It's finally here, the NEW website!

Hi everyone!

You may have noticed I haven't updated here recently... That's because I have a brand new, totally redone, and totally me blogsite! (Oooooh...! Ahhhhhh...!) There you'll see my daily happenings, my most recent shoots, and all sorts of fun tips every day. So be sure to bookmark the new website and join in on the fun! I know you'll be completely happy you did.

The URL to go to my new site is www.karenschlink.com

Thanks so much!

Wisconsin Bound

Tomorrow I fly out at 8:00am to go to Wisconsin. I have been counting down the days for the trip since, oh I don't know, Decemeber 23, 2010 when I received this text message...

This was probably one of the best text messages I have ever received in my entire life- okay, all four years I've had text messaging on my cell phone plan. I was literally jumping up and down, screaming "YEAHHHHHH!!!", crying, and doing a crazy happy dance in my kitchen, all while Rowdy was looking at me like, "What are you doing?!". From this moment on I was beyond excited to go back to visit Melissa, one of my best and most amazing friends in the whole entire world, in Wisconsin.

I have a confession to make: I absolutely love Wisconsin. Now the people who live there or those of you who have been there are probably looking at me like I am crazy. Wisconsin? Home of the cheese curd? Why?
I'm sure a big part of why I love it so much there is because Melissa is there, and Taylor, Benny, Nismo, and Meeka. But I just love it there! It's so different from Connecticut, so laid back, the people are fun, the food is amazing, and just so pretty! Plus, I love traveling, going to the airport, relaxing on the plane, and going on new adventures.

Either way, I'm just plain excited to know that 24 hours from RIGHT NOW I will be in Milwaukee with this girl! I'll be assisting and second shooting with Melissa on a TON of shoots, including a wedding, while I'm out there! Another reason to be excited!!! So be sure to check back here while I'm gone, I have a feeling I'll have a lot to post. :)

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Hello, hello!

I've spent the past few days recuperating from a nasty cold- and when I say nasty, I mean nasty! I spent Sunday night laying in bed, deliriously convinced I was marrying Prince Harry the next day. I guess the Royal Wedding is still on my mind, eh? (Confession: I don't find Prince Harry attractive in the least bit, which makes it even more confusing- I know, shun me now!).

Anyways, during the nasty cold I had the honor to photograph Nicole and Vin's wedding! By the grace of God, I felt really good on Saturday! You would have thought otherwise if you had heard my lack thereof a voice and horrific cough that day, but in all honesty I felt great! Then I got home and it was like the adrenaline rush ended and the sickness smacked me upside the head.

So last night I was at home, spending time with the lovely Anna Westbrook, eating my third can of chicken noodle soup, when I get a notification from Facebook. I was tagged in a photo! Yahoo! I check said photo, and here is the first thing I see:



This is an adorable shot of Nicole and Vin! I mean, seriously! They look so unbelievable happy, so natural, there are gorgeous trees in the background, just an amazing all around shot! So I was wicked excited... until I saw the rest of the photo....



Excitement exit stage right, embarrassment enter stage left! There I am, standing next to Vin and Nicole, camera in hand, HACKING UP MY LEFT LUNG! I was mortified. Abso-freaking-lutely mortified! I immediately show this to Anna, who naturally cracks up!

And you know what she says? "That is PERFECT!" I stared at her, dumbfounded and confused, and she continues, "No, really! It is! You were just saying you need something to blog about, and now you do! And you can call it 'You Win Some, You Lose Some'."

That's when I began to laugh hysterically. Because it is TRUE! I'm not perfect, at times I do need to cough up my left (and sometimes right) lung. I win some, I lose some. Yet life goes on. And now, thanks to Emily, Nicole and Vin have this sweet moment of them for the rest of their lives, and I have a hilarious moment for the rest of my life. And for this exact reason is why I love photography.

(I believe if Charlie Sheen were here, he would call this #WINNING)

Tomorrow, tomorrow!

Can you believe it is May already?! And this weather, holy smokes it has been amazing! I can feel the hot sand and the ocean breeze on my skin already. Only a few more weeks and it's beach time for this Connecticut Shoreline girl.

Tomorrow is the start of another season for me that is pretty much tied with beach season- the 2011 wedding season! I'm so excited for Nicole and Vin's wedding, I've been counting down the days! Though I know I am no where near excited as Nicole and Vin are, that's for sure.









Happy Friday, everyone! Be sure to go outside and enjoy today's weather! :)

My Pink Dollie

This is my Pink Dollie, well one of my many Pink Dollies. I had probably a dozen of them when I was a baby because my mom lived in fear of me ever losing one, and trust me that was something to be very fearful about. I found this Dollie recently under my bed and it just made me smile. I have so many fun and amazing memories with these Dollies and I had honestly forgotten all about them recently. How did I forget about them? Who knows. Life just kind of gets in the way sometimes. We get so caught up with the stresses of life, the every day routines, and we forget to take time to be with ourselves. We forget to stop, take a deep breath, close our eyes, and just be grateful for everything we have, where we came from, and where we are heading.

I saw this post today from Gina today on the Making Things Happen blog, and it really struck home.

"I try to be thankful for the ordinary things…things I need like my toes or a toe for that matter."

So even though I have a totally crazy day a head of me, it's okay. I have so much to be grateful for, to be thankful for, even the smallest things, most ordinary things...

Here are 7 things I am grateful for at this very moment.
1. Hot showers. Long, way too hot showers to help me relax, to let me take time to breathe, to have time to be still for just 15 minutes.
2. Being able to look outside my window and see the sun, knowing that warm weather is approaching, and knowing that soon enough I'll be on the beach, soaking up the sun once again.
3. That annoying bark at the back door. Even though my dog is in and out, in and out, in and out all day long, I love letting him inside because he jumps on me and gives me kisses like he hasn't seen me in days every single time.
4. It's Friday! You know what Friday means? I get to see Justin! I get to hug him, kiss him, laugh with him, and just be with him.
5. Today I get to drive to New Haven in order to see Justin. I love driving. I love blasting my music and singing at the top of my lungs, usually to Ke$ha, some random Disney songs, or Eminem if I'm feeling especially angsty.
6. My hair is getting longer. It's a slow process, but it is getting there!
7. My wonderful, dirty, beaten up, but always smiling Pink Dollie. After all these years, her eyes are still bright and blue, she's still smiling because her world is perfect, and I can still hug her and remember that I have an amazing life, amazing friends, amazing family, and an amazing Pink Dollie to remind me of these things.


Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Thankful Thursday : I HUGGED A WHALE!

You've probably heard me mention this once or twice (maybe three or four times) this week... But it is true. I HUGGED A BELUGA WHALE! Long story short, my friend Veronica asked me to join her in a Beluga Whale Contact program at the Mystic Aquarium. I worked there for just over a year and I photographed these programs weekly for two summers, so when Veronica asked me I was literally jumping up and down saying "YES YES YES YES!!!" Well, technically I was texting her "YES!" but still, you get the idea.

If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend signing up for this program. It is worth every single penny you spend. Beluga Whales are the most lovable, friendly, and beautiful animals. I really can't describe how much of an amazing experience this was for me, it's definitely something I will never forget, ever.

See this goofy look on my face? It did not leave my face the entire program. It was like Christmas morning, but instead of presents Santa left me a 11 foot long, 1,350 pound Beluga Whale named Naku!



And this is Naku!!!



We started off our program by greeting Naku with a tongue pat- yes, a tongue pat! You have no idea how exciting this was for me! In case you were wondering, their tongues kind of feel like slimy, spit covered, raw chicken. IT WAS SO COOL!





See? I was so excited. For real.





HOW CUTE IS SHE?! I love her.





We were able to give Naku different signals for her to make different clicking noises. Veronica was drumming her fingers on the side of Naku and I was tickling the inside of her mouth. Amazing!!!





Then we were able to feel her melon. Naku uses her melon to help with the different clicks and sounds she makes for echo location. Her melon is filled with a liquid fat. It's so jiggly! It kind of felt like a balloon filled with jello... So awesome.





Smile!



Okay. Story time. At this point we had the option to see what it feels like for a beluga to spit or suck in water. We were also give the option to feel the spit either underwater or above water. I had a doctors appointment immediately after the program, so I had planned on not getting wet. But when the time came, I caved. When will I ever have the opportunity to get spit on by a beluga whale again?! And let me tell you, that girl can spit! I was SOAKED!



PROOF! I HUGGED A WHALE!



So for this Thursday I can definitely say I am SO UNBELIEVABLY THANKFUL for Veronica inviting me to go to the program with her! V, I know I've told you this a thousand times, but thank you, thank you, thank you! I will never, ever, ever forget this! I'm going to be that grandmother that tells this story to her grandkids a thousand times on each holiday, haha. You are the best! ♥

College Headshot Session : Lily

Last week I made a trip to New York City to meet up with Lily to do headshots for her! Lily is a musical theater major at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU and she is the most ADORABLE thing in the world! Despite the cold wind, it was a gorgeous day in Central Park.

And have I mentioned how GORGEOUS Lily is?! Angelina Jolie has some pretty fierce competition for the best lips, not to mention she has the most amazing eyes!











A huge thanks to my wonderful friend Jessica for coming a long and assisting me. The three of us had way too much fun and were laughing the whole time!

Bentley : 4 Months Old

I'd like you all to meet one of the cutest, silliest, and most lovable baby boys in town... Baby Bentley. I am so excited to photograph this little boy over the next few months and to be able to watch him grow! So get ready, you're going to see him quite a bit over the next few months.




Happy baby, smiley baby!







Peek-a-boo!



We had a quick wardrobe change after a little spit up incident... It's okay, Bentley, it happens to the best of us.









Bentley has a sweet pair of kicks, not to mention the cutest little toes to go in them.



If only we know what he was thinking in that cute little head of his... An end to world hunger and poverty? Building houses on the moon? Maybe time for a nap?



Yes, definitely time for a nap...




Bentley will be back on the blog in a few weeks along with his mommy and daddy, so be sure to check back soon.

Happy Monday!

This morning I am off to New York City for a college headshot session in Central Park. I am so excited for today and I can't wait to see what fun adventures the day holds!

I found this on Pinterest this weekend and just had to share it with you. It's an amazing reminder that you can do ANYTHING, and a good reminder that even though today is Monday, you don't have to have a case of the Monday's if you choose not to.
(To help avoid the Monday Blues, you must check out this post.)





Have a very Happy Monday! There are a lot of fun and exciting posts coming up this week. Be sure to check back on Wednesday for some really, really exciting news!

5 Years Ago Today

Five years. Do you know how many days five years is? 1,825. One thousand, eight hundred and twenty five days. That is sixty months, 260 weeks- half of a decade!

Five years ago today I walked into the band room, the place we met with all of our friends every morning before homeroom. Technically you had asked me out the night before (this is a really embarrassing story, I'll save that story for another blog). Long story short, I told you I had to tell you in the morning- but I really, REALLY wanted to go out with you! I walked into the band room, saw you, and immediately butterflies took over my stomach. You saw me, smiled, and walked over to me. I took you hand, smiled, and sheepishly said, "Yes." I have no idea what I must've looked like, but I'm sure I was blushing as red as could be.

You hugged me. You simply grinned, wrapped your arms around me, and gave me a hug that I would learn to fall absolutely in love with. When you finally let go of me, we walked back to our group of friends, who I'm sure were probably playing one of the card games we always played, and we were dating. And what happened? It was Kyle, I believe, who spoke up first, "So, you guys dating or something now?" Yes, very Kyle like. He probably didn't even look up from his card game.

I don't remember much after that. What I do remember is the bell going off telling us to go to homeroom. We had that awkward moment of saying, "See you at lunch" and not knowing what to do next. I was just about to walk away when you pulled me close and kissed me.

You kissed me. We hadn't even been dating for five minutes and you kissed me.

And let me tell you this: It was the best first kiss ever in the history of the world.
Yes. I said it. It was the best first kiss ever. I don't care what anyone else says, our kiss was the best first kiss. I can't even describe why or how, all I know is that you left me weak at my knees, literally, and I walked to homeroom telling my friends, "That kiss. Our first kiss... I don't know what it is about him, but this is different. This kiss was different."

Now, it has been five years and we have gone from googley eyed teenagers to in love almost adults (yeah, adult is still a scary word). You are graduating college in two months and I have my own photography business. We've had our ups, we've had our downs, been to Disney World three times, made countless drives to Massachusetts and New Haven for visits, have dressed up for Halloween every year, managed to organize holiday schedules with our crazy, big families... And we are still together, absolute best friends, and closer than ever.

I don't know what else to say besides I love you. I love you. With everything I am, I love you.

Thank you for an amazing five years, five of the best years of my life. So many things have happened in five years and for some crazy reason you keep falling more in love with me. Thank you for always being there for me, for catching me when I fall, for laughing with me, for getting me addicted to Scrubs, for going Rock 'n' Roller Coaster with me even though you hate Aerosmith…

Most importantly, thank you for being you, for being my best friend.

I love you, Justin, forever and always, and to infinity and beyond.


March 2006


January 2011


Justin is probably going to kill me for posting this, or be really proud, one of the two. But Justin and I started dating during our high school's production of "Guys & Dolls". I was the stage manager and Justin was a Crap Shooter/Sexy Cuban Dancer. Yes you read that right- Sexy Cuban Dancer. He also won the most improved dancer award at the end of the year- and no, I'm not kidding. I've been on the hunt for this picture for days, and Al was amazing to have copies still! So here is the guy I fell for in high school, enjoy.
(I love you Justin! Hehe)

Maternity Session : Kristina & Scott

When you walk into Kristina and Scott's house, you instantly feel love. It's in the air, in every detail of their house, in their eyes, it's just every where. They are kind, welcoming, and everything that makes an amazing pair of parents. Kristina is due in June and I cannot wait to see where life is going to take them next! One thing I know for sure, that baby is going to know all about love and be loved the second they arrive.





How beautiful are they together?!








Bridgett Edwards, Kristina's friend and my new friend from MTH2011, owns her own design company and made these wall decals for the nursery. How cute! Be sure to check out Bridgett's company, Perideau Designs.

Kristina and Scott decided not to find out the gender of the baby, so they decorated their nursery with warm colors and fun jungle animals- I loved it!









Kristina's pregnancy craving? Ice Cream!





See? Love. Right there. It is every where in that house.


And this is Kona (correct me on the spelling if that's wrong, Kristina!). She is the most cuddley dog ever- she's filled with just as much love as Kristina and Scott!







Kristina and Scott, thank you so much for having me at your home! You two are absolutely beautiful and I know you are going to be such amazing parents.

Leave these two some LOVE! I know they'll give some right back.