I’m not sure how to describe 2011 exactly. I think most people that go through a year that was a little tough and a little good, they call it a “year of growing.” I do feel that I have grown. (unfortunately I’m not just being metaphorical…add one to the resolution list! :S)

When the holidays are over and the new year starts I am already looking forward to March. March has never been my favorite month but then my sweet Olivia was born in that month and that whole time of year has really become such an anticipated time for me. This year she turned two.

After having a retail space for my studio for over 4 years I decided it was necessary to move the business home. I was just overwhelmed by the frantic pace of dropping off Olivia, going to work, being gone all day and then having so much still to do at night. I have enjoyed being home. I can do small tasks while I wait on dinner to get ready or if I have looked at the computer too long, I can fold the clothes or go outside and check on our garden. It’s really been a welcome change!

I decided to have small chicks for props for our Easter Mini’s and once that was over we decided to keep them and raise them up for eggs. That was interesting. And I don’t know that we are the best farmers. We started with 6. Then down to 5, then down to 2, then down to 1, bought 3 more adults and soon after an animal found them and enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner on us. Poor ladies.

**taken with my iPhone

Me and my Swede celebrated 8 years of married bliss. e.i.g.h.t. I don’t understand how I am old enough to have been married for 8 years!

Speaking of my Swede…he made a 4.0 this entire year. Both semesters. Architecture School. Studying in his Second Language. Who does that?!

And speaking of school…Olivia started preschool and can I just say she L-O-V-E loves it!

I have had the opportunity to work with some really great people within the wedding industry.

Here’s just a few:

Amanda Caldwell Photography

Tara Mauldin Photography

Blush by Wendy Ballance

Signature Wedding Films

I was also very happy to celebrate my second year as a exclusive vendor at Studio Wed in Asheville.

Only the best of the best and I think we managed to cram all of us in this photobooth…haha!

And finally a sad note about the Orange Cat. He is an actual cat and his name is Chester. He will be 13 in April. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with kidney failure and we don’t know how much longer he will be with us. Poor guy. I have had a lot of cats in my life despite being allergic to them but he is the most special to me. He has a personality that just grabs you. He communicates better than any animal I have ever know. He has lived in Chapel Hill, Illinois and now Conover with me and has even flown in a plane with me! Big thanks to my brother Daniel and his girlfriend Amanda. They have really done a lot to get him the fluids he needs (she used to work at a vets office) and even found special food for him.

What a handsome boy!

Goodbye, 2011! Here’s to many blessings to all of you in 2012!

And here’s one of Olivia wishing you all a Happy 2012!

Merry Christmas to all of my Americans and God Jul to my Swedes!

Wishing you a season of blessings from my family to yours!

I have so many reasons to be thankful. First of all, I am thankful for you. There are so many of you that support me and my family through supporting my little business. This dream has become a reality and even supports my whole family as my husband goes to school. So thank you. Thank you for your encouraging words, for telling your friends about me, for loving the images I create.

I am most thankful for my family.

For my mom and dad….

and especially my sweet girl! and my husband that loves and respects me…

And for my brothers who are my best friends. (doesn’t it look like Martin loves Patches?! haha…this is so not how it is!)

Thankful for generations

Thankful for cousins

Thankful for farmor and farfar (sorry, couldn’t find a pic of farfar!)

Thankful for silly cousins

And cousins that like icecream!

I am thankful that we have more than one country that we call home. And that no matter what country we are in, we are surrounded by people we love deeply.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Today I am thankful for the small things in life….

I am thankful for a daughter that laughs hysterically

I am thankful that she grabs my hand when she needs help down the stairs

I am thankful that after 8 years of marriage my husband still wants a good night kiss

I am thankful for my friends that could just say one word and we would know exactly what the other was talking about

I am thankful for Skype so we can keep in touch with our Swedish family

I am thankful for Coke in a can

I am thankful for hiking in the mountains and living so close to our beautiful Appalachian Mountains and then for Woodlands BBQ being so close to those mountains so we can fill our bellies after a great day!

I am thankful that I can sing as loud as I want in my car and no one can hear me {everyone is probably thankful for that too!}

I am thankful for honeycrisp apples..delish!

I am thankful for the dimples on this little face! Look at that crazy monkey! I just love her.

Today I am thankful for God’s creativity. Years ago I was discussing with some friends adjectives that describe God. My good friend and now ceramicist, Louise described God as creative and to be honest I had never really thought about that. But once you start thinking, it’s hard to stop thinking about just how creative God is. He has added details to every little tiny aspect of life. It was his idea to create beautiful trees that bear green leaves that turn to various colors before they die and fall off of the tree. We have been raising chickens for eggs this year and we have 4 different chickens, 3 are different colors. Even their eggs are different colors; bluebird eggs are blue. Just think about it. Think about your daily life and just how much variety God has given us. It really is amazing.

It’s November and I thought it would be good for me to take time and express my thanks for so many blessings in my life.

November is probably my favorite month of the year. I love fall, the colorful leaves, wearing jeans, sweaters, and boots. But the biggest reason I love November is because there are so many people I love and cherish that celebrate their birthday this month! For my family, this really is the pre-party for Christmas.

Here’s a breakdown:

Nov. 3 :: Martin’s {my husband} maternal grandmother

Nov. 5 :: Arne’s birthday {relative to Martin and dear friend}

Nov. 9 :: My maternal grandmother {deceased, but always remembered}

Nov. 15 :: My brother-in-law

Nov. 17 :: My brother Daniel

Nov. 18 :: My childhood friend, Carrie. {We were often mistaken for sisters and that was just fine with me!}

Nov. 21 :: My birthday!

Nov. 23 :: My mom’s birthday

Nov. 26 :: Martin’s birthday

Nov. 30 :: Martin’s dad’s birthday {father-in-law}

You will notice most of these birthdays are in my immediate family! November is such a fun month and so that is why I am going to start this series out showing my appreciation to the month of November and all of the celebration it brings!

Here’s a couple of pumpkin pics that I took with my iPhone

I thought some of you would be interested in seeing some pictures of my husband’s homeland, Sweden. Most of the images I took while I was there was with my IPhone using an app called Instagram. I really enjoy taking pictures through Instagram because it simplifies the process. I have very little control over settings and all images are in a square format. That makes me have to really focus on the available light and composition. If you are on Instagram, please follow me! My username is orangecatphoto.

Here are a few from the trip:

The Swedish Forest

Forest “Gold”…kanterelle. These mushrooms are delicious! They are very hard to find but we found about 6 liters this day. It was a nice surprise!

Borgstena is the village where my husband is from. This is just an old building there.

“kanel buller” and muffins….this is what they call “fika”. It is the best and most important Swedish word you will ever learn!

Olivia’s favorite spot…the playhouse. Here she is cooking supper. When asked what is for supper, she replies, “Cake!”.

Beautiful flowers in my mother in laws garden.

More mushrooms. I don’t think these are edible, though.

A sign for Tämta, a village close to where we stayed. We often go to the lake here.

Martin’s grandmother’s table…she made the tablecloth by hand.

My sweet girl “swinging like a monkey”

A view of Göteborg…second largest city in Sweden.

Nice sitting place in the middle of weeping birch trees.

hello.

More fika.

Swedish train

My ceramics teacher, Yrjö Häkkinen, from when I lived in Sweden. One of my favorite memories from my time living there.

Some of his apples

This is licorice, not chocolate. I will never understand Scandinavians and their love for licorice.

Martin’s 94 year old grandmother. She lives alone, walks to the grocery store. absolutely amazing!

City Hall in Borås

A very, very old door.

Olivia with my dear friend, Marita.

After 4 years of working out of a retail space, I have decided to move the business home. As Olivia gets older and responsibilities at home grow, I find myself needing to work from home more and more. I have also found that there are sometimes that working at 10 pm instead of 10 am is better. And I have felt for some time now that I need to get back to the root of what I am passionate about: photography. There are days that I feel more like a boss, administrator, book keeper, marketing exec. etc, than I do a photographer and it is time to simplify so I can get back to my passion.

::I want to get back to the heart of what I love.::

Many of you may be wondering what this means for you. Not a whole lot will change. The biggest difference is that I will be in Conover instead of Hickory. I will be working from home, but will still be working full time as a portrait and wedding photographer. You will still be able to call me when you need me. My goal in doing this is to actually be more accessible to you. I will now be able to answer emails over the weekend and later at night.

::Thank you::

Many of you walked into my life as clients and are now considered my friends. My photography is not just a hobby; it supports a family. As I put my husband through school and feed my baby, know that I am thinking of each one of you with great appreciation.
I am looking forward to lot’s of weddings this summer and also a few new ideas I am excited to use in my children’s portrait work.
Thanks again! Excited about this new chapter!

Thanks to my husband for this shot taken on Mother’s Day.

No matter how hard I try to make time stand still, it just keeps passing. I just can’t soak up these fleeting days enough! All of the sudden, my baby is 2. She is walking…make that running, talking, laughing only moments after she took her first breath. Life amazes me. Here are a few pictures from our little celebration last night.

It wouldn’t be a 2 year old party without a tantrum would it?!

Thanks to Martin for grabbing this shot! Unfortunately she was not happy with papa so there are no shots with him.

I am technically on vacation this week to spend some much needed quantity time with my family but wanted to post just one from Christmas day. We were so blessed with the area’s first ever white Christmas and it was just magical! We were on our way out to the car to my mom and dad’s for Christmas breakfast but before we got in the car Olivia had to run around a little and enjoy it! Of course I had my camera in hand…