{Personal} 1 week 'till Christmas ... just slow down!

The holidays are a beautiful time, but they can also be stressful! Full of "I need to" & "I should" .... and then we end up feeling frazzled!

Right now, my son is spending some time with Nana "being the perfect child" and not climbing out of bed or staying up late. 

So last night, I had the rare opportunity to go out and just mosey around. It was divine. I stood outside of the mall and watched the snow fall in the lights of the parking lot. It was beautiful. Peaceful. For a half a second I thought "I should take a picture of this" ... and then I thought "Nah, let's just live life. Just soak it in." So I did. It was majestic.

I know I always feel a little bit overwhelmed during this time of year, and love sending little reminders to our clients that life is beautiful ... THEY are beautiful. Just slow down & remember that, even amidst the chaos of life right now!

We've received many thanks for our ornaments this year, but I thought I'd share this one ... 

This is also a welcome reminder to ME .... that even though we don't have a tree up (we have a cat, dog & 2-year-old, let's be real!) and it's true that I've not yet purchased the perfect gift for my in-laws (but I know exactly what I'm going to get them!) ... that it's a magical time of year ... and just to savor it!

{Salina Senior Portraits} Cooper

Dropping in to share a few quick faves from Cooper's senior session. We met in Salina last month and enjoyed a beautiful day for his portraits. As the senior portraits drew to a close, I noticed how amazing the sky was, so we drove slightly north of Salina to grab a few photos right after the sunset, which was spectacular!

{Salina Extended Family Portraits} Lori + Mark's Family

Today, I have a wonderful extended family portrait shoot to share with you! Lori & Mark are a fun couple, and decided it was time to do extended family portraits! Above, you'll see Lori's parents, along with Lori & Mark, their adult twin daughters, all of their grandkids and their niece. It was a fun group to work with! And did I mention they have some amazing land right outside of Salina where we took their family portraits? It was a fabulous day!

With their pupster, because dogs are members of the family, too!

With all of the grandkids.

Love dramatic sunsets, and that night did not disappoint. We grabbed a few quick sunset pics of everyone.

Lori's parents (right) are so cute! :) And her niece has a sweet little boy, too. It really was an extended-extended family session!

Last photo to share today! This is similar to the large, panoramic portrait that will hang on the wall in their living room, with a nice grouping of the families around it! I can hardly wait until it's on the wall ... because you know I'll share it!

{Emporia Wedding Photography} Meghan + Brock

Nov. 1 was a brisk day in Emporia, but Meghan + Brock's wedding ... but the warmth of this couple toward everyone around them ... their desire to celebrate and honor each of their guests ... made this one of the most beautiful weddings to date!

Hair & Makeup began at Bravo Salon.

There was a TON of bling on her wedding shoes!

The couple opted for a First Look as part of their wedding photography. These first few moments when a couple sees one another on their wedding day are so special.

The fall colors provided some nice background.

The groomsmen busted into the rehearsal dinner sporting Lego costumes ... and along came the heads for a few casual pictures.

There were so, so, so many amazing details! Meghan is the third generation in her family to walk down the aisle carrying this Bible. The hankie & her garter were both made from her mom's wedding dress (love!).

:) As parents, this photo makes us giggle. It's just live with a little one. But she made it down the aisle!

Inside the ballroom, the ceremony was beautiful!

A quick hello to every single guest was such a personal touch.

The First Dances were so sweet!

The first night Meghan + Brock met, a pushup contest followed. I think Meghan won that one. Well, during the reception, a rematch ensued. Yes, the bride was IN HER WEDDING DRESS for this competition. Anyone want to guess how many pushups were completed? 30+. Yes, I said THIRTY.  It was pretty intense. Brock finally prevailed, and afterward, he quipped "I thought she'd make me do a dozen or a few more ... but  not nearly 3 dozen."

Yes, the Lego heads strike again. ;)

Emporia State University has a beautiful campus .... The Memorial Union is so pretty at dusk.

A final and GIGANTIC thank you to Kathryn from Everyday You Photography, who assisted me with this wedding. It's always fun to shoot with you, girl! :) 

Wedding Photography • Family Portraits • Senior Portraits

{Wichita Senior Portraits} Meredith

When Meredith's mom called me for her senior portraits in Wichita, we started brainstorming ideas. With an interest in all things literary, we started our session downtown, at one of my favorite publishers. The back docks are graphic, visual and were the perfect backdrop for her portraits!

Meredith also loves literature (a girl after my own heart!), so we stopped at one of my favorite bookstore to get our literary fix. Of course, she brought the Harry Potter series. :)

How I love senior portraits in black & white! So timeless & classic!

But she's not all books. We concluded our session at the stadium, where Meredith is a goalie.

Wedding Photography • Family Portraits • Senior Portraits

{Wichita Senior Portraits} Shayla

While Shayla is a senior at Marion High School, we opted to meet in Wichita for her senior portraits. She wanted her senior portraits to be a mix of urban and country.

This is one of my most favorite senior portraits ever!

Even in Downtown Wichita, we managed to find some delicious sunlight for Shayla's senior portraits.

Love the post-sunset glow.

Shayla, what a fun session! Thanks to you & your mom for the wonderful afternoon. :)