Who Is This Walking Man?

This walking (little) man is the son of my very good friends, Dennis & Lesley. Connor is a year and a half now and I first took his photos back when he was six months old. He still has those giant amazingly blue eyes (he has mom to thank for those), but now he's running and talking. We spent the day playing and taking photos and just enjoying ourselves.





Who doesn't love bubbles?


Back at the house, dad filled up the baby pool and Connor got to splash around for a little bit, although the water was a little too cold for him to actually get in.


Connor has this great personality and I love photographing him! It also means I get to hang out with his parents, which I also thoroughly enjoy. I met Dennis at my senior prom all those years ago. And you might say Lesley helped me snag my current beau, although the results took a little while. Ah, the memories. Regardless, hopefully I'll be seeing them all again soon - it's almost time for Christmas photos!

I had a really great newborn sitting and an engagement session recently, so I need to get those edited and posted. I've also been doing a bunch of headshots recently, which is always fun. Just keeping busy when I can and preparing myself for some fall TV, because I am a pathetic TV addict. Although, last night I definitely mourned the loss of The Gilmore Girls. It had been my favorite show on television and now my Tuesday nights are empty...

My Kind of Town

Everyone who is not related to me, brace yourselves. I am about to post a million and one photos from my cousin Tony's wedding. Since I don't know how to make slideshows, you'll have to suffer through a very long post. This is the best way for everyone to see the photos - plus, they're tons of fun. The bride and groom were so happy and the guests danced the night away. Really. The dancing didn't stop. The floor was packed. Grandparents, cousins, aunts & uncles, and friends all squeezed together, dancing off the calories from the dinner!

{The Ceremony}





You've heard of the Pink Ladies?




{The Reception}

This is the gorgeous wedding cake... Isn't it amazing? The world city skylines were incorporated into a lot of the wedding details - save the dates, invitations, seating cards, and the cake. It was a great detail that tied everything together.



Let the crazy dancing commence!









I think I might make this my signature shot. I love the way the wine glass sparkles!


My family has had an extremely trying week this past week. It was important for me to post these photos in the hopes that they might put some smiles on some faces. There are tons more, but I couldn't put up ALL of them! I hope everyone enjoys these! Love you.

Sweet Home Chicago

So, it's not my home, but it's still a cool place to be. I visited over Labor Day to attend my cousin's wedding. Before I get to those photos, I wanted to post a couple non-wedding-related photos.

This is taken at Millenium Park; there's a giant reflective bean-shaped structure and you can stand under it. This is what you see. We can make it a Where's Waldo game; can you find me & Doug?


This is my very good friend Robynn and her daughter Kyla. I've known Robynn since we were freshmen in college - she lived downstairs from me. We had quite the year! Then, in the middle of sophomore year, she abandoned me by transferring to a different school. That didn't stop us, though. Our friendship is just as strong now, living over a thousand miles away, as it was all those years ago when we lived just a floor away. She's one of those amazing friends who always manages to squeeze in time for you. She makes me want to be a better friend, because, let's face it, I have a lazy streak.



Totally off-topic, I had a hair makeover yesterday and I'm practically blonde! It's an insane change, but I think I like it. I've never dyed my hair to this extent before. It looks totally different. That's all. Maybe later I'll post before and after photos.

To Everything, There is a Season

This photo has nothing and everything to do with the events of 09/11/01. Instead of posting a photo of a flag, I thought this image was more about healing. The statue is located at Navy Pier in Chicago and I happened across it doing the tourist thing on my recent visit. I started editing the photos today and when I saw it, I thought it represented the way I feel about 09/11, without being too hackneyed. Always tell the people you love that you love them. Hold hands. Give hugs. Smile. Laugh. Remember. Always make love stronger than hate.

Creepy, Crawly

If you have never heard the song "Boris the Spider" by the Who, check it out. I think the first time I heard it was when my cousin Jessica and I went to see Roger Daltrey in concert oh so long ago. You can't help but sing along.

I caught this guy at my cousin Tony's rehearsal dinner. We were at Fulton's on the River in Chicago, and the spider had the best seat in the house - on one side was the outdoor space of the restaurant and on the other was the Chicago River. I love the way the lights of the city sparkle.

They're Fin-all-y Getting Ma-rrr-ied Now!

Okay, so I decided to strike while the iron was hot. If you're just joining us, these will be the reception photos from Dan & Mel's wedding on August 25th at the Mystic Aquarium. The ceremony photos are in the previous post.

Some of the college crew - Hail, Colby, Hail!

This guy was a guest during the cocktail hour. He only bit one small child, too. I'd say that's a successful penguin-bite-to-guest-ratio. Yes, I did get to pet him. He felt velvety and not feathery. If you were curious.

Utilitarian wedding favors rank high in my book. This is Lesley's glass - it's only partially full because, while arranging a photo, I knocked it into her salad. Being the gracious woman she is, she swore the salad still tasted okay. She said the discovery of the tropical drink in her food was like a little surprise. I'm not sure I believed her, but it was nice of her to say.

Dan & Mel laughed throughout their entire first dance. It was awesome. They looked so happy! (In order to see this photo better, click on it so you see it full-size; same with the cake eating photo below)


Cutting the cake. I think the evidence speaks for itself.


Well, that's it. These are all the photos fit to print. I promised I wouldn't post anything embarrassing - those will have to go somewhere else. Next up is Tony & Jackie's wedding where there were a lot of sweaty people dancing all night long. That's my kind of party!

Somebody's Getting Married!

The title of this post was easy - the bride and groom used this song from "The Muppets Take Manhattan" to signal to their guests that the wedding was about to start. Here are some more lyrics:

Miss Piggy:
He'll make me happy
Each time I see him
He'll be the reason
My heart can sing
He'll stand beside me
And now I'm everything.

Kermit:
She'll make me happy
Each time I hold her
And I will follow
where my heart may lead
And she'll be all I'll ever need

Of course, following this song, they used all sorts of music from "Star Wars." The music was just one of the details that made Dan and Mel's wedding one of the most unique weddings I've ever been to. And, frankly, I've been to a lot of weddings. Dan and Mel got married at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT, right in front of the tank of beluga whales. So, without further ado...


{the debonair officiant}








That one whale sat and watched pretty much the entire ceremony. It was amazing, and just topped off an already beautiful wedding. And this is just the first set of photos! I still have to choose and post some from the reception. When some of the wedding guests are whales and penguins and sharks and anemones, it makes it difficult to choose. The next few days are going to be a little crazy for me, but I'll try to get my act together!