It is my guilty pleasure.

It has been for some time now... two years to be precise. For awhile, it was fun to keep private... my secret getaway from an often chaotic world of weddings and portraits. It is so different from my normal routine, and because it is such a fantastic pleasure, it just feels so unfair that I am keeping it all to myself.

So, today, I share with you my dirty little secret.

She does not wear a silk wedding gown, nor the giggles & cheer of small children, though someday, she may have the pleasure of giving them all a place to call h-o-m-e.

While I do work for many Realtors, all of the images listed here are new construction homes built by the McNaughton Group, and sold by TeamBuilder John L Scott. I have photographed homes in several of their neighborhoods, and am continuously amazed at the design.

Details such as granite countertops, stone fireplaces, tiled details in the kitchens and baths, and beautiful crown moulding will make you seriously doubt the great prices of these brand new homes.

Each home has an amazing use of square footage, making them feel larger than life. The kitchens are always open to the living rooms, making them feel spacious, yet sociable. A place where families and friends could easily entertain and live comfortably. And upstairs, where the bedrooms typically are, the hallways have a certain flow, making everyone feel like they have their own wing of the house. Some rooms even have French doors.

And the master baths? Well... you'll just have to go see for yourselves ;)

View the Village Communities website here for more information.

I have said it before, and I will say it again... have you hired a wedding planner yet? "Yet" being the implication that indeed you will be hiring a wedding planner at some point. Right? Won't you? Pleeeeease?

If not for you, then for us?

For some reason, people at weddings often confuse the photographers with wedding planners. I don't know why. We carry cameras, lenses, lighting... we even try to dress so that we blend in, just looking like guests with fancy cameras... Is it because we are near the bride and groom most of the day? Assuming that because we are near you, that we know what song the DJ is supposed to play for your first dance? That we know which tables are supposed to have the larger floral arrangements? Well, we don't. Not usually at least. I'm sorry. I don't mean to let you down. Jake and I are just so excited about doing our job that that is where we would prefer to keep our focus where we focus best, if you know what I mean.

Lucky for you, I have met some fantastic wedding planners in the industry. While I am sure your aunt, godmother, bridesmaid or cousin is a great multi-tasker and very organized, I highly recommend a professional. Somebody who has done this before, does this for a living, does this well, and is passionate about weddings.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with two fabulous women who meet this description in every way - Michelle Engvall (of Married & More with Michelle) and Lisa Chambers (of Chambers and Company).

They just moved into their cozy new office space in Greenlake. Literally, a half block from the grass and water. From the moment I walked in, I knew these two had fantastic attention to detail. They apologized for the "mess" as I snapped a few photos. Mess? What mess? Everything was neatly organized into their modern cube shelves, and even their desktops were clutter free. If this is how they manage their office space, I can only imagine how seamless your wedding will be!

Michelle and Lisa operate their two separate business from the same office because they are good friends, and because they love what they do. You could even splurge and hire them both to plan your wedding! So, please check out their websites and Michelle's blog to view the gorgeous weddings they have planned, and set up a meeting to find out more. Even if it's just to check out their swanky new office :)

Michelle and Lisa only select a limited number of weddings per year. Be sure to contact them soon so that they can help you with yours!

(Be sure to visit the Recommended Vendors under the About tab for some of my other favorite wedding vendors!)

I love how sometimes life inspires when you're least expecting it. Okay, so maybe it's not completely random that I happened to be at home with my dogs and my camera conveniently nearby, but, it was unexpected that during this exceptionally busy day today, I took some personal time to photograph my two best, furry friends.

After a phone meeting with a lovely bride, a trip to the pet groomer to drop off Sophi & Hitch, a load of laundry (because their favorite blanket has to be as clean as them, you know), a quick lunch, and a conference call with one of my favorite Italian vendors, I should have been off to my next task of creating Fine Art Books for my patiently awaiting brides.

But life inspired.

After immediately returning home with Sophi and Hitch from their day of beauty, I was in love. Their fur was soft as cashmere, smelled of fresh gardenias, and they were tired. So tired. And all they wanted to do was nap on their big zebra blanket, fresh out of the dryer... still warm. But so inspired, I grabbed my D3 and 50mm 1.4 lens and shot away. 92 frames to be exact. Using available window light, I captured them around the house... and then let them nap.

I often wonder if I love them too much. Is that possible? I often wonder if they know how much I love having them around... how much I love caring for them... and how I so appreciate their companionship. Do they know how empty the house feels when they're at the doggy spa? How strange it was to make a PB&J sandwich without them sitting at my heels for a tiny taste of peanut-buttery goodness? Do they know how much these photos mean to me? No... probably not, but I do know they appreciate a warm blanket, being fed on time, bites of banana, and the occasional nap on our bed.

Oh, the life of a dog :)

I recently had the opportunity to photograph a very special birthday. Jill, one of my dearest friends, and her sister Leslie planned a celebration in honor of their mom's 60th birthday.

Fran, the birthday girl, not wanting to leave anybody out, invited 30 or so of her favorite women to celebrate in style with her at a private luncheon at Kaspar's. From dear lifelong friends to newer neighborhood friends, everyone gathered for a time of cocktails, fine dining, giggles and tears.

Unbeknownst to Fran, her daughters had asked the guests to jot down some thoughts and memories of Fran. Once everyone was seated, the sharing began, and I have never heard so many nice things said about one person. Fran is known to all as a sincerely warm, funny woman with a kind and generous heart. We should all be so lucky to have birthdays with so many fans in attendance :)


The birthday girl!










Jill & Leslie reading letters to Fran from those who couldn't make it in person to the luncheon.

Fran's husband Stan, arrived towards the end, to share a sweet toast of his own.

I'm not quite sure how I ended up with these photos. Seriously. I came home, downloaded my 8GB Lexar Pro Compact Flash card... and these were on there?? Sure enough, to my grand (and pleasant!) surprise, I had a fabulous set of images from Courtney and Andrew's engagement shoot. Well, maybe less "tweaked" of course at first.

I am researching and very seriously considering the possibility that there may have been some photographer superhero lurking over my shoulder, shooting away inside some protective super-bubble. The suspicion is only because the special afternoon we had reserved for our beach shoot on Alki may just have been the windiest, coldest day EVER. Pretty skies though.

But somehow, I managed to switch lenses without collecting sand inside my D3, the wind resulted in gorgeous America's Next Top Model hair on the Bride-To-Be, and my lovely couple somehow felt no cold. Maybe they have super thermal skin? Or just the adrenaline of their love to protect them?

Whatever magic it was, Courtney & Andrew, thank you for braving the cold with me and bringing your love, your sense of humor, and your adorable fuzzy rescue dog Suzie to your engagement shoot. I think she enjoyed her day at the beach as well :)