Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!

Wishing everyone out there their own special holiday. Hoping you are enjoying the time set aside to spend with your loved ones. Celebrating the good times of 2009 and looking forward to the adventures ahead in 2010. Also, thank you for letting us share some special times with you this year. Can't wait for more exciting weddings in 2010.

From all of us at Vrai, happy, merry, special days ahead!

And as a special treat, some smiles from our newest Vrai member...

Impact Tip - eco-fun stockings

I found these on etsy while looking for stockings for us for Christmas. Of course I wanted something eco-friendly and cute and found the perfect thing! I can't wait to get mine in the mail. It's too late to get some this year but buy early and have them ready for next year. They also have a great blog full of interesting hand made goodies. Check out the wall tree on the blog, love it!

Thank you for your votes!

Thank you everyone for your votes to make my image #1 for People's choice! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful job (though its almost hard to call it that) and work with such great people and make such fun images. Here's to many more!

Sarah and Colin

Michigan Avenue was the perfect backdrop for this couple. The lights made the scene like one out of a movie and we braved the cold for some fun winter pics! Thanks guys, can't wait for the wedding!

More on facebook, go now!

Impact Tip - Green Diva finally here!!!

I have mentioned the Green Diva website in the past but Kathy has relaunched and it is better than ever. She is now featuring eco-couture bridal line, truly one of a kind. Worthy of a double posting Impact Tip day and too awesome to wait until next week to share :) Go there NOW!

And special thanks to Jewel, Adam, Nicole and Kristin, Vrai friends and featured models on the site!

Impact Tip - interesting gift idea

My friend Kathy, who just launched the green diva website, just told me about these give-a-ways. I had no idea billboards took up so much landfill space but its cool to see how people are finding ways to reuse and avoid the landfills and still make things that are stylish and functional. Check it out, enter and maybe win!

Click here

or here

ISPWP Contest

I am so honored to be voted in among so many outstanding photographs! I had 1 winner and 2 others that placed and considering how phenomenal the photos are, I was glad I did that good! :) Congrats to David Wittig Photography too who got 19th overall!

They are having a people's choice award so if you want to vote for this photo, just click the photo in this post, go down to the bottom of the page and type "VOTE: 1st place - engagement" Just vote once until Dec 7th, and thank you for your vote! If you want to vote for this photo, just click the photo in this post, go down to the bottom of the page and type "VOTE: 14th place - framing the subject" If you want to vote for this photo, just click the photo in this post, go down to the bottom of the page and type "VOTE: 14th place - kids will be kids"

Molly Grace shoots Kristen & Bill

Hanging out with Kristen & Bill was so fun on Sunday, until I told them to go in that awesome waist high field that ended up getting burrs all over Kristen's clothes. Hilarious, well sort of...ya it was, it is a story to tell.

I loved hearing in full detail about how Bill & Kristen got engaged, and loved hearing what they like to do together. I absolutely, love how cuddly and happy they are with one another. I am really looking forward to their wedding in September!

Molly Grace shoots Kelly & Rob

I so enjoyed spending a bit of my Saturday with Kelly and Rob this last weekend. First of all, I love how calm and cool they are, I love how personal they are too. I love that I have no idea how they got engaged either. I ask all my couples that, because I want to be there, I want to get to know their story, I want to get to know who they are together. When I asked Saturday for them to remind me, I heard that actually I hadn't forgotten as I thought I might have, I heard that actually no one knew, that they decided to keep that moment between them. I think that that is so neat. What a rare and perfect moment to just keep intimately safe between each other, you know. Today, I admit, I snuck a glimpse at Oprah and she was interviewing Ted Kennedy's wife, Vickie, and Oprah just plainly asked, "What were his last words to you before he died?" Vickie, thought about it, and said, " You know, I think I'm just gonna keep that to myself." I was proud of her, and I am proud of them. The reason I always ask my couples that question is to really get deep and to begin to understand them as the couple they are, so that I can portray them as they are, in a true way, and what I found was truly amazing to me. I found a love and admiration so big between the two of them, that that, was enough... I found within them a moment so intimate that no amount of retelling would ever do it justice. It's awesome to sit and imagine their sacred moment. I think that bit of curiosity will inspire me for their day!

Climbing in Kentucky

We couldn't have asked for better weather for a much needed break to KY for climbing with our very best friends! Ayla's second climbing trip and she got to meet her friend Cooper, the son of our great climbing friends Mandy and Frank...they are going to be great climbing buds :)

Everyone be sure to enjoy their friends, family, and loves this Thanksgiving!

Chad on Autumn Aaron onsighted the gift, 12.a scary! Aaron on B3, a really amazing 11.c trad Ayla hanging out with Uncle August while we climb Steve with the onsight Liesl on Wadcutter 5.9 at Torrent Ayla's new friend Cooper, just a tad bigger :) They are going to be on the rock early :)

More to come on facebook...soon

Impact Tip - Thanksgiving eco tips

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I don't know where this year has gone...again! :) Here are some pretty good tips actually for making your thanksgiving experience a little more eco-friendly from MercuryNews.com

1. Break out the fancy fabric napkins this year. Or, if you're using disposable napkins, try ones made from recycled materials.

2. Serve at least one local food. Root vegetables and squash are in season, so make your mashed potatoes, your sweet potato casserole or your pumpkin pie from a local source.

3. Starting today, save plastic containers and lids from products like sour cream to send home leftovers with your guests.

4. If you're going to someone else's house and you know you'll be sent home with leftovers, take your own reusable containers so your host doesn't have to use plastic bags or other disposable items.

5. Delete one item from your menu. There's always too much food anyway, right?

6. Carpool to dinner with someone close by.

7. If you're hosting dinner, turn your thermostat down 2 degrees. The heat from the kitchen and your guests will help warm your home.

8. Serve organic or locally made wine or beer.

9. Compost your food scraps.

10. Don't buy any new decorations. No one will notice. Really, they won't. (this one is for my mom! haha)

Most importantly, travel safe and enjoy your time together!

Baby Colton

More babies! Colton is the 6 mo old son of Sarah and Chad, who some of you will recognize as the bride who got wanded by security in her wedding dress ;) An all time fav of mine! And the groom who so pulled off the reservoir dogs look with his buddies, another vrai fav! Check out our fan page for these and more pics!

Anyway, I was thrilled when they wanted me to shoot this time in Colton's life, especially being so close in age to Ayla, it was fun to see what is in store for me! Enjoy!

Look at this sweet guy, nice teeth! If you have kids you know, anything in arms reach is going in the mouth!

Baby Cole

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting baby Cole, just a couple weeks old! I love seeing the new babies of previous wedding clients. It is such an honor to see their family grow. Check out this little cutie! I guess I shouldn't say little, he was a 10 lb baby!

Ann and Brent

Ann and Brent are getting married in June and they have a fabulous celebration planned that I can't wait to be a part of. We squeezed this session in before fall leaves for good and had a great time!

Brittany and Bob

I found another great spot that I wanted to check out and Brittany and Bob were up for some fun. Brittany is a natural climber and when I looked at this art installation, she read my mind and started climbing. We were cracking up, it was just too funny! Especially when she told me they were the tall couple in their family, now what will they say! Can't wait for the wedding!

Kate and Jo

My last wedding of the season couldn't have been spent with a more lovely couple. It was literally a hi-fiving, fist pumping good time! haha And the grooms family was from France so I got to listen to french all night, not a bad way to spend some time. I was so honored to be a part of their day.

Venue: The Herrington
Cake: The Cakery
DJ: DJ Chicago
Photo booth: Chicagoland PhotoBooth

First meeting...
A couple last moments with dad