life is about SISTERHOOD

Sisters annoy, interfere, criticize. Indulge in monumental sulks, in huffs, in snide remarks. Borrow. Break. Monopolize the bathroom. Are always underfoot. But if catastrophe should strike, sisters are there. Defending you against all comers. ~Pam Brown

Here is a slideshow from sister's Hannah and Grace's photo session. They are too sweet!

life is about ENTHUSIASM

I was so excited to have the opportunity to photograph this little nugget. Micah just turned 2 and he is an active, happy, healthy boy. Full of life and an adventurous spirit. There is no stopping him, that's for sure. My goal for this session was to let Micah play, be himself and capture the energy that he radiates. Children are constantly going 100 miles an hour while they soak up the world around them and it's such a beautiful thing to watch. Especially through a lens. Micah's enthusiasm is contageous. If we could figure out a way to bottle it up and sell it we'd... well, someone would be rich!

Sara's Senior Session

Last week I had the honor of photographing Ms. Sara's Senior photos. I really enjoyed my time with her. I learned about her trip to Costa Rica and her Spanish speaking skills. We also talked about the future and what Sara wants to do with her life. One thing I know for sure is that this girl has a good head on her shoulders. She's smart, beautiful and knows how to rock a leopard print mini skirt. She is the whole package. Watch out world, here she comes!

Letters from my loved ones-Part I

I save letters. Cards. Postcards. Little sticky notes with sweet nothings written on them. I save them because I know that one day I will pull out one of those letters or cards and read something nice that someone gave to me. With the fast paced techy world and convenience of email or facebook most of us have resorted to sending people messages via the internet. While I believe this is a great way to stay in touch with people, I still believe that there's nothing better than a little snail mail or an unexpected note from someone special.

Today I was looking for my other shoe. I kneeled down onto my floor, tucked my bed skirt inbetween my mattresses to find my missing my shoe and "Ahhh haa!" I didn't find my shoe, but something else caught my attention. Two hat boxes sitting on the floor full of letters, cards, post it notes, and post cards. I pulled them out knowing I wasn't in any hurry and began reading.

As I was thumbing through all the goodies I found a letter from my dad. It was a letter he gave me when I turned 18. I started to read and began to absorbe the message he was "gifting" me. I am SO glad I save letters!

Here is part of his message: "God has given you desires in your heart that are good. He's given you the talents to compliment those desires. To reach your full potential you must be focused and work hard, I know you have worked hard already, but I think you know deep down in your heart that you have held back. You can do it! I love you Jessica! You are a great treasure, a pristine jewel. You have my heart forever. The future is right now Jess. - Dad"

Of course I cried when I read his letter. Growing up, my dad would always tell me "You are full of potential. You don't even know how great you could be." Most of the time he was referring to basketball. Car rides after games were full of conversations about fundamentals, using the backboard, timidness, and not passing up opportunities to score. I knew he was right. I was afraid of failure and disapointing my team, my coach, my family. So, I would hold back. A lot. When it comes to my adult life I've become a little more bold. But I can still feel myself holding back at times. Afraid that my work, my talents, or my gifts won't be received well by others. Self belief has been a process for me. Some days I wake up and I feel like I can conquere the world. Other days the doubt creeps in and hangs over my head like a big, fat, dark rain cloud. My dad's message was so powerful to read because I understand exactly what he is saying.

God has given you desires in your heart that are good. He's given you the talents to compliment these desires. To reach your full potential you MUST be focused and work hard. The future is now.

Katy's All Grown Up

You know how we all ask, "where did the time go?" Well, I'm going to ask that right now! Katy is a senior at Amity High School. A senior?? How did this happen? Where did the time go? I have known Katy pretty much her whole life. Her mom and aunts used to babysit me when I was a little girl. The Robinson's and the Kitchin's (this is my maiden name and yes that's Kitchin with an I) lived just a few doors down from one another on 19th street in Northeast Salem. That street is still one of my favorite places on earth. I would meander down to the Robinson's house to play with...well anyone that would entertain me. Tracy, Terri and Tricia. The three Robinson girls with the coolest "big girl" rooms ever. I always wanted to be just like them. As I grew up I would borrow their halloween costumes. Minnie Mouse, and my personal favorite, an authentic North Salem High School cheerleading uniform. I felt so special wearing that I'm surprised I never pursued cheer in high school. Well, Terri's first child is Katy. I remember her as being sweet, engergetic, a good listener and a great little girl. I got to babysit her and her younger brother when I was a teenager. Katy was a nurturer and was not afriad to take charge of any situation. She always looked out for her brother when I was with the two of them. She had this courageous spirit that filled any room she was in. I remember watching her run in circles through her house just like it was yesterday. Where did the time go? Katy has turned out to be a beautiful young woman. I was lucky enough to take her senior photos last weekend and I cannot count how times I would look at her through the lens and say (out loud) "Oh my goodness!" She was literally taking my breath away. I really hope she knows how beautiful she is. Thank you Katy (and aunt Tracy/Tricia) for picking me to take your senior photos. I feel blessed to have shared that time with you. All of you. Enjoy this slideshow of your senior pictures! Hugs, Jessica

LIFE IS ABOUT friendship

Friendship is such a powerful thing and the older I get, the more I've realized how precious friendship is. Growing up I had the most amazing best friend. We met in 5th grade and as fate would have it we ended up sitting next to each other in class. She was new to "my" school and I just happened to notice her drawing a picture on a piece of paper. I looked at her and said, "Wow, you're a really good drawer." She looked back at me and said, "Thanks, would you like some of my grapes?" The rest is history. We became one person. We shared secrets, clothes, makeup, and lots of laughs. We shared our first cigarette, first late night outing (without the parents knowing) and first high school party. She taught me how to be more adventurous and I can only hope I taught her something in return. As we grew up we remained close but she relocated to Virginia after our Freshman year. I cried and cried and cried. At the time it felt like someone had died. We stayed in touch through phone calls and she would write me letters (she had the best penmanship ever) but life consumed us and the phone calls slowed down. Years would pass and we would both become grown women with married lives and new friends. So, now I'm 28 and have learned a few things about friendship. The friendship I had with my childhood friend is one of a kind. There's really nothing I can compare it to. But what was important when I was 13 is different than what is important to me now. I currently have a circle a friends that are the MOST amazing people I have ever met. Some of them live 5 minutes away and some more of them live states away. What I have come to know is that a good friend is not easy to come by. I feel that all of my close friendships are divine and that God put these women in my life on purpose. He is intentional is His ways and I am humbled by the gifts of friendship He has bestowed on me. How could I be so deserving? This post was inspired by a shoot I did with two girls that are besties/BBFs/sistas from another mista/homies/P.I.C.s/chickas...however you want to put it. They are Best Friends to the tee. They even list each other as "married" on their Facebook pages. They were super sweet and a lot of fun to capture. Thanks girls for being so candid. You've really inspired me to be more appreciative of the homies in my life.

The Accordion Mini Book

I don't know about you but it's the little things in life that make me giddy and I just love these little accordion books. They are perfect for displaying some of your favorite images and to top it off, they are magnetic so you can keep it on your fridge, file cabinet at work, or in your locker at school. They come in wallet size or in a 3x3 square like the one displayed below. They are currently $75 for a set of 3.

Jennifer's Senior Session

The session I had with Jennifer was so much fun! She was so personable and really "worked it!" Here are some photos from our session. Hope you like what you see Jennifer!

LIFE IS ABOUT communication

This blog post is for all the teenage girls that are currently in a dating relationship or considering entering one in the future. This might be a good one for parents too.

It is no secret or surprise (to most people) that teenagers are engaging in risky behavior. They are getting younger and younger while experimenting with drugs, alcohol and sexual activity. It has almost become a social normality and socially acceptable for teens to openly engage in these risky behaviors. Talking to your child at an early age about peer pressure and sex are very important. If you aren't talking, trust me, they will learn about it from other places...like Jersey Shore (the show, not the place) or The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Parents today are way behind the curve. Studies show that more than 40% of parents aren't talking to their kids about sex. While I believe it is very critical to talk about sex, I feel it is just as important to talk about love. What love means. What it feels like and the difference between sex and love.

A teenager that has been educated by their parents about love and sex is more likely to postpone sexual activity. My sister in law McKenzie is 15 years old and a Sophomore in HIgh School. The first time I met McKenzie she was 3 years old. She was sprawled out on the living room floor playing with her fabulous Barbie collection. Who was right there with her playing? Was it a friend? Her mom? Older brother? No, it was her dad. McKenzie's dad would gladly role play as Ken (or Malibu Barbie) and go on adventures in the Barbie Jeep. Somedays it was Barbies. Other days it was tea parties with glorious hats and easy baked oven brownies, but through these interactions with her parents McKenzie learned what it was like to be treated well, with respect, and with LOVE.

Now I'm sure you can see how GORGEOUS McKenzie is based off these photos, and those of us that really know her knew it was only a matter of time before the boys would come knocking, calling, texting...you get the picture. As a matter of fact McKenzie has recently started dating someone. These two kids are having great fun together. What I love about these kids is how they committed to be respectful to each other.

Before these two love birds became a couple this is what happened (drum roll please)...They set boundaries! WOW! Teenagers, setting boundaries?? And actually respecting those boundaries and keeping them sacred?? What? Unheard of, right? WRONG! News flash! Not all teenagers have sex. Not all teenagers avoid having those "embarrassing" or "uncomfortable" conversations such as, "This is how far I am willing to go. Live with it or get the Hell away from me." Does it still take a lot of courage to have those conversations? Absolutely! But, who do you think is more likely to have that open conversation? A teenager that has been taught how to respect themselves through supportive mature relationships or a teenager that learned about sex and love from the Jersey Shore?

I am not an expert on this topic. These are just simply my opinions based off of observations I've made. And I definitely don't believe that teenagers that do choose to have sex at an early age are bad. I would never judge, so please don't send me any hate mail. I guess I was called to write this because I am so proud of McKenzie for the choices she has made regarding her recent relationship. Will I be angry if she chooses to set different boundaries later on? No (I'll just leave it at that).

I'd be interested to hear any feedback or thoughts from any of you out there. Thanks for reading and I hope I can spark some healthy conversations!!

Tiffany and Mason's Vineyard Wedding

Tiffany and Mason were married at a gorgeous vineyard called Cubanisimo, located in West Salem. There are only 8 weddings a year at this vineyard which is privately owned. The owners live at the vineyard and graciously open their home and their lives to brides and grooms throughout the summer. Every corner of the property boasts picturesque scenery. The home is amazing and the welcoming staircase is a no brainer spot for at least a few shots. Here are some photos from Tiffany and Mason's special day. I'm so honored that they allowed me to be a part of their experience. Thanks so much guys! Congratulations again!