More

As the year draws to a close, I wanted to thank each and every one of you. I am so thankful to have a job I love and to share beautiful moments with you. To create cherished memories that you can hang on your wall is a blessing to me and fills my heart.

I also want to take this moment to tell you to want more this Christmas season.

More love, more laughter, more time with the people you love. Breath it all in and cherish every minute – even those temper tantrums and difficult moments if we did not have those how would we ever know how blessed we really are!

It all goes by so quickly, open your eyes look around and see how much MORE you really have.

Love to you & your family,

claire

Thanksgiving and the National Day of Listening

http://www.nationaldayoflistening.org/

I read about this today and thought it to be important enough to pass on to others. The day after Thanksgiving is The National Day of Listening.

Take an hour out of your day and interview someone important to you – your child, a grandmother, a friend, a teacher, anyone you care about. How fun would it be to make this a yearly tradition? Can you imagine the stories you would have to look back on and enjoy?

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving with your families. I am thankful for each and every one of you!

happy go lucky!

What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories. ~George Eliot

Thanks so much for this afternoon! I had a great time working with these happy go lucky children.

I hope you enjoy your sneak peek & I will be back in touch as soon as your gallery is ready.

they are growing up

I look forward to having these girls as my clients every year. They have gotten so grown up I can hardly stand it. Sweet big sister has turned into a little lady and little sister has come right out of her shell and has turned into chatty cathy which was fun to hear! :)

I hope you enjoy this sneak peek - and I will let you know as soon as your gallery is ready!

Holding on easy and letting go

...Gotta hold on easy as I let you go.
Gonna tell you how much I love you,
though you think you already know.
I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm.
You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born...

...Someday, some boy will come and ask me for your hand.
But I won't say "yes" to him unless I know, he's the half
that makes you whole, he has a poet's soul, and the heart of a man's man.
I know he'll say that he's in love... But between you and me. He won't be good enough!

~Tim Mcgraw

Seriously I am so behind but I did finally finish the wedding images and I must say every time I think I have a favorite, well it changes. I simply adore the way this father is looking at his daughter on her wedding day.

I know my husband will be looking like that one day at our girls. Well actually he might be looking like that and crying his eyes out ;) He's just about as sappy as I am most days.

Hopefully I will be posting more sneak peeks of other sessions but darn it some of my parents are spoiling my fun by wanting images kept under wraps until after Christmas - understandable but it's hard for me to "sit" on all these simply precious children!

Happy Birthday baby girl!!

Happy birthday to one of my favorite babies in Nashville! I have had the pleasure of capturing this sweet girl her whole life - pretty lucky aren't I? We had a birthday mini session the other morning. She's gorgeous and sweet as can be :)

You are the best thing...

that ever happened to me...

peas and carrots

These sweet little siblings go together like peas and carrots. Both of them have their own distinct personalities, yet blend together perfectly. It's no wonder to me though as their parents are a perfect match.

I was thrilled when they came to me this year for some portraits. They put their heart & soul into life & love and work. My youngest gets to benefit from this by attending classes at Unlimited Martial Arts here in Nashville. I really can't say enough great things about these people!

I hope you enjoy your sneak peek and I will let you know when you gallery is ready :)

The grey skies finally cleared up

enough for me to be able to capture this sweet family! They have been very patient with the weather.

These parents have such a loving and easy way with their precious son it was a pleasure to work with them. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek & I will be touch as soon as your gallery is ready.

The best conversations with mothers always take place in silence, when only the heart speaks. ~Carrie Latet

these little moments

make me love my job.

I sometimes feel a little bit like a spy - I get little glimpses into people's hearts. These little moments make up a life. I love what I saw today...a precious boy and his momma who loves him so.

Thank you for spending part of your morning with me. I will be in touch again when your gallery is ready!

hut hut hut

this mornings session included lots of football! This little football fan is one of my favorite 3 year olds around Nashville. Thanks so much for the fun session and all the tackle lessons. I will be in touch soon about your gallery.

sweetest little farm boy ever

really truly I think it's true! Today I had the pleasure to meet this happy little man and his family. Could he be any more the gentleman farmer in that b&w shot? Love those cheeks and dimples too.

Enjoy your sneak peek - I will be in touch when your gallery is ready.

oodles of fun

Just a little sneak peek from a fun yet freezing session today. :)

there are days

That I completely utterly enjoy working. This is one of them as I sit here working on getting proofs for a gallery this is another shot from the family below.

Completely blows me away how sweet this family is - this moment? I get the feeling from just spending just over an hour with them that this IS their life - not just for my camera. It is and I love that.

One of lifes greatest things

What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories. ~George Eliot

Sometimes in life you run across families that have that inexplicable "extra little something" this was one of those times.

Thank you sweet family for spending your afternoon with me! More to come soon :)

A string to remember

October is designated as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

I am privileged to volunteer for a wonderful organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep which provides heirloom portraits to families faced with devastating news.

Please consider supporting this organization this month.

http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/donate/

Thank you!

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
~dr seuss

What a week! Lots of rescheduling due to the weather... I hope to get caught up soon.

One one day this past week I was lucky enough to tag along on a field trip - a rain or shine field trip. Lucky for us it decided not to rain.

There was lots of mud, lots of poison ivy, a few yellow jackets, a question every few moments...and tons of fun!

paper airplanes

...So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin on a jet plane
Don't know when Ill be back again...

the end of summer

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

you never know

what you will see in the yards around you! I captured this shot yesterday in my neighbors yard. Amazing hawk isn't it?

Reaching out

No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow. ~Alice Walker

sometimes once is not enough

“I will not play tug o' war. I'd rather play hug o' war. Where everyone hugs instead of tugs, Where everyone giggles and rolls on the rug, Where everyone kisses, and everyone grins, and everyone cuddles, and everyone wins.”

~Shel Silverstein

Had to share one more. Love the lashes and giggles.

love & joy

A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.
~Author Unknown

Two babies equals double the love and joy. I loved spending time with this sweet family yesterday. It’s very plain that despite the hard work that twins bring this family handles it all with grace and love – they make it look easy!

I will be in touch soon about your gallery but here’s a little peek to tide you over until it’s ready.