Moments like these.

Life is filled with opportunities, possibilities, hopes, and dreams. It's filled with making sacrifices and taking risks. We take chances in order to get where we want to go. 


My husband and I decided that the most important thing to instill in our son was the courage and confidence to pursue his dreams. To risk what he has to get what he wants. To sacrifice in order to succeed. How will we teach him? We will show him. Everyday. 


As we continue to make the day to day sacrifices that accompany the responsibilities of raising a family we are often robbed of valuable time with our loved ones. The hustle and bustle gets the best of us more times than we'd like to admit. From time to time the stress of work and school can be exhausting.


This week presented a very special occurrence for our family. In the midst of a seemingly normal week, we received 5 inches of snow. Yep, you guessed it- SNOW DAY! Normally, our family would be divided between Ariston attending Pre-K, Brandon traveling to Macon where he attends law school, and me teaching 6th grade in Gwinnett. Not this week. You see, that's the greatest thing about being snowed in. You get to bundle up at home with the ones you love. You are provided an opportunity to spend true quality time together. No work, no school, and no running errands.


It's moments like these, moments that signify what life is all about, that remind us of why we make the sacrifices ... love.

Picks + Passes

For years I've know that Santa was a pretty phenomenal guy. I mean come on, the man can magically shimmy his bowl full of jelly-like belly down chimneys all over the world. In one night. Yes, phenomenal- no doubt. Well, this year Santa decided to show off a little, you know, remind me of how great he is (like I needed a reminder). Apparently he's had the time to keep up with my blog and picture escapades (who would have thought he had time for that- magic, duh!). Santa knew there was a little somethin' somethin' I'd like to have. Well, that little somethin' is the first thing I've included on my "Picks" list for this week's "Picks + Passes"... 

PICKS :

•  Thanks to Mr. Clause, I'm LOVING my new Canon 50 mm 1.4 telephoto lens. The bokeh is so much more intense- something I have been longing for. You see, Santa is a sneaky little fellow. Christmas morning I started snapping pictures and realized about 5 photos in that I had a new lens on my camera. Magic, duh! [Below are photos I've taken playing around with my NEW lens ]
• My new iPhone. I ranted about my lousy Voyager last time, here. My prediction was correct, its demise lead to something much newer and better. I could have never imagined that a technological device could make me happy- but it does. Speaking of my iPhone, have you guys seen this AT&T commercial? It is hilarious! 
• Little hand and foot prints on the refrigerator doors. Yes, foot prints too. Ariston is quite the dancer. From time to time he does his moves air bound. While performing his feet manage to make imprints on the fridge. Nevertheless, those little prints make my heart smile. (After the heart smiles, I begin my cleaning frenzy)
• I've dove right into an addiction of "Words with Friends" at a dangerously fast pace. For those of you who aren't familiar, "Words with Friends" is an iPhone app designed  to emulate the board game "Scrabble", AND- the best part: you play with your friends! Shout out to all my WWF opponents- Brett, Bethany, Lindsey, Brandon, McCall, Beth, Debbie, Robyn, Hannah, and  Adam.
•  Fresh flowers on the table and dinner on the stove when I get home from work, for no apparent reason (is apparent the key word here?). This actually happened, in real life, to me, and it wasn't a dream. It was wonderful.
• Pretzel M&Ms = amazing! Sweet and salty, the best of both worlds all in one little bite.

PASSES :

• Diets- I despise you. Brandon and I have been on a low carb diet (40 carbs daily) since the day after Christmas. This is the first time I've ever been on a diet and I've decided that they aren't very convenient. I guess seeing the results will be worth it. We are wanting to be 'High School Skinny' again. Do I have any Bert Show listeners out there?
• Putting Christmas decor away. I'll PASS!
• My OCDness. Ok, I admit it. At times it's a little ridiculous. My house (and classroom) have to be clean with everything in its designated place or I can't relax or be productive. I get a mental block- nothing gets accomplished until it's clean. I'm working on letting that go a little at a time. 
• Chill bumps. Not just any ol' chill bumps- chill bumps when you get out of the shower right after you have shaved.  Man, what a waste of time. I'm not even going to get into all the things I've done to try and prevent this from happening- nothing works. You'd think by now some savvy chic would have invented something to keep this phenomenon from happening, geez.

Reagan | Newnan, GA Newborn Photographer

There is something about newborn photography that absolutely intrigues me. Although it's tough to choose a favorite type of photography, I'm tempted to say that I enjoy looking at newborn photos the most. There are a few reasons that set newborn photography apart from the rest and make it so special to me:

1. Um, it's a newborn BABY. Hello... I love (x100) babies, especially ones fresh out of the oven.

2. The props. Who else can you put in a bowl, basket, or even on a dresser? Not to mention the hats, blankets, and headbands (just to name a few).

3. Shopping and hunting. No,  not for the baby- for the props! I love surfing the web for things to add to my collection. Stores like TJMaxx and Marshalls have great household items that can be used for props. Although I love those stores, antique markets are the best place to find some really amazing items. My mind goes wild as soon as I walk through the door.

4. The challenge. And OH boy is it challenging. Newborns are the most difficult to photograph, from my experience. So much goes into that ONE great shot. I think because I love looking at newborn photography so much I just wouldn't be content without taking it on myself. I know I have a long way to go but so far I'm really enjoying researching and practicing all the tricks of the trade. It's such an exciting journey for me.

The most recent newborn I photographed was little Miss Reagan. Reagan was 7 days old when I photographed her. This age is perfect for newborn shots. When taking photos of newborns I recommend them being anywhere from 6 to 10 days old. At such a young age the babies are very sleepy, flexible and small- major aspects in capturing good newborn photographs.

Last weekend I traveled to Reagan's house and set up shop. Once her belly was full and she fell asleep it was showtime.

And now I introduce my smallest client yet: REAGAN!

Paisley | Newnan, GA Child Photographer

Check out this little cutie pie! Paisley was such a doll, and those eyes- they are stunning. Oh, and I can't forget to mention those sweet little baby curls. On this windy December day we rocked it out. Instead of allowing the breeze to defeat us, we used it to our advantage. Paisley hung in there- she was a rockstar :) See for yourself: