the world is alive, blinking and clicking, winking at us slyly, inviting us to get up and dance to the music that’s been playing since the beginning of time, if you bend all the way down and put your ear to the ground and listen for it….{shauna.niequist}

melt. what is better than an evening at the beach? spending an evening at the beach with my stunning August couple, Jillian and Jason, who drove all the way up from the Boston area to take a chance on this beach location in Maine. the day was tucked between a full week of rain and cold weather…with another set to come this week. well,  we both got lucky. warm, gooey sun, and such fun and amazing people to photograph….heaven!

soooo….things have been busyyyyyy……

my sleep deprived self cant really remember what i have done in the last 6 weeks, but i can tell you that there is proof i was actually here.

i am posting 5 FACTS on FRIDAY  for the next few months so i can actually document, physically, my semi-consciousness:

fact 1: i know for SURE i shot a wedding two weeks after giving birth, and you know what? that was insane, but it went great!

fact 2: sleep deprivation and feeding/changing/changing again/rocking/shhh-ing the baby…. has cut out a lot of time sucking internet activities… except PINTEREST….

fact 3: i can’t wait for Maine summer days filled with THIS:

fact 4: i had to stop breast feeding William because of a very, very bad infection. after exclusively formula feeding my two girls, i was really enjoying this aspect of new motherhood and i still get sad about it every night (aren’t nights the worst for thinking thoughts?!) while i am fixing him a bottle. in the end, i knew i did all i could to breastfeed, but i still feel a great loss.

fact 5: THIS makes all of fact 4 okay:

I have been infinitely blessed this year in many ways. . . the birth of my sweet boy, the health and happiness of my family, and the continued growth and success of my little business. . . I have so much joy I  literally feel like I walk around in a bubble of warm hugs.

So, I am having a sale…and there is more to this sale than just an ordinary ticket price, so keep reading:

Session Cost: $499

Includes the following:

A custom portrait session for 2-3 hours.

A full set of digital files, in FULL resolution, that includes all of the fully edited photographs in your session with full printing rights and suggestions on where to print for the best results. Also includes a custom cd and case. (regular price $900)

1 {24 x 30} canvas OR 2 { 16 x 24 } canvases {regular price $600}

 Beautiful, luxury wrapped canvas:

Did I mention I feel blessed this year? I do.

So this year, 15% of all family session fees will be donated strait to Good Shepard Food Bank, helping families right here in Maine!

 Further Session Details: Because of my busy schedule this year and with the addition of our little one, I will not be traveling this year for family sessions. Sessions will take place in the Rumford area only. (I promise, the drive WILL be worth it). Your session even includes the shipping of products to your door…this is an all inclusive session fee! A deposit of $100 is due at the time of booking. The remaining amount ($399) is due at the time of the session. The deposit is non refundable. Rain dates will be suggested at the time of booking just in case the weather is less than favorable. I am more than happy to offer payment plans, as long as the total amount is paid in full at the time of the session. I will not be offering any other sessions lower than this price this year…these are the only available dates until 2013.

This year I will not be conducting the traditional newborn, maternity, or couple/engagement sessions (outside of my weddings clients). My goal is to photograph the family as one interconnected, complete entity from this juncture moving forward.

The following dates are available for children/family sessions:

May 6

May 27

June 9

June 10

June 16

June 17

August 26

October 20

October 21

so finally…..its done. (insert exuberant sigh of relief here….)

its all about babies these days…and that is 110% okay with this photographer. it is such a treasure to photograph the babies of my wedding couples. little fingers, little toes, little nose…tiny Violet was such a beautiful, sleeping angel the entire session.

on a business note: i am taking a brief hiatus while we have our own little bundle (due any day now…ANY day…William, can you hear me? you can come out now). while i will not be taking the traditional maternity leave, please give a bit more time for me to respond to any electronic correspondence.

i love paper. i always have.

i love pictures. and babies. and pictures of babies. and pictures of babies on fancy cards that feel like fabric to the touch.

these came in this morning and i cannot help but share. these custom created announcements are FREE as part of my baby plan. my printer has upped the artsy on the shape and cuts and it allows for such creative, unique designing that really showcases the photographs so beautifully.

good thing they always send a couple of extra so i can keep one too.

for more information on the baby plan please click  here.

in this very digital age, it feels so good so give something real, something beautiful, and something you can actually hold in your hand as a document of your momentous, yet very short day (just a day…does it seem fair that a wedding is just ONE day after all of the planning and love that goes into it!).

these boxes, wrapped in fine linens or imported silk,  remind me of my grandmother’s paper mache box that was tucked in the back shelf of her closet. it was filled with her most treasured mementos. wedding photographs, dress lace, a curl of my fathers black baby hair in a time stained envelope, my grandfather’s World War II medals….handkerchiefs. i would go through them with my little fingers….and she would smile as she told the story of each one.

and another goody came in today….and i keep taking back out of the box to look at it….

i just LOVE this storyboard I designed for Natacha and Chris (and their sweet pup). printed on linen based Fuji paper, backed with a sturdy core, and then finished with a protective spray,  this 16 x 24 print will last for 100 years (or more!).

this was in Rachel’s parents room. i bet they pass it 100 times a day. in the bathroom next to it, one of my favorite noises. friends, bridesmaids, and bride getting ready in an organized chaos of hair spray, mascara, toe nail polish, and face powder. laughter. i found this quote to be quite fitting of a home so full of it.

Rachel’s mom made her dress…and with it hanging in the living room all I could do was stand in front of it in awe. I see plenty of pretty dresses, but somehow a handmade dress always feels more perfect. More, I feel like I should run home and learn to sew before the girls grow up so I can make theirs too. She also painted the stairwell purple to match Rachel’s wedding colors and I couldn’t help but showcase that in the shoe shot.

She wouldn’t let her walk down the isle without it being just right….

Can I just say a special thank you to the wedding party. This wedding was a very chilly day on December 10th, and in this race against the sun setting we had planned out every pose by the second. I could not have done this without an incredible group. Despite not getting above 25 degrees, with the addition of a vicious wind probably making it feel even colder, I have to say that this is one of my favorite times of year to photograph.

our 35 + emails regarding step by step, minute by minute posing, paid off…huge.

and then it was time for the fun…

Rachel quote: “Dan loves to dance…get lots of shots of him dancing.” No prob.

And so it comes to an end. The very last wedding of 2011. I have to say, this has been one crazy, beautiful, and blessed season. Being pregnant has certainly added an interesting dynamic to the whole endeavor, but I am so thankful baby William (due in mid March) and my ever growing belly were more of a welcome sight than one of “Oh my God, I can’t believe your photographer is pregnant”, thing… which I said to myself…countless times in fact…as I was driving off to photograph another wedding.

Love and Warm Wishes to all of my Beautiful Couples!!!

it’s photos like this that keep me warm…

more from Rachel and Dan’s wedding coming to the blog this weekend…