Kristina Cipolla Photography

Harper Rae - Belleville Illinois Family Photographer

2012-02-23T16:43:00.000-06:00

Oh baby fever..... :) I have been photographing so many teeny cute squishy gorgeous babies in the past couple weeks....I love it. I know I have said this during my sessions, but photographing babies is very therapeutic for me. Yes it is hard work and yes they can cry and yes thay can sometimes projectile vomit and leave little messes for you, but dang it.....it's cute and I love it. I'm obsessed with their teeny tiny hands and fingernails, the noises they make when they sleep, how they look at me so intensely when my camera clicks, and the look on their parents faces when they hold them. Melt....absolutely love being able to capture these little moments. :)

Here are a few pics of the gorgeous Harper Rae. Some of you may remember her parents from their maternity session. Miss Harper Rae is here and she's already showing off her keen fashion sense. :) Enjoy!

Ya I totally want that tutu.... :)

Ace - St. Louis Family Photographer

2012-02-09T14:47:00.000-06:00

Well hello there....it's been way too long since my last blog post.....way too long. So time to jump back on the bloggity train! :) Wedding season is right around the corner and I cannot express how EXCITED I am about my 2012 couples! Also, many many people are preggo meaning there will also be a lot of baby fever goodness on the blog this year. Love me some adorable chubby squishy babies ;) So with this being the first blog of the year (ya I know it's February)....I thought I would show off the AH-dorable and handsome Ace.

Ace just celebrated his first Birthday this week.... I photographed his Mom's maternity pics, and then Ace's newborn pics, so of course it was an honor to be asked again :) Ace aka "Ace of Base" is SUCH a little ham and it's so great to be able to see my babies grow up! :) Enjoy!

Ace and his signature hand move... :)

Love it...

It was freezing outside = TROOPERS!

Happy Birthday Ace! ♥

Thanks again for letting me photograph your beautiful family! ♥

Stay tuned for some newborn goodness.... :)

Amber and Michael- Belleville Illinois Family Photographer

2011-12-13T11:27:00.000-06:00

This past November I offered "mini-sessions" in which I spent a Saturday doing marathon family sessions. Mini-session are usually offered twice a year, so in the future if you are interested....shoot me an email :) This particular session included Amber, Michael, and their future daughter Harper....I'm SOOOO excited for them! I can't wait to meet baby Harper and squish her little cheeks....very excited :)

Aren't they cuuuuute? :)

This picture is so Amber.... :)

Squeee! :)

Mia and Jonny - Edwardsville Illinois Wedding Photographer

2011-12-12T15:21:00.000-06:00

Hi there! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I recently met with the lovely Mia and Jonny for their engagement session. They crack me up.....hands down. So cute, so in love...they make me smile. We battled the wind and strolled around Edwardsville for a bit, here are a few from their session.

SO adorable...

Crack me up....hehe...

Mia is SUCH a cutie...I just want to scoop her up and put her in my pocket ;)

♥♥♥

Thanks again you two!

SO excited for your gorgeous October wedding! :)

Emily and Aaron - Belleville Illinois Wedding Photographer

2011-12-09T15:23:00.000-06:00

Hi there! So I haven't posted in a while...lo siento. This time of year is crazy busy (which I love) but I have lots of bloggity goodness to share, so stay tuned for multiple posts....oh yes :)

I just have to say how dang EXCITED I am about my couples next year. Adorable....hilarious....fun and outgoing....I love them all so much ;) And Emily and Aaron are one of those couples. I have known Aaron since he was a little guy (I'm friends with his older brother) and seeing him all grown up and engaged to the gorgeous Emily....I'm so happy for him. Aaron is so charming and sweet and Emily is drop dead gorgeous and has the best laugh ever, together they are so flippin adorable. Thanks again you two, I am SO excited for your September wedding! :)

See? AH-dorable.... :)

Aaron's parents have a gorgeous house in the middle of the country...with horses...and a barn....♥

*swoon*

Emily's favorite Disney movie is Up....so when they asked to bring along balloons I jumped for joy....The "Up" mailbox will be making an appearance at their reception....so excited :)

HUGE thank you to the nice man who owns this barn. I have driven past it tons of times and have always wanted to shoot there. We sent Aaron's charming self up to their front door to ask permission....in which they gladly said yes, appreciated us for asking, and then gave Aaron and Emily a board from the barn to make a picture frame. So so so nice of him :)

The wind was very windy that day.... ;)

Blue heels! ♥

Have a fabulous weekend :)

Tara and Ryan - Belleville Illinois Wedding Photographer

2011-11-13T11:12:00.000-06:00

Hi there! The wind is very windy today.... :) Just wanted to share a recent engagement session I had with the gorgeous Tara and Ryan. They look like J.Crew models....just sayin. :) The wind was also very windy that day (gotta love Fall) but they worked their session. Did I mention how adorable they are? :) SO looking forward to their gorgeous May wedding!

Oh you want me to sit in the middle of a busy street? Okay :)

Thanks again Tara and Ryan! :)

Brooke- Southern Illinois Senior Photographer

2011-11-03T15:48:00.000-05:00

Hi there! What a crappy cold rainy day huh? Oh Fall.... But I recently met with the lovely Brooke for her Senior Session in Red Bud, IL. She is absolutely stunning, a kick butt golfer, a super talented guitar player, and I love her laid back style. We chatted about music (she knows who the Civil Wars are and I introduced her to Ray Lamontagne) and she even let me help in the "styling" department....good times. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Senior Sessions?!?!?!? Brooke absolutely rocked her session, just wanted to share a few. Enjoy!

We started in downtown Red Bud which was new territory for me....which I was excited about.

I told you she was stunning....

Check out her hampster shirt....it's the coolest....and I want.

Just gotta hug it out... ♥

So gorgeous...

Then we switched it up and shot around her Grandparents property....goooooorgeous light!

And there were "mud trails" which I may have spun my tires in.... :)

Brooke braved the wild weeds in a dress....which I absolutely love her for :) Trooper!

LOOOOVED this session!

Thanks again Brooke! :)

Bahamas

2011-10-19T15:15:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Tim and I just got back from a week vacation in Nassau Bahamas. We were there celebrating our 2 year anniversary. Can't believe it's already been 2 years! But of course I took lots of pics and wanted to share. Nassau is a beautiful island. The Bahamian people are super friendly and have no problem singing out loud, which I love. It was so nice to be able to sit on the beach and listen to Bob Marley all day long and watch the cruise ships sail by and the seagulls scatter along the beach. Downtown Nassau reminded me a lot of New Orleans, which I also loved. Fabulous vacation indeed! :)

Oh and on a side note..... GO CARDS! So proud of my team! They are going to stomp those Rangers! :)

Have a great week!

Katie and Andrew- Clarksville Missouri Wedding Photographer

2011-10-05T10:31:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I recently had the opportunity to second shoot with the lovely Mary Kim. Katie and Andrew were married in Clarksville Missouri and are so freakin adorable. I love the way they look at each other, and every time Andrew kissed Katie on the forehead....I melted. Sunflowers, mason jars, and cowboy boots....their wedding was very country chic.....which I absolutely love. Here are a few from their special day! Enjoy! Thanks again MK! :)

Katie is so gorgeous....

And the lovely Andrew....love his boots....

Red door? CHECK!

Aren't they cute?!?!?!?

RAWR!!!

The cutest cake set up EVER....love the pictures and the close pins... ♥

Congratulations you two! :)

Lindsey and Kye- Belleville IL Family Photographer

2011-09-26T12:48:00.000-05:00

HI! Happy Fall! :) I just wanted to share an AH-dorable family session I recently did in downtown Belleville. Lindsey and her son Kye recieved a gift certificate from her Mom for a family session. That's right, I have gift certificates available, they make great gifts! We strolled around downtown Belleville and had ourselves a wonderful family session. And Kye is such a sweetie, he loves his mommy...and popcorn. :) Enjoy!

SUCH a cutie!

Love :)

When photographing children, I will say all kinds of words to get them to smile except for cheese....any word but cheese. So during Kye's session the word was POPCORN! And then we found some "popcorn"... :)

Love it....

Thanks again Lindsey and Kye!

Tiereney and Tyler- Belleville Illinois Destination Wedding Photographer

2011-09-12T15:20:00.001-05:00

Hi there! How awesome is this weather??? I know it's 90 degress today, but the other days have been absolutely puuuuurfect! I love opening all of my windows, but I have a bad habit of forgetting to close them and blaring "explicit" rap music late at night as I "run" on my treadmill. Whoopsie...

Anyways, I just wanted to share a few from Tiereney and Tyler's Nevada Missouri wedding. I traveled to Nevada Missouri to second shoot with the lovely Ashley Miller, which is why I am calling this a destination wedding....because a 6 hour drive is a destination wedding for me. :) Their wedding was absolutely gorgeous and Tiereney...well she's drop dead gorgeous. Enjoy!

Thanks again Ashley! :)

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T15:07:00.000-05:00

Did you have a fabulous Labor Day weekend? Tim and I traveled to Kentucky Lake and spent the weekend with Tim's parents. Boating, fishing, antiques, family time, Auburn football, imitating Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel, and smores....one awesome weekend. I just wanted to share a few pics, enjoy! :)

Road Trip...

Daily limit? Tim and I caught a whopping zero.... :)

War Eagle! That was a great game...

Insane acorns...get a helmet....

On Sunday we visited Hazel, Kentucky. Cute little town with LOTS of antique shops.

Next time I will be bringing a moving truck... :)

I heart red dishes and so does my Mom ♥

"Do we have time for a movie montage?"

If you've seen the movie The Sweetest Thing then you know what I'm talking about...this antique shop had racks of sequin dresses and old hats...yes please! :)

Love holiday weekends.... :)

"Beautiful Eyes"- I Heart Faces

2011-08-16T14:51:00.000-05:00

Hi there! So the "theme" for this week's contest over at I Heart Faces is "Beautiful Eyes" and I just happened to be editing and came across this gorgeous photo of Tiereney. She's stunning AND she has two different colored eyes....loooooove that. So I thought I would share! Make sure to swing on over and look at all of the beautiful entries this week!

Have a fabulous week! :)

Becca and Aaron- Belleville Illinois Wedding Photographer

2011-08-08T13:32:00.000-05:00

Hi there! So are you ready for a huge massive wedding post full of gorgeous details and an AH-dorable couple??? I sure am.... :) July was super busy, so I'm glad to finally be able to share these with you. I once again had the amazing opportunity to second shoot with the lovely Amanda Zika. I heart you Amanda... This wedding is one of my absolute favorites....and you'll see why. Enjoy!

Becca's Dad made her a special snack :)

Becca is absolutely stunning! Stunning...

The handsome Aaron...

Their ceremony was held at Becca's Grandparents farm ♥

Best wedding soundtrack ever!

Congratulations!!!

And thanks again Amanda :)

Jamaica Bay...

2011-08-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

If I can't go to the ocean, I figured I would bring the ocean to me. A while back I decided I wanted to paint our dining room and kitchen. My favorite color is red, but I am currently really digging turquoise and teal. And since Tim is such a wonderful husband, he agreed. :) Tim and I had gone up to Home Depot over a month ago and picked out the perfect color, but July has been sooooo busy (I love my clients) that we just got around to painting. Last weekend we welcomed "Jamaica Bay" into our home and yesterday we put up our new chandelier. I must say....I'm in love. Just wanted to share a few :) Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and happy August!

I'm so bad with "before" pics...I know I took one but don't know where it is.

Just imagine the room a light beige and a large brass chandelier.

This is after.....still need to get more light bulbs :)

Chunky goodness... :)

PS: I am on the hunt for gray and white pin striped curtains and table mats.

If you see some, holla at your girl ;)

Have a great week!

Isabelle - St. Louis Family Photographer

2011-07-26T15:02:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Enjoying the hot weather? I am 2 seconds away from buying the largest kiddie pool in all the land and setting up shop in my backyard. But this "heat wave" has made for some awesome indoor family sessions. I prefer to shoot outdoor with lots of natural light, but when there is an excessive heat warning AND a severe thunderstorm warning...you must compromise. And that is exactly what we did for Isabelle's 6 month session. Amy and Adam suggested the Missouri History Museum for their family session, which in my opinion was a fabulous idea! History, air conditioning, gorgeous architecture....love. Amy and Adam also held their wedding reception here (which was lovely), so it was nice to return and capture new memories with little Isabelle. Enjoy!

Such a doll... :)

Adam is an Airline Pilot, so this worked out well :)

And Amy is a Drama Teacher, so this also worked out well :)

Love that History Museum....

Um melt....this makes me want to have a baby...like tomorrow :)

LOVE IT! :)

Thanks again H family!

U2....I heart you...

2011-07-18T14:48:00.001-05:00

Hi there! Did you have a good weekend? My weekend was CRAZY busy. Family sessions, 2nd shooting a wedding 5 hours away, then rushing home in time to shower and go see U2.....crazy busy. Am I tired? Oh yes.... But was this weekend awesome? Oh yes... And to top it all off, my husband and I went and saw U2 in concert last night at Busch Stadium. We bought tickets about a year ago and waited patiently for yesterday to arrive. We had general admission tickets which in this case, we got to stand on the field. That alone was super exciting for me. And the concert? AH-MAZING! Concerts in general are hella (yes I said hella) exciting, but this one in particular topped my "best concerts ever" list. And the cherry on top? I got a copy of the set list.....SQUEEEEEE!

FYI....I took these with my little Kodak camera....so don't hate... ;)

AND I have a new addition to my inspiration board. Towards the end of the concert a guy in dark clothing, a walkie talkie, and an ear piece wandered his way into the crown and stood right in front of us. "Oh he must be with the crew"....then I spotted a white piece of paper sticking out of his front pocket. Yes, I'm like a hawk. It was neatly folded and I could see a list of words....SET LIST! I looked at Tim and whispered..."he has a set list....I want to take a picture of it"...So I tapped the nice man on the shoulder and asked him if he had a set list? He grinned at me and said yes.... So I politely asked him if I could please take a picture of it....And then he laughed and said "YOU CAN HAVE IT"....REALLLLLLLLY? lol...
Yes I'm a total dork and got really excited. That my friends was A MOMENT :)

Thank you so much nice man :) And thank you U2 for an AH-MAZING show!

Hope you all have a great week!

Baby Carter- St. Louis Newborn Photographer

2011-07-10T12:28:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! I recently got to spend some time with the AH-dorable Carter and his lovely parents. Newborn sessions pull on my little heart strings, I love them. Thank you Maria and Caleb for welcoming me into your home and congratulations on your little man! :)

Isn't Maria gorgeous?

Snug as a bug and oh so AH-dorbale...

And the AH-dorable Sophie....watching my every move... :)

Love this little family portrait :)

He's so widdle.....

Congratulations Maria and Caleb! He's a doll!

Samantha and Austin - Grafton, IL Wedding Photographer

2011-06-21T09:26:00.000-05:00

I recently had the awesome opportunity to second shoot with the lovely and fabulous Amanda Zika. As soon as I pulled up to The Loading Dock in Grafton, IL and saw the reception decorations....I got really excited....and yes I "squeeeed!". Then Amanda rolled up (woot! woot!) and we headed off to start photographing what would be one awesome gorgeous wedding. Samantha and Austin are AH-dorable and I so enjoyed spending the day with them and their wedding crew. Thanks again Amanda! SO looking forward to our two weddings in July. :)

Gorgeous home....gorgeous dress....

Damask print wallpaper??? SQUEEEEE!

LOVED Sam's little pink touchs...and the fact that she wore TOMS makes her THAT much cooler....

The AH-dorable Posey....love when there are fur-babies around... :)

UM HELLO!

Sam is absolutely stunning...in fact as soon as I saw her I looked at Amanda and went "O M G"....

And the handsome Austin... :)

The gorgeous bridesmaids...and their lovely parasols.

The handsome groomsmen...

Then we went to a little "village" and took some pics...

Austin makes Sam laugh...a lot...which is a winner in my book :)

Love Love LOVE it!

And finally the reception....

The Loading Dock does a FABULOUS job! Loved the set-up and decorations!

THE END!

Congratulations Samantha and Austin!

Thanks again Amanda! :)

Second Shooting - Southern Illinois Wedding Photographer

2011-06-12T17:18:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I had the pleasure of shooting a wedding with the fabulous Jenny Hodges yesterday and we had a blast. A lovely couple and a fantastic wedding party equal one awesome day. Here is a sneak peek from yesterday, enjoy! Thanks again Jenny!

Stay tuned for more wedding goodness! :)

Emily - Edwardsville, IL Senior Photographer

2011-05-31T10:19:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I helped out another AH-mazing photog with a wedding and attended the Gypsy Caravan....so my sunburn or "tan" is still in full force. :) I'm kind of excited because even though I am red....I have some tannish (sp?) color. Go me! I don't tan EVER which is why this is a big deal.... I know, annoying. :)

But I recently met with the lovely Emily for her Senior Session. Emily lives "in the middle of nowhere" which I love. I pulled up to a gorgeous large log cabin esque home with lots of open space....LOVE! Deer, a tire swing, yellow fields and the lovely Emily???? One awesome Senior Session! I LOVE Senior Sessions because teenagers are so stylish and outgoing and down for anything.... and I love capturing their personality! Good times! Here are a few from Emily's Senior Session. Enjoy!

Emily plays the piano...love it... :)

I'm not going to lie...I got CRAZY excited when I saw the tire swing.... And Emily was totally game!

♥ ♥ ♥

Emily you are GORGEOUS my dear!

A quick outfit change and one awesome yellow field in which Emily picked out herself....

She's awesome :)

And then we wrapped up Emily's session in downtown Edwardsville...which has an old theater....squeeee!

Love your scarves Emily... ;)

Again....so gorgeous!

Thanks again Em! You did a FABULOUS job!

Congratulations on graduating and good luck in culinary school!

Amber - St. Louis Bridal Photographer

2011-05-23T13:11:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Hope you all had a great weekend! I have a good sunburn going on from a wedding I helped shoot on Saturday. Note to self....sunscreen! Anyways, I recently got to spend some time with Amber. Amber and I went to high school together and played tennis together. She is the bomb diggity and drop dead gorgeous. We went downtown and had ourselves one FABULOUS Bridal session. Amber has been married for four years now.... that's right ladies, it's never too late to do a Bridal session! Whether before or after your wedding, a Bridal session allows you to get all dolled up more than once and show off that gorgeous wedding dress. Any excuse to wear your wedding dress more than once is a winner in my book.... :) Here are a few from Amber's Bridal session, Enjoy!

We started down on The Landing...

Amber is OH so stunning!

We had some paparazzi.... :)

HEY OOOOOH!

Love City Garden...

You would never know that some "creeper" guy was standing next to me watching....you go Amber! ;)

Thanks again Amber for one FABULOUS Bridal session!

Creeper.... ;)

St. Louis Children's Photographer - Paige and Chase

2011-05-13T14:02:00.001-05:00

So I recently got to spend some time with the lovely Paige and the handsome Chase. They are brother and sister and absolutely AH-dorable. I met them in Lafayette Square (their Mom Carolyn was there too) at Park Avenue Coffee, love this neighborhood. Chase had just woken up from a nap and was enjoying a big chocolate chip cookie, I was jealous. We walked around the neighborhood (cookie in hand) and then to the park, had ourselves a little portrait session. Here are a few... :)

The lovely and gorgeous Paige...supermodel in the making.... :)

Love her hazel eyes and AH-dorable headband. I want one...

The handsome and AH-dorable Chase....and his cookie.... :)

♥ ♥ ♥

We had seen a kitty earlier and Chase looked for him the rest of the session.... :)

We also searched for squirrels in the trees....good times :)

I'm insanely jealous of his eyelashes....

Love this one....almost posted it in black and white too....because I love it...

And then Carolyn did something no other Mom has ever done before.....

She let Chase play in the mud...awesome :)

Love his outfit.... :)

Have a great weekend!

Southern Illinois Wedding Photographer - Nikki and Chris

2011-05-10T11:41:00.001-05:00

An hour before the wedding, Nikki was as calm as could be. You would never know that two weeks before, she had cut her hand on a glass and had to get stitches. It had also been raining nonstop the entire week, causing the ceremony location to be moved thanks to the mud. But that didn't seem to bother Nikki at all. Even when one of the waiters kept having to send someone in the room to grab table linens (multiple times), Nikki just laughed hysterically and seemed as happy as can be. After all of those obstacles, you may expect a bride to become a bit of a "bridezilla", but not Nikki. She's one of those people you want to be around all the time. She's funny, witty, has a huge heart, and has a contagious, awesome, AH-mazing laugh that just makes everyone else laugh. And when Nikki and Chris are in each other's presence, Chris just has to look at Nikki and she smiles.....which I love. They compliment each other so well and I know they will be OH so happy!

See...all laughs....all smiles... :)

The sweetest thing ever....

The men in her family are keepers.... :)

The awesome crew from Xcursions Salon

And then we found an old barn....SWOON!

PS: Thank you Nikki and Chris for being such troopers! So laid back and easy going...

Love couples like you... :)

"OKAY now a serious sexy look!"....hehe....

SO GORGEOUS!

♥ ♥ ♥

Their ceremony and reception were held at the lovely Villa Marie Winery

Congratulations you two! ♥

Thank you so much for letting me capture your special day!

Happy Mother's Day ♥

2011-05-09T11:17:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! My husband and I took my Mom to the Missouri Botanical Garden. My mom LOVES flowers, plants, and gardening so this place is like heaven. When we arrived there was a long line wrapped around the building full of families waiting to enter. My mom turned to me and said "We need to stop by the Gift Shop so I can get a disposable camera!".....Um what??? That's when I opened my gigantic purse and pulled out my camera. "Don't worry Mom, I got you covered!" We spent all afternoon walking around looking at the pretty flowers and dodging bumble bees. My mom was completely in her element wandering around the different gardens and speed walking to the next. It was a special day.

And OF COURSE I brought my camera. Not only to take pictures of the flowers but also to take a few with my Mom. I have a million photos of other people, pretty things, and my dog...but I recently made a "note to self" to take more pictures of my family....especially my Mom and Dad. Just wanted to share a few..

Oh and I got my Mom tickets to see Earth Wind and Fire next month. :)

GOOD TIMES!

Love you Mom! ♥

Happy Birthday Gracie! ♥

2011-05-06T08:37:00.000-05:00

So today is Gracie's Birthday....and not just any Birthday, her golden birthday. My baby is 6 years old! Awwww she is growing up so fast.... :) Seems just like yesterday I was wandering the aisles of Petsmart looking at all of the dogs up for adoption and then our eyes met, it was love at first sight. My little pookie wookie... :) Okay I'll stop, but I just wanted to wish my little boo boo a HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY! Doggy sundae and candles to follow...

Pay it Forward.....Thank you Allie!

2011-05-05T09:25:00.001-05:00

So my friend Allie posted something called "Pay it Forward" on Facebook a while back. Allie said she would be doing a "pay it forward" project in which you make something and then the first person to comment will receive that special something. I'm pretty sure I responded with a smiley face...and that's it. Allie is famous for her knitted creations and I am a big fan of her work. Well last week I received a a package from Allie all the way from Maine and it made me smile...big time! I LOVE it! And I can't wait to wear it around town and show it off. THANK YOU SO MUCH Allie! Make sure to check out Allie's Etsy Shop and her Knit Designs! She also makes AH-dorbale Mary Jane Booties and Mittens....which I am adding to my shopping list. :)

And with that said....I am now going to "Pay it Forward".... So the first person who leaves a comment on my Blog AND the first person to leave a comment on my Fan Page will receive a gift...from me.... And that gift will be an artistic print.....of mine. YAY!

Gorgeous huh????? AND I love handwritten letters....keep them all on my "inspiration" board...

It fits perfectly! :)

THANKS ALLIE!

Flower Shop....

2011-05-02T15:04:00.000-05:00

So I have been neglecting my blog a bit and I miss my blog....I miss you bloggy blog....so I will try to do better. I've been mad busy editing and editing....and working on my new website & logo which launched yesterday. OH you haven't seen it???...Well feel free to hop on over and check it out!

Yesterday I decided to take a break from my editing party and ventured out into our front yard. I'm so glad that I did.... We have a beautiful hydrangea plant/bush that I love SO much, and it is in full bloom. Love it...

AND our peonies (love love love) are about to bloom in our backyard... Squeeee!

Thinking about opening up a flower shop.... :)

Have a fabulous week!

Belleville Senior Portrait Photographer - {RaShaun}

2011-04-20T19:20:00.002-05:00

I recently got to spend some time with RaShaun who is a Senior at Belleville East. This was a HUGE deal for me because I am a graduate of Belleville East (go Lancers) and had not been back on campus in *drum roll*....10 years! GAH! RaShaun and I strutted (yes we strut) around downtown Belleville and then around campus. We chatted about teachers and how Coach Skaer gives out homework in PE (lame Coach Skaer...lame), running track, and how they have flat screen televisions in the cafeteria (say whaaa???). Good times. Oh and RaShaun has the best smile, so that made my job easy. Here are a few from RaShaun's Senior Session. Enjoy!

See....best smile ever....love it....

Of course I had to find me a red wall.....very excited about that one....

Then we roamed around campus....which is very fancy now....

RaShaun is a big track star....and I love the school colors (way better than icky maroon)

RaShaun had a huge bag full of medals....oh RaShaun just wear them ALL....

(I picked out the pretty ribbon ones)

Congratulations RaShaun! Good luck in college and keep on kickin butt in track!

Bad Week equals Spring Flowers...

2011-04-11T11:01:00.000-05:00

Last week was one of the worst week's I've had in a long time. I won't go into detail.....but just like everyone else....I have bad days....I have bad weeks. Not even wanting to touch my camera (ya that bad), I finally ventured out into my backyard for some "photographic" therapy on Friday. Retail therapy would have been nice too, but whatever. I LOVE my backyard.....and I LOVE purple fields....so here you go. :)

Here's to a new week....

Southern Illinois Wedding Photographer- Nikki and Chris SNEAK PEEK

2011-04-06T20:21:00.001-05:00

Nikki has the most AH-mazing laugh. It's unique, it's loud, and it's simply contagious.... All Chris has to do is make a certain face at Nikki and she laughs.... I'm telling you, it's the best laugh ever.... and I got to hear it a lot since I had the privilege of spending their special day with them. They're absolutely adorable... Here is a sneak peek from Nikki and Chris' wedding this past weekend at Villa Marie Winery. Congratulations to you both and I hope you are having fun on your honeymoon. Bow chicka wow wow....

Stay Tuned!

St. Louis Newborn Photographer - Ace

2011-03-26T16:09:00.002-05:00

Some of you may remember Rochelle and Kevin's maternity session from last Novemeber? Well guess what? Ace has arrived! Rochelle and Kevin asked me to come back and photograph their little man and I was beyond excited! Ace is SUCH a cutie! AND Rochelle's parents were visiting all the way from Ohio, so we got to do a family session as well. WOOT! I love love love getting to spend time with families and capturing those special memories. I seriously love my job! Thank you Rochelle and Kevin for inviting me into your home once again. :)

Little baby sneakers.... :)

Ace is such a handsome little guy....

Just chillin....workin his very first photo shoot like a pro....

And he was VERY interested in my camera...love it... :)

Hehe...such a stud muffin...

Widdle toes...love widdle toes....and yes it's widdle...not little...

GAAAAAH! I just want to make a huge canvas print of this one and hang it in my own home...LOVE...

Rochelle was glowing...SO happy :)

Ace crocheted that hat all by himself... ;)

Coolest pillow ever....I want it....

Their cat cracks me up...and doesn't miss a beat...

Proud parents :)

Proud poppa... :)

Proud grandparents! :)

SMOOCHES!

Oh baby fever....you got it too???? :)

Thanks again Rochelle and Kevin and congratulations! He's a doll!

New Orleans- Sneak Peek

2011-03-19T14:59:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I just took a little trip down to New Orleans this past week. If you have never been to New Orleans, you need to go...like right now! Go! The food, the music, the art, the people....I heart New Orleans. The last time I went to New Orleans was in December of 2008. This time around it was 80 degrees and St. Patrick's Day, so good times! Here's a little sneak peek....much more to come. :)

I miss NOLA already..... ♥

Have a fabulous weekend!

I Hearts Faces - Sun Flare

2011-03-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

It's been a minute since I've entered a I Heart Faces photo challenge, but when I saw that this week's theme was "sun flare" I had to enter. This photo is from Tiffani's senior session in downtown St. Louis. The gorgeous Tiffani plus yummy afternoon light and sun flare equals one of my favorite sun flare photographs. I heart sun flare. Make sure to go over to I Heart Faces and check out all the gorgeous sun flare entries this week!

Have a fabulous day!

8 years....

2011-03-02T09:46:00.001-06:00

So I know once you get married you aren't really supposed to celebrate your "dating" anniversary anymore. But you know what, screw that. Today my husband and I celebrate our 8 year "dating" anniversary. Just saying the number 8 out loud is like "woah" but it has been 8 amazing years. Seems like yesterday I was posting our 7 year blog post. Lots of oldies/goodies in that post. Not to get all teary eyed and sappy on you, but I love this man. I really do. He's my best friend and I'm so lucky that he's all mine.

Tim....you will always be my boo. ;)

Born this way...

2011-03-01T14:30:00.000-06:00

Happy first day of March! Last week I finally purchased the March issue of Vogue. I was on one of my weekly runs to the grocery store and couldn't help but notice this gorgeous cover. I had seen it online but in person the colors were gorgeous, very soft and Springy. I'm a huge weirdo when it comes to magazines. I never buy the magazine in the front of the display, the cover cannot be torn or bent, and the magazine cannot touch the conveyor belt (um hello it's dirty). The cashier looked at me like I was crazy because I ended up looking at 4 different copies before I found the right one. I know...crazy! But I can't help it.... Oh and if you haven't seen it yet, check out Lady Gaga's new video Born This Way. Spring is almost here!

Stephanie & Tony- ENGAGED

2011-02-28T13:35:00.001-06:00

To me, surprises are the best thing in the world. Surprise wedding vow renewals, surprise engagement parties, surprise birthday presents left at your front door.....love surprises. So when Tony let me in on a little secret and asked me to photograph a surprise engagement party for his soon to be fiance' Stephanie, I jumped at the opportunity. Tony had planned out their entire day; an early afternoon movie, a trip to the indoor ice skating rink to propose, and then a surprise engagement party full of their closest family and friends. Sounds like one perfect day. Streamers were handed out, Tony's sons stood guard at the window peeking through the blinds, and their closest family and friends waited anxiously for the newly engaged couple. After a few false alarms, the server ran into the room and announced that they had arrived. Everyone huddled on one side of the room giggling with streamers in hand, including the server who was frantically searching for his own streamer to celebrate with. As the newly engaged couple walked into the room, everyone cheered. Streamers flew up into the air and happy tears, love, and laughter filled the room. One awesome and memorable surprise. Congratulations to Stephanie and Tony and thank you for letting me be a part of your special day.

Congratulations you two!

Thinking of you...

2011-02-24T09:30:00.000-06:00

My heart is very heavy today. If you follow my blog you may remember my shoot with the lovely Laura. She is so full of life and has the biggest heart in the world. Well last week Laura's fiance' Dan tragically passed away and I cannot stop thinking about her. If there is one thing I hate the most, it's my friends being in pain. I just want to wrap my arms around her and hug her so tightly and make all of the pain go away, but I know it's not that easy. Laura I am so sorry about Dan, he was taken too soon. You are a strong woman and just know that Dan will always be shining down on you and will always be with you. ♥

St. Louis Boudoir Photographer - Jamie

2011-02-17T07:44:00.003-06:00

Hi there! Okay, so just to get this out of the way. If you at all get offended by boudoir photography, turn around and run away. If you at all get offended when you walk through the underwear department at any department store, run away. And finally, if you at all get offended when you go to a public swimming pool, a public beach, or get offended while watching Spring Break on MTV....run run run. Why? Because I am posting a boudoir session. Is there nudity? Nope... You are not going to see anymore skin than you would see at any of the above places. But again, if you get easily offended by gorgeous women in lace, sequins, leather boots, pearls, and red lipstick....DON'T READ beyond this point. Okay? Don't say I didn't warn you. Yes I get that some people do not approve of this type of photography, but it doesn't bother me at all....in fact I LOVE it...and I would post it all day long if given the chance. Got it? FABULOUS!

So after all of that, I would like to start off by shouting out a huge THANK YOU to Jamie for letting me post her boudoir session. It takes a big person to do that, and Jamie I am soooooo grateful for your decision! THANK YOU! Why did I want to post Jamie's session? To all of you ladies out there who are on the fence about doing a boudoir session, this is for you. You don't have to be naked, you don't have to show all the goods, and you don't have to only wear 80s looking lingerie. If you want to do all of that, great! More power to you! But I wanted to take a more modern approach to boudoir photography. If you do a boudoir session are your images going to be posted on my blog? Heck to the no. Absolutely not. Only if permission is given will I post an image. Jamie was game for anything which made my "job" easy, and styling this shoot was a blast. Skinny jeans, check! Leather boots, check! One gorgeous and modern boudoir session, check check! Enjoy!

Jamie is absolutely stunning...hands down.....

Skinny jeans ans knee high boots....yup...

Old hollywood glam ish?...yup...LOVE....

I definitely sqeeeeed when I saw this one...gorgeous....

Can't go wrong with pearls ladies...

Jamie rocks a red lipstick like a pro....

Jamie could wear a garbage bag and look drop dead gorgeous...

Of course I would want to decorate that garbage bag in sequins.... :)

Love it.... And you'd never know that I was standing above Jamie with one hand against the ceiling knocking yucky popcorn ceiling crap all over the place...lol...Jamie is a trooper!

RAWR!.....

That was SO much fun and Jamie did an AH-mazing job!
Big shout out to Makeup Artist Monika Ruzicka for once again doing FABULOUS job!

Jamie I hope you had fun listening to the Jackson 5 the entire session... :)

Okay ladies, now it's your turn. :) You can do it!

About Me: Where was I born?

2011-02-16T09:33:00.000-06:00

So why do I include personal info on my photog blog?  Because I can.... :) And because I want clients to "hire me" because they like that I'm obsessed with red velvet cake and know I expect a piece of cake during their wedding reception. :) I can hold my camera with one hand and shove cake in my mouth with the other...mad skills. So personal fact for the day? Where I was born.

I was born on Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, Japan. The number one comment I get when I tell people this.... "You don't look Japanese"....yes, I know this. My dad was in the Air Force. My mom bopped around Yokota Air Base with me in her belly making several trips to the BX (Base Exchange) to enjoy her daily chili dog.  In my family photo album I have pictures of my parents opening Christmas presents not knowing that 2 days later they would be welcoming their only daughter and only child into their lives. I was born at 5:30pm (dinner time....go figure) on December 27th, one month early. I weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces (pretty good size for a premature baby), must have been all of those chili dogs.

What was it like growing up in Japan?  I wouldn't know... We only lived there for a few more months and then moved back to the States....California to be exact. When I was in my senior year of college I thought seriously about moving to Japan for a bit to teach English, but I do plan on going back one day for a visit.  I would love to see where I was born, take lots and lots of photos, and mingle with the people and experience the culture.

Wanna know another cool personal fact? I have a cousin who was also born at Yokota Air Base in the exact same hospital. Cool?  I think so... Hi Chris! :) Just one of the perks of being a military brat. And because a post is always better with a photo....

Quiche.... I know, random. I'm posting this because I bought all the stuff to make a broccoli quiche but I haven't made it yet....and I need to. And I'm hungry.

Mmmmmm Quiche...and this was the best quiche I have ever had...little cafe in Paris. YUMMO!

Have a fabulous day! ♥

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T11:03:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

Have a fabulous day! ♥

Turquoise and Pink: Antique Pretty Things

2011-02-11T13:47:00.000-06:00

So when I was in 4th grade I REALLY wanted a peach and turquoise room. Well finally my senior year of high school my mom let me paint my room a dark turquoise/hunter green and my bedding was a peach and green patterned quilt. Do these colors "technically" match? No... Do I care? Obviously not... :) I recently paid a visit to my favorite antique shop Keil's. Some of you may already know this, but I am obsessed with antiques....especially dishes and chunky colored depression glass. I just can't help myself. But I picked up a few things and wanted to share. Enjoy!

I love big chunky pitchers...

I have a yellow one just like it....

Squeeeee!...

It's sitting pretty between our Tiffany wedding toasting flutes...

I found this set of pink depression glass plates in the bargain basement.

I am not a pink person, I'm a red person....but these plates are GORGEOUS!

The pattern is so chunky and....chunky....LOVE.... :)

UH I can't handle it....how flippin gorgeous is that pattern?...

Some of you are probably like "It's a plate, get over it"

You get over it....okay.... :)

Obsessed...

My china cabinet is now overflowing with antique goodness....I have no more room!

So I guess I am just going to have to get another china cabinet....right? RIGHT!

Have a fabulous weekend!

St. Louis Newborn Photographer - Isabelle

2011-02-09T13:19:00.002-06:00

I recently had the amazing and exciting opportunity to photograph the adorable Isabelle and her lovely family. Isabelle was only 5 days old during her very first photo shoot, and let me just tell you....she is a natural. My husband and I are good friends with Amy and Adam, proud parents of Isabelle. I have known Adam since college, had the privilege of watching Adam and Amy become husband and wife, and now watch them raise their beautiful daughter. I'm not going to lie, I did get a little teary eyed during their session. To see them so incredibly happy and so much in love is a great thing in my book. I am so honored to share with you their beautiful daughter Isabelle. Enjoy!

♥ The gorgeous Isabelle ♥

Little ladybug... :)

And those widdle hands...uh...melt...

One gorgeous momma. Amy was glowing...

And one proud Dad...you're gorgeous too Adam... ;)

Okay this is the moment when I got teary eyed....

And then laughed when Adam was trying to figure out those tiny little buttons...

Melt...

One big happy family :)

(Their dog Glenda is SUCH a good girl...she also did a great job!)

Congratulations you two! SOOOOO happy for you both!

Pretty vintage things....

2011-02-05T11:59:00.000-06:00

Last weekend before the "epic" snow/ice storm came, my husband and I had to take a little drive. I decided to take my camera with me (I usually keep it in my purse anyways...you know...just in case) but on this particular day I was VERY glad I had it with me. I kind of have an obsession (serious problem) for pretty vintage things, and I found several pretty vintage things that day. Enjoy!

LOVE...love love love....

One day I will own a victorian home in Savannah, it will probably be haunted but I don't care. :)

GORGEOUS iron railing...I wanted to take it home. :)

Then we stopped off at my FAVORITE antique shop Keil's

I had gone there the day before and had to go back to bring home some lovely dishes (will share those later) but I fell in love with this bike. I wish I knew how to restore bikes....this one is super cute! And only $30...

They have a lot of vintage clothing and gorgeous displays....

This dress made me wish I was a size 0 (not possible)..... It's SOOOOO pretty! Uh...

Again, love their displays...

Up close and personal... ;)

Pretty pretty....

I would love to own an antique shop....but I would never sell anything....I would take it all home... :)

Have a fabulous weekend!

♥ February Special! ♥

2011-02-03T10:48:00.000-06:00

Hi there and hello! I just wanted to let everyone know that I am running a special for the month of February! I would love to shout it from the roof tops and throw chocolate kisses and pretty little streamers....but I won't. :) So if you are getting married this is for you! And if you know of someone who is getting married make sure to pass on the the news! Please? :)

Have a fabulous day!

And for those who are still digging out from the ice and snow.....it's halfway to Spring! :)

"EPIC" Snow/Ice Storm....

2011-02-01T11:38:00.000-06:00

If you've been watching the news then you have probably heard about the "epic" snow storm that is hitting the Midwest etc. Ice, blizzard conditions, and thunder snow....exciting stuff. I woke up this morning and at first I was kind of disappointed.....where is the epic storm???? But then I looked closer and realized that my patio was a sheet of ice and all of the trees were dripping in ice....awesome. So I ventured out and took some pics to capture this "epic" storm. Enjoy!

Bring on the thunder snow... :)

Hope everyone stays safe and warm!

St. Louis Family Photographer - Markus Family

2011-01-29T13:32:00.001-06:00

Last year (again I like saying that) I met up with the Markus family to do a family session. They are such an adorable family. AND we shot their session on a farm. Squeeeeee! Love farms. Pigs, roosters, and peacocks running around....loved it. Gage is such a little comedian and taught me some jokes, which I now use during my sessions....and they work everytime. Thanks Gage! :) Here are a few from their family session. Enjoy!

This is Wilbur....cutest name for a pig don't you think?

And this is Gage :)

Such a handsome little guy...

AND he's hilarious....

"Why did the chicken cross the road? Because he wanted to die!"

LOL...that was awesome...

Roosters just chillin...

"Why did the cow cross the road?" Wait for it.....

"Because he wanted to die!".....LOL...still hilarious...

CUUUUUTE!

SOOOOO cute! :)

Thanks so much Markus family for one awesome family session!

Have a fabulous weekend! :)

Easily distracted....

2011-01-24T13:54:00.000-06:00

So today I am supposed to be cleaning my house. I was supposed to do it yesterday but hello...there were 2 football games on AND it was snowing outside. Too many distractions... So today was my "have to clean my house this is ridiculous" day. I started to clean....but then I got distracted. It happens quite often, which is how my bedroom furniture got painted black, my bedroom got painted purple, and my front door got painted white. I like to paint things. I was VERY tempted to paint my kitchen cabinets today...but I'm pretty sure I need to sand them first and that takes too long. So instead I grabbed my camera. Who gets distracted by pretty purses hanging on the wall??? I do. Who gets distracted by pretty lamp shades decorated in pearls and clip on flowers??? I do. Enjoy. :)

I'm SERIOUSLY going to go clean my house now. I mean it.... :)

Have a fabulous week!

Highlights...

2011-01-19T12:20:00.000-06:00

When something semi exciting happens to me I like to note it as a highlight. I'll say something along the lines of "well that was the highlight of my day" or if I do something nice like let someone merge into my lane during traffic or let someone walk across the street I say "that was my good deed for the day." Yes I talk to myself....like you don't. A highlight can be anything like a new pair of shoes, making a yellow light in traffic, and walking into the flower freezer at the grocery store. It's all about the little things. If your grocery store has a "flower refrigerator" stick your head in there and enjoy some free smells. Do it. I am lucky enough where I can actually walk into mine (it's that big). Every single time I go to the grocery store I have to walk in there.....it's freezing but I love it. But this past Monday my mom and I went to our favorite Antique Mall. We can easily lose track of time in there because there are so many goodies. Well during this visit we found at least 20 boxes of vinyl records (those round black things that play music for the youngsters) and we so lost track of time. People were walking by pointing and staring at the crazy people (my mom and I) who were hogging all the boxes and oooohing and awwwing over every other record. And of course we had to look at every single record, just to make sure we didn't miss anything. This was considered a big highlight of my day. :)

Growing up as an only child, I spent a lot of time in my room listening to music. I was lucky enough to have cool parents who listened to cool music and gave me a pretty sweet stereo system at a young age. My parents also had a large record collection in which I would come home from school and rock out to everything from Jackson 5, Steve Miller Band and Elton John. My dad was really into Motown and Southern Rock and my mom listened to just about everything. She's a "age of aquarius" disco loving Donny Osmond kind of gal. My mom also has a thang for The Mamas and The Papas, which was passed down to me....just like her obsession of dishes, red wine, and gardening. :)

No, I have not cleaned them yet....

Have a great week!

And remember to stick your head in the flower freezer..... :)

St. Louis Portrait Photographer - Laura

2011-01-17T13:52:00.002-06:00

Last year (I just like to say that) I met up with Laura for a Lifestyle Session. I have known Laura since 6th grade (Whiteside represent!) and she is a FABULOUS photographer, so I was super excited about her session. Laura is gorgeous, a total sweetheart, tons of fun, and down for anything....which makes my "job" easy. Make sure to check out Laura's website! Here are a few from Laura's Lifestyle Session. Enjoy!

I can be funny...I have my moments...

You so gorgeous!

Love love love this light....

Who wants a lime green wall in their house??? This girl right here...

I was kind of spazzing (it's a word) out at this point, love it!

"Do you want me to lay on the ground?" Well SURE! :)

Like you don't tresspass....ppppplease....

FYI trespass is spelled trespass...um ya...so it's not a word, which means we didn't tresspass...right? Right!

And because Whiteside is the best side...(did we really used to say that?)

We had to represent....

WOOT! :)

Thanks so much Laura! You are the bomb diggity! :)

Boudoir Marathon

2011-01-11T18:49:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Due to the overwhelming response, I will be holding another Boudoir Marathon on Sunday January 23rd. So ladies if you are wanting to get your session in for Valentine's Day, this is your last chance! You can do it! :)

Please email tkcipolla@yahoo.com to book your session!

Like the shoes? My favs.... :)

Never enough eye candy...

2011-01-06T09:34:00.000-06:00

I love shoes...a lot. I could spend hours in a shoe store, yup. So when I got an email from Dillard's announcing their 50% off shoe sale, I squeeeed. Every year they have a massive shoe sale right after the new year and I never seem to catch the sale on the first day....it's usually the 3rd or 4th day...and for a girl who wears a size 10, those shoes are always picked over and gone. So this year I just happened to be making a trip to the mall and noted to self to stop by Dillard's and check it out. I got there around 1pm and it was total madness. Boxes stacked everywhere, all over the floor, women shuffling around like cattle, it was insane. Mom and I jumped right into the cattle madness.... :) Trying to balance shoe boxes with one hand while lifting the lids of shoe boxes with your other hand is a talent that takes lots of practice. I have mad skills in that department. It was no joke though....women are serious about their shoes...and they will shove, elbow, and kick their way through to find what they want. I got shoved twice AND a lady cut in front of me at the register. Oh and trying to sit down to try on shoes, women were grabbing at my boxes once I set them down. Craziness... But after it was all said and done, I didn't go crazy and just got 2 pairs of shoes. And of course I felt the need to share them with the world. Amazing eye candy....love it. :)

Gianni Bini boots....drool....

Double drool...oh and these boots and I were so meant to be...

I found them in an unmarked shady looking shoe box and the sales person was magically able to find the right box...on the floor...in 10 seconds...

MINE!

And these sassy Antonio Melani heels...love...

I am a huge fan of Antonio Melani...his shoes are super cute and super comfy for high heels!

It's like a "golden ticket" on the inside.... :)

What's your name? ;)

So for those of you who love shoes like I do, I hope you enjoyed!

Have a fabulous day! :)

PS: If you have not done so yet, please head on over to iheartfaces and vote for picture #732??? Please???

THANK YOU!

MEGA MILLIONS

2011-01-05T08:36:00.000-06:00

So last night my mom bought me a lottery ticket on her way over for dinner. I can honestly say that I have never bought a lottery ticket in my life. Gambling is fun and all.... when you have money, but I would just rather spend my money on shoes. I did gamble once at a casino and won $50 on a quarter slot machine, oh man was that exciting. But when I went to Las Vegas, I just played the nickel and quarter slots. Watch out people....high roller. So I don't gamble. And Bingo? I can't handle it.... I like to go with my mom and people watch (hilarious) but when I actually play and it comes down to one more number, I spaz out! Seriously spaz out! I can't handle it... But there is this game, maybe you have heard of it called "MEGA MILLIONS" and the winning jackpot was $335 miiiiiiiilllllllion dollars last night. That is a lot of moolah! I wouldn't know what to do with $335 million dollars.....ya that's a lie. :) But long story short, my mom bought 2 tickets and GUESS WHAT?!?!?!?!!? We won $7! WOOT WOOT!

I will be moving to my private island today and buying tickets to NKOTB's entire tour.... ;)

Did you buy a ticket??? DID YOU WIN BIG BUCKS??? Wanna share? Wanna go play bingo? :)

Have a fabulous day!

i heart faces- Best Face Photo of 2010

2011-01-04T08:00:00.002-06:00

The theme for this week's contest at i heart faces is "Best Face Photo of 2010". I have taken a bagillion photos over the past year and have lots and lots of favorites. I have definitely grown over the year when it comes to photography so my "style" did change over the year...which is good, very good. I chose this photo of Amber because it is absolutely lovely. Love the texture, love the gorgeous Amber and her fabulous freckles, it's kind of edgy, it's one of my favs. And during this week's contest, YOU get to decide who wins. That's right, YOU get to vote on your fav, so please go on over to i heart faces and check out all the awesome entries....then vote for mine? Por favor? :)

Voting starts at noon CST and closes Friday at 5:00pm CST.

Thanks and have a fabulous day! :)

New Year equals New Door....color....

2011-01-03T13:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday DH and I had justed watched Empire Records (squeeee!) and were lounging around watching some tv. Well I put it on the addictive HGTV channel and their Dream Home 2011 special was on. My goodness! Their dream home giveaway was located in Stowe Vermont and it was absolutely goegeous! You can check it out here. Well then my project/creative/crazy thoughts started flowing and I looked over at our front door. I hate the color....hate it. It's like a dark muddy sandstone color and it makes that corner of our living room so dark. At first I said "we need to finish painting the trim around the door"...DH all comfy just looked at me and of course I flashed him a million dollar smile. Then after he got the paint out I got the best idea ever...."Lets just paint the entire door!"...again flashed a million dollar smile over towards DH. :) Here are some before pics and of course an after. Yes I will get my red door this year with a big chunky window, but for now I am loving the new color. Much better :)

Lets get it...

BEFORE, Muddy Sandstone....blah...

AFTER, bright white..

(This was taken last night, crappy lighting)

Taken this morning...so much brighter in that corner! WOOT!

I love it.... :)

Gracie doesn't really seem to care.... :)

First random project of 2011. :)

Oh and if you haven't become a "fan" yet, swing on over to my FB Fan Page

and become a fan. I have a pretty awesome contest coming up and I wouldn't want you to miss it!

I know I have had contests in the past, but this one is pretty dang awesome. :)

Have a fabulous day!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T11:58:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! When asked to describe 2010 in one word, my word would be rollercoaster.

Rollercoasters are intimidating, scary as hell, fun as hell, sometimes cause a headache and nausea, other times cause uncontrollable laughter, emotional highs and lows, can make you never want to ride them ever again or can make you want to ride them over and over, but overall a rollercoaster is one memorable experience. I experienced all of the above in 2010 and learned from every single one. Could every year be described as a rollercoaster? Of course... And that's why I am excited for 2011. Was I happy in 2010? Of course... But I am looking forward to new and positive changes in 2011. I am looking forward to feeling better and getting back on the healthy train (toot toot!), spending more quality time with friends and family, taking on new challenges (starting a new job), continuing to put my heart and energy into my business and hopefully watching it grow more and more, getting organized, celebrating the small things, celebrating the big things, getting a red front door (oh I will), and celebrating a Nsync Reunion.... Come on already!!!! :)

Wishing you all a Happy 2011!

♥ Kristina

St. Louis Maternity Photographer - Rochelle

2010-12-31T13:18:00.002-06:00

Hi there! So as I am writing this post the tornado sirens are going off. Tornadoes in December? Only in the midwest....craziness. Yes I should probably be taking cover, but DH and I are making bacon and eggs and I have my camera ready just in case the tornado decides to stop by and say hello...I can take his picture. :) DH and I are the worst people to be around during a tornado because we run outside when the sirens go off trying to find the tornado. Yes I know how dangerous that is, but we are strange. But I wanted to share a few pics from Rochelle and Kevin's maternity session. If you are a fan of my Facebook Fan Page you have already seen these, but the blog world has not. So here you go. :)

I met with Rochelle and Kevin at their home back in November. As I pulled up to their home I couldn't help but get excited about their street. It was lined with big old tress (my favorite) and their home greeted me with a big red front door. Squeee! Rochelle and Kevin are such a cute couple and so easy going, we had ourselves one fabulous maternity session. Thank you so much Rochelle and Kevin for welcoming me into your home! You are such an adorable couple and I am so excited for you both! :)

Aren't they cute? :)

Their kitty had to get in at least one pic, just to check me out...see what was going on....

Love that book!

Rochelle, you are absolutely gorgeous my dear...

Love it...

I adore maternity sessions...so gorgeous...

Rochelle and Kevin are having a boy...

And they are naming him Ace...hehe...cute! :)

Love love love...

I like to make pregnant women stand in the middle of busy streets..... ;)

But how cool are those trees?!?!?

"We're done guys! Now you can eat your pizza!" :)

Thanks so much Rochelle and Kevin!

January is almost here!

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Year!

Smooch on somebody good.... ;) Gracie will be getting lots of smooches...hehe...

Have a fabulous day!

Random Randomness...

2010-12-30T13:02:00.000-06:00

Okay, so sometimes (a lot of times) I take pictures of things that may seem random to other people. Do I take pictures of things just to make a blog post? No... Do I take pictures of random things and think they are really cool and want to post them on my blog? Yes... This post would be one of those. :)

Christmas Eve DH and I drove around so I could take some pics of the snow....DH especially loves when I ask him to stop in the middle of the road so I can get out and take a pic...and then a cop pulls up beside us and I have to jump back in the car like I was just fixing my shoe? :)

On Christmas I decided to create a last minute centerpiece.

This is what I came up with...I thought it was fun and festive...

I realize I could have done a better job cleaning the vase...but didn't realize this until after I filled it with water and lit the candles....oh well....

And finally....green beans. I made green beans with olive oil and shallots as the vegetable for our Christmas dinner. I liked how green they were....and took a pic. Random... :)

Snow Boots....

2010-12-29T12:16:00.001-06:00

Wanna see what Santa brought me? Of course you do! :) I never wear socks and when it snows I just put on my faux Uggs and march around. Even though they are "boots", my faux Uggs are like a death trap....the worst when it comes to traction and even walking down a hallway I'm sliding all over the place. So this year I asked Santa for some snow boots. Cute ones that are warm and have some traction. He listened... :)

Check out my Tivolis.... woot woot!

The Sorel website said they are "sure to up your street cred"...well duh.... :)

They originally came with hot pink laces but I am not a hot pink kind of girl....so I was excited to find an additional pair of black laces in the box.....awesomeness.

Thanks Santa for my boots....and for my new street cred.... :)

Have a fabulous day!

Go shorty....It's my Birthday....

2010-12-27T12:18:00.001-06:00

So today is my Birthday. YAY! Even though I am still sick and will be mixing amoxicillin with my birthday cake and wine this year, I am still going to get out there and enjoy my day of birth. Saying my age out loud is kind of like woah, I only have a few more years left of my twenties.....but age is just a number. I still have days when I feel like I'm 17....so live it up. Happy Birthday nerd :)

Mmmmm...cupcake....

Have a fabulous day!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T10:59:00.000-06:00

From my family to yours, we just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! :)

Hope everyone has a FABULOUS day! :)

Oh happy day....

2010-12-22T13:48:00.000-06:00

When December 1st rolls around I get pretty dang excited. Why? Because it's my birthday month. I'm sure some people think it's lame, but I tend to get excited over little things. Being able to breathe and taste my food? Excited! When my husband leaves me the last cookie? Excited! And when the expiration date or sell by date is my birthday? SUPER excited! :)

It's all about the little things in life.... :)

Have a fabulous day!

Classic...

2010-12-21T11:53:00.000-06:00

About a month or so ago I recieved a package from my cousin Darren from Colorado. Darren sent me a bunch of old photographs of my grandma as well as my great grandparents. I have always had a big obsession with old movies and old photographs and I love going to antique shops and looking through old photographs. I never buy them because a little part of me hopes that one day a family member will wander into that antique shop, decide to look through a few, and find an old photograph of one of their very own family members. I don't know how often that actually happens, but I am a hopeless romantic so I like to think it happens often. :) My great grandparents have passed on, so the fact that I have these photographs of my family in my hands means the world to me. Thank you Darren. :)

My Great Grandma :)

My Great Grandparents when they were dating in the 1930's :)

This reminds me of a vintage Coca Cola ad...

They lived in Colorado....love this picture...

Love that black coat and the finger wave hairstyle :)

That's my Grandma on the hood..hehe...

Hehe... :)

Just chillin on a Sunday afternoon... :)

This is why I love photography...

It doesn't get any better than that... Love it :)

And there are plenty more which means more posts!

Hope you all enjoyed a little blast from the past... :)

Have a fabulous day!

The evil flu...

2010-12-19T19:10:00.000-06:00

The evil flu decided to pay a visit to the Cipolla household this weekend. I started feeling icky Thursday night and by Friday morning violent coughing attacks set in. By Saturday morning hardcore chills and a fever of 102 took over my body and I felt like someone had thrown me into the garbage disposal. Whats worse is that my in-laws were visiting this weekend and I wasn't able to visit with them at all. I could hardly move and spent my entire Saturday rolled up in multiple blankets while my husband fed me meds, chocolate donuts, and gatorade. I couldn't even eat a whole donut in one sitting.....now you know I'm sick when I can't eat a donut, or 5. And yes I spell donut....DONUT. Today I was able to move my body a bit and set up shop on the couch and eat a good meal. I also rocked my snow coat, a hoodie, and a pair of gloves while laying on the couch. These chills are no joke but thank goodness for my amazing husband. "What do you want to eat?"....Chunky vegetable sirloin burger soup.... "Do we have that???"....Nope.... :) I love my husband. We also opened our Christmas gift from Tim's parents which was very exciting.

AN ELECTRIC SNOW BLOWER! Score! I know my husband is anxiously awaiting the next blizzard....or set of flurries.... :)

"What am I supposed to do with a snow blower???

PS: I hate you for making me wear this bow..."

Hehe...I love that face...

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! And to those of you who are sick, I hope you feel better soon!

Theraflu nighttime and Mucinex D are my new BFFs. :)

I Heart Faces: Pet Faces

2010-12-13T18:38:00.000-06:00

It's pet week over at I Heart Faces which means lots of cute adorable furry faces! I haven't entered a contest in a while and thanks to Michelle, I thought I would enter one of my favorite pics of Gracie. It may not be the "best" picture of Gracie "quality/technical" wise, but it's my favorite. I've also been on a Gracie kick the last few days, so to those who are sick of seeing pics of my dog...get over it. :) But this picture was taken back in May when Gracie and I were celebrating her 5th birthday. I made her a doggie sundae (ice cream with a crushed up ice cream cone topped with a milk bone treat and a number 5 candle...which I lit) and sang happy birthday to her. This picture makes me smile. :)

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!"

Please go check out all the AH-dorable furry faces at I Heart faces! :)

Winter Sessions...You can do it!

2010-12-13T13:07:00.000-06:00

Yes it's cold outside (really cold outside) but if you have a cute warm coat and a significant other to cuddle up with, don't cancel out the idea of a photo session. And even if you don't have a significant other, I'll cuddle with you in between shots. I'll even run around the block with you and buy you hot tea to warm you up...good times :) And 99% of the time most restaurants, cafes, hotel lobbies, antique shops and loft buildings are very cool about letting people shoot at their location, so your entire session will not be outside. I'll find a roof and a heater so you can defrost. :) The following sessions were held last winter. Yes it was cold, but if you are a trooper and can stand the cold for just a bit, you will have a great time and get some adorable and amazing pictures/memories. I promise. :)

It was cold AND rainy....trooper!

Are you convinced????

Also check out James and Katie's session as well as Amy's session and Sara's session.

You can do it! :)

Have a fabulous day!

Snow....

2010-12-12T14:08:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning at 4am thanks to DH's alarm clock and noticed how it was a tad brighter in our bedroom. Then I remembered it was supposed to snow...oh happy day. I got up and looked out the window and the backyard was covered in snow, love it. After a a few more hours of sleep I officially got out of bed. Gracie is usually excited when I get up because well, I'm awake. But this morning she was very excited...and I knew why. Snow. I just wanted to share a few pics. :)

"MOM!!! IT SNOWED!!!!"....hehe...I love that face... :)

Wait for it......

Happy Dance = Chasing the tail....

Gracie has done this a million times and it cracks me up every time...

Dizzy?

Ten minutes later....someone wanted in...

And 5 minutes later someone wanted to go back out....I can't really blame her.... :)

Have a fabulous day!

Hot Chocolate...

2010-12-11T12:17:00.000-06:00

Last night, DH and I went for a walk with Gracie around the neighborhood. Walking late at night is one of our favorite things to do. It's peaceful, there are no cars, and most of the time it smells like clean laundry outside (which I love). Everyone's Christmas lights were in full force, I personally liked the dancing lit up penguins and the The Christmas Story leg lamp. Oh yes, there is a house in our neighborhood that has the exact same leg lamp from The Christmas Story and yes it stands proudly in their front window. It cracks me up every time and yes they keep it up year round. Come on over sometime, I'll show you. When we got home we decided to break out the hot chocolate (I couldn't feel my face) and watch a movie (Dolores Claiborne, real upbeat holiday kind of movie). In my world, there is no such thing as too many marshmallows. That's just nonsense.... :)

Have a fabulous day! :)

Secret Santa....

2010-12-08T13:31:00.001-06:00

So yesterday I came home from work to find a little package waiting for me by my front door. As soon as I saw it was from Lori in California I sqeeeeed! Very excited! Some of you ladies (especially if you are engaged or married) may be familiar with the website The Nest or The Knot. The "ten o niners" are a FABULOUS group of ladies/brides who I now consider very good friends. Through the process of planning my wedding, I turned to this group to share ideas and to get honest feedback, vent about frustrations and wanting to elope, and I knew I could always count on them for a good laugh. You ladies are a VERY special group of women and I am very thankful to be a part of the ten o niners. Basically you all kick ass.....and you know it. ;) But we decided to do a secret santa ornament exchange this year which I was very excited about. Here are a few pics of my ornamnet(s) from my awesome secret santa Lori. Enjoy!

Unlike myself, Lori neatly packed and decorated my gift....It was so puuuurty I didn't want to open it. :)

Whoever is getting my ornament, you know what is coming....ghetto bubble wrap envelope that is all wrinkled from me "wrapping" your ornament (I shoved it in there) and covered in tape....
you've been warned...

Cutest Christmas card ever! Her dog Karma is such a cutie!

"From one naughty knottie to another"....that cracked me up.... ;)

TAH DAH! My ornament! Isn't it GORGEOUS???? It was hand painted from the inside! They take a small brush through the hole in the top of the ornament and paint the image on the inside...How cool is that?!?!?!? AND of course Lori had to represent. And I am SO glad she did because I LOVE San Fran and have a little obsession with row houses....perfect!

LOVE it...

And guess what? Lori decided to spoil me and give me 2 ornaments... :)

"FRAAAA GEEEELAAAAAY!...It must be Italian!"...A Christmas Story....anyone?

I liked the wine glass.... :)

TAH DAH! A camera! CUUUUUUTE! :)

Quickly found homes for my lovely ornaments! :)

SO MUCH Detail! Gorgeous.... :)

Thank you SOOOOO much Lori! You are the bomb diggity! ;) I will probably keep these out on display way past Christmas time....just in case you were wondering.... :)

Belleville Family Photographer - McLean Family

2010-12-07T09:49:00.001-06:00

Hi there! I'm back! First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you tried any of the recipes I posted I would love to hear how they turned out! Even if you absolutely hated them....let me know. :) But my surgery went well and after 2 weeks of resting, I am so ready to get back into the mix. Which means getting caught up on my blog which includes 2 family sessions, a lifestyle session, and a maternity session. WOOT! Thanks to everyone for the thoughts, prayers, and kind words. I really appreciate it. :)

Okay, so to start things back up, here are a few from the McLean Family session. I adore this family. Madison is such a cutie and looks at me like I'm absolutely crazy....which cracks me up. She's adorable. Here are a few from their family session, enjoy! :)

See....I told you she was adorable... :)

Oh and their session was on a farm...you know I was excited....

One of my all time favorites right here!

Madi is SO precious...

I secretly wanted to ride around in the wheelbarrow (by the way I did not know how to spell this until now). The closest I get to this is asking Tim to push me around in the cart at Walmart...jealous...

Such a cute couple. :)

The handsome Luke :)

And the gorgeous punkin puss... I said that right, right?

After a long session....love those ponytails...

And one gorgeous sunset to wrap up a wonderful family session! Love it!

Thanks so much McLean Family! :)

"Out of the Office"- Just for a bit....

2010-11-22T12:27:00.000-06:00

Hi there! I was debating on whether or not I wanted to post this, but in the end I decided it was important.. Again, my blog although mainly for my photography is also a way for me to remember things that are important to me. Wedding anniversaries, birthdays, baking cakes, traveling and surgery....etc. I am human and not everyday is always rainbows and unicorns for me. What? You don't have daily experiences with rainbows and unicorns? :) But tomorrow I am having surgery. I will not go into any details, but some of you may remember my little episode back in August. This surgery is in relation to that and is supposed to make everything better. That's good right? That's what I keep telling myself anyways..... Am I scared? Yes. Am I nervous? Yes. The whole anesthesia thing bothers me as well as the whole waking up and feeling like absolute crap. Nobody looks forward to feeling like crap, but it is what it is. I am just looking forward to feeling better in the long run and not having to worry about this whole thing anymore. I try to stay as positive as I can, but again...I'm human. So for now I will be out of the office for a few days. For those clients who have had recent sessions with me, don't worry! You will still get your images on time! And again, feel free to email me if you have any questions.

I am looking forward to cuddling with my dog, watching Forrest Gump a few times, and reading the newest In Style Magazine (love Rachel McAdams) and reading gettyimages of the 1910s. My friend Laura gave me the reading material above (very sweet of her) and I absolutely love anything dealing with photography and history, so I'm very excited about this book! Also looking forward to enjoying some of Megan's chicken casserole. :) Thank you both so much :)

And finally, I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and remember to take a moment and remember what you are thankful for. I am thankful for my AH-mazing family and AH-mazing friends. :)

Have a great week!

Rochelle & Kevin- Maternity Session SNEAK PEEK

2010-11-20T22:42:00.001-06:00

Hi there! Today I met with Rochelle and Kevin for their maternity session. I heart maternity sessions. Rochelle and Kevin are expecting a baby boy in February, and can you guess what his name is going to be? :) Here's a little sneak peek of their session. Enjoy!

Such a cute couple :)

Awwww :)

Thank you Rochelle and Kevin! :)

St. Louis Family/Children's Photographer - Browning Family

2010-11-19T19:53:00.002-06:00

I recently spent some time with the Browning Family. You may remember their sneak peek because they have the coolest house ever. Oh now you remember! :) Their son Elliot is the cutest kid ever and they are one awesome family. Here are a few from their family session. Enjoy!

Elliot is such a handsome little guy! Look at those eyes...

SO happy :)

Now isn't this the coolest toy ever???? I think so...I want one...

And now to introduce their fur babies...love fur babies...

This is Basil pronounced "Bazzle"...it's Britsh... :)

The adorbale Oliver

Winifred....hehe I love that name...

And Henry.

Henry was very curious as to what I was doing in his home... :)

This is AH-dorable....my favorite... :)

Look who's walking.... :) Go Elliot go!

And of course, had to end with his Halloween costume...hehe...awesome... :)

Thanks again Browning family! :)