JFP photo blog

Peace, Love & Ice Cream

I am new to this whole "have your birthday party somewhere" phenomenon.  We are boring, old, stay-at-home-for-your-party kind of people.  But this year we tried something new....maybe because we have a new Ben & Jerry's in our neighborhood?  Maybe because I was less than organized?  Who's to say?  Regardless, I am a changed woman.  I am officially adopting Ben & Jerry's slogan of "Peace, Love & Ice Cream" as my own personal motto and swearing out my allegiance to them here and now. 

BEST.  PARTY.  EVER.

Here's a little taste of the birthday girl's fun....

 
(You can click on the photos to see them bigger)

And my very favorite shot of the day....

 

Someone was super excited that her dad came to her party.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that one (and yes, I know she is a little out of focus, but I don't care...sometimes catching the moment is more important than technical perfection.) 

Moral of that story:  life is better with Ben & Jerry's.

It's a Little Buggy Over Here

And I mean that in the best, cutest way possible!

 

 

I'm so excited that the weather cooperated and we got to go outside...perfect for little bugs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't begin to tell you how much I love these little girls (and their whole, entire family).  They are my special little bugs.

(Sorry for the complete lack of writing this morning.  Not enough coffee yet.)

Sunshine at the Beach

Remember those days?  After a stormy weekend and a night laying in bed listening to the pouring rain, those days seem like a lifetime ago.  Could these photos possibly have been taken just last weekend?

 

I absolutely adore these guys.  Every year it is so much fun to see what is new and hear what they are up to.  AND, I love that they can totally wear the orange...not everyone can pull that off so well...and it is absolutely fabulous at the beach.  Talk about a "pop" of color....perfection.

 

 

He has the most gorgeous eyes.  I swear that he is going to be some sort of naturalist/scientist (or perhaps he is just ALL boy) but every time I see him, he finds/picks up some kind of creature.  This year, a really cool all yellow, fuzzy caterpillar...nice.   Last year, a frog....hmpf.

 

 

Ever once in a while you run into a kiddo who happens to be totally in the mood for photos.  That was Mr. {A} last weekend.  Hewas finding locations, posing people, snuggling mom and dad....I'm starting to wonder if I could hire him as an assistant??

 

 

That is my very favorite shot of mom, EVER.  So glowing and beautiful and happy.

 

 

See what I mean?  He really was having fun posing and snuggling....hooray!

 

 

Love this shot and this brick wall. 

Will happily venture back to Golden Gardens anytime for this wall and all the rest of the completely gorgeous spots.

And an artsy shot, just for me.....

 

A completely fun afternoon at a most beautiful spot with some of my very favorite people and my camera.  What more could a girl ask for?  Thanks guys for traipsing all over heck and gone with me and being so willing to play!

A Mind of Her Own

My baby is SEVEN today.

I still a little stunned by how fast that happened.  Pretty sure she was a tiny baby yesterday.

 

Squeak.  Love her.

So here's the thing.  You know how you want to raise your daughter to be a strong, self-confident, sure-of-herself kind of girl.  Well, apparently that's working too well.  She knew exactly what she was going to wear, how her hair was going to be, and where we were going to take these photos.  No help needed from the riff raff.  And here she is in all her self-styled glory.

 

 

She has the best laugh.  It is a high, squeaky, school-girl kind of laugh and it will make you giggle, every time.

 

 

I can't get enough of it.

 

 

 

Also a pretty good "thinking" face.  (She's pretty much this animated, ALL the time.)

 

 

With "her" dog.  She's an animal nut.  I'm pretty sure she's going to be a zookeeper when she grows up.

 

 

My sweet girl.

At 7 she is confident and capable.  She is thoughtful and is constantly on the lookout for other kids who might need help.  She is cuddly and hilarious.  And she really doesn't give me much to worry about...with the exception of the THREE head injuries last week.  (Clumsiness due to growth spurt leading to a scraped chin, a black eye with large egg, and a soccer cleat to the other eye. Yikes.)  Luckily for me (and her siblings) she has outgrown most of her "super naughty" phase which included  fun things like cutting her own hair (more than once)and putting gum in her sister's hair in the middle of the night.  But even at her most mischievous it is impossible to stay mad at her.  Love you sweet girl....happy birthday!

A Little Mountain Goat { Seattle Child Photographer }

This last weekend I had the chance to spend the morning with a fun family that I have photographed before.  Their little one is almost 3 now and she is the most sure-footed kid I have ever seen.  You know how they run at 3, leaning slightly forward, going full speed.  A recipe for a face plant disaster.  But not this little girl.  Not only did she make it down several gravel hills at full speed with no problem, but she walked straight up and down a few slippery wet grassy hills with the same grace and balance that most people show on a smooth, flat surface.  I am still awed by this skill.  (Clearly, that is not a strength of mine.)  Anyway, here are a few of my favorites from our morning.

We started inside with her friend, Elephant.

 

 

Then outside in the sunshine for some family shots and a lot of fun.,

 

 

 

 

 

 

See, I wasn't kidding about fun times.

The grand finale for today makes me all squishy inside.  LOVE it!

 

Thanks for such a fun morning and for being up for anything!

Trick or Treat, the final installment (for now)

There is a good possibility that there will be more photos of cute kids in costumes (mine perhaps?), but not this week.  So enjoy this last cutie for now.

 

I love all the girly parts of this costume...it's like girl heaven.  Fabulous tutu, magic wand, fancy crown, pretty wings, AND GOLD SHOES!!!  Yes please.  I think I need to venture into the metallic shoe realm....as my style consultant would point out, "Metallics are a neutral."  Hooray for" goes with everything" shoes.

 

 

You can see that at first she wasn't so sure about the whole deal.  Still, she was very polite about mistrusting me.  I do have a soft spot for these little shy people, having one and having been one.

 

 

But, you can also see, that in the end the silly her triumphed over the shy bits.  Cute little smiling eyes!

Trick or Treat, Part 4

So this little cutie came completely in character.  Carrots in hand and a definite bounce in her step.

 

 

And she brought the newest member of her family.

 

 

It's her new baby cheetah!  And I wasn't kidding when I said "newest" member of her family.  FOUR days old...though you may be a little doubtful of that, based on his size.  Don't be.  ELEVEN pounds and change.  Mom is a superstar!

 

 

I LOVE that one.  Love the cute little paws.  Love big sister's golden curls and sweet kisses.  She clearly thinks he's the cat's meow.  (I crack myself up.)

 

 

Even when she was done being a bunny, she wasn't done being cute.

Last one coming up soon!

 

 

Trick or Treat, Part 3

And no, I'm not trying to trick you.   Same cute costume, different cute kiddo.

 

Pretty darn cute.  LOVE the red shoes.

 

 

Last time I saw this little guy, he was pretty shy and kind of unsure about the whole deal.  This time, totally different.  What a funny guy.  We were friends right from the beginning as I am slightly knowledgeable about all things Thomas.  And so is he.

 

 

OK, maybe he knows just a little more than I do.  He brought a few of his friends along.

 

 

 

So clearly this morning I am digging some detail shots.  I really do love the red shoes.

 

 

And one big, cheesy, two year old grin for your Friday morning. 

More on Monday.  Have a great weekend!

Trick or Treat, Part 2

This is the black & white post....and I'm not talking about any post-processing.

 

 

How cute are they?  And then....

 

Zebra on the loose.  How funny is big sister, holding his tail and checking with mom to see what to do with him.  She is the best little helper.

 

 

Quite the serious little zebra.  Apparently making plans for his escape.

 

 

Love that tail!

 

 

This is one pretty reserved little girl (I am familiar with the type, having one of my own).  I'm so glad we managed to get her sweet smile.  She wasn't sure she was going to share it with us but luckily they brought along dad, who is pretty funny.

 

 

LOVE that one.

Stay tuned for more funny little goblins soon.

Trick or Treat

It's that time of year again.  Cute, little toddlers in their Halloween costumes.  And this year, a bunch of them are bringing new additions to their families.  Hooray!  Here's the first set.  And be prepared....a bunch more on the way soon!

Cute little Minnie Mouse.  She is such a funny little bug and is talking so much more than the last time I saw her.  And she was pretty sure there were about a million other fun things to do at my house besides have her picture taken.  Like find cats, or check out the backyard, or play with the tools, or help her brother get his picture taken.

 

 

See how awesome it is to have a funny big sister?  Isn't that just the best grin ever?

 

 

Hee hee!

More funny little monsters coming your way soon!