What's not to love about this job?

Michaela is a year older and LOOK AT THIS...her baby brother is just as gorgeous as she is.
Double treat for me!

Fall Cutie

The weather is gorgeous and 18 month old Abby was scooping up the colorful leaves and acorns all over her yard.  I'm in the midst of selecting my favorites from the session, but this one was too cute not to post immediately.  Enjoy the long weekend!

Katherine

So I'm photographing this beautiful, smart, and very poised senior last night...all the while thinking to myself that I was NOT this put together when I was her age!! What a pleasure. Good luck in your senior year!

Finding My Joy

Too often, as mothers, we find ourselves documenting the lives around us...snapping pictures at every event and every holiday, only to look back on those photos and never see our own faces.  We delete imperfect photos and long to edit out our early wrinkles, or photos that make us look "fat".  I too am guilty!! My last baby just went off to kindergarten and I'm left to reflect on the time we've spent together and what we still have to come.  I've signed myself up for an awesome class FINDING YOUR JOY by Willette Kelly.  It's about getting in front of the camera...not hiding behind.  I'm excited to see what it brings.  In the meantime, I leave my fellow mothers with this poem.  Read it...remember it.  Have a great day!

Perfection (Anonymous)
December 23, 2008
When He Smiles

The world is such a cruel and unforgiving place
Images of flawlessness strewn through every aspect of life
The norm has an unobtainable and impossible face,
Making me wonder if I’ll ever measure up

Then I look into the beautiful eyes of the angel on my hip
I remember what life is about, and forget about unrealistic expectations
An undeniable love shines through the grin on his lips
I am beautiful when he smiles

Everything is perfect and I couldn’t ask for more
Until I trip again and fall into a dark sea of why’s
His innocence and beauty remind me what I’m living for
His laughter is the soundtrack to my life

This little piece of perfection looks at me with a love so real
He loves me unconditionally, to him I am perfection
It is a love of such incredible force and wonder that my heart feels
I am stronger when he smiles

I am a woman, a real woman, not from a magazine
Flawless doesn’t fit into the description of my life
But perfection sounds just right for what I have been given
My heart is full that’s all I could ever ask for

Battle scared and branded by the marks of motherhood I stand tall
Is perfection a beautiful body? Societies ideal?
Or does perfection have anything to do with appearance at all?
I am perfect when he smiles

Vermont Farmers Market

My mother and I spent the weekend in Vermont and NH.  We decided to go wherever the road lead us...using a good old fashioned ROAD MAP!! I must say...it's been a while.  It was early morning, and just over the Vermont border, we saw a sign for a Farmers' Market.  I pulled over immediately.  We had the best breakfast ever: fresh baked bread, wine samples, veggie spring rolls, homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, and coffee brewed in a tin pot over a camping stove flame.  Vermont at it's finest!

Gorgeous baby Gordon!!

Color vs. BW

I've always loved color.  I use black and white for photos that evoke emotion, so that the color does not distract from the image itself.  I take a picture of my daughter...uh oh...I love the black and white more.  I find myself studying the lines of her face, the curve of her nose.  Overall, I just find it more striking.

Furry Friends

I was in the middle of a session when the baby needed to be comforted by mama.  These cuties were waiting for some attention!!

Beautiful Sisters!!!!

It never fails to amaze me that two people can grow up in the same family, with the same set of parents, and similar experiences...and still have two different personalities.  It's our uniqueness that makes us human...and makes us great!

Miss Personality!!

The Old Stone Church - Mini Sessions

his month I'm doing a series of mini-sessions at The Old Stone Church in West Boylston. 20 minutes of photography for a fraction of the price of a full session! Here's your chance to get updated photos of the kids. Contact me for session  information.

Amanda Styles Cirelli Chari-Tea Event

Mini Accordian Albums!

I thought it was time to start showcasing some of the newer products out there. One of the most popular (by far!) is this adorable 3x3" mini accordian album. It comes in many more colors than this - these just happen to be my favorites. They hold 10 photos - 6 on one side, 4 on the other. These are available for purchase with a minimum order and make incredible gifts! I gave them out at Christmas for my own family this year and they are way more fun than yanking photos out of your wallet.

Best Digital Paper Shop!

I found this incredible Etsy shop with the most beautiful digital papers and backgrounds. Please check it out. I'm using some now to create a custom image box - a 4x6 box that holds up to 100 prints. I'll take pictures of the box when it arrives. Very excited! Check it out:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/papersweetpaper

Mother-Daughter Tea to Support Amanda Styles Cirelli Foundation

Stacey Hughes Photography will be covering this wonderful event.  If you live locally and would like to attend, please be sure to RSVP as soon as possible as the event is likely to sell out!! To learn more about the foundation please visit: http://www.ascfoundation.com/