To say that Courtney & Joe’s bridal party was fun is an understatement! They were hysterical and up for anything.

The canoe idea was all theirs, but we loved it!

Then we spent some time with the bride and groom for some beautiful portraits.

After that, it was time for the party to get started!

The girls reaction to catching the bouquet…

The guys reaction to catching the garter…

The evening ended around the campfire.

Congratulations, Courtney & Joe!! What a fun night!

But now, Margaret & Eliud! We love these two. They are so fun and easy going, and just a little bit good looking! They were high school sweethearts who reconnected at a mutual friend’s college party after some time apart. They have been together ever since and are getting married in the fall at the gorgeous Branford House!

When Margaret and I chatted, she mentioned that they would like to do a fun night out photo shoot, complete with a vintage movie theater. She discovered the quaint town of Madison, and we were all sold! It is such a great town.

First we started out at the Madison Art Cinemas. Not only is it an awesome theater but it has a little cafe in the lobby! So cute! Plus, my mom just told me that this was the movie theater where she saw The Wizard of Oz as a little girl. How cool is that??

Then we just strolled around the town.

R. J. Julia Bookstore is so charming! We found a quiet little nook.

And a little cafe with a window seat…

And just enjoyed the town.

Thank you, Margaret and Eliud! We had such a great time and can’t wait for your big day!!

We grew up with art lessons and piano lessons (which I hated, but that’s a whole other story), going to see musicals in which my dad played in the orchestra. So art and music were always a part of our life.

My first exposure to photography (no pun intended) was through my dad. He caught the photography bug as a kid. My grandparents gave him a Kodak Brownie camera, and he and his little brother Bob were smitten. They would take photo walks after dinner. When I asked him why they went at that time, he said “because we liked the light.” Smart kids huh? They also used it to capture their ball games. (My grandfather’s huge side yard in Mystic was known for it’s epic baseball games.)  My dad remembers telling his friend, “Before you slide into home, grab a handful of dirt and throw it into the air.” I wish we had those prints!

Later, my father joined the Air Force and was stationed in Ramstein, Germany. He bought a Zeiss Contaflex 35 mm camera that was manufactured in East Germany and smuggled into West Germany by another Air Man.  That camera came home with him, and served him for many, many years.

I remember going through his boxes of prints and slides, appreciating them more after I got into photography myself. When I worked at a lab in college, I pulled out a few special ones and had them reproduced. This one is my favorites.

He used a tripod and his trusty Contalfex to shoot this at Sturbridge Village shortly after he and my mom were married.  It’s faded over time, but I love the sweetness of it. And could my mom be any cuter? Vintage love.

Do you have any favorite old photos?

I came across this image of John when he was all of 19, working on an eastern rig scalloping boat out of Stonington harbor.

He spent his summers working on fishing boats before I met him. It was harsh and tiring work, but he loved it. I was glad he had given it up, especially since we had known of people who had gone out and never come back in. But there was a draw for John to the sea. It was in his blood. His grandfather and his grandfather’s brother owned the Baby 2nd, a dragger whose home port was Noank. His dad left elementary school around fifth grade to work on the boat, working side by side with his father. Later, when John’s dad got drafted, his grandfather sold it, unable to run the boat without him. John’s dad returned home and got a job at Electric Boat, but he couldn’t stay away from the water. He was a fisherman at heart, a draggerman. He bought a small lobstering boat and went out every day, hauling pots and putting in a full days work before his job. John grew up on his father’s boat. His play things were horseshoe crabs and spider crabs. He learned how to pick up lobsters so he wouldn’t get pinched. When he was tired, he would take a nap in the bow, waking up when he heard the buoys off the shore of Noank. He knew his dad would buy him a Pepsi from the vending machine when they reached Fords, where his grandfather would be waiting on the shore. It’s one of his earliest memories.

Sometimes John and his dad would head over to Stonington and sell their lobsters there. John would play with some of the other kids, and then he and his dad would head into town and split a meatball grinder.

Whenever we go to Stonington Borough, we always stop by the docks. We walk up and down, looking at all the boats. John explains to the kids the difference between an eastern rig and a western rig. He tells them stories about the storms they had to ride out, way out at sea. He chats with the guys unloading their catch or making repairs to their boats. He takes deep breaths of the salt air, and I can see he is happy here.

I never got to meet John’s dad. Sadly, he died very young, a few years before we met. But whenever we are near the water, it’s as if he’s with there with us, living on through John’s stories.

This fall, our friend and wonderful photographer Shannon Sorensen shot some portraits for us. I suggested we headed down to the docks in Stonington. Maybe not the first choice for everyone in this picturesque little town, but certainly the perfect spot for us.

Thank you, Shannon!

Seriously, she is tough. She doesn’t want anything. Anything she needs, she will buy for herself (more than likely for an incredible bargain). She grew up without a lot, and as a result is very practical and no nonsense when it comes to material things.

She doesn’t enjoy massages or pedicures or other such pampering. (She claims she doesn’t like people touching her, yet she’ll hug a complete stranger. Go figure.)

She is incredibly thoughtful and giving. One day when she was buying a book about Jackie Robinson (not sure who that was for, but it wasn’t her!) at TJ Maxx, the guy checking her out was admiring it and mentioned that he would love to share it with his nephew. My mom paid, then went back and got the other copy, bought it, and gave it to him as a gift. That’s just the way she is.

She is an awesome gift giver. She will remember something you mentioned in passing months before. She always knows what you would like or need.

And she is impossible to buy a gift for.

This past Christmas, my sister and I racked our brains, like we do each year. The year before, we actually did it. We bought her a Keurig coffee maker and scored a fist pump. That made our whole holiday. So what on earth were we going to get her this year?

Finally, we decided that we would take her to the Princess Diana exhibit and lunch at Foxwoods.We would make a day of it. She loved Princess Diana, so we thought, ok, this could work. I wrapped up an invitation in a glittery package, and hoped that she would like it.

She opened it up, and stopped. Tears sprang to her eyes. “Really?” she whispered. “Yes”, we assured her, and we all hugged. And that’s when I realized. The perfect gift was our time. We have all gotten so busy, it had been ages since we had spent a day together, just a mom and her girls.

We had so much fun that we’ve decided to have a girls day every few weeks. This weekend we hit downtown Mystic for lunch and shopping! We had so much fun, poking around the shops without any boys groaning, complaining, or ever so subtlety standing near the door.

Happy Tuesday (that feels like a Monday), everyone!

Jennifer and Jason are so sweet. I loved watching them together.

After we had braved the cold for a few, we ducked inside. I love the amazing architecture. And an added bonus: a local professor serenading us with Christmas carols and Auld Lange Syne on the grand piano. Which was extra special because Jennifer and Jason got engaged last New Years Eve!

After we had warmed up, we headed outside again. I loved that Jennifer and Jason wanted to embrace the winter in their engagement pics! We braved the cold and headed down to Bluff Point.

Ok, the crazy thing is, as we chatted over hot mugs of coffee and tea, Jennifer and I discovered that we both studied abroad in Florence, and that we even attended the same school! John and I had so much fun reminiscing about our time there (it’s where we got engaged)!

Jennifer and Jason, we can’t wait for your wedding in June! And to live vicariously through you as you head to Italy on your honeymoon!

Many thanks to our family and friends for your unending support. And to our clients, we can never thank you enough!

Here are just a few of our favorite images of 2011.

Happy 2012! Can’t wait to see what this year holds!

We decided to take the boys to the Mystic Seaport this weekend. It was so pretty, all dressed up for the holidays.

And we even managed to get a couple shots of the boys! Without eye rolling or silly faces!!

Here’s wishing you a blessed holiday! And here’s to remembering what’s truly important, no matter how stressful the season.

Tre and Jaden are not only adorable, but full of personality. They are so sweet and funny. And I can not get enough of Jaden’s curls!