Evan & Lisa

I am so glad to be taking pictures of these two in 2011.

Their 2010 SUCKED.

There is no sugar coating it.

Lisa and Evan suffered three massive losses last year.

It was so nice to see their fresh faces a year later.

Life does go on,

and their loved ones would be proud to see them where they are today.

Thank you Ameristar for having wonderful natural light during the rain storm.

Oh, and for not kicking us out.

I mean seriously?!

What A Cutie!!

Guess where Evan got his gorgeous eyes from...

He's her main man : )

I hope the rest of your 2011 goes smoothly as you emerge from the pain of 2010.

If all else fails, you will always have each other to lean on.

Can't wait to see you in 2012!!

Best Friends

A best friend shoot?

GENIUS!

Rylie and Rebecca have been friends since they were practically in diapers,

actually, they may have been.

I wish my best friend and I had gotten out pictures done together when we were younger.

Girls, I hope 10-15 years from now you have these photos

-in your wedding slide shows

-while you read your maid of honor speeches

-and while you explain to your babies who their "honorary aunt" is

There are going to be times you need to fight to maintain your friendship.

Make sure you do- fight hard.

A lifetime friend is irreplaceable.

So as your teen years go into full force,

remember you two are a team, you can tackle the world together.

I hope that when you are 25 years old, like I am, (hey, I still have a couple more days)

You can sit and read this post,

and think just as fondly of one another as I do of my best friend.

So now that I am all sentimental, here is a picture of my best friend, Ashley, and I from my wedding reception two years ago.

Ashley and Amy

Rylie and Rebecca

Coincidence?

I think not!!

Fall in St Louis

Ok here is the long awaited info on Fall Mini Sessions.

There are only 8 slots open and they go FAST, FAST, FAST!

What is a Mini Session You ask?

It is a shortened version of a regular session for a discounted price.

This is a great time to take advantage because my prices will be going up Jan 1, 2012!!

You will receive approx. 25 images on a DVD and be given printing and enlargement rights.

The awesome thing about Mini Sessions is that I can promise a 2 week turnaround so you can have all your Christmas Cards printed and ready to be mailed ASAP.

This will be the last time I book FAMILY sessions in St Louis until Spring.

To secure your spot, a $25.00 deposit is required.

NO EXCEPTIONS : )

This can be made via check or paypal.

You do not have a session booked until your deposit is in.

When you make your deposit, please tell me your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd preferred time slot.

Sessions will begin at 8am and the last session will be at 11:30 am

Hope to see you and all the fall colors very soon!

Jennifer & Alex: Engaged.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE when someone I went to high school with wants to do a photo session.

Call me old fashioned, but I really want more of a high school reunion than

logging into Facebook.

It is awesome to see where people are now...

and who they are.

I would definitely have to say Jenn would have a lot to be proud of at our reunion.

She looks great, has a rewarding job (she's a nurse!), and a guy who truly loves her.

Congratulations on your Engagement!!

We originally had planned to do all of the day's sessions at New Town but the StL weather had other plans.

We headed to Ameristar to finish up.

Thank You Ameristar for letting us in and for having awesome natural light.

It was so nice meeting you, Alex and great seeing you again Jenn.

I hope you all have a wonderful wedding day, and an even better life together.

Have Your Cake!

Desert First.

Thats what my dad, grandpa, and I always plotted to do.

When mom and grandma said, "no",

we would eat teeny bits of dinner and say we were full.

Then about 5 minutes later we had a plate full of cake.

So forgive me for wanting to post the cake pictures first.

It's in my blood.

Desert First.

Isn't she just precious?

Many of you know I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE polka dots.

Baby Marley pulled them off wonderfully!

So what do girls love as much, if not more, than they love chocolate cake??

DIAMONDS!!

Happy First Birthday Marley!

I hope you got all a little girl could dream of!

The Military Never Looked Cuter!

I have a soft spot for the military.

My closest friends would be inserting snarky remarks about now.

I went through a phase in college where every guy I dated was military,

Marines specifically.

Go big or go home right?

Anyway.

I have upgraded.

This handsome little man is far cuter than any of those silly boys!

I just have to keep this future heartbreaker away from Peanut...

The only age where a tushie is cute.

Hate to burst your bubble Kim Kardashian.

So happy to have some clothes back on!

All joking aside,

I truly appreciate all who serve in the military.

Doesn't matter what branch,

whether you are in the reserves,

male or female.

I truly appreciate what you do for this country.

I wouldn't make it through a day of bootcamp,

much less a year in Iraq

without my baby.

So thank you,

what you do is not taken for granted!!

Photography Field Trip: Rhyolite

One thing is for sure,

I would never get to shoot a session at a ghost town if we lived in St Louis.

My friend, Kristin and I decided we want to take advantage of the scenery we have living out here every chance we get.

So we decided to take some photography field trips.

I got to be her model at the Dry Lake

and her daughter, LL, got to be our model at a real ghost town.

Yes, like in the movies.

Actually, Kristin told me movies were actually filmed here.

We broke a few rules, dove under barbed wire, and ignored rattlesnake warnings,

but the shots were worth it!!

Happy 3rd Birthday LL!!

What a little model. Look at that pout! (She was not pouting in real life)