I’m still making my way through all of their beautiful images, but here are a few to start. I’m loving Christy’s expressions as she was waiting to see Manny during their first look!!

“Oh Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

I eventually surrendered him back to his momma and cradled my camera instead. Not quite as good, but it was rewarding! I wanted to photograph the view that I had as I held Ilyas. I almost always find myself holding my breath as I look at a baby in my arms… watching his changing expressions, his little chest rise and fall, his sweet lips part slightly and fist curl even tighter as he (no doubt) dreams of his next meal!

And so, this first image was born, though not without a bit of head/neck discomfort on Sarah’s part. (Sorry Sarah!!!) I love many of these images, but the first is my favorite….

Congratulations Ali family! Two beautiful (errrr…..I mean handsome) boys! You are so blessed.

So finally, I bring you this beautiful, growing family that is so much FUN to photograph. I swear Sarah can’t take a bad picture, which makes my job sooooo easy, and the men in the family just go along with pretty much anything! Perfect! Oh, and speaking of the men in the family, a third little man has since joined them! Sarah is most definitely outnumbered, and without a doubt greatly blessed!

A few of my favorites for now…..and soon you can meet the new little one.

And even better, her dad’s expressions as he watches her.

As I was browsing I knew I had to find something special for my smallest and newest niece. At 6 weeks old, she’s a bit too tiny for a tutu, so I settled on this sweet hooded towel that I was able to personalize with some mickey/minnie mouse ribbon and her name embroidered in the Walt Disney font. As Brooke’s mom is a big Disney fan, I’m pretty sure this one will be well-received.

And finally, I’m absolutely IN LOVE with these eco-friendly reusable sandwich and snack bags!!! I ordered a set for some friends who are like-minded and am excited to fill them with goodies to start them off.

Of course, as I was browsing Etsy, I couldn’t help but take a peek at all the fabulous things that could be used for a winter wedding!! I found so many beautiful decorations, favors, jewelry, etc. Winter weddings are truly beautiful! I got married in June. I chose that time of year so we could have an outdoor wedding and so I could have tulips everywhere (my favorite flower!); but I have to say, the possibilities for a winter wedding rival those of a spring or summer wedding! I just love their cozyness!

This boutonniere is fabulous!! I adore the use of the pinecone. It exudes a bit of manliness, doesn’t it? And the hair piece is flirty and classic! I’ve become a big fan of fun things, such as feathers and flowers, in the hair, so I think this is perfect!

Decorations at your wedding are oh-so-important as they not only help impart the mood of your event, but they speak of who YOU are as a person. Fancy, classic, elegant, whimsical, FUN, rustic, urban, country, etc. You get the idea! In my opinion, home-made decorations are ALWAYS the best because they will be more YOU than anything else! And you’d be surprised at how easy it can be to do. However, it can also be very time-consuming. So, when you need a little help, what better place to turn than etsy (if not just for ideas!). I really like these snowflake place cards. And these ornamental balls would add a very elegant touch! They remind me of mistletoe (perhaps this is why their creator calls them “kissing balls”), which is just perfect for a wedding!! Perhaps my favorite, and most simple, of the decorations I looked at are these perfectly romantic and simple mason jar lanterns. And these would be such an easy DIY project!!!

Finally, favors are another element to your wedding that you can use to carry out your theme. I thought these pillow boxes topped with Poinsettias would be a nice complement to a Christmas wedding theme. The splash of bold color will make them stand out nicely on white or cream colored table clothes.

So now you see what I’ve been doing with my time! Okay, I haven’t spent ALL of my time surfing etsy, but I sure could!!

This month marks mom and dad Angaroni’s 20th wedding anniversary, so we made sure to take a few minutes to get some portraits of just the two of them together. Congratulations you guys!! These last 20 years have brought you a beautiful family, and I pray many blessings on the next 20 years!

Here are a few of my favorites!