Talah's Birthday | Raleigh Child Photographer

Let's pretend I'm posting this much closer to August 6th. Oh, poor Talah. That whole shoemaker saying rings true sometimes : )

We celebrated Talah's birthday with family in Orlando and it was such a fun day. It included family, pool time, dinner at Boma, lollipops, cupcakes, and balloons. One word about Boma for people who don't know. This is one of the restaurants at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. They have a nice buffet and you can walk around the impressive lodge and see animals on the property (giraffes, gazelles, zebras, etc.). If you can't or don't want to go to Animal Kingdom for a whole day, this is a nice place to go to get a taste of things on a much calmer level.

The koala bikini Talah is wearing below is kind of a family heirloom. For some reason, my youngest sister Joanna had it for a long time, even though it's been a couple of decades since she could wear it. I suppose since she was the last Summers girl to wear it, it was hard to let go : ) I was excited when Talah was finally big enough to wear it! As for the pettiskirt, Talah loves it and puts it on whenever possible--especially if someone comes over to our house. She'll disappear for a few minutes and come back out with her "pretty dress" on to show our company. I told her that she could wear it all day on her birthday. And she did.







Sometimes I get annoyed when my lens fogs up from the humidity, but in the image below I didn't mind it.












Let me explain what you're about to see. I read in a parenting magazine a few years ago about someone whose tradition growing up was to have lollipop seeds. Here's how it works. You get "seeds" (any seed-like item will do: sunflower seeds, jellybeans, grains of rice, etc.) and tell your child they are lollipop seeds and then you plant them together. Later, which could be the same day or weeks later, you put big lollipops in the yard for your child to find so it's as if they lollipops have sprouted up.
Okay, so this is all technically a big lie to tell your kids--but it's fun, right? Talah and my niece, Leah, loved it and I think we'll keep it up for years to come.















The anatomy of a birthday wish : )



I had to include this picture. Sure, the kids are cute and all, but the reflection in the glass is what is really funny to me.



Happy Birthday, sweet Talah! Yes, you are sometimes willful and know a thing or two about time out, but most of the time you're pure spun-sugar. I couldn't be happier to be your mom.

Enso and Talah at the Springs | Raleigh Children's Photographer

I'm very behind in blogging right now, but I'll try to catch up as best I can soon! These are a few from our trip to Florida over the summer. Talah got to play with her cousin Enso a little bit, as you'll see below. They literally have natural springs right in their neighborhood. How cool is that? It was so fun (and funny) to watch Talah and Enso play together because everything can change so quickly when you're three years old. One minute the two of them were fighting over the placement of their kids' table when they were eating (they were each pulling it towards themselves, like a couple fighting over a blanket), and the next minute they were having a blast taking turns turning off the light and tucking each other in and pretending to go to sleep. It was definitely entertaining.
I have more to share from our Florida trip soon, as well as client blog posts : )



Don't worry. It's not as high as it looks. Only a few feet off the ground--I promise!



He's gonna be a little heartbreaker!


















My sis-in-law, Laresa, had these awesome books with illustrations by Friso Henstra. Also, I love this blanket because it's been in my family since I was a child and was our picnic/beach blanket. Before that, it was my Aunt Kay's and actually started out on her bed!

Little Miss A. | Raleigh Children's Photographer

Here are a few more of A. that I got of her during our Little Match Girl session. Just thought I'd share : )

The Little Match Girl | Raleigh Children's Photographer

Over Christmas I went to Florida to visit family. While there I met up with wonderful fellow photogs, Brittany Miller, Aileene Guzman, and Michelle Guzman. We had decided to do a shoot together just for fun and we agreed on the idea of using The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen as inspiration. Brittany's cousin was our model and she was SO adorable. Loved her!
We wanted to get some images of her as the poor match girl and other images of her as she might imagine herself to be. Keep in mind not all the details are completely authentic to the story, but I'm sure you'll see the inspiration. I really enjoyed it. The processing in a lot of these is a little different from what you might usually see on my blog (I do use textures, but not usually quite so heavy), but I think it's fun to do different things to keep it interesting and so that I can continue enjoying the creative process.
Please read The Little Match Girl if you haven't already. I'll include a few lines below. It's a beautiful but very sad story.


It was late on a bitterly cold New Year's Eve.





She carried a quantity of matches in her old apron, and held a packet of them in her hand.






Nobody had bought any of her during all the long day, and nobody had given her a copper.



Her little hands were almost stiff with cold. Oh, one little match would do some good! If she only dared, she would pull one out of the packet and strike it on the wall to warm her fingers. She pulled one out. R-r-sh-sh!



The little girl fancied that she was sitting in front of a big stove with polished brass feet and handles. There was a splendid fire blazing in it and she was stretching out her feet to warm them...the flame went out...and she was left sitting with the end of the burnt match in her hand.



She struck a new one...The table was spread with a snowy cloth and pretty china. A roast goose stuffed with apples and prunes was steaming on it...











The match went out, and there was nothing to be seen but the thick black wall.






She hastily struck a whole bundle of matches...the light of the matches made it bright as day.









Grandmother had never before looked so big or so beautiful. She lifted the little girl up in her arms, and they soared in a halo of light and joy, far, far above the earth, where there was no more cold, no hunger and no pain--for they were with God.



In the cold morning light the poor little girl sat there, in the corner between the houses, with rosy cheeks and a smile on her face--dead. Frozen to death on the last night of the old year. New Year's Day broke on the little body still standing with the ends of the burnt-out matches in her hand.






Nobody knew what beautiful visions she had seen, nor in what a halo she had entered with her grandmother upon the glories of the New Year.