Welcome Itty Bitty Jack!!

We have spent the last week in Vegas at WPPI. Better believe I will be posting a full blog on that!!! It is the largest wedding and portrait photography convention in the world. It was seriously like being in photography heaven! :)

For now, I could not help myself....I had to post an adorable sneak peek from Jack's Itty Bitty session! Jack's dad LOVES his Harley.....

And here is Jack's Adorable Announcement......

Front......

and then you flip over to the back (my fav. pic!) :)

Welcome Itty Bitty Matthew Jr!!!

I have to leave for the airport in four hours. The night before a flight, my mind is flooded with worries that I may forget something. Whether I am fully packed or not, I always seem to think of something else I need to do before I leave town. My slight fear of flying (which I am working on overcoming) also may play a little role in this insomnia. Tonight is no different. I am awake...so what better to do than to work! :)

Last week we welcomed the newest addition to the LeLe Itty-Bitty family.....I am proud to welcome the adorable Matthew Nolan Jr.!! He is a Superbowl Sunday baby AND my bday eve baby! :) Here is the front of his personalized announcement.....

and we couldn't leave big brother Brutus out!! Here is the back.....

See you all when we return from Las Vegas!!!! We will be attending WPPI which is the largest wedding and portrait photography convention in the world! Be sure to check our facebook pages, because we will be keeping you all posted on what we are up to! :)

Kevin & Aimee: Ripe Belly!

I'll never forget the day my mother (the BEST office manager in the WORLD) calls me and says, "We got another BirthStory contract for a LeGrand???" It's not a very common last name and she was so confused! Then we booked a wedding. Last name: LeGrand. In fact they are all 3 brothers that just so happened to all have important events all happening around the same time and they chose us to capture them. As sisters who love to doing things together, we totally understand. :) We are so happy to have met the LeGrands and we can't wait capture your BirthStory Aimee & Kevin!! The countdown is on! Here is a sneak peek from your Ripe Belly session.

Heavenly Day in San Diego

What sounds better than getting away from 17 degree Saint Louis weather than a week in California!?!? I decided to do just this in January. My friends Allison and Kim met me for the first few days in San Francisco. We indulged, fun was had, we stayed up too late, we probably annoyed the hell out of our neighbors at the hotel, we shopped too much, Our mischievousness got the best of us, and most importantly, we had fun every single minute! After these three days of madness, we needed a change in pace. We boarded our plane and headed to their home of Sunny San Diego.

84 degrees.

Beach.

Surfers.

Sand.

Palm Trees.

Breathtaking views everywhere you turn.

It really made me begin to question my sanity for continuing to live in the 17 degree Saint Louis. These girls live where I need to be!! We spent the next 3 days together nonstop with a completely different mantra. These few days were for "Me" time. We rested, recouped, made dinner together, acupuncture and meditation, massages, yoga in the morning, yoga in the evening, time for writing, hot tubs, runs on the beach, and maybe a LITTLE bit of shopping. :)

I also experienced the most heavenly day possible. Here is the rundown:

Coffee and Walk

Morning Yoga at Mosaic Yoga Studio.

Hot Tub (oh yeah! swimsuit in January!)

****Massage by Alli, Masseuse extrodinaire!! (I have had a LOT of massages in my day, and hands down, she gave the best massage I have ever had in my life. End of Story)

Reiki Treatment

**Then it was time to go to the two shoots I had set up. One was a Ripe Belly Session and the other was a Family session on the beach. A little known fact about me is that I get nervous before each and every one of my shoots. I do not know why. I fear going blank. I fear being shy and meeting new people. I fear that my creativity will dissipate into thin air under the pressure and watchful eyes of my clients. Most people would never know this, but this timidness, shyness and anxiety is always under the surface before I meet my new clients! Allison told me something that totally resonated with me. She said, Maybe that feeling you feel isn't nervousness, maybe it's excitement. The only difference between the two is the way you think about it. Both feelings ignite the same brain waves and patterns, but often people mistake excitement for nervousness. Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. It was so true. So I did what I should have been doing all along....I harnessed this energy and reminded myself of what it really was....excitement.

Here is my oh so wise, way beyond her years, photog. assistant, soul sister-friend, Allison.....

I posted the first shoot the other day..... HERE.

After this shoot, we made our way over to the beach just in the nick of time for the sunset. Here are some of my favorites from Tim, Jen, Ethan and Amya's family session......

I mean really, could these kids be any cuter!?!?!

This was moments after I fell on the rock beach....no, not fell.....Totally Bit it, and hard....I hurt myself, but the camera was safe....and the show must go on!!! :)

**Lesson learned : flip flops do NOT work on a wet, rock beach....just sayin. Go barefoot.
Love this one.
This little girl LOVED the camera!!

Someone looks like their daddy!



Tim & Jen - Thank you for inviting me to capture your family!!! I will def. let you know next time I am out that way!!! :) xoxoxo

Welcome Itty Bitty Landon!

Another adorable LeLe Itty Bitty!! Landon was a perfect angel and look at how cute he is!!! Mom and Dad def. have all rights to be proud!!! :) Here is his nursery inspired personalized announcement:

The Front:

The Back:

Welcome Cecelia!

Welcome to the world Miss Cecelia Jane!! Enjoy this announcement design! :)

Behind the Lens 2010

Hey everyone!!! We wanted to say thank you to all who made 2010 such a blessed year for LeLe. People ask me what the best part of my job is. It really comes down to this:

1. I get to meet new people everyday. My job takes me around the world. People enter my life and my heart, and I would not have it any other way.

2. I get to watch families grow and all of our LeLe babies grow up. I get to see a couple from the excitement stages of their engagement to the happiness on their wedding day to the day they hear the child's first cry. I get to capture love and moments.

3. I get to work with my other 1/2, my sister. We finish each other's sentences and thoughts. There is no one I trust more. :)

So once again, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you to each and every one of our clients, friends, and family members who made 2010 what it was. :)

Now Turn up your volume, sit back, and watch the journey we took in 2010....

Or click HERE to view slideshow in full screen mode.

Allie and Blake are 6 Months!

Six months ago, we were there to help Ricky and Katy introduce their new bundles of joy to friends and family. We fell in love with Blake and Allie. We always love having the chance to watch our LeLe babies grow up. When we at Ricky and Katy's home, the first thing that caught my attention was the beautiful pictures on their walls from the Itty Bitty Session. I LOVE going into a client's home, and seeing moments that we captured as artwork hanging up! As I walked a little further into their home, I saw Allie and Blake. It was hard to believe that these two little babies once fit into that little pod that is pictured above ^ ^ ^. They were crawling all over, laughing at my silly faces, and growing up just as they all seem to do.....too fast! :)

Blake dressed up for the occasion.....

Mommy's outfit choice.....

Daddy's Outfit Choice: This shot was for dad......he was really, really excited about getting them in their Bass Pro gear for a shot.

Grandma was there.....she loves her grandbabies!!! :)

Blake has these eyes that would hypnotize someone. They are the most piercing blue eyes I have ever seen!

We did not want to give these babies up when it was time to leave!!! Do you blame us!?!?

How many 6 month old kiddos do you know have their own personal yoga instructor!?!? I was so proud of Allie! She perfected downward dog!! :)

See you in a couple months for the 1 year session!!! :)

Welcome Itty Bitty Olivia!!!!

When we arrived at Olivia's home for her Itty Bitty Session, we fell in love with her, and her house! I went to high school with Olivia's mom, Becky. Becky has the best taste in decorating!! Olivia gets is in the ranks for one of LeLe's favorite nurseries!!! Just when I thought I had fallen in love with every room in Becky's home, I saw it......the most amazing, incredible, make every girl jealous closet......this is the closet little girl's dreams are made of, or at least mine. She had transformed an entire room into a huge, color coordinated, every shoe and purse has a home, closet. I am still dreaming about the closet.....but enough of that heavenly room.....and back to what we are really here for....the only thing that compete with it, Ms. Oliva Jane Cook. :)

Front of the announcement:

Back of the announcement:

Audrey & Sean are married!

When I heard my friends little brother had found the love of his life, proposed on the beach in Mexico and was planning a winter wedding I was so excited! I am happy that he found the woman he wants to spend his life with. The woman who is his best friend. As an architecture student at SIU, Audrey and Sean have been making the time to be together for a few years. Not only have they made it work, they can see the light at the end of the tunnel and she will soon be graduating this spring.

Upon meeting Audrey, her smile lit the room. She has this calm that even when every one else stressed, she kept her cool. But it wasn't until I saw them together that I knew how true their love was. It was in the way he said his vows so sincerely and stressed every word while looking deep into her eyes. It was in the way she would get a dimple in her cheek and her nose would crinkle when she looked at him. And their first dance. The way they looked in each others eyes and smiled and sang to each other... This. is. love.

Sean and Audrey- Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for allowing us to be your photographers on your gorgeous wedding day. I was truly honored to be there to capture it. Congrats!

Gorgeous flowers by Les Bouquets!

AKKM with those eyes girl!!!?? Make-up artist: Terra Treece (816)769-4667

Sean and Audrey opted for a First Look since they were having a gorgeous winter wedding. It was such a beautiful private moment between the two of them before their ceremony. Not only did the first look allow more time for photos, with an evening wedding in December we were able to take advantage of the afternoon light for all their photos and they were able to go straight to their reception with their guests.

We had gray skies and no sun for like 10 days straight so I was beyond ecstatic when I saw the sun was shining and the sky was actually blue!




LOVE the fab cloaks the girls had!! Audrey's mother made them!

Church: St. Peter

One of my favorites of the day!

Reception: Foundry Art Center

Catering: Spiro's (de-li-cious)
Cake: Hank's Cheesecake
Cake topper: Nordstrom's

Watch Slideshow HERE!