Candi Leonard Photography

NEW BLOG!

After YEARS of blogging on this blog...I have switched over to a BRAND NEW BLOG!

 

http://candileonardphotography.com/blog

 

 

GO CHECK IT OUT!  You will find older content on there as well!  :) Update your bookmarks too!  :)  

 

 

Hayley | Bridal Session

Hayley is tying the knot RIGHT NOW!  So I can finally share her bridal session we did back in the fall!  I love fall light so much and I really had fun playing at her session!  She is a STUNNING bride!  Here are some favorites from her country bridal session...

 

I will be sharing her wedding day VERY soon!  Check back!  :)

Pinterest boards, oh my!

I have been a pinterest fanatic forever!  And one of my boards was always wedding stuff for clients, but it got to be so big it took me FOREVER to find the pin I wanted to share with my clients.  And then I had the awkward thing of people thinking I was getting married again, which I am not since we have done that once and are blissfully married still.  So, I decided to seperate my pinterest account for my business.  

 

Now I realize that I vented about the Pinterest complex not that long ago and I still believe it with all my heart, but I do think that pinterest is an excellent source for inspiration.  I will be sharing a little of how I use pinterest for inspiration in a post next week.  Until then, check out my business pinterest account.  I have it all organized with tons of beautiful wedding inspiration!  

 

www.pinterest.com/clphotolove

 

 

Our Story part 3: Fair rides and failed first dates.

After hearing love story after story from our brides and grooms, I am sharing ours.  See part 1 here and part 2 here.  

 

After many lunch "dates" on our work breaks, Travis and I finally made a plan to go on an official date to the fair.  We went with a few friends.  We drove in that Camero to Greensoboro, hit Taco Bell for dinner and then went to the fair.  It seemed like the perfect night, only Travis had a big secret.  We walked around the isles of rides looking for the perfect one.  Travis declined the first few but finally started to ride with me.  I had thought about that night for a long time. Planning in my head how it would be and I have to say, it was anything but.  We found ourselves riding the Gravitron which is a spaceship looking ride that you enter and it has walls covered with pads that resemble a gymnastics tumble mat.  The ride spins in a circle until it throws you against the wall defying gravity.  The line outside the ride was non-existant so they started the ride again without letting anyone off.  Once we were finally allowed to exit the ride, we all dizzily walked down the steps through the crowds until my date did the unthinkable....he threw up.  Needless to say, our night of rides ended abruptly with the Gravitron.  

    Even though it probably went down as one of his most embarassing nights of high school for Travis, it was the first glimpse of something I have witnessed forever with him.  He will do anything for me, even if he doesn't like it.  He knew rides made him sick and he rode them anyway, because I wanted to.  That was the first romantic act of many that would lie ahead.  

 

Graham | Newborn Session

Ever since Faith texted me "Today's the day!" as she was preparing to bring this little guy into the world, I have been super excited!  I just adore meeting sweet little babies!  And he didn't disappoint!  He was one of the quietest and calmest babies I have had in a while.  One thing is certain as well, he is surrounded by some loving parents.  They were very calm for first time parents as well and naturally I think that helped him.  We had fun with some cute little poses but I think his parent shots are my favs!  Take a peek....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you liked this post you might also like Grady's session, the babes of 2014, or Kennedy's newborn session!

Our Story part 2: failed set-ups and long rides home

If you are just joining me, I am sharing my love story.  Before you read ahead, you can find part one here.  

 

 

I spent my days roaming the halls of high school making sure my "cool" clothes matched the other kids, checking out the cute guys, and working my butt off to get good grades.  Evenings I spent with pom-poms and cheer uniforms, spray painting banners for game days and rehearsing for pep rallies.  But then by weekend, I put aside my Abercrombie shirts and slipped into the most uncool outfit you can imagine.  Knee length khaki shorts, starched collared buton down white shirt and a green vest with pockets.  It was a work uniform that we all had to wear and looked equally ridiculous in.  But it earned me the money to buy whatever item I deemed necessary to be cool, so I did it.  A lot of high schoolers worked there, several from my school.  I don't even remember the first time I met him really, but one day I had this guy named Travis come up to tell me that another guy there really liked me and wanted to ask me out.  Travis was dating another employee at the time so I really didn't even give him a thought.  But on Friday night as I cheered on my football team, I saw him and the guy he tried to set me up with leaned against the fence watching me.  A few weeks later, his girlfriend was no longer and once again I found him trying to set me up with ANOTHER guy.  I agreed to go bowling with this guy only if Travis tagged along.    

   So the day came, we bowled all three of us.  And we laughed and had a great time.  And at the end of the night, I had to let the other guy down.  I just didn't feel for him that way.  As I hopped into Travis' Camero and stared out the window as he drove me home, it felt like a year went by. I felt so incredibly guilty that I hurt that other guys feelings but even more so that I couldn't stop thinking about the guy that was driving me home.  When I got to my house, I finally looked at him and I don't even remember what we said as we stood in the moonlight outside my house.  But I do rememeber the feeling that rushed through me.  I knew he was the one.  

 

Wedding galleries!

Last year we switched over our wedding pricing to where we included your wedding images (fully edit, full sized files with printing rights) in ANY wedding package!  My business has seen many seasons of wedding packages over the years and after trying out credits, disk, no disk, albums, etc.  We decided that the best route is really to give you guys the files...all of them.  It makes us happy that our hard work is forever yours and brides and grooms can share them as they please!  It is a win-win!  After moving back to this system, we had to tackled another thing....how to deliver them!  We tried several methods last year.  We did dvd's forver now.  But the reality is, my files are SO big the average wedding had 3-4 dvd's to fit it all.  And then we did USB sticks because they fit them all in one spot.  But really, the ease of these files still wasn't what I wanted for my clients.  So we started using online sharable galleries.  And it is a DREAM COME TRUE!  Today I wanted to highlight these galleries and all the reasons why brides should LOVE THEM!  

 

First of all...here is how your wedding files will load for you to see...

Clean, pinterest like galleries.  

 

Weddings are automatically sorted into categories to make it easy to find a shot you want to share.

 

And sharing has never been easier!

 

And they have an app!  Download the app to your phone or ipad and your photos go with you everywhere.  You can easily show friends, family, coworkers, etc your wedding photos!

 

No more getting requests from mom to print me this or grandma that family photo.  They can order prints or download the files themselves!  

 

And you can easily share your gallery via facebook.  No more uploading a TON of photos to a facebook album, click and BOOM all there for you and your facebook friends to see!  

 

And my favorite part...the BEST part.  They are online for 10 years.  yes, 10 years!  You can access that link at any time and NEVER worry about losing your photos in fires, floods, computer crashes, etc.  It is just perfect!  

 

So, Brides get excited!  Your wedding photos will be coming to you in a beautiful way soon!

 

And portrait clients that order digital negatives will also have this gallery sent to them as well!  :)  

The value of TWO!

Hello Friends!  I have a pretty fun post for you guys today, especially my wedding couples!  When thinking of some blog topics, Travis jokingly said, what about the value of your #2 (what he lovingly calls himself on wedding days).  But REALLY that post is a really good topic!  So here you go!

 

THE VALUE OF TWO SHOOTERS!

I include two photographers at EVERY wedding we have.  Why, because it provides an invaluable service for my clients.  Travis and I tag team the entire day.  It gives you guys two viewpoints of it all.  Our styles are very different and I know the kind of shots he gets and he knows what I am going for, so we don't compete for shots.  We always know it's all covered.  Here are some examples...

 

PORTRAIT ANGLES...

He always gets the side view and the in-between candid stuff while I shoot portraits.  It is just beautiful! (mine is top, his bottom)

 

 

WALKING DOWN THE ISLE

One of us takes the groom and the other the bride.  That way you see BOTH views!

 

 

OR FIRST LOOK:

DETAILS...

Travis is the ring shot master!!!  He can balance wedding rings like nobody's business. I tell him my vision and he does the hard work.  Then after I get my shot, he always take a view from his angle too.  

 

 

VEIL FLUFFERS...

And when he isn't shooting, he is a master at fluffing veils!  

 

and of course, it is just amazing having the person that I love the most right there by my side all day.  He knows my crazy emotions of the day and he calms my stress and helps me focus.  He is the only person I can ever imagine working with!  

Our Story Part 1: catching bouquets and grocery store beginnings.

One thing that I love so much about working with couples is hearing their story.  How they met, how he proposed.  I love watching them talk about each other and seeing their facial expressions soften, their eyes glisten and the smiles beam from ear to ear.  They are in love.  That mushy, day dream love that just oozes from every surface of them.  It is contagious.  I know this love so very well because I felt it and I still feel it EVERY SINGLE DAY.  One of the reasons I feel so drawn to wedding photography is because I am a believer in love.  Love is why I live, why I do what I do.  Love made me the person I  am today.  How can you not celebrate it?  

Today, I am starting to share a little more about our love story.  It's only fair since you guys tell me yours that I share part of mine.  It will take me a few posts, but I hope you enjoy getting to know a little more about my story of love which inspired me to capture yours!  

 

It was summer, school was out and I was gathered with my childhood friends to celebrate my friend Amy's wedding.  I was young, on the brink of 16 and didn't have a clue about what life was beyond which Abercrombie shirt I was saving for and whether or not I would ever get a car.  I gathered into the small fellowship hall after the wedding and giggled with my friends and ate cake.  The thought of love and marriage was all so dreamy then.  But I wasn't there.  I didn't know love yet.   All the young girls huddled together and waited as the Bride tossed her bouquet.  I didn't leap, I didn't move.  Feet planted firmly in the ground, I watched as that bouquet landed into my hands.  It was like an out of body experience.  I saw myself catching it and then I looked at it and tossed it to the floor and screamed.  (smooth, right?)  My friends picked it up and handed it back to me.  Fate had spoken, I was the next to get married.  I laughed at it.  That silly tradition.  How could I be next when I was a few days shy of 16 and never even been on a real date?  Sure I had silly little boyfriends, but never a true date.  

 

Shortly after that wedding I turned 16 and found myself signing tax forms to work at the local grocery store Harris Teeter.  I wanted that job so badly and I was so excited to earn money to buy clothes and shoes and whatever my heart desired.  Little did I know, that job would lead me to my entire future.  

 

me at 16...(and my brother's beetle) 

 

Back with more to the story soon....
 

2015 on my mind....

Happy Tuesday Friends!  Can you believe we are almost half way through the first month of 2015?!?!  CRAZY!

This new year started off different from the last few for me!  It started on a POSITIVE note.  For the first time in a long time I feel like I have the ability to make positive changes in my life.  That I can take risks and make the most of life without the worry that comes along with it.  And this year, I intend to do just that!  

I am filled with excitement when I think about the changes I have in store for this year.  If I had to describe my goal for the year in one word, it would be INTENTIONAL.  I have so many areas that I want to live more intentionally.  Give the right focus to.  I have made mistakes and learned a lot the last few years.  I have changed and grown and finally found a solid ground that I feel like I belong on.  

 

What to expect this year:

BLOGGING!  

This blog has been a key part of my business for so long.  And it is back now...full on.  I plan to blog quicker and atleast 3-4 days a week...so make sure you tune in and leave comments!  I love hearing from you guys!

 

REVAMPED BRAND!

I have had my current logo and website branding for a while and I am still loving it.  It still fits my brand, but I am going to refresh it a bit!  I already started on my wedding site revamp!  Check it out!  :) At some point, I will be re-doing this blog too.  It hasn't changed in YEARS and it needs something fresh and new!

 

EDUCATION!

I am starting out my new year investing back into my business.  I have booked seats on some fun workshops, purchased some learning tools to help me improve areas that I feel weak in.  I have also picked up a few books to dive into.  

 

BRIDAL GUIDE!

  I have a full bridal guide with so much information for my wedding clients.  It is aimed to give you the BEST experience and help us be on the same page for your big day!  I am super excited to share it with every new bride!

 

 

 

TRAVEL SESSIONS!

I will be traveling some this year!  If you would like to schedule a session at one of my stops contact me ASAP!

BEAUFORT, SC- would love to shoot a bridal or maternity session there or even a wedding couple!

ASHEVILLE, NC- would love to do a bridal portrait, maternity session or engagement session at the spot I have picked out!

FLORIDA! I will be in the Orlando or Tampa Florida area possibly two times this year!  I would love to sneek in an engagement session while we are visiting there!  

BOONE, NC- I travel there several times a year!  I would LOVE to shoot an outdoor mountain wedding this year!  Got one planned, send me a message and we can chat! 

NEW YORK CITY!  I am heading to the big apple in the spring and in December for a wedding!  I could possibly take on another session in the spring if you are interested! 

 

There you have it.  Some fresh fun things to look for this year!  

A little REVAMP!!

Hello Friends!  I can't believe it is January 2015!  I have dreamed about January for a while.  Around October, I start thinking about the slow season.  Many projects that I want to take on have to wait until the weather is so cold that my shooting schedule slows for a bit.  And that time is NOW!  However, I am still pulling lots of long work days (or nights).  I have had a list of things to do and I am knocking it out!!  I have gotten a lot done in the past 8 days!

The first of many was revamping my webpage.  I am not 100% done, but my wedding site got a little facelift today.  I cleaned up some galleries with fresh images and sadly said goodbye to some older ones.  That part of the process is SO HARD for me.  I feel an emotional attachment to so much of my work that it is hard to not keep it in my portfolio.  But after some soul searching I came up with a way to weed it down.  I simply looked at each image and said "If I shot this image TODAY would it be a favorites RIGHT NOW."  And some of them were still a yes but a lot weren't.  And if they were I followed up with "Is this still true to my current style-posing, editing, etc" and if it wasn't I either re-edited to make the edit more current or I let it go for good.  

 

Please be sure to stop by and check out the page.  You will see that my logo got a little refresher too!  I still LOVE my logo and it still fits me very well, but I decided that for weddings I wanted things to be a little more glam!  

 

I will be back next week sharing some more changes that are coming in 2015 as well as some travel plans that I would LOVE to photograph at!  :)  Happy Weekend!

 

Engagements of 2014

Happy Thursday Friends! So last week I gathered up the "best of" newborns and weddings as well as my favorite shots from 2014.  I love doing yearly recap posts because it puts so much pretty stuff in one big ole post!  It is always fun to look back after a year of shooting and see what you have accomplished in the year.  I started gathering my 2014 engagement sessions and I thought I would share a peek from each one.  I include an engagement session with each wedding package I book.  The reasoning behind this is simple.  It gives you a chance to know me and me to know you guys as a couple.  And with that comfort already established behind the camera from the engagement session, your wedding photos are so much better.  Engagement photos are the stepping stone to great wedding photos.  It gives clients a chance to try out my posing and me to see how I need to describe it better next time around.  We both grow thanks to these sessions.  Below are a few highlights from 2014's engagement sessions.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

And if you are newly engaged, I would LOVE to chat with you about capturing your wedding day! 

Kennedy

Hello Friends!  I have a sweet little session to share today!  Kennedy was my first session of the year and it was on New Years Day!  How fun is that?!? I actually photographed her big sister Madelynn about 3 years ago.  I took a peek back at Madelynn's session before blogging this and I just have to say WOW!  I am so grateful for the growth I have had in my work.  I would have never improved without all the practice I have had over the years!  So, THANK YOU to all my clients! 

 

Now back to sweet Kennedy!  She looks like her big sister right now!  I was amazed at how similar they were!  And she was a perfect little model even though she did want to eat quite a bit during her session!  But she still rocked out some really cute poses.  Take a peek!

 

 

 

 

If you liked this newborn session, you may also like The Babes of 2014, Venice's Newborn session, Ila Beth's Newborn session.  

 

 

A Biltmore Getaway & Asheville travel stops!

Travis and I celebrated 16 years of wedded bliss in December.  One of our favorite things to do is travel together.  We have had some pretty awesome trips in our years together, but those seem to get less and less the more kids we have.  Something has to give, right?  So when we chatted about getting away for our anniversary, I really didn't know if it would happen.  But then he came up with the idea of Biltmore at Christmas and I was sold! Luckily, I have a friend in the Asheville area so I reached out for ideas for places to eat and she delivered a list of AWESOMENESS.  In fact, we had hoped to visit a few more but ran out of time.  

 

This was my first Biltmore trip.  It was just stunning. I felt like I was in an episode of Downton Abbey as I walked up the grand staircase.  I think at Christmas time it was even more charming.  Trees and greenery filled every room.  We loved it.  We went the first night to the candlelight showing and just took in every single detail.  (They don't allow cameras inside...bummer!).  But we headed back during the day to see the outside portions before we left town.  I did pull out the camera a bit for that.  Here are a few peeks of it.  

People were EVERYWHERE.  But the view out the side was just breathtaking...

 

 

 

And while we were in Asheville, we visited the following spots that we recommend to anyone visiting:

The Corner Kitchen- located in the charming biltmore village, we strolled around the adorable shops before dining here.  The food was amazing.  

The French Broad Chocolate Lounge.  Chocolate heaven.  We visited after our Biltmore tour and refueled with milkshakes, cake and more.  Worth the stop for sure!

The Tobacco Barn Antique store.  I love antique store and this one was top notch.  Isles and isles of good stuff.  Vintage signs, old doors and windows, antler (after my own heart!), and lots more.  I could have spent a lot longer there! 

 

 

The Pinterest complex.

Today's post is really more of my rambling, but it is something that has been weighing on my heart for a while...so here you go! 

 

Pinterest.  we have a love/hate relationship.  I am sure you can relate.  Brides...love pinterest right?  bouquets, decorations, photo ideas, color schemes, cakes, dresses, all at your fingerips to pin, pin, pin!  So you start looking and pinning and falling in LOVE with these beautiful wedding photos pinned before you.  And then you start trying to put it into your wedding.  That bouquet has flowers that are out of season during your wedding or costs $500 over your budget.  That beautiful dress is only in boutique stores and the starting price is your entire wedding budget.  Or you try to DIY that cute chalkboard sign for your wedding and it looks like a kindergardner wrote it for you.  And then it happens...you feel defeated.  I am sure you have been there.  You see this beautiful stuff before you and you want it and then it falls short.  THE PINTEREST COMPLEX!  

 

I am here to tell you the other side of that.  As your wedding photographer.  We too browse pinterest looking at beautiful weddings.  Wanting to capture images like you see.  We want to photograph a wedding at that AMAZING location.  We love those detailed dresses that aren't traditional (blush pink, yes yes!).  We want to capture those moments that just put tears in your eyes or a smile on your face...those amazing groom reactions, the sweet moments of a wedding day, etc.  And sometimes those things JUST DON'T HAPPEN!  Not every moment of every wedding is going to be perfect.  Most of the weddings I photograph have what I call a sweet spot.  Either their details were just so stunning that you couldn't get enough.  Or their wedding party was so much fun that you snapped a TON of bridal party photos.  Or the bride and groom oozed love and your gallery was overloaded with couples portraits. Maybe the ceremony was so touching and full of tears that you have sweet reactions to remember forever.  But the reality is, that every wedding isn't full of ALL those things.  Sometimes I leave a wedding feeling defeated because I didn't make the entire thing look like it came straight off of pinterest.  IT IS HARD for us too.  

 

The reality of it all is...a TON of what you see on pinterest isn't real.  Wedding professionals often stage weddings for workshops, editorial magazines, etc. and that is a LOT of what gets pinned.  And truth be told if you looked at a wedding in WHOLE you wouldn't find perfection from start to finish. It rarely happens.  

 

We have had the opportunity to document beautiful weddings and tell the story of some amazing clients.  But within those moments of that day...there is always SOMETHING that doesn't go perfectly...for us or them.  Maybe it rained on your outdoor wedding.  Maybe you had a fight with a family member and there was a lot of tension during family photos.  Maybe your cake was starting to melt or fall apart.  Maybe your flowers got too hot and died.  Heels break, hair falls, groomsmen get sick.  IT HAPPENS.  And it happens at every single wedding.  Every one of those scenarios I mentioned happened to couples I photographed THIS PAST YEAR.  

 

For me, I have learned to embrace it.  It is part of what makes weddings fun.  I thrive on the chaos.  The bride may take an hour longer getting ready than on the timeline.  The room the bride dresses in may be filled with kids artwork or bags and water bottles.  The groom may not want to smile during photos.  The bridal party may hate photos and not cooperate.  The bride may look like she wants to puke while walking down the isle.  The light may be harsh at the "alter".  The rain may change our plans.  But you know what...it is still a wedding and I still do my best to capture it.  

 

So, I tell you this today because I want you to know that it doesn't matter.  I promise you that SOMETHING will be off on your wedding day.  Something will go wrong.  Something may not be a pinterest worthy  moment, and that is OK.  The moments that go right will shine for years to come.  I promise.  So allow yourself some breathing room.  Don't let pinterest get you down.  Use it as a jumping board, but realize that a lot of it is just out of reach.  It will still be beautiful.  It will still be YOUR WEDDING! And that is far more special than anything you can find on pinterest.  

Top 14ish of 2014....

I have done a top 10(ish) list of photos for YEARS now and I almost didn't this year but decided, why not!  I have so many favorites, that it is really hard to choose.  I will say, that all the photos below just speak to me and my passion personally.  It's no secret that I love newborns, maternity and weddings.  Those are the things that make my heart flutter, so naturally it fills my top 10 list.  So my favorites in no particular order...

And there you have it!  My personal faves.  I can't wait to see what makes the 2015 faves list!!!  :)  

Celebrating 2014 Weddings!

This year, I fell hard for our weddings.  Although with every wedding, there were moments that didn't go perfectly, overall, we had an awesome year.  It is such an honor to be able to capture the beginning of two people's life together.  And if I am being honest, it is a lot of pressure at the same time.  Trying to make sure you capture every detail perfectly and working under a huge time constraint.  We had a lot of craziness added in this year with rain storms, sick groomsmen, huge delays, missing ties, and a few other bumps in the road.  I have spent a lot of time reflecting on each wedding and how we could improve and I have to say, 2015 is going to be amazing!  We have already put so many new systems in place to help everything run smoothly this year!  

 

    When I began wedding season in 2014, I had two goals in mind.  To improve our detail shots of the wedding (dress, jewlrey, rings, flowers, etc) and to improve couple portraits posing (bride and groom).  And I have to say, I love pushing myself in those directions because those are two parts of the wedding day that I love most.  And naturally, my "favorites" below reflect a lot of both of those.  :)  These photos are just my personal favorites.  Whether it was a tough shot that I nailed or a detail I couldn't get enough of, or an emotion that i just captured perfectly.  They aren't perfect, jut emotionally connected to me.  :)  Enjoy a little recap of 2014!

And there you have it!  So much beautiful stuff in one place!  :)  I am so incredibly grateful for each and every bride and groom we had this year.  Thank you so much for trusting me to capture your wedding day.  We wish you many years of happiness and love! 

 

The Babes of 2014

I usually do a recap of weddings post and I decided this year to include my favorite little subjects in a post of their own as well!  I took a leap almost 2 years ago and decided to focus my portrait work on newborns.  While they are one of the most challenging things to photograph, they are the dearest to my heart.  I truly love meeting all the sweet little miracles that come into my studio.  It is always such a great honor to be trusted with someone's fresh babe!  This past year was an amazing year for babies.  I had so many come through here and I hope to continue that trend next year!  Looking back at 2014, it was SO hard to choose photos of each babe!  Here are some favorite of the sweet babes of 2014...

 

 

 

 

The Clay family | 2014

I have photographed this family for so many years now.  Every year we met up for Christmas card sessions and I look forward to it because these kids are just GORGEOUS!  This year we had to battle dates for a while do to weather and then sickness and more sickness and ended up shooting this mid december and I did a same day edit and card design and had them in their hands by 2 days later.   That is not typical for me, but we made it happen!  Here are a few peeks at their session!

 

 

I will be back tomorrow with the start of my FAVORITE POSTS of the year....the re-cap of 2014.  See you then! 

Grady | newborn

Another sweet baby boy!  This was the 4 within a month span!  Sweet Grady visited me in mid-December.  I have to say this kid had the most gorgeous eye lashes!!!  His head full of hair was equally as cute as well, and when you see big brother, you will just know that cuteness runs in the family!  Here are a few peeks at his session...

 

see those beautiful eye lashes?

Thank you guys for sharing him with me!  

Decking our halls!

Truth, on November 1st as the halloween decor came down, we pulled out the Christmas boxes.  In theory, it makes sense that while you are in the storage rooming putting one up that you might as well pull out the others!  So the kids and I sifted through the boxes.  They pulled out their favorite things and we started to slowly incorporate it into the house.  I am a creature of habit and when I find a way I like something, I usually just repeat it adding a few fresh pieces.  We waited to put the tree and final touches up until thanksgiving week.  It was something I wasn't really looking forward to (pulling TWO toddlers off a christmas tree for more than a month!).  But our house is finally felt like Christmas and it brought us so much joy!  Here are a few peeks of our home.  

We have always been live tree people until last year Travis and Ashton had a nasty allergic reaction to ours and we had to throw it out.  I have been searching for the PERFECT affordable Christmas tree ever since and still haven't committed to one.  But hopefully next year.  My In-laws gave us this tree to borrow and it has worked just fine.  We filled it with natural elements (grapevines, pine cones, greenery, etc) and then we topped it with antlers.  The kids ornaments are scattered about it as well.   

 

here are some peeks at the built-ins and mantle in the living room. I LOVE our mantle so much this year.  I don't want to take it down.  We literally just finished the hearth last week (thank you hubby) and started working on the log insert this week, so it isn't 100% done.  I didn't have any decoration for that area so it is a little hodge podge this year.  :)

 

those are Travis and My stockings.  We hung the kids on the back of their chairs in the dining room.  :) And below is a peek in our kitchen.  

 

I hope everyone has a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!  I will be back next week sharing lots of fun sessions and even my kiddos Christmas photos.  Until then, enjoy your friends and family and soak in all the holiday goodness!  

The Williams Family!

Oh how I adore this family and they are growing by one next year!  So excited to see a Williams BOY toddling around!  :)  We did their annual Christmas card session and I knew we just HAD to use a Tree Farm in the mountains!  It is just fitting!  So Shana found this beautiful private farm and we just had a fun time!  :)  Here are some favorites!

 

 

 

Aren't they sweet?  

 

 

Jackson | Newborn

Another sweet little baby boy!  And he isn't the last for me to share either!  Jackson was just precious at 7 days old!  Each baby I photograph is so different and he was for sure.  He loved being curled up on his back, but he did not like being on his tummy at all!  Enjoy some sweet photos of him!

 

 

I have another sweet boy coming up soon!  :) 

Davis | newborn

Here is another sweet baby boy!  I tell you boys are in the water right now!  :)  Davis was also 8 days old at his session.  Slept like a champ for the most part!  :)  Here are some peeks at him! 

 

 

mom said he put his arms up like this a lot....

 

His big brother came by for a few shots as well.  It is always challenging to get a 2 year old in a shot with babes, but this one is just precious!

 

Back with another sweet boy next week!  :)

16 years of love, laughter and happily ever after!

Today is our wedding anniversary...16 YEARS!  Crazy.  And if you are adding in your head, yes I got married at 19.  We were young and in love and just couldn't wait another minute to be husband and wife.  And it was by far the best decision I have ever made.  Many would say crazy, but we made it work through the good and bad. Marriage is just that...WORK.  And every day we try harder to be better spouses.  We have been through so much in these 16 years.  Growing up, moving to 3 states, having 5 babies, buying a house, remodeling that house from the ground up, and building a business together.  Travis is so much more than a husband to me.  He is my best friend, my coworker, my partner in life and parenting, my source of encouragement, my soulmate.  Because of him, I am a better person!  Thank you Travis for 16 amazing years together as husband and wife!  And thank you for blessing me with a love so strong and meaningful that it makes me see the beauty in love everywhere.  Happy Anniversary!

 

our first Christmas...

 youth camp....

 

and 2011....
 

Wanted to share more older pics, but my scanner is broken!  Love you babe!  

The Wilkie Family

I adore this little family!  I have been photographing them since Peyton was in her momma's belly and I just love watching her grow!  They moved a few hours away this year but we were able to meet up for a new round of family photos still!  I came closer to them but Raven Rock was a perfect woodsy spot for some Christmas photos!  And Peyton was so cute and actually LIKED the camera this year.  She was so animated!  I love that age so much!  Here are some favorites.  

 

Thanks guys for a fun session!