DFW Newborn Session: Meet Eleanor

Y’all this little girl is about to steal all your hearts. Meet Eleanor Kate Hamilton! Born on March 15th, I had the great pleasure of meeting this sweet baby girl on Day 11 for her first photo shoot. I am beyond thrilled to share a first look at Brenna and Jeff’s little peanut!

This particular set of photos was my favorite because this family just rocked it. Brenna has the brightest smile on her face and Dad, Jeff, cannot take his eyes off of their first born beauty. They all just seem so relaxed, right at home with their new baby!

I had the great pleasure of meeting this little lady’s Mama a few years ago through a mutual friend and way back then, I photographed her sweet pup, who now is long gone but still very much in Brenna’s heart. In fact, in the years since that shoot, Brenna has added a new pup to the family, Piper and this big sister is just smitten with the Hamilton Family’s new addition!

Weighing in at a solid 8 pounds, this little chunk was born with a full head of hair and what appears to be the prettiest blue eyes. So far, Mom and Dad say that her favorite thing to do is eat! Oh, and sleep! What a life!

Brenna and Jeff (and the new Grandma who was there to help) totally trusted my vision and invited me into their home to capture this lifestyle inspired newborn session. We kept it sweet and simple. I made sure to include lots of Mama loving on her baby girl and a ton from the perspective of little Ella in Daddy’s hands, as well as a few of Piper checking out her new roommate.

We had gorgeous light throughout the entire session and I love that each room in their house flooded with natural light in the afternoon. We managed to time feedings and shoot time perfectly. Not one tear was shed though we didn’t really give her a chance. If Eleanor looked even the bit sad, either Mom, Grandma, Dad or I would pick her up and give her hugs before she had a chance to get upset.

We ended the session by letting Eleanor just chill in her crib in her new nursery. Layered in pink lace ruffles and white bow, Eleanor Kate proved that she is in fact “more precious than rubies” and for that, I am thankful. Not only that this job allows me the pleasure of meeting and documenting such sweet baby’s first days in the world but that I know the joy their presence brings each family, especially the Hamiltons!

For information on how to book an in home newborn session or a Fresh 48 Session, message me, Angelina, at therustienailhead@gmail.com and we can discuss package details, due dates and dreamy baby poses.

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DFW Portrait Session: The Lane Family

Y’all, Meet the Lane Trio! During our Holiday Mini Season, Mama, Hannah, reached out to book their first ever family portrait session and I was too happy to help them out.

We met at Bear Creek Park in Keller, Texas on a beautiful, but chilly, fall day. I was so glad that December was still offering the deep, rich fall colors. The trees were were vibrant yet the grass was towing the winter line and the contrast would prove to be the perfect back drop.

Mama and Daddy showed up with their sweet baby girl, Brielle. I was happy to learn that their little love was only a month older than our sweet Lucy. I immediately felt like Hannah and I were in a special club for having our babes in the same time frame.

Side note: How funny is it that we do that? All my pregnancy books talked about having a correlation with a celebrity who is pregnant and last year Kate Middleton, Kate Hudson, Cardi B, Joanna Gaines, Hannah and I all got to be pregnant at the same time. I assure you we didn’t plan it this way but 2018 produced some hardcore cuties.

Anyways…the shoot started off so good. Brielle was rocking her little red toboggan and Mama and Daddy were more than happy to wrap up and cuddle her to protect her from the chilly winds. Even with the dropping temperature, their little lady was a perfect angel. She didn’t make one peep throughout the shoot.

I made sure to snap a bunch of Mommy & Daddy loving on their little girl but also to capture a few sweet moments between each parent with Brielle. I found that the posed pictures were adorable but the candies were some of my favorites. New parents always crack me up because in an attempt to make their little love smile, they always make the goofiest faces and the result is simply magic!

I really enjoyed meeting this trio. They were sweet and kind, joking with me about how crazy it is to be new parents. They even sent us a Christmas card! Honestly, it was refreshing to meet people in the same stage of life as we are and I am thankful for their sage advice. Here’s hoping that Lucy and Brielle have a play date soon!

Laurel Highland Portrait Sessions: The Foley Family

Meet the Foley Sisters! Seriously, could they be any cuter? This session was super special to me because these gorgeous gals are my baby cousins and I was so happy that our little Lucy got a chance to meet these babes when we were back in PA!

Mama, Meaghan, is an avid lover of all things fall so when planning this session, I wanted to make sure we got some gorgeous fall colors in the backdrop of their photos. To ensure a vibrant autumn photo shoot, we headed to the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve. I knew that this location would not disappoint!

The girls came dressed perfectly in matching dusters and coordinating shirts and pants. I love that their Mama chose to add a pop of the popular mustard yellow and that deep rich cranberry to their outfits. They both had so much fun  twirling around in their dusters and the colors popped so perfectly against the autumn landscape.

As usual, Kaylee and Ryan kept me busy during our shoot. They were full of ideas and they both have no problem getting in front of the camera. They perfected the hand-on-the-hip and the sweet smiles and we ended their shoot with promises to meet their newest little love, their cousin and our baby, Lucy! We ate and laughed the night away at Rizzo’s while these little girls affectionately passed Baby Lucy around the table! We look forward to many many more play dates!

Engagement Session: Katie + Mike

Hands down, my favorite session of the year! Why, you might ask. Well, because the gorgeous gal in these photos is my bestest friend and that hottie on her arm is her FIANCÉ!!! Yep, my bestie is getting hitched and I got to photograph their engagement portraits! So, ya, I am a tad excited about these pictures!

Though they have been engaged for close to a year now, these lovebirds haven’t really had the time for pictures which is kinda why I forced them into it! Boy, am I glad I did though. We met at Linn Run State Park near the Adams Falls entrance during the peak of the fall foliage. The backdrop for their shoot was simply awe-inspiring.

I can’t lie. This session was a piece of cake! I got to just hang out with Kayte & her soon-to-be hubs, Mike/Gomez. We cracked jokes, made awkward faces and I even made them dance a little. These two were all smiles, especially for each other and I could not be happier for the two of them!

Their engagement was simple but sweet. On Kate’s birthday last year, Mike had planned to pop the question. When the day came, nothing went as planned. Mike had a terrible cold and felt like crap. To boot, a blizzard hit southwestern Pennsylvania that brought Kate’s birthday festivities to a halt. But, even with all the hiccups, Mike was determined to surprise his soon to be bride. In their home, on a cold winter night, he dropped to one knee with his family heirloom, a diamond ring and Kayte happily agreed to be his forever New Years Eve date.

To Mike and Kate, I wish you nothing but joy and happiness forever and ever. Congratulations. Now, please, pick a date so I can start planning this girl’s bachelorette party!!

Laurel Highlands Holiday Portrait Sessions: The Bolish Family

I am SOOOO excited to finally be able to share the good news! The Bolish Family is officially adding another little one to their gang! It’s been a hard secret to keep but boy am I glad that I finally can yell it from the rooftops!

This wild and crazy bunch are no strangers to the #Blog. In fact, they aren’t strangers at all. These guys are more like family. Daddy, Kendrick, and I have known each other pretty much our whole lives and Mama, Kelly, and I became fast friends shortly after meeting. And as for Kaison, their adorable 2 year old munchkin, well, I would kidnap him if they would let me. He is a polite, kind and all around wild little man and I love him to pieces.

I could not be happier for this family. When they told me the big news, I could literally hear their smiles over the phone! While visiting in PA, I brought Lucy, my daughter, over to meet Mr. Kaison and you could tell right away that he is so ready for a younger sibling. He was just loving on her. I know he is going to be the best little helper!

Though he may have had mixed emotions during the shoot, this guy is so pumped to be a big brother and I am just over the moon with joy about it! Mama and Daddy recently did a gender reveal and they found out that they are a expecting a baby…

GIRL!!! Get ready boys because this summer a true heartbreaker is going to enter the world! I cannot wait to the meet Baby Bolish #2! Congratulations!

Laurel Highlands Portrait Session: Meet Rhett Fodor

Guys, I have been dying to photograph this little munchkin!!! I tried once, right after he was born, but unfortunately, it rained throughout the entirety of his session. And, yes it’s true, we waited an hour for the rain to quit this time too. But in the end, I finally had my chance to get this ginger haired cutie pie in front of my lens! Meet Rhett Fodor, heartthrob and future lady charmer!

Rhett is my college roommate’s (Steph) first born and boy does this little guy look like his Mama. He acquired her ginger hair and infectious smile and I fell in love with him the minute I met him!

Rhett just turned one not too long ago and is in the that “drunk walking” baby phase. He stumbles, he falls but he gets right back up and is on to the next thing that captures his attention. He is definitely keeping my sweet friend, Steph and her hubby, Tyler, on their toes!

The Fodor Family drove in from the eastern side of the state to join us in celebrating at my Baby Shower and in turn, I had them stay an extra day so we could take their little guy out for a few photos! We headed to the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania so we could let this little one run lose on the expansive property.

He loved the kids’ play area, the old log cabin, the big red barn and just about everywhere we let him run around. I think he was excited for a little freedom to explore and the result for the pictures was perfect! I got the chance to capture Rhett being the sweet and curious little guy that he is!

I wasn’t letting him get off scot-free though! We did pose Mr. Handsome for a few photos and luckily for us, he totally hammed it up and gave us the biggest smiles! He was just sitting on that step with a smirk that screamed, “I know I’m cute! Go ahead, snap away!”.

I am so glad that I finally had the chance to photograph this little bugger and I  won’t lie, I already miss him! I cannot wait for the chance to introduce this fella to our sweet baby and I am so glad that his Mama and I have stayed in touch after all these years! I am so thankful for my friend, Steph, her patient and loving husband, Tyler, and for their mischievous bundle of joy! Until next time, I am going to keep my fingers crossed that  Baby Norris pops out with that same shade of ginger hair!

Colleyville, Texas Portrait Session: Mommy + Me

I am so excited to share this sweet Mother-Daughter Portrait Session with you guys! My sweet friend, Cassie, graciously agreed to a photo shoot with her adorable daughter, Finley, for my Mother’s Day promos and I could not be more in love with the results!

For awhile now, I have wanted to do a Portrait Session at this one particular spot in Colleyville, Texas. There is an old farm house and a bright red BNFS train that sits stationary in the yard nearby. To boot, the field surrounding the train, the tracks and the house is filled with Texas wildflowers so I knew this would be the perfect spot to set up shop.

The bluebonnets, sweet pea and Indian paintbrush were in full bloom at the end of April and I wanted to capture this duo having a little fun flower-picking. We started out in front of the train for a few quick shots and made our way to the nearby farmhouse. It was super bright at 6:30 so I was on a hunt to find some shade until the sun began to set a bit.

As that Golden Hour set in, little Miss Finley’s personality began to shine. She had brought two dresses, one with pink lace and the other, a white chiffon with pink and black anemones adorning the pleats. Both coordinated so well with her Mama’s bohemian chic maxi dress. I just loved the embroidering on her top and the way both dresses complimented the wild grown sweet peas.

Fin managed to find a few daisies to pick and both Mama and daughter posed with the delicate bouquet among the wildflowers. They manged to not only create a path that wouldn’t destroy any of the natural surroundings but to avoid the path of the bees humming around as well.  I think it’s fair to say that both these two have little hippie hearts.

We left the flowers just as the sun began to hide behind the treeline and as the last few rays passed over the leaves, these girls braved the tracks. Fin was her adorable, ham of a self. She was using the tracks as a balance beam and Cassie lovingly helped her daughter regain her balance.

As usual, these girls knocked it out of the park. Just check out their first family session here. I love that I get to photograph my sweet friends with their little ones and I cannot wait for the chance to get them in front of my lens again. There’s no greater joy in the creative world than watching the people you love become comfortable with your craft and that is definitely the case with this gang! Thanks for another beautiful session girls!

Grapevine, TX Family Portrait Session: Jack, Miles & Mommy

 I have been dying to share this session with you guys. I just loved hanging with these guys so much. I met Kristi and her boys through a mutual friend a few years back only to find out that we grew up a few miles away from each other in Pennsylvania. In fact, during our first photo shoot, Kristi’s little guys brought along their terrible towels!! 

We hit it off fast the first time around and have stayed in touch since then. I was so thankful when Kristi reached out in hopes of booking a Spring Mini Session with her little fellas. I couldn’t wait to hear what she had in mind.

I was so pleased to hear that Kristi was thinking of having their shoot in Grapevine. She couldn’t have known but this is one of my favorite backdrops of all time. I love the historic charm of the buildings and the abundance of flora lining the promenade of Main St. To boot, Kristi wanted to use the last half of her session to explore the shores of Grapevine Lake. I couldn’t wait to see the excitement on the boys faces when we let them run free.

Our session began on an early April morning. We quickly found a blooming rose bush and began our adventure. Shortly after, we worked our way to the Farmer’s Market for a few quick shots of the kids on a bright yellow Adirondack chair. Did I mention that the boys were angels throughout the shoot?!? Both boys were following Mommy’s directions so well and kept finding ways to surprise us with their manners.

We headed to the old train station next and the boys really started to ham it up. They were making funny faces and pretending to be pirates! It was seriously adorable.

We made our way to the Courtyard across from the Palace Theatre for a few individual shots of Mommy with Miles and Mommy with Jack. I love Mommy and Me Sessions so much, especially with little dudes because they seriously love to love on their Mamas.

Jack investigated the historical cabin while Mommy and Miles took some time to snuggle by the fountain. Though Miles was dangerously close to jumping in, we managed to hold him off. Their personalities were in full force. Jack was curious and wandering around wanting to touch every button he could find and Miles was happy to hang by the water and occasionally try to dip his fingers in the fountain.

We finished up downtown and jumped in the cars. We headed to the lake to let the boys run wild! I know a secret little spot on the shore with lots of shade and plenty of green willowy trees. This spot would be the perfect backdrop for Jack and Miles to play and just be kids.

After the boys had rolled up the pant legs and splashed around for awhile, Mama, Kristi, jumped in on the fun. I didn’t pose them. I didn’t give any direction. I just let them be a family and it was a joy to see. Mama Kristi twirled Miles around while Jack did his best to get me a little wet. I left this session feeling so grateful for clients who exude such joy. The boys made sure to give me hugs before they left and I felt thankful for the opportunity to connect with these little guys and their sweet Mama. I can’t wait to do it again!

 

PA Portrait Session: the Greece Family

Hey guys! We’re back with more of our Portrait Sessions from our Pennsylvania Trip. The wild and crazy Greece Family is no stranger to the blog. In fact, I had the opportunity to photograph these guys twice last year. Our first portrait session took place at Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve in Latrobe, PA.  You can check out all the adorable photos from their summer session here.

This time around, we met at Twin Lakes Park in Greensburg, PA for a huge family shoot. My Uncle Mark (Elliana and Jake’s Grandpa) had reached out about getting new Family Portraits taken of their whole crew and I was happy to oblige. I will soak up any chance I get to snuggle my precious Goddaughter and her big brother!

I knew this bunch would be a breeze. My Uncle Mark and Aunt Jackie have spent the last 40 some odd years putting their hearts and souls into being the best parents possible and it is such a joy to see them take on the challenge of being Grandparents! Needless to say, they’re naturals. Both Jake and Ellie wouldn’t know what to do without their Mimi and Popop.

We managed to snag a few photos where everyone was looking at the camera but I really fell in love with the one of the whole crew looking at Jake. He just has the biggest smile on his face. It was so wonderful to see them all interacting together and I cannot believe we fit all their BIG HEADS in one shot.

Next up, Uncle Mark and Aunt Jackie. I am always over the moon when Grandma and Grandpa want to jump in on some photos so I made sure to get some of just the two of them together. I had them both giggling when I told them to pose “prom-style”. These were by far my favorite images of the bunch. I even cried a little bit. They’ve been through a lifetime of ups and downs and they’ve still got each other to lean on after all these years.

Aunt Jackie was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get any photos of them with their Grandchildren because Jake and Ellie are movers and shakers. With that in mind, I told them to just play with them instead of posing them and I love the way these turned out. The three images above are a true testament to what a day with their grandparents look like; a whole lotta love and even more laughs!

Last but not least, the best picture, these 2 goofballs. They wanted a photo of them posing like the Stepbrothers DVD cover and how special are they?!? We call this “Real Brothers”! I always have so much fun with these guys! We’ve spent a lifetime growing up together and I love knowing that we will always have each other!

Girls’ Day at the Tulip Farm

Ahhh, Texas Tulips! This place never disappoints. Since moving to the North Texas area, I have made it a point to plan a visit  to this magical place at the beginning of the spring season. Located in Pilot Point, about an hour North of DFW, this Dutch tulip farm is known for its colorful display of blooms!

Last year, Tiffany, of @WanderlustFlorals, and I headed to the Tulip Farm for a day of frolicking and picking out a few of the gorgeous stems. You can read all about that trip, how muddy our boots got and see the variety of blooms here.

This year, I had the opportunity to visit the Tulip Farm with a few first-timers. My dear friend, Jenn, and her daughter, Emma, met me in the wee hours of the morning for a hearty breakfast and then a quick drive north for their first glimpse at the rows and rows of petals popping up at the farm.

Jenn had mentioned that Emma had an interest in photography and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to let her try out my Canon Mark iii 5D. Plus, I needed a new headshot and Emma didn’t disappoint. She really has a good eye at the tender age of 15 and I cannot wait to see where her new found love for this hobby will take her.

Her Mama, Jenn, came dressed and ready for flower picking. At $2.50 a stem, Jenn’s basket soon become a treasure chest of every color, size and variety of Dutch tulips! I was loving all of her choices so I just kept following her around and grabbing compliments to her bouquet.

We had a blast catching up and I was so glad that they didn’t mind me documenting their first visit to the farm. Jenn and Emma are an adorable Mama/Daughter duo and I was so happy that they allowed me to photograph them enjoying their first experience in Aubrey.

I was equally impressed by the blooms. In the past, I had visited the farm in April when the tulips had been picked through. Though the fields are never scarce, it was really nice to see the fields in such good condition. Each variety had just popped and were bursting with color. The pinks were perfect, the reds were vibrant and the purples were on point!

Towards the end of our visit, Emma was sweet enough to model for me. At 15, this girl is a heartbreaker and I was over the moon to get her in front of my lens. She had all the right poses. She was serious in some and goofy in a few. Emma is a fair-haired beauty and I hope I have the opportunity to photograph her again in the future!

As promised, I made Jenn jump in for a few photos and I couldn’t be happier with the result. These two have such an incredible bond and it really shines through in these portraits. I was so happy to have a day of hanging with these fun-loving girls and I cannot wait to see what adventures we come up with next!