mommy | monday. paper dolls.

When I was a little girl, I loooooved to play with paper dolls. :) They are such a simple, imagination-invoking toy. What's better than paper dolls? VINTAGE paper dolls. :) Take a look at THESE. :)

ellie | senior

I SO appreciate Ellie's flexible and "up for anything" personality! It made for a stress-free and creative session. She is just full of joy- and I love that you can see it in all of her photos! Great idea, Ellie, on doing photos in the bookstore too. :) I SO love them. I wish I could show you all of the photos now... but, you will have to wait a while longer. :) Ellie- You are beautiful. These are for you, because I know you can hardly wait to see a glimpse of all the photos that will be coming your way! I seriously couldn't decide which ones to show you! ENJOY!

wedding | wednesday. favor idea.

Here is a different kind of wedding or shower favor! Soap! :) I love the pretty packaging of these... this would be an easy DIY project that wouldn't break the bank. :)

weekend in review. [thankful]

I just now have a few moments to reflect and give you a re-cap of the fun and craziness of this past weekend. Starting on Friday- it was a whirlwind of setting up for the Expo [so thankful I was able to order a last minute photobook and pick it up in one day!] I would love for you to see it! Just ask. :) That afternoon- I had a photo session with 9 month old baby Beatrice. [she is so precious... there's a blog post devoted to her coming soon!] Then, I stopped by the art show of the lovely Elise Abigail [one of my fabulous 2nd shooters.] To top that evening off- it was movie [yes. leap year. one of my favorites.] and fondu with my sister... much needed. We headed out for Tulsa the next morning... it was a nice and relaxing trip... if I can say that about a short roadtrip. :) We checked into our hotel... took a breather... then walked down the street to the location of the "first look". I won't spoil the details of the beautiful day... because I will soon have a post devoted to the wedding. :) After lots of beautiful photos in a beautiful location with one very happy couple, we picked up some Braum's ice cream and headed back to the room... for a very early morning was coming. :) After making the trip back to Springfield [there is nothing like driving down the road on a crisp morning as the sun rises... it was lovely.]- we picked up some Starbucks at the new Bistro Market downtown and headed over to the expo. With our arms full of materials we would need for the day- we opened the doors into what would be non-stop hustle and bustle for the next 5 hours. I had such a great time meeting all the brides... it's especially fun to meet people who have been such faithful followers of my work... to put a face with their name. :) I loved the feel of my booth- very "me"- it felt like an exquisite boutique- kind of "couture". Thank you to all who made it possible! At the end of the day- I took a very deep breath... amazed by all of the opportunities that the weekend held... God gave me the strength that I needed- as He always does. I'm constantly amazed by the dreams God has for me- definitely different and greater than I could have dreamed for myself. I ended the day feeling inspired- but quite sleepy- and anticipating a work-free Monday. Here are a couple of "behind the scenes" photos from the weekend. :)

mommy | monday. whole living.

Here is a great website with some practical tips for making your home healthier for your environment and your family! WHOLE LIVING.

dance | sisters

I have loved getting to know the Shook family over the past year. Hannah is in my high school life group and such a great girl! We had a fun time taking sister dance photos... incorporating as many of their dance costumes from the summer as possible! (there are more than this!) :) We had some awesome locations that fit the styles so well... I even climbed a ladder onto a roof for the last photo, and it was well worth it! I hope you enjoy the tiny sneak peek... there are going to be so many more great photos! :)

courtney | senior

So- this beautiful girl came all the way from Egypt for me to take her senior photos... okay, so maybe she didn't come just for senior photos. :) She has been living in Egypt for a couple of years after moving there for her dad's job. So cool! We actually went to the same school back in the day... of course she is several years younger than me. :) I'm just loving her photos. How cute is the pink bicycle... and the coffee mug?! I love it. She is a beautiful lady with a beautiful heart for people. Hope you love your photos, Courtney! I'm so glad we were able to make it happen while you were in town!

cousins | BFF

These are some seriously fun and beautiful girls! After a couple of months of planning, we were finally able to make the session happen when all three of the girls were in town. They wanted to have photos that captured their friendship and individual personalities. It sure was a hot summer evening, but they were all smiles. I can't wait for you to see more of these. ENJOY! :)

my sweet baby {event}

Here is your opportunity to submit a photo of your sweet baby with a chance to win an awesome photo session package! See details below! :)

what do I win?

free infant session and print package- including the following: {$348 value!}

1-11x14 | 2- 8x10 | 3- 5x7 | 10-4x6 | 4 sets of 8 wallets

how do I enter?

Submit a snapshot (non-professional photo) of your baby (newborn- 1 year old) as an attachment in an e-mail to heathercheriephotography@gmail.com with the subject line “My Sweet Baby Event”. In the e-mail, please include your full name, baby’s name and age, and phone number. Your photo will then be placed in an album on Facebook and numbered (your baby’s name will not appear on Facebook.) You can then have your friends and family vote for your photo (by number) by clicking on “like” under the image. They will have to "Like" the Heather Cherie Photography page in order to vote on the image. All submissions will receive $20 off a future session!

when is the event?

The event will take place from August 2-16. Voting and submissions will end at 12midnight on August 16. The winner of this event may not apply package to already scheduled sessions but may use at a different time.

So, start telling your friends, family, grandchildren, sisters, cousins, and children! :) This is an awesome opportunity!

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!

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!

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!