Senior Session: Ashley

I just had to post a picture from my senior session at The Biltmore Estate last night.  Meet Ashley : )  Classic American Beauty

P.S. I celebrated my 10 year high school reunion in November...wow!  Go Charlotte Latin Hawks!

House Update: Kitchen Light

Sam and I have been in our house for 3 years now.  It really takes a long time to get some things done around the house!  We've known since we moved in that we eventually wanted a light over our kitchen table....but it takes time to find the right light and then get it installed.  I knew I needed something simple in the kitchen - it couldn't compete with our huge antique butcher block (which isn't pictured below...sorry).

I first saw this light from Crate and Barrel and loved it, but it didn't come with the rubbed bronze finish that we needed to match our cabinet hardware and doorknobs.  Then I went on the hunt to find a light like this but offered in the bronze finish we needed.  I found this one at Restoration Hardware that offered the white linen and bronze finish.

 After cutting up paper in 2 different diameters and placing them on my kitchen table, I decided the smaller light would work for our table.  Although our table seats 6, it's not a large table.  It's narrow and not as long as most 6-seat dining room tables.  Luckily, this process of finding the right light, contemplating if this is really what I wanted, and then deciding on size took enough time that when I was ready to order a great sale popped up on lighting at Restoration Hardware!  Woohoo!  

So...after all that, here's the light in our house!  And my dear husband, Sam, did all of the drywall patchwork on the ceiling and wall after the electrician left (there was nothing there before the light, so holes had to be cut in the walls to install the light).

I wasn't taking the picture when the light needed to be on...

Here is a full view with the ceiling part, and with the light on.  My good friend Ruth has this same light over her dining room table as well!  I think she ordered the larger pendant though.  We are pleased with the light it gives off too - it has to be functional and look good!

Newborn Session: Hadley

I have been quite lucky to see Hadley many, many times since her newborn session and she is growing so fast!  It's just incredible how fast little babies grow!  My youngest niece is 5 1/2 months old and she is in that super cute stage where she can eat her feet : )  Oh to be that flexible!  Soon enough Hadley will discover her feet, but I know her mama would like to slow down time just a little bit!

Dad would swaddle Hadley and seconds later she would have her hands free - this girls likes to move!

Notice how her hands wiggled out of the swaddle!  Candi, the mom, said she now knows what the sucking feeling was when Hadley was in her belly...she was sucking her hands : )

I always love to see how the family dog interacts with a newborn.  Tallulah was very good, and I made sure to pay her extra attention.

We took several pictures in the rocking bassinet.  I don't have my details exactly right, but Mike, the dad, was put in this bassinet (and I believe his grandfather made it?? maybe).  It had deep family ties.  Hadley was great during her session, we were able to get pictures of her awake and asleep, and no tears were involved, which was even better!