Laurel Highlands Portrait Session | The Marmo Family|

Up next on the blog is another family from our Laurel Highlands Mini Sessions in Pennsylvania. This adorable family of three took time out of their holiday on Memorial Day to meet up for a quick shoot at Twin Lakes Park in Greensburg, PA. Meet the Marmo Family!

Could these guys be any cuter? Dad, Mike, is rocking that sleeve, Mama, Angel, has the biggest and brightest smile and their sweet baby girl, Penelope, is full of character. In fact, this little gal had the sniffles on the day of their shoot but still showed up smiling and making kissy faces at Mama and Daddy.

We met at Twin Lakes because I just love the variety of florals that are available there during the Spring. We ran across mountain laurels, rhododendrons and even hibiscus trees during our trek through the park. Spring sessions are all about capturing those sweet moments amongst the gorgeous flora that Pennsylvania has to offer and this session was just that. Angel and Mike took turns making funny faces at Penelope to try and make her laugh. They threw her in the air and gave her a ton of hugs and kisses.

After a short drive to the other side of the lake, Angel pulled out this sweet baby blanket with pretty botanicals on it and we gave Penelope her stuffed mouse toy so I could try to capture a few of just baby girl. I love how the stuffed mouse will forever be in these photos. It not only helps put a timestamp on Penelope’s age but it will forever be a memento of her favorite play toy. Because trust, she was not letting that mouse go once we handed it to her.

We ended the Marmo Session by just letting Mommy and Daddy love on their little girl. Daddy sang some pretty creative songs and Mama tried not to laugh at his version of the lyrics. Though she had a runny nose, Penelope gave us all the smiles she could and was such a trooper throughout the entire shoot. Mommy and Daddy tried their best to get little P to give us her signature “kissy face”. But, no such luck. At just over 30 minutes, baby girl was done and that was a ok with us. As you can tell, we had already captured a ton by then. But…

just to make sure we knew she was done, Penelope stood up in protest and let a few big fat alligator tears roll down her sweet cheeks. Though terribly pitiful and a little heartbreaking, these ended up being my favorites from their session. Why you might ask? Because just look at how cute she is. Even with a frown on her face, this kid just might be the cutest babe ever.

Huge thank you to the Marmo Family for trusting me to capture this sweet memory for you. I hope to see you all again soon. Play dates for Lucy and Penelope soon?

 

To book your unique family portrait session, email therustienailhead@gmail.com. My job is to document your moments, big or small and I aim to hit the nail on the head every time.

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Laurel Highlands Newborn Session | Meet Eliza |

Meet the newest member of the Tetkoski Crew, Eliza! This gang is no stranger to the blog. You might remember them from their first daughter’s (Ellie) Newborn Session or their Family Session with their sweet cousins while they were visiting in Texas. I was so happy to hear that their brand new addition arrived shortly before my arrival in Pennsylvania and that we would get a chance to meet this brand spanking new Family of 4!

At Day 15, Eliza is adjusting well. Like any second child, she is adapting to her new surroundings and all the hugs from her big sister. I arrived at the Tetkoski home and Ellie made sure to introduce me to her new baby and to show me that they would indeed be wearing matching dresses for their first photo shoot as a Family of 4.

While Mama fed Eliza, Daddy, Ellie and I headed out to their big and bright backyard for a few shots of Daddy with his firstborn. They have the most incredible backyard and loads of beautiful landscaping so this location would be a breeze for a backdrop.

One thing I love about coming home for Spring Minis in the Laurel Highlands is just how green everything is and their gorgeous backyard was no exception. Daddy kept joking that we were shooting in front of the weeds but I told him to just trust me. And, I am glad he did because this green against Daddy’s blue shirt, Mama’s glow and her ginger hair mixed in with two adorable babes made for some magical images!

Like any firstborn, Ellie sure does love her baby sister but she might be having a little trouble adjusting to sharing Mama with her new bestie. As we ran around the yard, I made sure to capture a few of Mama with her baby girl to allow Ellie some one on one time with her #1 Mama. They picked dandelions and blew wishes into the wind. Ellie was over the moon!

And, of course we had to get a few of Jesse with his sweet little love, Eliza. She seemed so very comfortable lying in Daddy’s arms. She kept smiling in her sleep and when she grabbed onto his finger, I was more than happy to capture such a sweet image of this baby doll and her Dad.

Because we had captured Ellie’s Newborn Portraits at their home as well, I made sure to recreate a few of the photos from that session. Above, that’s Carly’s Spring baby, Eliza, on the left and her Fall baby, Ellie, on the right. How sweet is that???

The humidity was getting the best of all of us and we decided so head indoors to Eliza could have the spotlight for a bit. At 15 days young, this sweet baby girl didn’t make a peep throughout her session. She just laid on her favorite blanket and gazed at the natural light streaming through their back door. It was the perfect spot to capture those blue eyes and keep little missy nice and warm! We captured her toes and her “guns” and even a few sweet moments with her big sister.

I have always said that my favorite part of this job is watching these little beans grow up and seeing this family expand brings my heart so much joy. Congratulations to the Tetkoski’s on their bundle of joy! I hope to see you guys for play dates soon!!

 

If you would like to book your unique Lifestyle Newborn Session or even a Fresh 48 contact Angelina at therustienailhead@gmail.com. I love capturing those first raw and real moments for families that reflect the miracle that is bringing a new baby home!

 

 

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!