late night and mustache shoot.

Mustache March. 

I announced that i was going to be changing a lot of things about the blog hopefully in a couple months! This mostly is going to include the website, completely changed! To do this, i need tons of new photos of my husband, and myself. This is just one of the shoots i've been wanting to try. Been feeling so unmotivated lately but just decided to go ahead and just do it! After work, late night shoot. OH- i realize the mustache isn't always appealing on me, even Brandon didn't want to kiss me after he drew it on. 

I got these ideas online, just really simple, wanted all black and white. We haven't done a shoot in a while and it was about time! i have more photos of the puppies from last night, but they weren't loving getting a mustache unfortunately. pssst... click on the images to see them bigger! 

you better believe, i edited these, and still now while writing this blog, i still have my mustache on... more authentic that way. ha. Also i forgot about my suspenders until a few weeks ago, i wore them out on a day date, and also wore Brandon's hat that he never wears. It was basically a photo shoot for lonely clothes. 

I consider these photo shoots mini dates, even if it takes 30 minutes and we haven't left the house! It's still another adventure, good quality time together, and let's face it... i'm a photographer so these shoots have to happen. Plus, it's more photos to have for the house! BONUS. We tried puzzles, but started with the largest amount of pieces... gross, it's still sitting on our table, 2/3 complete. 

Do you have any mini dates you enjoy? Anything that might not even take long but it's amazing quality time together? 

Time for YOU to guess what we used to draw mustaches on each other.. cause there was NO WAY i was letting him sharpie it on.

happy thursday!

Little celebrations.

While out to eat with my husband, we talk about the most random things, and today was no different. We got to talking how long we've been together, and comparing how long we have til we beat our longest past relationship. The table conversation got silent for several minutes, while we calculated how many days we had left til we've been with one another the longest. We've both in some long relationships SO we got it down. November 29, 2012 we will be celebrating being together more than any other person we were with; which also happens to be Brandon's birthday! We've had some amazing times as husband and wife so far, and are oddly excited to celebrate this achievement! Which leads to the question, what do you and your significant other celebrate? 

Almost every day one of us does something insane, and we say to the other "i hope other couples do this too, do you think they do?" Simply because it's ridiculous and we have so much fun playing. The first time we ever really played, we wrestled. i have to say, i lost.... he didn't even pretend to give me a chance. 

Even in the short time we've been married (2 years in may!) we've come up with some great made up games to play. Sitting here and thinking, i think those are the best times, the small moments where we're fully ourselves, in love and best friends. 

Please note how creepy Brandon is in this second photo. This is one of our cheap "puppyventures" yes part of our love games is to make up words. Remember, we call all our dates adventures. Capriotti's, park time, soaking up the sun. Oh yes... and creepy faces.

Just was excited to share just a blurb into the world here in las vegas, and i'd love to hear some fun games you play with your significant other, and all the little celebrations that mean so much!  

can't wait til Brandon's next birthday, and a step together that means, we've been together the longest. :)

Peterson family- lucky man with three beautiful girls!

September in Minnesota Continued. 

let's be honest, anytime i get to go back home and photograph loved ones, it's so exciting! This family was so amazing to see because i grew up with Josh, went to preschool with him, watched him be an awesome athlete, and graduated with him! I played basketball with Laura when i was in 5th grade! Seeing this family grow is completely heart warming. and still, so crazy to me! Are we really old enough? aren't we still still in high school being just kids? :)

This couple has two beautiful girls and have given them a home and i really like being able to catch up with old friends while getting to shoot. (one of my favorite things i'd say!) 

I was staying at a friends house, and didn't even realize they lived about 5 houses away. so i walked up my camera equipment and was able to see their family be completely in their element. and so much love here... and trying to convince Lily to play some basketball. i'm sure she'll come around!

Josh and Laura. you have such a wonderful family in eachother and your girls. thank you for spending some time with me this past september. 

 click on photos to see more detail

Sweet mama and her girls. and let me tell you what, Laura is absolutely stunning.. check out the image of just her below! HOTT.

yup. the more i look at these, the more i love them! i'm so blessed to have photographed the Peterson family. and the girls have grown so much since september! 

Do you have fun ideas for family photos? or locations you like to shoot? I mentioned this in the last post, but check out the previous blog about upcoming specials and how you can get some free prints! WOOT!

My mama got married!

Starla and Bob married June 11, 2011

There are so many things i want to share about this wedding! This is so dear to my heart since it's my mom, and i was still protective, even though i knew Bob was great! I was able to spend some time with Bob just about a year before their wedding, when the two of them came from Texas (and my brother and his girlfriend from MN) to visit my new home in Las Vegas; oh and if you're reading this, bug them about coming to see me again! we miss them. Like i said Brandon and i got to spend a little time with them as a couple, but it went by SO fast. The next time we were really going to be able to be together was their wedding. what a blessing that Brandon got to be there as well! 

Brandon and i traveled together to Texas to see their most amazing home, and i'll share a few photos of that too! Bob and Starla were originally going to have their wedding at a friends' house which was gorgeous as well, but she decided to have it in her own home, which i found just romantic and meaningfull and one of my favorite things about the wedding really! it's absolutely gorgeous. However this was an interesting time for me to travel since i recently had broken a rib (or so we're pretty sure) and hardly slept staying up all night coughing for a couple of months. But it all worked out! 

i got to photograph most of the day, brandon took over for the ceremony because i was in it.. wow that was difficult for me! but he did so good, i'm so proud of him! and lots of moments between Bob and Mom. 

Here's something special to me i wanted to share, the moment i knew he was right for her, i knew he was extra good to her, would take care of my mom and really just loved her so! It was after the wedding, the next day i believe and my mom had of course made delicious food to share. However it was an important game on everyone wanted to see, and at that time they didn't have a tv yet so we all were going to go out. i watched from across the kitchen as i saw my mom was saddened that she had made these lasangas, and no one was staying. she was hurt but would never say so. I talked to her about it and was making SURE it was okay, and that i could tell she was sad. No one else really noticed except.. for Bob. He saw that she was sad about it and explained to all the kids "i actually have a lot to get done around here, i think i'll stay." i loved that moment. He didn't blame my mom for not going, and the game was important to him as well, but his bride had been hurt and he knew he should be there for her. something so small that i'll never forget. i stopped being so protective after that. ;) 

So here's some moments from their day! if you'd like to see more, i can upload more too! it was a gorgeous day. and there aren't any good photos of myself during the ceremony. crying. Also check out my facebook page to see more! don't forget to become a fan! leave some love.

What a wonderful, beautiful day their wedding day was! i ended up choosing to share lots of little moments from the day. and i was so happy to be able to photograph my mom's wedding. i'm so thankful. Actually looking back at the photos, it helps me remember even more about the day. that weekend, my brother, his girlfriend, my husband and i all of us played games and just had a blast together. I didn't show a lot of the family photos because there were so many others to share; but while i was there i also had the opportunity to photograph my Nana, Aunt and mom again for their business which i'll share soon! they are great women, and i so look up to Nana. She has owned different businesses, and i aspire to do that one day too. They have their own CPR business and with their blonde hair, crazy outgoing personality and cute looks, they stay pretty busy ;)

is there a moment from a wedding that you remember? 

Cheesy Christmas photos

hey again all! well this year again, my Christmas photos were late. and so we resorted to something a bit more cheesy than expected. so hopefully next year we'll use our awesome idea! if you remember last years' pic it was one taken by Danette Chappell. but we quickly decided yesterday we needed to get some Christmas photos, even if the cards were going to be late. so if you don't want to ruin your Christmas card surprise. stop reading. 

here's last years! 

this year we took them ourselves, thank you for timers that go off every second, setting off the flashes. yikes. quite the distracting set up! but it worked. and we were going for the what's in the boxes that we are so surprised about!? eh eh!? 

after a few takes.. and WAY too many photos.. over 500.. i liked 3. but it worked! so here comes the card.. shield your eyes if you want to be surprised! 

i decided they weren't quite the WOW factor last year's had. but.. they're fun. and show off our family! (and my office) not to mention a new font i'm enjoying... If you've been searching on facebook.. and remember the DVD cover for Nicole's wedding in September, found this font called AlicoScriptSSK. to be honest, not even sure how it got on my computer! i'm thanking Brandon of course. 

so send me a link to YOUR fun Christmas photos and inspiration, and next year.. well they're gonna be great!