Hopes for the New Year

   The end of another year is here! It's hard to believe 2014 is done. I was sitting on my porch this summer listening to the crickets chirping, thinking about how the summer would fly by and it would be Christmas time before I knew it. And I was right!
   I'm not going to make any resolutions for 2015. I'm just going to pray for a happy and healthy year for my family, friends and I. I am hopeful for lots of fun times, great photography opportunities and less stress in the new year.
   As far as photography goes, 2014 ended on a high note because I got to photograph a very sweet family. They just happen to also be my neighbors! They wanted to have some pictures taken to give as Christmas gift for her mom. I'm so glad they asked me to photograph their family.
 
 Happy New Year!

Girl's Beach Weekend

    Recently I took a "girl's weekend" trip to the beach with my friend Crystal and her two daughters Lillie Kate and Olivia. We planned to go down to Myrtle Beach and hang out, but Crystal also wanted to get some portraits made on the beach of her with her girls. I have never had the opportunity to take portraits at the beach so I was all for it. Plus, I'm always up for a little beach vacation!
   We decided to take pictures in the late afternoon. Mom and daughters looked pretty in their white dresses as we attempted to wade through shallow water to get to a quiet area of sand dunes. Then suddenly Lillie Kate went down and started screaming that something had her foot. She had stepped on a fishing hook and it went into the side of her big toe. Not only that, but the hook was attached to a wire that was embedded so deep in the sand we couldn't get her free! Someone had to bring us scissors to cut the wire. We were all horrified and afraid to try to pull it out of her toe. Thank goodness we left that up to the emergency room doctor because the hook was really big. Lillie Kate was great - she stayed brave even when she heard they had to give her a shot in the toe to numb it.
   With all of the craziness that afternoon the pictures had to wait till the next day - which of course was cloudy. We still got some great pictures and the girls had a fun time. Crystal is an awesome Mom who wants to give her girls all the love, fun and adventure that she possibly can. What more could two little girls ask for?

Day Tripping

  One of my favorite places we have visited in the NC mountains is Dupont Forest. We went years ago on a waterfall tour they have in the fall, where they shuttle people from one waterfall to the other. At each stop you can get out to walk around, then catch the next shuttle when you are ready. It is a great way to see the sights without all the walking.
  Jeremy just turned 15 and as part of his birthday celebration we offered to take him and his girlfriend on a day trip to the mountains. We went to Dupont Forest and ate lunch, saw waterfalls, then went into Hendersonville to walk around. It was a lot of fun and the kids had a great time.
  There is just something about waterfalls. I love how on a hot day you can feel the cool air coming from the falls as you approach. And the sound of a large waterfall is just amazing. Triple Falls is where we spent most of our time and the water is so loud and powerful... and COLD! We didn't get to see as many waterfalls as I would have liked because it would have been too much hiking and rain was coming. The kids had no trouble walking the uphill climbs but unfortunately Mike and I - both with bad knees -  just can't handle it anymore!

Dupont Forest has a lot of walking and riding trails.

Triple Falls

The last time we came here Jeremy was 9 years old. I can't believe he is 15!

Th 

These two are such a cute pair.

I teased Mike later that he was reflecting on how old he feels trying to hike the trails.

New In My Etsy Shop

  The summer is usually a slower paced time at work. I have been trying to take advantage of the quiet time to complete the work on some of my older photos. I also have some new ones taken this spring. Here are a few new photographs now available in my Etsy shop.

Birthday Weekend

   Last week for my birthday celebration, I requested a day in the park and pizza at Mellow Mushroom. I have always wanted to check out the Anne Springs Close Greenway in SC. They were having a Earth Day celebration and offered free admission to everyone. It ended up being a perfect, sunny day. We walked the trails and visited the horses. There are old historic buildings, a barn that can be rented for weddings, etc., walking/riding trails and a lake. I was so happy to spend the afternoon with my favorite fellas -- and the pizza was delicious too.

Spring In the South

   Despite what the pollen is doing to all the allergy sufferers out there - I have truly enjoyed the flowering trees this spring. I love the cherry trees, Bradford Pears and Red Buds. Plus the Japanese Maples look so beautiful when the sun shines on their red leaves. The intensity of the red is amazing. Here are a few images of the blooms I have photographed this season.

Cottage Love

Now that spring has arrived, thoughts of the beach are floating in my head. I hope we get to take a beach trip this summer. From time to time I like to share a cottage that I have stumbled upon on the web. I just love beach cottages and when I think of my ideal place to live it would be a cottage in a small coastal town. Since that will probably never happen I can at least daydream about it while looking at homes like this one I found on bhg.com!

So cute!  

I love the light from all the windows.

I'm not big on open shelves but this kitchen is really bright and fun. 

The ceiling is awesome. Love it!

This wall treatment works great in a cottage. 

These wicker chairs and table are so cute.

Love the windows, and the yellow is a bright touch.

Winter Wonderland

   I have lived in or near Charlotte, NC my whole life. Snowstorms are pretty rare here and we can go for years without getting much snowfall at all. Until this week, the last substantial snowfall we had was on Christmas day in 2010. Over the past couple of days we have gotten about 8 or 9 inches - which is a lot for us.
  With our dog Jessie only being 2, she has not seen much snow yet. She loves running around and playing in it, but taking care of business in it is a whole other story. It was sleeting hard, which freaked her out. She would not tinkle for anything - after numerous tries by my husband and myself. He ended up shoveling snow at 11:00 pm to make a spot for her and she finally went.
  Northerners always make fun of the way we react to snow in the south. I know we can get a little carried away, and we can't drive in it. But I have always liked that we get so excited about getting snow. I wouldn't want to live in a city where snow wasn't a big deal.