[november morning]

thanksgiving is just the three of us. a quiet day - we make breakfast - watch the parade - go for a nice long walk along the river. today we stopped for hot chocolates along the way - annie and i like to hunt for pine cones that we can glitter for the holidays. this morning there were none. they were all hanging onto their branches. not sure if it's the warmer temps but we'll try again another day. we cooked a delicious meal - watched movies. it's so nice not to have to travel. i do miss my family - we're scattered everywhere. but the good thing about having a heart is the ability to fill it with all kinds of love. i am so thankful for so many things, good health, good friends, my family and wonderful memories. oh how i love november.

[here are some images from our walk]

[BA.na.nas]

i die. LIT.erally. you're my life. a.mazing. shut up right now. ba.na.naaaas.
ok!! - i got a bit carried away with the zoeisms. [jenni, i know you get this!!] we had such a blast and a lot of laughs.
jenni is a beautiful girl loaded with personality and confidence and... THE.BEST.SMILE! she wanted to do a session to document this time in her life. i love that. i hope you love your images. i hope i captured you. being you. you have such spirit and energy. you just get it. xo



[i couldn't help it - had to include the isms!]

[well ok then]......

the sky was blue. a perfect day to do it. she likes to dress herself these days. she wore her skirt around the house for a few days prior - taking it out for a spin. over jeans, with her sneakers, over her pj's, each time i spied her in it i would make her take it off. she would protest. i would win. i had a vision of how i wanted her to look. i just wanted one shot at the shot. you know.......the holiday card shot. the dreaded.holiday.card.shot.
the afternoon was fahreeeeezing. figures. where did this wind come from? it was balmy just a day before. of all the days i planned it, it had to be cold cold cold. but try i did. it backfired. wasn't going to happen. she's onto me. she rarely looks at my lens anymore. she knows. she knows how to push all my buttons. she's a free spirit. i can't blame her. she's got her swirly skirt on and there's nothing but grass to run around in. why would she want to stop and pose for her mom.
oh well. perhaps i'll try again tomorrow. or maybe i'll just settle and use one of these shots - after all it's her. my girl.

shameless plug. - there's still time to book your christmas card session. can't think of the perfect gift? i can!! a bluelime photography gift certificate. give the gift of a memory. session gift certificates are available. [email meg@bluelimephoto.com - for details]

outtake no. 1 - i'm hungry. i'm really really hungry. [she's always really hungry - even after her lunch] open the lollipop survival kit. oh and what's this thing mom? are you trying to get a little holiday touch in your shot? um....yes annie will you hold it? no mom. well ok then.


outtake no. 2 - will you smile for me? no mom. well ok then.
outtake no. 3 - make a wish annie and blow. i wish my mother would stop.


outtake no. 4 + no. 5 - annie don't take your hat off it's really cold. i don't like it mom - that's it, i quit [that's usually what she says when she's mad] there. better. well ok then.


outtake no. 6 - ok my sweet girl why don't you show me that wonderful smile. well ok then.


outtake no. 7 + 8 - she throws me a bone. and then she walks away.


outtake no. 9 - wait annie! just one. please. for me? well ok then.


outtake no. 10 + 11 - get that hat on it's fahreeezing! reverse psychology. whatever you do annie. don't.smile. don't.laugh. don't.do.it!! well ok then.


outtake no. 12 - perhaps all wasn't lost. i love you annie viola. i love you too mom. well ok then.

[just thinking]

in this age of technology..... a lot of folks are busy sending texts, shooting off emails, leaving blog comments (love that srsly i do!), status updates on facebook, twitter reminders etc, etc. i am guilty of all the above (and there's nothing wrong with it!) - but i miss putting it down on good old fashioned paper. i love taking pen (particularly a new black super fine sharpie - don't even get me started on how much i miss my expresso pens - why don't they make them any more?!) to paper. i feel more committed to the task if i write it down. i love making my to do lists and the joy of crossing off the items once they are accomplished. sure that "to do" list usually mocks me on a daily basis as it grows bigger and not smaller. but i guess my point is for me, i need my filofax stuffed with receipts, photos of my daughter, scraps of paper, postcards, a handwritten card from my beloved mom. i love my stacks of notebooks and journals filled with thoughts, reminders, places i want to go shoot. they may take away all the magazines i love but they won't take away my beautiful handmade paper linen bound journal i bought in rome or my $1.99 fabulously cool target journal.
just thinking.

[two little sisters]

Two little sisters gazing at the sea
Imagining what their futures will be
The older one says as her eyes look around
I will go as far as the corners of town
I'll plant a little garden, flowers everywhere
And pluck the most fragrant for my hair...

Two little sisters gazing at the sea
Imagining what their futures will be
The younger one stands with her eyes open wide
And says I'll go as far as the corners of the sky
I'll gather all the stars each night as they appear
And pick the very brightest one to wear in my ear...
[c.simon]

i had the pleasure of meeting this adorable family last weekend. nola and neve. two little sisters. it's always hard for a little one to "smile" on command to a total stranger, so it took a bit of time to warm up, but by the end i think we did it.

it was a beautiful fall day - a bit chilly but lovely. the girls had me running everywhere and i had such a blast.

maggie and justin, it was a pleasure to meet you both and thank you for allowing me to photograph your beautiful family.

here's a sneak peek. hope it makes you smile.

a lime slice - [girls night]

we had it planned. our night. "no boys momma just girls". bil was to go hiking with his friend and annie and i were to be alone from early saturday morning until sunday evening. we had plans. big plans. but alas, what is a life lesson if you don't have disappointment. bil's friend kyle got sick and let's face it, nobody wants to hike and camp in the cold when you are sick. doesn't sound like much fun to me. so our "girls weekend" would have to be postponed. but how could i disappoint my little one. all she wanted to do was make popcorn, put on pj's, hop into my bed and watch icarly. i mean come on she's only three - ok three and a half - but really?!! icarly?! yup.. it is her absolute favorite show. she lives for icarly. she knows the words to the opening song. and when she stands in front of the tv wiggling her cute little booty singing, i get a glimpse of the young lady she is going to be. she knows all the characters first AND last names...... even the doorman! so we got in our pj's, with a big bowl of hot popcorn (oh we threw in a few m&m's for good measure) and we watched icarly. she wouldn't even look at the camera so i could get one lousy shot to document our "girls night" - she is so intently watching "her" show! she didn't even make it to the end....she was out like a light, with a few kernals of popcorn strewn about. we had fun. snuggling. eating our popcorn. just being together. i remember when saturday nights for me were about going out for cocktails with my friends when i was in my 20's and in my 30's they were about what outfit you would wear to go out for cocktails and here i am in my 40's and there is no place i would rather be than snuggled up with annie, any day of the week.


[look at the size of the bowl!]