sadie.higs photography

bye-bye, blogger!

2009-07-22T21:51:00.003-04:00

Hello,

sadiehigsphotography.com!

While Blogger has been good to us, it's time to move on. From now on, we'll be posting everything on the new site. Come on over and check it out!

nolan baby: cereal

2009-07-16T07:03:00.006-04:00

It's been a while, I know. But we've been busy and it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon!

Anyway, last weekend after Nolan's 4-month check-up (16lbs, 5.6oz and averaging about the size of a 6-month-old) the doctor told us to start him on cereal. He wasn't so sure about it at first...

...but actually started to enjoy it after a while.

Aaaaand then we were done. Just like that.

And here he is rockin' his robe after doing a little splish-splashin' :)

A few random ones... hanging out with Uncle Andrew last weekend.

And chillin' with Higs in the carrier :)

happy 4 months, nolan baby!

2009-07-05T21:06:00.004-04:00

Today is Nolan baby's 4-month birthday (hard to believe, I know)! Here's the usual self-take :)

Haha -- sorry, just can't help but laugh when I see this face :)

Over the weekend, we had lots of visitors, including Aunt Jenny...

...and Erin & Monica :) Nolan was a little tired of photos at this point.

After spending some time with Nolan baby, we girls headed out to lunch, Cold Stone and to get mani/pedi's.

Here are a few others of Gramma with (2 of her 3 grandkids) Xander & Nolan over the weekend.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!

my new favorite.

2009-06-29T19:26:00.006-04:00

I love our Nolan baby :) This is my new favorite photo of him!

This weekend we got to stop and see Kinsley -- she's still so itty-bitty, but has grown and changed so much just in the last week and a half. She reminds me of a porcelain doll in this picture :)

the woosley ladies: family shoot

2009-06-28T21:09:00.005-04:00

A few months ago, my co-worker, Elizabeth, contacted us to purchase a family session as a Mother's Day present for her Mom. So Saturday evening I met up with her, her sisters and their mom in Old Salem. These are The Woosley ladies... when they smile pretty for the camera:

But these are The Woosley ladies all of the other time -- laughing and joking constantly! :)
Mom Cathy (blue), sisters Allyson (purple), Elizabeth (pink) and Nina (yellow).

The tried their darndest to be relaxed...

...but it didn't last long :) I loved it! Their laughs were so contagious :)

happy (belated) father's day!

2009-06-27T15:20:00.008-04:00

We had wanted to take some photos of Higs & Nolan to celebrate their first Father's Day, similarly to how we did for our first Mother's Day, but we were traveling in the car all day Sunday on our way back from PA and, not to mention, both Higs & Nolan were sick. So, we ended up taking a few last night now that they're both feeling better. I love my boys :)

Nolan baby is doing well with sitting up (if he's got someone to help stabilize him), but then he gets distracted and wants to chew on your finger.

He's also gotten much better at tummy-time.

Here are a few photos from our weekend in PA. You can't even really tell he was sick.

And a few random ones from earlier in the month, which I've been lazy on posting.

welcome, kinsley!

2009-06-18T22:31:00.006-04:00

Our new niece, Kinsley, decided to join us (3 weeks early!) yesterday afternoon. Wendy, baby & family are all doing perfect!

Big brother Xander has adjusted well to having a new sister so far. Although, he still gets a little confused at times thinking all babies are named Nolan...

Kinsley bears a strong resemblance to Xander when he was first born. Here's Kinsley:

...and here's Xander just over 2 years ago.

Nolan baby enjoyed meeting his new cousin!

Life as we know it is about to get crazy :)

Congrats, guys!

tanner: newborn photos

2009-06-14T11:02:00.005-04:00

A few months ago, Megan & Jermey approached us about purchasing our services as a gift for their then-pregnant friends, Kipperly & Nicholas. At Megan & Jermey's wedding, I got to meet and hold adorable baby Tanner (who, at the time was only 2 1/2 weeks old), but it was great to spend some time with them yesterday to photograph him. He was so cooperative and alert for being only 5 weeks old. You can just see how much his parents love him and how trusting he is of them :)

This just makes me smile everytime I look at it :)

jackie & jordan: wedding

2009-06-10T06:23:00.010-04:00

Jackie & Jordan met in college and officially started dating in 2004. Three years later, he proposed to her in a candlelit room full of flowers and chocolate (what girl wouldn't say yes to that?!).

They were married last Saturday in Burlington, NC and had their reception at the gorgeous Alamance Country Club. After Jackie sent us pictures of their bridal party, and after meeting her, her mom and mother-in-law-to-be when shooting her bridals, we knew that their reception was going to be a blast! The combination of them and their DJ, Brian Darocha from Complete Music helped put on one of the best parties we've ever been to!

Jackie & Jordan, thank you for letting us document your day -- it was so much fun! Enjoy!

jackie: bridals

2009-06-06T06:01:00.010-04:00

Jackie & Jordan were married this afternoon (images coming soon!), so it's safe to post her bridals. We shot at Elon University in Burlington, NC and Jackie did amazing! She looked beautiful and worked the camera like a pro :) Enjoy!

These next few are some of my favorite -- the sunlight and breeze were cooperating nicely :)

And I love these next three. She just looks so relaxed and beautiful!

A little something special for her fiance, Jordan :)

nolan baby: 3 months!

2009-06-05T21:53:00.003-04:00

Nolan baby is 3 months old today! With an occasional bobble-head moment, he can sit up easily with a little balancing help from someone. And he's smiling, cooing and laughing aaaaallll the time. He's got so much to say!

Daddy loves him...

Mama loves him (and is laughing in this picture, not trying to eat his ear...).

"Ok, guys. Seriously. I cooperated this month. I even smiled. Can we be done yet?"

"Maybe I'll just entertain myself by blowing spit-bubbles..."

jessica & michael: engagements

2009-06-01T19:01:00.011-04:00

You can just see the chemistry between people sometimes, and Jessica & Michael definitely have it! We could tell they’d be a lot of fun to shoot just by the way they were laughing and light-hearted from the minute they and their Yorkie Chloe hopped out of the car to meet us. Michael was able to make Jessica giggle in an instant, and the well-behaved Chloe entertained us all as she vied for attention in front of the camera.

After planning to shoot in Charlotte, then having to reschedule due to bad weather, we ended up shooting in Old Salem and downtown Winston-Salem on Sunday evening. We got concerned that we were going to have to reschedule again after a thunderstorm woke us up Sunday morning, but lucky for all of us, the storm passed through quickly, and we were left with a sunny, warm, almost-summer evening.

Thanks to Jessica & Michael (and Chloe!) for making the trip from Charlotte to Winston. We really had a great time! Enjoy the images :)

nolan baby update!

2009-05-27T22:29:00.006-04:00

We've been so busy documenting the lives of other people, I haven't had a chance to post some updated photos of Nolan baby! He is now 12 weeks old (seriously, where does the time go??) and is such an amazing little man! He's so happy and so full of character; he's always making us smile :)

He can go from happy to sad and back again in 0.2 seconds.

Caught this one of him sleeping today. Love those eyelashes :)

And, he's not so much a fan of tummy-time. He looks at me like, "Ma, put down the camera and get me off my belly!" And then he cries.

The morning after we photographed Maria & Shawn's wedding in Wilmington, we stopped at Wrightsville Beach before heading home. It was Nolan's first beach experience and unfortunately, he was not a happy camper about having his feet put in the ocean. Hopefully he doesn't remember it and his next beach experience will be a better one!

megan & jermey: wedding

2009-05-24T22:19:00.010-04:00

Megan & Jermey were high school sweethearts… she was 14 and he was barely 16 when they started dating. Five years later, in 2007, he proposed, and now, after two years of being engaged and a lot of wedding planning, Megan & Jermey are finally married!

The small church in Advance, NC where they held their ceremony on Saturday was overflowing with guests, as was The Red Barn at Tanglewood where they held their reception. It was obvious that Megan & Jermey have brought joy to the lives of a lot of people, who, in return, were thrilled to celebrate their special day.

Throughout the past year, we’ve gotten to know them and their family pretty well as we've had the pleasure of shooting their engagements, as well as her bridals.

Megan & Jermey, thank you for letting us share and document your beautiful journey!

The boys rocked it.

I love this shot of Megan's arrival to the church. One of my favorites!

There were a lot of tears that day :)

A quick touch-up before heading into the reception ;)

We were lucky enough that Megan & Jermey alotted us a 1/2 hour with them after they left their reception to photograph some just-married bride & groom shots. They did so great :) I really love this first image.

Even though it was my last shot of the day, it's also one of my favorites.

megan: bridals

2009-05-23T06:01:00.012-04:00

Megan has been one of the most trusting and adventurous brides we've worked with. She climbed on large rocks, laid down in tall grass and, as I mentioned before, she climbed over a fence into a horse field, just for the sake of photos. I love her :)

Megan & Jermey were married this afternoon (awholenother post on that to come!), so here are the rest of her bridals, taken at Tanglewood Park. This first one is definitely a favorite.

She nailed the model-look in this one :)

Oh yea, she also sat in the middle of the street! Hey, she's a bride in her wedding dress. Traffic can go around.

She look so great in the last few, so relaxed and happy :)

maria & shawn: wedding

2009-05-18T10:33:00.020-04:00

Maria & Shawn were married in 2007 in a small civil ceremony so they could be put on assignment together in Ecuador while volunteering for the Peace Corps. They contacted us in January 2008 about shooting a ceremony and reception they were planning to have for their family and friends once they returned from their assignment. Throughout the past year and a half we’ve been keeping in contact with them via email and it was so great to finally meet them and document their wedding on Saturday!

They were married at the gorgeous Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, NC, and while rain clouds threatened us at times, the day turned out to be absolutely beautiful. The day was relaxed and filled with laughter and love. And check out all of the awesome details!

I'll let the images tell their story, but heads up -- there are a lot; we have so many favorites from the day!

happy mother's day!

2009-05-10T18:55:00.005-04:00

Mother's Day has a whole new meaning for me this year, and Higs took a few photos to help us remember it. I love this little guy (and Higs!) so much :)

happy 2 months, nolan baby!

2009-05-05T17:37:00.004-04:00

We love ya, kid :) He's still not wild about the self-takes, but he did better than last month :)

brody: newborn photos

2009-05-02T21:12:00.010-04:00

This afternoon I had the pleasure of meeting 3-week-old Brody, the new son of my co-worker Justin and his wife Robin.

He was born on April 10th, weighing 5lbs., 12oz., but now he's just over 6lbs. I'm not sure if it's because I'm used to my 12lb. Nolan baby, but I couldn't get over how tiny he was! Those little feet were amazing!

A scream and a yawn :)

Their dog, Kelsey, loved being in the pictures :)

Such a tired little guy. Brody was such a trooper the whole time we were shooting :)

Happy...

...not happy!

Congratulations Robin & Justin!

jackie: bridals (teaser)

2009-04-29T15:02:00.003-04:00

Sunday evening we shot Jackie's bridals on the campus of Elon University. She was seriously breathtaking! Cannot wait to post these after she & Jordan (not my Jordan, her Jordan!) get married in June! :)

xander-man turns 2!

2009-04-28T09:37:00.007-04:00

We celebrated Xander's 2nd birthday over the weekend! It's crazy the difference a year makes!

He's still obsessed with cell phones.

We finally got a few photos of the cousins together.

Look how stinkin' cute our little man looks in his polo and jean shorts!

Xander got a lot of great gifts for his birthday.

Including his first bike & helmet!

The day definitely tuckered everyone out.

megan: bridals (teaser)

2009-04-26T15:42:00.003-04:00

Saturday we shot Megan's bridals at Tanglewood Park. She looked beautiful and was totally up for anything (i.e. climbing over a fence in her wedding dress just to take a photo in a horse field full of buttercups). Here are a few teasers for now. I'll be posting more after they get married at the end of May :)

spring.

2009-04-21T20:32:00.005-04:00

While the rain clouds and sun were fighting last evening, a double rainbow appeared in our backyard. I think it's the first one I've seen, that I remember... or at least caught on camera.

And I took this over the weekend. While Fall is my favorite season, Spring is a close second :)

itty-bitty-baby-feet.

2009-04-20T06:58:00.004-04:00

And some more Nolan for ya :)

the best thing in the world!

2009-04-15T17:22:00.005-04:00

Nolan started cooing and smiling back at us over the weekend and it is the absolute best thing in the world to see! Not only is he super-adorable (I may be a bit biased), but having your child happily laugh and smile back at you really makes you feel like you're doing something right :)

And, I'd like to thank my co-worker, Kelly (who calls me "Shinskanator") for the specialized onesie :)

josie jean & a trip to pa.

2009-04-13T11:36:00.007-04:00

Our weekends in PA are always jam-packed, so much that we need to have a schedule so we can see everyone. Last weekend we scheduled some time to hang out with Derek, Evie, their baby Josie, and Erin & Tracy... all of whom we haven't seen since November (horrible!).

Josie has definitely grown up a bit since we've seen her. Those eyes are mesmerizing!

She wasn't sure about the camera at first...

...but learned to love it :)

She's teething, which means she's chewing on everything, even fuzzy, stuffed ducks.

Nolan was also able to spend some time with all four of his grandparents (this is Higs's mom)...

...and he got to meet some of his great-grandparents (these are my Dad's parents).

The weekend was great, but definitely tuckered us all out.

nolan is 1 month old!

2009-04-09T08:26:00.003-04:00

Nolan turned 1 month old last Sunday! Hard to believe it's already been a month (well, 5 weeks today). I feel like we've had a crash course on "baby" over the past few weeks, but in addition to that, we've really come to know Nolan and what he likes... for example, he loves being held over the shoulder so he can look around.

Our first family self-take. Higs has semi-poo-face because he's focusing on taking the photo and Nolan was just not a happy camper. Sorry kid, you're going to have to get used to it. Self-takes are a staple in this household.

See? Content over the shoulder again.

He also got his first bottle over the weekend and took it like a champ.

The many faces of Nolan baby.

melanie: newborn photos

2009-04-04T16:30:00.008-04:00

This morning we had the chance to meet 10-day-old Melanie, the beautiful new daughter of my co-worker, Lindsay, and her husband Brad.

And I thought Nolan had a lot of hair!

They've got gorgeous details decorating Melanie's room.

No matter what we did, this little girl would not open her eyes...

...until after she was fed...

...and was being burped.

And then she was back to sleep again.

So stinkin' cute!

Congratulations Lindsay & Brad! Looking forward to a time when Nolan & Melanie can play together!

jessica: bridals

2009-03-28T06:12:00.010-04:00

Yay! The day is finally here! I've been waiting since October to post these bridal images!!

You might remember the few teasers we posted right after we photographed Jessica at Elon University in Burlington. Since she and Blake got married this afternoon, alas, here is the gorgeous Jessica.

I have so many favorites from this series... this is one of them. It was overcast and cold almost the entire time, except for when the sun broke through for just a few minutes. Jessica worked it like a pro :) She told us she watches a lot of America's Next Top Model ;)

Her flowers were beautiful too; loved the vibrant color!

This is another one of my favorites. She just looks so modelesque and classic.

I love these ones too, not just because the sun was peeking through, but because I'm not sure she even knew she was being photographed. She was focused on her mom who was helping to bustle her train and she STILL looks gorgeous :)

And perhaps these next two are my favorites also. I remember after the shoot when I first loaded these images onto the computer, I was speechless at how gorgeous she looked.

Congratulations Jessica & Blake! We really wish we would have been able to photograph the wedding (sorry, we weren't sure when Nolan was going to make his appearance). Hope you guys have a fantastic time on your honeymoon in St. Lucia!

nolan: newborn photos

2009-03-23T10:02:00.010-04:00

Last weekend Higs & I took a few photos of Nolan to go on a birth announcement. Below is the one we chose. Ohmygosh we love him and that little smile!

And here are a few of our other favorites :)

Just hanging out...

I can't help but smile everytime I look at this picture :) He put himself in that awkward position, which can't be comfortable, but he looks so content.

And these are a few random ones we've taken over the past week.

Finally snoozing after a long evening of crying for who knows what reason.

happy birthday, higs!

2009-03-20T15:10:00.004-04:00

No surprise trips to Wilmington like last year (we've been kind of busy lately!). This year he only gets his favorite: double-decker chocolate cake with chocolate icing. And a lot of candles ;)

Happy Birthday to Higs -- the love of my life, holding the other love of my life ;)

We didn't actually get a chance to eat the cake until after Nolan went to bed.

are you wearing your green today?

2009-03-17T11:41:00.002-04:00

Nolan is! Happy St. Patty's Day :)

And since I said I'd post something other than our Nolan Baby, here are a few images I took while outside walking this morning (it finally stopped raining!).

I was quite thrilled to see that my daffodils had bloomed!

nolan baby.

2009-03-13T12:47:00.004-04:00

I know, I know. Nolan overload. Wait, I don't think that's possible ;) I can't stop taking pictures of him! He's so awesome :) And I can't believe he's already a week old!

"Ma... stop with the pictures already..." Get used to it kiddo. You were destined to have a camera in your face your entire life; especially since you're so dang cute!

Holding on to Pap with all he's got. I can't believe how tiny those little hands are!

I'll try to post something other than my Nolan Baby next time. "Try" being the operative word ;)

a little more nolan to brighten your day :)

2009-03-09T16:57:00.004-04:00

Here are a few more pictures of Nolan :) Although, rest assured, there will be plenty more where these came from!

Our first night together in the hospital.

Holding on tight to Daddy.

After his first bath at home. He's got gorgeous blue/grayish eyes and is so alert for only being 4 days old!

Higs faux hawked that awesome head of hair he's got.

Tummy time! And he's already able to lift his head and turn it to the other side. Before we know it, he'll be going off to college... ;)

nolan is here!

2009-03-05T08:54:00.007-05:00

Sooo, last night, around 10:20pm, I unexpectedly began having contractions and we were admitted to the hospital by midnight. Labor was progressing VERY quickly and Nolan Anders Shinsky made his debut at 4:35am this morning, 9 days early.

He's absolutely perfect: 6lbs 14oz, 18 3/4 in.

Look at all that hair :)

We are SOO in love with him :) We are all doing very well and are still on an adrenaline rush. We will (obviously) be posting more pictures in the next few days.

in like a lion...

2009-03-02T19:01:00.003-05:00

I didn't even think that whole "If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb" phrase even existed in NC, but alas, March definitely came in like a lion yesterday. I know I have a tendency to make fun of how quickly everything shuts down when it "snows," but last night we got about 4 inches (the most snow I've seen in years)! And yes, everything was closed today.

This is what we woke up to this morning.

But when the sun came up, the sky was clear and blue.

paula: bridal shower

2009-03-01T16:08:00.008-05:00

Saturday I attended my friend Paula's bridal shower. She was glowing all afternoon :)

She's always the fashionable one -- cute shoes :)

The food was FANTASTIC (and I didn't think that just because I'm uber-preggo)! It was all delicious!

And the cake was amazing too!

Paula's Grandmonther writing her a "Recipe for Love."

Her kitchen should be pretty well stocked after all the gifts she got yesterday.

Paula's niece was definitely not camera-shy.

So cute :)

This is Paula & her mom, who assured me that I'd be fine if I went into labor at the shower because she used to be a labor & delivery nurse :)

Congratulations Paula & Jordan! Only 3 more months!

star light, star bright.

2009-02-25T07:09:00.003-05:00

Orion was hanging out above our back yard last night, so even though it was pretty chilly, we took a few night photos.

I know eventually Higs would love to get a telescope of some sort to do astrophotography, but they're uber-expensive; so for now, we'll stick with what we've got :)

me: maternity

2009-02-13T22:46:00.007-05:00

Everyone has been asking to see pics of my belly, so here it is! We're 36 weeks (starting our 9th and final month)! The sky was so gorgeous tonight when we got home from work that Higs & I headed to the field down the street and took a few shots.

We're not really "flash" people, but it started to get really dark and the sky was still so cool...

Higs & me :) I'd say he did a good job :)

My sister-in-law, Wendy, also took pictures of us last weekend. Check them out on her blog.

xander-man.

2009-02-09T19:28:00.006-05:00

Higs & I watched Xander on Saturday while Wendy & Jake helped move her brother, Rob, and his fiance, Steph, into their new apartment. Xander is such an active kid -- he just doesn't ever stop :)

He's got an obsession with cell phones...

...and tongues.

He loves his monkey-cup.

AND (!!!!) it was warm enough for us to play outside! I got to wear flip-flops for the first time this year!! (Can you tell I'm excited?!)

nesting.

2009-02-02T07:01:00.005-05:00

With less than 6 weeks to go, I am definitely "nesting." I just want to make sure we've got everything ready incase the little guy decides to make an early arrival.

This is the outfit we'll bring him home in :)

Freshly washed sheets.

The crib is all ready.

He's got lots of clothes. Although, we chose to not wash or take the tags off of most of them, just incase he doesn't fit into them or "he" ends up being a "she" (hey, doctors can be wrong sometimes -- it happens).

Freshly washed itty-bittly-little baby socks :)

Newborn diapers, courtesy of Brenda & Evie :)

The muslin wrap (courtesy of Crazy Aunt Jenny) that's going to the hospital with us.

here we go steelers!

2009-02-01T13:54:00.004-05:00

I think it's pretty obvious who we'll be cheering for tonight!

Happy Superbowl Sunday!

mall photos... remember them?

2009-01-23T18:22:00.008-05:00

Last weekend while my brother, Andrew, and his girlfriend, Megan came to visit, we stopped at the mall and got one of those old photos strips. The REAL ones. Not those new, digital ones. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE digital and how far it's come; however, I believe there are some things that just aren't worth changing. This being one of them.

Do you know how hard it is to fit 4 grown adults (one of who is 8 months pregnant) into a tiny photo booth?? Poor Higs got cut off for most of the photos :)

beauty & versatility.

2009-01-21T18:58:00.004-05:00

Over the past week or so, the beauty and versatility of our backyard has caught my eye.

I'm a morning person and this was a beautiful sunrise I caught last weekend.

The following morning, it was like we were in the middle of filming "The Fog." So cool!

Yesterday we actually had snow (of course everything was closed).

And this is what I came home to this evening.

a few more 2008 favorites...

2009-01-15T19:58:00.007-05:00

Ok. I know we didn't actually take these, but they are, by far, some of our favorite images from 2008 :)

The first ultrasound on July 29th at 8 weeks.

August 29th, 12 weeks.

And October 17th at 19 weeks, when we found that baby was actually a "he" :)

His little foot :)

He loves us :)

Hard to believe we finally get to meet him in 8 weeks :) Cannot wait!

2008 favorites: maternity & kids

2009-01-07T06:50:00.017-05:00

Below are some of our favorite maternity & kids photos from 2008. I love documenting someone's pregnancy (it's such an amazing time in life!) and then being able photograph the baby after birth. I know I've said it before, but it just kind of completes the journey for me :)

Thanks again to everyone who helped make 2008 such an amazing year for us!

2008 favorites: weddings

2009-01-06T20:55:00.009-05:00

In 2008, some really amazing couples allowed us to share in the joy of one of the most important days of their lives. Below are a few of our favorite images from the weddings we photographed throughout last year.

2008 favorites: engagements & bridals

2009-01-06T20:08:00.015-05:00

In 2008, we had the pleasure of working with some really amazing couples and very beautiful brides. Below are some of our favorite engagement & bridal images we shot throughout the year.

2008 favorites: personal

2009-01-06T19:42:00.009-05:00

Throughout the holidays, I got lost looking through the tons of photos we've taken this year. They all bring back such wonderful memories and make me appreciative of all we've been able to do and accomplish in 2008.

Below are some of our favorite personal photos we've taken this year, and over the next few days, I'll post some of our favorite engagements, bridals, weddings, maternity and kids images.

Thanks to everyone for making 2008 such a great year!

merry christmas!

2008-12-25T17:17:00.007-05:00

Since we stayed in NC for Christmas this year, we spent Christmas Eve with Jake, Wendy & Xander.

Xander is always asking "What's that?" So, we got him an alphabet book with pictures of objects to help him learn.

Kisses for Aunt Sadie :)

We also got him his own little chair.

Looks pretty comfy to me :)

Christmas morning. (Yes, we have a Santa hat as a tree topper. It was supposed to be just a place-holder until we found a real one we liked, but we've come to love the Santa hat and have decided to keep it.)

Thanks to Mom, we had the traditional Christmas pj's.

Merry Christmas, Sarah :)

I love it :)

We made our own Christmas meal. Our first attempt at crab and shrimp bisque turned out pretty good!

And the ham & veggies were yummy too :)

Hope you and your family have a happy & safe holiday!

tara & chris: wedding

2008-12-14T19:36:00.009-05:00

Saturday afternoon we had the pleasure of photographing Tara & Chris's wedding at Tanglewood Park.

Her adorable niece was the flower girl. It was so chilly outside that her little nose was almost as red as her jacket! But she was having so much fun, she hardly noticed :)

A few of the gorgeous details.

Tara's mom & sister had her laughing the whole time :)

While I was photographing Tara, Higs hung out with the guys as they decorated the church.

Practicing before the ceremony.

They had a beautiful, intimate ceremony with their closest family and friends.

The rings.

Even though it was so cold, we were able to spend a few minutes outside after the ceremony, just as the sun was going down.

Just as we were finishing up, a random Tanglewood worker came up to Tara & Chris and gave them $100 as a Congratulations and Happy Holidays!

Even though we only spent 2 hours with Tara & Chris, they were absolutely wonderful! From the moment we started, they (and their family) were so personable and welcomed us with open arms. It was a pleasure to photograph such an amazing couple :) Congratulations!

PS: Thank you to everyone who leaves comments on our blog -- we really appreciate the feedback and love learning who's checking out our site!

quick weekend in pa

2008-12-07T18:59:00.005-05:00

This weekend, Wendy & Xander traveled to PA, and she offered me a ride, so I made the trip with them while Higs & Jake stayed in NC. It was really nice to be in PA and not running around like a crazy person.

I helped Dad put up the tree on Friday, and snuck these two ornaments on while he wasn't looking :) I gave these to my grandparents years ago, and now they are for my parents: the soon-to-be grandparents :)

We got a little snow.

It was a VERY cold morning.

We met back up with Wendy & Xander for breakfast before the long trip back to PA.

happy turkey day!

2008-11-27T20:44:00.003-05:00

Homemade cranberry sauce is just sooo much better than that scary-jiggly-canned stuff.

From us to you, here's hoping that you and your family had a great Thanksgiving!

(Pay no attention to the painters tape and half-painted walls -- we're in the proccess of repainting almost our entire downstairs and upstairs hallway. Hopefully it should be completed before the weekend is over!)

snow?

2008-11-23T14:51:00.004-05:00

Two weeks ago, it was warm enough to be out in bare feet. But Friday morning, we woke up to this little surprise:

It was a bit icy...

But of course everyone had 2-hour delays, and some schools were closed. For this.

danielle & ray: engagement

2008-11-20T06:51:00.009-05:00

Last weekend while we were in PA, we met up with Daneille & Ray to shoot their engagement session in downtown Brownsville. We met Danielle a few years ago, but haven't seen her forever. It was great to chat again and to meet her fiance, Ray. They were a lot of fun :)

You wouldn't think it, but there are actually a lot of really fun places to shoot downtown. Everything is so old and has a lot of character.

Under one of Brownsville's bridges.

After shooting this image at an old store-front, I came home and Googled "Sidlers Brownsville PA" and found that Isaac Sidler, a prominent business man, came to Brownsville in 1912 and opened Sidler's Dollar Store in 1924. Learn something new everyday.

I lived near Brownsville for the majority of my life and never realized it had a Union Station. It's closed now, but I really wish we would have been able to go inside and explore. There's got to be a ton of history inside of that building. Not to mention the fallout shelter in the basement (there's a sign on the side of the building).

We were so lucky to have such nice weather on Friday -- it was in the 60s and sunny. Saturday was cold and rainy, and Sunday was even colder with snow!

I love these last few images of them -- Danielle looks so happy and content :)

We had a great time together! Thanks to Danielle & Ray for walking all over town and being up for anything!

josie jean.

2008-11-19T21:51:00.004-05:00

As mentioned in the previous post, we got to meet Josie Jean over the weekend. Here are a few images we took that evening. She's so adorable :)

"Hey world, I'm here."

Peeking over Mama's shoulder.

Such tiny little fingers :)

Josie has her own watch-cat. Evie & Derek's cat has been sitting on the stool in Josie's room since she was born, always looking over her.

Will be posting images from Danielle & Ray's engagement soon!

busy weekend & teasers

2008-11-17T18:03:00.008-05:00

What a busy weekend! Although, is seems that most weekends we travel to PA are usually jam-packed with places to go and people to see.

Friday morning Higs & I had the opportunity to meet with our wedding photographer, Heather, to chat about photography, the business and just about anything and everything. She's absolutely AMAZING at all things-photography and I was blown away by her editing techniques. Not to mention, she's got this way of always making us look good when she takes our photograph -- see below :)

Later that afternoon, we finally got to meet Evie & Derek's new baby, Josie. As suspected, she's super-adorable, even though she was cranky because we woke her up. But hey, lesson learned :) More pics to come soon!

We also met with our friends Danielle & Ray in downtown Brownsville to take their engagement photos. We found some really neat/strange areas that we didn't know existed. Danielle & Ray were so cool -- totally up for anything :) This is just a teaser for now -- more images to come soon!

Saturday was our baby shower. It was so wonderful to see everyone. The Grandma's did a GREAT job -- it was just perfect :) While I'm not usually a fan of lady locks, these were absolutely delicious! I can easily say that throughout the day, I engulfed at least a dozen of these. (Hey -- the baby can taste now. I want to expose him to the good things in life.)

The Grandma's also found these cute pacifiers which served as napkin rings.

Sunday morning we met up with Evie & Derek to take a photo of Evie's family for their Christmas Card. We also exposed Josie to her first self-take :)

And this is what we saw as we drove home through the mountains of West Virginia :)

And even though we're exhausted, I'm editing photos and Higs is putting together our baby furniture!!

more randomness.

2008-11-09T18:23:00.008-05:00

Is there something wrong with this picture? It's mid-November, the leaves have fallen, and it's been warm enough for me to be in my bare feet.

Xander is growing up so quickly :)

Love that mischevious laugh :)

He's getting the hang of self-takes.

Except when I tried to have him stick his tongue out; he was more interested in my tongue.

Wrestling with Uncle Higs.

Haha! "No, no, Xander, Don't touch the camera!"

This morning we put up the wallpaper boarder in the baby's room.

The before & after. And Higs. (Pay no attention to the pile of random baby stuff that's started to accumulate.)

Wallpapering tuckered out Higs. Just joking -- he just really wanted to play with one of the baby's musical toys :)

halloween & randomness.

2008-11-02T14:59:00.008-05:00

#1. Higs & I carved pumpkins this week. We couldn't find the book with the patterns, so we carved them old-school.

Pumpkin seeds!

I love my pumpkin-headed husband :)

Our finished products.

#2. Evie & Derek had their baby on Thursday 10/30! Jossalyn Jean (Josie, as she will be called) was born at 4:10pm, weighing 8lbs, 2oz and is 20in. All are doing well. Below is a pic that Evie sent of the cutie. Can't wait to meet her in two weeks and take some pics of this gorgeous girl :)

#3. Xander was a frog for Halloween this year. Quite possibly the cutest frog ever :)

hahaha!

#4. Since Jordan's parents were in town this weekend, we spent Saturday just hanging out. We found out that Xander likes ginger snap cookies.

And loves looking for airplanes with Gramma.

Higs :)

erica & chris: wedding

2008-10-31T08:06:00.008-04:00

Last weekend we flew to Allentown, PA for my friend Erica's wedding! It was great to see all of my friends from college. It was kind of strange to just attend a wedding -- not be a bridesmaid and not be the photographer.

Erin practiced the piano before the ceremony.

They had an indoor-bubble-exit because there was a steady downpour of rain all day.

Kids enjoyed the balloons at the reception as they waited for the bridal party to arrive.

Me & Higs :)

I haven't had many issues with Blogger, but now they've become more difficult -- tricky little buggers!

jessica: bridals

2008-10-21T18:22:00.010-04:00

Saturday we shot Jessica's bridals on the campus of Elon College. She was just amazing! Here are a few images she ok'd that we post.

Lucky for us: it was their fall break, so the campus was pretty empty. Unlucky for us: it was reeeaally chilly! But we came prepared!

As suspected, she was absolutely gorgeous -- Blake is a very lucky man! We'll post the rest of the images after they get married in March!

baking & daffodils.

2008-10-18T14:07:00.005-04:00

Last night, Higs made 2 loaves of chocolate chip bread -- who knew he was so domestic?!

And this morning I made chocolate chip/cream cheese cupcakes and chocolate chunk cookies for a bakesale we're having Monday at work.

Daffodils are my favorite flower. So last March when they bloomed, I went to Lowes garden center to see if I could buy some to plant. The sales guy looked at me like I was an idiot, then proceeded to tell me that daffodil bulbs can only be bought in the fall when they need to be planted so they bloom in the spring. Duh, Sarah. Wendy remembered my little daffodil fiasco from a few months ago and kindly bought me bulbs to plant this fall :)

I planted them this morning along the side of the house. The bag says "Guaranteed to Grow," so hopefully my not-so-green thumb doesn't stand a chance :)

We're off to shoot Jessica's bridals this afternoon! Can't wait -- she's going to be a gorgeous bride!

fall color.

2008-10-14T19:48:00.008-04:00

Sunday we got up SUPER early (earlier than anyone should willingly get up on a Sunday) and headed to Grandfather Mountain in Linville. We had never driven along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but we got there at about 7:45am, just in time to watch the sunrise.

Once we got to the park, we stopped at the Visitor's Center. They had these grapevine trees decorated in fall colors. It confused me a little (because when I see lights on trees, I think of Christmas), but they were unique and fun to photograph.

We hiked up to the top of the mountain and the view was just breathtaking.

This is the mile-high swinging bridge.

We walked across it...

...to find even more beautiful views of North Carolina.

Gorgeous fall foliage!

Higs has poo-face because he was concentrating on taking the picture AND staring into the sun. Love him :)

Instead of hiking back down the mountain, we opted to walk down the road (even though there's a sign that says "no walking.")

This bend was actually used in the movie Forrest Gump; it's one of the many locations used as he runs across the U.S.

Not a cloud in the sky -- isn't that blue amazing?!

Have I mentioned that fall is my absolute-most-favorite season?! I LOVE IT!

the dixie classic fair.

2008-10-13T19:07:00.008-04:00

After two and a half years of living in NC, Saturday was the first time I've ever been to the Dixie Classic Fair.

They had all the typical "fair food," including candy & caramel apples...

...and roasted corn...

...which Xander enjoyed thoroughly :)

And Higs enjoyed his ribs.

Xander wasn't so sure about the large duck-thing costume. I know Jen would have hated it!

The boys at the end of the day.

The Dixie Classic Fair definietly tuckered us all out :)

75 and sunny.

2008-10-05T17:58:00.006-04:00

We had a gorgeous weekend! The weather was great -- the perfect temperature, no humidity and blue skies! Saturday morning Higs & I sat on our back patio and enjoyed some tea.

Because it was still pretty early, it was actually kind of chilly -- hoodie weather!

Our peaceful backyard.

That afternoon, we met up with Jake, Wendy & Xander for a picnic in the park. Xander loved the slides, and I loved what they did to his hair :)

"Umm, guys, can you get get me down?"

See? Gorgeous weather.

Uncle Higs & Xander.

Kisses from Mommy :)

Then came the bubbles!

Husband :)

Where did he learn to cheese? It's not like he's had a camera in his face since birth... ;)

Love that he still fits in laundry baskets :)

He liked the homemade lemonade, just wasn't so sure about the lemons.

We bought Xander a pumpkin for trick-or-treating.

So cute in Uncle Higs' shoes :)

1 year!

2008-09-29T20:27:00.008-04:00

Happy Anniversary to us! One year ago today Higs and I got married in front of all of our family and friends :)

He bought me a dozen roses to celebrate a dozen months of being husband & wife :)

And FINALLY we got to pull out the wedding cake that's been taking up space (and use of a tupperware container) in our freezer for the past year!

Looked normal. Tasted normal.

It held up surprisingly well and was quite delicious! (I highly recommend the tupperware/waxpaper/grocery bag storage method.)

Below are a few of my favorite images from our wedding day, courtesy of our photographer, Heather. It was such a GORGEOUS day!

Me & Dad, walking down the aisle. And, oops, a stumble on words during the ceremony.

Our great bridal party :)

I think this one is my favorite :)

Can't wait to see what the next year has in store!!! :)

megan & jeremy: engagements

2008-09-22T06:40:00.008-04:00

Saturday we met Megan & Jeremy at Tanglewood Park (where they'll be having their reception) to take their engagement photos. Even though there were a TON of other events going on that day, we managed to bypass everything and shoot all over the park!

There are lots of beautiful places to shoot at Tanglewood!

One of my favorites :)

We found this huge horse field...

And met a few friends...

They brought along their puppy, ironically named Sadie :)

While I thought she was adorable...

...I think she was a little bored with us :) haha!

Gotta love the train!

The church there is so old, but really cool, inside and out.

We'll be shooting Megan's bridals next spring before their wedding in May - can't wait!

glad yellow or lily?

2008-09-21T08:36:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we painted our workout room, which will become the baby's room. We chose Glad Yellow (the second color down).

This is the before. Not much to it.

We taped and edged.

And Higs was in charge of rolling the rest of the walls.

When we were finished, we didn't like it. It was too yellow, not at all what we were picturing.

So we went to Lowe's and bought the lighter color, Lily, and repainted the entire thing.

And we love it :) It's exactly what we wanted!

jessica & blake: engagements

2008-09-16T07:15:00.024-04:00

Saturday we met Jessica & Blake at The Bicentennial Gardens in Greensboro to shoot their engagement photos. After a week of rain being predicted, we lucked out and had a beautiful (but extremely humid) evening. (There are quite a few images in this post because I had such a hard time narrowing it down!)

Blake had Jessica smiling the whole time :)

A fun tree!

She climbed a tree IN HEELS! and made it look easy!

One of my favorites :)

After a while at the park, we walked around downtown Greensboro (lots of fun places to shoot there!).

A passerby was kind enough to inform us that it's illegal to walk on the tracks and you can get arrested. Good to know. Although, I'm not sure it would have stopped me from taking a photo!

I think this might be my favorite of the day. I love the look on her face :)

A beautiful sunset :)

We can't wait to shoot Jessica's bridals in October, and REALLY wish we were able to shoot their wedding in March!

xander and the tupperware.

2008-09-14T09:29:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, for whatever reason, Xander emptied our tupperware drawer (all by himself) and climbed in (all by himself).

We still love him :)

jen, tom & ann.

2008-09-07T15:07:00.004-04:00

We were busy people while in PA over the Labor Day weekend. Before we started our drive back to NC, we met up with my friend, Jen, her brother, Tom, and sister, Ann, to take a family portrait.

These are some of my favorites.

They're a good lookin' family :)

However, the outtakes show you who they really are and why we love them :)

Infamous "Muppet Face."

evie & derek: maternity

2008-09-07T14:34:00.004-04:00

You might remember our friends Evie & Derek from their wedding pictures I shot back in July 2007.

Well, now they're expecting a baby girl on November 2nd (although we think she's going to arrive early)! When we were in PA over the Labor Day weekend, we got to take maternity pictures for them.

You know how I love my sunflare :)

Of course their puppy, Hunter, came along for the shoot :)

My new favorite picture of Evie & Derek.

Evie's always so happy and has such a contagious laugh :)

We cannot wait to meet Josie!

it's here! finally!

2008-09-06T15:55:00.005-04:00

After months of waiting patiently, our furniture is finally here! We love it, it's perfect and is everything we had imagined! (Seriously!)

This table has two leaves to extend the length, which we will use when we have big family dinners here.

We finally have a place to (visibly) store all of our wine glasses and water goblets, as well as all of our crystal that's been handed down. Higs did a great job arranging everything.

We love the woodgrain and color.

Close-up of the bottom of the cabinet, as well as the huge table legs. Love them!

I made a little stop at Garden Ridge (a.k.a. The Woman's Home Depot) to get some decorations. I made this centerpiece...

...as well as this country-esque barrel arrangement for the corner.

We also got a matching coffee table and end tables for the living room! Our downstairs is finally complete!

On another note, we'll be watching Oakley until next weekend while Jake & Wendy are on vacation. He's so cute!

tanya & roland: maternity

2008-08-26T20:15:00.015-04:00

The other weekend when I traveled to the Philly area, not only did I get to visit my friend Jen, but I also got to attend a bridal shower for my friend Erica...

...and take maternity pictures for her sister, Tanya, and Tanya's fiance, Roland. They're due in September!

We had great light that evening.

Love it!

Belly :)

Eastern PA was filled with corn fields as far as the eye could see.

They did, however, make for a good backdrop.

Congratulations, Tanya, Roland & Aunt Erica!

crown molding & curtains.

2008-08-23T16:41:00.003-04:00

You might remember that this is how we left our dining room after painting it:

Well, we found out that instead of our furniture being set to arrive in June or July, it's now scheduled to arrive just after Labor Day. So this weekend we added crown molding and curtains, giving the room some finishing touches.

Close-up of the crown molding. Yes, we cheated and used the corners.

Can't wait for the furniture to get here! This room will FINALLY be complete!

evan michael.

2008-08-20T06:59:00.007-04:00

Last weekend while I was in Philly, I attended a bridal shower for my friend Erica (whose sister's maternity pictures I will be posting in the coming days). While there, I got to spend time with my friend Brenda, whose maternity images we shot back in May.

And I got to meet her little boy, Evan Michael, born in mid-June. I took a few photos of him sleeping while we were hanging out at her hotel.

Little tootsies (man, I sound like my Grandma).

He was out cold (I was standing on the bed above him and he didn't even flinch).

After shooting someone's maternity images, I love having the chance to photograph their baby! It completes the story for me :)

the philly adventures of ass & chief.

2008-08-18T21:38:00.010-04:00

It's been a while, I know.

But last Friday, I got to visit one of my best friends, Jen, who lives in Philly. We took the SEPTA into downtown. This is how you pay for parking: quarters only.

Jen's SEPTA station.

Jen forgot her transit ticket and had to spend the money on a new one :(

Our itinerary (which, ended up having a few amendments throughout the day).

Once in downtown Philly, we had lunch at the awesome Midtown Continental and sat in the swinging basket chairs!

We walked across the street and got an impromptu $10 mani.

Jen's new favorite color is "Bubble Bath."

And then we went next door to get smoothies.

We took the Megabus into NYC. Sounds like a good idea in theory, but after departing 40 min late, we got stuck in tunnel traffic, and arrived into the city 2 hours & 15 minutes later than planned. No fun.

We ran, literally, to dinner at Ruby Foo's.

Fun decor!

Ahhh, NYC :)

And the trains.

We JUST made it to Penn Station in time to catch our train back to Philly.

It's always an adventure with Ass & Chief :)

paris: day 4

2008-07-31T19:38:00.005-04:00

Here is Paris! I posted our days in Paris backwards, so you can just scroll down and see the trip as it progressed. Wish I would have thought of that when I posted London. I'd re-do it (I hate when things aren't uniform), but I think I'd have to completely re-post. Eh.

We got to ride the Eurostar, or Chunnel as they call it. Above ground was awesome, we went so fast! But you can't really see anything while underground. On another note, both England and France have beautiful countrysides. Doesn't it look like a painting?

After stopping at the hotel, we walked and walked and walked. It was such a gorgeous day!

Finally we made it to The Eiffel Tower.

We grabbed some dinner before heading back to the Eiffel Tower for sunset.

The Metro had really colorful walls.

And of course we had to try a crepe with chocolate!

Yum!

The Seine.

Just waiting for the sun to set...

Totally worth the wait!

paris: day 5

2008-07-31T19:23:00.008-04:00

The second day, we started off with a double-decker bus tour to help get our bearings.

The Paris Opera House.

Arc de Triomphe (yes, I stood in the middle of the street to take this picture).

Flags on the Arc de Triomphe.

The Seine.

Notre Dame Cathedral.

Doors to Notre Dame.

Cool floors.

I forgot how amazing it is inside. Just breathtaking.

That night, we had dinner in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. Very cool!

Scooters EVERYWHERE in Europe.

There are also cafes everywhere in Paris. The French will sit outside for hours and people-watch.

I practically drooled all over the French desserts.