My new website is here!

Finally! I have been working on this for so long and I finally am able to share!
My new website has just been launched, so please drop by and visit. Thanks to my husband and my ever patient dog, I am able to now relax and let it be.

Enjoy!

Buddy & Michelle: Wedding

Michelle & Buddy are the happiest, most laid back couple I have met. They love to dance, they love to laugh and they enjoy each other so much! Buddy is definitely head over heels for Michelle and you can see it every time he looks at her. I had the priviledge of photographing their wedding on May 8th 2010. Enjoy!

Michelle & Buddy: Engagement

My mom said one of her clients is getting married and looking for a photographer. Immediately I squealed "Did you recommend ME?!?!". "Of course I did, Jackie. And I ran out of business cards so you're going to have to call her." said my mother, who is also my biggest fan.
CALL HER?! I call people all day and although I was so excited to have a potential bride to photograph, I was not excited about calling. So, I gave her my website name via a sticky note from Mom and now I will be doing their wedding next weekend!
Michelle & Buddy share a fond past in two ways. They both went to high school together, but they've also shared some anguish over their past relationships. Buddy's wife died several years ago and he has now found someone who makes his life whole. Michelle is ready to be married to someone who pays attention to her and treats her like a princess. She's in luck because Buddy, a dance instructor, is more than prepared to lift her off the ground. They both have children and are ready to start a new family together in North Lakeland.

We went to Hollis Gardens to photograph their Engagement Session and they made me feel all gushy inside with their honest love! Can't wait to see them cry, laugh, and dance together at their wedding! Enjoy...

2 Years feels like a lifetime

Brian and I celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary in February this year. We booked a last minute cruise with Costa and stayed in a Verandah stateroom for 7 days! We cruised down to Nassau, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios, and Cozumel. Here are some photos I captured along our travels...

Sean is 3

My older sister came to visit from Germany and we celebrated her son's 3rd bday. My little nephew is growing up so fast. We thought he was 4 years old but he is just now turning 3! What a smart and funny kid!

He sang the ABC's about 20 times and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star about 10.

Chuck E came out to sing Happy Birthday to Sean, while I was enjoying myself on one of the rides so my sister grabbed the camera and did her best to capture that moment. Problem is, my camera is always on Manual mode and Manual focus, so all the pictures were so overexposed. I did my best to fix them and am sharing a little collage (click to view larger) and a few of my favorites with you today.

 

 

  

 

 

 

In other news, Brian and I will be sailing for the Caribbean today and will return in one week. We are celebrating our 2nd year of marriage and we are doing it in Style with a Western Caribbean cruise. Pictures will soon follow!

I love Elephants and hate the circus

Today, we had planned to go see the Barnum and Bailey circus at the Lakeland Center. We were pulling into the street where everyone was looking for parking and behold there were protestors with signs that said "Circus beats their animals" and "Don't support animal cruelty". I saw a woman holding a big poster of images of an elephant that had been beaten and I burst into tears. I told Brian to just go somewhere else and forget it. I am NOT going to support an organization that beats animals to get them to perform. Brian was like "I thought you knew that. Don't get so upset." He went on to tell me that he watched a History Channel or Discovery Channel special about the circus and how they beat their elephants and torture them with electric sticks. He proceeded to pull out his iPhone and show me a video of what an undercover detective released of an elephant being screamed at and tortured. I cannot believe that they are allowed to do that! AND TO THINK, I wanted to go pay an outrageous amount of money (like two movie tickets per person plus popcorn and a drink) to see some tortured elephants perform acts for people who have no clue what they've been through.

Elephants are my favorite animals and it breaks my heart to know they are being treated that way. I guess I will never see a circus then. Instead, we went to Busch Gardens and saw the animals who are in captivity, but at least they are not being tortured into performing stupid acts. Anyways, I will end with a really cute picture of my mom at Busch Gardens on my 20th birthday. She loves elephants too!

Mike & Quetcy

A good friend of mine asked a wonderful favor of me on New Year's Day. A young couple from the children's home, Mike and Quetcy, were getting married and needed a wedding photographer! Of course, I said YES! I have known Mike for years, since I used to be a youth leader at our old church. He is a shy, sweet, good looking man and his new wife seems to be JUST THE SAME! They had the cutest cake at their table and they threw a pretty cool food fight with the cutting of the cake!It was a pleasure sharing that special time with them and I hope they will always remember how happy they were and keep it that way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here comes 2010

My New Year's Eve celebration consisted of flying hotdogs, electronic monopoly, and of course; fireworks.
We played frisbee and chicken catch with Lilah and taught Precious, the dachsund, how to fly! Brian and Kevin very much enjoyed their duty as pyrotechnic managers and shot off $150 worth of firecrackers and Roman Candles. We finished the night off at my Aunt's house eating sushi and all types of finger foods. I hope 2010 offers me plenty of new opportunities to photograph life's special moments for myself and of course many others!

Happy New Year!