Merry Christmas!

Wishing you the very best 2010 has to offer - love, happiness, health and laughter.

xoxo

Carol

Santa Baby

This adorable little elf belongs to some friends of mine. Is she not the cutest little thing you've ever seen? She's a perfect reminder of all the things out there to be grateful for this time of year. Health. Happiness. Love and New Beginnings. This Santa Baby is the youngest of three sisters - she's going to have a fantastic life, full of fun and laughter. Congratulations on your arrival little one - and Merry Christmas!

It's Going To Be Hard To Choose...

I emailed with this bride-to-be this afternoon... and I agree with her message. It's going to be hard to choose just one of her engagement photo session portraits. I'm not bragging (well, not too much) but I am so pleased with the way this particular session turned out. We met on Saturday at a farm just outside Madison and it was not only a pleasure to meet Stacey and Andy - it was literally a photographer's dream! Bright red barns... white washed fences... weatherworn stable doors and a grove of evergreen trees perfectly coated with winter white snow. Ahhh!

Here are a few photos from our session. Hope you like them - they made me smile out loud!

Neato

These are my kids. They're dressed up for the 50th anniversary of their elementary school. The assignment: come to school dressed in 50s getup... and this is what I came up with. Cate is wearing a home-made poodle skirt. If you look closely you'll see I actually DREW the poodle. Fancy, I know. Jackson's outfit was so much easier. Jeans and a white t-shirt. I resisted the urge to roll a pack of candy cigarettes up in his sleeve. I know he'd have been stopped about five feet inside the front door and asked to explain himself. Obviously he'd have no idea that was "cool" at the time, so I spared him the ordeal.

All in all I think I did a pretty good job. With a little help from the lady at the fabric store I created the entire look in one Sunday afternoon. I won't get hurt patting myself on the back though. It's the same exact sort of thing MY MOM would have done for me. Thanks Mom!

One More Reason To Be Thankful

My brother and sister-in-law are expecting their first baby in the first weeks of 2010.

It will be the first new one on that side of our family in more than six years and we're all getting really excited for the big arrival!

Last weekend I was invited over to take a few photos of the ever-growing Mom-to-be. She's getting bigger, but more beautiful every time I see her. It's hard to top the happiness that accompanies hope for the future. Pregnant women are brimming with that kind of happiness.

The baby (they aren't finding out whether it's a boy or a girl, though surely it's one of those two...) isn't even official here yet and is already filling our hearts with love and joy. We're thrilled and this Thanksgiving know we've got another reason to be thankful.

Cliff and Jill - Married!

I am so very proud of this next post... a wedding I shot this fall along with a new friend and colleague Leah. Jill and Cliff's Lake Geneva wedding was so beautiful - but their choice to stop off at the observatory was nothing short of brilliant. The light was so wonderful - it created such a glow around the wedding party. I might not know all there is to know about photography, but I do know good lighting when I see it - and the lighting this mid-October afternoon was perfect.

Here are a few images from the day - a sneek peek for the wedding couple, who can go to my site RIGHT NOW to view their entire edited collection!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sneak Peek - Ethan

This precious boy is a preemie... four months old. (or is it 2 months?) Whichever it is, time was no matter when it came to capturing his parents' hearts. I'm sure it took less than a blink of his eyelash to make them fall in love. Ethan's Mom and Dad doted on him every second of our photo shoot... dabbing drool off his bright red vest and carefully situating his bright red cap. What a joy! I can hardly remember when my two were so tiny... I'm fairly sure one of mine was NEVER this small. Congratulations to this new little family - and my best wishes for happy and healthy years to come.

Family Portrait Session

It's that time of year again - when mom and dads and kids of all ages worldwide gather together to take that most elusive of photograph... the family portrait.

Here's a preview of a session I did just last week. A wonderful family with two beautiful golden retrievers... which made for a tricky picture. Lots and lots of eyes to watch for blinking and of course, the occasional wagging tail.

It's not too late to get your holiday photos taken and there is a lot of fun to be had too! Build a snowman... cozy up to the fire... invite me over to photograph your little ones hanging ornaments on your tree! All ideas are welcome and will make for a very touching holiday portrait.

Senior Portrait Session -Tyler

Tyler, thanks for having me out to photograph your senior portraits! How cool to have so many different ways to express yourself - whether it be snowboarding, four wheeling, hanging by the lake or the more formal portraits. Our hour long session just flew by with so much to capture!

Have a great senior year and all the best to you in the future!

Senior Portrait Session - Meredith

This young woman is full of creativity. A photographer herself - it was a lot of fun to roam the streets of downtown Oconomowoc searching for just the right spots to stop and take a few shots. I always love learning something new about someone and while High Schoolers tend to start off shy, they usually open up and share tid-bits of their lives with me by the time the session ends. Meredith was no exception, telling me about a her very creative way to raise some money for a school trip. I love to see kids who are willing to work hard to get what they want out of life. Congratulations to you - and all the best in your final year of high school!

Hard at Work

I have had an incredible run lately.. lots of business has come my way - thank you!

I have really enjoyed meeting so many new clients, visiting their homes

and special portrait locations.

It's been like a dream for me, who is still working so hard to build a successful business.

I am busy assembling Liz & Mike's wedding album, editing Jill & Cliff's wedding portraits, editing Meredith and Tyler's high school senior portrait sessions and the Secord family session too!

I will get in touch with each of you as my work wraps up.

Again, to all the families, couples and seniors who have trusted me with capturing such important moments in their lives... I'm exactly where I want to be... and have you to thank!

Just a reminder! It's time to order your 2009 Christmas Cards!

Place your order by November 15th to ensure early delivery.

Spooky and Spectacular

We had a fabulous Halloween around here. The kids were sick the whole week before, but managed to heal up just time for all the fun! We did the usual jack-o-lantern carving.. put on our costumes (an Angel and Elvis... nice combination!) and then headed out into the neighborhood. We literally get hundreds of trick-or-treaters that roam our area on Halloween night. This year was the first in many that I've actually walked around with the kids. Usually I'm at home, manning the cauldron, in my awesome witch's costume. This year the job fell to my husband, who kept the cauldron - but dressed up as some funky 70's dude. No

making sense of that one. Anyway, a lot of fun was had by all... and we hadn't even headed to the Halloween Party yet!

Next year, feel free to drop by. I purchase a TON of candy, there will be plenty to go around.

Just a few more...

We Love You So

Our family has had a rough go of it the last couple of weeks. We've had to say goodbye to a beloved member of our family, Bear. Turns out he is the reason why my son Jackson has had so many health issues these last few years... he is allergic to Bear! We tried everything to keep the two of them living under the same roof, but about three weeks ago realized it just wasn't going to be possible. Clearly, Jackson's health trumps dog, so we found Bear a wonderful new family to live with. That we finally see a light at the end of Jackson's health troubles is wonderful - but it isn't taking away all the sadness we're feeling as we say goodbye to a member of our family.

Thank goodness for Elvis. He has entered the building! Just try to stay sad when you've got this kid sauntering around all day long... clicking his fingers at you and calling you "baby".

It's downright impossible.

Senior Portrait Session - Charlie

Thanks for being such a sport - Charlie... going along with a few 'out of the box' ideas I had for senior portrait locations. I think they worked out well. I really enjoyed meeting you and wish you all the best as you finish out your senior year. You're a great guy with so much to look forward to... the best is yet to come! I will have your entire session ready for viewing soon, but in the meantime, here's a preview.

On The Gridiron

It's in his blood. That's the only way I can explain the way my son plays football. He's passionate. He's determined. He's only six and he's got that 'play hard or go home' attitude that accompanies so many competitive athletes. Other moms have warned me... told me to prepare for the many years of sideline sitting that I likely have ahead of me. I love it. And hate it. I mean that's my baby out there trying to smash someone else's baby into the turf. I don't think this is something I've taught him. I'm sure my life lessons are more like 'share' and 'take your turn'... but somehow, somewhere, this boy has picked up on the finer points of digging in and shoving on and not stopping until the ball is in the end zone. It's fine. I'll manage. I'll bring my chair and plaid blanket and endure the cold and rain in order to show him that I'm his biggest fan. Even while on the inside I'm secretly thinking how wonderful it would be to fold him into my arms and read him 'Goodnight Moon' just one more time.

A Mother's Wish

I love this photo! These hands belong to members of a family who isn't often all in the same state. Three brothers here... one off at college. More than once this Mom has talked about missing her oldest... and how life just isn't quite right when one of her boys is so far away.

This weekend I had the pleasure of taking some family photos for them. I thought of having them do this even before I arrived. Each of her boys plays football... which is why I originally thought of this gesture. But more than that - their family is a team. Their spirit shows through every inside joke and funny glance. No time or distance has broken the bond between her boys. Ok now... on three!

Heart of Hearts

A friend of mine just had this heart brought back from Mexico. It's blown glass and in the sunlight creates the most beautiful patterns on my wall. I think it's supposed to hang outside, in a tree possibly, to catch the light and cast a colorful hue over someone's garden... but I didn't have the heart to hang mine outside. It would surely be pummeled by a run-away football or someone recklessly swinging a bat. So it adorns one of the three windows in my dining room. If you only knew how happy it made my heart... to see this heart... you'd want one for yourself.

More Great Families

Another Saturday - and for me - another opportunity to meet and photograph some great families. Here's a sneak peak from four sessions I shot today. I'll let each family know when their full gallery is posted... and I'm still taking sign ups for my next two shooting days, October 3rd and 24th!