Gobble, Gobble Says the Turkey!

I thought we'd kick off Thanksgiving week by making some rice krispie turkey pops!  Check out the link to see the recipe.  I saw these on a post on Facebook, and I thought it would be something fun for Jakey and I to make.

So, we pulled up a chair....

And he waited patiently for the candy corn to get opened.... He LOVES candy corn!  In fact I had one bag left over from Halloween that I was going to use for the turkey pops, but two guys in our household...( by the names of Dada & Jakey) ate all of the candy corn this week.  Luckily, we were able to walk over to the store today and find some candy corn on clearance for $.49/bag.  Great deal, huh!

So, while Jake ate candy corn, he watched me do all of the work, but it was fun listening to him say, "Gobble,Gobble" every time we talked about the turkeys.

Overall, they were very easy to make.  Obviously, mine do not look as good as the ones shown on the link, but it was something fun for Jakey and I to do together.

Hope everybody has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Veteran's Day! | Julie Marie Portraits

Happy Veteran's Day!  Thanks to all who have and are currently serving.  A special thanks to my dad, Richard Schmucker, for serving and fighting for our freedom. What a great day it is to live in the United States of America!

My dad's old uniform

Jake's Haircut | Julie Marie Portraits | Rochester, NY Photographer

Last night we ventured out to get Jake's haircut.  I got on the website, Kids Out and About, to look for children's haircut places and found Haircuts for Peanuts.  It looked really cute online, so I thought we'd give it a try!

On Jake's previous haircuts, either Josh or I would have to sit with him to get his haircut, but not this time!  He got up in the chair and didn't even try to get down once.  They had a flat screen tv on with cartoons, balloons, candy (Jake's favorite M&M's) and it was painted really fun with bright colors and murals on the walls.

Overall, a cute little place for kiddos to get haircuts!  And before I forget....if you haven't been on Kid's Out and About, you should check it out.  What a great site!  I have found it useful so many times especially being new to Rochester!

A New York Hurricane Wedding Affair | Julie Marie Portraits | New York Wedding Photographer

They say that rain brings good luck on wedding days, so does a hurricane count for that as well?

I had the pleasure of traveling to Rhinecliff, New York to photograph one of the most beautiful, intimate weddings ever!  Oh, how I love a small, intimate wedding with so many details!  I would photograph a wedding like that every day of the year if I could!  The kicker with this wedding, though, was that it just happened to fall on the weekend that Hurricane Irene hit!   

Let me just say that I was a nervous wreck because I had to leave my husband and my Jakers home alone during the hurricane.  I pleaded with my husband to leave and go visit his family in Pittsburgh, but he said they'd be fine and not to worry.  Ha!  However, when I showed up at the Rhinecliff Hotel, most of my worries subsided as I was blown away at how gorgeous everything was in Rhinecliff, NY.  What a fabulous little town it is, and it lies right on the Hudson River!

So, in between the raindrops falling, I was able to get S&L outside to do some photos before the ceremony began.  What a classy couple they make and let me add that they were so, so nice!  They were up for anything and just went with the flow.  I think I was more anxious about the hurricane heading our way than they were.  They just wanted to celebrate their special day, and a little hurricane wasn't going to stop this from being a happy day!  

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Side note:  After the wedding, I took off driving to get out of New York in hopes of avoiding the hurricane.  Let me just say that it was one of the worst drives ever.  The rain was so intense that I couldn't really see anything, it was windy and the roads all had puddling water.....I was probably pretty stupid for driving as far as I did, but luckily, my sister stayed up late making sure I was ok driving and found me the only available hotel room in the area that I was near.  Needless to say, the room went for over $400/night, but they were generous and gave it to me for $250 since I was checking in after midnight...what a steal, huh! (umm, no!)  After the power went out at 2am, I really couldn't sleep plus my cell phone didn't work, so I packed it up and started home.  I finally made it home to see my boys, and then I think I took a 3 hour nap after that.   What a fun, crazy weekend it was!  

May The Force Be With You.... | Julie Marie Portraits | Rochester, NY Children's Photographer

Happy Halloween weekend, everybody!   We've had a great weekend in Rochester thus far!  My niece, nephew and sister came to visit, and we had a Star Wars Trio photo shoot this afternoon.  Last year, Jack, Julia and Jake dressed up as superheroes, and my mom used that photo for her holiday card.  This year we wanted to surprise her with the a new theme - Star Wars.  So, for all of you that receive a holiday card from my parents, you know what it will look like this year!  (and in case you're wondering...last year's photo shoot with the 3 J's was also 100x easier  because Jake wasn't even crawling at the time)  This year was a different story......he barely stood still for even a second, and we had to bribe him with M&M's!

After the photo shoot, we packed into the car and went down to the National Museum of Play.   They were having a special Halloween party there.  The kids had the best time...they got to make some crafts, get some tattoos, play on the exhibits, and they even got a little bit of candy!!  We can't wait to go back!  

Halloween 2010 - much easier to take the photo b/c Jake just sat!

And I had to share a photo of my sister and her kids, Jake aka Yoda and Jake, my hubby & I!  

Can He Be 18 Months Already? | Julie Marie Portraits| Rochester, NY Photographer

A Fun Beach Session! | Julie Marie Portraits

First Boudoir Session | Julie Marie Portraits| Rochester, NY Photographer

I just wanted to share my first boudoir session.  Miss T is gorgeous, and I had so much fun!  Here's just one!  Thanks, T!

Truce With Food - Check It Out! | Julie Marie Portraits|New York Photographer

One of my former brides, Ali Shapiro, is an amazing entrepreneur in the Philly area.  She has created an amazing business, and you've likely seen her on NBC as well as heard about her if you're in the Philly area.  Anyway, with her business, she has started a program called, Truce with Food!  With the upcoming holidays, this new workshop sounds like the perfect thing that I need!  Y'all should go check it out as she's offering a virtual workshop, so anybody can attend!  And....I can't forget to mention how excited I am that my photo is on the cover of her workbook below and there are a couple of others on her website!  

Happy Weekend! | Julie Marie Portraits | Rochester, NY Photographer

Bittersweet Goodbyes|Off to New York

We've had a crazy last few weeks in our household to say the least!  We just recently found out that we're relocating to Rochester, NY with my husband's work!  It literally happened on a Tuesday, and my husband had to leave the following Monday!  Yikes.....It's kind of a bittersweet thing for us.  I'm extremely excited to go there because that means we will be so much closer to our families.  We, also, will no longer need to hop on a plane to go visit my family! :)  However, I'm very sad to leave all of my wonderful clients that I've had the pleasure of photographing these past two and a half years.  Without my clients, I'm not sure how I would have survived the move to Delaware being that I was without the comfort of seeing my family on a regular basis.  Thank-you to all of you for your support, friendship and kindness!  

So, with moving, that means my blogging will go to the wayside for the time being yet again.  I have so many weddings and family sessions to share with you, but I just have not had the time to sit down and blog.  My plan is to get settled into Rochester and eventually update you all with the fun sessions and weddings that I've had since April!   

And since I can't do a blog post without a photo....check out this cutie!  You might remember him from last year......so big now and so full of personality!  

Happy Holiday Weekend! | Julie Marie Portraits | Delaware Children's Photographer

Hope everybody has a happy & safe holiday weekend!  I had to share this little cutie with y'all!

And a few of my little man who turned 17 months on Thursday.  We celebrated by eating lots of popsicles, singing and dancing!

Libby Lane Press

I think I'm playing catch up....3 blog posts in one day!

Anyway, I am super excited to share with you Libby Lane Press.  Libby Lane Press is where you will find one of a kind custom party printables, paper designs, custom design invites and pretty much anything else you need for those party details!  

Nicolle (who is the brains behind this store) contacted me about doing a photo shoot showcasing her fabulous Honeybee Gender Reveal Collection Line.  When I showed up for the shoot, I was in awe.  She is FABULOUS!  She is so creative, fun, full of ideas and pays close attention to the details!!  Even though I'm not going to have another baby, I sort of want to just so I could have a Honeybee Gender Reveal themed party! :)  

Anyway, here is just a little sneak peek of Libby Lane Press!  Check out LLP on facebook, also!

Jake Goes To School...

Since I haven't updated you with any "Jake" photos lately, I thought I'd share this one that makes me a little sad.  He started school, and while I know it's great for him to be with other kids, I'm having a hard time leaving my baby at school when I take him. :(