Homegrown

A Smelly Homegrown Family!

Okay... the whole family doesn't smell! Just one of them and I'm going to let you guess who. 

Jeramy set this shoot up early in the morning and of course it was gray, gloomy and WINDY! Its a good thing Jordan is so handsome! That made up for it! ;)

I first meet Jordan when he was about 2?? Maybe younger... he doesn't remember anything fun we did! Like nothing! He remembers his "Boys Night Out" trips his mom planned, but no Happy Birthday Baby Jesus" parties! Sheesh! I'll get over it... maybe. ;)

These three make me smile... 

(I'm glad Tom doesn't think you stink Smelly.) 

Sersously! I did this session without any coffee! NO Joke! And Smelly woke Tom up at the butt crack of dawn! Least HE got coffee! All for the love of a good family photo and Huckelberries! I learned a lot of new things about Jordan... Non of which I can discuss on this blog! ;) And it was great to see this family finally together and happy. Next time we get together maybe Kelly will wear the right socks! They totally didn't match!!! ;)

I love you Smelly!!!!

A Homegrown Family {Sneak Peek}

Remember the G family?

Mr. K is featured on the splash page of our website! He's one handsome guy!

I was so excited with they invited me back to capture their family again! Our last last session Mr. T was a little growing baby in mommas belly! I was so excited to meet him and see how Mr. K was loving being a big brother! I have to say he's a pretty great big bro!

Every so often I'd catch Mr. T looking at me trying to figure me out. He is so dreamy...

I loved our session! It was filled with tender moments...

Lots of sweet squshy kisses!

 


 

Mixed in with a few tackles!

G Family... Thank you so very much for hanging with me! I had fun discovering "The Road Less Traveled" and "Where the Sidewalk Ends" with you! I hardly thought about ticks! :) Kidding! I felt creepy crawlies all night! =) But, capturing your family is such a joy... seeing a tick is worth it! =)

A Home {Grown} Birth!

So many times this past month I've really wished I had a gift with words. I clearly don't. Maybe I'll find a writting class? I find myself again, writting a blog in fear of not being to proclaim my feelings as clearly as I want. Not expressing the complete awe I feel... not being able to share with you the heart pounding thrill and excitement of witnessing Miss Molly Lou being born!

Hopefully in my images you can see and feel my love and pride, as Jody and Tim worked as a team to bring their baby into this world. To see Jody labor and watch as Tim quietly, gentely and.... ( here we go with the jubbel of words!) Jody was amazing and Tim was her rock. As a team they ushered Molly into this world with a calm strength that defines them. 

And I got to be there! My eyes fill with tears thinking about it... I got to be there. 

(I was so loving the snack table! Till the midwife said she thought the hummus looked like vernix. It might be awhile before I eat hummus...) I ruined the moment didn't I? :)

Wanna see the moment that made EVERYBODY cry...

As soon as we all finally took a breath... Grandpa Tim woke up big brother and the new big sister! And it was love at first sight!

 

Tim and Jody... Everynight before I went to bed I made sure my gear was ready and the ringer on my phone was turned on. Often I fell asleep praying for you... Praying that if this wasn't the night, at least you'd get a restful nights sleep. I prayed for all sorts of things! A couple of nights I even prayed it wasn't the night! Sorry! ;) And last night my prayers were of thankfulness... Thankful for you and your whole family and thankful that I got to witness and share in an event that has left everyone who was there forever changed. Thank you so much for allowing me to witness the birth of your amazing little girl!

Homegrown Families (a sneak peek)

I was never good in math. Literature, Social Studies, Political Science, Physiology! Now thats what I'm talking about! In college I took an interpersonal communications class... easy A! I loved it! Thats right up my alley, but math... yuck! But, here is some math I get!

Two 

plus three

equals five! ;)

Now three of those five added a few more!

 

 

And what started with two, is now twelve!

Now thats my kind of math!

How about some more of my very favorites from our session? 

Often it's the moments in between that take my breath away...

 

 Thank you all so much for inviting me and Jeramy to spend some time with you all! We had such a great time! You are all wonderful and so much fun! XOXOX

just images...

 

Fun Project! FINISHED!

I've been wanting to make bunting or banners for SO long now! I saw them FOREVER ago and wanted to make some for the little girls bedroom. Then of course life changes and things happen and I just didn't get around to it. First I was sick, then I had a sick baby... life just happened. And then when life settled down, I looked around and bunting was everywhere! Oh well! I still find it adorable! 

I was originally going to sew the bunting, but after I saw THIS from Lil Blue Boo I decide to do a no sew version. For some reason I find it difficult to take my sewing machine out of hiding! I have to take all the stuff out and put it back and usually I have to stop mid project... I really need to find a place where I can just keep that puppy out, and away from grubby paws! I'm not holding my breath! 

And lets over look that fact I was too lazy to even get the ironing board out... Kay?

I pinned this project on Pintrest! I LOVE Pintrest!  ((((SIGH))))

My no sew version is a tad different. I've only used the liquid stitch stuff once and I didn't like it. Also... when I went to get the materials I didn't write down what I needed and all I remembered was she ironed, so I got the cheater iron on fabric tape stuff. 

I also used bias tape instead of grosgain ribbon. It was on sale for a dollar! 

I thought I was being super smart! I read "single fold" to mean it was folded in half, meaning that I could do less ironing. Nope. Not the case. Had to iron anyways... But, it was cheeper! 

I assembled my supplies...

I made a triangle templete out of yesterdays fish nugget cardboard box, and cut all my triangles with pinking sheers. I love pinking sheers now! 

I then cut strips of the cheater sewing tape AKA Stitch Witchery that were the same size as the top of my triangles. 

And ironed the bias tape in half.

Now I was ready to get to the fun part!

 I used one piece of cheater tape on each side of the triangle and pressed it for 11 seconds front and back.

and viola!

The tutorial said to use spray fabric adhesive and spray two triangles, wrong sides together. I forgot about this step so I didn't do it. It doesn't bug me, but if you want to make this project and have your bunting look the same on both sides then go for it! Get that spray adhesive! ;)

I of course finished this when the bright afternoon sun is shinning in my house. I love it, but it doesn't always make for the best pictures... I'll just have to take my bunting, and maybe my baby, out for a photoshoot! Man! ;)

Yeah! I love craft projects and when I actually get to complete one... Ahhh! Thats ever better!

 

 

 

Just What I do...

For all my sessions I try to arrive early. I like to walk around and get my thoughts all collected, look for new unique photo spots, watch how the light changes... I capture some pictures of the area and just relax. I leave home at home and get into a zone. I really like to take my time during sessions and have mini breaks for playing and chatting. Slow and steady wins the race right? If I'm meeting a clients child for the first time we need to get to know each other. To me it's the difference between making an image or taking a photo. If I don't get the chance to get to know you it's going to be hard to make an image that is uniquely YOU! 

I went off on a bit of a bunny trail... Not sure where it came from, but it's the truth so I'm leaving it!

So, back to arriving early!

I walked around the park. This park is so pretty and lots of photographers take clients there. It's just a good place to shoot a session, but I wanted to keep things fresh. As I walked around and looked at the park with my camera I noticed how the light made the trees and flowers look like a great big water color painting.

Peacocks live in this area and they truly sound like drowning kittens. I really wanted on to walk to the park, but I've never really seen one there... I just know they live there. 

Anyhow! I was loving the light...

As I'm taking these pictures waiting for my sweet little friends, I was just praying for them and for me that I might capture them. 

I saw spiderwebs in the trees and remembered how super smart Juila is and how she'd crack me up when she'd reason like an adult when she was still in diapers! I wondered if Jared liked bugs and how he might have changed since the last time I saw him.

I was getting excited to capture them and find new things to love and adore about them.

Right as the kids, (and Jeremy) were finishing their ice cream, I took Julia over to where I took my first images and got these...

Julia and I were chatting about how soft the flowers looks and I pointed out how pretty the suns light looked through the trees... she looked at me with such a sweet expression. Sigh... My heart melted.

And they are my favorites! 

So, if you arrive to meet me for a session and don't see me, look around! I'm getting in the zone! I'm checking things out getting ready to have a great time getting to know you and making images that will show how very wonderful you are!

A Confident Girl, a Fast Boy and Some Ice Cream!

This was a fun and fast session and I SO loved what I got! (I'll be sharing more tomorrow!)

Can you say CONFIDENT?

I know he looks still here, but he is FAST!

And now lets hear it for Ice Cream!!!

I'm so glad Dad jumped in for a shot! I love this pic!

Thank you Julia and Jared! I always leave with a smile when I get to hang out with you two! You guys are uniquely remarkable kids and I completely adore you!! XOXOXOX

Video Test

 

 

Grover Hot Springs!

I really should have Jeramy write this blog post! He could be my guest blogger! Its all the rage right? Being a guest blogger or having guest blogger? I'll ask him next time!

I have to get this post done before Jillian gets done with her Organic Puffs! She's getting pretty fast these days! How she eats them is pretty funny! Almost blog worthy! ALMOST? Who do I think I'm kidding! EVERYTHING that kid does seems to be blog worthy!

I'm having fun with the Bold and Italics.

Okay! Back to camping!

Jeramy likes to tell everyone that he loved camping as a kid. Camping as an adult... not so much. After camping with children of his own he realized why... as a kid his parents did all the work! Camping as an adult... YOU do all the work! 

To be honest though... we camp with families who CAMP! Brian makes it his mission to see how well he can feed people camping! Seriously! Ribs, tri tip, SHRIMP! I'm talking seriously yummy! He has his own super great camping stove and he loves to use it. 

 

Goodness! I'm already running out of Puffs!!! Hold on Jilli Beans!!!

 

Somehow we wiggled our way in with three families who CAMP! They have everything and are ready for anything! Next year I'm making it my mission to contribute something other then mouths to feed! Don't get me wrong we bring food, but my kids like to eat other peoples food. Its true. I don't get it. 

A couple of years ago when we went camping we took our van AND Jeramy drove his truck. This year Jeramy decided to rent a little Uhaul trailer. I didn't get a pic, but it was GREAT!! Throw everything in the back of that puppy and you are good to go! No, shoving everything and anything under feet and in-between kids! The Uhaul place will be hearing from us again!

Camping and being outside in nature was just what I needed. There were so many butterflies! I couldn't help but to think that not long ago those butterflies were crawling caterpillars. Everything grows and changes. Change isn't bad... I'd rather be a butterfly then a caterpillar! ;)

While on a walk a man and his wife pointed out that they spotted the rare Sarcoades Sanguinea flower.

We saw maybe 5 of them. I tend to be a geek, but I thought it was pretty cool to see them. I made my kids read about them when we got home. They weren't thrilled or very interested... not at all. Jane tried to be... I'll give her credit for that, but whatever! They're smarter now thanks to me! ;)

Between hanging out with friends and being in nature I came home feeling refreshed! And... dirty. ;)

 

A few of my favorite images...

I'm SO going to bring a pan to pan for gold! I KNOW thats real gold in that their river!

This kid! She's such a turkey! This picture face is KILLING me! Please know this cracks her up to make this face! I'm going to be sure to keep taking thees images and when she's a teenager I'm going to put them up everywhere for everyone to see! Punk kid! ;)