From the moment my dearest friend Michele (you remember her cute maternity session!) told me her and her husband Steve were expecting a little one this winter, I immediately started thinking about her baby shower in tandem with our friend Julie. With the help of the evil fabulous Pinterest, I pulled some great ideas together.  And with the help of my other dear friend Dee, owner and fabulous planner/floral designer of Elements of Elegance, we planned a shower for Michele to show her just how much we loved her.

Michele is my childhood friend and I wanted her to feel spoiled, pampered and loved.  I just adore this girl!  When I walked into my studio, where the party was held, Dee had already began setting up.  When I looked around at the flowers, hand-made flags, and special touches, they literally brought tears to my eyes! I knew we had some stellar ideas, but Dee truly brought them to life.  Those out there planning showers and parties…take the workload off yourself and hire a professional! Worth it! Lucky for me my go-to planner is also a friend ;).

Another little tip…hire a caterer!! All of our food was made and set up by Trish of Tantalizing Tastes.  Her food is so creative and delicious. My favorite? The bananas foster french toast! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

The banner below was handmade by Dee and her sweet neighbor.  It reads ‘Baby Sunde’ and is going to be such a great addition to her nursery!

So these cupcakes with the little elephants and giraffes were made by my mom!!  I’m surrounded by such talented people.  Thanks again Mom! They were a hit ;).

Michele’s cousin Jill has the cutest little one! She was making us all laugh with her cute and silly faces.

Making a rare appearance on my own blog…yours truly! Thank you to our friend Mary for snapping a few pics for me ;).

A few things you should know about this maternity session. First of all, Michele is one of my oldest and dearest friends (we’ve been friends since elementary school!) and when I heard this past spring that she and Steve were expecting their first little one I literally shrieked and jumped up and down on the trail we were walking on that morning.  I’ll never forget that day, just before Mother’s day, and how thrilled I was for both her and Steve.

Fast forward to this past Sunday, the day of their maternity session. It’s times like this where I am truly delighted that I am a photographer and get to capture something so momentus for a dear friend.  Michele’s husband Steve was a good sport….hauling their cute rocking chair out into the field, grabbing some apples, sitting in a pile of weeds all for some pretty pictures.  Michele was as glowing and radiant as she always is.

Michele and Steve - I was going to write something sappy and tear-soaked about how much I love you both but I’ll save that for when I meet your little bundle of joy.  For now, enjoy some pictures ;).

Liz and Rich are going to be first time parents very soon and to celebrate this amazing time in their lives they joined me downtown for a session celebrating their upcoming parenthood.

First of all, I adore these two! Liz is bubbly, sweet and completely adorable.  Rich adores her and I can’t wait to see these two as parents…this little one is going to have so much love!

Liz, you are beautiful!!

Daisy, as many of you faithful blog followers may already know, is no stranger to this blog.  Not only were her and her cute hubby Greg originally wedding client’s of mine, but Daisy is also the talented and creative mastermind of Pixel+Hank.  I have been so blessed to cultivate not only a fun working relationship with this dynamic girl, but also a friendship.  Through many dinners and discussions we have plotted shoots, ideas and shared laughs with each other.  The latest plot was her and Greg’s maternity session! They are expecting their first little one late next month and of course we had to celebrate this milestone with a shoot.

When planning, Daisy and Greg wanted something laid-back, fun and totally them.  The entire session was shot at Daisy’s parent’s home upon acres and acres of woods, fields, hills and countryside.  Their pups Pixel and Hank (yep! Her store’s namesake came straight from their furry children!) were along for the ride and we enjoyed soaking up some late day sun.  Daisy - you know how excited I am for both of you! Can’t wait to meet her!

During our shoot, we happened upon a field full of daisies…how perfect! I wish I could say I had planned on shooting just when I knew daisies would be in bloom.  Instead, just a happy accident;).

Oh the joy of seeing my clients at new stages in their lives! Enter Amanda and George and the upcoming arrival of a little boy this spring!

They arrived at my (new) studio (oh more on that soon!) and we enjoyed the late afternoon sunlight as we celebrated this new change in their life.  They also don’t travel far without their pup Rocky (he was there for pictures at the wedding too!) and he made sure his presence was known…even donning a blue bow in anticipation of the coming arrival.

Amanda - you are glowing and beautiful. I can’t wait to meet your little one!