Margaret and John were married in Richmond, Virginia. The ceremony took place at the stunning St. James Episcopal Church. Their reception was at the Virginia Center for Architecture. Some of my favorite features of their wedding are the bride’s bright orange cardigan, the amazing venues in general, the mason jars, and the cupcakes! Here’s a little glimpse into their big day:

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This weekend I had the pleasure of photographing a client appreciation party for the local Wells Fargo. The event was held at the breathtaking Tuckahoe Plantation. The main attraction was the official Wells Fargo stagecoach and horses which were giving rides around the grounds.

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Attention current seniors, graduation is right around the corner! Maybe you didn’t get senior photos. Most likely the ones you had done through school are a little cheesy. Sometimes you pay all that money and don’t even get to keep your images. Book a session with Julep Studios and you will get 1-2 hours of photos taken at the location of your choice, much more relaxed feeling and natural look. You will receive a CD of 60-100 images and an online gallery.

LAST MINUTE SALE: I am offering a $50 discount on your portrait session (regular $250) between now and June 30th.

*This does NOT include the formal drape/tux.

Last spring I first met the Gannons for their family photo shoot when they just had little Reagan. Now they have a new addition to their family, baby Aiden. Aiden and my daughter, Kinsley, were actually nursery buddies in the hospital. Joni has been so sweet about checking in with us to see how we are doing and always has great mommy tips for me. It’s so nice to have someone going through the same stages as we are who knows what they are doing (I need all the help I can get!) They are such a sweet family and I enjoyed spending a beautiful spring morning with them at Crump Park.

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Kinsley and I had such a great afternoon hanging out with little Blake and his mommy. At just 6 weeks old, Blake is already such a happy, smiley thing! I can definitely see the resemblance between him and his 2 year old sister that I also had the pleasure of photographing when she was a baby. Both of the Shelhorse kiddos have the BEST hair. Blake was sporting a mohawk, quite impressive, not everyone can pull that off! And they both have the most beautiful BIG blue eyes (just like their momma).

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Meet the sweet Bennett Family:

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Now that Kinsley is 8 weeks old, I have learned a few tricks that make motherhood (especially the feeding aspect) a little easier. Thank you to all my friends who offered advice, yall were life savers! So here’s a list of a few of “my favorite things” for you future-moms:

1. Nursing tanks These will run you about $20 a pop at Target. You need at least 4 of them because you wear them every day and they end up being covered in all kinds of bodily fluids. I’ve seen them in black, white, nude, gray, and sometimes hunter green. They have a built in bra and are very comfortable. Basically I live in them. What makes them special is the clasps that open the front allowing you to breastfeed or pump without having to take off your shirt or bra. Magic!

2. Moby Wrap $45. As a new mom you just want to hold your baby all the time and if they cry you can’t stand it so you end up with a baby in your arms 24/7. I finally got to the point during the second month where I couldn’t get anything done around the house because I was constantly holding her. Even though I am quite good at doing things one-handed now, I needed some help. At first I was a bit intimidated by this giant piece of fabric that you had to twist and tie around you, but by the second time I had it down. I LOVE the Moby Wrap and so does Kinsley. It calms her down and she goes right to sleep. She LOVES being held close against me. It is very comfortable for us both. Situations where the Moby Wrap comes in handy: Costco, any store where there are no carts or the carseat won’t fit in the cart, on a walk, whenever you can’t use a stroller. I even tried on jeans in the Gap with her wrapped around me. Mostly I love it because it allows me to do things around the house like vacuum, brush my teeth, type an email, and unload the dishwasher. Some may say it’s kinda girly, but my handsome huba-roo can pull it off:

3. Halo sleepsack $25. You’ve all heard of swaddling and know that it’s comforting for newborns. Sometimes the art of swaddling with a blanket can be a bit difficult and they can wiggle their way out and wake up. We just love this “sleepsack” that zips up and velcros closed. It’s very quick and easy. We got a fleece one but I think there are lighter fabrics too. They come in all kinds of colors and prints. You can hold wrap their arms inside or if your little one is like ours, they may prefer to have their arms out. *I also heard that these are great for preventing toddlers from climbing out of their crib because they can’t get their leg over the rail.

4. Breast pump Without going into too much detail about breastfeeding (because I get really tired of doing it and talking about it) all the time, I just want to stress how great having a breast pump is! Since Kinsley was so small she had trouble latching so we never really got her going too well on the breast. She figured out bottles are way easier than latching – my little lazy bug. So I have been using my pump since week 1. It’s has been worth every bit of it’s hefty $300 price tag. Mine is the Medella Pump In Style Advanced, but there are tons of other less bulky and budget friendly models. I love that she is still getting breastmilk (health benefits for both her and I). I love that other people can feed her which not only gives me relief when I need it in the middle of the night, but gives me freedom to go run errands. I love that I can see and measure how much milk she is getting. I love that my model has a battery pack which comes in handy when you HAVE to pump on the go (I have had to use this feature a couple times in the car already). The little cooler and ice pack were great when we had a 2 hour road trip. If you plan on breastfeeding, I highly recommend getting a pump, especially if you are going back to work.

5. Hands Free Pumping Bra $30. LIFE CHANGER! This baby cut my feeding time in half!!! If you are pumping you HAVE to get this, no question. The first 3 weeks not only was I constantly holding Kinsley and feeding her every 2 hours, but I was also pumping every 2 hours and holding the pumps on my chest. It really stinks when your baby is crying and you can’t do anything because you are holding your pump. Literally I was just sitting, staring at the wall, and holding the pumps for 15 min every 2 hours. Horrible! My wrists also got really sore. The first time I used this bra I realized I could feed her in my lap or on the couch next to me while simultaneously pumping. Cue the angels singing! This made my life soooo much easier!! I’ve even heard of people driving and pumping with these bad boys. (I just put it on when I need to pump, I don’t even use the straps, it’s like a tube top).

6. Takethemameal.com As a new mom you will not get through the first two months without help from friends or family. A lot of times help comes in the form of FOOD! When you are not getting any sleep and feeding every 2 hours it’s almost impossible to find time or sanity to cook a meal. It’s so nice when people ask if they can bring you a meal, but sometimes it can be hard to schedule, and you definitely don’t need 5 casseroles in 2 days. One friend set up this website for us that was incredibly helpful. “Take Them a Meal” is a great website where you can create a calendar for people to sign up to bring you a meal. You simply enter your friends and family email addresses and they can pick a date to bring you food. No one has to contact you and you have control over the frequency of meals, it’s great. I set mine up for 3 times a week which I thought was perfect because we usually had leftovers the other nights. We didn’t have to throw anything out and our fridge was never too full or too empty. Whoever invented this website is a genius! If you know someone who is expecting (or someone who is sick) offer to set this up for them!

Well that’s 6 of my favorite things and I hope that it helps someone out there. Sorry it was mostly about breastfeeding and being hands-free, but that’s what has consumed my life lately. Moms, are there any other tips or products you would recommend?

I’m loving the new nursery decor I just added this week! Since we are renting I have major white wall syndrome, so Kinsley’s make-shift nursery really needed a splash of color. While perusing Pinterest I found this tutorial from good ole Martha Stewart herself. I thought it looked pretty easy (and cheap!) which is always a bonus.

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In an effort to keep things fresh and current around here I recently created two new sample albums. Not only do these showcase my photography but are also tangible examples I love to share with clients in meetings. It is much more impressive when you actually hold them in your hands and flip through the pages. It’s easier to feel the differences between the choices of styles and sizes. I design all of the layouts myself. Then I order them from a fabulous company called Forbeyon. You can see last year’s samples here and here.

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In February we joyfully welcomed our little daughter Kinsley into the world. Now that mommy and baby have become better adjusted I am now scheduling portrait sessions and accepting custom art orders again. Maternity leave just to happened to end right as the weather here in Virginia peaked for outdoor photography! It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly. Please contact me with any inquiries and to schedule your baby or family photos. *I now have lots of great newborn props and accessories!