Last weekend we discovered the sweetest little ice cream shop in Indiana.  I've driven past it a thousand times while driving to grandma's house but never made time to stop.   This time we did stop. I didn't have my camera of course, but next time I go we're definitely taking some fun pictures.  The place...Tin Lizzy.  The location...about 8 miles north of Hartford City on Highway 3.  It's out in the middle of nothing: no houses, no business, just a lonely highway with a cute little ice cream shop.  I'll tell you though, it's so stinkin busy you won't believe it.  When you walk in the door there is a gorgeous, old time wooden ice cream bar where the bartender takes your order.  Any hard dipped scoop you could want is available.  The list of sundaes, parfaits and shakes is endless.  They also have vintage glass bottled soda pop~ you know the flavors you can't find anymore that'll bring anyone back to their childhood.   Inside there are some fun tables with little tv's on them  where you can eat a basket of food if you'd like.  The decor is vintage 50's ice cream parlor and authentic.  Outside there are picnic table swings~ very cool!  The entire picnic table and seats swing back and forth together.   There's an old train car for the children to play on and a display of motorized stuff someone has created.  Hudson's favorite is the motorized bathtub!  They've got a motorized shopping cart, dog house, wagon and coffin~ yup, a motorized coffin!!?  Not sure why, but they do.  The Tin Lizzy is definitely a fun little Sunday drive trip when you want to spend some quality time with the family and get some fabulous ice cream and just go back about 50 years!   Next time I go I'll be sure to take my camera and grab a couple fun pictures.  Check it out~ if you're heading out there call me,  Hudson and I are always up for going!

A few weeks ago I went out with Hayley and Joe for their engagement session.   I'm so excited about their wedding!   I first worked with Hayley last year at her cousin Neeley's wedding.  She mentioned something briefly during Neeley's wedding day about her getting married too and wanted to talk about it.  A few months later I got an email from her wanting to talk about her upcoming wedding...how exciting!!  After we got the details down, we started planning the engagement session.  Her and Joe wanted to run around Ball State, Minnetrista and then do a few pictures on a soccer field (Joe's fav. Sport).   We had such a fun time walking around, talking, stopping for some fun shots wherever the moment took us.  There are too many awesome pictures for me to choose any favorites.  I do love the fact that they had no second thoughts about hoping into the frog pond on Ball State Campus.   They splashed around, jumped off the side and we even got some fabulous romantic shots of them kissing while wading in the pond.  I can't wait till October...I know Hayley and Joe will have a gorgeous wedding and a beautiful life together!  I'm so flattered they asked me to be a part of their wedding day!!

I thought this day would never get here.  I'm sure Claire and Jesse thought the same thing over a year ago when we met for the first time.  I remember she was my first bride to book me for 2009...back in April of 2008.  Claire was the bride who began planning her wedding a year early (smart girl.. to get what you want, it's a must you book early) and when I arrived at the ceremony site you could tell she was an "organized planner"!  From the moment I walked into the Rose Garden at Minnetrista, details were everywhere: gorgeous flowers, beautiful (yet informative) signs and elegant decorations placed perfectly all around the ceremony site.  When I first saw Claire in her hiding room she was calm, put together and ready to start her bridal portraits.  To start out we tried to stay in the air conditioning for as long as we could.  Minnetrista has huge, gorgeous windows all over giving us a gorgeous soft light to take a few romantic portraits of the bride.  After we did all we could indoors, we headed into the heat outside.   Claire loves the Oakhurst Garden pillars so we walked out there with the bridesmaids to photograph Claire with her bridesmaids.   The girls had the most fun summer bridesmaids dresses; green and white floral~ definitely something they were comfy in, could stand the heat in and actually wear again (not common for the usual bridesmaids dress)!  After an hour or so we walked back up to the air conditioning to hide out until Jesse arrived.  Then it was the grooms turn.  Jesse and his groomsmen looked totally GQ and relaxed when they arrived at Minnetrista.  I asked him what he'd been doing all morning and his answer...playing video games.  That cracks me up because, in my professional experience, I hear that all the time!  I would guess 7 out of 10 grooms play video games the morning of their wedding to calm down to get ready for the day.  ~ Note to bride *if he's playing video games in the morning of your wedding day~ he's anxious!  We did some shots of the groom and his groomsmen there around the Minnetrista grounds, then, just waited for the ceremony to begin.  The ceremony was sweet, short and perfect; complete with vows, rings, unity ceremony and a special reading from grandma and the brides brother.  The guests threw rose petals as Claire and Jesse  took their first walk as husband and wife straight out to the immaculate, white, stretch Escalade!  After a quick ride around the block and it was clear that the guests had left for the reception, Claire, Jesse and I were able to start having fun creating their wedding day photography memories!  They're both incredibly  natural, considerate and loving towards each other which means  the pictures were a breeze to create.  The first few minutes (like always) were a little rigid~ gotta shake off all that ceremony stiffness.  But, as always, Minnetrista is such a gorgeous place.  It doesn't matter what season you get married there's always something beautiful blooming there.   Once we got shooting they were up for all of my fun ideas.  Their downtown Muncie pictures are my favorites!    They chose Horizon Convention Center as their reception venue.  The decorated reception room was quaint, elegant and beautiful.  I wouldn't expect anything less...remember, she's been planning for this day for a year!  Claire and Jesse's day was nothing short of perfect.  Both of them are so in love and you can see it in Jesse's eyes...he definitely adores his new bride!  I wish you the best of luck in your new life as husband and wife!!  Enjoy it!!

A week or so ago I got a phone call from Bret Cook.   He got my card at Malibu Beauty Salon in Muncie~ which I learned later is a little ironic~ he has no hair!   Anyways,  he asked about me doing a shoot for him and his wife Michelle and their son Seth.  All three of them are country music singers. Bret and Michelle are Cook and Belle  (check them out for sure, they're so fun!).  They needed some new signing pictures and Seth Cook (very cool too!!)  needed a couple signing images and a few images for his new CD coming out!  What a fun project!!  We chatted about the details of the shoot, the look they wanted and the types of images they were expecting.  Oh, did I mention this was on Tuesday and they wanted to shoot on Thursday? Luckily I was available.  They didn't give me much time to brainstorm for the session... something I always like to do.  As Beth and I were waiting for them to arrive, all of the sudden this huge, gorgeous, Coach pulls up, I hear a loud horn... now I'm sure it's them because who else would honk their horn at 2 girls standing in an empty parking lot!  :)   lol   We start the shoot and I can tell they've done this many times before~ they were completely natural in front of camera.  We had fun doing some close, some far, some with some attitude and some just fun images.  I think we covered it all.  Next was Seth's turn.  He is so cute and definitely a little more reserved in front of the lens~   I could tell he's a natural performer and I'm sure in a few years he'll be a perfect model!  Girls... his personality is as sweet as his look!  We did a couple very cool images with his guitar (my personal favorites) and a bunch of images by himself.   There's this awesome hidden blue garage door we found (can't tell my secret places) that made a fabulous setting.  They were all three so great to work with and I loved working on their images.  It's so great to get a project that is a little out of the ordinary and allows me to work a in a more creative situation than I'm used to!  Be sure to check out Cook and Belle and Seth Cook when you get the chance... they're all over around here and going to be at the Delaware County Fair this year!

How is it possible that a sick 4 year old can make so much laundry...so much mess...and require so much stuff!  It seems a sick day is never ending... but I secretly love it cause it's almost the only time I get asked for hugs and kisses from my cool little guy!  I love being a mom~ even in the yucky times!