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sneak peek

WELL, HELLO!

I love when you love on each other.

Whether you are newly engaged, a new mother and your day old baby, or a couple exchanging vows.

I love capturing love written all over your faces.

Love for life.
Love for each other.
Love for your passion.

This is where I find the real you. Where the the giggles come out. I’ll meet you there.
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Yes, I am starting yet another series on the blog. I have a great passion for  finding little hole in the wall places to eat & drink.  I want to share with you a peek of my favorite lil’ places. So, Yummy + Tummy will feature a restaurant, cafe or bar. Also, if you have any favorites send them my way, we are always looking at new places to try. Leave a comment with the details, I would love to hear from you!

First up on the list | Indigo Tea Co.

Now I have to give you a little background on my obsession with Chai. Around 2 years ago after a long fall run,  I stumbled upon a place called Nina’s in St. Paul. I was with my good friend Mitch and we ordered a chai to warm up. What I tasted was absolutely amazing, I fell in love instantly. Nina’s serves Big Train Chai it is a powdered mix that is pretty great. From that fall day on, I never bought another chai from Caribou/Starbucks/Dunn Brothers. It just wasn’t the same. I found myself asking every coffee shop what type of chai they carried and if it wasn’t Big Train I would pass. I became a self-proclaimed Chai Snob.

I would purposely drive through St. Paul to make a stop at Nina’s, met with clients there, anything just to have people taste this amazing chai. Nina’s also has great organic fresh food. Yum!

Anyways, a friend mentioned Indigo to me and I brushed it off. Nothing could be better than Big Train I thought, I had searched 2 years and nothing could beat it. What got me through the door was that I found out they sold packets of Big Train and so I stopped in. I grabbed my 5 little packets and went up to the cash register and order a Chai. I kindly mentioned (Chai Snob kicked in here)  that I specifically wanted their Big Train chai and the girl behind the counter looked at me like I was crazy. She quickly explained that Big Train was just an instant mix, and that Indigo served fresh Chai daily from the tea leaves. I was skeptical at first, again thinking nothing could beat my favorite chai in the world. But, just look at this yummy stuff.

The Masala Chai at Indigo is AMAZING, UNBELIEVABLE! It knocks Big Train chai right out of the park. If I could start my day every morning with one large chai + indigo’s cranberry scones I would be in heaven. This drink has blown me away, and I have been going to get one as often as I can. Often meaning.. like they know my order and will start it as they see me walk in the door often.

The owners Neal & Annie really have put a lot of work into making this place cute and relaxing. You can also sit on tatami rice mats (or on chairs at tables ) and sip your tea.

I also love that they have decorative pillows on their benches. It’s makes the experience feel like home.  Also, they have all of their teas for sale and you can smell each of them in the sample area. I have never had such fresh tea. It is fabulous. They also serve the famous Bubble Tea.

So take a stop in and try out a tea at Indigo. Check out their website for hrs & directions. I promise you will not be disappointed.

 

As you all know, I love Etsy and I constantly look through it for inspiration and unique goodies. This Etsy Edition is the latest pickings of what I have fell in love with, which equals my WANT IT list. Check these stores out, I promise they won’t disappoint.  PS. If you are my husband and reading this… Christmas present ideas maybe *wink* *wink*

arieltelsa’s Shop

love this girls vintage jewelry. i love it all. 

hijirik’s Shop

I need to order this one. It is calling my office wall as we speak. 

I really like these next two hair pieces and think they would be super cute for photos.

TheUrbanTrends’s Shop

bethanylorelle’s Shop

Happy Monday All!

 

FYI. Nerd alert below. This week I am thankful for the PhotoBooth app on my new computer. It gives me a place to take a break from editing and be goofy and then go through and laugh at myself later. I would have to say my favorites in this little diddy, would be the bottom left when Matt is showing his pregnant belly and my shades pictures

Another small thing I am thankful for would be my favorite song right now. This little guy, has my heart with the acoustic version of this song. Can you believe he is only 15?

Justin Bieber | One Time Acoustic Version

 

Meet Danny. This guy is also an Eagan Senior this year. He is really into hockey and by any chance have you ever heard that Hockey players are tough and serious? Danny definitely knew how to rock the serious face. He says that hockey players have that down, and I think it’s fabulous. I was also able to sneak out a couple smiles and laughs from him. It was so fun to hear about his hockey plans for after high school. I remember how intense my senior year was with figuring out what schools, touring the different campuses, and meeting with coaches. Also, during the session I found out that that Danny trains one of my latest clients Gino, isn’t it a small world! Thanks for a great night of shooting Danny. Enjoy your sneak peek.

 

This adorable little family….

this fun little wedding…

this bro + sis ringbear and flower girl stole my heart….

More to come this week. Happy Monday!

 

I am leaving town to shoot a wedding. I won’t be back to the blog till Monday.  I had to share some pictures of this little man and his perfect curly hair!

Have a fabulous weekend!

 

Since, a post is always better with photos, here are some of my favorite flower/prairie shots  so far this year.  Enjoy! I can’t wait till fall and the changing of the trees.

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Flowers | Thankful Thursday

07.31.2009 | Life | 1 Comment

This year I have truly noticed the beautiful flowers and green growth more than ever. I guess I never had the appreciation for the season of spring until this year when I couldn’t wait for the colors to return. With a winter that felt like an eternity,  I was so sick of having drab grayish/brown backgrounds for photos. When things finally started growing and budding, I paid attention to every small step. I would say things like, “does this happen every year?” “Oooo what is that pretty flower? ” I am so thankful that I have had time to appreciate the beautiful growth that God has given us on this earth. Plus, they make my a beautiful backdrop for my photos

Since, a post is always better with photos, here are some of my favorite flower/prairie shots  so far this year.  Enjoy! I can’t wait till fall and the changing of the trees.

 

Meet Alyssa. Alyssa is going to be a senior at Eagan High School. She is super into softball and has a great eye for style. She can rock out the cowboy boots, uggs, and leggings! This girl had such a great tan. I miss being that perfectly bronze. I had not met her prior to booking her session and when she showed up in this amazing yellow ruffle top, I knew she would be a blast to shoot. I am totally into ruffle tops right now. It’s such a romantic and beautiful look, they definitely make me happy. ***Seniors looking to get their photos done this fall, sessions are filling fast. Give me a shout soon to get on the calendar. ***

PS. This girl thought she couldn’t pull of the serious face. I beg to differ! This is one of my favorites.

 

Meet Eli & Sydney. These two precious ones were only 10 days old when we met. They were so tiny and ADORABLE. They both have their own personality and I  you can totally see that through these photos. It is such a treat for me to shoot newborns, I get in my “baby fix” in and the sessions are so calming. These two definitely remembered  how to cuddle, not like they had done it for a previous 9 months or anything. I also loved how their mom styled their room, it is so fresh, modern,and cute. Totally my style. This session was Mom’s shower gift from her sister-in law, which I thought was such a creative and sweet gift and I was so happy  and honored to be part of it.

****Expecting Moms interested in newborn sessions?? This was perfect timing for the newborns. Each of these images was captured at the their home, almost always between 5-10 days of life. At this time mom is starting to feel better and the baby is still young enough to be sleepy and “curled up.”  Usually, I pencil in the due dates of my clients who are expecting and, once the baby is born, we finalize our plans and set a time. My newborn sessions are often a bit longer than a typical 1-2 hour session, and we follow the baby’s lead with lots of time for diaper changes, nursing, etc. I keep things relaxed and stress-free.****

 

You guessed it. We started this engagement session at the Drive-in. I was so excited to shoot Laura & Gino, because they both have great style and just really have such an adorable connection. I wasn’t suprised when I found out that Gino was voted one of Minneapolis/St. Paul’s top 101 beautiful people in 2006. Check it out here (click on photo 14) They both easily could be models. They were so much fun and up for my many different ideas. I cannot wait till their wedding next July! Warning..this is a MEGA post.

One of my favorites of the day.

Then we headed out to downtown St. Paul area, where these two first met. I love these next two photos. Just the emotion and their faces make me melt.