Personal Post: Pieper’s First Birthday!

With such a busy fall season we haven’t had much of a chance to share with you the things happening in our personal lives. Over the next month, I’m hoping to catch up a bit on our blogging and share a few special milestones and little peeks into what we have going on outside of our photography business. Future highlights include our anniversary train trip to Albuquerque and progress on home renovation, but right now, I wanted to share a few photos from the little Birthday party we threw for our puppy Pieper.  :)

Pieper’s Birthday was October 22nd and we celebrated the first weekend of November. I made a few fall desserts for us humans to enjoy including pumpkin mousse and salted maple sugar cookies with cider glaze (thank you Martha Stewart). We also baked a tiny layer cake for Pieper made from whole grain flour, shredded carrots, peanut butter, applesauce, and various baking tidbits and frosted it with yogurt and cream cheese. I was certain the little Birthday hat I made her wouldn’t last a minute, but the moment she saw the cake, it didn’t matter - I could have put her in a scuba suit for all she cared.  She dove into the cake with gusto - a dog possessed.  The entire time she had this expression on her face that said ‘I better eat as much as I can before someone catches me and I get yelled at.’

Later on, with a belly full of cake we took her to the dog park to play with her puppy friends and hand out some homemade doggy biscuits.  Overall, she had a great Birthday with her favorite people.  Happy First Birthday, Pieper!

Treehaus Studio Branding Photoshoot

Working with other creatives is a passion of ours. We get the opportunity to toss ideas about with people who get just as excited as we do. Such was the case with Amanda Campbell and Marcia Schabel of Treehaus Studio here in Green Bay. When Amanda sent over the mood board to express the branding of their new venture, I loved the whole idea of it: earthy, grounded, natural. From here we got to develop the style of our session - something that could feel cozy like a favorite sweater and boots or a night around a campfire, but that could still show their clean, professional approach.  Needless to say, the entire session was everything we love doing.

Treehaus Studio is a local graphic design company owned by two women who were born to be designers - it’s just in the way they think.  They do web and print design as well as branding and social media: everything we business owners need.  They are everywhere, so check them out on their website, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest to get a taste of what they’re all about.

www.treehausstudio.com
www.facebook.com/treehausstudio

Welcome, New Baby Ryan!

Tomorrow is a day of Thanksgiving - a day to count our blessings, and nothing can quite get you in the mood for that as well as a newborn baby. Tiny toes, tiny fingers and a sweet little sleeping smile... there is just nothing like it. :)  Baby Ryan was a little older for his session than most of our newborns, but because he was an early arrival, it was just like photographing a week old baby. He was flexible, tiny and spent his entire session in a deep slumber.

 It is amazing to me how much he already looks like mom and dad; he spared no time in telling everyone that he is a part of the family.  Baby Ryan is lucky enough to come into this world with a brother and sister so excited to have him.  He arrived just in time to celebrate all the holidays with them and to be passed around the family so everyone can soak up the warmth and remember when their babies were that small.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and congratulations to the {L} Family!

{ Clarissa + Adam = ENGAGED ! }

I can’t even express what a sweet couple Clarissa and Adam are.  They both have a great sense of humor, a close relationship with their families, and there is this playfulness about their exchange that is immediately apparent when you meet them.  Clarissa and Adam met three years ago as coworkers.  At first they didn’t like each other, but then they became friends (even so close that she was giving him relationship advice regarding other girls) and then a couple.  Together they like to play bingo, chase around their doggy Bella, and spend time outside.  For their engagement session we combined the two sides of their families: the location was Adam’s family farm, and the super fun yellow truck we involved was recently restored by Clarissa’s grandfather.  The day itself was gorgeous - cloud cover and a hazy fog gently subduing the fall colors.  This made for such a wonderful day of shooting for us, giving us the opportunity to create soft, intimate photos for the couple.  Clarissa and Adam will be getting married next fall, the same weekend Ben and I said our vows three years prior (gotta love a fall bride!)

The { T } Family’s Fall Portraits

There is something so wonderful about outdoor family sessions in the fall.  It is as though the day becomes less about standing and smiling, and more about playing in the leaves and exploring a new place with little ones.  Evan and Jocelyn were just as sweet as could be for their session.  Evan was all energy, wanting to decide exactly where we were going and taking us there himself.  Jocelyn was sweet and cuddly and tough - we couldn’t believe how well she did with the chilly weather.  We created a collection of family photos as well as mommy and me and daddy and me photos and a few of the kiddos by themselves.  Near the end Evan was running out of steam and was ready to be held and warmed up by daddy and baby girl was falling asleep in mommy’s arms.  It was great getting to see this family again and getting to know the cute little tots who made them a family!