Good Friends ~ Harper House, Hickory, NC

This morning I photographed my good friend, AJ, her kids and her lovely mom who is visiting from South Carolina. We went to Harper House in Hickory. This gorgeous old house, built in 1887, is on the National Historical Registry. You know me, I love all things old. Older things just have so much more character than today's stuff.

Here's just a couple sneak peeks, cause I know they're peeking!! I got tons of great pics and will try and post some more tomorrow.



Ms. "H" was a little shy at first, saying that she really didn't like having her photo taken, but it wasn't long till she was posing like a diva!!! Beautiful.

Had a great time with you guys, as usual!! Ya'll look fabulous! ")

And In Black & White ~ Newton, NC Portrait Photographer

I just love a warm black and white...

Engaged ~ Newton, NC Portrait Photographer

They are the cutest couple. Beautiful both inside and out. Getting ready to start the beginning of the rest of their lives ... together. Matt and Ashlea recently got engaged and threw a wonderful engagement party to celebrate with family and friends.



The party was held outdoors in my neighbor's beautiful backyard. {How convenient for me.} My neighbor just happens to be Ashlea's aunt. There were tables with red checkered cloths, good food, good friends and family ... even Corn Hole. A game which is sort of a cross between a bean bag toss and horse shoes. It was quite the hit. Even a brief downpour did nothing to dampen the spirit of the evening.



This was no fancy, smanshy party. No sirreee! This was a Louisiana style cookout!
I've never seen so many pots a'boilin at one time in my life. And the "cooks" were awesome. They had the whole thing down to a science. Crawfish straight from Louisiana. Blue crab and shrimp. Boiled potatoes, corn and sausage. Bowls of fresh fruit. Beer and other beverages, including something called "German Chocolate Cake shots". They were the hit of the evening. Everyone who had one said they were awesome. I declined, cause I figured one of those and I probably wouldn't be able to work anymore. lol






It was a terrific evening. Ashlea, Matt and their families are the best. I can't wait to take their engagement photos this fall. They will be a blast to work with. I'll leave you with one of my favorite shots of the night. Eating crawfish the "right" way .... yuck!!! :)

Back to School! ~ Catawba County Portrait Photographer

... and we're off! Both kids were up early and eager to start the first day of school. I wish they were like this every day! This year we've got a college junior, a high school senior and an 8th grader. My, my they are growing up fast.

The big news for me is I am NO LONGER a taxi mom!!! I can't tell you how excited I am not to have to leave my house every day at 7:20 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. It's awesome!

I have now replaced those feelings of "having to watch the clock" with feelings of deep anxiety as we now have another teenager driver to worry about. But I'm thrilled that Ryan finally got his license and is on his way to more independence.

Here they are full of smiles and ready to hit the road. :)

Happy first day to everyone who starts school today!

Saying Goodbye

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our beloved dog Elliott. He became very ill on Wednesday and was not able to recover. Yesterday afternoon we had to have him put to sleep. It was one of the hardest things we've ever had to do.



Elliott came to live with us 16 1/2 years ago when Stephanie was only 4, Ryan about 18 months and Kelly wasn't even a twinkle. I just HAD to have a dog. So we went to the Atlanta Humane Society and saw this precious 4 month old puppy hovering in the back of the cage. The place had other dogs that were bright and fun vieing for our attention. But we were drawn to the shy little puppy who was too scared to come to the front, preferring to just hang out in the shadows. We learned that he and his siblings had been dumped along a busy Atlanta highway.

We adopted this little guy, named him Elliott, and took him home where he lived as a member of our family for the past 16 1/2 years. He was a constant companion for our kids, a bed warmer, a crumb picker-upper, a package opener at Christmas and birthdays, a protector.... He was much loved.

We will miss him dearly.

The In-Betweens ~ Portrait Photographer, Newton, NC

Some of my all time favorite "captures" are of the moments that happen between shots. When everyone is trying to get themselves situated. These often-times turn out to be the most cherished photos. Like this sweet image. ♥!

Bad Blogger

Wow, has it really been 10 days since I've been here? What have I been doing? Well, let's see ... it's been terribly hot outside which makes me feel like a slug. Like a big pile of goo, actually. But, despite the heat, my hubby and I have been productive. Two weekends ago we started cleaning the garage, which had been taken over by clutter. We don't actually park in our garage as it is the home to a full size pool table. A full size pool table which we never actually played on ... well because the clutter monster moved in. But I'm proud to say that after two exhausting weekends, we have reclaimed the garage! We booted the clutter monster out and now we play pool. The kids love it! Who knew that's all it would take to entice them away from their computers and XBox. Pool. It's a wonderful thing. :)

Then, this past weekend I tackled the shed. The clutter monster's cousin moved in there. But, now it too is clean and organized. I feel so much better when my world is organized. It just makes me happy.

On Friday, the Fed-X man brought me a brand new computer! I desperately needed one. My poor old HP had slowed to a crawl. I spent more time waiting than actually working. Now, I can fly! My new Dell XPS 430 just sings. After a couple of days of getting aquainted with Windows Vista Home Premium, I can finally get some work done. I can't tell you how nice it is to push a button and have my computer respond immediately! It's like Heaven. :)

School is just around the corner. My oldest heads back to college this week and the other two start back to school just two weeks later. Summer is almost over and the busy fall season will be kicking in. I can't wait! I've got several photo sessions already lined up for the fall and I'm eager to get started!


And because I've been such a lame blogger here recently, I thought I'd leave you with a couple pictures. This adorable little guy comes to visit me everyday. Well not me really, but his lady who built her tiny little nest in the flower box right outside my kitchen window.

He's so darn cute. He brings her all sorts of yummy things, like moths, worms and slugs. He flies up, lands on the deck rail, checks me out through the window for a few minutes ....

... then he hops along through the flowers (you can see them wiggling)...

... then he pops his little head up and down a few times to see if I'm still there. He delivers his little gift into the nest for his wife, then flies off for more. He comes and go countless times in a day. I counted at least 3 tiny eggs, which have now turned into three tiny babies. I will try to photograh them, but the nest is positioned in such a way, I just don't know if it's possible. It will be my mission today. I'll see what I can do.

I will sure miss him when his babies all fly away and he doesn't come to visit me anymore. He makes washing dishes downright pleasant. :)

THE ONE WEEK ONLY SALE!

$25 OFF YOUR SESSION FEE - ONE WEEK ONLY!

Call or email me the week of August 2nd - 8th to schedule your Fall/Christmas photo session and receive $25 off the $75 session fee. You can schedule your actual appointment any time between August 2nd and November 30, 2009, but you must MAKE the appointment during the week of Aug 2-8th, as well as pay the $50 session fee to hold the appointment. Hurry! Slots are limited and are filling up quickly!

Sale good through August 8th, 2009.

Can't wait to see everyone!