturday. You guessed it - FOOTBALL!

I absolutely love these favors.

And did they use bubbles? roses? birdseed? Nope - potpourri! Wonderful!

Hope you guys had a great time on your honeymoon!

Wedding: Angie & Gary

2008-10-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Angie and Gary had a simply gorgeous ceremony and reception at Wetumpka's Jasmine Hills Gardens on October 11th. I cannot say enough about what a wonderful place Jasmine Hills is. I'm ashamed to admit that I've lived in the Montgomery area 12 years now, and this was my first visit. As far as outdoor venues go...I can't think of any other that's been as perfect as this one. If you're looking for an outside venue in the Tri-County area, do yourself a favor and go for a visit.

--enough of the chit chat, on with the pictures!--

Another beautiul cake by Peggy McKinney~

The groom and his brothers...boys, boys, boys. (They really were a lot of fun!)

This is the bride's brother, Todd, and his wife, Lee. These two were absolutely amazing with all they put into this wedding! (Oh, and they also own La Jolla in EastChase. If you've not been, I beg you to go. The food is to die for!)

I hope you two had a great time in the mountains! Congratulations on the start of your life together!

Wedding: Christin & David

2008-10-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a great, great day - for starters, the weather was phenomenal, there's no way we could've asked for any better. Add to that a gorgeous wedding party and tons of fun guests, and it all adds up to one fabulous day!

Pictures for the day started with the guys. They were a trip - two of them even made my "list" for the day, which for all my threatening and evil looks, really isn't that bad of a place to be. ;)

David & His Minions:

When it was time for the girls, we decided to do the ever popular floral wreath picture. Christin was so excited for this. "I look SO good in purple!" she said. Honey, you look good in everything!

After doing all the sanctuary pictures, we headed outside for some fun shots.

Christin wore some rockin' shoes! Purple! I love it!

Christin's dad officiated the wedding. Instead of saying "you may now kiss the bride" he said, "David, you now have my permission to kiss the bride." which brought on chuckles from the entire audience. I just love his expression in this picture.

The reception was held at Moore's Mill Club in Auburn, which is gorgeous! Speaking of gorgeous, check out the Groom's cake -

(I love it when wedding guests mess around with me!)

David's brother and his wife were both members of the wedding party, and are expecting a little one next month.

For those of you who don't know me well, I have a deep and abiding love for grainy black and whites. I don't do them very often, because I know they are not widely popular...but I absolutely adore them. This shot is one of my favorites from the reception. One of the groomsmen and his girlfriend. They were actually posing for someone else's camera, but I caught them too.

Double Smash!

Congratulations you two! I hope you guys are having a blast in Jamaica!

Sophomores/BFF: Cori & Brianna

2008-10-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon, Cori (my daughter) asked if we could go pick up her friend Brianna (who is like a second daughter to us) and then take a few fun pictures. Sounds like fun!

So off we went to Downtown Prattville - a great location for all sorts of fun shots! Here are a few of my favorites - enjoy!

This picture is probably the truest-to-life picture of the day. You wanna know what my girls look like most of the time? Well...here ya go...

Wedding: Jessica & Michael

2008-09-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Jessica and Michael were married on Saturday, September 27th. It was a gorgeous day...perfect weather, beautiful service, wonderful people.

The ring. (and the fabulous shoes!)

I cry a little bit at all of my weddings. I do - I can't help it. I'm a romantic, and I'm super emotional. Plus, I still remember all the emotion of my own wedding day, and I kinda relive a little of that at every ceremony I attend, whether as a guest or a photographer. Now normally, it's just a tear or two a few different times during the ceremony...but this one...there was one point where I couldn't even see through my viewfinder because my eyes were so thick with tears. I'm not sure why this ceremony got me so much - perhaps it was because I've worked with Jessica so much over the past several months (she was a bridesmaid in another wedding I did, then we did several different sessions that were wedding-related...plus, she's the best bank teller a girl could ever have :wink:). Not to mention, she's been to my house, so now everytime I tell my son that mommy's going to take pictures at a wedding, he says, "Are you going to see your bribe Ms. Jessca???" Or perhaps it was that the ceremony itself was so touching - Father McKenna's message was not only to Jessica and Michael as they start their lives as one, but to all of us, and when he spoke on growing together as a couple, it really spoke to me about my own marriage. My guess is that it was a mixture of both.

*okay* Ramble over, back to the pictures. :)

This is Jessica's sister, Colleen, doing her duty as Maid of Honor.

An excerpt from her toast: I remember right after they met we went on a family outing to EastChase, and Michael had gone with us. On the way back, we stopped at a red light, and Jessica turned to me and said, "Colleen - I'm going to marry him some day." And I said, "Yeah, you are."

Now let me just tell you - there were some dancin' fools at this wedding! Never in my life have I seen such a wide variety of people storm the dance floor! It was wonderful - I loved it! And I was so wanting to go out there and join them...especially when Thriller came on, and some of the ladies started dancing a bit of the choreography from the video.

The traditional Luchner YMCA!

Jessica's Mom and Grandmom cuttin a rug!

Before the big get away, I snagged Jessica and Michael for a few newlywed pictures.

I hope you guys are having a blast at Disneyworld! Give Mickey a hug for me!

2008-09-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Looking for a quick and easy way to get wonderful family portraits, just in time for those Christmas Cards? Give me a call or send me an email, and let's set up a Picture Party!

Wedding: Leigh Ann & Chris

2008-09-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

I pulled up to The Beach Club in Fort Morgan, and told the guard I was there to photograph a wedding. He waved me on through and I went off looking for the Doral building. I called Leigh Ann from the lobby and she told me to come on up to her sister's room, where she was getting ready. I got there, and couldn't have been more pleased with the scene I walked in on. Leigh Ann, her sister Erin and Erin's girls were all getting ready, while Erin's husband had some mood music groovin (Ants Marching, Dave Mathews Band...really, does it get any better?)

After hanging out for a while, we went on down to The Club House, where the ceremony was to be held, and where Leigh Ann was getting dressed. There was a debate about where to position the flower in Leigh Ann's hair, and "in the back" won. Here's Erin pinning in the flower:

Leigh Ann, showing off her sassy shoes:

Lipstick time!

The Ceremony was absolutely stunning...on the Terrace of The Beach Club, overlooking the Gulf.

After the ceremony, Leigh Ann, Chris and I went down on the beach for a few newlywed photos. I had a hard time choosing just one or two to share with y'all, so I decided to just share several.

Chris had a suprise for Leigh Ann, an addition to her bridal set. Gorgeous!

The reception was wonderful. The DJ was super, the music was awesome, the guests kept the dance floor busy...but some of my favorite moments came in the form of the younger guests...they really rocked the dance floor! (By the way, the beauty in the middle is Grayson, the groom's daughter.)

The Bride and Groom left to sparklers, and they were a big hit with the guests. Even after the departure, adults and children alike played with the sparklers.

I hope you two are having an amazing Honeymoon! I'm honored to have shared your day with you.

Work meets Play: Orange Beach

2008-09-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I had the privilege of shooting Chris & Leigh Ann Raper's wedding in Fort Morgan. Lee and I decided - why not make a mini family vacation out of it? :)

We went down Friday to Orange Beach, and came back on Sunday. We stayed at the best little condo - Emerald Skye. It was small, but suited our needs perfectly. Saturday we played on the beach most of the day, then Saturday afternoon and evening, I was with Mr. and Mrs. Raper as they exchanged vows and celebrated with friends and family (pictures coming soon!) Before heading home Sunday, we hit The Track in Gulf Shores.

The Woody: a 3-story wooden go cart track. This, my friends, is the entire reason we went to The Track. :) My husband just couldn't pass up the chance.

Cori and her friend Nicole:

Lee and Cole on the outside, with Cori next to them, and then Nicole:

Cori driving me on another track. I've chosen not to show you the picture where my mouth is wide open, screaming in horror. :0 You will however, notice the death grip I have on the side of the go cart.

Luke on his first ever all-by-himself ride. :sigh: They really do grow too fast.

Cole was too concerned with Luke to look at me for a picture. "Lukey! Don't fall out!"

Neither one of my boys knew what to think about the mini-ferris wheel. They just kinda sat there, stunned looking, for the whole ride.

After this, the girls and Cole rode The Woody one more time, and then it was due north for the The Drummonds. Mercifully, Cole and Luke slept the whole way home. :)

Caleb & Coby

2008-09-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

Meet Caleb & Coby, their mom Tonya, and their dad Reco.

I met Tonya 6 years ago when she was expecting Caleb. In fact, I stayed up until 2am the night before her baby shower cross-stitching a turtle and his name onto a onesie for him. :)

Then, about a year later, I took Caleb's name off the onesie, and stitched Coby's name onto it. ;)

My favorite thing to have kids do for pictures? RUN!

I'll see you guys soon!

Vendor Spotlight: The Big Tasties

2008-09-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

A couple of Saturday nights ago, my husband and I went down to The Exchange - a restaurant/bar at Downtown Montgomery's Renaissance Hotel. We had a blast! There was a super great band there: The Big Tasties. The music was awesome, and the personality of the band was amazing! They were just as much fun to watch as they were to listen to...these guys really get into their music.

The Big Tasties are a local band based out of Birmingham. All you brides out there are in luck too, because I asked, and they do perform at weddings :) They would definitely be an awesome addition to any reception - so for all you girls out there who haven't quite decided what to do about reception entertainment, let me make it simple for you: Get in touch with these guys. Find out where they're performing and go see them. You will NOT be disappointed. You can email David at: dacrenshaw@gmail.com.

On Second Thought...

2008-09-15T21:35:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let y'all know I've decided to not blog any photos from the Marathon Boudoir. I thought about it and realized that I want everyone to feel completely comfortable pulling up my site or blog no matter where they are, or who is with them. Not that ANY of the photographs I took that day are obscene or vulger...none of them are! They are all extremely tasteful and classy - and STUNNING!

I'm sorry to any of you who were looking forward to seeing the sneak peak...but I know you understand!

(Valerie - I'm not ignoring you! I'm writing soon, I promise!)

Long time no blog!

2008-09-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

It has been crazy around here...a whole lot of running around, and very little sleep! But it's been wonderful too!

I've been working a lot, just not on anything that I could really blog about. Christin and I met up a few weeks ago to shoot her bridal portraits at the fabulous Fountainview Mansion in Auburn. Gorgeous bride, gorgeous place, gorgeous pictures. Christin and David's wedding is coming up in about a month, I promise I'll show you some of her bridals then. (I'm so in love with these pictures, I'm dying to post some now, but I just can't risk David seeing them!)

This past Saturday was my first ever Marathon Boudoir! It was awesome and such a blast! I'll be blogging some pictures from one of those session here in a few days, so keep your eyes open for it! Sarah and Kendall of Synergy Photography were on hand with me. Kendall was our hair and make-up artist, and Sarah provided assistance - these girls were amazing, and I definitely couldn't have pulled this event off without them! We'll be offering another Marathon Boudoir in time for Valentine's - so be on the lookout for that!

I'll leave you with a few pictures I took of my kids on Sunday. I love these guys. :)

My youngest, Luke, has recently discovered the joys of reading. That.Is.All.We.Do.Now.

I love this little face - this is an expression we see all the time. It's normally accompanied by something he shouldn't be doing!

Like pulling on Mommy's curtains...

My silly goose, Cole

Actual conversation -
Cole: I'm tired Mommy.
Me: You are?
Cole: Yes. I'm tired of taking pictures.

Who knew they made Crocs so little?

Calling Birmingham Brides!

2008-08-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

If you're a Birmingham Bride, and you've been visiting my site or blog and thinking about contacting me...now is the perfect time!

I will be in the Birmingham area this Saturday, August 16th, and will be holding Bridal Meetings all day. So save yourself some gas money and travel time and give me a call or shoot me an email so we can set up a time to meet!

Welcome Baby Carson!

2008-08-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday I had the pleasure of photographing new baby Carson, his big brother Max, and their mom, Gabby. Once Carson fell asleep, he was happy to be photographed....but brother Max was a different story altogether. The world is filled with such fun things to explore, and Max was not about to slow down to have his picture taken. I did manage to get a few action shots of the little man though, and let me tell ya, he's one of the cutest little boys I've seen in a while! Of course...I do have a thing for blonde haired blue eyed boys...

Baby Carson. My husband wasn't too happy about me holding Carson so much during our session. It made my arms realize how much they love holding newborn babies...

And Max - as he's sliding off my kitchen table! (Look at those eyes! And those curls!)

We left my house and headed for Robinson Springs Park, a pocket park in Millbrook. Great location!

I hope to see the three of you again soon!

Wedding: Marybeth & James

2008-08-12T11:15:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful wedding! Small, elegant, gorgeous. Perfect.

The wedding and reception were held at Prattville's Rocky Mount Bed & Breakfast, and I can't say enough about the wonderful folks there. They also took care of the flowers and the food - the flowers were absolutely stunning, and the food was wonderful! If you're looking for an outside venue in Prattville, give them a call!

The ceremony was absolutely perfect in every way. Even the "glitch" was great - the music wouldn't play when Marybeth's cousin stood up to sing, so she just sang a cappella...and really, it fit the ceremony wonderfully. Simple & elegant.

This shot cracks me up! Take a close look at the door behind the couple...

(I did ask him to move, but I'm quite glad I got a shot before I realized he was standing there.)

And they did birdseed! Why does no one do birdseed anymore? I love birdseed...it's so...traditional. And as a self-proclaimed non-traditional girl, I do still like to see little touches of the ultra-traditional like this.

Thanks Marybeth and James for having me with you on your special day!

(p.s. A special thank you goes out today to Leda and Molly. These two ladies are the ones responsible for my new ability to post larger images to the blog! Thanks girls! What an improvement!)

Congratulations Jesi!

2008-08-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

Jesi, or Goldy as she's known in some circles ;), graduated college Saturday morning! To sweeten the pot just a bit, Jesi's BFF Jenna graduated as well. Jesi and her mom, Laurie. These two ladies were so much fun. Laurie...just wait until you see your special picture! Jesi and Greg, celebrating the day! And their daughter, sweet Little Miss Lila. This little girl stole my heart. I absolutely can not wait to see her again so she can "pose" for me.

She does this little wiggle thing right before she poses...it's priceless!
Thanks Jesi for having me at your special day!

It's Almost Time!

2008-08-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

Meet Marybeth and James. What a beautiful couple!

Marybeth's mom, Martina, is a very special friend of mine and my husband's (she actually went with my husband to pick out my engagement ring and she also served groom's cake at our wedding) so when she called me a while back and asked if I was available for Marybeth's wedding day, I was so excited to say yes! Marybeth and I talked and laid out plans for the wedding weekend. The excitement started Friday night with rehearsal at Rocky Mount Bed & Breakfast in Prattville. It's a lovely place, and I always welcome the opportunity to shoot there. Marybeth and James wondered around the property with me before the rehearsal started so we could get a few last shots before they joined the ranks of us old married folk. ;) Check out Marybeth's profile in this shot - gorgeous! The last shot of the night...it took some convincing to get a couple of people pictured below to jump...but they eventually did it, and it was great!
Stay tuned for pictures from the ceremony coming soon!

Happy Anniversary, Mr. & Mrs. G!

2008-07-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

WOW! 50 years together! I simply can not wait to say I've been married to my husband for 50 years! I guessed at a few of their secrets...but I'm thinking the truth is probably that they have simply loved and respected each other for their entire lives together.

The Beautiful Couple~
These two were wonderful...they were game for anything I asked them to do, and they even graciously gave me a few minutes to perform minor surgery on my camera. (Thank you Leda!) (This is my favorite.) While Tom & Judy knew this was to be a party in their honor, there were a few suprises for them as they walked in the door. The wedding cake shown below was one of the suprises. (And, it was a Peggy McKinney cake - a yummy suprise for all the guests!) Another suprise is also shown in the below picture - the tablecloth. Their daughter, Susan, snatched it unawares from their home to be on the cake table. The cloth was used in the couple's wedding 50 years ago, and so was a sweet addition to the anniversary party. This is Susan (the anniversary couple's daughter,) her husband Jeff, and their daughters Anna, Caroline and Katherine. I had the pleasure of photographing the triplets last year in their Easter dresses. As I look at this picture, I think...I wonder which of these girls will get married first, and I can't wait to see the tradition continue with their grandmother's tablecloth on their cake table. The trips again - tell me, are they not the most adorable girls EVER?!?!?!!! *a picture just of the two of you...with no children!* Speaking of children, check this out: an impromptu game of Duck, Duck, Goose. Aren't kids the best? One of the most touching parts of the evening was the slideshow. There were pictures in there from Tom & Judy's childhood, all the way up to the present. It was wonderfully put together, and was a beautiful moment for all watching. There was a little bit of everything - cute pictures, sweet pictures, funny pictures. The cake. As soon as I saw the cake, I was hoping they would feed it to each other. I was not disappointed!

Grandmother, Daughter, Grandaughters. Gorgeous, all of them. Sisters. The perfect blend.Sweet Caroline. She stopped me several times during the night and said, "take a picture of me doing this" "take a picture of me with that person" This particular one tickles me. Cheers, Caroline! I love you!

Taylor Lakes Clubhouse housed the event, and it was perfect. I'm not sure on the rules for renting the clubhouse, whether you must live in Taylor Lakes or not, but it's totally worth the call to find out if you're looking for an event venue in Montgomery.

Happy Anniversary, indeed! I'm honored to have been a part of your special evening. I hope to see you both again soon.

Wedding: Rachel & Brad

2008-07-14T14:34:00.001-07:00

They say there's a first time for everything, and this wedding definitely proved the saying right. This is the first wedding I've ever done where the girls got ready faster than the guys!
Speaking of the girls, I have to say this is the best bunch of bridesmaids I have ever had! You girls rock! Rachel is a lucky girl indeed to have such wonderful friends like you! The whole day was pretty awesome - great couple, great wedding party, great family, great venue. (Fountainview in Auburn...trust me...if you're getting married in Auburn, call up Mr. Wonderful (real name=Gary) you will be glad you did!)

The flower girl (adorable!) and her great-grandparents.
The ceremony was simple and timeless. Rachel told me before the wedding...I just want to marry Brad, that's all I want from this day. No singing, no long drawn out stuff. She got it, and MAN was it perfect! The emotion was so thick in the air during the ceremony that you could just feel the couple's love for each other.
Congratulations you two! I'm so honored to have been a part of your special day.

Hope you're having a blast in Jamaica! See y'all soon!

The Bell Family

2008-07-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

I mean really...how sweet can two brothers be?

Meet Louie, Rachel, Camden and Cohen. We went to Shakespeare Sunday afternoon and ran all over the place snagging pictures wherever we could.

I'm pretty sure this was Camden's favorite...DO IT AGAIN!!!! he kept saying!

Just moments before we realized there was a slight...um... ant problem right where the boys were sitting. I hope Cohen's little legs are all better!
This may well be my favorite of the day. I love the perspective on it, and of course, Camden's sweet hug is perfect!
Camden, inside the kid's museum, writing his name. What a smart kid!
Thanks for a fun afternoon y'all! See you soon!

New Couple: Sarah & Josh

2008-07-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

This is Sarah & Josh, magically transported into the world of Mario. I think they'll like this. :)

Halfway through my meeting with Sarah, I told her and her friend Kendall "I want to be friends with y'all! I want to come hang out with y'all!" Seriously, these two girls are so much fun and so super cool! I can't wait to meet Josh...if he's managed to capture Sarah, then I'm willing to be he's wonderful too!

Kelly & Phillip: Engagement

2008-07-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning, I met with Kelly & Phillip at Aldridge Gardens in Birmingham. Though not as large as Birmingham Botanical Gardens, it was every bit as lovely, and a wonderful place for photos! (They also host weddings, if you're looking for a venue.)

After a wild morning comprised of wrong turns and runaway dogs, we finally got started. Rain threatened us the entire time we were there, but we lucked out and didn't see the first drop!

Kelly and Phillips had been discussing getting engaged...but they were going to wait about a year before they did it. So when Phillip suprised Kelly with a ring one night, she at first thought he was joking! Nope, not joking!
It took a bit of looking, but we found a plant sign that suited our purposes: Blushing Bride. :)Hey Kelly & Phillip - kudos to whichever of you can figure out what's missing from this picture first:

Thanks for a great morning you two! Talk to you soon!

Happy First Birthday Grady!

2008-06-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays - they've been everywhere lately!

Grady is our latest birthday star - and what a cute one he is! You first saw Grady when he was six months old. Since then, his mom Amanda and I have become very good friends. You also saw Grady and Amanda the day I had lunch with them back in May. I don't get to see this family very much because they live a little ways away from us, so it was especially sweet for me to get to spend time with them during Grady's first birthday party. I also got to meet Amanda's mom whom I've heard so many wonderful things about!

My boys both went with me to the party (let me tell you how fun it was trying to shoot a party with my own two hanging on me!) This princess tiara belonged to Jenesis, another party goer, but my son decided he needed to try it on. Something to put in the senior yearbook?
The sweet Jenesis holding her Daddy's hand: Troy working hard, grilling up burgers and brats - they were wonderful Troy!
Blue red velvet for the little man...a family tradition.
As you can tell, he loved it!
Happy First Birthday Grady! We love you!

Happy Birthday CoriBabe!

2008-06-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Happy 15th to my wonderful step-daughter!

Saturday was Cori's birthday, and three of her friends came over. We had pizza, cookie cake, and a plastic phone. :-0

The girls all spent the night (amazingly enough, they weren't THAT loud) and then the next day we took a few pictures.

Ahhh - to be young and beautiful again!

Happy Sweet Sixteen Kayla!

2008-06-23T10:17:00.001-07:00

Saturday was my niece Kayla's Sweet 16 Birthday Party. (Incidentally, Saturday was also my step-daughter's actual birthday, stay tuned for pictures from that coming next!) Her party was Black & White themed, and it was beautiful...just like her!

Both of my nieces, sisters Kayla and Whitney.

I had the hardest time trying to get Whitney to keep a straight face for me...everyone kept trying to make her laugh...and they were doing a good job of it!

Kayla's cake was made at the Publix on Taylor Road, it was gorgeous AND tasted amazing!

I hope the rest of your night was wonderful!

Christin & David - Engagement

2008-06-12T21:49:00.001-07:00

I don't even know where to start with this one...first, my husband went with me to Opelika to meet up with Christin and David. It was so nice having some time in the car with him and not having to try and talk over the constant canyouchangethestation/luke'stouchingme/AAAUUUHHHHAAAAEEEE the whole way. :)

So we get to 8th & Rail in Downtown Opelika and get started. These two were awesome from the get-go!

So we were just moseying up the strip of shops stopping anywhere that caught our fancy when we came to a building that was being renovated. No one was around, so we thought we'd use the plywood on the door as a background. While doing this, the guy doing the renovating showed up, and invited us to come inside and get shots anywhere we wanted. We happily obliged.

As we left the building we saw the blue wall. Amazing. There are so many wonderful shots from the morning with this blue in it that it was hard to narrow it down to one. But this one...yeah... it's probably my favorite from the entire day.
To top off all the great buildings and brick and everything else...there was a railroad track! Gotta love railroad tracks!

After we finished shooting, David had to go to work, so Christin, Lee and I went with him. Well, we didn't work, we just ate at the restaurant where he's the Executive Chef.
David - the White Veggie Pizza was wonderful! I'm totally having it again the next time I'm in town!
Thanks for a wonderful day you two! See y'all soon!

Bride Mania!

2008-06-12T20:42:00.001-07:00

Meet my new Couples!

Christie and Noah, Birmingham. All of my couples are special to me, but I must admit I'm especially excited about these two. They represent my two most favorite things in the world - wedding photography and the ballet.
Katie and Jason, Pinson. o6-o6-o9. I had the pleasure of meeting with Katie and her mom a few weeks back. I know that not only am I going to have a wonderful bride on their special day, I'm also going to have a wonderful Mother of the Bride, and let me tell ya - that's hugely important! Kristina and Brandon, Millbrook. I can not wait for this September wedding! It's going to be small...and by small, I mean, the couple, the minister and me! What a wonderful opportunity to get tons of tons of shots of this beautiful couple! It'll be wonderful being able to focus all of my attention on just the Bride & Groom!

Playing Tag...Blog Style!

2008-06-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

I've seen this a handful of times on other blogs, but never been tagged myself. The fabulous Molly tagged me today, so here we go!

Where were you ten years ago?

I was living in apartment with Meagan, working part time at Gayfers (this was shortly before it became Dillards), and finishing up my degree at Huntingdon College. I was only taking two courses...dance pedigogy (my last required class for my dance major) and some sort of lit. course I'm sure since I had just found out I only needed a few more english courses to have a major in that as well. I was dating Ty (talk about Mr. Wrong, Molly!) but was convinced he was all about Mr. Right. Oh, and let's not forget, I was going to Pure Country and dancing my butt off every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. This was around the time I learned all the western couple dances, and I couldn't get enough of them!

(l-r: Michelle, Jen, me and Ashley at a Coppellia performance)

Five Items on your To-Do list today:

Really, I only have to give you five?

1. Post Office (mail out two weddings, an engagement session, and Valerie's cooler/blanket/shirt.)
2. Finish Jessica & Michael's e-pics, and get a blog up on Christen & David's e-pics.
3. Get haircut (check!)
4. Call Cole's new sitter to check on availability for Luke. *fingers crossed*
5. Ask Dad to roll our garbage out to the street while we are gone.

Snacks I Enjoy

At the top of the list - cheese cubes and honey-mustard pretzels. Yes, together. Also, I adore Wickles (wickedly good pickles) which also go quite nicely with cheese.

What would you do if you were a billionaire?

Top of the list, pay off my parent's house. They have done so much for me, it would be wonderful to do something for them. Then I'd buy my mom a condo on the beach. She'd like that. :) Then I'd go buy some land and build four houses on it - one for my family, one for my parents, and one each for my sisters-in-law. Of course, we'd all have golf carts to ride us back and forth to each others' houses. Next: college funds for the kids. Next: invest the vast majority. Next: buy Lee a motorcycle. Bless his heart.

Places I would live:

I can't honestly say that I would ever live anywhere other than Alabama. But I'd love to have extended visits to lots of places! (Scotland, Hawaii, Michigan ;)

Bloggers I'm passing the challenge on to: Leda, Meagan and Meredith.

Jessica & Michael: Engagement Pictures

2008-06-03T13:00:00.001-07:00

Jessica, Michael and I went to Downtown Prattville for their engagement pictures - it was awesome! We were under a thunderstorm warning the whole time we were there, but it didn't hamper things a bit!
Jessica and Michael got engaged over Christmas. Jessica has a large family, so instead of throwing all the wrapping paper into the trash, they toss it in the fireplace instead. Jessica opened her Christmas present from Michael - a really cute stuffed animal. She's about to throw the tissue paper from inside the box into the fire and Michael says, "THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE IN THERE!!!" thus saving her engagement ring from the fire. (How awful would THAT have been???) So Jessica digs down into the tissue paper, and there it was: The love this man has for Jessica is unreal...he couldn't keep his eyes off her the entire time we were shooting!

Claire & Andrew: Engagement Pictures

2008-06-02T07:33:00.001-07:00

We found this sign not long after we started our session at the Birgmingham Botanical Gardens. It was perfect for them - precious love indeed.
One night, Claire and Andrew had plans to go out and eat dinner. Andrew picked Claire up, and then remembered he *oops* forgot his wallet back at his place. So they drive back, where he insists Claire come in with him to get the wallet. Claire is not a happy camper at this point - she is hungry. She does not want to go in. She wants to wait in the car while he RUNS HURRIES FAST FAST to get the wallet. But, she went in, and guess what was waiting on her when she walked in? You guessed it, Andrew, on bended knee, with this: I knew I had an awesome couple when we approached this swing and they said "Hey can we stand in it?!?!?!!" YES!

Thanks for a fabulous morning you two!

Lazy Sunday

2008-05-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

A rarity at our house - a day spent at home, just enjoying each other's company. After my kids (okay okay, and me too) got up from a nap, we ran to Wal-Mart and got a new toy. I think Lee and I had as much fun in it as the boys did!

We ended up the day by grilling hamburgers and then eating outside on the patio. Wonderful!

Valerie & Will: WAR EAGLE!

2008-05-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

Valerie & Will had their engagement session today. Though they live in Florida, they are huge Auburn fans (Will is from Auburn) so they made the long drive up here to do their e-pics in Auburn. We started in Jordan-Hare Stadium, and then strolled around for awhile and grabbed pictures anywhere we saw that interested us.

Thanks for a great day y'all!

Kaylin & Ryan

2008-05-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Kaylin & Ryan tied the knot today at beautiful Oaks Plantation in Pike Road. From firetrucks to red carpet - these two had it all!

Here's the groom's paternal grandparents, Hank and Rose, and their seven...yes seven...kids. (The groom's dad is in the smack dab middle.) When I was taking this picture, I was asking Gramma Rose: "Did you EVER sleep?" "Did they drive you crazy?" "Have you regained your sanity?" (The answere were no, yes, no by the way.) I was told this was the first time in 20 years that all seven kids have been in the same place at the same time. What a wonderful day!
Most definitely one of my favorite ring pictures ever. This was one of the most relaxed about-to-walk-down-the-aisle grooms I've ever seen. From left: Best Man, Groom, Officient. The guys got great marks for "plays well with others." The two in the back are the groom's sisters (and the one on the far right is one of my September Brides.) When I said "fawn over the groom" they were all - no way! How about we do this instead? And, as usual, it's those small suggestions that make the shot way better than it would have been otherwise. Everytime I see this picture I crack up at the two of them. Minutes after seeing each other for the first time. :sigh: The First Dance.
Father of the Groom (second from left) was the ringleader in the YMCA dance. It was a HOOT! I can't wait for the repeat performance in September. (Yes, Mr. L., I heard you say this was the last time, but...but...just ONCE more???) Congratulations to the Mr. & Mrs.! Best wishes for a lifetime of love!

Gail & Paul: Wedding!

2008-05-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

Gail and Paul were married Saturday, May 10th at Sturdivant Hall in Selma, Alabama. We had gorgeous weather (though a little on the hot side) and the entire wedding party as well as the parents were awesome! I had so much fun with all of you - thanks for a great time!

Congratulations you two! I hope you're having a fabulous honeymoon!

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAIL!

Gail & Paul: Rehearsal

2008-05-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

It was my pleasure tonight to travel to Selma to join Gail & Paul, along with their family and friends, for their wedding rehearsal and dinner. Rehearsal was held at Sturdivant Hall, which is stunningly beautiful and the dinner was at a local hotel that was housing out-of-towners for the event.

Wedding Day pictures coming soon!

Lunch with Grady

2008-05-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Today I got to have lunch with my man Grady.

Fast Food & Grady - two of my favorite things all rolled into one!

Oh yeah, and his mom tagged along too. :) Amanda is one of my dearest friends,

and I don't get to see her often enough at all, so it's always a treat to have lunch with her.

Aren't his eyes the most beautiful shade of blue you've ever seen?

And those butterball feet! AH!
Can't wait to see you two again!

Renaissance Montgomery

2008-05-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend my husband and I went to the Renaissance Montgomery downtown for a little R & R. What a great place!

While there, I developed two new obsessions: geometrics and window reflections.

P.S. For those of you planning a wedding - this would make an awesome venue!

By Request.

2008-05-02T19:35:00.001-07:00

Just for you baby girl. Love you!

It has happened.

2008-05-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

My three year old has corrupted my one year old. We all knew this would happen, just didn't think it would be quite this soon.

My three year old is obsessed with Superheroes (and the Villains!) Batman, Superman, BatWermin (aka Wonder Woman), Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, Hooman Porch (aka Human Torch), Wolverine, Iron Man, Spiderman, Octa Doctapus (aka Dr. Octopus), Flash, Green Lantern, The Joker, Benom (Venom) and on and on and on. We know them all, we love them all, and we have most of them in action figures. Of course, we also have our own live super hero - Cole. He even has a cape. Except he doesn't call it a cape - in Cole world a cape is actually called a pirate. And we have different pirates for whatever superhero he wants to be at the moment. The pirate (cape) is nothing more than a hooded towel - but when Cole dons the towel, magical qualities take over, and it becomes a pirate!

Cole walks in the house every day, takes all clothes (minus underwear) off and puts on the pirate. Yesterday, Luke got to the pirate before Cole could. This was NOT appreciated. So Lee went to the cabinet and got Luke his own pirate. Hilarity ensued.

(P.S. Are we now officially classified as rednecks because we let our children out of the house dressed (or rather undressed) like this?)

I LOVE the way Luke is looking at Cole in this one -

HERE is where this was prophesied. Read the last sentence.

Old Houses

2008-04-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

I loooove old houses. I want one so bad I can taste it. When I ride through places like Cottage Hill, Capitol Heights, Highland Gardens or Cloverdale/Idlewild, it seems like every other house I see makes me say - I want that house. I want that house. I want that house.

Oops! I forgot the Car Show!

2008-04-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

So with everything that's been going on lately, I completely forgot to post pictures from the car show we went to back on April 12th!

It was very cool - I love stuff like this! It was in the parking lot of Food Fair in Millbrook - just up the road from the house - so when the weather cancelled my bridal portrait shoot that day, me, Lee, the kids and my dad went up there instead. I loved moseying around, looking at all the old cars, and grabbing a few shots of them as well. Here's a bit of what I got:

A silly little self portrait :)

For Leda

2008-04-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

My friend Leda has challenged herself to taking a picture of each letter of the alphabet. However, Leda being Leda, she's not taking pictures of actual letters...she's taking pictures of things that look like letters. Here's an example of what she's doing: Letter A. So when I saw this today, I immediately thought of her. The Letter X, just for you Leda! :smooch:

2008-04-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Kaylin your Bridals are up! I don't dare post any of them on here in case Ryan stumbles across this!

For all the rest of you, Kaylin is my "I am NOT a traditional bride" Bride! We had an awesome time Sunday at Shakespeare taking her Bridal Portraits. Her mom, aunt and grandma came along for the ride as well. Her mom and aunt were aprehensive about a few of the shots we took, but they took it all in stride so Kaylin could play runaway bride!

Kaylin & Ryan will be getting married in May right here in Montgomery. I'll be sure to post some of Kaylin's Bridals along with a few shots from their wedding then...just can't let Ryan see the dress yet! ;)

2008-04-19T23:03:00.000-07:00

Deidra and Chris were married today at Southern Magnolia in Montevallo. If you're getting married in that area, definitely check them out - what an outstanding venue! Also, checkout Whitehall Caterers...the food was divine!

I love it when I see a groom's eyes well up with tears for his bride, and I was not dissapointed today when Chris saw Deidra for the first time. Simply Wonderful.

After the wedding, the wedding party went to a favorite bar of theirs to celebrate.

Cheers Deidra and Chris! Many years of wedded bliss to you!

Picture Perfect

2008-04-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

Kelly and Phillip (who by the way, were my first '09 couple, and Kelly is also good friends with another '09 Bride, Claire) are getting married in the Birmingham area in May of 2009. After much searching, they've found an absolutely perfect venue. Watch for e-pics, they'll be coming within the next month or so!

04.13.07 Recital Time!

2008-04-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today I met Shannon and her kids, Nathaniel and McKenzie at Robinson Springs Park for pictures of McKenzie in her dance recital costumes. Talk about bringing back memories for me! (For those of you who don't know, I started dancing at 3 years old and didn't stop until my mid twenties.)

Here's Nathaniel. He was a card and spent much of his time climbing on top of this fence and jumping off. I managed to snap this during one of the rare times he was still.

And this is McKenzie's ad I made for her dance recital program. I absolutely love the quote her mom found for it!

04.07.08 - More Birthday Festivities!

2008-04-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

And this time, the birthday was mine! :)

Leda and I started out the morning by going over to the cow pasture behind my house.

Leda was bold enough to climb the fence (getting stuck in the process)

However, I decided to stay on the other side of the barbed wire! (Although I did lose a flip flop in the muck at one point...luckily, I was able to rescue it!)

While back there, I learned that apparently dinosaurs aren't extinct after all.

After that, we went into Montgomery and had lunch at the Brew Pub (my favorite!) and then went down to the Riverfront.

The splash pad down there is awesome! The kids loved it! Next time, I'm totally playing in it myself!

(P.S. For any of my brides out there - the Riverfront would make a PERFECT Trash the Dress site!)

04.07.2008 Oakwood Cemetary

2008-04-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've lived in Montgomery for...12 years now...and have just had my first visit to Oakwood Cemetary. I wanted to visit Hank, then I wanted to see all the old stuff too.

Visiting Hank:

BFF Leda

We get to this next section of the cemetary, and Leda suddenly stops. She looks up, points and with awe mixed with incredulity says, "What is THAT?" "What?" I say. "THAT!" she says. I keep looking and cannot figure what in the world she's talking about. I only see trees where she's pointing. I don't get it. Finally, she elaborates.

What was it that had her stumped?

The moss. *giggles*

When she put it on Flickr, she even called it a moss tree. I :heart: her. (BTW, it's Arbor Vitae, the tree of life. ;)

Tyler and Cole. They became such good buds!

A couple of other shots from Oakwood:

Sunday Fun

2008-04-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

Leda and I knew Angela and Jacob were coming to town to hang out with us and play...but we got a nice little suprise when Michele and Conor showed up too! We had a blast!

Lee with our boys, watching the turtles bob up and down in the water

Leda's Nyla

Luke watching the fish

Cole the Wild Man.

The Kids. (from left: Cole, Jacob, Nyla, Tyler, Connor)

House Party!

2008-04-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

Leda is finally here! She (complete with family) arrived yesterday and it's been non-stop ever since. It's soooo good to be able to LOOK at Leda when I'm talking to her! 2 years...much too long. Rest assured, you will be bombarded with pictures from the week once things slow down and I/we are able to get to all of them...but for now, I leave you with an image of the mat by my back door. This mat normally is home to a pair or two of shoes...not now! With 9 people living here this week, the amount of shoes has drastically increased!

:sigh: I'll miss the shoes when they're gone.

Happy Birthday Luke!

2008-04-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

My baby boy, Luke, is a full year old now. Where did the time go? Really!?! You hear people say that all the time, and then something happens (like the baby who just yesterday was a teeny tiny new born, suddenly turning a year old) to remind you that time really does fly when you're having fun.

My funny little man, so laid back, so thoughtful, so quietly mischievous. I can't believe a year has gone by so fast. Will I wake up tomorrow and he'll be starting kindergarten???

My best friend Leda and her family were here for his birthday, and she so fabulously offered to cover the party for me. Huge thanks Leda! It was wonderful to sit back and enjoy the party and know I was going to have wonderful pictures from it. (Not to mention, I'm actually in a few pictures! That never happens!) To see a sampling of pictures from My Luke's very first ever birthday party, click here.

It was an awesome party with family and friends, even with the rain and wind. :)

Claire is a Fabulous Name!

2008-04-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you agree, Claire? ;)

This is my newest couple, Claire & Andrew. A June wedding in 2009 in Birmingham. In the meantime, we'll be doing e-pics, so be on the lookout for those!

E-Pics: Rachel & Brad

2008-03-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

I had SO much fun with these two - everything I asked them to do, they were all over it...and then they'd take it a step further!

Rachel's sister joined us for the last part of the morning.

Hope y'all enjoyed the sneek peak! Your images will be complete soon!