HAPPPPPY ANNIVERSARRRRRIES TO ME!

I am celebrating not one but TWO anniversaries this week!

HAPPY THIRD ANNIVERSARY to the greatest husband in the world! Love this farmboy DEARLY (!!!). Can’t believe it’s been three years since our big barn dance!!

I’m still working on getting Kurt to commit to having a barn dance / anniversary party every year with a band, food, bar, Honky Tonk lemonades and dance floor.

It’s so funny how much our lives have changed in the years since we met (6 (omg) Eldridge Days ago…:)). My BFF’s were convinced we needed to meet since he was the perfect John Deere combine-driving farmboy and I had this “fabulous job” at John Deere. Ha. I like to tell him it was the ultimate bait and switch : ) He loves me. Fortunately.

Which brings me to my next point…

Happy one year away from the Corporate World to moi! Thank God!! I mean, YAYYY! Thanks to all of my friends, followers, clients, clients who’ve become friends/better friends/best friends, family, etc that have supported and encouraged me this ENTIRE year. You’re beyond amazing and I’m so thankful for ALL of you! Love you so much!

And a big thank you to my lovely husband who lets me stay home with our little guy and spend all his money figure out “necessary” ways to invest in the business. All of my fabulous equipment and training hasn’t come cheap. As in whatsoever. And we all know Kurt guards his wallet like a junk yard dog… You’re the best, babe. Love ya!

Finally, I believe all anniversaries should be spent out of town. Therefore, I’ll be spending these huge milestones in Maui and Oahu, Hawaii. OMG, I cannot wait! We are taking Kurt’s beloved iPad so I’ll be posting from there ; )

Love to all!! xoxo!
Ann

LOVVVESSS AND HATTTESSS

Hola! It’s been so long since my last LOVVVVESSS/HATTTTESS update, I thought I’d post one :)

Love #1
iPads. OK, I admit I (kind of) made fun of Kurt for getting one. “When I’m wrong, I say I’m wrong…” I was convinced he’d rather just have a new laptop. Now I lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvve the thing and I will diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie if I don’t get one in the very near future. I love the guy dearly but two things we don’t share: closets and electronics. He keeps his things wayyy too neat and tidy. ME + (my own) iPad = LOVE!

Love #2
Now & Laters. They are soooo good. LOVE!

Love #3
Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray. Someone with extensive good product knowledge told me to acquire this last year! I always meant to but kept forgetting. Mistake! Now I bought some and I looooovvvvvve it!!!!! It is supposed to (and actually does!) make your hair LOOK like you just swam in the ocean. LOVE!

Hate #1
The road construction on 53rd. OMG, it’s bad (for Iowa)!

Hate #2
Packing! I always wait until the last minute and then forget stuff. Kurt’s already packed of course. Maybe I will post a photo of his suitcase for fun : ) Remember in Sleeping With The Enemy when Julie Roberts opens the cabinet and all of the cans are in order, labels out. It’s pretty much just.like.that. : )

Hate #3
Twitter post-Casey Anthony trial. It’s so boring now!

Hope everyone is having a great week! Mucho love to all!!
Ann : )

Kelly and Rick’s Engagement

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! I am loving this Iowa summer weather! Our corn is, too – it’s like 9 feet tall. I am sure Kurt will disagree and say it’s either 8.5 feet tall or 9.5 feet tall, not 9. Farmers are so literal!

Anyhow, I was so thrilled when Kelly contacted me about photographing their wedding this September. We went to high school together and she’s an absolute DOLL!!! I’m super excited because not only do I know and love her but also many of her bridemaids! And, I don’t get to see these girls very often (some I haven’t seen since high school), so it will be a blast. Yay!

Rick was such a good sport, too. Didn’t complain once even though we were walking all over downtown in about 90 degrees and 95% humidity. : ) Lovvvve how they turned out!!

Please check out Kelly and Rick’s (low-resolution for mobile devices) slideshow. I keep mentioning that because I hate low resolution. Ha! The real images are about 1,000 times sharper but the videos are tooooooo cuuuuuute not to post.

xoxo! ~Ann

Jayette and John ~ June 3, 2011

When Jayette’s sister, Claudeen, contacted me about photographing her sister’s wedding at Tanglewood Hills, I was overjoyed! I loved Claudeen from the start, so I knew I’d love her family as well.

Jayette and John have been together for several years and wanted to have an intimate and beautiful ceremony. They chose Tanglewood, where Claudeen and her husband, Chad, had been married ten years prior and were even lucky enough to have the same pastor officate the ceremony.

During the speech at the reception, Claudeen mentioned it was the most beautiful little wedding she’d seen. And I absolutely agree. From the dresses, to the headpiece, to the flowers, to the cake, to the guests, everything was perfect.

Congrats to Jayette and John! Cheers for a very long and joyful happily ever after. xo! ~Ann

Here is a slideshow of just some of the photos from their big day…

[Video loaded in low-res format for viewing on mobile devices]

Reanna, Jason, Addy & Baby Cohen :)

EVERYONE from Finance knows and adores this lovely lady! This is my gorgeous friend, Reanna. Yes, the same one that makes that makes those amazing cakes!

Reanna and her adorable family met Karly (my mucho talented assistant!) and I for a June Limited Edition Mini-Session the same day I shot Jenelle’s photos (posted on the blog yesterday). I absolutely lovvvvve seeing the beyond sweet and beautiful Little Miss Addy for our photo shoots. Such a doll… For the June minis, one option was vintage tea party. Addy was a big fan of the tea cups. : )

Her mom calls her, “Sugar,” and I just think that is soooo cute. Lovvvvve these…

We took some maternity and family photos also, since this was the last time they’d be having their family photos taken with just three of them. : )

Big news! Baby Cohen has since arrived! Many congrats to all of you!! Hope you’re all enjoying snuggling him!! Can’t wait to meet him!!

Thanks soooo much!! xoxo!
Ann

Jenelle, Braydon & Easton <3

My super-awesome and hilarious friend, Jenelle, brought her two lovely boys to see me again this summer for a June mini-session! Lovvvve her and lovvvve them MUCHO!

Braydon is always so sweet and does whatever we ask. Easton, being so much younger, needs a little bit of bribing. Since we did photos at the farm last summer, we decided maybe the train tracks would be fun, especially since Easton loves trains. Jenelle and I decided it would be a good idea to tell him Thomas the Train was coming down the tracks to try to get him to smile. It didn’t take him long to figure out we were lying. HA! Hilarious! Love these little guys!

Thanks so much, Jenelle! See you sooooon! xoxo!
Ann