Monday Updates!!

It is here.  Monday is upon us.  And, it feels good.  Especially good because I have a hilarious batch of photobooth pics from the holiday party to share this week!  Thanks to all that came out to the party- we had a blast!  It is so much fun to hang out and chat/drink/eat/photobooth :). 

As the wedding season winds down, I'm so pumped to talk about all the other stuff that we have going on... including two awesome things that happened this week!  So exciting.  Each will have their own post soon, but...we are beyond happy to announce that we've been awarded the 2013 Best of Weddings from The Knot!  Official press release and internet bling coming soon, but I just had to post it today! 

And...we have an amazing feature spot in the latest issue of Westchester/Hudson Valley Weddings Magazine!  Full-page photo on the back page.  Looking good Liz and Fred!  So awesome.  (we also have another photo in the middle of the mag!).

So, last week, I was a little insane with party prep.  If you have been following this blog for awhile, you probably have seen that I tend to go just the tiniest bit overboard in the party/holiday/food/enteraining dept, and cooking/baking are definitely hobbies of mine (I used to have a food blog too!).   My mom taught me to never not have enough food for people (bad double negative there) plus, I mean, come on, it is just fun to make mini-food for parties.  Pinterest kills me now too, like I don't have enough procrastination methods already thanks to the internet - do I need another recipe for cinnamon pull-apart bread?  Anyway, I have a lot of fun with it and you should think of it as a positive when you visit us (and come hungry) :). 

Here are a few quick instagrams of the results (really wish I had taken more photos!).  ps. I didn't make the cannolis, but my friend Amelia did!  She is a good party guest, huh?


Just a tiny sneak peek of the photobooth insanity!!  Seriously, these are just a few that I grabbed quickly.  There are so many more and all are amazing. You guys brought it.  Ha.  And, Tim picked some pretty funny props.  I think next year we are going to make it a BYOHP party (bring your own hilarious prop party).  Start thinking now!
(and, no, soph wasn't at the party, but she liked the photobooth the next day!)


To balance out all that craziness, I have to post this photo from my sweet session with baby Charlotte today.  Can you get over her hair??

Ok, see you all later! Back with a fun wedding post this evening!

Monday Updates!

Hello hello guys!  Happy Monday!  How are you? 

I am so looovinggg this weather.  It is perfect out.  I'm trying to get a ton of sessions in right now (engagement, family, etc.) before it changes!  We have so much happening right now - lots of album designs, album deliveries, gift packages, prints, and disks galore!  Look at the stack of packages that went out today! (as a sidenote, love my packaging supplies, can I get a high-five for washi tape and twine?)

I'm also starting to plan out the winter months - winter here means more blogging, album designs and...winter engagement sessions!! Am I going to have any takers this year?  Check out a few from last year here and here.  I think a winter family session would be so fun too - cute hats, coats, snowballs and a snowman!  Hmm, maybe we should do that for our photos this year (tim, are you reading this?). 

Besides work this week, we also managed to squeeze in a little family time. Tim and I did a quick shoot with Sophie (more on that in a separate post), and we went apple-picking with the fam. This girl knows how to smize for sure.

 

 

And, I found out this morning (via text from Tim), that I could announce something huge today on the blog. Here is goes. Get excited. Tim will be back tomorrow with Tech Tuesday!  He has a lot of explaining to do :). Haha, love you Tim.

I had a great engagement session this week and wanted to take a minute to talk about it. I just love shooting engagement sessions, besides letting you guys get to know me and my camera a little better, we have just been getting some killer images.  I love shooting love. What is better than that? And you guys, all of you guys - just like each other so much, it makes for the best photos!

I have really been enjoying styling some sessions just a little bit.  For example, I shot Ana & Mike's session last week.  Ana and I talked a lot beforehand - she had the perfect location, a beach that meant a lot to them and a place where they frequently hang out (it also happens to have ridiculous sunsets).  She also had a few ideas for photos that she might want to use for a save-the-date, and we talked about fun props to bring and how many outfits, etc.  The day of was so much fun.  I feel like I should write that in caps, or italics, because it was so much fun, not just so much fun.  Seeing our ideas come to life in a relaxed way.  It doesn't need to be super complicated, but just  a little thought or a quick talk about how the session can be made to suit your personalities goes so far. Check out the results:


Check out Ana too - she brought such cute outfits!!!  Ana - I need to go shopping with you :).

Today I'm shooting what is going to be an awesome family session.  It is always fun to shoot families, and even more fun when it is your friends!  Toni and Mike just had their 10-year(!!!) wedding anniversary and we thought a shoot was in order.  Results to be shown on this blog shortly and on holiday cards everywhere (well, if you know them anyway)!  Their smallest daughter is best buddies with Sophie - here they are at a street festival a few weeks ago.  So cute.

And lastly today, I would like to submit a piece of evidence.

My daughter finally looks a little like me!  Or at least we have the same expressions.  All of you people telling me that she is all O'Connell.  Take that!  :)

That is all - have a great Monday everyone!

Monday Updates!

Yes, Monday!  I've been waiting all week for Monday to roll around again. Haven't you?...

I'm sort of kidding - I actually love Mondays right now, I get so much done and love being set up for the week.  The fact that it is an absolutely beautiful today is helping, and I have a beach engagement session scheduled with an awesome couple, which is always super fun (plus the fact that we don't have to reschedule because of rain is doubly great!).  And so, how was everyone's weekend? 

We had a wedding at Locust Grove on Saturday amidst the tornado warnings - you know, just another saturday, no biggie.  We were so happy because everything turned out perfectly, even though we had to hustle to make it all happen (I'm blaming the tornado for why we look insanely sweaty in the photobooth photos below...).  So happy we were able to make everything work, including - outdoor photos! and church exit! and outdoor cocktail hour!  Not bad considering - here is a sneak peek photo from before the rain.  The 2nd photo is Melissa and Adam running for cover :)


The awesome staff of Lola's Cafe was a huge help in getting it all orchestrated, love them.  And the food, just amazing.  Check this out - are you hungry yet?

They also had a photobooh - look at these photos, we have issues, I know.  I can admit it.  Cute photo holder though, right?  Go Melissa! (yes, I know I snuck in one of the fun ring shots too - but look at the photo holder, its underneath)

 

In other news, my little Soph started preschool last week.  The house is so quiet when she is not home!  Here she is in front of the school on the first day.  I hope she loves it!


Ok, this is important.  I NEED answers (ladies, please comment on here or FB, I need to know) - where do you all get your jeans??!  Have you seen this analysis?  I have jeans from the Gap, do I look like this??  After reading this, I want to throw out all my jeans and go get some cute ones.  Who's with me?  I need to know if you all knew this already and I'm just in the dark.  I'm ready to go shopping.

I have a lot of stuff coming in the next few weeks!  Our bathroom portrait wall is almost done so I'm going to give the details there, and show you guys some albums that have come in recently, and of course, some more family stuff :).  Fall is our last super-busy time of year before things wind down a little for the winter (winter = babies, families, albums and fun stuff) - I'm so excited for the weddings we have this fall, you guys are going to love them!

I hope everyone has a gorgeous day today!  Back with a lot of sessions this week and more information on the mini-sessions for October!