I’m so lucky to have known Megan and Cole since the days they were born.  It’s so fun watching them grow into super awesome kids.  It’s become a tradition to do their portraits every year and this time was an absolute blast!!  I think it’s one of our best shoots ever!!  Megan and Cole, you rocked it out in front of the camera. 

We laughed and played!

I hadn’t quite realized how grown up Cole has gotten until I saw him through my camera.  Turning into a remarkable young man!

Ah, Megan you are a beautiful girl!

Cole, you should be in a magazine!!  Very GQ!

You guys were so awesome!!  Totally deserved those treats!!  Can’t wait to do it again next year!

It took nearly one year to get this session booked and shot, but it was so worth the wait. Hoinka’s, I hope you agree! 

This family just oozes coolness (but in a friendly, warm kind of way).  We walked around Downtown McKinney and shot a gazillion images (all the while I was hoping that some of the coolness might eventually rub off- turns out coolness doesn’t work that way…..)  Oh, well.  At least we got some fantastic shots!

The entire family plays an instrument and they brought them along for a little impromptu concert in the streets.

Maddie and Jake, it was so much fun getting to know you each a little better.  Y’all did amazing in front of the camera!

Andrea and Steve, y’all reminded me of a newly engaged couple during an engagement session.  So happy and in-love….. and look at this chemistry!!  Wowza!

It was so so so difficult to cull through all of your images and pick out faves!  I could seriously blog tons more, but I don’t have the space…   So I’ll end it with this fab and oh-so-cool family portrait.

The weather has finally cooled down and that means my appointments are heating up.  Bookings are limited so don’t be naughty, schedule your Christmas pictures now!  If you don’t- Santa may bring you a lump of coal.  Just saying, I’ve got connections.

 

Back to why I’m really blogging today! The O’Donnell family, Jamilyn, Connor, and little Brenner!!  I had so much fun down at Babe’s with you all!! 

 

Such a gorgeous family, I mean, seriously!!  Jamilyn, you look like a model!

And Brenner couldn’t be any more adorable!  Look at those eyes and lashes! Swoon…

Very GQ Connor, “how do you feel about dat”?  Love it!

 

Mama love, there's nothing like it.

 

I had such a hard time picking faves for my blog, there are so many great images.  So here's a few more.

Rock ON, Brenner!

It was so awesome to be able to spend some time with you all and cuddle up with Brenner!  He’s so adorable.  Can’t wait to see you all again!

Three’s a charm.  With two magnificent, beautiful little girls, Nicole and Matt decided to wait for the birth to find out if their third baby would be a boy or girl.  I was just certain they’d have a new baby girl to round out their fabulous family, but I was wrong.  Matt Reed Laymon was born.  What a joy!  He’s such a precious little bundle!  His big sisters think he's pretty special too.

 

He slept like an angel.

And peeked out a few times.  At 6 days old, he’s tipping the scale at nearly 10 pounds!  What a big healthy baby!  And oh so adorable!

Nicole, you know I adore your family.  It was awesome to get to see you all, especially the kids.  Addy and Kennedy are growing up so fast, and Reed is the most precious thing ever!  Love you all and congratulations!

Surprise!!  Some surprises just shock you.  Marci was thrown through a loop last summer when she found out that she was expecting.  Some friends even accused her of being in denial.  But after spending the morning with Marci and Thomas I could see she is completely smitten.  So sometimes life gives you a surprise better than anything you could’ve ever dreamed.

Look at this cute little face, chubby cheeks, and blue eyes.

Here’s the only time I really saw him cry.  (in his defense though, that scale is COLD)

 

 

Congratulations Marci, Phil, Taylor, and Jack!!  Ya’ll are such a fun family.  I can only imagine what Thomas’s childhood will be like and how he will grow up.  He’s a lucky baby.

Miracles.  These two are truly little miracles.  I specifically remember last summer, I was out shopping with friends and we got a call that Brooke was pregnant…. Pregnant with TWINS!!  What joy and delight we all felt for Brooke and Brett.  After hearing that they made their arrival, I could not wait to take their pictures!  But wait I must, they had to spend a little more time in the hospital before heading home.  Finally I got to visit and take some pictures when they were 9 weeks old. 

Kayla is such a petite little thing and I hear she looks just like her mommy.  (Who, by the way, is stunningly gorgeous!)

Kade is the opposite- a big ole husky tank, and looks like his daddy.

Kade likes to kiss his little sister and suck on her forehead, and she doesn’t seem to mind.  Adorable!  They are definitely connected. 

Congratulations, Brooke and Brett, Kayla and Kade are so lucky to have such loving wonderful people for parents.  Thanks for letting me come out, see the babies, and shoot pics.  Brooke, I marvel at the way you juggle taking care of TWO little ones!!  You make it look so easy (and I know it’s not)!!

 

Good things come to those who wait.  OR at least I hope they do.  My very good friend has been waiting very patiently for this sneak peek so I hope it was worth it!!

 

A tradition has been created with one of my favorite families.  Every year we do Christmas pictures and have so much fun.  This year, we kept it simple.  We met at the park and just let the kids play (which is my most fun thing to do).  And we got some great images.

Cole and Megan have grown up so much and are just the cutest together!!

And quite silly sometimes!! 

This one Cole looks like his dad for some reason.

Over all you guys, did a fabulous job!!

Of course, Ella, my little assistant, had to jump in for a picture, too. 

Another fun shoot!  This time Jill picked out Shops of Legacy to do her children’s portrait and it was a fabulous location.  (Although, just to warn you all, people don’t always pick up their dog's business, so watch out for bombs!)  At least, the location is gorgeous, only not quite as gorgeous as these 2 cuties, and just look that those eyes!

Jane was ready to rock and roll!  She loves the camera as much as it loves her!

I loved getting the beautiful mama in a few shots!

Charlie was so sweet, shy, and innocent. 

Thanks guys for a wonderful afternoon!!

I say all the time that I LOVE my job!!  These kids are the perfect example why.  We had way too much fun during this shoot.  The weather was perfect, the light luscious, the colors glorious, and the giggles contagious!  We spent most of the shoot cracking up laughing together. 

Jack wasn’t sure about getting his pictures taken at first, but it didn’t take him long to come out of his shell and show me some personality!

And who can’t love a girl named, Katy?!?  Even if she spells it funny, you know, with a “y” instead of “ie”. ;)

Together, forget-about-it!

There were so many great shots that I just couldn’t stop with a few sneak peeks so here’s a few more.

Thanks so much, guys, for a fabulous afternoon.  I can only hope you had as much fun as I did. 

It’s funny, moms and daughters.  In a lifetime you go through so many phases.  When you are little, you think she’s the most remarkable person.   She feeds you, clothes you, bathes you, reads bedtime stories and tucks you in at night.  When you wake up in the middle of the night with bad dreams, she gently rocks you in a wooden rocking chair until you are finally calmed down and can go back to sleep.  Before you can even see her, you recognize the specific click- click of her high heels and the scent her perfume that lets you know she’s there to pick you up from daycare.  She can do no wrong.  Your mom is most beautiful person in entire world.  She is fearless and strong.  There is nothing she can’t do.  Your favorite place in the whole world is curled up on her lap leaning your head on her so you could hear her voice vibrate through her chest.  Your world revolves around this one person.

Then you get a little older, there’s a slight shift.  She no longer is your entire world, but she certainly makes it all possible.  She hangs in the background facilitating your life ready to step in when needed.  You don’t realize everything she does for you.  Cook dinner, drive you to dance, drive you to t-ball (even though she knows you’ll just sit in the outfield picking flowers), clean the house, go to work, pay the bills, sew your dance costumes (because back then they had to sew the dang thangs), create your Halloween costume, take you to 4-H, take you to modeling hours away, take you to singing lessons (because you just know that you are totally going to be famous one day), and the list goes on and on and on and on.  She teaches you hard lessons.  Like when you fall into a creek (where you weren’t supposed to be) and you come back soaking wet and certain that you nearly died. She just puts her hand on your shoulder and says “Well, Sis, shit happens”, and she’s right, you know, sometimes it just does, that’s life.  They also teach you kindness.  Like when your best friend hurts your feelings by spilling all of your secrets to school, your mom is there to reassure you, comfort you, and teach you how to forgive if not forget.  Above all she’s your biggest fan even if you don’t know it at the time.

Once you are a teenager, you know everything there is to know and you have surpassed needing your mom, or so you think.  You fight.  You want to go out all night with friends.  You live for the here and now, and she’s always planning for the future, but you have it all figured out.  You get grounded for sneaking out and hate your mom for totally cramping your style.   Now, at this age you realize, your mom knows absolutely nothing and quite honestly, she might not even be human.  She certainly cannot understand what it’s like to be in your shoes.  She couldn’t have ever been a teenager because if she had, of course she’d give you everything you want; let you go to concerts on school nights and parties on the weekends.  You hate her for her mistakes (because in your mind, parents are suppose to be perfect and make no mistakes at all) and you can’t wait to just be away, grown up and on your own with no rules!!

Then it happens.  You are grown-up, an adult, and you realize that you still have rules and more importantly responsibilities.  When you become a mother yourself and you finally understand that your mom loved you all along, when you threw a monster fit in the grocery store, when you failed a test, when you yelled hurtful words at her, when you disappointed her more than she ever thought possible, when she was kind, when she was harsh, and now as you to find your way and make your own life.  You forgive her for her mistakes because now you recognize that moms are just people doing the best they can do. 

We evolve, mothers and daughters.  Through all of our struggles, it’s nice to be in a place where I can say that my mom is my best friend.  Thanks mom for allowing me to make mistakes and for picking me up when I fell.  Thanks for always being there for me and for seeing the very best in me.  I’m so proud of the person you are and so thankful to have you as my mom and my friend.

I love you Mom!!!  Happy Birthday!!!

 

*edited: font made larger for old women so they don't have to squint at the screen through their reading glasses. 

Ella’s turn!  Ella Bella (as we like to call her) is our little girly girl and sometimes on bad days a true diva!  She’s the one who’ll scoop up split glitter and sprinkle it in her hair.  Or do a spontaneous fashion/ dance show for the family after dinner.  Or crinkle her nose and stick out her bottom lip when she doesn’t get her way.  She’s glitz and glam, and sugar and spice all tied up in a hot pink bow. 

Ella helped me scout downtown McKinney (and when I say “helped” I mean got paid, yep that’s right I had to PAY my own daughter, but that’s just how she rolls).  Very cool old timey buildings and awesome places to do portraits. 

Making wishes on "fairy beds"

Looking oh so cool in those shades!

Tiny little hot pink fingernails.

So for Ella’s room I did some customized “name art” on chromalux prints.  These are individual pieces (one per letter) and come ready to mount.  What I love about chromalux is that it’s high gloss and super glam!!

I just realized that I’ve never posted pics of my own kids!  Of course, I focus on blogging recent shoots so I forget sometimes to throw in something fun of my own.  Like all of you moms out there, I’m so proud of my kids so I just have to share pics of them too!  Colin is my little man.  He’s interested in so many things, but after his concert at School of Rock, I thought some cool guitar pics would go great in his room.  I’m planning a metal print to go on his wall and if you’ve never seen a metal print- they are soooo cool!  But as the old saying goes, “cobblers children have no shoes”, and his print isn’t created just yet.  I’ll be sure to post a pic of it when I get it completed and hung on his wall.  Until then I’ll just share a recent shoot we did. 

I love trying out new locations and scouting cool places to shoot.  So I thought it would be awesome to take Colin out to this field near our house with a dilapidated barn.  Very rustic.   So we trekked through the tall grassy field (probably trespassing, but a cool location just might be worth breaking a few laws- I kid, kinda…)   Anyway, we get to the barn and I instruct Colin to go in and sit on a pile of old tires with his guitar and play me a song.  Just as he stepped into the barn a GIGANTIC vulture swooped down and flapped its wings at us.  We both screamed like little girls and high tailed it out of there.  So this is the only picture I got in my ultra cool, rustic location.  (You’ll see there’s no barn or field in the shot, so much for that idea)

Oh well, on to the next location.  All of the next pictures were taken at Babe’s and the train track just off of Main in Frisco.  No crazy flapping birds to scare us away here!  I must say, Colin, you rocked it out, buddy!! 

I have to end this post with my favorite from the day.  My baby is getting so grown up!! 

The kids are back to school so it’s time for me to get back to work.  Here is a way overdue blog post.  A shoot I had at the very beginning of summer….

I had the absolute pleasure to do a shoot of G and J at the park near my house.  How cool is it when you can walk outside and you’re “at work” (for me I think it should be called “at play” because really how can you call this work).   We had so much fun!!

There was dancing….

Dad found a caterpillar so we took a little time to play with nature.

G has an inner light that sparkles.  She’s a superstar in the making.  Someday when she’s famous, I’ll get to say, “I photographed her as a child”.

J has a calm sweetness that is so pure and innocent.  Beauty…

Together they are a gorgeous pair of sisters!

I'll end this post with one of my favorite images of all time.  Doesn't it just kinda sum up sisters and summertime?

This little cutie was so fun to photograph.  She has so many adorable expressions and she ain’t afraid to use em’! 

I got to create one of my favorite things, name art (or whatever you want to call it).  With Jillian’s pics, I designed a display for her room with her initials.  So cute!!

Even though, with three kids it can be a bit chaotic, we ended up with some great shots.

Thanks Anne for allowing me to take my time to get great shots and for being up for anything!  You are awesome.  Will and Jeanne, you are such cool kids.  Thanks for doing such a good job.  Tell your mom that you deserve an ice cream for being such great kids.  Jillian, you are just adorable and such a treasure.  Happy first birthday!!

What a fabulous way to end my Tulsa visit.  Getting to see old friends and making new ones made for a wonderful weekend.  Meeting the Baugnon’s ended it wonderfully.  We had a great time hanging in the backyard taking portraits of Benjamin and he couldn’t have been in a happier mood.  I don’t think this boy ever gets grumpy!!  Look at these grins!

And I LOVE when babies will blow bubbles for me.  Adorable!

The Baugnon’s had a fabulous vintage baseball glove and wanted to run down the street to take some pic of Benjamin with it.  What a wonderful idea!!  I think he’s destined to be a pitcher.

It was so great to meet you guys!  Thanks for the fabulous ideas and locations to shoot in.