Pologruto Family Holiday Minis

Hey guys! A few weeks ago, I headed back to Pennsylvania to do a plethora of holiday mini sessions. It was a whirlwind of spending time with family, eating everything my Mom put in front of me and photographing the most adorable families for their Christmas Cards! This trio reached out shortly after I announced my travel dates and I was pumped that they had thought of me to capture their photos. In the last year, Sara and Anthony welcomed the most adorable little lady, Maggie, and they wanted to capture their little girl just playing in her own backyard. I loved Sara’s vision and couldn’t wait to see the place that they are lucky enough to call home.

With my photography assistants, aka my little sisters, in tow, we made our way into the mountains. Before the shoot, Sara filled me in on the location. Anthony and Sara purchased a home in Rector, PA. Just to give you an idea, these guys live in the woods. Like, really, in the woods. So far in the woods that my GPS literally failed me. Thankfully, Anthony stood by the side of the road waiting for us to arrive to help with the directions. Once we made our way across a wooden bridge, we traveled down a dirt road into a small community of homes spread out though out the expansive acreage of Powder Mill Nature Reserve. These guys really do live in a magical corner of the world. Both Mom and Dad agreed that their backyard was the perfect place to capture these photos because this is where Maggie lives and breathes her playtime!

From her little old lady coat to her pigtails, this angel could not have been dressed more perfect! It was a cold and wet day but you couldn’t tell looking at her. She was playing in the leaves and taking off the minute that they set her down. She is an explorer for sure. I have a feeling Mom and Dad are gonna be chasing this girl down for years to come. We strolled around their neighborhood and looked for spots with good light. As we quickly approached the sun setting, Anthony and Sara led me back down to the wooden bridge and we set up shop.

After snagging a few photos of Maggie with Mom and Maggie with Dad, we focused on letting them play with their little girl. In the end, I’d have to say we did just that. I love that these photos are so bold and wintery. I love that Maggie has the prettiest blue eyes, especially when she is carrying around her favorite little toy, a stuffed piggy. And, I especially love the way that Sarah and Anthony look at their baby girl. You can see how smitten they are with her every move. From their gorgeous backyard in the forests of the Laurel Highlands to the rich red gingham blanket Sara brought along for the shoot, these guys have gotten a hang of how to put a smile on their baby’s face. I am so thankful for this opportunity and look forward to spending more time with this sweet family and their wild child of a baby girl! Merry Christmas Pologrutos!!

For Information on how to book your unique Portrait Session, shoot me an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com. Throughout the month of December 2016, I am offering $150 Mini Sessions in the Dallas Fort Worth area. These sessions include a 45 minute session within DFW, 15-20 Digital Images delivered in an Online Downloadable Gallery and Print Release. Perfect for Christmas Card Photos, Surprise Holiday Proposals and even Gifts. You can buy this deal for a limited time as a Gift Certificate in 2017!

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Lainey’s Newborn Session

The Pierce Family is making another appearance on the Blog! Over the summer, I had the opportunity to meet with them at White Rock Lake and capture a few photos of them while they were still a family of 3. Though 8 months pregnant with their second child, Lori waddled around the Filter Building with her 2 favorite guys! We made sure to capture both Mark & Lori with their little guy, Xander, and we managed to get a ton of Lori’s adorable bump! To check out our day in Dallas shoot, head here. This session would be totally different! In the months since our first shoot, the Pierce Family has welcomed a baby girl, Lainey Ruth Pierce! Since I was itching to see this tiny princess, my husband and I made our way down to Austin over Labor Day Weekend to catch up with our favorite blonde headed little boy and his baby sister.

After stopping in Hico, Texas at the Koffee Kup Kafe for a few slices of pie, Russ and I meandered our way into the Live Music Capital of the World. We took our time getting through the hill country before arriving at the Pierce Family Home. First thing on our list of to-dos, give their bundle of joy as many hugs and kisses as possible and man oh man, is she a beauty or what? I was kind of glad that we had waited until she was 3 weeks old to do the shoot because I love seeing how active and alert newborns can be at that age. Lainey just kept looking up at me with those big blue eyes and giving me the sweetest smiles! Words seriously cannot describe how much I love snuggling this little bug! She looks so much like her big brother and you can tell that Mark & Lori are just smitten every time they glance her way.

Xander, though preoccupied with books and toys and dogs, is so in love with his baby sister. He was proudly showing her to me and kept giving her kisses on the cheek! We started the shoot indoors, keeping it fun and fresh while Xander played in his room. We read books and sang “pop-goes-the-weasel” and once Mommy was done feeding baby, we worked our way into Lainey’s adorable nursery. After raiding her closet, Lori explained that so many of the outfits were actually her own. Even the dress that she had brought her home in had been the dress Lori herself wore home from the hospital. I loved this little tidbit and thought how sweet of Lori’s mom to hold onto all those dresses for her! After we played dress-up with my new favorite cousin, we decided to head to the park next to their house for their Family Portrait. The cacti and bright yellow lantana were the perfect backdrop for this newly-branded Family of Four.

Though this shoot was supposed to be all about Lainey, I was excited to capture this special time for them as a whole family. Both Mom & Dad are always so kind to trust my vision and I am so happy that they get to see what we all see when we look their way. Mark and Lori are 2 people who fell in love and continue to do so everyday when they look at their children. They are 2 people who put trust in God’s plan and choose everyday to roll with the punches. Little to no sleep + a rambuncious two year old wildchild + a hungry newborn can make for some pretty crazy days but I am happy to say that these guys are thriving on the chaos. Lori actually said to me at one point, “Watching people go ga-ga over your kids is a whole other kind of joy.” As you can tell, we’re all a little “ga-ga” over these precious babes and I am so glad that they trusted me to capture these first moments with their bundle of joy.

Do you know someone who is expecting or wanting to make that Baby Announcement, send them our way. For more information on how to book your unique Maternity or Newborn Session, shoot me an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com or just give me a call 724 216 8185. We have multiple packages and prices including our Milestone Sessions, a series of photo shoots that captures Baby’s First Year! Currently shooting in Dallas-Fort Worth and the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania but we have lots of travel dates set up for the rest of 2016 and 2017. I cannot wait to fill you all on in where we are heading to next! It’s a doozie! Where would you like to see The Rustie Nail travel to next?

Kessa’s Newborn Session

Heading home for the holidays is always bittersweet. You learn to prioritize your time with who you need to see. Catching up with Jessy and Jacey is always one of my first stops when I get off the plane. I’ve known Jess since we were in diapers, though our friendship really came to a head when we reached junior high. We’ve run the gammit, as far as best friends go. From slumber parties and homecoming dances to weddings and babies, we’ve done it all at this point.

I can remember staying up all night when Jess went into labor with Jacey. I was worried about Jess and how her labor would be and I was excited to meet this awesome little human who had been growing in my bestie’s belly for the past 9, almost 10 months. Seeing Jace come into the world was life affirming in so many ways. The girl I knew, who had only ever talked about being a mom, would finally have the missing piece to her puzzle. Jacey Sunshine Ray came into this world on March 15th, with a full set of lungs and a heart filled with joy.

Watching Jace grow up has been an adventure and reality check for us all. Every time I come home to visit, something about this child has changed. She is taller than the last time I saw her and her vocabulary seriously blows me away. She is smart, sweet and wild, just like her mother. She has kept us on our toes all these years, which is why I was a little worried when Jess said, “Baby No. 2 is on the way”. We all wondered how Jace would respond to sharing the spotlight with her soon-to-be baby sis.

Princess Kessa made her way into the world one day shy of being my birthday buddy. And oh what a gift! I bummed my way through the holidays, counting down the minutes until I could fly home and snuggle this munchkin. Though Jacey would always be my girl, Kessa had stolen a little bit of my heart from the minute I met her. She is so tiny and she resembles Jace in way I didn’t think possible. Doing this newborn shoot has been such an experience for me. Not only because I got to spend some alone time with Jace, but because I got to see Jess with her newest little bundle of joy and photograph these first sweet moments with baby. Much to my relief, Jace, as you can tell, is thrilled to have a baby sister.

Though I wish I could say these portraits were for Jess, Jamie and their respective families, I can’t lie. They are for me, for my own personal catalog of awesomeness. They are to remind me of how little they once were and how much I miss them every day. In a way, these portraits were done to capture this moment in time, something that I feel flies by way too fast nowadays. Being away from them means missing birthday parties and ballet recitals, but it also means, I get to monopolize time with these kiddos when I am home. One of my greatest joys is to be a part of their lives. My saving grace is knowing that no matter how near or far, I am only a phone call or plane ticket away from playing Barbies or learning how to tie-dye.

So until then, I’ll keep snapping away and put all these pictures in my keepsake box. And in 50 years, when Jess and I are living it up at the Senior Center, we will look back and think, “What a great day that was and look at how far we’ve come.” I love love love Jessy Fisher but I must admit, I love these girls more. They are this beautiful extension of my oldest and best friend. I am sure, that one day soon, Jace and Kessa are going to cause just as much trouble as Jess and I did back in the day. Unfortunately for them, we’ve done it all so Good Luck getting one past us! Love you guys so much! Counting down the days until our next play date.

If you would like to book your upcoming Newborn Session, please feel free to email therustienailhead@gmail.com for pricing and details. Oh, and Happy New Year!