My 1st shot at Photography

As I had mentioned at the end of last year...one of my goals this year is to get into photography. In order to do that, I need to start a portfolio other than the million pictures I take of my kids. My good friend Sam has taught me a lot about my camera and editing, but he also recommends that I take a class (which I've wanted to do since I bought my camera but never got around to doing it!) to learn how to use the camera better and the functions of the camera.  I also want to take a photoshop class and get a new lens.   My friend and old roomie, Erin, is pregnant and stunning and I thought she'd make a perfect model for me. So I asked her if I could take maternity pics and she agreed! Here are the shots that I took.

This is my FAVORITE!!!!

I love this one, too!

Pictures from this weekend!

Here are some pictures with my family from this past weekend. A daisy that Uncle Leo picked for Olivia! So sweet!

Gabri and Olivia holding hands going for a stroll.  We were going to watch Luca and Corey go fishing and I never realized what a beautiful spot Corey found right in our neighborhood!

On our way down to the river I stopped to take some pictures.

Cute pic in black and white.

Vintage photo

I edited these three pics and I can't decide which way I like it best....Vintage.

Black and White

High Contrast/Super Bright

Luca is great at fishing!

Another one I can't decide on...black and white?

Or color?

I miss Sunday dinners with my family.  Luca normally doesn't like spaghetti sauce, but when my Mom made it, he ate it so fast and asked for seconds.  Then said SHE was the best cooker and Mommy was not anymore.  He's right, though.  My Mom has a special touch and I can never make her food taste exactly the same.

Spaghetti and meatballs ready on the table like old times...

I love this picture of Luca.  I can't decide again...Bright?

Or vintage?

He's so sweet!

And cool.

And full of energy!

Olivia had her 1st nightmare last night!  She scared us to the death!  She woke up at 2am screaming, crying and running in our room saying "Mommy! Mommy!  There's a dog in my room!" I calmed her down and brought her back into bed and she came back about an hour later.  I normally put the "decorative" pillows on the floor and she laid on top of those pillows and fell asleep and then woke up and walked back into her room.  I was surprised that she didn't crawl into bed with us and that she woke up and walked to bed by herself.

Olivia's Pinkalicious Birthday Party!

Olivia's 3rd Birthday party was a blast! She didn't stop to smile the entire party and posed for every picture!

The Birthday Girl! My sister made the tutu and Olivia felt like a princess.

All the girls got pink fairy wings, a wand, tiara, cupcake toe separator, and some candy.  I got Luca some matchbox cars and popcorn and he decided to wear his spiderman costume...we tried finding him a prince crown but didn't have any luck.

Sweets!

Olivia's Pinkalicious Cake!  I tried a new cake lady.  I've been using the same cake lady for 5 years and she was great at making cakes.  I referred her to so many people and her business has grown that now she charges 3x's the price we used to pay.  This new lady was great - she did it out of her home and was priced more reasonable..... and I'm not telling anyone her name! :)

Cake Pops my sister and I made, suckers, jelly beans and jordan almonds.

My sister and I made the banner and the tissue pom poms my sister did those, the three that I did didn't turn out so nice!

She's so happy!  I bought the top at Hobby Lobby and bought the flower pin and pinned it on her!  This outfit was way cheaper than buying it on Etsy!

Nonno and Nonna!

Family Photo!

Kisses!!

More kisses!  I love this pic.

Luca wasn't in a picture mood.

Gabri and Olivia

Nonno and Nonna with their granddaughters.

Zia, Gabri and Uncle Chris

Miss Priss!

Uncle Nay Nay and O being silly. 

More cousins...Elle and Evie!

All the girl cousins

All the cousins...someone needs to have another baby so Luca can have a boy cousin!

Butterfly Wings

If you haven't read the book Pinkalicous.  The little girl LOVES pink, tiaras, fairy wings, wands, and cupcakes (just like O).  She ends up eating so many pink cupcakes that she turns pink. The doctor told her she needed to eat green food so she wouldn't be so pink.

So all the food was green....chicken salad sandwiches wrapped in a green spinach tortilla roll.

Pesto Pasta salad that we made the pesto from scratch!

Homemade Guacamole!

I was hoping to have all green fruit like green grapes and cantaloupe but it didn't work out and we went pink instead!  Watermelon which is O's favorite fruit!

The cousins eating lunch at the kids table.

Part of the big kid table.

Elle was trying on some of O's gifts!

Me and Olivialicous!

Blowing out her candles.

All the cousins

Aunt JuJu and O

Uncle Kevin and O

Gabri and Evie

Matching jammies that even have matching jammies for their babies that my parents bought them.  They were pooped and so am I!  Birthday parties are a lot of fun and a lot of work!