Archive for May, 2012

Jill + Austin

May 24

I first met Jill and her sweet mother, Janet, back in February. Jill’s excitement to marry Austin made my heart happy. I learned very quickly on how strong Jill and Austin’s relationship is and how centered it is in Christ. Austin and Jill were apart for many months leading up to the wedding while Austin was away at McGill University in Canada. Austin is an extremely talented kicker with aspirations to play for the Pro’s.  It was clear from our first meeting how wonderful of a cheerleader and friend Jill is to Austin and why they make such a great team.

After taking their engagement photos just weeks ago, I was so happy and excited to be there to capture their wedding day. Jill and Austin married at Harbor Shores church in Noblesville, IN. They had a small reception at the church immediately following their ceremony and an additional reception at Harbour Trees Golf Club. Their day was perfect and I was so honored to play a small part.

J+A – You two make my heart smile SO BIG! I’ve loved every second of getting to know you over the months. Thank you for inviting me into your lives for a bit and giving me the chance to document your love. Can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you guys.

Much love,

Caitlin

Jill’s something blue. I’m a TOMS girl so I loved this touch! Every member of the bridal party wore TOMS – so fun!

This was moments after Jill’s grandmother arrived on Saturday. She wasn’t expected to be able to make it but by the grace of God, she was able to come out and see her granddaughter get married. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Moments like this one remind me not only why the work we do as photographers is so important, it also reminds me once again why I love my job.

Jill- You are so naturally beautiful and photogenic.

Jill and Austin had such a fun bridal party. Loved getting to know them and see firsthand how much fun they have with J+A.

Augh, Addie (the adorable junior bridesmaid in orange) was seated with me and my assistant at dinner. She is quite the sweetheart! : )

This shot was captured as Jill and her father were walking down the aisle. That groomsmen on the right? That’s Jill’s brother, Ray. So sweet.

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson!

Janet handmade all of the favors for each guest – complete with homemade candy, melt away mints and gum. Each favor was adorned with an “A” for Jill’s new last name – Anderson.

Austin’s father, Gary Anderson (left), was a hugely successful kicker in the NFL for many years. Loved hearing him, his wife and Austin’s brother Doug speak.

Many thanks to Esther for second shooting with me!

Posted in Lifestyle, Wedding | 4 Comments »
Don’t Get It Twisted

May 22

Life is FUN. Period. Eliminate all the naysayers and people who bring you down today. You’re worth more than that. Quinn and I believe in you!

Posted in Family, Lifestyle, Personal | 2 Comments »
Noah Turns 1!

May 21

Noah George – you are ONE! Can you believe it?! Where does time go? But seriously. How did this happen? I remember setting my alarm clock for 5 AM the morning of your birthday, Noah man. I hadn’t photographed a birth before and was so excited for the opportunity. Being a bit naive on this front, I thought I had to be there RIGHT. AWAY! You took your time and didn’t come until 4:30. If only I knew I could have fit a couple extra hours of shut eye in there! :) But oh, the sunrise that morning. The sky was on fire with shades of orange, golds and deep blues. It was one to remember. I wouldn’t have changed a thing that day..

It’s hard to remember life before you came. Our family is different in the best way. We have always been close, Noah, but you’ve strengthened the Sully bond. Just by being cute ole’ you! Sometimes I wonder how you do it. And you don’t just brighten our lives, you brighten my friends worlds and then some. I love when I run into an old friend I haven’t seen in a bit and he/she asks how you are! They haven’t even met you! I blog often about you for good reason. My business will never be just about the photos – it’s about the experience, my journey and sharing a piece of my heart with the world. It’s about showing others the ways love in all of it’s variations inspires me. YOU inspire me, little guy. Every day. I want the world to know that.

I took photos of you on your birthday eve. You arrived for your shoot and you were napping. Your grandma and I put together some balloons and a cute little cupcake for you. You woke up and had lots of sleep left in your eyes. We gave you some time with Uncle Colin to wake up a bit. We started taking photos and you weren’t having it – at least what I had envisioned.  You liked the cupcake for 2 seconds and then went for the mulch at your feet. Ah, kids. You’ve reaffirmed over the past year that ANY plans I have to photograph kids as I enter a photo shoot need to be thrown out the window. Completely. You little ones have your own agenda and the sooner I can accept that and roll with it, the more fun we will have. So that’s what I did.  We moved to the back yard to make you smile and capture your sweetness. We had a team working behind me and together we pulled through!

Sweet precious wonderful hilarious ONE YEAR OLD you. I could just eat you up:

A few fun facts about Noah:

-He currently “ooooohs” at almost everything. It’s so cute it hurts.

-He LOVES to sweep! I can only hope for his parents sake that this love carries on through the years.

-Lil guy likes to be out and facing the world when you hold him. He likes to know what’s up.

-His nickname is “Bugs” which came from Lovebug. He was the most adorable little bug for his first Halloween – complete with black tights, polka dots and antenna made out of pipe cleaners.

-Noah is about 5 seconds from being a full fledged walker. It’s about to get crazy!

Here I am photographing you on your birthday eve. Noah – I can rock workout apparel any day of the week. Let me just tell you! You can rock whatever at any time. No worries there – you’re all set on the cute. For life I’m fairly certain. (These next 3 photos come from my iPhone)

After our shoot I took one of your balloons and wrote my birthday wish for you.  I let it free and watched it float away into the blue sky. I hope you always dream big for yourself and those you love most.

I was so sad to miss you on your birthday but was so honored and excited to photograph Jill and Austin’s wedding. Here’s your Aunt Caity before heading up north to do what I love. Noah – I hope you always do more of what makes you happy. Life is too short. Find what makes you happy and do it on purpose. PERIOD. I’ve known you a short time but have known for longer that you’re worth all of the happiness in the world.  Every dream you have for yourself – you are worth em all, sweet boy. I love you and I’m super proud of you.

I can’t wait to see what this next year has in store for you. You’ll be a blast to have along at our family vacation in the Outers Banks in July! I can’t wait to play with you in the sand.

All my love,

Aunt Caity

Posted in Family, Lifestyle, Personal | 1 Comment »
Mother’s Day: As Told by the One & Only Mama G

May 13

Guest blog??? Mother’s Day…I remember it as a child as a time when my Mom, Dad, brother and I would go for a walk in the woods with my Mom, because that was her favorite thing to do.  She probably would get flowers and maybe breakfast in bed but mostly we would tramp through the hills of Connecticut.

I was privileged to have four wonderful children, Colin, David, Elizabeth and Caitlin.  I look at families with this many children  and I wonder how do they do it.  There always seems to be so much to do and never enough time.  But strangely enough I don’t remember it that way.  It was incredibly busy, exciting, rewarding, funny and a lot of fun.  Don’t get me wrong there were frustrating times as well but I don’t tend to remember them and I look back at those years more as guiding those lives than parenting.

They are all adults now and I couldn’t be prouder.  They all come back as often as possible and they are starting their own families.  Yep I am a Grandma now.   Love,love, love it. I am so excited to watch them all continue to grow.

Posted in Family, Lifestyle, Personal | 2 Comments »
Growth

May 10

It’s happening every second.

You are experiencing, you are learning, you are growing.

Oftentimes we look for tangible growth. Milestones. I booked another wedding! I got a promotion! I bought another lens! I ran another mile! I got paid! 

These are wonderful and praise worthy in their own light. But perhaps our most important growth is unseen. So the next time you are down on yourself for having “nothing to show” for your efforts, pause and take a second.

It might not appear to be so in your eyes, but you are right where you are supposed to be. I promise you.

Just keep fighting, working on your heart and staying open to opportunity! : )

Lots of love and appreciation,

Caitlin

Posted in Lifestyle, Personal | 2 Comments »
My 100th post: Goals + A Small Giveaway

May 7

Hi all!! How are you this morning? Very well, I hope. I accidentally left an already opened bag of Birthday Cake Oreos in my car overnight and as a result, my car smells amazing. As you can imagine, my week is off to a great start.

For me, it was one of those weekends to truly remember. The kind that stops you dead in your tracks and reminds you of all of your blessings. They’re all around you. Always. It’s not uncommon to grow numb to them and I’m so thankful for those moments that center and ground me in what matters most.

My big sister was in town this past week. It was such a gift to have her back! For those who don’t know, I simply adore my big sister. That’s an understatement. She currently lives in Georgia and now whenever she visits Indy, I swear there is this small buzz that waves over the city of Indianapolis. She is so loved here and every time she is home, she’s so busy visiting with friends and family who are vying for some of her time :) She is a ray of light and the funniest girl I know! We baked a spice cake for my mom’s birthday early last week, ate at BRU burger, laughed, day dreamt about our upcoming family vacation in the Outer Banks and got a lot of family time in. Noah (my nephew) got lots of time in with her Auntie Beth while she was home. Time with Noah always fills my heart right up! There’s something so awesome about seeing Noah with his Uncle Colin and Auntie Beth. Colin can do no wrong in Noah’s eyes. Noah absolutely loves Colin’s heart and playful spirit. Being an Aunt has changed me in the best way. My heart is bigger and younger. Noah reminds us daily that we have so much to be excited for! I am so thankful he is growing up with many Aunts, Uncles, grandparents and friends who love him to pieces. He’s one blessed little guy.

When I was younger and in high school, I remember feeling a little lost and worried about my future. I knew then and now that life is too short to do anything other than something that fires you up every day. To wake up feeling anything less than excited for what you’ll contribute to yourself and the world is a waste. You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.  -Mae West  At the time, I had no particular passions other than family and taking on a positive outlook on life. While these are good and noble, I knew something was missing and by God’s grace and with a heaping dose of faith and courage, I found photography. Photography pieced it all together for me.

This business has been a beautiful and daring adventure. A discovery of my strength and my potential. What I’ve learned is they are limitless and I don’t know about you but that fact excites me to no end! And it goes for everyone. Every person you pass on the street. Every person in your life. YOU. If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves. -Thomas Edison Amen! Take a chance on yourself. You’re so worth it.

Goal setting has been instrumental in my growth – both personally and in my business. This past weekend I ran the Indy Mini Marathon and finished with a Personal Best time. Every time I run I dream a little bigger. I truly love running for that.  There is always that moment 1 mile into running a race where I think, Why? What was I thinking? But pushing through and proving my potential always makes it worthwhile. With every run, I’m stronger and better equipped to take that next step.

Without goals, we are directionless. You can have all of the motivation and aspirations in the world, but without action and clearly defined goals, it takes longer to get to where you want to be.

In light of my 100th post on this pretty little blog that still makes my heart sing, I’m hosting a small giveaway: Comment below and let us know a goal you have for yourself. One you hope to attain by the end of the year. I’ll pick a commenter at random and send you a $10 iTunes gift card and a happy little note. Ends Wednesday, 5/9 at 5 PM EST.

Be remarkable and don’t forget to smile. Life is short.

Much love,

Caitlin

Posted in B, Family, Lifestyle, Personal, Photography | 5 Comments »