Dual Purpose Cards - Clover, SC Family Photography

By the time I had everything I needed to design Caroline's birth announcements, it was time to send out Christmas cards, too! I decided to make it easy on myself and created a dual purpose birth announcement / Christmas card. 

I had these printed through Millers Lab on one of their Luxe Folded cards. They have some really unique and amazing shapes for these cards, so if you are looking for something that sets your card apart from everyone else's, then this might be an option for you.

Sweet Caroline - Lake Wylie, SC Newborn Photography

I have had difficult newborn clients in the past, but my own child certainly proved to be the most difficult of all! I'm sure trying to do photos, not long after giving birth, probably had a little something to do with it, as well. I tried to take my time and spread out our photo sessions with lots of breaks in between. While there were many ideas that I had wanted to try and didn't get to attempt, I am happy with how the photos turned out overall.

I purchased the cream colored teddy bear hat and crocheted pants from Katie Did It Crafts on Etsy. She did an amazing job with these items and also a pumpkin hat with a removable flower (seen below). I would highly recommend visiting her online shop if you are looking for quality items for your children!

I always try to work in at least one neutral set-up for my newborn sessions. I love the classic look that you get with just a simple white or cream backdrop that lets that squishy, newborn cuteness take center stage!

When I knew that I would have a fall baby, I immediately envisioned a very particular idea that I wanted to photograph. I searched for a backdrop, vintage bucket, and the other props that would need to make my vision a reality. I am so happy with the result as it is exactly how I imagined. My little pumpkin in a perfect setting!

Obviously we had to bring in the very proud older brother for a few sibling shots. He just loved getting to hold and snuggle with his sister for the photos. This little girl has no idea yet how very lucky she is to have a big brother like this!

Trick or Treat! - Charlotte, NC Birth Photographer

Thirty-four hours of labor definitely felt like a trick, but getting to hold my precious little Halloween pumpkin was definitely a treat! Even though I wasn't due until November 16th, my water broke around 5:00AM on October 30th, and our baby girl was born at 3:42PM on the 31st. It seems fitting that I would have a Halloween baby since fall has always been my favorite season and Halloween my favorite holiday. So, without further ado, meet Caroline Autumn!

I think my husband secretly enjoyed the drive to the hospital, but had I known I would have to go so long without anything to eat, I so would have made him stop at a drive-thru! I had made plans for my friend Kristin to photograph the birth, but unfortunately after being in labor for what seemed like forever, things went from "nothing is happening" to "time to push" very quickly and we weren't able to have her there. Luckily my mom was able to be there for the birth, so I handed my camera over to her and she did a great job documenting all the excitement.
Immediately after our little miss entered the world, Ron had to leave to head back home and take Dillon trick or treating with the other children in the neighborhood. I was bummed to have to miss out on trick or treating, especially since I had purchased the cutest skeleton (and baby skeleton) shirt to wear, but obviously I had to stay put. Luckily, I had the most adorable little bundle to keep me company.

Once the Halloween festivities were done, Ron and Dillon (aka Iron Man) came to visit so that Dillon could meet his baby sister for the first time. Honestly, I think he might have been more excited about the adjustable bed and free jello! ;-)

After we did our time in the hospital, we were finally allowed to leave. It was wonderful to have some time with our family and to enjoy being back at home with our newest family member! I think I know someone who will be an awesome big brother, too!

Lakeside Family Photos - Lake Wylie, SC Family Photographer

I am just a few short weeks shy of my due date and I am definitely feeling it! I really limited my fall sessions this year because of this, but I just couldn't miss out on a fun session with one of my favorite families! The Smiths love their time on the lake, so we decided that a nearby lakefront park would make the perfect location for their photos.

The park has a beautiful fence with a section of climbing roses. When I saw the evening sun filtering through the glossy leaves and vibrant flowers, I knew this was a perfect spot to stop for a few shots. Kim always does a fantastic job outfitting her boys for their sessions, and this one was no exception. We joked that the twins look ready for a modeling job after this!

Every year when I do photos for this family, I end up with new favorites! I just love how these photos turned out. What a way to close out the year!

Pumpkin Picking! - York, SC Maternity Photographer

We visited the Bush-N-Vine Farm in York, SC to pick out our pumpkins to carve for Halloween. As I am only a few weeks away from my due date, I definitely feel like the biggest pumpkin in the patch! Ugh!

We did have a great time though. The day was overcast, but fairly warm (or maybe that was just my hormones). In addition to the "pick your own pumpkins," they have flower fields you can pick from, a huge variety of delicious looking fresh produce, a corn maze, sandbox complete with large Tonka trucks, a fun hayride tour of the farm and a few other neat little things for the kids. If you are in the York, SC area and looking for something to do, I highly recommend the Bush-N-Vine farm!

After we got home with our orange beauties, it was carving time! I mentioned to my husband that I had seen some examples where people used drill bits to carve their jack o' lanterns and he was all about busting out the power tools! Our son thought it was a pretty good idea, too! I went "old school" and carved a regular face in mine. I outlined the cuts with a black marker as this is something my dad has always done, so I carry on the tradition.

Now our pumpkins are in their place of honor on the front porch steps. We are ready for Halloween! Bring on the trick or treaters! This is my favorite time of the year! :-D

Winner, Winner! - Concord, NC Sports Photographer

We had a great weekend at the NCQMA track because Dillon won his very first race! It was so exciting. He won his heat race, which earned him the pole position for the race start. In the feature race, he was able to hold off some hard charging competition to take the checkers at the end. It was such a wonderful moment. I'm so glad that I have the photos of his daddy handing him the checkered flag for his victory lap as this will always be such a precious memory for our family!

After the race, he was interviewed by our track reporter and then had photos done in the winners circle. It was so fun and I know he felt like a star. He loved his first win trophy, too! I am one proud mama!

Baby on Board! - Belmont, NC Maternity Photos

I scheduled a maternity / family photo session with my amazing friend and photographer Kristin of Lillysnaps Photography and, as usual, she did not disappoint! We held the session in Belmont, NC. Belmont is just a fun little town and one of my favorite places to shoot, so I thought it would be an awesome location for my own session, as well!

After a previous client session, I found a perfect field nearby so we were able to use that too, in order to have both urban and natural settings for my photos.

Since we found out that we were having a girl, I knew when I saw this dress that its feminine colors would be perfect for this photo session. Luckily my two guys were happy to wear shirts that matched the shades of violet and magenta from the dress's stripes.

Kristin did a great job making my oh-so-pregnant-self feel beautiful and capturing natural smiles from the rest of my family. I just love how the photos turned out! Thank you so much again, Kristin!

5 Minute Photos - Lake Wylie, SC Child Photographer

It's a difficult thing to admit, but I'm here to confess that my little guy has a terrible case of PCS. For those of you that don't know, PCS stands for "Photographer's Child Syndrome" and it means that my child has developed a horrible allergy to my camera. It's so bad that he runs whenever I get my camera out and, in the rare cases that I am able to convince him to hold still for just a few shots, he makes terrible faces (I'm sure due to the pain of his affliction).

But don't feel too bad for me, I've been working on a cure. So far, I have found that if I truly keep my photo sessions with him to a very brief amount of time, he can stand it and I can even manage to get a few smiles! 

He looked so cute with his fresh hair cut and red polo the other day that I took 5 minutes for just a few shots.