I have had the pleasure of knowing Kate, Ellen & Audrey since birth and can honestly say that they only seem to geet sweeter with time! If you’ve been visiting here for a while, you might remember their session with mom & dad about this time last year. And let’s take a minute to discuss their momma, my dear friend Deanna. Deanna is truly one of the most creative individuals that I have ever had the honor to work with. She has the best, most fun ideas and this session was no exception. This time around, she decided that she wanted to use three 36″ balloons in the photos, an idea that  I loved, loved, loved.

The day of the shoot, I arrived to find Deanna inflating balloons with her own helium tank out of the trunk of her car – Crazy girl! Things were going along just perfectly when the tank ran out of helium after having only inflated two of the balloons. I would have crumpled to a heap in the parking lot, but being the good sport that she is, Deanna just shrugged it off and we set about taking some pictures. But then – as luck would have it, one of the balloons caught the breeze and flew away after only a few clicks of the shutter! Again, this could have been a deal breaker, but you know what? As cool as it would have been to have three big balloons, these lovelies proved what I truly believe – It’s not about the props, it’s about the people! And speaking of people, let’s take a look at these sweet sisters, shall we?

Oh Kate, you are delightful! So very lovely, so full of personality – and growing up so fast!

This next one might just be my favorite of the day:

Ellen, you are a little peach! So, so, so spunky and vivacious! I have no choice but to smile when I’m around you.

Audrey, you are the perfect little sister. Sassy & sweet, that’s what you are! And those big eyes of yours? Wow.

Audrey’s face in these next two is priceless. Don’t you agree?

I can not imagine what it is going to be like at Jon & Deanna’s house in 10 years or so. The one thing I’m pretty sure of is Jon might have to arm himself and sleep on the porch to keep all the potential suitors away! These girls are amazing and I always love spending time with them and their wonderful momma. Deanna, I hope you enjoy your little peek and I’ll have the rest ready soon!

The morning we were scheduled to shoot was absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful sunshine all around … for about the first 30 minutes or so … then the dark clouds appeared and the bottom fell out! We hid out in our cars for a few minutes before making the call to reschedule for the next day. Thankfully, it was the right call and we were able to finish up  - this time with the help of Cameron’s bubble machine!

Do you see what I mean about her eyes???

Time for bubbles! Bubbles + Cameron = Delightful Perfection!

Lorie, I hope you enjoy this little peek! Cameron is such a beautiful, charming little girl and I am having so much fun working on these for you. I will be in touch very soon when everything is ready to view!

What a joy it has been to watch her grow! I can hardly get over how much she has changed since I first photographed her at home at three months old. And then there were the fun six month shots we did in my dining room! When she turned nine months old, I headed back to her house to catch her in her own environment. And now she is ONE. I can hardly believe it! This time, we were able to head outside for the first time and I must say, I think these are my favorites of the year!

Angie, it has been such a pleasure capturing your beautiful little girl over the last year. She is a treasure, just like you! Enjoy these images and I’ll have the rest to you soon!

OK. I have to pause your swooning to say how much I love, love, love what bright beautiful sunlight can do to a photograph. It doesn’t always work out, but every now and then, I get a shot like this and it makes my heart sing:

Oh Elizabeth, I had so much fun with you guys at the park! I’ll be in touch ASAP about the rest of your images. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy looking at and sharing these. Give Harper a big kiss for me!

Have a beautiful day, everyone. Until next time . . .

This little lady absolutely melts my heart. I could go on and on, but I am trying to get this post up for her wonderful mommy, who is anxious to see a little peek! Angie, I am so sorry we missed each other at church yesterday, but you’ll be seeing the rest very soon!

Much love, everyone!

Oh, the sweetness! Can you take it? One of the things I love most about this family is that not only does every room in their stunning home flow seamlessly together, they somehow manage to always coordinate themselves to their environment. This is bliss for me, being the visual weirdo that I am. I am sure there is a support group out there for people like me, but until I find one, I’ll just keep taking pictures. And now, for some sweet little pieces parts :

Sophie loves, loves, loves to look at herself in the mirror. Between outfit changes, we would head to the mirror. Anytime she would get tired of me being all up in her business, we would head to the mirror. Just for fun, we would head to the mirror. And Miss Thang never disappointed!

Mmmmmm. Oh, Sophie, why do you have to be so wonderful? Why must you disturb my normally quiet ovaries?

Why must you be so delightful?

Why, oh WHY must you go and do this to me? I said all these sweet things about you and then you do THIS? I am so happy with my only child and then there’s THIS. But I love you anyway, sweet girl. You can’t help it if you’re perfect!

Matt & Emily – Again, it was wonderful being with you. I’ll be in touch as soon as I am done with the rest – if I survive! : )

… and by the end of this post, you will be too. That’s a promise.

I had the pleasure of spending the morning with one year-old Jonas, his mom Sarah, his big brother Asher and grandma & grandpa, too! We had so much fun exploring Jonas’ beautiful home as well as playing outside in the C O L D ! I have to go ahead and say right now that Sarah truly has the patience of Job. These photos were supposed to have been taken back in the fall, but my schedule was so full that I had to say no and ask that we wait until after Christmas. It absolutely killed me, as it always does when I have to say no, BUT – Sarah was beyond gracious, so we agreed to wait til after the holidays. I’ll spare you the details – including post-holiday craziness, multiple sicknesses, my cluttered inbox and S N O W – but we were FINALLY able to meet for Jonas’ photos this week!! And for all her patience and kindness, I just could not make Sarah wait one more minute!

Oh, this kills me…

And as a side note, Mr. Jonas is a cousin to this precious little lady. That’s an awful lot of cuteness for one family to handle.

Jonas’ big brother, Asher, joined us outside for a few shots. He is such a sweet, shy little boy and was absolutely delightful the entire time I was there!

And this last shot? Yeah, I have no words. He really is that cute. You’re head-over-heels, aren’t you? Told you so!

Sarah, I am so sorry we had to wait so long to meet up, but I definitely think it was worth it. We got sunshine and good moods, and I couldn’t ask for more than that! I am in love with these images and hope you will be too. I’ll have your entire gallery ready shortly and will be in touch soon!

* Nashville children’s photographer, Nashville children’s photography, Nashville portrait photographer, Nashville portrait photography

You will likely remember Matt & Emily from their super-fun maternity session. Their joy over Sophie was so apparent then, and it has only multiplied since she was born. I was so struck during my time with them how naturally they both filled the role of parent and how calm and serene their home felt. {I did not feel the slightest bit serene as a new mom, so I am always in awe when I encounter this phenomenon!} As I said in my first post about them, Matt & Emily are so connected. You just can’t help but feel it when you are with them. And now, with the addition of Sophie, it just feels like she’s always been there.

Pure sweetness!! Matt & Emily, you are so blessed! Sophie is so delightful and it was such an honor to photograph her for you. I can not wait to see you this weekend for Sophie’s three month shots. I can hardly believe it’s time. xoxo!

When Tori’s mom contacted me about shooting her senior pictures, my first thought was YES! Then I immediately had visions of Big Hair, shoulder pads, feather boas, dressy shorts {with tights!}, white patent flats {with bows!} and paint-splattered backgrounds. Then, I came to and realized I was remembering my own horrific senior portrait experience in my high school gymnasium and knew right away that I must never subject any young woman to that kind of torture. {Can I get an AMEN, class of ‘93?} For Tori’s portraits, we opted for something a little more relaxed. She has such a natural radiance that just shines thru in every image.

Tori’s sweet momma, Melanie, and little sister, Abby, came along for our little excursion and got in on a little of the action towards the end of the shoot. I’m so glad they did! I mean, seriously – They’re ALL gorgeous and have such a tender connection to each other.

Don’t even get me started on how much I love these next two. Makes me wish I had a sister!!

Tori, You are positively adorable. Your sweet spirit just shines every time you smile! I absolutely loved shooting your Senior portraits and hope you love them as much as I do.  I know that there are many amazing things ahead for you and I pray that you have an incredible Senior year!!

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Before she moved away, Alicia and I used to work together at a little company here in Nashville called Aegis Marketing Group. I often credit my time as an employee there with giving me some of the sweetest friends I have ever had, and I count Alicia among those. We were cubicle buddies while I was pregnant with Jack. She was on the front lines of listening to me complain about being hot, and dizzy, and hungry. It’s quite possible that she talked me down from a panic attack or two, but I didn’t say that out loud. She helped to throw me one of the nicest baby showers any mommy-to-be could ever hope to have. Until these photos were taken, I hadn’t seen her in nearly 5 years. When she emailed to set up a session for her family, there was NO WAY I was going to miss the chance to see her and her handsome hubby Gabe – and meet their two beautiful boys, Colin and Eli!

And oh yeah – Here’s some of that lovey cuddly goodness I mentioned earlier.

And here are reasons number one and two why nice, pretty people should reproduce:

I just love these next two. They just scream F A M I L Y – Who doesn’t cart their kids around this way? Love it. I have always thought that Alicia and Gabe looked like they were tailor-made for each other. And I still hold that opinion! Alicia has a mega-watt, movie-star smile that totally lights up a room. I remember when she first interviewed at Aegis – I wanted to hire her for her smile before I ever even heard her speak!

Big props to anyone who can spot my Jack in the photo below … Sometimes when you hire me, you get a package deal!

Oh, Alicia, it was absolutely delightful being with you and your boys! I will be posting this link on Gabe’s Facebook page, so this would be a wonderful time for you to cave and get your own profile as well. {Alicia is a Facebook holder-outer, y’all, so lets all give her a little encouragement to sign up, shall we?} I hope you love these as much as I do and that your blog debut was painless! I’ll be in touch soon, sweet friend …

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