{O} Family

On a sunny 45 degree morning, I met up with the {O} family for some photos.  Charlotte & Audrey were great sports when it came to braving the chilly weather.  We pretty much made a game out of taking a few photos, running to put their coats on, and then running back to take more photos.  Couldn't have asked for better kids to work with!

Oh Boy!

If you've been following the blog over the past few weeks, you'll remember that I was prepping for a top secret pregnancy announcement/gender reveal photo shoot.  When my dear friend Anita told me she was pregnant at just barely 8 weeks, I was over the moon and honored that she wanted me to help her come up with a fun way to announce it.  After doing the math, we realized that she would find out the gender before Halloween so we decided to incorporate that into our photo shoot.  Anita has a fondness for skulls & crossbones so I suggested that her and her husband Paul get his & hers skeleton maternity shirts.  They were on board right away.  I also came across a cute craft project involving decorating pumpkins to look like a boy or girl baby and suggested that to Anita for the gender reveal.  Again, she was all about it.  The exciting thing was that I was one of few people that actually knew the sex of the baby for the past week!  The photo shoot was a total blast and the results were better than I could have expected.  Anita & Paul posted the photos to Facebook today and were able to share this wonderful news with their friends & family.  Congrats Anita & Paul!!  Can't wait for our next photo shoot!

5 on Friday

5 on Friday is back from a few week hiatus.  Between my real job and weekend photo shoots, I've been busy! 

{one}  

St. James Farm

On Columbus Day, I ventured out to St. James Farm with my mom and Eloise to check it out.  It is such a gorgeous space!  I'm excited to have another great photo spot for outdoor photoshoots.  Can't you just picture a family or a couple in the middle of these trees! 

 

{two} 
Breakfast cookies.
I'm obsessed with these "cookies" and have been making various versions of them the past few weeks.  I've seen this recipe everywhere so I don't know who to give credit to but it is super easy!

• 2-3 ripe Bananas mashed
• 1 cup Quick Oats
• Handful of Chocolate chips
• Handful of walnut piece

Place tablespoon-size scoops of mixture on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake @ 350 for 15 minutes.  Other combinations: chocolate chips, walnuts & dried cranberries

{three} 
Gallery Wall update

Oh yeah...I need pictures in there too. 

{four}
Family Halloween Costume
Eloise is going to be a Bumble bee for Halloween & I'm going to be a Bee Keeper.  Gotta love a family costume!

{five} 
Top Secret Pregnancy announcement & gender reveal photo shoot
On Saturday morning, I'm doing this awesome and exciting photo shoot!  I'm literally one of the few people who know the gender of this couple's baby.  I made some custom props for the photo shoot too.  I have a bunch of fun ideas to incorporate into this photo shoot and I can't wait!  Stay tuned for the big reveal!

City Lovin'

What do you get when you combine 2 hot blondes and the city of Chicago?

Gorgeous engagement photos of the future Mr & Mrs Brian Backer!

{W} Family

For our daycare's annual family picnic, I decided to donate a family photo shoot for the raffle.  This past weekend, I did a family photo shoot for the winners!  They just had their 3rd baby a few weeks ago - a sweet little boy named Henry Thomas.  Big sisters Maddie and Frankie were such a delight to photograph.  Little Frankie, who Mom & Dad affectionately call "Beans," would smile and say cheese the second I would raise my camera.