My life :: Christmas Greetings

My family celebrates Christmas, and though I know there is a large gamut of beliefs and practices I'd love to wish everyone a Happy Holiday and more specifically, a Merry Christmas! 

Our Christmas card below.

Wishing you all the best!

Love,

Marla

oh how I love me some babies! :: newborn portrait

I am the baby whisperer.  This may not be common knowledge but in the last few newborn sessions I've had--baby whisperer, that's me.  I think it must be my calm nature and how much I adore holding a new baby in my arms (and not have to take them home with me of course), the little babies must be able to sense that my arms are comfort-safe-haven-city. This last newborn I had the extreme pleasure to photograph put up a little fight in the beginning; but even he was no match for my baby voodoo magic.  Yes, the heat was set to 80 degrees, and I was using my fancy white noise iphone app, and applying the 5 S's method from The Happiest Baby on the Block to said baby, but I still think it's me. =)

See, this lovely little man was no match.  I won.

Isn't he just gorgeous?!  I just love me some babies.

i heart faces :: black

This week I'm using a photo I shot a while back.  I love the hat here on this sweet little newborn!  So cute and funny at the same time. =)

Other fantastic photos with a "black" theme can be seen at iheartfaces.com.

i heart faces :: let them be little

My daughter Eva is 7 years and 7 months old.  I remember the moment I met her, it felt as if I had known her my whole life.  She was the most beautiful little thing I ever saw and all she wanted to do was lay on my chest.  It was heavenly.  And I remember thinking, "oh how I wish she would stay this little forever!"  She grew though and fortunately I became more and more enamored with her, which was seemingly impossible at every step.  Each time I would notice these new and amazing things about her and each time I would say to my self, "oh, how I wish she would stay this little forever!"  Darn that girl, she keeps growing up in front of my eyes!

A few weeks ago, we had a really warm day in the higher 80's and I knew it would be the last one.  So after school I thought a photo shoot was in order to celebrate the last warm day of the year.  Eva was excited at first, but when I found the right spot, she wanted to play with the grass and rocks and pick black berries and NOT be my model.  So I went with that.  Because before I know it, she won't think that our adventures are the best thing ever.

The picture below isn't the best portrait I snapped that night; but to me, it really captures the part of her that I wish would stay.  That "little" part that is eventually going to slip away.

There are many more very sweet "let them be little" photos at iheartfaces.  You can get there here:

i heart faces :: raise your hands

Initially, I thought of a different photo for this i heart faces challenge:  a lovely image of my daughter spinning around with her hands in the hair.  Though I realized after seeing it again that her hands aren't actually as visible as I thought.  

I edited the image below last week and I just love it.  This boy's serendipitous smile and the sense of utter contentment is so sweet.

Other i heart faces entries can be found here: