My Loves

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-03T11:55:00.003-05:00

Halloween 2008 will be especially memorable! We had incredibly beautiful weather, and we had the Phillies parade!! Unfortunately we didn't make it to the parade but we had fun at our parent + tot morning at Waldorf and then went to visit with Gran Ann, El Papa Woo, Papi, Uncle Craig and many others at MPI. Carver opted for an early bedtime rather than and afternoon nap, so he missed trick or treating (I don't think he minded).

Composting Is Cool...and Cute.

2008-10-21T16:07:00.004-04:00

Carver loves fresh apple juice in the morning. Apples are pretty much all that goes through my juicer lately and we're left with fabulous apple pulp for our compost pile. Walking to the compost pile has been one of Carver's daily 'chores' with me. I adore watching him proudly walk with his little blue bucket full of compost goodness...especially in the bright knit hat I made him :)

Morning Nature Walks

2008-10-20T14:25:00.003-04:00

Per Kyle's suggestion we've been going on morning nature walks for the past 2 weekends. They are so much fun and we live so close to the fabulous Wissahickon Park we would be fools not to take advantage! However..these photos are from our walk in a little section of the Fort Washington State Park near Flourtown. It was a crisp morning and we made sure to bundle little Carver up.

Second Shooting Bonanza!

2008-10-16T15:33:00.002-04:00

For about the last two months I've been second shooting every weekend! It's been fun, and the extra money is fantastic... but I miss spending my Saturday's with Kyle and Carver. Another month and it's Thankgiving and the break in between wedding seasons! Joy's been having me go out with her for her weddings, Joe's got me down for a few as well, can't forget sweet Jeremy either, and this Saturday I'm going to work with Jackie Bayne. Huh, just realized the photographers all start with 'J'!
I love being a second, there's not as much stress, I don't have to set up the formal shots and I'm encouraged to be as creative as I can! I've edited down the last four wedding's I shot with Joy to my utmost favorites...if you want to know the who, what, when and where's of these shots, just check out Joy's blog!

Back Yard Fun!

2008-10-07T20:45:00.004-04:00

This afternoon we ran around in the yard chasing Cappy and his blue ball. We also spotted what's eating our very first homegrown pumpkin, and also a g-hog.

Just wanted to post this shot of Carver, not just because I think he's the cutest little boy in Philly, but because I wanted to share the handmade craftiness of his tie-dye onsie. I picked this bright cheery number at Julie Foster's table while checking out the Skippack Days on Sunday afternoon. Thanks Julie we love it!

Welcome Baby Gabriel!

2008-10-06T14:58:00.003-04:00

BFF Erin, Rafael, and proud big sister Stella welcomed baby Gabriel James with all the love in their hearts on September 27, 2008. Baby Gabriel was a whopping 10 lbs. 5 oz. and 22 inches long!! As Erin would definitely say 'HOLY HANNAH!!'.
I was shooting a wedding with Joe the day Gabriel was born, so it wasn't until 4 days later that his titi (that's me) got the chance to visit the happy family.
Of course baby Gabe was doing what newborns do best while I visited, eat and sleep. I did get to see his beautiful eyes for a few seconds here and there :) Erin amazed me with how great she was feeling and looking 4 days after birthing this big boy! Raphael and his mother (who flew in from Puerto Rico) arrived a bit later from the grocery store and I was able to congratulate the proud papa and the abuelita! I can't wait to visit again soon!! LOVE YOU.

If It Were Not For Bees

2008-09-19T13:54:00.003-04:00

Bees are an extremely important organism on this planet. We wouldn't have food on our table if it weren't for them. I appreciate these hard workers to the fullest, just not in my attic window sill. A few months ago I noticed a pile of dirt forming on the floor by the window, it was in my 'to do' list to find out what it was from. Wednesday I finally found out it was from bees. To make a long story short, I googled 'Beekeeper in Philadelphia' and found Anthony M. Buzas. I chose to call him because his address was right around the corner from us. Turns out this Tony Buzas is the 'Bee Master' of the whole east coast! He even told me to keep an eye out for magician David Blain's next show, I'm assuming there's something with bee's and Tony involved. Oh, it's turning into a long story... back to the short story... Tony and his assistant John show up and handle the small yellow jacket hive / colony. My instructions were to make sure there were no bees actively flying in & out of the window sill by next mid-week. If there are, I call him again. I'm not going up there for anything right now! When I photographed the process I stayed way back and only got close when the bees were gone. Tony's been interviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer (he gave me a copy of the article), and the Daily News. I plan on checking out his whole bee establishment sometime. He lives in Flourtown and rents his honeybees to farmers. I find it a fascinating story and hope to pursue a little documentary photo story someday about Tony and his Apis mellifera (honeybees).
Thank you Tony for ridding our home of the yellow jackets! I hope I don't see them in a week!

Trish's Blooming Belly

2008-09-16T21:36:00.003-04:00

The fam just returned from a week long vacation in Martha's Vineyard, and I'm so happy that Trish and Brian didn't go into labor while I was away! They are due to have their baby next week!
Our BB session was this afternoon and I had such a fun time with them and found myself completely emotional at the end of the shoot. Seriously Niagra Falls. Trish is such a beautiful pregnant woman and is going to be a fantastic mother and I foresee tons of photographs being taken of their little one! Trish is also a photographer, and was a photojournalist for the Morning Call newspaper in Allentown! She's super talented and made my job just a little bit tougher... hope my photographs make the grade!
Congratulations to you again. Looking forward to seeing the little guy soon!

Camden Children's Garden

2008-09-05T14:08:00.003-04:00

Before heading out to photograph Rusty and Jane's wedding two weeks ago, Carver and I made a quick visit to the Camden Children's Garden and met up with Mary and Jack. I had a great time watching Carver and Jack run around, I even had fun chasing after them. The garden was really cute and would be a great place to meet up with families for photo sessions. The colors are beautiful and the children have tons of fun! We took a ride on a train, spun around on the carousel, climbed on dinosaurs, checked out the butterfly garden, ran through tunnels and ran up and down ramps and last but certainly not least, played in the water fountains! FYI - bring a change of clothes.

In case you're wondering...Jack is sharing his raisins with the dinosaur.

Jane + Rusty Wedding

2008-08-28T20:31:00.004-04:00

Last Friday I was part of a very special day, Jane and Rusty's wedding! Rusty is the father of one of Kyle's dearest and long time friends from high school, Luke.
Jane looked gorgeous and had a permanent smile all day long! She was a thrill to photograph and her laugh was so contagious. Rusty was such a gentleman and I came to find out he had quite the outgoing personality! He had invented a little trivia game to play during the dinner where every single guest was involved, and won a beaded necklace! I loved it! I also loved that Kyle and I were guests during their family dinner as well! Their ceremony was at the beautiful Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, cocktails and dinner were served at their club, Gulph Mills Golf Club. The club recently finished their covered outdoor seating area and it's gorgeous!
Thank you again Jane and Rusty! Congratulations!

I think Jane designed and put together these wonderful wedding favors of bunched herbs, each herb had a special meaning to the day and the marriage.

I loved this little moment of Rusty's youngest son, Ben and his fiance Kate walking to their car from the ceremony.

The happy couple...

Thank you again to Luke & Kate for offering Jane my services!

Day Tripping to the Jersey Shore!

2008-08-27T20:05:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to quickly post about today's little adventure to Stone Harbor, NJ today. Summer is almost over and Carver hadn't been to the shore yet and I didn't want him to miss out, especially now that he can walk! We had a great time and met up with our friends Christel and Izzie. Carver didn't waste anytime making friends with the 'big' kids and enjoyed playing in the huge hole they had made in the sand. When I asked Carver if he wanted to walk down to the water he ran to the ocean and didn't hesitate at all, he loved the waves and laughed every time they hit him. Izzie was a trooper and played hard as well, despite her teething pain and short nap. I didn't get any photos of it but, she had a little boogie board in her baby pool and loved 'riding' it! She is totally too cute!
Thanks for meeting us down there Christel + Izzie! We hope to see you again soon.

I hope to post about the great wedding I shot last Friday, by the end of this week!

SuperStar Numero Dos!

2008-08-26T21:29:00.003-04:00

It just so happens that I know THREE women who have the exact same due date!! Crazy! And each of their bellies looks completely different. One of those women is my BFF Erin, and her belly is biggyful ;) Sometime this September she will be birthing a beautiful baby boy. I am so excited to meet him and I hope I can be there when he's born. A few weeks ago we had a little impromptu photo shoot and we had a blast! Seriously, they were so fun and energetic, every minute was a riot. Enough jabbering... here are my favorites! Oh and Stella is a true Super Star!

Congratulations to you Loca!! I love you Mama!

Melanie's Blooming Belly

2008-08-26T20:20:00.003-04:00

Two weekends ago I had the privilege to spend time and photograph the gorgeous Melanie and her husband John for a Blooming Belly session. I went to high school with John and ran into the two of them at my girlfriend Liv's engagement party. I met John's super thoughtful mom, Denise, at the party as well. A few weeks later Denise surprised me with an email asking if I offered gift certificates because she wanted to give one to Melanie for her baby shower. My answer was YES!
Melanie is due to birth her daughter in the middle of September, she was sort of debating whether or not to go with a BB session or a baby session...she decided on the BB session and I'm thrilled she did. I could look through the shots of our shoot again and again. It was such a pleasure to capture this moment in their lives and to do it with such a nice and fun couple! Thank you.

I thought this shot was so sweet. Melanie's mom knitted this layette set for her and her sister when they were babies.

Congratulations again!! Hope to see some photos of your little one next month!

Franklinia's In Bloom!

2008-08-14T15:21:00.002-04:00

Our new home has an amazing garden and quite the variety of blooming shrubs and trees. My new favorite tree is the Franklinia, which we have in our backyard!! I had no idea how special the tree was until I hired a landscaper to remove some shrubs for our new fence. He noticed the Franklinia immediately and told me to take extra care of 'this one'. So I looked up this tree and found out some interesting history on this someday gorgeous tree because right now ours looks like a blooming tall weed.
This is what I pulled from the Bartram's Garden's website..
" The exquisite Franklinia alatamaha tree, which boasts late summer blossoms, striking fall foliage, and an extraordinary history, is the most famous discovery of American botanists John and William Bartram. "

A Joy To Play With!

2008-08-12T16:49:00.003-04:00

It was so great to hang out with Joy yesterday! She took the day off and came over to our place. Lunch, fun at the playground and while Carver took his nap we lazed around kibitzed a little and watched a reality show called Rich Bride, Poor Bride. This episodes bride & groom rented an ATM for their reception, not that they had a cash bar, but so that guests could take out cash to fill their envelopes for the bride & groom's gift!!! Terrible.
Joy didn't bring her camera along yesterday, but I had mine. During our playground adventure she couldn't resist herself and swiped my camera! No complaints here though... she always gets great shots of me and Carver and I just couldn't say no. Thanks Joy!

photo•Joy Moody

photo•Joy Moody

I love love love this shot of Carver on the slide! This is his favorite thing to do at the playground.
photo•Joy Moody

Second Shooting With Jeremy - Elizabeth & Joshua's Wedding

2008-08-11T21:26:00.002-04:00

Saturday was a gorgeous day in August and a perfect day for a wedding! I worked with Jeremy and met the sweetest, kindest couple ever! Liz and Josh had genuine nice vibes radiating from them all day towards everyone! Congratulations to them and their wonderful families.
Here are my favs... But first I have to show you Jeremy in action.

Peach Pickin Time!

2008-08-10T11:06:00.003-04:00

If you haven't gone out and picked your own fruit yet this summer, I highly recommend it! We met up with some of our playgroup friends at Linvilla Orchards this past Friday morning for some peach pickin' and had a blast!! I wouldn't mind doing it again before the summer's up... the orchard's eggplant and peppers looked fabulous!!

Bowling Baby!

2008-08-08T20:25:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday night Kyle and I went bowling with friends, Brent, Mike, Ryan and Wendy. It's been a long time since Kyle and I have gone out 'just because'. Thanks Mom for watching Carver during bedtime and allowing Kyle and myself to go out and act like fools.
We drove up to Norristown's Facenda Whitaker Lanes. It was Laser Lightshow Night, and the country music was killing my game.

Carver 15 Months Old With Family

2008-08-06T14:59:00.003-04:00

It's August Already?!!

2008-08-05T12:43:00.009-04:00

Seriously, where has the time gone?! This post is way overdue and it's a long one (with little verbage).
Moving, packing, unpacking, weeding, caring for Carver, Cappy and Kyle has kept me busy and I'm still unpacking since we moved into our new home 3 weeks ago! This may be a stretch but, I think I get the gist of how a day in the life of farmer's wife must be, and it's incredibly rewarding and hard work!
The end of June was fun and busy. Carver started walking, at 14 1/2 months old. I was thrilled and so tired of hearing "Is Carver walking yet?", now I'm hearing "Is Carver talking yet?". Yes he is...if 'Da-da, ca-ca, and Kala-kalaka', count.

We went to a high school graduation party for my nephew, Mike.

On June 29th I booked two portrait sessions. One family / children / engagement session, and a belly session in the evening! It was such a fun time!

My girlfriend Laurie and her sister Jenny, hired me to photograph their whole family as a 40th wedding anniversary gift to their parents. I also photographed Laurie & Joe's two gorgeous little girls and did a quick little engagement shoot for Jenny & Whit.

Jenny and Whit were a riot! It helps when your subjects are thespians!

My 'Blooming Belly' session was with Linda, a fellow Birth Center mother. She wanted to try and support a TBC mom before looking for other photographers and found me through The Birth Center's online breastfeeding support group. Linda you rock!! Thank you so much for your support. I really need to get my website up and running. Portrait sessions just don't fall out of the sky, like yours! I loved our session and you, Brianna and Jerry were as friendly and outgoing as they come. As Linda put it, some of the photos were rated NC-17, but I'll only post the PG one's here... Linda at 35 weeks gestation.

On the Fourth of July we celebrated Gammy's 85th birthday!

The next day was Izzy's first birthday party! Izzy is the super adorable daughter of Kevin and Christel. I used to work with Kevin, who is an incredibly talented furniture maker at Malvern Design Workshop.

Caitlin flew up from her home in South Carolina during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. It was so nice to catch up with her and the fam for a minute before she left.
Carver just loved Gillian's fountain! So much in fact that I went out that same day and purchased the exact same one for our back yard! We love it!

Our wonderful Wednesday playgroup had their July birthday party at Jen and Ian's. Happy First Birthday to Lukas and Charlie!

My girlfriend Laura turned 30! Welcome to the club Mama! BFF Lauren hosted a purse party and it was Oh so fun!

Cortney was our rep and so sweet and was such a help when trying to pick out fabric. Thanks chica! I can't wait to see how mine turned out AND to finally ditch my diaper bag!!

Happy 30th Laura!!

Jumping from 30 to 50, Kyle's Aunt Ellen celebrated hers this past July. We had so much fun at her party and the food and drinks were fabulous! Especially the desserts.

We set up the tripod to take a shot of all of us for a 'We'll Miss You' photo album that my girlfriend, Amy, put together for Laura, Scott and Brooke. They moved to Greenville, SC last week :(

My mini orange tree sprouted dozens of the most fragrant blossoms you'll ever smell.

So there you have it. That's just a taste of July, Carver's nap time is coming to an end, and I've got piles of laundry to start. This weekend I'm shooting a wedding with Jeremy. Looking forward to it too!