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.

My typical Sunday, a time to rest.

Sundays are always my day to rest. If I can I try not to work, I don't go to the gym, I don't go running, I just rest- even this blog post is automatically set to post today so I don't have to worry about it. A typical Sunday for me is usually going to church, having lunch with family and friends, watch a movie or two, spend time with Justin, nap, dinner, and spend even more time with my family. I truly try to stick to this every Sunday. Obviously I am human, I'm not perfect, I can't stick to this exactly every weekend. Things do come up, schedules get changed, but I do try my hardest to just relax on Sunday.

Why?
Because everyone needs some time off. Your body needs to rest, your brain needs to rest, your spirit needs to rest. You know how you get when you are all worked up- you can't get anything done, even trying to relax can seem too hard to do.

So today, take time to rest. Go for a relaxing walk with a friend, eat a fantastic meal, catch up on your favorite TV shows, or take a nap (naps are my favorite thing ever). Even if it is just for an hour, take some time to just rest and be in the moment.


This is my cat Shy Guy (yes, like from Mario). He is a PRO at resting, specifically in boxes. There are some days that I wish I could be a cat, well, minus the whole hair ball thing.

Sneak Peek : Kristina & Scott Maternity Session

I adore maternity photography, absolutely adore it. So when I had the oppurtunity to do a maternity session for Kristina and Scott today, I was unbelievably excited! Normally I wait a few days to do a sneak peek of a session, but I am so in love with these photographs that I just had to share one today. Be sure to check back in a few days for their full session.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the gorgeous weather! :)

For Japan with Love

From now until Saturday, I will be joining bloggers around the world and having a day of silence on my blog, twitter, and facebook accounts in honor of For Japan With Love. So far they have raised almost $19,000 to buy ShelterBoxes to send to Japan. ShelterBoxes typically contain a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.

Please join me and the many other bloggers that are taking part in this day of silence, and if you can please donate to this great cause. Even a single dollar can change a person's life.

Rowdy : March 16, 2011

I love my dog. We spend every day together, take naps together, watch Law and Order: SVU together (he's pretty fond of Olivia, and I have a thing for Elliot), take walks, wrestle, and tackle Justin when he comes to the house. This dog is for sure a man's, well, girl's best friend. The past few days he has refused to come inside since the weather has been so nice. It rained all this morning, but once the rain stopped this afternoon we went outside and played for a bit. Naturally, I brought my camera a long and took a few shots of him.



The shot on the right I call his old man face, he usually makes it when he is frustrated. In this case, I was keeping his stuffed goose away from him so he would sit for a minute.








He's the cutest thing, isn't he? "Happy Winds-day" on this blustery ol' day!

You Can Help

It breaks my heart to write this blog. I hate that I have to write this, knowing that as I write this thousands and thousands of people are in such despair right now.

As the whole world knows, Japan was hit with a 8.9 magnitude earthquake followed by a devastating tsunami on Friday. The destruction is horrific, yet horrific isn't even the word to describe what has happened. In the Miyagi Prefecture alone, over 10,000 people are reported missing. To put this in perspective, my hometown of Waterford, Connecticut has a population of roughly 18,897 people. Take 10,000 of those people, and it leaves us with barely 9,000. That is over 50% of Waterford just gone, missing, and likely never to be seen again. The official death toll was about 1,800 until this morning when a tide brought in 1,000 bodies. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about that, for all the lives lost and families destroyed. Not to mention the nuclear power plants that have had two explosions, adding to the terror that is already happening. And this doesn't even begin to describe exactly what the destruction looks like.

I am not the type of person who will just sit there and think, "Gee, this is so terrible, but all we can do is pray for them." I am the type of person who would hop of the first flight to Japan and help out in any way possible if I could. I cannot just sit back and watch this on the news, read the articles, and not do anything to help.

So for the next few months, I am going to make a difference. For every portrait session booked, I will take $15 from the session fee and donate it to the American Red Cross and their Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund. For every wedding I book, I will take take $50 from the day's fee and donate it to the American Red Cross and their Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund. This includes spring mini sessions, family portraits, senior portraits, engagement sessions, all weddings, trash the dress sessions, maternity sessions, every single session I do.

I am not worried about when this will end, nor do I think it matters, but I will do everything I can to donate money to help Japan. As citizens of this world, it is our responsibility to help when help is needed. It is just what you do. Period.

Please, do what you can do to help Japan. Whether you book a session, donate supplies, help families find their loves ones, or donate to other organizations, do what you can. Even if you text message REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 for Japan earthquake and Pacific Tsunami, you can make a difference in someone's life.

I am ending this post with hope. I found this photograph on Yahoo! News. It's a silver lining, a photograph that shows in every terrible situation, hope can be found.

"The whole thing, you see, the whole thing, ropes around hope, H-O-P-E."
-The Laramie Project

Hiroko Dobashi holds her newly-born baby girl at a hospital in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, Monday March 14, 2011, three days after northeastern coastal towns were devastated by an earthquake and tsunami. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO SALES IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE

Wedding Wednesday: DIY Mum Ring Bearer Pillow

Happy Wedding Wednesday!

I’m changing things up a bit today. Instead of featuring a vendor, doing an inspiration board, or sharing a wedding detail I like, I decided to do a DIY (do it yourself) project! A small disclaimer: I am not a crafty person. The fact that I made this and its looks pretty darn good is a huge accomplishment! So, pretty much, if I can do it, anyone can do it! I found this DIY on My DIY Wedding Day. If you’re looking for some projects you can do yourself for your wedding day, be sure to check out this site! They literally have hundreds of different DIY projects and they’re all so great!

The project I picked for today’s W.W. is a Mum Ring Bearer Pillow. I though this project was not only adorable but the perfect thing to get ready for spring!



What you’ll need:
Block of foam
Mums
Ribbon
Pins
Knife
Scissors

Step 1:

Cut your piece of foam into the shape you desire. I used florist foam, which is the type you soak so the flowers can absorb the water. Instead of soaking the foam I took an old hair spray container and filled it with water and just sprayed it, that way it wasn’t totally soaked but I could still misty the flowers on it through the process.



Remember that, normally, little kids are going to be holding this pillow. So make sure it’s a size that isn’t going to be awkward for them to carry. You can get the foam in all different shapes and sizes, even round! It’s all depends on what you think will go best with your wedding and your theme. I chose a simple rectangular shape for today.



I also used a cutting board- this foam flakes easily and can get pretty messy.



Step 2:

After you have the foam in the shape you want, it’s time to cut the flowers. I bought four different bouquets of mums from my local grocery store. If you would like different colors, go to your local florists and see if you can order different colors from them. Cut the flowers just below the bloom so there is no stem at all. Be sure to have enough flowers. Even if you end up having more than you need, like I did, it’s always great to have fresh flowers around the house.



Here is what things should look like when you are finished cutting all your flowers. Aren’t you loving the colors?!



Step 3:

Take a pin and stick it through the middle of the mum. Be sure to buy the pins that have a flat head, that way they don’t go completely through the mum. They had all sorts of decorative pins at AC Moore, with little hearts and stars at the end in different colors. I stuck with simple silver and gold pins this time around.



Step 4:

The moment of truth! Start pinning the mums to the foam. Start along the edge and work your way up.



Be sure to compare different sizes in order to fill in any gaps. If you don’t like how something looks, try another mum. Take your time and don’t rush the process.



Step 5:

When you are done with the top, very gently flip the pillow over and start on the bottom. It’s okay if a few fall out, just push them back on.



See?! Almost done! Looks pretty darn good so far, if I do say so myself. If there are any gaps or holes, just take a smaller mum and fill it in. Be sure to double check everything before you finish.



Step 6:

Take a piece of ribbon and tie it on like you are wrapping a present. Be sure to double knot everything so the ribbon doesn’t slip. You can also pin down the ribbon on the bottom so it won’t move around or slip off.



Step 7:

Tie a bow on top and you are so close to being finished! Just one more step to go, and I think you can guess what it is you do next...



Step 8:

Tie on the rings and you are DONE! And this step you don’t even have to do till it is time to walk down the aisle. My suggestion: do no have the real rings on the pillow. I have seen wedding rings go flying so many times while photographing weddings! So just tie on some fake rings, that way you don’t loose your rings and the ring bearer will still feel super important (and don’t tell him they’re fake!).




And that’s it! I highly suggest making one or two practice pillows, that way you know how it feels to make them. A few other suggestions I have are…
- Use larger pins. I bought a packet with different size pins, ranging from half an inch to two inches. The two-inch pins worked best since some of the mums were pretty wide.
- They sell special glue that sticks to this foam. I would buy it and have a dab of glue on each mum. You don’t want flowers falling off mid aisle, and you don’t want tears when the ring bearer pokes his had on a pin.
- Make your final pillow the afternoon before your wedding. Store finished project safely in the refrigerator, that way the flowers won’t die on you.

This project took me just about an hour to make, and that includes clean up time. I bought the flowers at the grocery store and everything else I bought at AC Moore (pretty much one of my favorite places in the world). All together, this project cost me $29.21- perfect for a bride on a budget! Also be sure to check on the AC Moore website, they have coupons for the store every week. I had a 40% off one item coupon. Every little bit counts!

So, what do you think? Is this something you would do for your wedding? What colors would you use? Any ideas that would make it more personal and unique? I would love to hear what you think!

Wedding Wednesday: Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.

"Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.”
- Winnie the Pooh

I agree with many, many things that Winnie the Pooh says, just ask Justin. Instead of saying, "I am hungry", I sometimes turn to him and say, "Babe, I have a rumbly in my tumbly". This is when Justin gives me "the look", shakes his head, and asks what I would like to eat. Oh the things that boy puts up with...

But today I completely agree with silly ol'Pooh when he says that nobody can be uncheered with a balloon. Honestly, who doesn't smile when they see a bunch of colorful balloons? I also love fun and unique Save the Dates, the ones that stand out in your mind when you think about planning your wedding. So when I saw this save the date on Martha Sterwart Weddings, I just had to share it with everyone!

How cute and amazing is that?! I am seriously in love with this. And the best part of all: it's not that expensive at all! You can order 100 custom printed balloons for under $100, then all you need is some colored scrapbooking paper, a bit of string, and envelopes! So this save the date is not only ridiculous fun but it is also budget friendly! Not to mention you can use this idea for all different type of events; birth announcements (colored according to the gender of the baby!), kid's birthday parties, Fourth of July picnic's, they sky's the limit- well, in the balloon's case it can only go up so high before it pops. ;)


Now you're probably wondering who won last week's engagement session giveaway, correct? Well I am so excited to say we announced the winner... But you'll have to jump over to the TRUE Event blog to see who the winner is!

Happy Wedding Wednesday! ♥

Gotcha!

You two fight all the time. You smack his nose, you bite his ears. You hiss, you growl, you lick, you pout. You chase him all around the house, get him spun up just as we are sitting down for dinner, you block him from coming inside. You eat his food, drink from his water bowl, steal his treats and toys. You pretend to hate him while you try so hard to love him. All along, we all knew you two are best friends.

Well guess what? Now we have it on camera and we are never going to let you live it down!

Thunder + Rowdy = BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!