We’re officially less than two weeks from Christmas, and I’m so excited. Albeit, I haven’t wrapped a single gift yet, but I did get my holiday cards out last week, so I’ll consider that a win. I ordered cards from Artifact Uprising and envelopes from Minted, then added a little surprise ‘from Isla’ in each envelope – praying they arrived in a decently good condition, but you never know what to expect with the postal service!

Last week was my busiest photo week of the year, with ten different sets of photos in seven days. I am going to be spending this whole week catching up on edits, as I only have three sets this week (family session, newborn photos and blogger pics). 

Despite running around like a crazy person, there were many, many highlights last week that included:

• Getting the house painted, including Emi’s nursery! We did one accent wall a blush pink color with white stripes (which Sasha thinks are too wide – when did he start having such strong opinions all of a sudden?). I cannot wait for the room to be done!
• Photographing Destiny, Elly, and Meredith (twice!) – lots of fun holiday looks that I’m excited for each to share!
• Being treated to lunch by Destiny’s sweet Mama! I just love her!! 
• Taking newborn photos for the cutest little baby girl, Connolly. Her nursery is to die for!
• Photographing two sets of family photos at the Arboretum and Memorial Park – the weather was super overcast for both, but loving how they turned out regardless!
• Photographing two birthday parties – one for Meg’s son, Berdon, who was turning 4, and another for a little babe named Audrey,  who was celebrating her first birthday!
• Taking pregnancy announcement photos – I cannot share details or photos yet, but I will as soon as the couple does! I’m so excited for them!!!!
• Going to Bayou City Fellowship and sitting next to our sweet friends, Philip and Sydney. I love worship music around this time of the year too! 
• Having my older sister and cousin over late on Friday evening and getting to catch up with both of them!
• House hunting with my sister-in-law on Friday! Trying to convince them to move to our new neighborhood (although we won’t be there for a year!!). 
• Going to my 32 week appointment and having a growth ultrasound – baby girl is measuring 4 pounds, 3 ounces, which is in the 45 percentile for weight! So excited that she’s growing and healthy!

Hope you had a great week too! Happy, happy Monday! xo

I was so excited about tomorrow being Thursday, until about ten minutes ago when I realized it was only Tuesday. I’ve definitely fit enough into the last two days to have spread it out between three, so perhaps that’s why! Last week was equally busy, but less photography and more party prep. I threw one of my best friends, Destiny, a baby sprinkle on Saturday – you can read more about it here!

Besides the party, which was definitely my favorite part of the week, we had lots of fun moments, including:

• A day trip to Austin to meet sweet baby Matilda! She is adorable. I got to catch up with my friend, Jeff, at lunch and then eat dinner with the Gordons and Tapps at True Food Kitchen. It was such a happy day! Isla got to spend the day in Katy and we both spent the night at my parent’s house!
• Having both Amanda and Meredith help with party prep – love getting to spend more time with these two besties, and I’m so grateful for their time!
• Going to two gymastic’s birthday parties – one for my nephew, Lazo, and one for Esther’s little lady, Naomi. Both were so much fun and Isla fell asleep very easily that evening!
• Eating Fu’s Garden for dinner with Bob and Ivana – we love spending time with them and are trying to convince them to become our neighbors at the new house!
• Taking blog photos for Lauren Mills – I am seriously, seriously in love with her son, Ford. He is the absolute cutest!
• Stopping by the Houston Polo Club to see all of the horsies. Isla loves them so much! I cannot wait for her to ride one!

I’m totally braindead and am probably missing other wonderful moments, but for now, I’m signing off to edit tons of photos that I took today! Hope you’re having a great week so far! xo

Happy almost-December! Can you believe that it’s only two days away? I’m freaking out (with excitement). My favorite time of the year! Both our living room and Isla’s trees are up and decorated (it only took two weeks to put ornaments on the trees, whoops). I’ve bought two out of probably twenty Christmas gifts, but I still feel like that’s an accomplishment!

We had the best Thanksgiving at my parent’s house in Katy on Thursday. We ate the most delicious meal (veggie stuffed mushrooms and ratatouille were the best!), went around the table and said what we were thankful for this year, then played the most intense dice/present game, that always involves quite a bit of yelling. Afterwards, everyone vegged out (after dishes were done), for the rest of the day. Thanksgiving and Christmas always go by way too quickly! I hope you had wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations with your family and friends too.

Other highlights from the week included:

• Going to church at Bayou City Fellowship and getting to catch up with one of my best friends, Andrew, afterwards at our house. 
• Eating way too much at the annual cousin’s BBQ on Saturday evening – we had a great time, as did Isla, who was so sad to leave at the end of the night!
• Catching up with Sasha’s cousin, Natalia, and her mom, Zlata, at Peli Peli on Wednesday night. 
• Having our friends, the Behennas, over on Friday evening for amazing – visit Friday evening
• Doing our annual Thanksgiving turkey trot at Memorial Park – we’ve run the trails or 3 mile loop every year since 2012 and want to keep the tradition going forever! If I can do it 30 weeks pregnant, there’s no reason we should ever stop! Ha. 
• Taking family photos for my intern, Hannah, the McCabes, and the Gentrys, and snapping blog photos for  Elly at Highland Village.
• Eating lunch and catching up with my friend, Ellen, at Zoe’s Kitchen on Monday. She brought lots of goodies – can’t wait to share details next week of what they were for!
• Stopping by Papellerie to pickup extra copies of Destiny’s shower invitation!
• Drinking coffee at Tiny’s No 5 Milk & Cookies with Megan and Olivia – only Miss O did the cookie/milk combo, but she seemed to love it, and I was obsessed with my Chia Pudding!
• Going to my 30 week appointment at my doctor – the next visit will be an ultrasound visit, and I cannot wait to see my Emi Girl! It’s crazy how you have so many ultrasounds early on, then they just stop!

Hope you have a wonderful week!! xo

Can you even believe that there are only 34 days until Christmas? Less important to almost every single one of you is the fact that my due date is 74 days away, which seems both like forever and tomorrow at the same time. February 3, come quickly!

We had a serious drop in the temperature from Friday to Saturday, as it went from about 82 degrees to low 40s. We were freezing cold when we went to the park on Saturday morning, but it felt great to be bundled up.

Unfortunately, Isla caught a stomach bug that went around her classroom and had to miss her Thanksgiving party at school on Friday. She was fully recovered (appetite and all) by Sunday, which was good. Fortunately, Sasha and I have seemed to avoid picking up the bad germs (so far at least), which I’m grateful for as well.

We’re excited to spend time with family and friends this week! I’m trying to knock out as much editing tonight as possible so that I don’t have to work on Thursday or Friday. I may have to tape my eyelids open!

• Going to Bayou City Fellowship and hearing guest pastor, RT Kendall, preach a sermon about forgiveness – he was absolutely amazing! We got to sit with our friends, Philip, Sydney and Ashley, which we loved.
• Eating at Sweet Paris with the family and watching Sasha eat two and a half crepes – he’s insane. I’m throwing a shower for Destiny there in a few weeks, and I’m so excited! I received the invitations from Papellerie in the mail on Saturday – those ladies are the best!
• Taking newborn photos for baby Collins, who was an absolute doll!
• Photographing our good friends, Amanda and Scott, with her adorable pup, Gilbert.
• Taking photos for Destiny at her house before the Thompsons headed off to Utah for the holiday!
• Snapping photos of Meg Grant and her son, Berdon, for their holiday card and some product shots for Meg – she is one of the most talented people I know. She’s working on some projects for me and I’m obsessed with everything I’ve seen so far!
• Photographing Alex at Houston Rental Studio – we took tons of fun holiday pictures and I can’t wait for her to share them!
• Doing family photos for a client whose daughter I photographed as a newborn earlier this year. Hazel is the sweetest, happiest little lady and made my job a breeze!
• Doing a family 3-mile loop walk at Memorial Park and then scarfing down lunch at Barnabys afterwards (that Falafel Salad is amazing!).
• Getting my Snoogle in the mail and then finally getting a good night of sleep!
• My older sister came over for dinner on Saturday evening – we walked to Peli Peli, which just opened by our house and we’re obsessed with it.
• Despite Isla being a bit sick, we still had our MOD pizza night on Friday and she was happy to get out of the house and nom on some margherita pizza. 

I hope that you have an amazing holiday week and that you enjoy being around family and/or friends on Thanksgiving! xo

Happy Monday, everyone. A much, much happier Monday than last week circa 11pm, let me tell you! I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry once or twice (or ten times) on Tuesday, but I’m putting all of that past me and ignoring all forms of political media for the next four years. Ha!

The past week was crazy busy, as we’re in the throws of family photo season. However, things slow down in 3.5 weeks, and I’m hoping that the busy-ness of the next month will help February 3 come quickly! I had my 28 week appointment last Friday, and everything is looking good (except, of course, my crazily veined right leg!). 

Isla and I ate lunch with our friend, Mel, last Monday at Ruggles Green and enjoyed good conversation and delicious food. Isla made a friend, whom she named Asher, as apparently that wasn’t his name after all (cute name though, right?). I had her parent-teacher conference, which went well. They said she was very talkative and loved baby dolls and cheese. Sounds like the apple didn’t fall far from the tree!

I photographed four families, Elly, and a zillion dogs and cats at the West Elm x ASPCA event on Thursday evening. Isla, Belle, Ivana and I went to the Arboreteum on Saturday to soak up the gorgeous weather, then later in the day we walked to Peli Peli (which opened close to our house – it’s so good!!!) for dinner. Sasha has been traveling for work during the week, so we’re soaking up ‘Tata time’ on the weekends!

Hope you had a great week and that your Monday is going well so far. Get ready for more gift guides to come this week! xo