Personal Post: Danielle’s Baby Shower

Last weekend, my family and I threw my cousin Danielle a baby shower for what will be the first great-grandchild in the family. We didn’t know the baby’s gender, so we decided on a soft pastel, handmade theme (with plenty of inspiration from Pinterest of course!).  Weeks ahead Danielle’s dad brought over fresh fish for a little family dinner, and as we finished eating, we all gathered around for baby shower crafting.  Everyone got into it: grandpa, and fathers, and husbands all making pom-pons and tag banners - their hardworking precision applied to something so sweet and feminine.

We wanted the decorations to be a surprise for Danielle, but little did we know she had a surprise for us.  For months she had been so sneaky, keeping the baby’s gender an absolute secret - it was all we could do to keep from gossiping wildly about what we thought it would be.  As we set up for the shower, Danielle pulled out a beautiful cake made by the same bakery who did her wedding three years ago. The cake was to be a gender reveal!  After patiently waiting through games, gifts and food, I had the honor of cutting the cake and announcing to all the guests that there would be a baby Hazel entering our family in May.  Many congratulations to Danielle and Reggie!  We are looking forward to your maternity photos this weekend and baby Hazel’s arrival in a few months! :)

{ Rachel + John = ENGAGED ! }

This engagement session was a particular joy to us not just because it was in Door County (where I’m from) and done in fall (my favorite time of year), but because Rachel is one of my closest friends. Rachel and I became friends 15 years ago, and though we went to separate colleges and fate moved her out to the southwest, each time we talk it’s as though no time has passed. While living in Arizona she met John; together love was easy - natural, relaxed and meant-to-be. Their relationship was tested when he was stationed (though the Air Force) in Korea. But they made it work, even falling asleep next to each other over Skype. <3 They knew they had found the one person out there meant for them, and being smart people, they wouldn’t be silly enough to let that go. Rachel and John flew in for their engagement session and to plan other details for their wedding that will take place in Door County this summer. We had a perfect fall day for photos - bright colors, cloudy sky - a photographer’s dream. The entire afternoon was relaxed and playful - a wonderful chance to catch up with good friends and make photos that told their love story. Congratulations, Rachel and John; we are really looking forward to your wedding day!

{ Jamie + Nick = ENGAGED! }

It’s wonderful to find kindred spirits in our clients - people who love things that we love. So when I heard that Jamie and Nick love to spend their summers camping together, I was already have daydreams of firelight and creamy hot coffee. Jamie and Nick went to middle school and high school together and even grew up down the road from one another. Their romance started early on, and eight years later he proposed to her on her Birthday, moments before leaving for dinner with their families. What a lovely way to celebrate. :) Jamie and Nick love fall the way we do; they will be getting married next October in Door County and wanted to have engagement photos taken the same time of year. It was a chilly afternoon at the park, so by the time we got to camping pictures, we were all ready for a crackling fire.  It took the three of us, Nick, Ben and I, at least twenty minutes and half a leaf blower manual to get a real fire going, but it was worth it for gorgeous light and some dreamy camping photos. Congratulations, Jamie and Nick!

Stephanie’s Senior Portraits!

We had perfect weather for Stephanie’s senior portraits, which was wonderful since her family had traveled all the way from Madison for them.  The light was just perfect for summery, airy backlit shots and some flattering close-ups in the shade.  Stephanie and her family spend a lot of time on the water during the summer - relaxing and traveling around Door County.  Most days Stephanie nannies for a local family taking care of their two kids which she loves.  She plans on going to college next fall for something in the medical field hoping to work with babies and small children.  In the meantime she is looking forward to managing the football team in fall and possibly taking on management of the lacrosse team in spring.  Enjoy your senior year, Stephanie!

{ Candis + Joe = MARRIED ! }

We love weddings that manage to blend together different themes into one beautiful wedding day - such was the case for Candis and Joe.  The ceremony itself was lovely and traditional, with all the Catholic reverence and pageantry brought together by a incredible pastor who knew the couple well and spoke about them personally.  The details were a bright magenta (the pure essence of summer!) with burlap and natural wood accents to keep it grounded.  Candis carried down a bouquet wrapped in her grandmother’s necklace and Joe’s mother got a few moments alone with her son to pin on his corsage.

This is the way it is with Candis and Joe... they are the couple who would never get lost in all the “to-dos” and “should-dos” but rather know how to keep that exact focus on what is important: their family and the vows that would make them a family.  I can’t explain what a beautiful feeling it is to watch two people who are so right for each other and bring out the very best in one other join their lives together.  It reminds me of what a blessing our job is.  Congratulations, Candis and Joe!

Personal Post: Fun Weekend with the Puppies!

We spent this weekend up in Door County puppysitting my brother’s dog, Echo, the fluffy little mini aussie in all the photos with Pieper.  We weren’t sure what we were taking on since they like to spend 90% of their time together wrestling and we planned on having them in public all day, but it ended up being a wonderful weekend.  We took them into Sturgeon Bay to see a couple bands perform at Steelbridge Songfest, grab some coffee and walk around downtown.  The puppies were super good, just laying down, listening to the music and putting on their sweet faces in hopes of getting attention from concert attendees.

After a little picnic, we headed up to Ephraim for Fyr Bal Festival (which is the Scandinavian tradition of “burning the winter witch” to signal the end of a long winter - much needed this year!)  We walked down to Anderson Dock, let them do a little wading in the water at the beach and headed back for the bonfire lightings and fireworks.  It was a little drizzly but that didn’t stop the show, and we still set up our blankets and wrapped up with the puppies.  Pieper and Echo loved exploring all the new places and meeting the many people, and we loved all the attention two cute puppies bring. :)

Personal Post : Memorial Day Weekend Up North

Everyone has certain places they feel connected to - certain places that automatically feel like home whether they are or not.  Since I was a child that is how it has been for me with the house my Grandfather grew up in at the edge of Baileys Harbor in Door County.  It is a craftsman style farmhouse on rambling fields that once were orchards.  The land is dotted with various outbuildings all fastidiously up-kept by my Grandfather, who I find to be my kindred spirit, always making the choice to preserve rather than replace.  And if a house needs someone to maintain the structure, it also needs someone to make it a home.  That duty falls upon my Grandmother, Claudia, who fills the house with the smell of baked coffeecake, the sound of well-meaning Scrabble banter, and the feeling of fresh linens.  She is the person who sees the good in everyone, and knows exactly how to express it.

When I was a child my brother Joshua, my cousin Danielle and I would run wild up there.  We would climb the big crabapple tree, get lost wandering the fields and create houses in the "cedar palace" as we called it.  The overall feeling was an intense sensation of freedom.

As I've grown older, the place has remained close to my heart, and it was such a joy to find that Ben saw all the wonderful things I see in it, and that it could become a place we could cherish together.  Memorial Day weekend is always our first trip up there, and this year we were particularly excited to bring Pieper up for the first time.  We knew she would love exploring the trails, nights around the campfire, and playing with Echo (the cute, fuzzy thing in the photo under the chair).

We packed the weekend with the Maifest parade in Jacksonport, breakfast at the Carroll House, ice cream at Wilson's, and an evening at Skyway Drive-In...  all surrounded by various games of Scrabble, bocce ball and many rides around the field on bikes, four-wheeleers and (yes that is a) golf cart.  Ben and I took our film cameras along in hope of sharing the timelessness of how we experience our time spent "Up North".

www.wilsonsicecream.com
www.doorcountydrivein.com