“Days can be sunny, with never a sigh

Don’t need what money can buy

Birds in the trees sing their day full of song

Why shouldn’t we sing along?

I’m chipper all the day, happy with my lot

How do I get that way? Look at what I’ve got

I got rhythm, I got music

I got my gal

Who could ask for anything more?

I got daisys, in green pastures

I got my gal

Who could ask for anything more?

Old man trouble

I don’t mind him

You won’t find him ’round my door

I got starlight

I got sweet dreams

I got my gal

Who could ask for anything more ?”

When I met with Sean and Erika to talk about their maternity photos, the thing they both said they loved was nature. Sean told me about small bit of earth with trees, a stone wall and a river. How could I resist…..

Meet the beautiful Erika and her dapper husband Sean.

I love Erika and Sean’s sense of style and the way they fit so well together.

How beautiful is this forest and light!

Erika and Sean don’t know whether they’re having a boy or girl so I thought we could have a bit of fun with it.

Erika said she was up for anything even taking a dip. I think it was worth it…

Erika and Sean, I’m excited to meet your little one in a few weeks! Thank you for a beautiful afternoon.

I am a total Christmas junky. I think I listen to Christmas music most of the year (I skip it in spring, it feels a bit sacrilegious to remind the earth that it will soon be dying in winter just as it is blooming in spring). These past two weeks in the midst of a humid New England summer I have been dreaming of the first hint of Autumn (that crisp bit of air that turns and twirls in your lungs) and Autumn of course leads to Christmas. So, Christmas music and Autumny photos have been in my head.

Below are some photos I took back in April (spring yes, but cold enough for a hat and coat) of Instructor and Author Jay Miles. He needed some portraits for his upcoming book Conquering YouTube (coming soon through Michael Wiese Books). Since his photo will be in the book, Jay had to stay in the realm of the traditional jacket portrait but he wanted to dance a bit over the line. Jay has one of those timeless faces, you could snap a shot of him in any era and he would fit naturally. I took him down to a local river community which may not be timeless but whispers of it. Thank you Jay.

If you are reading this from a summer heat, I hope you felt a breeze off the water, a chill beginning in the air and just for a second thought about grabbing your hat before you headed out the door.

Today starts Katie and Nathan’s wedding week. Katie and Nathan are the kind of friends that I want to hang out with even when I don’t want to hang out with anyone. Katie is a scene from a Willa Cather novel, Katie is a porch on a summer night in the middle of a mint field that has been toasted by the sun. Nathan, well, I am convinced that if you took off one of Nathan’s many coats you would find a sword and some armor; he doesn’t need to use these things to fight of dragons very often, he uses them more to lead the way toward new adventure with an encouraging yelp and run. I’ve had the pleasure of taking many photos of these friends, so in honour of their upcoming wedding I thought I would post a few more.

Makeup by Courtney Hart.

White (polka dot) Dress by d.aMa Design.

I am absolutely excited to photograph their wedding on Sunday!

A dear friend of mine was throwing a party for her husband’s graduation and she asked if I would bring my camera. I love bringing a camera to a party! You get to photograph friends, family, strangers in a setting that promotes joviality and celebration. For those of us introverts you also get to hide a bit as well

There were plenty of photos from that evening but most of the ones I’m posting are of the children. The children were so beautiful I couldn’t help myself!

Congratulations Slate and Rachel and thanks for letting me bring a camera to your party!

P.S. I was also in a mushy, swirly, black and white kind of mood as you can probably tell from the photos.

Abigail Zsiga is an international musician. She has one of the most amazing voices I’ve heard. To hear her live gives you goose bumps and makes your skin melt all at the same time. Abigail is releasing two new albums this year and needed some new shots. We had a great (very full!) day. This shoot was styled by local designer Brittany Solem and Erika Morrison, makeup by New York makeup artist Caroline Hahm.

Our first stop was my favourite New Haven vintage/antique store The English Building Market (thank you Carol!)

Dresses provided by The English Building Market

Like I said, this was a very full day. We visited several locations and captured several different looks. Did I mention how fun this was?

Next location – a gorgeous empty apartment on Wooster square (thank you Marilyn!).

Little black dress provided by The English Building Market

A huge thanks goes out to Gayle, Brittany, Erika, Caroline, Marilyn and Carol! What a beautiful day…

I probably have mentioned this before but I happen to be VERY lucky in the niece and nephew department. 2 nephews, 3 nieces and each happen to be the smartest, most creative and beautiful children you could ever meet (yes, I’m bias and very proud of it)!

I was able to spend a lovely afternoon in the park with my sister-in-law and 1 of my wonderful nieces.

Meet little K:

Apparently someone named Horton has an egg to sit on and apparently this is quite funny.

Remember rolling around on the ground?

The dried hydrangea formed little globes orbiting around K’s head. She was terribly fascinated.

Sunshine…

Back to the serious job of hatching Horton’s egg.

I think mothers have the most beautiful faces in the world

I know, I know, it’s been a loooooooooooooong time!

Sorry about that. I’ve been thinking, breathing and doing photography while putting together a new website. It’s still not ready but really I’m working on it! In the meantime, here’s some delicious crushing.

Photo by Trufflegirls

I just got this print from photojojo and I’m in love with it. Plus, it reminds me everyday to pick up my freaking camera!

I’m a sucker for anything that reminds me of Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn so when I saw this photo shoot (by Mario Testino) in Vogue, it left me drooling.

Jon and I had the delightful opportunity to stay with friends – Johnny, Lisa, Bruno and Sunny while we were in England. I didn’t get a full opportunity to photograph them but we did steal a piece of a morning in a park where I could snap some shots. We have been acquainted with Johnny and Lisa for a few years but staying with them gave us the opportunity to get to know this wonderful family a bit better. It was a daily joy and privilege.

Anguish.

Close.

Seeing.

Sight.

Trust.

Trust.

Bond.

Happiness.

Sanctity.

Curiosity.

Bliss.

Protector.

Family.

Thank you to Lisa, Johnny, Bruno and Sunny. You are missed and loved.

This past week, Jon and I joined friends – director/artist Nathan Johnson, designer/stylist Amanda of daMa design,  artist Zach Johnson, movie maker/musician/photographer Ronen V and several others to be a part of the new music video by the musician/artist Katie Chastain. My Antagonist will be on the newest album by Katie. The video was shot in an amazing home on the Cape and I got to sneak in a few shots before the filming began. I normally try not to post too many photos but Katie is breathtaking how could I not?

A couple of Katie getting ready for the shoot.

I love her carefree look in the one below.

We found a shower with wonderful light from a small window and lovely green tiles.

I love the way Katie’s eyes seem to tell a story in so many shots.

I didn’t think this room fit with Katie’s look but after seeing this shot, I wish I would have taken more!

Two days of creative energy with friends, can’t wait to do it again!

“And she is going to dance,

dance hungry,

dance full,

dance each cold astonishing moment,

now when she is young

and again when she is old.”

- Anne Lamott

I’ve had photographs published in magazines, album artwork, websites and a book published by the U.N. but Steady Days is my first book cover!

Jamie Martin is one of many professional mothers that I continually admire. She is a work at home mom with three small children, a successful blog and now a best selling book on Motherhood! I’ve had the privilege of  spending time with Jamie, her husband and their three children. In every instance I have walked away feeling that being a intentional, professional parent is possible. My husband and I don’t have children yet but I grabbed up this book as soon as I could; I didn’t need to be a parent or read reviews, I have seen this family and that speaks louder than any 5 star review!

I showed up a bit before Jamie’s book release to snap a few photos.  The release itself was fun, intentional, celebratory and overflowing with joy and peace, just like Jamie. Here’s a few shots.

Thank you Jamie. You trusted me with a treasure and I was honored to do it. Your example of Motherhood is beautiful.

Please check out her blog! www.steadymom.com

My first crush comes to you from Cambodia. Throughout our travels my husband and I stayed in many guesthouses but none could match the gnome sheets we found in this one. I think my guest bed would look very fine with these (and a fun surprise for our guests).

Maybe it’s the coming of Valentine’s Day but love is in the air…

This second crush is a card by Paper Wheel. If any of you have a partner with an iphone you will understand the depth of sentiment.

I happen to be drawn to just about everything that is white, these “you+ me” hearts by Quotes and Notes are particularly lovely don’t you think?

How could I not end with a wedding dress, this one by ouma has a bit of a rosy pink twist. It makes me sigh…

It has been three and a half weeks since my husband and I returned from two months in the U.K. and Europe and one month in Cambodia. Almost 8 years ago, myself and three others founded Love146 an international human rights organization which combats child sex slavery and exploitation and cares for survivors. Unfortunately, I was not able to blog from here while in Cambodia but I did blog from here.

After almost a month I am finally getting settled back in. Expect to see more soon…

Baby it’s cold outside -

Well not exactly, here in Cambodia it’s in the 90s everyday but my lovely sister-in-law just emailed me from home letting me know that snow is “pouring” down. I’m quite excited.

In honour of the snow, I thought I would post this adorable hat (and mittens set) by dadaya.

My sister-in-law has also been sending me emails about her cozy Christmasy home. I’m so happy to be in Cambodia at present but getting those emails fills my longing for a Christmas in Connecticut. This lovely hair clip by LittleBirdsBoutique reminded me of something she would put in her daughter’s hair.

Do you think my love of birds would move in to obsession realm with this? Hmmm, at least it would be a fashionable obsession.

ring by dillondesigns

“So enormous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the Trade’s wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for Abolition. Let the consequences be what they would, I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition.”

“If any country were indeed filled with men, each thus diligently discharging the duties of his own station without breaking in upon the rights of others, but on the contrary endeavoring, so far as he might be able, to forward their views and promote their happiness, all would be active and harmonious in the goodly frame of human society.”

“Never, never will we desist till we … extinguish every trace of this bloody traffic, of which our posterity, looking back to the history of these enlightened times will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonor to this country.”

“If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large.”

My sabbatical has come to a close. Now, to Cambodia…

I have to admit, I have this intense and odd love for anything that is I term “creepy scientific.” I was a vegetarian for sixteen years and yet still love ancient and apocryphal looking insects pinned to boards, animal skulls under glass cloches and antique diagrams of birds and reptiles and anything to do with natural science really. Also under “creepy scientific” are old medicine vials, surgical tools and diagrams of say the human brain or something. I think if it wouldn’t do permanent damage to my future children and totally freak our guests out I would have a room dedicated to “creepy scientific” but for now I will tone down the weirdness and stick with having a crush on aminitray’s etsy store. She sells things like this Victorian microscope pendant

and wood fungus reliquary

My second crush this week is on an apron. Yep, I go from skulls to feminine aprons in about 2 seconds. This one is from one of my favourite stores Anthropologie (insert sigh). Don’t you think with all of the holiday cooking coming up one could justify such a purchase?

When I was younger, I used to think the perfect man for me would have the character of Jean Valjean (you know after the prison thing), the wit and intellect of Oscar Wilde and the dark mystery of Mr. Darcy. Throw in the looks of Cary Grant, the golden heart of Jimmy Stewart and the liquid honey of Bing Crosby’s voice. Obviously that wasn’t too much to ask because I eventually got all of that and so much more in my Jon. One of the thing that ties all of these men together is being a gentleman (ok, yes, some of them are fictional characters and some of them in “real life” weren’t quite all gentleman but just go with me on this). I love gentlemanly manners, gentlemanly ways and gentlemanly tools so when Jon and I stumbled in to a shop in London called Geo.F. Trumpers I was practically giddy. This shop has been around since 1875 (in the same location) and specializes in gentleman’s grooming tools (think badger brushes and straight razors). Everything was a warm wooden glow. They even had a back room where men where getting a shave. I’m sure Cary Grant comes by to visit occasionally. Melt, melt goes my romantic heart.

“One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice–
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do–
determined to save
the only life you could save.”

- Mary Oliver

I think for one day you should bring your camera out for a walk. It’s amazing what you can see in your everyday walk around. Really, it’s magic. You will find things you never noticed before, you will find utter surprises around corners and you will surely find beauty. Below are a few photos I took while walking around Venice.

Piazza San Marco. Sadly it is now forbidden to feed the pigeons in this Piazza (You know what comes with pigeons and apparently there was so much of it it was ruining the buildings!) but luckily these girls had no idea (until about 5 minutes in when the Police came). They obviously came prepared!

After the two young girls where quite seriously told of the law forbidding the feeding of the pigeons, this woman crouched down arms akimbo and waited. I can only guess that she was hoping the birds where not clever enough to realize she offered no bird seed on those arms.

Lucky for me he’s handsome AND amazing.

No, we didn’t ride in a gondola but,

I thought the drivers where cute.

Alter to Mary

Alter to Gucci

These are the kind of wonderful surprises you can photograph when you bring your camera for a walk.

I’m not quite sure what this store was selling…