Daddy's Little Girl.

When I was in high school, I ran cross-country and track. It was my life. It formed me into a mentally and physically strong woman. It was through running daily practices, off-season training and my meets that I was able to believe in myself. However, I had another reason why I pushed myself and ran harder each time. My dad. He would wake up early in the mornings. I am talking three o'clock in the morning early. He would work extra hard, just so he could come see me run. To see my dad there at every one of my meets meant the entire world to me. He probably never knew this. This is just one of the many times he has always been there for me.

You see, today is his birthday. I cannot help but think of all he has done for my mum, my brother and me. If there is one man I know who has an indescribable strength, it is my dad. He is super dad. You think I am kidding but I am not. I look at someone like my dad, and I think, now there is someone who has been selfless his whole life. When my mum needed help, he dropped everything to be by her side to help. This past year, anytime I called him in tears or in frustration, he knew just what to say to calm my heart. My dad is the reason why I believe in myself and have followed my heart and my dreams. His unconditional love, compassion and strength are just a few of the many traits I admire in him and look up to.

In about three months, I get to have THE dance with him. You know, the father-daughter dance. The dance that gives me a chance to soak in all the years of memories I had with my dad and all the years to come. Just thinking about it gets me choked up. I think back to the pictures I see of us in photo albums. Deep down in my heart, I can't help but think how I will always be daddy's little girl.

Dad, I hope today is filled with nothing but happiness. If there is anyone who deserves the gift of pure bliss, it is you. I love you!

Makes My Heart Bubble With Joy.

Have a fabulous Monday!

Delicious Designs: Laurel Denise.

Hope you enjoy today's segment featuring pieces of jewelry and stationary by the very talented, Laurel Denise!

Happy Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend! It's my hope for no snow and instead the sun will come out to play again!

Seeds of Passion: Jasmine Star.

Have you ever read words so powerful that it moved you? You know, it made you tear up a bit, make your heart smile really big or want to make yourself a better person. The first time I came across Jasmine Star's blog, it did all three of the above. I did not just read one entry, but I sat there for a few hours reading about her journey as a photographer, daughter, wife and so much more. You see, she happened to stumble across photography the same way I did; it kind of found her. Her story is inspiring. I'm not talking, I'm inspired to try this out and see what happens. I'm talking, I am doing this without thinking twice about it. She was a law student at a prestige university in good ol' Cali when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. I think at that moment, her life changed. She took a year off from law school to be with her mother, and she married the love of her life, JD in hopes that her mother would get to see her a married woman. It was through her wedding photographer, David Jay, she discovered wedding photography was what she wanted. Her mother battled the cancer and survived. The night before she was going back to law school, she started to cry at dinner. She told her husband, JD, she didn't want to go back. He asked her what she wanted to do, and she replied, I want to be a wedding photographer. It was then that JD said two sentences that made Jasmine follow her heart and dream big; she has never looked back since then. He said, I never married you to be miserable. I would rather see you fail at something you love than to see you succeed at something you hate.

If you ever get the chance to read her words, I have a feeling they will impact you in the same way. Her words inspire me to be a better photographer. Really push the limits. Besides inspiring other photographers like myself, her writing of her love for her husband, JD, reminds me where my priorities lie in life. To love as hard as possible and really live. Her love for JD reminds me a lot of my love for Bryan. If it were not for Bryan and his constant love and support, I probably would not be where I am today-happy and living life to the fullest. It was through Jasmine's blog and advice to other photographers that I learned to write and represent who I am today!

Happy Tuesday!

Makes My Heart Bubble With Joy.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's day weekend!

Delicious Designs: Valentine's Day Style.

One word: Etsy. Have you heard of it? If not, hop over there RIGHT NOW. It is an art heaven. No, seriously. It can makes anyone who craves paper, photographs, jewelry or whatever else your heart desires, drool. For this week's edition of Delicious Designs, I thought I would feature some of my very favorite Valentine's masterpieces found through many talented artists on Etsy. Check it out!

Stationary by Affairaphernalia makes me hot inside. Very hot!

The Chi Omega in me cannot help but post these fun stickers. I miss college and would have definitely used these cuties by Asammon!

Is your mouth watering yet?! Mine sure is. Have It Confections is definitely something I want to have. Now please!

Obsessed with this necklace and its engraving by Laurel Denise.

This necklace makes me want to go to Italy. Like REAL BAD!

Her "Marry Me" masterpiece! What a cute way of remembering a very special moment in your life.

Le Papier has done it again with silhouettes. What a heartfelt image!

You can't get more creative than this adorable card Paperleaves has created. Perfect for your special someone.

Dear Schemata's shop, I love the colors. If this happened to show up at my door, it would make me a very happy gal. Thank you. Love. Shefy

A fun, antique "Key to My Heart" necklace by Silkstone Design. Love the vintage look!

I hope everyone has a fantastic Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day weekend! Be sure to come back for a visit next week.

Happy Friday!

Seeds of Passion: Kara Layne.

Welcome to my last, new segment for the blog (for now)...SEEDS OF PASSION. You might be wondering on the segment's name, and I do not blame you. I must ask first. Have you ever met someone in your life through an article, book or in person that inspired you to be the best version of yourself possible? This is what Seeds of Passion is about. These people, through their passion, plant seeds of inspiration into my heart that grows and blooms into new ideas. It's these same people who my heart desires to meet one day or another. They could live on the other side of the world, they could be people I will never meet (I do hope that I do though) and they could be people I know personally in my life. However, the person I talk about each week has somehow impacted my life and inspires me to be the best version of myself and gives me the inspiration to be the best photographer I can be in some form or another!

My first "Seeds of Passion" debut will be Kara Layne, a wedding and lifestyle photographer in Arizona. I came across her website and blog a few weeks ago, and I was absolutely floored by her love for life and photography. Her biography is so fun and real, and I love that her website and blog are beautiful in the simplest of form. She has the cutest kids and husband who you can just tell are her world. Her love for everything and everyone in life is infectious. She is an inspiration by making me realize when you work hard towards a dream, it is worth every moment. Go to her website and read her biography. It will make you smile. I promise. To say her talent of capturing memories for people and her writing are both gorgeous is an understatement. Kara Layne, you make me never want to stop shooting for what I dream about! Thank you.

Makes My Heart Bubble With Joy.

Do you ever take the time and just think about what makes you happy? You know the simple things that make you smile or laugh. Welcome to my next new segment..."Makes My Heart Bubble With Joy" I am not sure what came over me last week, but all of a sudden, I was inspired to blog more and come up with some new segments for my blog. I have one more new segment that will debut tomorrow. My new segment of "Makes My Heart Bubble With Joy" is replacing "Shots for the Weekend." Instead, I am going to show a few pictures of what makes me smile, makes me feel utter happiness and reflects who I am. I think this is a way of reminding myself as well as others that my motto of "Love.Laugh.Live" comes in the simplest of forms. Enjoy!

Happy Monday!

Delicious Designs: Anthropologie.

INTRODUCING...drum roll please...bbbrrrrrrrrrr (my drum roll sound)...DELICIOUS DESIGNS! It is a new segment for my blog I have come up with, and it will be posted every Friday. The point of this is to give my readers, clients, friends and family a chance to see what inspires me. All of you might be thinking that photographs are what are supposed to inspire me, and you are right. However, it is art and design that inspires an artist. I am an artist, therefore, I am going to post images every Friday of anything and everything related to design that inspires my photography in one way or another. You might wonder what a dress or a mug might have to do with inspiration. It gives my mind a chance to wander, to see patterns, color, textures and to use that toward what I am passionate about which is art and photography! I have been reading a lot of blogs lately of artists ranging from designers to photographers, you know to give myself and my mind a break from the hundreds of pages I read a week for my education classes. From reading these blogs, I have realized I need to start blogging more. (There are going to be more segments debuting soon!). This is a chance for everyone who reads this blog or wants to know more about me as a person to step inside my world. After all, every photographer can give you photographs you will treasure. To me personally, what sets apart each photographer from the next is their style and who they are as a person. Every family and couple I have photographed has told me that my personality is why they love me and call me again and again. I guess my photography skills have something to do with it as well. I somehow make them feel like I have known them for years and I'll admit it, I can get wrapped around any child's finger in a second, which makes them feel right at home with my camera and me! I hope you enjoy Delicious Designs and get to see who I am as a person and an artist.

This week's debut will start with the one and only, Anthropologie! I think in another lifetime, I was a designer or buyer for this gorgeous store because every single item they show in store and on their website, I am absolutely smitten for. A photographer whom I think of as a beautiful artist and writer, Kara Layne, wrote, "Anthropologie makes me feel like a teenage girl on her first date." How perfectly stated! This store represents everything I love, colors, styles, textures and of course if I was a millionaire, I would own every item they sell. Maybe someday.

For now, enjoy everything that makes my heart fill with joy.

The perfect mug to sip some raspberry tea on a Monday morning!

What a brilliant jewelry designer!

Just the perfect headband to wear to make any gal feel like a little girl or a princess!

Hi Paisley. I am obsessed with you!

Yeah, that is going to have to end up in our home!

How fun to send one of these sew Valentine's cards to your special someone?

So fun!

YUM.

Hello Beautiful!

If Bryan and I win the lottery, this is the first thing we are buying. Convincing Bryan is going to be the hardest part. The colors make me want to explode with happiness.

Oh my goodness!

I am in love.

This screams nothing but sunshine and summertime.

Have a warm (what is with the snow in Kansas City today?!), safe and awesome Superbowl weekend! Come back for a visit on Monday as I will be debuting something else fun and new!

Happy Friday!

Babies and Kids: Baby Gabby.

It all began in Ireland. It was a trip for two...at least that was Tim and Karen's intention. A few weeks prior to their trip, they found out they were going to be blessed with a baby. Their family of two was going to change to a family of three. It was just something extra for them to celebrate on this trip they had planned. They drove all over Ireland. Just the two of them. They saw the beautiful castles and of course the famous, Blarney Castle. When they visited the Blarney castle, they both made sure to kiss the Blarney stone. Legend has it, when people kiss the stone, they are given the "Gift of Gab." This is where Baby Gabby's name originated from and comes in.

Three months old, Baby Gabby is the spitting image of her gorgeous mother and father. Seriously, you can get lost in her eyes and smile. Oh her smile. It is definitely infectious! She has SO much personality for a three month old baby! However, this does not surprise me once you meet her mum and dad. One of the neatest things for me to witness as a photographer is the way parents interact when they are blessed with their first-born. Some say everything changes in your life. While that is true, Tim and Karen still hold their affection for one another. They still have fun and laugh. They are still best friends at the end of the day who have a darling baby girl!

Tim and Karen, I hope you enjoy the pictures of Gabby. She is absolutely precious, and I can't wait to see her grow. I hope you are ready to bat the boys off of her in a few years; she is so beautiful already!