The cold, hard days of lying on the bathroom floor begging for God to give him back, they just slowly start to change. You don’t miss your baby any less. The ache doesn’t go away, but you start to see the little flecks of new life, just little sparkles of hope here and there reminding you that all is not lost. As long as there is breath in your lungs, they will be with you. And when there isn’t, they will be in your arms again. Some days, that’s all I have, but it’s always enough to bring my heart back to life again.

(Excerpt above from THIS ARTICLE written by another client and dear friend of mine, Angela for the On Coming Alive Project. You can learn more about the mission and manifesto behind the project, here.)

Undoubtedly, in the most heart-wrenching way, I’ve found an indescribable love for my work through the unique stories of my clients. Through the years, I’ve watched several of my clients and friends experience seemingly insurmountable tribulation and then rise from those ashes into a version of themselves, of their lives, that they never fathomed possible. Through my own life, as well, I’ve learned that whether it be through the loss of a child or loved one, or some other form of immense suffering, enduring pain and transforming like a butterfly into a new, wiser version of ourselves is indeed what makes this life both twisted and breathtaking. Nonetheless, I have never lost a close loved one, and moreso, a child–so for that level of pain I cannot attest to even pretend to comprehend.

This is Ben. Several days new, unscathed, and perfect. After enduring the seemingly insurmountable pain of unexpectedly losing their precious baby girl Maddry just a few days after her birth in the Fall of 2014, it’s so beautiful to watch them look lovingly upon their baby boy and honor the memory of their baby girl with the littlest details, all in one big, deep breath. We incorporated pieces of Maddry throughout Ben’s session, and oh my heartstrings…

From the necklace with her thumbprint and the cross that sang “You Are My Sunshine” to her in the NICU, to a picture of her ten little toes among the rest of her family, photographing Amy and Jay’s family affirmed in me to the depths of my soul why I love to document this crazy, beautiful life.

Amy and Jay, thank you for allowing me to document your precious family.

“You may have many best friends, but your dog has only one.”

If you know me at all, you know how much Taylor asking me if her dog Gus could join in on the session gave me ALL of the feels. I follow Taylor on Snapchat and her daily adventures with Gus fill my heart–from cuddling in bed to enjoying the outdoors, they are inseparable. Taylor and Taylor absolutely adore their sweet Gus, and I had the best time watching them love on him. Undoubtedly, he has such a wonderful life with these two newlyweds.

Taylor and Taylor, thank you so much for entrusting me with documenting this part of your life as a family together.

“New York has romanced me unlike anything else.”   – Blake Lively

I recently had the opportunity to take a little getaway for a few days to NYC for the first time in my life. As starry-eyed as a preteen with her first crush, I was in love at first sight with the diversity, romance, and enchantment of the city. Bonus for this Southern-raised girl? We flew in just a little over a day after the gigantic snow storm on the East Coast, so my eyes were all hearts for the fluffy white blanketing the city. I also just finished the Gossip Girl series on Netflix (judge away), so, I was equally enchanted by all things reminiscent of the adventures of Chuck, Blair, Serena, and Dan. Clearly I’m really sporting some teenage vibes these days…

Nonetheless, my expectations of the city were absolutely exceeded and I cannot wait to visit again soon. In lieu of the icky weather we are having back home today, I thought I’d share a few pretties from my trip, as well as some of my favorite spots we hit!

This was a peek at the Upper-West Side of Central Park. We were only there for a few short days and actually didn’t make it to any more of the park than this, but this sight was stunning enough for me.

My A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E faaaaaaaavorite place we went was Chelsea Market and The High Line. If you’re in the city, these are at the top of my list of recommendations. Chelsea Market has some fabulous shops and dining experiences and is right next to The High Line. If you find yourself there and are an oyster and wine lover, on the top of my recommendation list is to check out the happy hour at Cull & Pistol. The aesthetic is perfection, as is the oyster and wine selection. The High Line gives some fabulous views of the city, and is simply a must.

Also among my favorites from our trip, was stumbling upon a speak easy. If I wasn’t wide-eyed and bushy-tailed before, I was after this genuine 1920s experience. Another highly recommended experience while in the city.

Besides the aforementioned, here are a few of my other favorites from our trip:

The Green Table (Chelsea) – Lunch/Dinner

Earth Cafe’ (Upper West Side) – Coffee/Breakfast

Cork Buzz (Chelsea/Union Square) – Happy Hour/Tapas

Yoga to the People (Various Locations) – Vinyasa Flow Yoga

We didn’t hit NEAR the number of places I’d like to, and definitely am no connoisseur on the city; however, I just wanted to share a few favorite spots we stumbled upon during our stay!

In true Gossip Girl fashion…