lindsey mart photography

taking a break

2009-10-28T17:52:00.001-07:00

so i am officially on sabbatical, and i am taking a break from the photography blog. until i return, i hope all is well with you.

grace and peace,
lindsey

married: andy and patti

2009-09-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

it was fitting that my last wedding was a sweet one spent with friends. on august 29th, i traveled to the cliffs at glassy to photograph andy and patti's wedding. now, as i've explained before, andy's brother danny and his wife tammy are great friends of mine and john's. we've spent many times at their house sharing meals and celebrating holidays and birthdays, which means that we've often spent time with andy and patti. i was honored when patti contacted me to be their wedding photographer, and it was a privilege to be a part of their day. here are some of my favs.

andy and patti, i hope that alaska is amazing! thank you again for choosing me.

a relaxing weekend ...

2009-09-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

john finally had a couple of days off before the end of this audit. (we have one week left!!) we tried to relax as much as possible, including taking a trip to the park and walking around the lake. i got a cute shot of henry in his stroller ... you will note that his hair is out of control again. we go tuesday for his second haircut!

we leave for puerto rico on saturday, so i will be out of commission for a while. if you need to reach me, call or send me an email before thursday! and stay tuned for photographic amazingness from the caribbean!!

sneak peek: sala wedding

2009-09-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

i am putting the final touches on andy and patti's wedding, but i had to share this one. happy saturday!

miscellaneous monday

2009-08-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

i've been neglecting my pretty little blog, so i thought a miscellaneous monday was in order. and i have a lot to share, so ...

1. this weekend marked the temporary end of my photography and the beginning of my sabbatical! i am excited to take a break for a while and focus on rest, my family, and growth. but i have to say that i ended things on a high note ... patti and andy's wedding was fabulous, and i can't wait to share their pictures with you! stay tuned - i hope to have them up very soon!

2. the weather here in wisconsin has taken a turn towards fall! it was 47 degrees when we woke up this morning, and the high today will be 70. another reason i know there is a change in season happening - my skin! it has become all red and blotchy and itchy, which it tends to do during a shift in seasons. like the weather, hate the skin.

3. henry turns 13 months today! he is just the best thing ever ...

4. i got news last week that a dear friend of mine found out that her young son has muscular dystrophy. i am heartbroken and fervently pray for strength and peace for them. if you pray, would you join me?

5. while we were in greenville this weekend, we stayed with our friends melanie and brian and little bennett. of course i had to get my camera out and take some shots of bennett bear, and this one is my all-time fav. i mean, just look at this face ...

just precious.

6. i don't know if any of you are into celebrity news, but i heard that dj am died of an apparent drug overdose. for those of you who don't know, dj am was a famous disc jockey who had overcome so much in his life. he battled crack cocaine addiction and obesity, recovering from both after years of struggling. he survived a deadly plane crash in columbia, sc, last year, and he had just finished filming a show with mtv where he helped other addicts into recovery. after working with addicts and alcoholics myself, i find this story incredibly sad. it is yet another example of the sickness of addiction ... all it takes is one line, one hit, one drink to end not only years of sobriety but also the chance to live. so sad.

you have the chance to live today. what are you going to do with it?
peace to you on this monday,
lindsey

may God's love be with you ... always

2009-08-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

one of my all-time favorites.

cheese-a-licious!

2009-08-12T18:11:00.001-07:00

the day after henry's birthday we took him on a cheese tour through southwestern wisconsin. the tour itself was designed by our CAS friend meredith, and it started with a stop in madison to have brunch at marigold's kitchen, and it ended with a late lunch at an awesome pizza shop in new glarus. if you get a chance, check out the link to new glarus - they call themselves "little switzerland," and they don't disappoint. the entire town is like a transplant from switzerland, architecture and all. it was really cool.

the cheese tour was definitely an experience. i have always thought that "curds" just sounded gross, and i needed stay far, far away from them. the thought of cheese squeaking in my mouth has never been appealing, frankly, but john always tells me i need to be more open to new foods and flavors, so i thought i would give them a try. and they actually weren't that bad. the fact that the fresh curds were warm kind of grossed me out, but overall i was able to eat a few and be moderately surprised.

the best place we went by far was the arena cheese store. our visit there was by chance - we passed it up and decided to go back, so after a long detour in a wisconsin cemetary, we made it there. (wierd, i know.) before we made it inside, we had an interesting chat with a gentleman who had ridden in on his harley to get some curds and was sitting alone outside. he struck up a conversation with john about politics and ge and healthcare. john listened patiently and intently to the man's concerns, and i think it made him want to be president a little. once inside, we got to see the cheese being made, try on cheese heads, sample some fresh curds, and purchase some goodies for later. check us out.

i am bummed we didn't get a picture with meredith, but we still have a month or so left on this audit to accomplish that.

all in all, i would say it was a fun day trip that took us through beautiful wisconsin countryside, and it was a cheese-a-licious adventure!

new things ...

2009-08-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

now that i am inching towards my sabbatical, i am making some changes to the blog again. i like to redecorate my blog from time to time - as if you haven't noticed - and i believe that because motherhood has softened me, it's time for a fresh, soft, gentle new style. i will be tweaking it over the next few days, but i really like it so far. hope you do too.

birthday goodness

2009-08-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

henry turned 1 on friday, the 31st, and i think i cried all day. i was surprised at this reaction - i knew i would be happy, but i didn't expect the overwhelming mixture of gratitude, love, and joy. i have said from the beginning that he is the best thing i have ever done, and i believe taking care of him is the best thing i do each day. my heart has never known love like this before, and i cannot thank God enough for allowing me to be henry's mommy.

i will warn you that this post is loaded with birthday pictures, so prepare yourself for an overload of cuteness and awesomeness.

starting with the birthday party ...

we went all out for his cake. he only turns one once, right?

the setting ...

i think he was a bit excited, but also a little overwhelmed ...

he wanted the candle more than he wanted the cake. and he had never had sugar before that day ...

the party was so much fun, and it was great to celebrate Henry with people we love. thanks so much to ashley for taking these pictures for me.

the morning of his actual birthday, i broke out the camera before breakfast. :)

happy to be one ...

he has learned to make many funny noises now ...

and he always tries to grab the camera ...

john came home a little early, and we got him some ballons ...

he loves to hit them around ...

then we took him to the pool. and these pictures don't even come close to showing how excited he is in the water.

then playtime with the football and daddy ...

after that we moved on to the cupcake ...

needless to say, he was pretty tuckered out at the end of the day. and so were we. :)

and the winner is ...

2009-08-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

rebekah and tyler! congratulations you two!! you get an 11x14 of the picture of your choice! the voting was pretty intense at the end, and because they also had mad support, heather and rusty are going to receive an 8x10 of the picture of their choice. thanks to everyone who voted and to all my awesome couples!

a video and a contest

2009-07-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

does everyone remember when i posted rebekah and tyler's wedding, and i told you that she had the best father-daughter dance ever? well, she got the video up, so now you can see it for yourselves!!

sheer awesomeness. oh and if you were wondering who that big-headed lady was that kept getting in the way ... look no further. :)

and while we are on the topic of awesomeness, it is henry's birthday week!! i am so excited to be celebrating his first birthday and marking one whole year that we have had him with us! here is just a sneak from his greenville party ...

the smash cake ...

stay tuned for MANY more pictures of his birthday!

okay, now on to the contest ... in celebration of my baby boy turning one and of all my beautiful brides, i decided to pick a favorite - and it was super hard because there were so many - from each of my recent weddings and post them here for you to vote on. i have also linked to their blog post in case you would like to see more of their photos in order to make your decision. just vote for your favorite by posting a comment, and the bride and groom with the most comments wins an enlargement of their choice! so in no particular order ...

1. heather and rusty - the incredible shoes

2. colleen and mark - the view of the daniel island club

3. pam and david - the vineyard wedding and the amazing ring shot

4. lauren and david - best spontaneous moment at a wedding ever

5. kira and jad - the amazing flowers

6. rebekah and tyler - jammin with her brother

voting ends on friday at midnight, and you can only vote once. anonymous votes will not count, so you must type in your name to comment. good luck to all my awesome brides and grooms!

married: lauren and david

2009-07-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

it's taken me a few weeks to get these posted because there were so many amazing photos from lauren and david's wedding! i spent most of my time before the ceremony with lauren and her girls, and i have to say that i fell in love with her even more. she had such a precious "i am nervous because it's my wedding day and i want it all to go perfectly but i am still a high-powered attorney who can kick your butt" attitude, and it was adorable! she and david are good souls, and they just fit. here are my favorites from their day.

lauren has amazing taste. weren't her colors beautiful??

love these veil shots ...

she was breathtaking ...

time with dad just before the ceremony ...

i wasn't allowed to take pictures during the ceremony, but i snagged these right after ...

they ordered a guestbook with their engagement photos, and when i got to the reception, it was open to my favorite picture of them. it's the one on the right.

and i loved this entry ...

sweet dances ...

david went to clemson for undergrad, and lauren surprised him by having the tiger come to the reception!

he was loving it!!

but by far the best part of the night was when the dj played "don't stop believin" by journey. there weren't a lot of people out on the dance floor at the time, but the ones who were there draped their arms around each other and swayed, singing to the top of their lungs. in seconds, many of the other guests joined in, and they spontaneously formed a circle around the dance floor. lauren and david broke through to the middle and danced together, encircled by their families and friends. it was as if their loved ones were encouraging them, blessing them, and joining with them on their journey of starting a life together. hands down the best spontaneous event at any wedding i have ever been to.

it was absolute magic.

complete with air guitar.

lauren and david, thank you for the privilege of being your wedding photographer. thank you for welcoming me and treating me with such respect. it was an honor to be a part of it.

things i forgot i knew

2009-07-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

when john and i decided to embark on this crazy adventure known as audit staff, we knew that while it was an incredible opportunity, it was also going to be tough. we talked in length about our expectations, how much time we would get to spend together, what adjustments we would need to make in order to survive. we both acknowledged that it may get very lonely at times and that we would need to do things to combat that when necessary. we agreed that it would be harder on me taking care of henry almost always by myself. i knew all of this going into it, but talking about it and experiencing it are two very different things.

in the last week i have been coming out of a funk that i hadn't even realized i was in. things have been so busy with trips back home and celebrating henry's birthday that i didn't fully see or understand what was happening inside of me. i was sad, lonely, and frustrated. you see, i am without any adult interaction for a lot of my days. other than facebook, an occasional phone call, or meeting john for an hour at lunchtime, i don't really see or talk to anyone older than 1 from 7:30am to anywhere from 8pm - after midnight. and while i love henry with all my being, i haven't had the right balance to enjoy taking care of him the way that i want to. and that made the sadness more intense, adding to the cycle of emotions swirling within me.

what broke the cycle and stopped the downward spiral was merely a reminder. a gentle answer to the question, "what am i doing?", that came after the 375th diaper change that day. i remembered i was caring for my beautiful son, that changing his diaper is necessary for his health and well being, and feeding him is important because it keeps him alive and helps him grow. he needs me to live and grow well. he needs me, and it is an honor to care for him.

it sounds so simple that some may wonder how i ever forgot it. but in the day to day routine of diapers and food and bathing and playing and comforting, those truths can get lost. i knew all of it, but i needed to remember. i think a lot of moms need that, too. i have been working on a project for over a year now for moms, and i hope to complete it soon. after all, we all need reminders. here is one of mine:

i hope to have all of henry's birthday photos posted by next weekend (after his actual birthday), and stay tuned for lauren and david's fabulous wedding photos coming soon! here are two candids that show you ...

1. how gorgeous the wedding was:

and 2. how much fun it was!

lauren found me through my former bride leah, of leah and ryan! ryan was one of david's groomsmen, and it was great to see these two again. i love it when i see my former couples at weddings! and look how happy they are!

and they (and by they, i mean ryan) are still as crazy as ever!

running

2009-07-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

after the traumatic incident at the kids club last week, we decided to quit the gym. so that left me with trying to figure out what to do for exercise, which is a must. working out for me is a lifeline, like phoning a friend or asking the audience. without it, i don't know the answer and am certainly not winning the million dollars. it is a must. i am thinking of checking out some other fitness facilities, but in the meantime i am running. or jogging. or slightly moving my legs. you see, i am a terrible runner. just terrible. i have to train to run a 10 minute mile. my body just doesn't like it and rejects it entirely. i like the idea of it, and i definitely like how i feel when it is over. it clears my head, makes me feel accomplished, and it has reunited me with some old friends ...

for now, i am running. maybe it is just the challenge i need right now ...

day after: rebekah and tyler

2009-07-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

what do you get when you mix a farm with antique cars and fields with a fabulous couple just fresh off their honeymoon? HOTNESS! check it out ...

married: rebekah and tyler

2009-07-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

she has loved him since the 5th grade. that is what she told me when we sat down to lunch. she saw him, and it was instant - for her. she claims he didn't notice her until the 8th grade, and they have been together ever since. can you imagine?? growing up and growing old with your soul mate ... they have that honor. when they asked me to photograph their wedding, i jumped at the chance - not only because rebekah is the sister of jonathan (of my famous couple jonathan and lindsey) - but also because rebekah is beautiful both inside and out. she and tyler are amazing people, and i love to photograph the amazing. here are my favorites from their day.

brotherly love ...

the crazy wedding party

a sweet moment in the car on the way to the reception

i just loved their first dance ... and how he looked at her

and what was to follow had to be the best father-daughter dance i have seen to date. it started off like this ...

and in the middle of their sweet slow song, the music changed, and they started doing this ...

they had an entire choreographed routine while "stanky legg" by the gs boyz blared from the speakers!! it was hilarious!! and of course, the music switched again, and they ended like this ...

they danced the rest of the reception away, and it was so much fun! here's one of my favorites ...

rebekah and tyler, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your day! i hope the dominican was amazing, and i can't wait to post your day after pictures!! enjoy!

a whole lotta stuff ...

2009-07-13T07:03:00.000-07:00

stay tuned in the next few days for:

1. rebekah and tyler's wedding

2. rebekah and tyler's day after session

3. lauren and david's wedding

4. henry's birthday pictures!!

here's just a little sneak peek for you!

today is better

2009-07-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

hopeful. like this ...

my grumpy day ...

2009-07-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

as in, don't look at me. don't even think about looking at me or talking to me because i will chop off your hand and smack you with it. that kind of day ...

it started off with a traumatic incident at the kids club this morning. we won't discuss it except to say that henry cried for an hour and they didn't come and get me even though they were supposed to come if he didn't stop after 20 minutes. enough said.

i have had a headache all day.

he won't sleep anymore ... we are in another phase of that.

i pulled some kind of muscle in my step class while unbeknownst to me my child was crying for an hour.

we leave for another trip this week, and i am still tired from the last one.

even my big girl clothes are a little snug today.

overall, it was bad. bad, bad, bad. and i know i am blessed and i am grateful and i have an awesome life, but some days a girl is grumpy.

grumpy like this ...

rebekah: beauty

2009-07-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

now that she is mrs. tyler brady (yay!), i can post some of my favorites from rebekah's bridal session. we spent the day in clemson for the shoot, and we all loved being back in tiger territory. rebekah told me that one could never have enough rhinestones or peacock feathers, and her style proved it! check her out ...

i am working on their wedding photos now ... stay tuned for the incredible images from their big day!

1st haircut

2009-07-04T06:12:00.000-07:00

i gave in. i had to. really. his hair was so out of control and starting to look a little like a mullet. i could not bring myself to have a child with a mullet, even if it was a cute baby mullet. so john and i took henry for his first haircut yesterday, and it was a sweet experience. seeing my little baby boy in that chair was a bit surreal, but it was a good surreal. a "look how much he's grown and i can't wait to see what happens next" surreal. of course i had to document it ...

here are the before shots ...

he was very curious about where we were, but he did a great job. no crying until the lady wouldn't let him hold the clippers. she had already given him 3 combs and a keychain, but those weren't as cool as the thing that made all the buzzing sounds!

he wasn't sure about that water bottle ...

and the final result ...

then we sat him on the bench by himself to get a few shots. he was a little over it by then, but these made me so happy.

isn't he beautiful? this might be one of my top 5 pictures i have taken of him to date.

his first birthday is coming up ... stay tuned for tons more pictures! (can we say out of control?)

iHeartFaces - photo contest

2009-06-30T08:30:00.001-07:00

i heart faces, too, so i thought that i would enter this contest for fun! besides, my favorite photographer, Jasmine Star, is the guest judge this week, and since it is my ultimate quest to get her to photograph my family one day, i thought i would use this opportunity to be near her. (but not in a stalker way.)

so i went through my most recent weddings, and decided to enter this photo:

i just love the way they are celebrating the fact they just got married! he's skipping, she's screaming ... they are ecstatic. and i love how everyone who sees them celebrating is smiling. lots of smiling faces.

i had lots of runner ups, and i can post them next week when the contest is over. wish me luck! and be sure to head over to iHeartFaces to see all of the great entries there!

observations and observances

2009-06-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

i regret to say i have been a little mia. it has been exciting but super busy getting settled in to our new town, and my little blog has gone untouched. so sorry, little blog and blog readers. today, however, we are back in action.

i wanted to share just a couple of observations about the midwest, milwaukee in particular. here they are in no particular order.

1. there are two kinds of people here. there is the nice, friendly, genuinely interested in you kind of person who talks your ear off at the grocery store and holds the door for you when you are trying to get somewhere with the stroller. i have mostly encountered those kind folks. however, i have run into the "i don't even see you and will run over you to get where i am going because i don't have time to acknowledge that other people exist" kind of person. it's troubling.

2. there is great road signage here! there are nice sized signs that tell you what street is coming next, and each intersection is clearly labeled. when you are one to get lost easily, that is surely helpful! however, the store signage is bad. very, very bad. they are small and poorly positioned, so much so that it took juli and i driving up and down one street three times just to find the babiesrus! great road signage, but terrible store signage. i guess if you are one who just likes to drive, that's fine, but i am one who drives to find stores.

3. there are a lot of healthy and conscientious people here. i have found tons of gyms, good health food stores, and available recycling bins. it makes me happy.

4. downtown pewaukee is a great little family place. they have a beach (and i use that word because they do ... coming from south carolina and growing up at the real beach makes it tough for me to call it that) on the lake, and on nice days it is packed with families enjoying the summer weather. there is a strip of shops right across the street filled with restaurants, a coffee shop, an ice cream parlor, and other businesses. john and i went down there for date night once, and we loved how quaint it was.

5. they have noodles&company!! i am officially in love and addicted to this restaurant! it has a great variety, is not too expensive, and offers dr. pepper in the fountain! we go there at least once a week. (sometimes twice.)

i am sure there will be more things i observe over time. i hope to keep a little log of these at every location we go to. and speaking of ... we should know our new location very soon! stay tuned for the official announcement!

big henry news this week! first of all, he is 11 months tomorrow! it is amazing to me to see how much he has grown and how much we have gained by having him here all this time. i love him so much i can feel my heart growing. he has been clapping on purpose at things he likes and has started to call us "mama" and "dada" on purpose! also, he started crawling last week! let the fun begin, right? here are a few recent pictures of his shenanigans.

playing in his room

hanging out in his super cool bathing suit while we were waiting on daddy to go to the pool

and for those of you who are curious, he got his first real boo-boo a couple of weeks ago, and that is the red spot on his shoulder. that and the band-aid mark around it. it was traumatic, and that is all i have to say about that.

we plan to go to downtown pewaukee for the 4th and catch the fireworks show on the lake. it will be henry's first experience with fireworks, and i am hoping he will love them!

wild man

2009-06-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

just wanted to share a few new pics of henry and introduce you to his new look. his hair is getting so long that he has a crazy, wild style when he wakes up from his naps. check him out!

the hair is so wild that it will not be tamed by a brush. in order to get it down, i have to wet his hair and comb it incessantly. his hair is really too long, though, so it is starting to curl a little.

on saturday we took henry to the elegant farmer, which is a neat little farm about 20 minutes away. they have fresh flowers, fruits & vegetables, and even a train ride. henry just stared at everything there. here are a few shots from our visit.

i got a canvas shopping bag and a frame made at a little woodworking shop on site. i have decided that i want to get a canvas bag at each location during this job. i thought that would be a neat way to remember our trip and help save the planet. :)

married: kira and jad

2009-06-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

one week ago today i was in columbia, sc, for kira and jad's amazing outdoor wedding. they had both the ceremony and reception at senate and canal hall , and it was gorgeous! this was my first wedding at this venue, and i was so excited about it! as i mentioned before, i had the incredible juli kalbaugh shooting with me, so between loving juli and loving kira and jad, i was set. :) they were just as adorable on their wedding day as they were on the day of their engagement session - excited, laid back, hopeful, and in love. here are my favorites from the day.

loved her colors!

jad seeing kira for the first time

kira cried the whole way down the aisle. it was so sweet to see her dad pat her hand to reassure her.

love these first moments as husband and wife

and how much did i LOVE these paper lanterns??

the first dance

and the grand exit - there were loads of bubbles!

kira and jad, thank you so much for the honor of being your wedding photographer. i hope your honeymoon is AMAZING, and i can't wait to talk to you when you get back!

wis-cahn-sin

2009-06-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

yep, that's right. i am practicing my midwest accent thanks to help from juli. it's amazing how thick it is here ... some people sound like they have lettuce stuck up their noses! but i have to say it is growing on me, and i find it a little endearing. maybe it's because i love juli so much. :) and did i mention that she is super awesome and made the drive with me and helped me get settled? she is so much fun that we drove the entire 14 hours in one day, and i didn't even notice!!

so far, things have been perfect. i really don't know how they could be any better, really. the apartment is nice and big, it has an elevator, and henry has his own room. the people here are super nice - it's nothing like the north where it's hit and miss. there is a target, babiesrus, and a health food store all within a few miles. john got me a garmin so we can find our way around without stressing (i am TERRIBLE with directions, so he knew i needed it!), and the weather has been incredible - 70's, sunny, crisp air. there is a pool and playground here, and i just signed up for a gym this morning. what could be better than all of this?? and most importantly, we are all together as a family. we see john at lunch and dinner everyday, and some nights he stays at the apartment to work, so he is around a lot.

i am so happy. the happiest i have been in a long time ... and i am incredibly grateful.

i will be back in greenville at the end of this month to photograph rebekah and tyler's fab wedding, but i leave you with a preview of kira and jad's gorgeous wedding from last weekend. i should have their post up soon!

miscellaneous monday ...

2009-06-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

1. well, phase one of operation moving on up is over. i am currently at my parents' house for a week, where i will hang out with henry until i shoot kira and jad's awesome wedding this saturday in columbia. what's even more awesome is that the incredible juli kalbaugh will be returning to team mart for this one!! i am so excited to be shooting with her again. and then, to make matters even more super-out of control-awesome, she is making the trip to milwaukee with me!! that girl loves her a road trip, and i am so pumped that she is able to come with me. too bad we are going to look like the beverly hillbillies cause my car is packed!!!

2. being at my parents' and back in the 'boro has been a little weird. i am used to living in a city that has all that i want and am accustomed to ... target, whole foods, publix, the mall, etc. in ruffin we have railroad tracks and a stop sign. in walterboro there is a walmart, a belk, and a sonic. it is strange. the other funny thing about being here is that i noticed people don't smile as much as they do in greenville. is it the lack of stores? or is it the sweltering heat?? not sure ...

3. last week i was able to share some meals with a few special friends before i left greenville. i had dinner with leslie one night, and it was so good to catch up with her. she and i have been friends since college, and we have made it through good and bad times together. really, she put up with me until i got my act together, but i digress. she is someone who never forgets anything - and i mean anything - and always is interested about how i am doing. she is a great friend. i was also able to have lunch with jonathan and lindsey, and it was one of the highlights of my extremely stressful week. you see, they chose me to be the photographer for their wedding last july, and we have been fast friends ever since. when i told them i was pregnant and due 10 days after their wedding, they decided to stay with me even though there was a chance i would have to send someone else to take my place (and praise God that didn't happen!) right after they got married, i had henry, and then once i was out in the world again, they moved to italy for the spring semester and jonathan's grad work. now that they are back, we are moving away, and i am so sad that i haven't gotten to spend more time with them. they are the kind of people that make you feel totally loved, cared for, and respected ... the kind that cause you to lose any self-consciousness and to feel seen. and that is the best kind.

4. i have to say, i may be a little late on announcing this, but i LOVE kris allen!! i am so excited that he won american idol, and i have really been enjoying him make his rounds on the talk shows. even though he didn't write the new song, it is really starting to grow on me. and i must say that i was a little disappointed that he didn't play his guitar while singing it on the show, but i love how he is playing it now ... the song sounds much better when he plays the guitar with it. and yes, i downloaded it from itunes. i did. and here it is for your listening pleasure.

5. in other big news, henry is 10 months old!! he is almost crawling, pulling himself up to his knees, rolling everywhere, and even scooting sometimes. he laughs all the time now and is so curious about the world. he is a great traveling companion, and he has been doing really well throughout our transition. i will post some pics soon!

happy monday, everybody!

out of the office ... the state ... the South

2009-05-28T04:22:00.001-07:00

just wanted to let everyone know that i am going to be out of the office for a week or so. i am hoping to have internet connection sometime soon, but i am not sure when i will be up and running again. if you need to reach me, you can call me and leave a message. i will be out of cell phone reach for a while, but i can check my messages regularly.

if you are the praying kind, we would appreciate some.

lindsey

latest henry

2009-05-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

just wanted to post a few shots i have taken of our sweet boy in the last 2 weeks. this first set is from jacksonville when we were stuck in the condo there. it was raining, but the light coming in through the sliding glass doors was just gorgeous. check him out.

and these last few are from my parents' house. john and i bought henry a swing, and he loved it!

we are going to be crazy busy in the next few weeks, but i will try to keep you all updated as we make our move to milwaukee.

engaged: patti and andy

2009-05-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

they met at a benefit in downtown greenville. she wasn't even supposed to stay long, but after they met, she got home late. :) because andy is related to this guy, i have already photographed patti and andy once before during a family session. it was fun then, and it was fun today.

patti and andy are getting married at the cliffs at the end of the summer, and i am so excited to be their photographer! here are my favorties from their session.

we had to go to the wyche pavillion so andy could show me the exact spot they met. of course i had to photograph them there.

and apparently, andy is a HUGE raiders fan, so he brought along some jerseys for them to throw on for some shots. here are their smiles and their mean faces. :)

patti and andy, thanks so much for choosing me! i can't wait for august!!

married: colleen and mark

2009-05-24T22:08:00.001-07:00

oh how i love them. that's right - i love colleen and mark. from the moment we met on sullivan's island, i learned how laid back, funny, and genuinely kind they both are. but at their wedding this weekend, i discovered that there are a lot of people who feel the same way i do. their celebration was beautiful - and not just because it was at the exquisite daniel island club - no, it was the deep love tangible to everyone there that made it incredibly lovely.

i started the day by meeting colleen and her family and bridal party on isle of palms where they were gettting ready. i loved being at the beach again. here are some great details.

once i made it over to the club, there were more amazing details!

their gorgeous ceremony was right on the water.

and their bridal party was cru-aaazzy!!

then i stole the happy couple away from the party to get some ah-mazing shots on the dock. look how sweet they are!

their sweet first dance ...

mark and colleen met at jmu, and they had a lot of their friends from school there. here is the crazy jmu crew!

their toasts were hilarious, and almost every speech (made by mark's brother and colleen's three sisters) evoked this reaction:

the rest of the night was a super fun party with all the action happening on the dance floor. see ...

and finally, to end a perfect day, colleen and mark left in the cutest black cab.

colleen and mark, i love you i love you i love you. it was truly an honor to be a part of your wedding. i hope that you have a fabulous time on your honeymoon and can't wait to talk to you when you get back!

married: heather and rusty

2009-05-17T01:18:00.000-07:00

it's good to be back in the south. there are a lot of nice people here, and i think most of them were at heather and rusty's wedding today. from the bride and groom to all their family and friends, everyone welcomed me with kindness and generosity. and heather and rusty are both so gracious, laid back, and just plain fun to be around. i was like i was another member of the family, and it truly was an honor to be there. here are my favorites from the day.

heather has such great style ... check out those shoes!

look how her gorgeous eyes just pop!

and their sweet little doggy had a tux on, too!

one really fun thing is that heather and rusty know jonanthan and lindsey (a former bride and groom and friends forever) and rebekah and tyler (whose wedding i get to shoot this summer!), so i got to hang out with them, too! they are all so special to me. see how sweet they are!

heather and rusty, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your day. have a great time on your honeymoon, and i will talk to you soon!

engaged: lauren and david

2009-05-16T00:07:00.000-07:00

i met lauren for the first time when i showed up for our session 30 minutes early. with all the craziness in my life going on, i got the time wrong! but lauren was very gracious and understanding, and she could not have been more sweet. david is a lucky man. :) we did the session at their greenville home in a historic part of town, and i immediately fell in love with its charm and style. and their pictures turned out just as cute! check them out!

lauren and david, i can't wait for your wedding in july! see you soon!

wow.

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

i tell john i love him all the time. seriously, it borderlines on obsession. okay, maybe it is obsession, but i have always told him that i would rather say it too much than not enough ... that i can rest in the knowledge that if something ever happened to either one of us i would know i told him enough. so when i sat in shock at the end of grey's anatomy last night, hearing mereidth's words, "did you say it?," i felt no sudden compulsion to call john to tell him how much he means to me. he knows how i feel. but i called him anyway. :)

talk about shock ... i sat in angst the whole two hours. i knew something was coming, but of course never expected to discover that john doe was really george. poor, sweet george. he is totally the kind of guy who would push a girl out of harm's way and get hit by a bus to save her life. he is a hero. which is why he would have been great in the army, regardless of what everyone thought. he was brave. and kind. and honorable. and despite the tragic consequences, in that one act of bravery he showed everyone that ever made fun of him that in the end, he was the person you wanted beside you in a crisis. my heart broke when meredith finally realized it was him, and his face suddenly became somewhat recognizeable. we all knew there was a chance izzie would die, but george? and when she stepped onto that elevator, my heart stopped. was it really happening?? when the elevator opened and george stood there, it was if he was waiting on her. like he had already crossed over and was waiting for her to come with him. but she didn't. not yet ... and we have to wait until next season to see if she goes with him or he comes back with her. wow.

then there's meredith and derek. the relationship at the crux of the entire show. meredith was right - there is never a good time. there is always a crisis to attend to. but if we don't stop in the middle of the insanity to tell the people we love that we love them, the days pass us by. i loved their wedding - it was so them. it was all they needed - to promise to love each other even when they are old and smelly, to never run away, to stick it out forever no matter what. i was so proud of mer ... she's come a long way from dark and twisty. she's evolving, trusting, even smiling. it makes me happy. and i love the way she is inspiring cristina. between seeing meredith grow and helping izzie, we have seen a side of cristina unlike before - kind, concerned without too much cynicism, and also smiling. and i love her relationship with owen. i know he is damaged, but who isn't really? he is a war hero, he is in therapy dealing with his trauma, and he loves her. i have such high hopes for them.

oh my gosh i love dr. bailey. she is smart, hard working, funny, and she refuses to cosign any bullshit. she is a badass, and everyone knows it. but she is human. she has marital problems and a baby and a career - and she is trying to balance it all. really trying, but it is so hard. my favorite line of the whole two hour show was when the chief suggested her husband might be scared, and she said, "we are all scared! if you aren't scared, you aren't paying attention!" i am scared a lot of the time, and i know how she feels.

as usual, part of me loves alex and part of me hates him. alex is skilled at saying what we all think but know not to say; he is of the "i am just going to say what i am thinking even though i am angry and i really don't mean it and am going to have to apologize later" mentality, and i can't stand that about him. it is just unwise and assinine. maybe i feel so strongly about it because i know how much words can damage people. but alex is damaged, too, and it has been nice this season to see him in love, being sweet to izzie, devoting himself to her. it has softened him a bit, but last night his fear took him over and destroyed any chances of him being likeable.

and i am not going to say much about them, but i love mcsteamy and little grey together, and i hope she comes to her senses and marries him and lives happily ever after in a dream house with him. sigh. :)

counting down to next season already ....

baby bennett

2009-05-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

i spent the afternoon with melanie and bennett today, and i was so excited to see both of them! he is growing so fast and is incredibly strong, and mel is an amazing mother. it was so precious to watch them together and an honor to photograph him. here are my favorites!

mel and bennett, thanks for lunch and for being so incredibly cute! see you soon!

9 months and counting ...

2009-05-13T06:04:00.000-07:00

our little guy celebrated 9 months a little over a week ago, and i decided it was time for another mini-photo shoot to capture his personality and sweet little face at this stage in his life. he is so much fun and so very happy. check him out!

his new favorite thing is eating his shoe, which of course drives mommy crazy!!

he is the best!! stay tuned for more pictures of henry from jacksonville next week and for some portrait sessions this week!!

have a great thursday, and don't forget grey's season finale is tonight at 9pm!!

1,2,3,4 ..

2009-05-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

this makes me happy.

update from CT

2009-05-09T06:16:00.000-07:00

the internet liveth! it finally started working well this morning, so i can bring you all the news from stamford. we got here late sunday night, and john started bright and early on monday. he really likes it so far, and we are looking forward to getting through this next week so we can get to jacksonville. i think henry and i are more excited than john because we get to hang out at the pool all day. :) i didn't bring my camera with me for this trip, but i have taken some shots with my cell phone, so i wanted to share what rules and what drools about our trip here.

what rules:

* henry slept on the planes!! i was a little concerned about how he would do, but when we laid him across our laps, he just drifted right off to sleep. here is a shot of him on the first flight to charlotte:

* for the second flight, we were bumped to first class - and i have to say, i felt special. it was such a more enjoyable flight, we had so much more room, and we got on first and got off first. that was much more comfortable with a baby.

* we went to the circus! on the way to CT we were able to stop in to see john's family for the weekend, and we went to the circus together as a family. for the brief times he paid attention, henry really loved it, and overall it was a spectacular performance. here is a shot i got from our seats, which were in the middle section, halfway up.

* stamford is a pretty town. henry and i have been taking walks every day, and we have seen spring blooming all around. yesterday we found the park, and i took some pictures along the way.

also, we are really close to a shopping center with the robeks smoothie shop, old navy, carter's, the stop and shop, and the bank. i like having those things so close to us.

* CT is a recycling town! there is even a recycling bin in our room in the hotel! see ...

there are bins on the street and even the dumpsters behind stores have separate sections for trash and recycling. i am loving that!!

* henry has been in a great mood while we have been here. he has adjusted well to staying in a hotel, and his teeth haven't been bothering him at all. here are a few of henry being henry.

now i know these photos are not the greatest quality, but i will have my camera with me in jacksonville, so i promise much better photos from there.

now for what drools:

* the number one thing that drools in stamford is the hotel where we are staying. there are only a handful of channels, so i couldn't watch american idol this week. there is no gift shop, so i can't run downstairs for snacks - i have to go down the street. my key didn't work on the first day, so henry and i had to wait forever in the hall for someone to come let us in and give us a new one that actually worked. the internet is not free in the room, but there is wireless available in the lobby. my computer can pick it up, but it is spotty. who wants to go to the lobby to use their laptop?? and i tried to go to the salon here to make an appointment, and the lady at the desk was incredibly rude to me. i was in mid-sentence when she picked up her phone and started dialing, totally ignoring me. so i walked out. while i am grateful for having a place to stay and for being here with john, this place drools.

* the weather has not been so great. most of the time it has been raining, and the temperature changes every day. i have to dress us in layers because i never know if it is going to be cold, cool, or warm outside - even after checking the weather. it seems like it changes rapidly throughout the day. one minute it is chilly, and the next it is muggy. what's up with that?

* the people are relatively nice, but they certainly don't have any southern charm or manners. i have been in and out of so many stores, and most of the people just stare at me while i am struggling with the stroller. there have been a few moms and a rare gentleman who hold the door, but the majority of people just let it close in your face. i miss the manners of the south. :(

we just have a few more days before we return, and i am looking forward to it! i have several sessions and a wedding next week, and i am pumped about seeing my awesome clients again soon! stay tuned for their photos! and feel free to leave comments for us to let us know you are out there ... it's nice to know we have support!

out of sorts in ct

2009-05-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

and having internet problems ... i will hopefully be able to update everyone - including pics of henry - when i can figure out why this hotel refuses to cooperate with me.

lindsey out.

tomorrow.

2009-04-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

and so it begins. tomorrow morning at 5:30am a car comes to pick us up for the airport, and we are off on a whirwind of .... i don't even know what. i am tired. exhausted. hopeful. overwhelmed. excited. sad. everything feels bittersweet and chaotic. but we are looking forward to our new adventure, and i hope to keep you posted as we travel around. i will be coming back to greenville in the next few weeks for weddings and sessions and visits with friends. hope to see you soon.

and because posts are better with pictures, here is a sneak peek of a family session i did yesterday.

married: pam and david

2009-04-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

the swain's vineyard was glorious. and it was a gorgeous day for a wedding, but the blue skies and the beautiful scenery had nothing on pam. she was exquisite. breathtaking. amazing. and she is just as gorgeous on the inside - i am honored to know her. david is a lucky man ... lucky and funny. he and his groomsmen were welcoming and so fun to be around. as you will see below, they were dancing and jumping and making jokes. hilarious. this was hands down one of the most beautiful and fun weddings i have ever photographed. here are my favorites - and there are a TON.

pam and david, it was a privilege to be a part of your wedding day. i hope you have an amazing time in jamaica - enjoy your slideshow!

HUGE announcement!!

2009-04-17T05:48:00.000-07:00

i know i have alluded to john getting a new job, but now that everything is final i want to reveal our big news!! back in november, john went through the application process to join a new team at work. i say "process" because the application itself requires many approval signatures, and they are very difficult to get. once he applied, he found out the he got an interview, which is basically a month long process of proving that you can do the work required for the job. so he went to nyc for the month of march to do just that. when he got there he was told they were accepting 15 out of the 60 interviewees, so he was quite unsure about his chances. but we found out last friday that he got the job!! i am so proud of him for pursuing his dream job and making it! the details, however, are a bit crazy. we will be traveling full time and changing locations every four months! we have decided that i will go on sabbatacle from photography, close my counseling practice, and take henry along as we travel the world. i have stopped booking weddings after august so that i can do just that. if you are booked with me for a wedding this summer - do not fear! i will be here part-time to finish out the sessions i have booked already, but i will not be taking any new clients for now.

stay tuned for more details and photos as they happen! and because posts are no fun without pictures, here is a close up of henry's new pal!

vacation and easter

2009-04-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

we headed to charleston after a long month apart, but little did we know just how nice it would be to get away. we walked on the boardwalk, ate delicious food, got to see great friends, and relaxed while watching movies. it was a much needed respite. we took henry to the beach - it was too cold to actually go out on the sand - and to the aquarium. here are some of my favorites that i took. of course there are a lot.

on easter sunday we gave henry an easter basket filled with bubbles, new pacifiers, and rubber duckies. we also got him a car and a bunny. here he is with the loot.

and that night before bed we let him stay in the bath for an extra long time since he loves it so much. we splashed and played. this was the result.

hope everyone had a blessed easter.

engaged: colleen and mark

2009-04-11T00:48:00.000-07:00

they have known each other for a long time, and it shows. they are so excited to get married, and it shows. i had the best time with colleen and mark on their engagement shoot. they are two truly genuine, kind, and fun people, and we enjoyed the last sunlight of the day on sullivan's island getting to know each other. i had so many favorites from this session! and each shot i took captured a smile or a kiss or a sweet nod, so i could not choose between them all! take a look.

colleen and mark, i can't wait for your wedding next month! enjoy your slideshow!!

engaged: kira and jad

2009-03-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

i love it when couples will do just about anything you suggest for their pictures. kira and jad were up for anything, and their pictures show it! we even found a tree where lovers past had carved their names into the trunk, and since jad happened to have a knife, we thought we would add their intials, too. we also found a six, which represents their wedding date - 06.06.09 - and had to document that! here are a few of my favorites from the day.

kira and jad, you guys rock! thanks for letting me drag you all over the place. i hope you love your pictures as much as i do! enjoy your slideshow!

grandma's birthday

2009-03-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

henry and i went to visit my family in the lowcountry for my mom's birthday a couple of weeks ago. my sister and her brood came over, and my mom wanted a picture of the five grandchildren together. how many times do you think it took to get a decent picture of five children 10 and under??

from left to right: avery, colton, bret, henry, emma

in this one, avery wasn't enthused, colton was more interested in henry, henry was more interested in his pacifier, bret wasn't looking at the right camera, and emma had her hands on her face.

here we have avery up to no good, colton and bret looking at the right camera, henry distracted, and emma talking to him.

in this one, avery is getting bored, colton is looking away, henry is trying to get his attention, bret is thinking he can't take much more, and emma is staring into space.

now emma, bret, and colton get the right camera, but avery has started being devilish, and henry is about to scream while still gnawing on the pacifier.

and finally, after over 100 frames and four adults giving direction, we have the best one.

whew! makes me tired just thinking about it!

engaged: heather and rusty

2009-03-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

her crystal blue eyes are piercing. it's one of the many things rusty loves about heather. they have been together forever, and he still greets her with "hello, beautiful." like me, like most girls, heather was a little self-conscious about being in front of the camera, but the three of us had a great talk about how to celebrate what is good in ourselves. and by the end, she was working it! here are a few of my favorites from the session.

heather and rusty, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your journey. i can't wait to celebrate you and your marriage in may! hope you enjoy your slideshow!

back in bidness

2009-03-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

okay, so i am WAY behind on my blogging. life is a little out of control these days ... henry is fiercely teething and up at all hours of the night. i swear if these teeth don't come in soon i may be a walking zombie! we are on our fifth week with these particular ones, and we will all be much happier when it is over. in addition to that drama, we have been traveling all over the month of march. it's always an adventure with the marts! but i am back into the grind with several things coming up. be on the lookout for these exciting posts:

1. heather and rusty's engagement session
2. pictures from our visit with family
3. kira and jad's engagement session
4. courtney and john's wedding

and because posts are so much more fun with pictures, here is a cute one of henry with his new summer hat on!

finally!

2009-03-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

okay, at last - the new website is live! go check it out, and let me know what you think!! www.lindseymart.com!

henry overload

2009-03-03T15:53:00.000-08:00

i have had some down time this week, so i have just been enjoying hanging out with henry. i realized i hadn't taken many pictures of him recently, so we had a picture day today, and we had a great time! warning: this post is picture heavy!!

we started out in the jumparoo. he has had so much fun in that thing, and i thought i would try to capture his mood in it.

then i wanted to get a shot of him sitting up all by himself. he's been doing it more and more, although sometimes we have to catch him from tumbling over. his facial expressions are priceless ... it's like he can't believe he's doing it!

then we had to move to the bumbo because he kept falling.

this afternoon he spit up all over his outfit, so i took it off to change him and decided to take some shots of him just in his diaper. i put him down in his crib, and he immediately began to try to eat his feet. check out his belly rolls and man boobs! love it!

do you see why i couldn't choose and just had to post a ton? i actually took 80 shots, so be glad i didn't post them all! :)

sunday night snow

2009-03-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

i am always skeptical when the weatherman calls for snow, but i was pleasantly surprised when it actually fell! i was at the gym when it really started to come down, and as soon as i got home we bundled henry up and took him outside for some photos.

the view outside our place

check him out - his first snow!

the other cool thing that happened this week - we got henry's big boy car seat in! john installed it in the car, and we took him outside to try it out. he is so precious ... and big!!

stay tuned for broccoli photos!

quick updates

2009-02-18T05:43:00.000-08:00

- we hit a big snafu with the website last week, but it's coming along.

- my child is not sleeping!! he is teething pretty badly, so he wakes up several times in the night which means i am up several times in the night. my brain just doesn't work very well without consistent sleep, so if i appear a bit flaky these days, it's because i am.

- american idol is in full swing now with the live shows starting last night! i told john that this stage in the competition is where the boys are separated from the men. i am such a fan, despite controversy and shady production and ryan seacrest's competely inappropriate behaviors. i just love music and the idea of an unknown making it big. danny gokey is my fav, although i am not quite sure about him. i know that sounds contradictory ... what i mean is that i love his voice, but i am not sure about his character yet. we'll just have to keep watching ...

- henry is on carrots this week, and he loves them! this is by far his favorite yet; he likes these better than the avocados! here are a few of him trying them out.

next week we are on to green beans!

- i am very close to being totally booked for 2009. i have room for one more july wedding and one more august wedding before i reach my limit for the year. if you are thinking of contacting me, now is the time!

happy wednesday, everybody. get a nap in if you can - i know i am going to try!
lindsey

engaged: amy and ryan

2009-02-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

by the end of this post, you will love these two as much as i do - i guarantee it! what's not to love? they met at clemson on the football field after a game, and ryan proposed in the same spot. amy was a cheerleader, and she is still filled with spunk and sass! and i must say, she is the best real estate agent there is ... she sold our house in 6 weeks! it's pretty obvious ryan is in love - as he should be - and he is such a gentleman. what a perfect couple to photograph! i couldn't choose between all of their shots! some of their slideshow pictures are similar, but their facial expressions were so great in them that i just couldn't pick! just a couple of my favorites ...

amy and ryan, i hope that you love your pictures as much as i do! you were so much fun to photograph, and i am so excited for your future together! enjoy your slideshow!

miscellaneous monday

2009-02-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

1. henry tried avocados for the first time this weekend, and he loved them! i am not sure he has eaten a food so quickly and so eagerly as this. they were really easy to make - i just got the organic avocados from whole foods, cut one in half, scooped out one half into a bowl, and mashed it with a fork until it was smooth. i added a bit of formula for consistency, and that was it! the only thing about avocados is that i don't want to freeze them, so i have to do this daily as opposed to just once a week. here are a few shots of him trying them out.

playing while finishing the last bite ... and zoned out from the deliciousness ...

just before naptime ... we were wiping his face with a damp cloth, and john decided to have a little fun :)

i haven't decided what food to try next week, but i think i am leaning towards carrots.

2. did anybody see the grammys last night? i wasn't sure how i felt about some of the winners, but i thought the musical performances and collaborations were incredible! my favorite was justin timberlake and ti performing "dead and gone" - check it out ...

even though he started in a boy band - which i must confess doesn't bother me, it just doesn't give him much street cred - jt is extrememly talented. and i thought taylor swift was awesome. she is just the cutest, and she looked so sweet with her little updo and her guitar.

i did not, however, care for miley cyrus ... something about that girl rubs me the wrong way. i mean, what the heck was she doing when she was about to announce a grammy winner and pointed to herself? she wasn't even nominated!! and then she hesitated giving allison krauss the award - on purpose? that was so not cool. as far as the other performances, i also enjoyed coldplay, sir paul, and "the four tops." and kanye west didn't make a fool out of himself or say anything majorly inapporopriate! in all, i thought it was a great show.

3. i had a fabulous esession this weekend with amy and ryan, and i am almost done with their shots. here is a little sneak peek.

i know, i had to wipe the drool off my chin, too. don't feel bad. :) stay tuned for their slideshow this week.

4. so no joking - my website should go live this week! i am so pumped! can't wait for you to see it!!

hope you had a great start to your week,
go love somebody today,
lindsey

We've got a live one!

2009-02-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

As you can tell, the new blog is here! I am still a few days away from launching the new website, but I couldn't wait anymore to reveal the blog! Let me know what you think!

PS. Thanks to Sabrina Lewis for the new blog pic!

6 months old!!

2009-02-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

henry turned 6 months old on saturday, and it was incredible to look back over photos since he was born to see how much he has grown. i cannot believe how big he is! at his 6 month check up, he weighed in at 20lbs 6oz!! he was in the 90th percentile for weight and the 99th for height! here are a few shots from saturday ...

ps. moms, isn't it great when you go to take a picture of your sweet baby, and they spit up all over the outfit you dressed them in for the picture? :)

this one is blurry, but i loved it because henry was grabbing john and squeezing his arms. it was the best.

love that face! and the evidence of the spitup ...

he is super cool in the new jacket mommy bought him!

i was trying to get a shot of his four upper teeth - they came in all at once!

changing table shenanigans - daddy kissing henry ...

and daddy getting his hair ripped right from his skull!

yes, folks, he is a grabber these days. from hair to earrings to noses to lips - he's not picky. other fun news is that he is almost sitting up all by himself now. and we tried sweet potatoes for the first time, and henry really loved them! he only made his face once!

next week - avocados!

here are the goods

2009-01-27T12:31:00.001-08:00

this post is for those of you who have been emailing and asking about the baby food process. i thought i would just put it out there for everyone to see in case there were other people with questions who didn't ask. so here is the low down ...

as i have said before, we decided that i would make henry's baby food for several reasons. first, i am home with him 4 days out of 5, so i have the time and the availability to do it. second, this is an opportunity for us to start him off right eating the most healthy and natural foods we can give him, and we can hopefully help shape his tastes for years to come. i know this is not a gurantee, but it is a good start. third, i know that if i give him fresh, organic foods that i make for him, i can rest in the knowledge that he is not eating the additives that come in foods that you buy off the shelf. we understand that this process is not for everyone, and that is okay. each parent has to decide what is best for their own family; feeding him this way is just what we have chosen to do.

products i use:

the beaba babycook from williams sonoma. it steams and purees food easily. you can find it here.

kidco babysteps bpa free freezer storage tray with lid from babiesrus. it has space for seven days worth of food. check it out here.

kidco babysteps bpa free feeding dish and the first years bpa free suction bowl with lid from baiesrus. i use the spoon from the kidco feeding dish, but i am not using the dish right now because it is designed for multiple foods, and henry is not there yet. i am using the first steps bowl for his single servings. you can find them here and here.

the first years mealmates bpa free 2 handle cup - 7 oz - from babiesrus. ours is blue. :) check it out here.

happy bellies organic oatmeal. we buy it at whole foods, but i found it on the web here.

most of these products are relatively inexpensive with the exception of the babycook. i got mine for christmas, but any food processor and steam basket will do.

i also use all bpa free products. bpa, or bisphenol a, is a compound found in plastic that can leach out into foods. it has been proven to causes toxicity in both humans and animals. for more information, check out what wikipedia has to say.

just for fun

2009-01-26T00:32:00.000-08:00

so here is henry at 6 weeks with his lamb ...

and tonight - as he is about to turn 6 months - we took some pictures with the lamb again ...

and just for reference ...

and because he is so adorable ...

baby food: sweet peas

2009-01-25T13:39:00.001-08:00

so this week we moved on from the butternut squash to green peas. (side note - by the end of the week, henry really loved the squash. i think it takes him a few days to warm up to new things.) this time i used the steamer on my babycook to cook the peas, and it was really easy.

the recipe

frozen organic green peas from whole foods. i didn't think shelling fresh ones were necessary as the frozen ones retain their nutritional value well.

in the steamer basket

steaming up nice :)

the pea puree wasn't as smooth as the squash, but i added some formula and oatmeal to get it to the right consistency before feeding him

saving some for later

his first reaction when we feed him new foods - it is hilarious! also a bit blurry, but he was shaking his head all around, and i was trying to feed him the food and take the picture and keep his hands out of his mouth. daddy was at work. :)

not too bad in the end

stay tuned for next week's adventure!

for henry

2009-01-20T10:21:00.001-08:00

you witnessed history, baby.

a henry update

2009-01-19T08:28:00.001-08:00

i have had several requests for more pics of henry and updates about how he is doing, so i thought i would share some of the new and exciting things that he has going on. first, he is eating oatmeal for breakfast every morning and sitting in his high chair like a little man! check him out!

very happy to be eating soon!

he's hungry, mommy ...

and this shot is blurry, but i love the emotion in it! this is classic henry!

as i told you before, he discovered his feet several weeks ago, and now he does nothing but grab them constantly. it is hilarious! (at least to me, the mom.) here are a few of him after bath time - we can never put him on his changing table without him grabbing the feet!

and i thought both of these were so sweet ...

the big news is that henry ate his first bit of big people food this weekend! i was so excited to use his babycook for the first time! it was pretty simple. we started out with butternut squash; supposedly it is one of the easiest foods for baby tummies to digest. john took pictures while i got everything ready and fed henry.

he's ready to eat!

the recipe

a close up of the puree

so good mommy could eat it!

saving more for later

henry's bowl

first bite

not sure what to think

getting used to it

it ain't so bad!

first try with the sippy cup

mommy is so proud of him!!

and i like this shot john took of us while we were relaxing after all that hard work!

our sweet boy

2009-01-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

married: anna and chet

2009-01-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

the weather was beautiful for anna and chet's january wedding - the sun was out, the temperature was cool, skies were blue. but quite honestly i think it could have been storming with funnel clouds and neither of them would have noticed. they were both so excited about this day - and who could blame them! here are a few of my favorites from the day.

anna getting her veil on

mom looking on as her second daughter prepares to get married

anna and chet opted for a first look, which i must confess made me so giddy i almost exploded. i respect whatever decision the bride and groom make about this, but there is just something so special about a first look. it gives the bride and groom a chance to see each other alone and share a few precious moments together before the craziness of the day. the normal tension that goes along with weddings seems to quickly dissipate once they lay eyes on each other and have that time, just the two of them, to celebrate what is about to happen. and from a photographer's standpoint, you can't beat the light. see what i mean?

while we were getting formals, a gust of wind came along and swooped anna's veil up into the air! i love the spontaneous things that happen - so much fun!

isn't she beautiful??

i loved the chapel where they were married.

and such a fun exit - see anna's facial expression for proof!

anna and chet, thank you for letting me be a part of your day. i hope disney is the best!! enjoy your slideshow!

miscellaneous monday

2009-01-05T10:50:00.001-08:00

1. happy new year again to you! i am not sure that 2009 can beat 2008, but who knows what is in store for us!

2. i had so much fun at anna and chet's wedding this weekend. and i am actually almost finished with their pictures - be on the lookout for their post soon! here is a sneak peek:

3. i am oh so close to unveiling the new lindseymart.com! i cannot wait for you to see it!! the blog will be updated, too, and they are both fabulous!

4. since john will be traveling, i have decided to decrease the number of weddings i am photographing in 2009, and i am very close to that number. so if you are thinking of contacting me for your date, i would do that very, very soon!

5. did you guys hear about the death of john travolta's 16 year old son? i was pretty shocked when my mom told me about it, and my heart goes out to his family. i could not imagine the pain they must feel. and it is just another reminder for me to love and respect and care for the people in my life, especially john and henry. we never know how much time we have here.

6. we just watched the dark knight for the first time last night and saw heath ledger's ah-mazing performance as the joker. i could not believe how well he did! i am sure he will win some awards for that role. it was a great movie - if you haven't seen it, i would highly recommend it.

happy monday, everybody!
go love someone today,
lindsey

holiday recap

2009-01-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

cheers and horays and deep breaths for finishing 2008 and getting through the holidays! i hope your time was spent with loved ones, good food, and Christmas spirit! we just marked henry's first christmas, his 5th month birthday, and the arrival of his first two teeth! yes, blog readers, his first two teeth! i am so excited to celebrate who he is and watch him grow. so this is your fair warning - this post is picture heavy!!

here are a couple of us on christmas morning.

henry in his jumparoo

with his new bumbo seat tray - he likes to bang his rattle on it :)

mommy got the babycook to make henry's food and a recipe book to go along with it! thanks, daddy! (note: mommy is lookin rough. don't fault me - it was way early.)

all three of us at grandma and pappy's house. henry had his new stocking hanging!

from his actual 5 month birthday - new year's eve. he's happy to be 5 months!

and the rest of these are from new year's day. henry has not only found his feet, but he thinks they are teething toys. he tries to bend over and put them in his mouth, which is just the funniest thing!

and i get lots of great shots while he sits with his daddy.

he's so silly.

check out his emerging teeth!!

i have been gifted beyond measure and am grateful beyond words.
love and peace and hope for you in 2009,
lindsey

engaged: anna and chet

2008-12-30T06:09:00.000-08:00

they have come full circle ... from the very beginning to their new beginning. in the summer of 2007 anna and chet sat in the very same rocking chairs that i photographed them in yesterday. it was the place their story began - ridgecrest conference center. they both worked there that summer but spent much of their free time getting to know each other - in the rocking chairs and in downtown black mountain. we went there yesterday to shoot their engagement session, and i fell in love, too ... with black mountain and with anna and chet. here are some of my favs from the session.

anna and chet, thank you so much for sharing your story with me. i can't wait for your wedding on saturday!

it's here!

2008-12-24T05:49:00.000-08:00

christmas eve, that is. a day filled with such anticipation. the day before hope was born. it is also the day we begin our traditions in the mart home. on christmas eve, john and i turn off all the lights except the christmas tree, and we snuggle up together and talk about the year we had. this year, we are adding in the tradition of putting together henry's big christmas present so he can see it when he wakes up on christmas morning. so tonight we are venturing into a new phase of parenthood and putting henry's jumparoo together. even though i will probably just watch john do most of the work, i am really looking forward to it. it's almost as if it is a rite of passage ... you know, one of those things you know parents do every christmas eve, but now you actually get to do it. it's strangely peaceful.

on christmas morning, we will carry on more tradition by reading the story of the birth of Jesus and then giving and receiving gifts. sadly, we will not be having turkey sandwiches like we normally do as i am not cooking a turkey. normally, i would cook one overnight so it would be juicy and ready in the morning, but we have decided on a new menu this year. it looks something like this:

brunch:
roasted red pepper and sausage quiche
fruit
orange juice

3pm:
honey glazed salmon
italian flat beans
cranberry salsa
mixed greens salad

7pm:
red velvet cupcakes
cinnamon rolls

i am looking forward to being domestic and am hoping that the baking goes well. i am not so much a baker. when i was pregnant with henry, i was feeling all domestic and decided to bake a cream cheese pound cake. having little luck in the past, i felt like now that i was becoming a mom, maybe it would be different. let's just say that was not the case. but i do blame the recipe for that one because it left out an entire step in the directions. so maybe i will do better this time. i'll let you know.

i hope that you are surrounded by love and laughter and people that are important to you. Merry Christmas, everyone.
lindsey

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

he just keeps getting cuter

2008-12-22T12:53:00.000-08:00

merry christmas!

2008-12-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

married: leah and ryan

2008-12-20T11:14:00.000-08:00

the day was cold and cloudy - exactly what you would expect from a december wedding. inside the church, though, they were all warm with excitement and laughter. this group has got to be the funniest, most down to earth i have ever photographed ... i truly felt like i was a part of their circle of friends. we braved the freezing cold together to get some shots outside, although i didn't feel as bad for the jacket-wearing guys as much as i did the girls. and even though it was super cold, we had some fun.

the guys giving me their best karate moves ...

and the girls showing off their best swings ...

i have found myself much more likely to cry at weddings since i had henry, but at this wedding i had to cover my face several times because i cried so hard. one sweet moment was when ryan sent leah a gift before the wedding with a precious note. you could see how loved she felt.

their beautiful candlelit ceremony was very emotional.

leah truly was a winter wedding beauty.

and of course, her shoes were to die for.

but one of the sweetest moments was when the dj switched from dance music to a slow song, and i happened to be standing nearby as leah's dad wrapped her mom in a huge embrace and began dancing with her. you could feel the love between them, and i almost felt like an intruder into such an intimate moment. something in me needed to capture that moment for them, and i found out later that he didn't care to dance. that was their second dance in 35 years.

her mom found me later and thanked me repeatedly for taking a picture of that moment. she was in tears as she said it was one she was so grateful for. hence the coolness of this job.

leah and ryan, i hope that you have a fabulous time on your cruise! thank you thank you thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day and for treating me like a friend. you guys are amazing.

baby: era boyd

2008-12-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

sweet little era boyd arrived just a few days ago, and her mom and dad allowed me the honor of photographing their new family.

vanessa and daniel, i hope that this is something to help you remember these precious first moments. thank you for letting me be a part of it.

presents and gifts

2008-12-13T06:01:00.000-08:00

the end of this week was full of new things. first, i finally got my new, highly anticipated g1. for those of you unfamiliar, it is the new google phone that has the capability to do pretty much anything, including cook me dinner. seriously. here's a pic, and if you are interested, go here for a cool video and some info.

then, henry and i were just hanging out yesterday when we heard an unexpected knock at the door. when i opened the box from the delivery guy, i found these inside.

12 roses and 8 lillies from my sweet husband with a card that read, "merry christmas to you. i love you very much." i had flashbacks to when we were dating, and he sent me flowers to my office on a regular basis. i felt loved, and that was a gift. this morning, he continued his kindness by getting up to feed henry and let me sleep in a little bit. when i got out of bed and meandered into the living room, i saw this.

and that was the best gift ever.

fresh music friday

2008-12-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

joshua radin - "today"

**disclaimer** the term "fresh" in the title "fresh music friday" just means it is fresh to me right now. and that can mean it is old music i am listening to again or music that i have just discovered. just so you know ...

miscellaneous monday

2008-12-08T05:37:00.000-08:00

my head is spinning. i need one of those moments where the guy in summer school just puts his hands over his ears and starts screaming to the top of his lungs. "tension breaker - had to be done." yep, that's me. so much going on here ...

1. this is the last week i am in the office before january!! woo hoo! so excited to have a break for the holidays and just enjoy my family. this is henry's first christmas, and i can't wait to document it all! you didn't think i was going to hang up my camera for 3 weeks, did you? :)

2. i have a new look coming soon! website, blog, cards, paperwork - all will be new! that includes pricing as well, so if you are thinking about booking me, now is the time to do it! i am reeeaaaallly excited about the new look - can't wait for you to see it!

3. man, i had so much fun at ryan and leah ellen's wedding this weekend! not only are they incredible people, but their families and friends are awesome, too! leah had some incredible and super fun-super pretty bridesmaids, and i feel like i have some new friends! ryan's groomsmen ... what can i say about them? my first encounter with them included some taunting of the bridesmaids through the church window and fake mooning! that really set the stage for the rest of the day - lots of craziness and laughter with those guys. i am not sure why i expected any different. if you remember their engagement session, i told you then how crazy ryan is. and leah ellen ... beautiful. her sister said she looked like a winter wedding barbie. and this is why:

i am in the middle of working on their photos, and i can't wait to finish them so that i can show you how gorgeous they are!

4. i haven't started christmas shopping yet! i haven't even finished my list! i am feeling the pressure a little bit, but i am hoping i can get most of it done next week.

5. i am currently working on 3 albums and awaiting 4. albums are so much fun because you get to see the beautiful product that tells the story of each wedding day ... it's just a lot of work! i guess the fun comes when the work is over. :)

alright, let's get some of that work done! happy monday, everybody.
lindsey

a thing of beauty

2008-12-06T00:25:00.000-08:00

every day i am so grateful to be henry's mommy. in the simplest of things, like playing with a favorite toy frog, i see beauty - in who he is, in motherhood, and even in the sounds of a ribbit or two.

fresh music friday

2008-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

taylor swift with "white horse"

**disclaimer** the term "fresh" in the title "fresh music friday" just means it is fresh to me right now. and that can mean it is old music i am listening to again or music that i have just discovered. just so you know ...

this is crazy!!

2008-12-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

just got back from henry's 4 month well check, and he was 17.4 lbs and 27 in long!! that is 90th and 97th percentiles, respectively. just talked to two different friends whose toddlers are just above his weight and height! toddlers, people. i think we are going to have a big guy on our hands ...

two weeks in review

2008-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

when john decided to apply for a traveling position with his company, we put our house on the market. in six weeks time we accepted an offer, and nine days later we closed. in nine days we found somewhere to live, packed up our entire house, gave away and sold half of our things, moved to an apartment, and closed on our house. in nine days. it was all a bit nutty if you ask me. i will miss our house - it was the first place john and i lived together, and it was the place where we brought henry home from the hospital. also, it was the home of our gazebo. now, most of you may not know the story of our gazebo, but i will shorten it and tell you it was under that gazebo john proposed to me. it was getting kind of old and had seen better days, and we had no place to put it, so we decided to let it go. it was kind of sad, but the one thing i wanted was a picture of us with henry underneath it. you see, when john proposed and told me the gazebo was ours to keep, one of the first things i said (after i said yes!) was, "our kids can play underneath it!" so i had to have the picture.

and here it is 3.5 years and one baby later:

so right after closing on wednesday we left to go visit my family for thanksgiving. it was henry's first holiday and first time meeting so many of his family members. most of all, it was time for him to wear the turkey hat! john tells me that one day i will look back and regret making henry wear it, but i remind him that he is the one who found the dang hat in the first place. isn't it adorable?

i just can't get enough of this kid ...

he got to meet cousins and aunts and uncles that he had never seen before. here are a few of the kids ...

i'm not sure henry knew what to make of all the people and all the noise, but he was a trooper! he was held and fed by a dozen different, new faces, and he still slept 12 hours every night we were there!

once we got home, we wanted to get a christmas tree and decorate our apartment, so as soon as we unpacked we braved the cold to get a tree. chris came with us, so he got a few of us there.

and then of course i had to get his picture in his christmas outfit next to the christmas tree ...

i am addicted to photographing him. wait, who am i kidding? i am addicted to him! :)

in some other fun, non-henry news, my awesome friends at siahgphx wedding films are having a contest for a free wedding video, and they are taking names for their drawing until february 1st! so if you want to get in on that action, check out their website and email them to enter! also, lindsey mart photography has a new website coming soon ... stay tuned for the big announcement!

okay ... i have to go to bed now. i am out of words and really, really tired. really.
sweet dreams and peaceful sleep,
lindsey

we're back in business, folks!

2008-12-01T13:53:00.001-08:00

... and a whole lot is a comin! i have a ton of stuff to blog about, including:
1. our move
2. henry's first thanksgiving, including the turkey hat!
3. henry meeting his aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time
4. henry's trip to the christmas tree farm
5. a couple of cool events and things happening

so stay tuned ...
hope everyone had a great thanksgiving and loved those you were thankful for!
lindsey

chaos, part one

2008-11-19T11:45:00.001-08:00

so when i said there were some things going on, that was really an understatement. john has taken a traveling position at his company, so we decided to sell our house. on saturday, we accepted an offer and found out they want to move in the day before thanksgiving! since he would be gone more, we decided to downsize so that i wouldn't have to worry about lawn and house maintenance. on sunday we found an apartment, and we plan to move this weekend! it is totally insane, i know, but that is the way we roll. my house is a hot mess right now - boxes strewn about, bags of trash everywhere, and piles of give away items in our bonus room.

so all that to say ... as of tomorrow, i will be out of the office until monday, december 1st. if i am working with you on an album or print purchase, i will pick up right where i left off as soon as i get up and running again. and if you have a new inquiry or send me an email, know that i will not be able to get back to you until then.

hope everyone has a great thanksgiving!
lindsey

married: lisa and jeff

2008-11-15T00:30:00.000-08:00

it was the red shoes. i knew from the moment i saw the them i would be very happy photographing lisa and jeff's wedding. lisa is a photographer herself, so i knew she had style ... but the red shoes made me giddy. from the time i got there til the moment i drove away, i encountered more kindness and love between people than i had seen the entire week prior. everyone there just wanted to celebrate lisa and jeff, and it showed. here are a few of my favs.

i also wanted to share a few from lisa's portrait session that were kept top secret until the big day.

lisa and jeff, thank you for the honor of being your wedding photographer. you are truly an amazing couple. hope your honeymoon was all you wanted it to be! enjoy your slideshow!

osp south

2008-11-14T06:31:00.000-08:00

i was so excited. i would finally get to meet so many people that i had gotten to know on osp, and i would get to see some old friends, too. john and i took henry and made our way to charleston for the third osp south gathering. it was great to be back in my old town ... so many years ago i made great friends and crazy memories in charleston. we stayed at the beautiful renaissance hotel in the middle of downtown, and the lovely staff there did everything they could to make our stay with a 3 month old as pleasurable as possible. john and henry hung out together during the day playing playstation and watching baby einstein videos while i scooted on over to the embassy suites for the conference. he was not happy to see me go, but he was happy to spend the day with his daddy.

not only did we have super fab organizers - jill higgins, shane snider, and jason tench - but we had incredibly talented speakers - amber and nathan holritz, kevin swan, carrie viohl, shane snider, and david jay. it was awesome to be a part of it all. i even got to eat at juanita greenburg's while i was there!!

for the break out session on day 1 i chose a group led by the super talented matt mcgraw, and we got to shoot the gorgeous juliet elizabeth in downtown charleston. here are a few of my favs from the session.

and i also got some shots of people in action ...

sadly, i missed the nights of karaoke, but we did get to take henry to see the ocean before we left. i think he was wondering why we had him out in the freezing cold so he could see a big glob of blue.

and one last photograph before we left ...

osp south was incredible! thanks again to everyone there ... i look forward to the fourth edition!

much love and peace,
lindsey

charleston bound!

2008-11-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

so we are off to charleston for osp south! if you try to reach me and you don't hear back from me, it is because we are eating a lot of good seafood or walking on the beach or learning from some of the best photographers out there. but don't worry - i will be back in the office on friday, so i will get back to you asap. and there are some new and exciting things coming your way from lindsey mart photography ... stay tuned!

have a great week!

card cuteness!

2008-11-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

so i decided to order some cards for henry from the fabulous lindsay neely of lindsay lane. we sat down in her super cute office, and in about 10 minutes time, lindsay listened to the description of what i was looking for and helped me pick out exactly what i wanted! it was quick, easy, and fun! we got them yesterday, and i just have to show you how adorable they are!

isn't the little monkey with the diaper too cute!!! and the last shot has all of her contact information so you can check out all the cool things she has to offer. she has some ginormous binders full of beautiful invitations, stationary, and more, so if you are looking for a great place to get save the date cards, wedding invitations, thank you notes, or even some stationary with your new name on it, lindsay lane is the place to look.

thanks, linds!!

America, the beautiful

2008-11-05T05:08:00.000-08:00

today i capitilize the "A" in America. and i will tell you why.

so many people have talked about race as an issue in this election. for me, personally, race has never been an issue. i don't think it should be the reason why i would vote or not vote for a candidate. any political election should be about the issues and how the candidate i support will lead our nation. but now that the presidential election is over, race is an issue. it is an issue because we, as a country, have elected the first african american president of the united states. and of that, i am proud.

i grew up in rural south carolina, and although it was not the 60's, racism was alive and well in my community and in my schools. i went to predominately black elementary and middle schools, where the 10-15 white kids were in the minority. i had friends who were both black and white, and i truly did not understand racial discrimination. i didn't understand when white adults in my community told my mother i should not be allowed to spend the night with a girl from my school because her father was black. i didn't understand when a black girl at my school accused me of being racist when i confronted her about taking my purse. i didn't understand when a group of preppy white kids told me that i shouldn't play basketball because it was "a black sport." i have heard more racial slurs than i care to recall, much less tell you about. people with racist views have assumed i agree with them because i am white, and people of different races have assumed i am racist because i am white. it has been difficult, disheartening, and sad to watch this issue be so divisive in the lives of so many. it has made me long for the day when we will all be seen with souls and not skin.

until today. while i still long for better days, today i feel joy and pride and triumph. today i weep with my face in my hands. today i am proud of our nation and the symbloic step we took in electing an african american man into the white house. i can imagine some of the faces of the great champions of civil rights and wish they were here to see this day. i am so glad there are many that were directly affected by segregation and racism in the 60's who are still alive to see this day. we made history. and i am so proud to be a part of that. i am proud to be an American.

as for president-elect obama, i hope and pray that he will surround himself with sound advisors. i hope that he will lead our nation well. i hope more than anything that he will change his stance on abortion. but my ultimate hope is not in barack obama. my hope is in Jesus, who lives and moves and breathes and loves - and sits at the right hand of God.

married: jill and matt

2008-11-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

the day started off a little stressful - a very important bag with essentials for the wedding day was misplaced. but by the time i got there, everyone was rallying and pitching in to replace and substitute the missing items. jill was super calm about it all - she knew that she would be marrying the man she loves no matter what. she still had that beautiful smile and a beautiful dress to match. matt was nervous; his hands were shaking with that "this is pretty exciting - i am ready to do this - i can't wait" kind of anxiety. the day was amazing, just like these two. here are some of my favorites.

also, i had the honor of working with several fabulous vendors for the first time. check them out:

videographer: corey richards with siahgphx wedding films
disc jockey: jamie blair with life of the party
bakery: art eats bakery
wedding planner: susan sanford and the gang from willrich bridal and special events
flowers: dahlia

jill and matt, thank you for the privilege of being a part of your special day. enjoy your slideshow!

henry in the morning

2008-10-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

john loves to keep it cold in our house, so every morning i get henry up and bundle him in some sort of fleece. we got him a new one last week, and i put him in it for the first time this morning. and as you could tell from the pumpkin patch pictures, henry has found his hand! he just stares at it, opens it, closes it, and then looks up to see if we are as mystified as he is. it is adorable!

what did i do before i had him??

our little pumpkin at the pumpkin patch

2008-10-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

this afternoon john and i took henry to the mini miracles farm in taylors to pick out a pumpkin. of course i took the camera and camcorder along as i am obsessively photographing him ... but i never claimed to be laid back. :) here are some of my favorites of the day.

halloween is this week, and it is henry's first! i love halloween because it is one of the holidays that centers around candy, which we all know i love tremendously. i remember loving the houses that gave out the good stuff ... you know, snickers, sweetarts, etc, and i swore that i would be that cool one day. so every halloween i give out the good candy, and i do it in big handfuls, and i love every minute of it.

the sweetest thing

2008-10-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

married: melissa and eric

2008-10-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

it was a beautiful day for a beautiful occasion. there was a crispness in the air, one that signals change is coming. for melissa and eric, blue skies and falling leaves enveloped them on their wedding day. creekside plantation provided a beautiful backdrop for their ceremony. here are some of my favorites of the day.

the love from their families was palpable, and it was a privilege to be a part of such joy and intimacy. melissa and eric, thank you for choosing me. enjoy your slideshow!

fresh music friday

2008-10-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

so i found this new guy - and i know i am behind the times so if you have heard him already just roll your eyes and ignore me - but i love him!! his name is matt nathanson. check out "come on get higher."

go love someone this weekend.

engaged: jill and matt

2008-10-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

she loves his smile. at least that is what she told me repeatedly when we met for the first time. she said it would be hard to get an open-mouthed, teeth-baring grin from matt but that she would love it if i could. matt just shook his head, but i could see him, the really nice guy wrapped up in that tall, broad-shouldered, new york frame of his. the guy who, despite his attempts to hide it, has a big heart and a big love for jill. and jill is such a kind and beautiful girl ... they make a great pair. here are a few shots from their engagement session yesterday.

this shot was one of many takes. their dogs are such a huge part of their lives, and we wanted to get one of the four of them - as a family. so cute!

and this one may very well be one of my favorite engagement pictures ever!

and there's that smile!

jill and matt, thank you for trusting me as your wedding photographer and for welcoming me into your home. i can't wait for your wedding! enjoy your slideshow!

married: jessica and don

2008-10-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

don kept saying all day, "how did she end up with me? how did i get so lucky?" it was obvious - like all the other times before when i was with him and jessica - that he is so in love and feels so blessed. and why not? jessica is beautiful and smart and funny. they are a perfect pair. and a hilarious pair for that matter. i am not sure i have laughed so much on a saturday before. the whole day was full of life - moments of beauty and raw emotion would come quickly, replaced by laughter and fun the next. some of the best parts included don crying through his vows, the "we got married" dap, the way jessica's dad looked at her during their dance, nfl discussions about the eagles and bret favre, and don picking up his 18 year old son as if he were a baby. craziness! :) it truly was an honor to be a part of it. here are a few of my favorites from the day.

jessica and don, i hope jamaica was great! can we say jealous?? :) thank you so much for letting me in on such a special day. i hope that you enjoy your slideshow!

miscellaneous monday

2008-10-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

so much going on, so i just wanted to pack it all together for you today.

1. henry has a cold. even as i type those words i have such a feeling of dread in my gut. my baby is just 2 months old, and he has a cold. he is congested and weepy, and i feel so horrible about it. i am a purell wielding, card carrying germophobe, so this just goes to show you that control is elusive. try as i might, i cannot and will not always be able to shield my son from illness. but i will continue to do what i can to keep him healthy. ugh.

2. i just love the ellen degeneres show. i try to watch it everyday if i can. with games like "aww snap!" and "the marshmallow game" who doesn't love this show? it's just so stinkin funny, and ellen has such a great heart. check it out - 3pm on channel 4.

3. october is breast cancer awareness month. having had 2 very close family members battle this disease i can tell you it is a life changing experience that affects millions of women and families. click here to get more information or donate to the cause for the cure. also, ellen has a place on her site called "ellen for the cure" where you can donate as well.

4. the election is less than a month away. this has got to be one of the biggest, most important and exciting presidential races in a long, long time. whoever you vote for, get out to your local polling place and let your voice be heard! VOTE!

5. speaking of the election, let's talk about sarah palin. this comment i am about to make has nothing to do with my vote or my views on feminism; i am really excited at the thought of a woman - or a person of color for that matter - in the white house. no, this is strictly from the perspective of being a mother. *begin rant* why is it that no one in the mainstream media has questioned her ability to be an available mother to her children while working round the clock as vp? this woman is obviously charismatic and has a lot of drive, but i just want to know how she can possibly be available for her 5 kids, one who is a pregnant teenager and another who is an infant with special needs? i mean, people magazine did a piece on her where she described going back to work three days post partum and pumping while on the phone with government officials. is that supposed to be impressive? because, to me, it is not. after working with parents and children for almost 10 years and now being a parent myself, i can say with strong conviction that having a 24-7 job like the one she wants will take away from her relationship with her small children. they will need her presence, and she will have little time to give. i commend her for her initiative, but is it worth it at this time? if she becomes vp, i believe she will regret the timing. *end rant*

6. i am continuing to book up for 2009 and have limited space left! if you are interested in having coffee and talking about your wedding photography, don't wait!

7. my great friend julissa got maried this past saturday in puerto rico. i kow she was the most beautiful bride!! julissa, i hope it was all you dreamed of and more.

peace to you on this monday,
lindsey

a few more

2008-10-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

just more of our little one ...

and one i took of john holding him. i love this picture.

friends and family

2008-10-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

john and i went to visit our dear friends winn and miska collier this weekend. we got to see their new digs and spend time with their crazy awesome boys, wyatt and seth. the boys just loved our little guy, who they lovingly called "henery." i had the honor of taking some photos of them while we were there. these are just a couple of my favs.

we love and miss the colliers so much. they are family.

and speaking of family, our newest addition is growing and growing by the minute. i have so many pictures to post of him, but here is my most recent favorite. don't you just love that face??

more to come soon!

engaged: pam and david

2008-09-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

i love couples in love. and pam and david are definitely in love. as they told me their story, the story of them as a couple, i could feel their bond. just after a few moments it is easy to tell that they are for each other. pam is adorable - you can't help but like her instantly. she's warm and kind and easy to be around. it's obvious david thinks so. the day of their engagement was just that - a whole day dedicated to pam and doing the things that she loves, the things that they love to do together. it started at sunrise and ended after sunset, and it was the best day - until their wedding day.

we shot their engagement session in downtown greenville, and i can't wait for their wedding in april! here are a few of my favorites from the shoot.

pam and david, i am thrilled that you chose me to be a part of your day. enjoy your slideshow!

32 and fabulous!

2008-09-17T11:14:00.001-07:00

happy 32nd birthday to me today. with everything going on i almost forgot it was my big day. (thank you, facebook!) 32 sounds established, adult-like, and even mature, although i am not sure i think of myself as those things. all i know is that today i feel happy, free, and loved. and there is no better birthday present than that.

in other news ...

1. my 7 week old child is wearing 3-6 month clothing and size 2 diapers. i did not know that i was going to give birth to a toddler! seriously, this child is huge. and not overweight-huge, just big for his age and very tall. at his one month check-up he was almost 2 feet long! for those of you who are mathematicians, that is in the 97th percentile. 97th!!

2. henry is smiling and cooing all the time now. i have been super swamped, but i still hope to get that video up for you soon. it is amazing to see him grow! and he has the cutest little smile. :)

3. business is booming! i have been getting calls and emails left and right since i got back from maternity leave. if you are thinking about contacting me for a date, i would encourage you to do so asap! i am only taking a limited number of weddings next year, and i am booking up fast!

4. i got a new bag for shooting today, and i am so excited to use it this weekend at jessica and don's wedding!

5. i am actually going to get out of the house tomorrow! i have a photographer's luncheon to go to, and i am so excited to see some of my friends and meet new ones. Check back for pics later this week.

Hope your day is as good as mine!
Lindsey

cool new vendor

2008-09-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

so i am always on the lookout for new, chic vendors to buy from and to tell my brides about, and just yesterday i got an email about an awesome stationary and invitation shop called lindsay lane. if you haven't ordered your wedding invitations yet, this is the place to look. you will get great quality and great customer service. or if you just want some cute stationary with your new last name, lindsay can hook you up. check out the website!!

long awaited ... married: jonathan and lindsey

2008-09-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

since their wedding was less than two weeks before my due date - yeah, they wanted me that much and i was so honored - this post is long overdue. on july 19th, jonathan and lindsey were married at the beautiful ryan nicholas inn. i love all of my couples, and i had a very special bond with these two. first and foremost, their love for each other has been so evident. having been together since FOREVER, they were so comfortable with each other, able to complete each other's sentences, bonded as fully as they could have been before being married. and every photographer loves a couple who loves photography, and these two told me i could cartwheel down the isle as long as i got the pictures i wanted to get! jonathan is creative and romantic - he flew lindsey to california for the day to propose in front of the pacific ocean! and lindsey - who doesn't love this girl? she's so thoughtful and fun and precious! love and support for jonathan flows through her veins - so much so that she is traveling with him around the states and the world so he can pursue his master's and study abroad. i love these guys, and i was so very honored to be their wedding photographer. here are some of my favorites from the day. (the last one was a request of jonathan's, and i think it said it all! they boogied pretty hard at their reception!!)

jonathan and lindsey, thank you so much for believing in me and for welcoming me like a member of your family. anne lammott says she prays two prayers the most - "help me, help me, help me" and "thank you, thank you, thank you." i think i spent the 1o months prior to your wedding praying the first, and i have been praying the second ever since. you guys are awesome, and i wish you a lifetime of love, love, love.