smitten photography

merry christmas...

i am so grateful to be celebrating christmas with my family today!  elle is playing with her cousins, bosten is sleeping & ryan is out shooting guns & running around with my brother.  i thought i'd take a minute to post a few pictures from this christmas week of my little munchkins...

i have been reminded this year, like never before, about the sweet gift of jesus that i have been given.  i think that having a son has given me a new perspective on what mary must have felt as she held her baby boy in her arms.  i have an understanding about the bond between a mommy and son & knowing this kind of love makes the thought unfathomable to me of what mary went through knowing her son would be taken with the ultimate sacrifice.  

i am thankful for my savior, for his love for me & the chance to know and live my life to the fullest.  

merry christmas and i hope your day is filled with lots of love and laughter!  

winter

i'm loving these cold, wintery-feeling days.  as long as i am warm, that is - because i hate being cold.  we have been spending every night around a fire in our house - nothing like the smell of wood burning & the crackle of coals as they drop to the bottom of the fireplace.  we got our christmas tree this week & i took a few photos to remember the moment.  i know that it is technically still fall, but the rumor is that we are gonna have a pretty chilly winter & i am definitely hoping for some snow :)  

a glimpse of her in twenty years...

her eyes lit up like fireflies on a summer night.  she covered her mouth with her hand, stood up in the cart and yelled "that one!!!"  

i pointed to the white wedding dress & asked her to confirm if this was the one.  she held the dress close and started jumping up and down saying she couldn't wait to be a bride.  

my little girl.  in all her four years, she was thrilled to be a bride this halloween.  this dress has hung in our living room - wrapped in plastic, vail trimmed in lace - waiting to be worn on this night.  it was no surprise to me that elle wanted to be a bride when she saw a wedding dress hanging on the rack in the costume section.  she has looked over my shoulder, scribbled in my calendar, sat in my lap, played with the mouse on my mac, eaten cheese-its...all while i have edited thousands of wedding photos of beautiful brides in front of her.  it was so apparent that my daughter has been a part of smitten in so many ways - not just an inspiration for me, but a part of my life - getting to use my creative passion for photography & be with my little girl every day is such a gift.  one that i can't imagine getting any better.  

i got teary fixing her hair and placing her vail on her head.  i know these years are flying by and i looked at her knowing that her wedding day will be here in a blink.  the sweetest part of all is that elle asked ryan to be her groom.  he actually went out and got a tux to wear with her trick or treating - he definitely gets the best daddy award for that one :)

enough post-baby-hormonal-chatter...here is my fun. fresh. real. miniature smitten bride:

soooo excited to run in her wedding dress:

i love this one...i want to have it put on canvas and hang it in my room:

joy:

having fun with her vail:

my little beauty:

favorite of the night.  elle loves her daddy so much - and i love him for dressing up to walk beside her tonight while i stay inside with little guido:

happy pumpkin day!

the new addition...

i am SO excited to share the news that our sweet baby guido is here!!!  introducing...

bosten manning

10.22.08

6 pounds 14 ounces

he is truly amazing and it has been so much fun getting to know him over the past 5 days!  there has been little connection with the real world since his arrival, so for any clients who have emailed or called, please know i will be back in touch as soon as the new baby fog goes away :)  

we appreciate all the well wishes and i finally took some photos of the little guy this afternoon - along with big sister elle & ryan - here is a look at the sweetest boy with the sweetest lips around!

our new family of four!

elle loves looking over her baby brother:

love this light & this baby:

this is an antique baby carriage from 1865 that was my sisters when she was a baby!  it has been so fun for me to use especially because i love vintage things so much!

the littlest bum:

daddy is in love:

this picture is so cute & funny to me because this baby doesn't cry at all unless he's getting changed or is cold!  but, i love his wrinkles when he does cry :)

i'm smitten with my adorable family:

the best big sister around:

yay for our new pumpkin!

4th and 2...

this weekend we celebrated our amazing little girl's FOURTH birthday!  it was such a great day of relaxing and playing with family - i am still in shock that the bean is really four!  with the passing of this birthday, we are down to TWO weeks until baby guido's arrival!!  whoa, buddy.  i'm so ready to see his face & smooch on some baby lips :)   i'll keep the blog updated with baby status - thanks so much to everyone who has emailed checking up on us!

here are some pics of the four year old love of my life who brings me joy everyday.  elle has a passion for life, compassion for others & a knack for making us laugh so hard with her quirky stories.  gosh, i love this little girl:

t - 4.5 weeks...

until baby guido is here!!  hard to believe that we are nearing the end - but its true. 

i finally got to experience what many of you have been faced with the night before your photo shoot:

restless sleep, thoughts of waking with a gigantic zit on your face, wondering if the clothes you want to wear will look good in your photos, imagining that you will feel akward & embarrassed, etc.  

BUT, instead of those fears coming true, i had the most fun EVER with kristin & aaron byrum at my ultra urban maternity photo shoot!!  i haven't seen all the pics yet, but here are two of my favorites from a couple that kristin shared with me & i wanted to appease the blog readers who have insisted that a photo of my belly  be posted on here :)

kristin & aaron are basically two awesome photographers who i always recommend brides to when i am booked for a wedding.  they kept having me work the serious face, which feels so funny for me since i love to laugh so much - but i really loved the feel of these photos.  i'll be returning the favor to them by doing a couple shoot next week so stay tuned for their pictures!

well, i am off to tennessee this weekend for my last wedding of the year & i am definitely going to be in wedding day withdrawl for the next couple months :)   i am for sure looking forward to 2009 & some really amazing smitten weddings!

comforts of home...

i love being at my house.    since i know i will be spending a lot of time here over the coming months, my nesting instinct has been in full swing!

its been tough with all the work we have done to really feel settled...but its finally starting to happen.  i have maybe ten more things to hang on the walls, need a switch plate or two & it will be complete.

there are three things that i love the most in our home so i thought i'd share them tonight!

1.  the rainshower.

this thing is absolutely amazing.  i find myself not being able to stand under it for less than 45 minutes.  it feels like you are under a mini waterfall & with only 6 weeks until baby guido is here - lets just say that any moments of clarity that i get to myself are much needed!  the advantage of remodeling, for us, versus buying new, was that we got to be really personal with fixtures & decor.  this is where my vision for floor to ceiling bead board bathrooms came in to play :) 

2.  the double fan & flat screen.

i LOVE fans.  our den is somewhat long so we opted for a double fan to give more air and a nice visual effect when you walk in the room.  we whitewashed our wood burning fireplace since there is such a large section of brick on the inside of the room &  ryan and my dad found some way to drill & mount our new tv {a housewarming gift from ryan's parents!} and it is so fun to watch it when i get the chance!

3.  my vintage-caribbean-all-inclusive-resort- bedroom.

there is something wonderful about this little piece of heaven that i love every time i walk in.  its very open-air feel is bright & cheery, yet relaxing and cozy.  white blinds were all this room needed to allow more light to pour in.  my favorite touch is the bedding, which completes the look.

so, there is a peek inside the new abode!  

bump pictures are coming asap.  i had my own belly shoot get cancelled yesterday because of the massive downpours but we are trying for monday morning to get them done!  i have gotten really excited about doing them, now :)  

i'm shooting a mom+dad+kiddos session in the morning and a FABULOUS wedding this weekend in charlotte!  i can't believe that next weekend is my last wedding of 2008 - but it is going to be a great ending to an amazing year of working with some outstanding couples.  stay tuned for lots of images in the next couple weeks!

in with the new...

four years ago, my hubby & i packed up our first house in tennessee and moved to lake norman.  i was 6 months pregnant with elle.  

i remember when we found our house here...i stood in elle's would be nursery imagining what it would be like to bring her home.  4 months later, she was born & we brought home this tiny life & laid her in a crib in that nursery & stood over her in disbelief that we had our own precious daughter.  we've spent the last four years changing diapers, taking first steps, seeing first smiles, singing happy birthdays, coloring on the carpet, building a business, having our high school friends over for cookie days, laughing, fighting, loving & praying...all within the walls of this place where we have called our home.  it was sad to leave, but we are excited for the new that lies ahead!

this morning, and one week away from entering my third trimester, we handed over the keys to our house & packed up all our memories in boxes and bins.  we close tomorrow on our new house...one that we will spend the next two weeks putting personal touches all over.  we are actually living with our friends brad & nicole while paint, carpet & contracting crews come in & make our house a home.  

so, there may be sparse blog postings as i start building our new nest, gathering new memories to add to our growing family.  between now and when we officially move in a couple weeks, i have two weddings and a handful of little munchkin shoots.  we'll be pretty busy...but, of course, loving every minute!!  i am REALLY excited about my saucy new office & will be sharing some photos of the new space after we get settled!

i took some pictures of elle this week, in our backyard, for the last time.  she had come out of "roomtime" with this adorable outfit she dressed herself in.  i couldn't help but think how fast the last four years has gone & how fast the years will continue to go.  

{ps...you can always click photos on my blog to see the bigger, more up close, versions}

here's to remembering every sunny-rain boot-dress-filled day...

 

also, i only have two spots left for the september SPA day so email me if you want in the class!

& remember this blog as you see it now...come november you are in for a big surprise....hehehe.

summer faves...

okay, i have summer on the brain.  

i reallllly want to be at the beach right now, dipping my toes in some warm, clear water & sitting on a blanket in the sand.  it was a tease to be at isle of palms for about 4 hours the other week.  i was thinking about how much i adore the summertime & everything that it revolves around.  so, for fun, i thought i'd post my top three favorite things that i am loving this summer:

1.  CO Bigelow mentha lip tint.  this stuff is awesome, makes your breath smell minty fresh & moisturizes dry summer lips.  you can find your very own tube, in a variety of flavors, at bath & body works...

2.  my favorite sweats {BOYFRIEND PANT} from victoria's secret.  my friend kim introduced me to these and i have bought three pairs in the last month because they are HANDS DOWN the most comfy pair of comfy's i have ever owned.  specifically the boyfriend pant cut because they are like boys sweats for a girls body.  i wear them every day.  i just saw some on sale too at v.s. for $22 & almost bought more.  go out and get you some...

3.  fiji water.   as a non-water-loving-snob, i have to say that i have become addicted to the cold, volcanic taste of clear, wonderful, delicious fiji water.  it simply tastes better & i can chug a bottle in a matter of minutes.  crave the south pacific goodness...

so... its high time that the 400 of you visitors a day that read this blog start coming out of hiding and leave some comments!   there are going to be some BBBBBBBIIIIIIIIGGGGGGG changes coming to smitten's brand & blog, come november, so i'm initiating more participation from readers :)  i wanna know what some of YOUR summer faves are!  if you are brave, leave them in the comments below...i am a sucker for word of mouth advertising :)

textures, colors & light

i have been swamped this last week so i didn't get a chance to post some images from my photo safari around charleston, sc when i was there for a shoot a couple weeks ago.  i LOVE when i get the chance to use my camera "personally" & really focus in on the things that make me happy.  i am such a fan of old, vintage, cracked & rusted things...charleston & i are a perfect match.  hopefully, i will be shooting some weddings there in the very near future!  

i hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend...i was reminded about freedom this morning & how it comes in many different forms.  i am grateful for my ability to worship, to love & to pursue my dreams.  i hope you found yourself thankful this weekend!  enjoy...

***update***

there are still some spots open for this coming friday's {july 11} SPA workshop from 5-9 pm!!  if you are interested in learning how to take better pictures of the people & things YOU are passionate about, please email: 

sharon@smittenphotography.com