My nephew is 2 today! I was so honored to get to be in the delivery room when he was born....
Yesterday, we celebrated his birthday at a place called Simply Play. It was a lot of fun and Edwin (and Anthony) had a blast. I'll do a more extensive post in the next day or two...but for tonight I thought I'd at least share a couple. It's been a long day with a sick child, my back's hurting worse than normal and I've got a ton on my plate. But I had to wish my sweet nephew a Happy Birthday! I love you handsome!!
Looking at this picture you would think he had gotten an awesome gift...which I'm sure he did, but he was excited about the tissue paper...haha
OK, first things first...who won the Girlfriend's Contest???!!?!?
With 52% of the vote.....congratulations Carlie and friends!! You have won a super duper fun photo session with me and you will each receive an 8x10. And you'll get to be super models and have your pics on my blog and website :) What is better than that? haha
Colandra and Chapin were tied for 2nd place! So, I've decided to do a mini girlfriends session for you and your friends as well!!!!!!!!! You will each receive a 5x7 from your shoot and you'll also get to star on the blog and website. How awesome is that?!? So, ladies....all 3 of you need to contact me to get your sessions set up. In the meantime, I'll be working on pricing and packages for Girlfriends sessions so if you're interested in getting your gal pals together, shoot me an email and I'll be sure to get you the details first!
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to vote! I hope you enjoyed it. Very soon, I'll be doing another giveaway and it's a BIG one!!! Let's just say if you're getting married in the near future, you'll want to stay tuned to the blog for a special announcement!!
OK, now onto a fabulous rockin maternity session. Jana took the time to compile some of her favorite maternity shots she had seen on the internet. When we got together, we had a blast trying to replicate some of those shots. Jana was very daring to bare all! And the best part...she has given me permission to share them with you so you can see a different side to maternity pics. I think these were done very tastefully and they are very artsy! I know that not everybody wants these type of pics, but I encourage you to bare as much as you feel comfortable with since the pregnant body is so beautiful.
that we can play outside in the daylight when Daddy gets home from work
that the grass starts to turn green
that the flowers start to bloom
that the azaleas are blooming
that next weekend is the NC Azalea Festival
that it's getting warmer without being HOT
that it smells like Spring
that any day now I'll get to enjoy the sounds of thunder and the flash of lightning
I'm not so fond of the pollen though. Seems I have a bit of an allergy to it...
So, what do you like about Spring? What's your favorite season? A post is no good without a picture and I'm no "nature" photog...but here's my attempt to show just a peek of the Spring beauty...
Tomorrow I'll post the winner of the Girlfriend's session...if you haven't voted yet....do so. It's a couple of posts down. Also, check back for an awesome maternity session I will share tomorrow!!
Just thought I'd share a cutie pic from this weekend. This little guy wouldn't crack a smile for anything...but he's so adorable that the pics still turned out awesome. Please don't forget to vote in the Girlfriend's contest below and send your friends and family to vote as well!
I'm excited that I had 3 entries for the Girlfriends Photo Shoot Contest. I'm a tiny bit bummed I didn't get more entries - but for those of you that didn't enter, you will wish you had when you see how much fun the winners are going to have!! :)
So the entries are below... they are each very different and I'm excited to see how this turns out. Voting will be live until midnight on March 26th. I will announce the winner on Friday, March 27th! You can only vote one time.
Good luck ladies and thank you so much for entering!!
Chapin S
My name is Chapin and I have been in a Bible study for the past 2 and a half years. There are seven of us in the group and we have grown extremly close recently. Three of the girls are actually bridesmaids in my wedding later this month. I love them like sisters. However, we rarely get the opportunity to do anything "out of the norm". We do our Bible studies and we have "fun nights" every few weeks--but they generally consist of going out to eat or cooking together at the leader's home. And, the funny thing is, they are the closest friends I have but I realized recently that I do not have many pictures of them. I mean, who really takes pictures at Bible study?? So, I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for us. It would be a true blessing if we were to win and I think the girls would have a great time just unwinding from life's stress to do this. So, please consider us for your contest :) Thanks so much for this opportunity!
Colandra M
HI to all of you out there, my name is Colandra McDowell, and I have met the most wonderful group of girlfriends in the world. Good friends are like a big bowl of vegetable soup, with each friend bringing their own flavor to the group. It's amazing how God uses your life's experiences to place you in the company of people you can share life's most intimate details with, and never have to worry if you have said too much or not enough, and trust me I'm capable of doing both!! If you desire to give my group of friends and I a title, here it goes, "The Vegetable Soup Broadway Musical of Friendship", and if you understand me then you are probably my friend! This show is ongoing and our friendship shows daily. Countless emails, numerous texts, and endless conversations ranging from meaningful to meaningless sum up the everyday interaction. If you are the type of person seeking suspense, you may even catch the occasional "girl please" that my friends give me when I get off the rocker! We should win the Tony award for friendship because it is real, and any critic who visits our show will feel the authenticity of each of our stories. We are a group of women capable of loving each other through anything!
Carlie P
Without a doubt, I have the best group of girlfriends ever. They bring so much joy to my life and I am so blessed to have any one of them, much less all four! I realize this is supposed to only be 500 words but I figure I could never express the superb-ness of my friends in JUST 500 words so I cheated a little …
“Accept what people offer. Drink their milkshakes. Take their love.” – Wally Lamb
First there is Miss Emily. Emily is our blonde bohemian, our dreamer. An English teacher in Charlotte, she’s the farthest away. The first time Emily and I met, we were in group training in college. We were on opposing teams playing a “name that tune” game and she and I got into a heated battle (my team won, of course!). A week later, one of Emily’s very good friends and co-workers passed away in a car accident. Being the pig-headed, stubborn Southerner that I am, I decided Emily and her office needed help during that trying time, so I just went down to their building to see what I could do. They tried to turn me away but I said “I’m staying so you can tell me what needs to be done or I can figure it out myself.” They sent me to get Taco Bell. From that moment on, Emily and I were soul-mates. She is like a carbon-copy of me, loving the same music, movies, books, sharing a love of animals, and hating the same attitudes, indifferences, and oppression that I do. She’s a crossword whiz and I’m jealous of her signature personal style. Emily is the most generous, compassionate, and gentle person I know and I can’t believe I managed to live 20 years without knowing her!
“Only a real friend will tell you when your face is dirty” – Sicilian proverb
Katie is the most cynical and sarcastic person I’ve ever met, and I love it. She gets my sense of humor and we play off one another all the time. I’ve worked with Katie for a few years and I can’t really recall how she ended up becoming part of our group, except that she just fits. She is the most determined – she ALWAYS makes it to the gym. She is definitely our Type A personality, but in group of laid-back ladies we need someone to make our decisions every now and then. She tells it like it is – the good, the bad and the ugly. She’s not scared to say what she thinks but she is careful not to offend anyone either. She remembers the little details and is always willing to do you a favor. Most people have the wrong impression of Katie and think she is pretty reserved, but that girl knows how to have some fun! She is our resident cook which we all thank her for. She’s the only wife and home-owner of the group, so she’s our picture into the “real world.” Most importantly, Katie is the best person to vent to. She is such a good listener and either doesn’t talk back when you just needed to say it, or offers really good advice when you need some answers.
“A friend tells you, ‘Go ahead and eat all of the cookies before they cool down.’” – Anonymous
Next is Bethany. Bethy does not know she’s beautiful and amazing, which makes her more beautiful and amazing to me. She’s the most shy in our group and always needs that extra push to be social. Bethany is someone who you can be quiet with and it is comfortable. She doesn’t need to fill the silence but she’s also goofy and up for an adventure (as long as the adventure involves going someplace tropical!). She’s always down for a chill night but also loves to go to concerts. She’s so thoughtful – she’ll buy your dinner just ‘cause or send you sweet emails just to say hi. She plays momma sometimes and is definitely tamer than the rest, but she adds the perfect balance and keeps us low-key when we need to relax and unwind. Don’t let her calm demeanor fool you though – she is a busy-bee. I went on vacation to the Keys with Bethany and her family last summer and she was the perfect beach companion. She can chill out and read and just lay out for a while, but when we get restless she’s ready to go swimming or snorkeling or just walk around and people watch. She’s my big sister and I am so grateful that she and her family have taken me in.
“We cherish our friends not for their ability to amuse us, but for ours to amuse them.” – Evelyn Waugh
Last but certainly not least is Leah Nicole. Leah is Bethany’s younger sister, and she actually is the reason I know Bethany. We met in band camp (don’t judge). I was a junior and we were pulling together a group of girls to have a girl’s night. We wanted to make sure to invite someone new who we didn’t know and I picked Leah because she was cute and stylish (that was really the extent of my high school observation). Thank goodness I did because Leah has been the best friend I could have ever imagined. From camping trips on Masonboro gone awry, to medical scares and hospital visits, Leah has always been there for me no matter what. But besides being an incredibly loyal and dependable friend, Leah and I laugh … All the time. We are silly, we make up jokes, we befriend our waiters and bartenders. We love to travel and see new things and explore. In 8 years we’ve never once had a fight - we can spend days together and not need alone time. In fact, when we don’t see each other for one day we call one another to say “I miss you!” We’ve been called “Hurricane Carlie and Leah” because we are loud, chaotic and leave a mess in our wake. We speak our own language full of inside jokes, quotes from our favorite movies, and words we have changed. We finish each other’s sentences and even dress alike without meaning to! Anyone who knows me, knows Leah. She knows every story from my past, every minute and boring detail of my work life, every friend from college. She’s my sister, my bff, my other-half, and any other cliché way to describe the most important friend in your life.
“Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? Thought I was the only one.’” – C.S. Lewis
As for me, I’m all heart. I can’t make decisions with my brain if my heart says something else. I’m a sucker for a girl movie, a cheesy line, a corny joke. I give people an endless number of chances, even when they don’t deserve it (to all of my friends’ dismay). I love sunshine, new clothes, reading and especially my puppy. I am the most ADD of the crew – seriously show me something pink or shiny and I’m distracted for about 4 minutes. I’m also the biggest risk-taker. I’ll try anything and embarrass myself anytime. I’m always looking forward to the next season and the next big thing. I can find something I have in common with a bump on a log and love to talk (ask anyone). I am OCD about cleanliness and can’t stand for things to be out of order at work, but am so flexible and spontaneous it drives everyone else crazy. I don’t plan, I just make options. I love to share – share stories, share good books, share awesome music, share time, share friends. I never want to leave anyone out of the fun – everyone’s always invited. I love more than anything to gather all the people I love together for cookouts, parties, movie nights. I have fun no matter what because it’s just not worth it to not have fun!
Unfortunately our lives are all beginning to change – Emily is getting married and will soon move even further away. Katie and her husband are about to start a family. Our careers are beginning to take us in different paths and making time together harder to come by. I’d love to capture this moment in our lives because in a few short years everything will be different.
I have had so many maternity and newborn sessions lately and I couldn't be happier! This beautiful couple had me come out to their house to get some pics in the nursery and then we also went downtown for some fun shots. The light was absolutely gorgeous! Their little bundle of joy is due in mid April and I'll be doing their hospital mini shoot and newborn pics; I can not wait!!
Here is their current baby...
When I saw this welcome sign, I knew we needed to incorporate it somehow...it cracks me up....
It was a beautiful day today.... I got some work done.... shot some pics of an adorable little boy... did some editing.... went to Tball practice and spent some time with my boys... a great day.
Here's the rest of the holiday/Christmas mini sessions...enjoy!
The Clendenning Family...
They've been on the blog before and I'm sure they will be again. Caleb plays on Anthony's tball team so I got to chat with Katrina (mom) for quite some time today at practice - always enjoyable :)
The Jones Family..
Little Katie has been on here before too.... all of her pics had Christmasy props in them....so try to think Christmas in March?
The Paces...
This little cutie patootie was new to me and I just loved her big blue eyes!
Beau and Bella
How cute are these two? My first ever twins!! I sure hope I get a chance to take pics of these little characters again. They wanted nothing to do with sitting still for my cheesy little background....instead they ended up playing on my swing set - I think they turned out just adorable and showed their personalities.
And finally...this handsome fella's Mom wanted some pics of her and her son....but she didn't want me to show any of her on the blog. So I won't be giving any details of who he is...but you can still see how handsome he is :) (She did give me permission to put his pics on here.)
And that's a wrap..... another week of blogging 5 of 7 days... I hope you're enjoying my posts and much as I'm enjoying doing them :) Leave me some comment love if you are (or if you're not..haha)...inquiring minds want to know!
