And then the car wouldn’t start.

Isn’t it funny when we try to make plans, but life has something else in store?

It kind of reminds me of this little guy’s entrance into the world. Just over a year ago, my dear friend Danielle was shocked when she went into labor five weeks early. God had different plans for little Judah’s arrival and I just have a feeling that He also has some pretty big plans for his future. I just love this little guy!

That’s how the {S} family was last week when we met up on what happened to be one of the foggiest days Sacramento has seen in quite a while. When they contacted me last year and said that they had hoped to include their dogs in a few of the images I knew I would love them. One of their sweet dogs is fourteen and is probably heading into his final days, so they wanted to be sure to get some pictures with him as part of the family. What a beautiful thing to do. I have to admit–I’m a pro at toddler picture taking, so I thought this would be a piece of cake. Turns out dogs are a new adventure for me. It doesn’t really help that I can’t whistle or snap all too well, so trying to get their attention was a bit trickier than I had thought. But with enough flailing about I did manage to get both dogs to look at me at the same time. And I’m sure I provided some entertainment for the {S} family (and any passersby) as well.

And seriously–what a gorgeous family!

And at the top of that list was getting the “sneak peek” together for the {T} family. My favorite part about this session was how snuggly they all are. You really can just see the love they have for one another–it comes through so clearly in all of the images I took. I always have to remind my clients to scoot closer together–that it might feel awkward but I promise it looks better in pictures than to have one foot gaps in between each person. But I didn’t have to tell the {T} family that once. I just love the closeness they share and think these images reflect that perfectly.

And I’m not the only thing headed out of the office. These beautiful products will be leaving my hands today and will arrive in my client’s later this week. I’ll admit that I’m not the greatest product photographer, but these are just too gorgeous not to be photographed. As a custom photographer, I offer much more than just your traditional 8×10 print. These gorgeous image boxes are my current favorite. They hold 15 matted prints and are so dreamy in person.

And this float wrap is a modern take on a 16×20 print. It’s literally your image, wrapped and mounted so when hung it appears to “float” from the wall. How cool is that? I’m so excited for my clients to have these (although part of me wishes I could keep them for myself!).

I would really encourage anyone considering custom photography to look around your home and find the perfect places to display your artwork. Gift prints such as 5×7’s and 8×10’s are meant to sit on desks. But walls scream for large, gorgeous images. Don’t be scared by the sound of a 16×20 or 20×24. I promise you it’s not as big as you might think and I bet you’d even wish you went larger. To me there is nothing more beautiful that decorating your home with images of your own life, so go big!

(drumroll please)…

Image #7! Congratulations to the oh-so-adorable {T}! Let me just say, I am so glad that I didn’t have to pick the winner because it was just too hard to choose. And thank you to everyone who voted–my blog has been loving all the visitors and all of the wonderful comments. Speaking of which, it’s also time to announce the winner of the mini session. Out of 76 comments, random.org selected comment #18! So Stacie–be checking your email soon as I’ll be sending you more information on your mini session!

Thank you all for making this contest bigger than I could have ever imagined. And don’t forget to become a facebook fan if you aren’t already– I have a few big announcements coming up that I can’t wait to share, so be sure to check there and over here on the blog often.