Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not how the saying goes… (:  But seriously!  Katie and Dylan were SO much fun to photograph.  They get along really well and even their occasional brother/sister bickering was good natured. We met up at the Hart County Botanical Gardens (who knew?!) and I am so in love with that place.  Lots of greenery and plenty of trees that provide the perfect mixture of shade and sunshine.

Just a reminder – Katie and Dylan’s mom won the Facebook contest a few weeks ago, so their photo session was FREE.  If you haven’t liked my page yet, be sure to head over there so you can be part of the next giveaway!

~A

Samantha is 13!!!  What better excuse to have your very own photo session than that?  The two of us spent a lovely day roaming around Elberton (and surrounding areas) giggling, trekking, exploring, and generally getting into mischief.  We even made it out to Watson Mill, which seems to be the epicenter of portrait photography in this part of Georgia, just to see what all the fuss was about.  I think we came away with images that truly capture Sam’s beautiful silliness and lovely young lady-ness.  Enjoy!

Happy 2012 (:  I know I’m a little late to the game on that one, but better late than never, right?  This year has already gotten off to a cray-zay start (the good kind), and I’m just now starting to feel like I’ve arrived in 2012.  So, here’s a little rundown of news and updates and other random stuff, just to get this little blog going again:

1.  I’M HAVING A BABY.  That’s right. Might as well just get it out there.  And can I just say that being pregnant is super fun (now that I’m past the first trimester zombie stage, that is).  So, coming in August – lots of newborn photography (:

2.  As a result of #1, I will only be taking on a limited number of photography sessions this spring and early summer.  If you’ve ever had a session with me, you know I like to climb on things, lay on the ground, and rearrange furniture (or whatever else happens to be in my way). As we get into June, July, and August, I don’t think I’ll be able to do these things quite so easily and I don’t want to not be able to give my clients my absolute best.  So, if you want a spring or summer session, please let me know asap by clicking HERE.

4.  I’m definitely still taking on graphic design projects, so keep ‘em coming!  Business cards, logos, brochures, wedding invites, save-the-dates, baby announcements, or anything else graphic design related.  I’m working on a new site for my graphic design portfolio, so be on the look out for that soon.

5.  I’ve started writing for Constant Chatter. A fun site with lots of great content and a group of fabulous writers. Check it out sometime!  I’m really enjoying getting back into writing (most of you probably didn’t know I was a newspaper reporter and photographer back in the day).

6.  Even before finding out about our little doodlebug, one of my goals for 2012 was to do more photography just for the fun of it, outside of portrait sessions or client projects.  I’m going to stick with that goal, and hopefully be posting more of those images here – something I usually shy away from, so be kind!!  Thus begins Photo Walk Wednesday, wherein I’ll post photos from a walk I’ve been on during the previous week.  This particular one is from a hike to Baskins Creek that J and I did over the weekend.  I love the Smoky Mountains.  Even this time of year, when everything is so gray and empty.  The evergreens and moss provided beautiful color amidst the gray and rain.  And I have to say, hiking in the rain is pretty invigorating, but it makes it hard to take a lot of photos.  Hopefully this week’s walk will be more fruitful (:

~A

What a fun way to end my 2011 photography sessions.  The McDonald family definitely wins the award for most laughing at a session.  The five us laughed more during their session than I would have thought possible.  I think that pretty much says everything we need to know about this happy, fun-loving foursome, don’t you?

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanza, and/or Happy Holidays!!  I’ll be having a very merry Christmas, myself (:

Lots of fun coming to ai {creative} in 2012, and I can’t wait to share it all with you!

~Anna

Do you want to make some of this super cute fabric tape?  I walk you through the process step-by-step (and with pictures, of course), right here.  If you’re on my Christmas list, you may just see some of this fabric tape on your gift wrapping (:

This past weekend, J and I headed to Augusta, Georgia to visit and photograph our good friends, the Bennetts.  The photographs were actually done in North Augusta, which I believe is over the river in South Carolina.  We met at Boeckh Park – such a great location for photos, especially this time of year when things tend to look a little brown and dreary.  It had been about a year since we’d seen Carolina, but she was just as cute as ever.  Okay, so she was cuter.  I have a feeling that’s going to be the trend for her – cuter and cuter with every age. I’m just glad it won’t be another year before we meet again (:

Pinterest.  Oh, my.  I kept putting off even typing the url into my browser for fear I’d never leave.  Yet here I am, posting it about it on my blog.  I guess it was inevitable.  There was an initial fear that, much like my Bookmarks, I’d pin everything in sight, never to revisit any of it.  And much like my Bookmarks, I assumed I would randomly think, “I really should spend some time organizing all those things I bookmarked/pinned.”  It was pretty much guaranteed that my Boards would become jumbled messes of things I would never be able to find when {or IF} I ever decided to follow through.  With all of that weighing heavy on my shoulders, I joined Pinterest and started pinning, making a conscious effort to only pin things that I actually thought I would use or make or do or revisit in some way.  I’m happy to say that so far I have done one Pinterest project.

I first saw the wooden Christmas trees here, via a stranger’s post on Pinterest.  Over Thanksgiving, J and I went to his parents’ house and took some time to rummage our way through some old buildings and get some lovely old wood to re-purpose for our trees.  We didn’t even have to paint or change anything with the look of the wood. J and his dad made a few cuts, and viola!

Last night J and I went to the holiday party for his PhD program and participated in the White Elephant gift exchange.  When someone way ahead of us opened a box of canning jars, I knew I had to have them.  Do you KNOW how many projects there are for canning jars?!  The jars ended up being a hot item, but we ended up with them {I’m sure whoever brought them was shocked!}.  Afterward I was asked, “Did you get those for canning, or because of Pinterest.”  Busted!  But I was glad I didn’t have to explain myself (:

If you’re on Pinterest, feel free to follow me – just click here!

~Anna

And I’m not just saying they’re the sweetest family because Rita makes amazing cakes (and other yummies).  Let’s be honest.  As a wife and a mom to an almost teenage son, just getting them to agree to and show up for a photo session on a Saturday morning was an accomplishment.   Their sweetness was in the way Logan grumbled (like most kids his age at photo sessions), but smiled, and occasionally laughed, while doing so.  And in the way Curt was willing to go with the flow and be photographed right in the middle of his home town where people he knows were bound to be driving by.  He even noticed when Rita had something on her face and stopped to fix it.  Just sweet together.  I think it shows in their images (:

I know exactly what you’re thinking.  WHERE did you get those awesome mustache suckers?  Rita {a.k.a. The Plaid Platypus} made them!  She also made a bunch of mustaches, lips, and mouths that I took to Thanksgiving at my dad’s house on Saturday. They were a huge hit and we got some hilarious photos, a few of which might show up here soon   I highly recommend them for your next family gathering.

~Anna

Just so you know, I’m their favorite Aunt (or at least tied for favorite with all the other aunts).  Here they are, after the photo session, enjoying lunch at The Grill and wishing I’d put the camera away (:  It had been several years since I’d done proper photographs of these guys…sort of forgotten how different it is to photograph people that I know.  Especially people as silly as these two    I can’t wait to photograph the rest of the nieces and nephews!  In the meantime, I’m off to see Austin in his school play tonight – very excited!!

What better way to get back into the swing of things than with a sneak peek of this beautiful, fun family?  I knew this was going to be a laughter-filled session with the two youngest started speaking in British accents (:  Enjoy!  And you can find another shot of these five on the ai Facebook page, if you like.

~Anna