mark + laramie | wedding

I had the great honor of photographing Mark + Laramie's beautiful wedding. This is a bit of how I would envision my own wedding. :) I loved the garden feel. The day was very relaxed... no need for stress. :) We had "on and off" rain showers, but it cleared off just in time for the outdoor ceremony. And the reception was in a barn! :) Mark + Laramie are so sweet together and love each other deeply. From the moment I took their first engagement photo, I knew I was glad to be on their wedding journey with them. Check out more of their images HERE. Greatest blessings, Mark + Laramie, on your new life together!

wedding | wednesday. DIY decor.

Not having a cake at your bridal shower? I love this idea as a centerpiece! It would be a great gift for the bride as well. This could be incorporated into any color scheme or theme! Perhaps a photo of the couple as the "cake" topper? :) Love it!

mommy | monday. best cookbooks for kids.

The research has already been done for you. :) Check out this article for the best cookbooks for kids with reviews and where you can buy the books! For kids of all ages! CLICK HERE!

trewern | family

Yesterday, I had the privilege of photographing this precious little family. I have never seen such a continuously happy baby in my whole life! :) (which definitely helped with photos!!) I've known Holly for many years (our moms were suite-mates in college). It's fun to see her so happily married and now with sweet little Paisley. I had to throw in a couple of extras for the sneak peek... I couldn't decide... I love them all! :) ENJOY!

the lighting is so amazing on this one!

I LOVE her expression! :)

I love how affectionately Kyle and Holly are looking at each other. :)

lots of ruffles and a big bow! PERFECT! :)

hannah | senior

What a gorgeous girl! :) I've known Hannah for a few years now... her older sister is one of my very best friends. Hannah was in town for 4th of July weekend, and I'm so glad we were able to fit in a time for me to do her senior photos! We had quite an adventure but came away with SO many beautiful images that capture her personality. Not to mention that her eyes are amazing in every photo. I hope you love these images, Hannah! I'm so proud of you!

wedding | wednesday. DIY decor.

I love this idea of hanging bottles or vases with wire and using them as stem vases for flowers. This would be perfect for a wedding or bridal shower. You could hang them under a tent or in trees. The flowers could be dried, fake, or real. I can even envision using them to hold sticks or feathers for a different look! Happy dreaming! :)

adventures of HCP | madison, wi | day 3

This morning consisted of some much needed sleeping in. We then walked down the street to Marigold Kitchen for brunch. That's where I took these photos of our breakfast. :) After that, we walked, and walked, and walked. We went down to a terrace on the oceanfront where there was such a beautiful view of the water and the capital building.... then, we took another walk all the way down State St. and stopped in some shops and thrift stores along the way. We were pretty worn out by the time we made it back to the room... headed over to Starbucks to do a little work. By this time- it was sprinkling... and I had a session at 5pm! We definitely prayed that the rain would pass over... and it did! The sun came out, and we were able to do our session with Tom + Jenni. They are seriously the sweetest couple. I feel so blessed to know them. The fact that they have been married for a few years really helps them to feel comfortable with each other in front of the camera. We definitely got some beautiful and creative shots! We took another walk down State St. and had dinner at Ian's Pizza. If you live in or near Madison, run- don't walk- there! Yummy! After getting some Coldstone to take back to the room, we watched Cake Boss and packed up for our morning flight. I was still wanting to get a photo of the Capital building after dark- so, I took a quick trip outside- in the rain- in the street... a lady standing nearby said that I was awfully "gutsy"... oh the things I do for a cool photo! Well, it was a wonderful trip. God definitely gave me the strength that I needed and an awesome opportunity. A special thanks to Brett+Alana and their families for making it possible and for taking such great care of us! Wishing you a lifetime of blessings and happiness.

adventures of HCP | madison, wi | day 2

Here we have the Madison "dream team"... lots of work and a little play!

For a recap of the big wedding day yesterday... Our day started out with a trip to Starbucks as all wedding days should. :) We were left with a car for us to drive around... about 30 minute drives to get to each location... that was an adventure in and of itself... good thing I'm pretty good with directions and finding my way! :) Photos started at 9:30am at the home of the bride... it turned out to be a sunny and warm day. We followed the limo everywhere and took photos at Olbrich Gardens and on the Capital square. Lots of amazing photo opportunities. It was a large wedding party- 6 bridesmaids and 6 groomsmen. We then went to the ceremony site- Windsor golf club- for more photos and the ceremony- which started at 3:30pm. The reception was absolutely gorgeous... everything just sparkled! We headed out at around 8:30pm.... after a successful and extremely long day... feet and back swollen and aching- just being honest! :) If you have photographed a wedding for 12 hours- you know what I mean! We tried to find an ice cream spot on the way back to the hotel but ended up in the midst of the University campus full of detours, road construction, and one-way streets... let's just say it took a while to get out of there! lol. We ended up heading back to good ole McDonald's... where the cashier thought I ordered 10 oreo McFlurry's. ha. Thanks but no thanks! :) So happy for Brett + Alana. They truly had a fabulous wedding day. Be looking for a sneak peek photo or two this week! :) You are going to love them!

mommy | monday. miniature kite.

Now, this isn't going to be the kite that flies high in the sky or lasts for years to come... :) But, it is a cute craft for the kids and cheap entertainment! Click HERE for directions to make a kite of your own!

adventures of HCP | madison, wi | day 1

Today started very early- 3:30am- to be exact. It's days like these that I'm thankful for the adrenaline that causes you to be more awake than you really are. :) We made it to the airport and caught our flight just in time- 6am. For those of you who know me- this is quite a stretch for me- I usually have a difficult time waking up early! :) So- we got on the plane and got to witness this breath-taking sight over Springfield- wow- is all I can say. Immediately, the lyrics to Phil Wickham's song, Beautiful, started singing in my heart.

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say

You're beautiful.

On the flight from Chicago to Madison- there were about 20 people on an 80 passenger plane. The flight attendant said we could all spread out and sit wherever we want... the exit row is always the perfect fit for long legs. ;) So, as we were getting ready for take-off, the pilot informed us that the flight would be 24 minutes long. Seriously?! lol. I didn't know that was possible. As we stepped off the plane in Madison, we were hit in the face by the intense smell of cow manure. (my sis says that the story reminds her of the Hannah Montana movie... if you know what I mean.) lol. We were picked up by the hotel shuttle and given some history about the city. It's really a beautiful place, and I love that it's surrounded by water! We drove by a beach area where there were hundreds of people with their canoes getting ready to race. I so wanted to hop in one! :) After we got to the hotel- which is right across from the beautiful capital building- we went to the farmer's market and maxwell street days that were happening around the capital square. It was a lot of fun! Picked up some cheese and a red velvet "whoopie pie"! We then went to a Mexican street cafe for brunch.... then met up with the bride to go over last minute details and to see one of the photo locations. We then grabbed some starbucks and headed back to the room where I crashed and took a 2-3 hour nap! I never do that! :) That's what starting the day at 3:30am will do to you! :) The rehearsal dinner was on the top floor of our hotel at 7pm- beautiful view and great food! Now- I will try to sleep through the very loud music of the wedding reception that's happening down the hall. :) I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow! But, I'm really loving all of this... I love to travel and have weekend getaways. I will let you know how the day goes tomorrow! Hoping for a little cloud cover to help with the direct sun and heat. Bye for now! :)

loveland | family

I love that I have gotten to take photos of this sweet family every year since the boys were born! :) They are now turning 3. Hard to believe! :) This year we decided to take photos at the train tracks, because the boys are SO into trains right now. I love how they proudly showed me their very own trains, and we made many "choo choo" sounds together! :) Lots of energy and fun! J.C. + Kristina- you have every reason to be proud of them! :) Love you guys!