London Ontario Lifestyle Photography | Kiya

The first time I was invited into this lovely home, it was to take candid backyard portraits of the wonderful Albinger family 2 1/2 years ago. Back then, this little girl's daddy hadn't even married her mommy yet. I had the honour and pleasure of photographing Derek and Audrey's wedding a few months later, and then got to meet their sweet little Kiya during the Mother's Day Minis last year. They moved away shortly after our last shoot, and I was so glad that a session with me made it on the itinerary of their recent visit home. This time it was all about Kiya as I got to photograph her playing around her grandparents' home. I followed her around every room of the house as she played and explored and got to capture her sweet little personality. What a special little girl! I am always so honoured and touched when a family allows me to capture memories for them over the years and document their milestones and new additions. I truly have an amazing "job", though it feels more like a very special privilege! Here are some photos from our in-home lifestyle session! xo

London Ontario Photographer | Winter Wonderland Mini Sessions

I decided to do a little round of Winter Wonderland mini sessions to break up the cold and quiet month of February. Outdoor Winter photography can be a hard sell for many people, so I wanted to put together a something fun, unique and rustic that would make the idea of pictures in the snow more charming and less....cold. Becky from Found Decor Company came through yet again with an amazing setup of vintage sleds and skates, warm plaid blankets and furs, and a bin full of amazing furry hats and other accessories. We served some hot cocoa and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day with some adorable kiddos! (psst... you'll notice two slightly different setups/backgrounds... we moved everything to a different spot for the afternoon time slots so that both the morning and afternoon setups were backlit by the warm, golden sun!

London Ontario Family Photographer | The Glover Family

I first "met" Jody when I ordered an adorable handmade hat from her shop for a newborn session over a year ago.  We never actually had the opportunity to meet in person, so I was SO happy when she contacted me about a family session this past December.  When I asked Jody to tell me a bit about her family, one of the things she said was We're a blended family who love each other. For some reason that stuck with me during the entire shoot. What a simple yet powerful description, and one that proved to be very true. The love and happiness in this family was tangible, and there was so much laughter. The boys of the family, Nick and Christian, were visiting home during the holidays and you could tell that everyone was so glad to be together again. Gabrielle and Paige are two lucky little ladies for having such caring and fun big brothers. Hope you enjoy some of my favourites from our Winter session in Springbank Park! xo

The Mama Journal | Little Artist

There are those parenting moments that I knew happened in theory, but never really expected. The ones that catch me off guard, make me doubt myself as a mother, make me count to ten slowly in my head and sigh deeply. Those moments where things don't go as planned. Where my little one's needs seem to ruin everything, where my own frustrations swell up and make me want to join in on my toddler's tantrum. Those sleep-deprived, emotionally intense moments when I can't help but think this isn't what I signed up for. Life doesn't always look like the cover of a Sears catalogue- family laughing, sun shining, picnic basket overflowing, butterflies fluttering - you know the one. But that's just life. And we go with the flow. I have those days, and I think we all do. My daughter can throw it down with the best of them. But here's the cold, hard truth (or, more accurately, the warm and fuzzy truth): Motherhood rocks. It really, truly does. There are too many "memes" and jokes and stories out there about how hard, exasperating and annoying motherhood is. And I get it, sometimes we feel like we are losing our mind, and we need to talk about these moments.

Please don't misunderstand me, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Not all. But much of it is. And somehow we mamas so often forget to share the sunshine and rainbows of motherhood. Like early morning snuggles, when my girl gives me a hug and says "hi, maman" and kisses my cheek. Or family dance parties in the kitchen on a Saturday morning, or a Wednesday evening for that matter. Snuggling with books at my girl's request. Or watching her sneak brown sugar crumbs while "helping" me bake. Truthfully, for all those moments that make me sigh and wonder if I'm really cut out for this, there are so many more moments that make me catch my breath and smile, because it's exactly like I thought it would be - wonderful. Fulfilling. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Fun, crazy, unpredictable.

I always wanted to be a mom. And I spent a lot of time daydreaming about how amazing it would be.  And yes, there are those moments when I feel like I live in a circus (hint: I am sadly not the ring leader in these moments). But more times than not, it's exactly the way I pictured it - but better. More times than not, I can't help but think this is the best moment. Each day holds many of these moments. Here is one from today.

I have always been passionate about art, and it makes my heart so happy to watch this love of creating blossom in my girl as well. Today was the first time I pulled out my easel, paint and canvas for her. She loved it. And watching my little girl reach up on her tippy toes to spread paint on her very first canvas felt just as unbelievably wonderful as I always thought it would.

 

Project Ten | February (Pink)

I am so excited about this project. Last month's "self-portrait" theme (while totally out of my comfort zone) was so much fun, and this month we are taking on "pink". This set isn't particularly unique or "out of the box". Let's be honest - the cute toddler on the bed scene is not exactly uncharted territory as far as indoor lifestyle photography goes. As much as I love these images, I almost didn't use them for this project, because I felt like there were so many other interpretations of this theme that might be more interesting to you - the viewer. But something about these photos kept drawing me - the mama - back in. And so here it is, my sweet and simple interpretation of pink. To most, perhaps just another toddler in a tutu. But to me, she's my little Neve Adele -  silky wisps of baby hair, an infectious laugh, an affectionate spirit, and looking far too grown up in her big girl tutu.

 

Please make sure to visit the lovely Alana Harris to see her take on this month's theme, and keep clicking through the blog circle until you've made it around. Grab a coffee, it's going to be good.

xo

London Ontario Family Photographer | Ryan, Robyn and Tessa

I met this lovely couple a few years ago when I had the pleasure of photographing their maternity session. Little Tessa is as sweet as can be, and it was so fun to meet her and photograph them as a family of three.

Our session took place on their new property (What an amazing "yard", am I right?!) on a snowy, chilly November afternoon. Despite the cold though, there were lots of smiles and giggles. Here are some favourites.

The Mama Journal | Favourite Things

It's such an unbelievably wonderful experience to watch my little girl develop her own little personality. While I was pregnant, my mother told me that a child is like a gift that you unwrap a little bit more every day. Boy, was she right. My daughter is no longer my little "sub-human", she is her own person. Neve Adele, spirited, active, playful, affectionate, brilliant girl. Everyday she blows me away with how much she understands, what words she decides to add to her ever-growing vocabulary, how sweet and affectionate she is with us, with the dog, with her babies. She has a sense of humour that is so much fun, and she loves to make us laugh. It would be impossible to document all of her favourite things in just one post. The girl loves a lot of things. Going outside, music in all its forms (atta girl!), pushing her babies in her stroller and all things PUPPIES are some popular themes notably absent from the photos below. But the following photos do represent some of her favourite things at the moment - books (oh, how she loves to read. And oh, how it makes my heart sing!), Caillou (in French) on the iPhone, my jewelry, and anything related to animals. I took these in the span of about an hour one day last week, and I just love their authentic, sweet simplicity. I love how the morning light spilled out of her bedroom window and illuminated that silky soft baby hair that is growing and thickening a little more each day. I love the quiet focus as she tries on my bracelets, examines a book and handles the ol' iPhone like a pro. These photos make my heart immensely happy, and naturally, I wanted to share them with you. A morning in the life of Neve, at 18.5 months old.

London Ontario Lifestyle Photographer | Samantha, Justin and Colin at Home

Many families I speak with are still pretty skeptical when it comes to in-home lifestyle sessions, so I'm always so happy when I have a client that is willing and excited about this type of photography that is so dear to my heart.  

Samantha, Justin and Colin are three of the cutest kiddos around, and I had so much fun capturing them in their home, playing together, snuggling together, reading, and just hanging out. Authentic, unposed, unscripted. My sincerest hope is that mom and dad will treasure these photos and look back on the real-life moments captured with a smile. Here are some favourites!