It couldn’t have been a more beautiful autumn evening for this family’s session!  After seeing the cold rain coming through today, I’m thinking this might have been the last of our warm fall weather.  I’m so glad we got this session done just in time :) 

Here’s some my of faves from this session.  We love you,  Bennett fam, and Happy First Birthday, Graham :)

I hope you are feeling loved today! Valentines Day is one of my favorite holidays – it’s so fun to shower those we love with sweet and unexpected gifts! To share the love with you this Valentine’s Day, I’m running a sweet special for 48 hours only. Use the promo code: vday for 20% off your SKP mini package! This applies to any mini session booked for the months of March, April, & May. To snag this sweet deal, follow these simple steps:

1. Go to the SKP site.
2. Click on “clients” and enter the password: iheartskp
3. Select the Valentines Day Promo and add to cart!
4. In the drop down menu, be sure to select the promo code vday.
5. Enter your info & checkout through paypal…that’s it!

You will receive a confirmation email from SKP within 24 hours to secure details about your session. This special is good for 48 hours only, so don’t miss out! I hope this makes your Valentines Day extra sweet :) Lots and lots of love from your favorite photographer….

xoxo,

SKP

I have to say that yesterday’s newborn session was probably my favorite to date :) This brand new baby’s parents are close friends of ours, which made it pretty special. Amy & I have known each other since we were itty bitties, and she has been a dear friend of mine for several years now. We are so excited for them to join us on this journey of parenting! They are completely head over heels over their little guy – and it’s so awesome to see them with a baby in their arms.

Meet Maddox & get ready to swoon – he’s super cute :)

The day before my surgery, I did a trade with local photographer Jenny Lein so that we could both get our Christmas card photos :) I was so excited when she suggested a trade a few months back because we already know & LOVE Jenny’s work. Jenny last photographed us when Charlotte was just two years old – and I still have a gallery of those images hanging on our wall :) She is a such a gifted photographer, and it was an honor to photograph her family. We didn’t have a ton of time with her family as the littlest one got a little fussy in the cold air :( but we did manage to get a couple great family shots.

Thanks Jenny & fam for being so photogenic & for making our few minutes together SO easy :)

As many of you already know, next week I’ll be having surgery that will put me on bed rest for a few weeks, and definitely “off work” for a couple months. SKP will be enjoying a little R&R as I recover, just in time for our annual holiday break (yes, I planned it that way) :) I won’t be accepting any inquiries for Nov/Dec, but Jan is defnitely open for booking! I hope to stay on top of emails even while recovering (thank you, ipad) but if it takes me a day or two to get back to emails, I’m sure you’ll understand :)

Before the blog gets quiet before my break, I thought I’d post just a couple more images from our Fall Mini Event. I’m uploading these galleries as we speak – I can’t wait to show all these awesome families their images. Ok, I also slipped in a couple of my baby girl at the end. Can I still call her that, even though she’s 4 and I have another baby now? I sure hope so, because it’s a habit I don’t want to break :)

Enjoy, and if you think of it – say a little prayer for us next week!

There are specific sessions that I think of when I look back on the last 4 years of SKP& the moments I have felt especially blessed. I know for a fact this will be one of them. When I was first approached about photographing this family, I didn’t even ask my husband before I emphatically said “Yes!” (I knew he would tell me the same thing). This family is on a journey similar to the one we took almost 6 years ago. I know how precious photographs become over time, and firmly believe no family saying goodbye to their child should ever be left wanting for those photographs. I loved seeing how much the older two children were enjoying their baby brother. They are completely smitten with them. This was probably their last day with their baby brother, and I feel SO incredibly honored that I was allowed to be there and be a part of such sweet moments.

God is good, He is faithful, and His strength is truly made perfect in our weakness.

This is just a very small sampling of the hundreds of images I took at Children’s Memorial in Chicago yesterday. I wanted to get a peek up there quickly because I know this momma has been waiting so patiently to see them. Cari & Andy – thank you for inviting me to meet your precious son & be a part of some very intimate moments in your day. I will be forever grateful for the blessing I received from all of you. xox to Coen.

(you can read Coen’s story here, as well as make a donation.)

(If you know a family that would benefit from this type of session, please contact me)

My dear friend Ashley asked me to photograph her beautiful family as they celebrated the addition of a precious little boy.  It was such an honor because she & her husband are photographers as well.  I loved spending the afternoon with them and capturing some real moments in their home.  Thanks Andy & Ashley for entrusting me with your family’s memories – I love you guys!

Andy & Ashley are celebrating their wedding anniversary next week, and wanted a few images of just the two of them.  So many couples neglect to have photos taken of just them once they have children – such a shame!  Someday our children will treasure the photographs of their parents.  I’m so glad A & A thought to have these captured.

I just adore sweet little mouth-dropped-open-sleeping-newborns!

One of my faves…mom & dad doing what they do best :)

Til next time… xox,

S

That’s how many seconds my sweet little Clive was at 3:40 today.  Unfortunately, he has been fighting a fever today, so we celebrated with cupcakes with some tylenol on the side :)  Even though he wasn’t quite himself, we managed to get a few smiles out of him…and surprisingly he dove right into the cupcake (proof below) :)  He’s pretty smart – you’re never too sick for some dessert :)

Now if someone will just explain to me how my BABY went from this:

to THIS:

(help from big sis) :)

Off to go wonder where the last year went…

xox,

S

I know.  I’ve been a bad, bad blogger lately.  What can I say?  The temps get up to 60 degrees and I all but forget that the computer exists.  I can’t say that I mind though…my babies & I enjoyed the little lull this winter, and now that Spring has finally sprung, I’m ready for the full-on SKP rush to begin :) 

I’ll be showcasing some sessions soon, so stay tuned.  I’ve also got a super-special Limited Edition session planned, so you’ll want to stick around for that too :) 

Now get out there and frolick in the sun! :)

Oh yeah – and he turns ONE YEAR old in in just 5 weeks.  Huh?  Whaa?? 

I think I fell asleep for a few months in there, cause there is just no way he is this old.  :(