Illinois, here I come...

So....it's finally here....well almost...I leave tomorrow to go to Illinois to shoot Katie and John's wedding! I am so excited that I can hardly stand it. The fact of the matter is I am sitting here at the computer blogging and I haven't even packed yet...I have to get up in the morning and go to work, until 2:00 and then I come home and have to be at the airport by 4:30 because my flight leaves at 5:35. Of course I will probably need to leave a little earlier because I will need to stop by starbucks to get a Grande Java Chip Frapachino. I am not joking! I am obsessed! I have said it many times. I am so nervous about flying. By myself. And especially leaving my kids and hubby. But I have faith that the Java chip will get me through. Seriously though, I will be getting everything packed up and pretty much ready to go tonight except for the last minute things! I will ask, my friends, that you pray for me, for my safe trip there and back and that we have good weather. I will ask that you pray for me not to be so nervous and that I have the confidence that I so often lack in myself. I just need to say the following statement more to myself! "I know I can and I will do this because I believe in myself!" This is my dream!

The photo above was recently taken after a session I had in downtown Knoxville. And I love the way the photo turned out. Perfect ending to a perfect session.

Fall mini special!!

Book now to reserve your spot. Location will be determined very soon!

Second Shooting for Sam

I will not blabber on and on but this was my first experience second shooting and I am so glad I had the opportunity with Samantha Bartolomeo. She was great! Really she was. I was so nervous at first, but she quickly calmed my nerves. I was able to ask questions and she was even up for an idea or two that I had! The wedding was so much fun. I felt like I fit right in and that always makes for a comforting experience. The flower girl ran from me every time I tried to snap her photo, which was okay because I snuck a few in when she wasn't watching;) She was the cutest little thing. There are so many sweet moments in a wedding and it is so great to be behind the lens to be able to capture those moments for people. Ok, so I said I would not blabber on and on so here are a few images that I snapped from the wedding. Please enjoy!









A preview to my first second shooting experience

I had the opportunity to second shoot with the awesome Samantha Bartolomeo! You can check out her amazing work here. She asked me if I would like to shoot with her a few weeks back and I was all like UM YES! I was so excited that another photographer asked me to second shoot with them! I had so much fun, as this was only my second wedding ever shot (besides when I brought my camera along to Azure and Drew's wedding and tried to be all like the third photographer)! As you all know, or maybe you forgot, I am going to IL to shoot a wedding next weekend and I am beyond excited! I absolutely cannot wait! I am a little nervous about flying by myself, but other that that I think I will be ok. I hope they have a Starbucks in the airport because I plan on getting a frapachino As soon as I arrive, before check in! And then I have already talked with Azure and we agreed that as soon as I arrive in IL we will be making a run by Starbucks there! Basically I will be hopped up on Starbucks for a while! It will be grand! Until then have a great day my friends! And of course, I won't post without a photo, so a sneak peak from the wedding that I second shot!

Downtown with Anna

Me and Anna (and of course her mommy and daddy) made a trip downtown to roam around and have fun! And fun it sure was! It was very cold but I think the longer we were walking around and having fun we just forgot that it was so cold. It even starting sprinkling at one time, but lucky for us it quit! Little Anna was so happy and her mommy and daddy sure knew how to make her laugh! We were all three jumping around and making funny noises and Anna just thought it was the funniest thing ever! Her daddy was such a trooper. He would play peek-a-boo or really just what ever was needed to get a smile or laugh our of Anna. Apparently, little Anna is a bit of a "daddy's girl". I think that is simply adorable. She was such a good little girl and didn't give a fuss no matter where we were going or what we were trying to do with her. Ok, enough of my talking...the best part, the pictures...

Mommy, where did daddy go? (he is inside the door, shhh)

Ok, I think this is just precious. It looks like she is pulling daddy along to show him something very interesting. "Come on daddy," she is thinking.

85MM 1.2...Yes, Please!

I would LOVE to say that I will be buying this lens soon...but I won't! I will, in fact, be renting in next week though and I'm one super excited lady! Oh, bliss! It is on my wish list and shall remain there until it is in my bag permanently;) Hope you all have had a beautiful Wednesday!

Today+the song

Today I have had very mixed emotions. Today is the day that four years ago we laid my sweet mother down to rest with out Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Today always brings very emotional feelings into my heart. It always brings back where I was when I got the call that she had passed. It's so funny though because yesterday morning as I was driving to work 'the song' played. It was as if she was reminding me of something. I think of her daily, sometimes more that once daily. I think of how things would have been if I could have only spent more time with her, I think of how things could have been different if I only would have spoken the right words. And then The song played, reminding me. It always reminds me and brings this strange feeling of calming over me. It was played at her funeral and she picked it out before she got so sick. But, it always brings that calming feeling over me. Even though I let a few tears stream down my face, I wasn't sad, I was content knowing that she is watching over me everyday. That was yesterday. Today, I was sad. Today I missed her. Today, I only wanted to be able to talk to her one last time and change the words that I said to her in that hospital when I was so mean to her. I am so sorry mom. I didn't know. Today I wanted to be able to eat lunch with her and her not be so yellow and sick. That was today. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, or the next day, or next year for that matter. I know what my heart feels like today. It aches. I can smile knowing that she is with Jesus walking the streets of gold and that makes my heart feel happy.

Peace begins with a smile
-Mother Teresa