Sweethearts on the Hill

Lucky for me, I have a really big family ~ so I've had many opportunities over the past month to practice my photography skills   This weekend, I got to spend some time with my Uncle Steve and Aunt Connie and their sweet family   Also, lucky for me, everyone was having lots of fun, which made me and my camera very happy  Steven led the day with the craziest poses… somethin' about those cowboy boots had him in rare form :)   A sweet moment with Alesia, Emily, and Eric… love her blue eyes!   This is one of my favorites of Connie and Steve ~ I got one of the kiss too, but love this look in between   It's kind of funny ~ I had them do this pose several times throughout the shoot ~ and each time, they all assumed the exact same position and order… Great smiles! Little sweet pea and her daddy   Love this one of Steven and Mary Elizabeth    And Alesia and Eric with their beautiful blues   Sweet look   I'...

If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops, oh what a rain that would be ~ I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide… Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah… If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops... …Oh what a rain that would be!

As I was driving along Northshore this morning, I couldn't help but notice this lovely sight calling my name… So I pulled my car over, ignored the "No Trespassing" signs, told my buddies to sit tight for a moment, locked the doors (even though I was only 30 feet from them) and snapped a couple shots… Then I heard the alarming "Beep Beep Beep Beep" of my car, where the little Agrestics had tried to roll their windows up and down and unlock the doors, and ultimately set off the car alarm.  Never a dull moment. Even amidst the calm, misty morning fog ~

Pictures with my Aunt Linda and Uncle Larry and their sweet family at 4 o'clock sharp on Sunday ~   The rain fell upon Rudder Lane at 4 o'clock sharp on Sunday! We were somewhat limited on where we could shoot… trying to keep the ladies (and the camera) out of the rain ~   But I think we did okay!   We did find a 20 minute break in the rain to capture some uncovered shots Luckily, we had lots of kisses and smiles to keep my lens happy :)   Here are a few of the shots in color…  We really did have lovely color ~ sometimes it's just hard to pass up those black and white portraits And a final shot of the whole family… It turned out to be a lovely afternoon despite mother nature's silly tricks!

I had the opportunity this weekend to do two family photo shoots, so I thought I'd share a couple of my favorites with you… First was a full shoot with the Pearson Family at a very cool barn in Knoxville.  We had several elements working against us… sun, high winds, occasional vehicles passing by, Charlie roaming around… But I think we were able to capture a few keepers during the process! Jack and Davis did a great job! Though I do recall hearing them ask me several times "Why are you taking so many pictures of us?" But then they'd keep smiling! It got a little intense when I insisted on capturing a shot of them on their bellies in front of this barn… This is when the wind decided to stir up some grass and dirt, blowing straight into their faces. The sun made its presence known a few times. They were pretty much over it. I was hoping to get that million dollar shot… As luck would have it, this one was my favorite! Captures the moment perfectly. ...

I went to Spirited Art for the first time with my dear friend, Kristen, and I have to say I was quite impressed! I have zero artistic skill whatsoever, and walked out of there feeling rather proud of my silly little painting. I officially declare myself an artist! :) And to prove it, I even have my very own fancy signature marking this masterpiece my own! If you haven't been to Spirited Art ~ or someplace similar ~ I highly recommend you go. You can bring your own drinks, food, and friends. It makes for great girl time… and you walk away with a brand new painting, created by none other than You! And I promise… no skill required! This is where my nest currently rests… on my patio with the majority of my other birdie obsessions. I think the peanuts are going to join me on my next Spirited Art adventure… Can't wait to see their masterpieces!