Memorable Jaunts Website Launch | Chicagoland Lifestyle Photographer | Chicagoland Wedding Photographer | Chicagoland Travel Photographer

After a long and arduous two months building my new website - it is ready!!!...

I will no longer be posting on this site. All content - old and new will be posted on

Memorable Jaunts Website

{Personal Expressions} A New Year, A New You! - Define your vision

Have you ever created a vision board? I am embarrassed to admit that until this year, I had not. Sure, I would make new year resolution , but somehow they never stuck. Now I know why! - Being a visual person, I did not have my goals, ideas and plans in a medium that resonated with my mind. Having done my first vision board exercise, I must say I am empowered. Especially because I have my board in my study, right above my desk. Every time I look up, it stares back at me - challenging me to live up to my vision and work towards my goals!

This is my journey toward the new "me"....for the new year!

There are a few main ingredients in any vision board exercise - trust me, it will be a lot more fun when you have them in the mix! :)
1) A stack full of magazines that have lots of pictures....and make sure you have all walks of life represented - we had travel, health and fitness, New Yorker, Stitch, and O magazines in our stack!

2) Some cool, funky scissors - we borrowed craft scissors and got really artistic with our pictures :)

It also helps to have a mental list of words and things that represent what you want your life to be. My words were "Travel", "Adventure", "Nature", "Family", "Health" and "Color"! :). As you scan pages, tear out words and images that represent what these words mean to YOU!

3) Surround yourself with good friends - not only will you have great conversations discussing life and goals, but they may also find pictures/words that are exactly what you were looking for ;)

4) Get a cute little assistant to help you cut and glue. Vision boarding ( I think I just made up a word! :)) is so much more fun when seen through the eyes of a 3 year old! - and he actually found so many pictures for me!

5) Savor the conversations and friendships that form over a stack of magazines and warm cups of herbal tea!

6) Gather all your pictures and words and glue away!

7) And Vola`, your vision board is ready - a unique representation of your life!

A huge "Thank you" to my dear friend Shari Ralish. She hosted this session at her lovely shop, Peaceful Parlour. I am so excited and pumped up for 2013 and all the things I want to accomplish :).

Happy New Year! and may all your dreams and wishes come true :)

On a side note, I am diligently working on my new website. So blog posts here may be sporadic as I immerse myself in web design and HTML...LOL...

{Lifestyle Portraiture} Fall Senior Session at the farm | Naperville Senior Photographer | Winfield Senior Photographer

I love photographing seniors. Their youthful energy and excited anticipation of the future gives them a special glow. I love being able to capture that in pictures. And I love it when my clients are open and willing to trust in me to make this a memorable experience :). Can you believe Ms.K was up at 5.00am and drove out 45mts to the farm?? - The location, the light and the colors made for a perfect canvas to capture this beautiful senior ready to take on the world!

Congratulations to Ms.K and all the very best for the future!

{Lifestyle Portraiture} Fall family session at the farm | Naperville Family Photographer | Batavia Family Photographer

I have to say October might actually be in the lead as one of my favorite months to take pictures. I have been really luckly to have not one, but two sessions at this beautiful farm. The location, the colors and the surroundings were just perfect! - and the adorable subjects that I photographed definitely helped :)

We started off playing at the park and Ms.B was so cute.

Look at those stunning eyes and those rosy cheeks :)

I adore this picture - the love that these two have for Ms.B is so evident in this picture!

We then hiked into the farm - the setting sun and the autumn colors made for a stunning backdrop for these beautiful family photographs!

I felt like I was in a movie set....the perfectly alined trees and the burst of color :)

Of course, any fall family session would be incomplete without pumpkins....and we had lots and lots of pumpkins at the farm :)

Thank you F family for an adorable evening. Hope to see you all soon :)

{Lifestyle Portraiture} Julie & John married | Crest Hill Wedding Photographer | Naperville Wedding Photographer

You probably remember Julie and John from their engagement shoot documented here. Julie and John were married on, quite possibly, one of the last perfect weather summer days here in Chicago. The ceremony was simple yet elegant and very personal with readings from family members and a ring exchange not just between Julie and John but also with Julie's girls. It was a very moving ceremony and I am so glad for the opportunity to document this day in their lives as husband and wife!

Congratulations Julie and John! - wishing you all the very best life has to offer! - Keep smiling :)

Julie and John opted not to see each other before the ceremony so we decided to do family pictures instead. I love taking pictures of the bride with her father - it always brings a smile to my face when I see the beautiful exchange between parent and child (no matter what their ages may be).

John's groomsmen were so funny! - I told them to loosen up and chill and Bob proceeded to crack the funniest jokes and had all of us in splits :)

I love bridal party pictures! - the posed ones as well as the silly ones :)

What a beautiful family!

These two are so in love - I asked them to take a moment and just absorb the day and each other and they promptly forgot I was even there! :)

Any party that has the dance train can only be a fun, wild event!

The Compass gals! :)

This is one of my favorite pictures from the wedding - Julie's parents dancing to the twist :)