Tis the season...

...to be sick?! I guess so since I got whatever-it-is that has been going around. Man, does it every suck the energy out! Wow, I am finally feeling better today with only a little coughing. So, for the last four days...these things have been my best friends (along with our bed and blankies :) )

ahhh....yes...day/nyquill, liquid (not just sobe life water...more like lifewater, vitawater, regular water, powerade, gatorade, chicken noodle soup broth and tea with honey...basically anything to drink because that was ALL I wanted. no kidding. I was ALWAYS THIRSTY!), some zinc and vitamin C, kleenex (and lots of it too!) and a thermometer...for my fever...that never went over 99.9. even though it felt like I was burning up. geez. darn cold. or flu. or whatever you were. The good thing is that I am over it...the bad...Mike has it =/ and he's gotta go out of town on business. Sorry hunny =(

Ok...

So, dear blog readers, please accept my appology for my abscence. :) I have been working hard tho :) and there have been some exciting things going on around here :D

On a better note...Tucker, my ever-so-cute-adorable puppy, turned 2 yesterday!!! He's such a big boy now! I even taught him a new trick...

He knows how to Sit Pretty =)

How can anyone resist that cuteness =D

He is also learning how to shake hands...my step dad and mom are working on that one. He almost gets it. lol. Almost knows that when you say shake it means put-your-paw-in-my-hand and you get the treat from my other hand.

For his birthday he got a new rawhide bone and some canned dog food. He was a pretty happy camper.

We also got a new form of heat for the house recently....

yes, we got a pellet stove =D

we LOVE it! It works great! and...saves $$$ which is something that everyone likes

For being not very big...this thing kicks out lots of heat!

I am also working on a contest for some FREE stuff! I know everyone likes FREE. (I love FREE). SO...keep checking back!!

Thanks for reading!!

It's almost....Christmas....

I can't believe how fast this year has flown by!! It seems crazy to me that in another month we will be stuffing our tummies full of Thanksgiving goodness. So, in light of feeling in the holiday mood (don't worry...I have not and WILL NOT break out the Christmas music until December 1st!), I am having a Family Photo Special!! The photo below explains what it is about. I am going to be available for photo sessions on October 24 and 31 and November 7, 14 and 21. The sessions will be about 1.5 hours long. PLUS I am giving you the rights of up to 10 of the photos from the shoot. That means you can do WHATEVER you want with them!! Soooooo tell your friends, your mom, dad, sister, grandma, or neighbor!

If you have any questions/comments or if you would like to set up a time email me at: info@mlphotoanddesign.com

:)

Thanks!!

Maggie & DJ | Engagement Session

Last weekend I was able to head up to River Falls where I went to college. I met up with my good friend Maggie and her fiance DJ for some engagement photos! It was SOOO much fun! Despite the FREEEEEEEEZZZZZIIIINNNNNGGGGG cold. Burrr. It makes me cold just thinking about it. Seriously...we were not prepared for it to be like 35 out. But, these two were troopers through the whole thing! They are soooo cute together. I had a hard time picking out my favorites....soooo here are a bunch :) enjoy!!

First we started out the morning in Hudson by the St. Croix river

They were cold. Really cold. But they have great smiles!

We found this cute little ampitheater in Hudson...photo op!

Give me your best straight face....hehehe...we couldn't stop giggling!

Love it

Bond. James Bond.

Next we ventured into Stillwater...to the reception site.

I am SOOO pumped for this reception.

By far...coolest venue for any wedding I have been to.

Can't. Wait.

So. In. Love.

This one is probably my favorite.

We went to some train tracks after the venue.

I love train tracks. haha.

To see more photos from Maggie and DJ's engagement session look under Photos - Wedding and Engagements. You'll find the link there!

Thanks Maggie and DJ for being such troopers in the cold!! I am so happy for you two to start your life together!!

Lafe | Senior

This past Sunday I had another Senior Photo shoot. This time it was with Lafe, he is basically a step-brother to me. I have known him for a long time! I remember when he was just a little tyke...ok, ok I won't get into little kid stories! Anyway...I can't believe that he is graduating! And he is in the Army! So, he was nice enough to get all decked out in his clothes for me! Here are a few of my favorites

Lafe and Jasmine...she really didn't like the camera so much at first

this is Spike...he is a crazy cute little dog...he was more interested in the fact that there was a lady walking her dog behind us

just hangin' out on the bridge

under the bridge down by the water

these next few are my fav's =)

he's really telling her to stay put here...but its a cute pose

aaaannnnndddd last but not least an army one...he looks so proud in his uniform! =)

For more pics check out Facebook and my website!!!

Here fishy fishy!

A couple weeks ago Mike and I went out on my uncle's boat =)

it was lots of fun...and of course I brought my camera with!

We got lucky and Lake Michigan was really calm...which is good cause I get sea sick =(

but I did find out that taking ginger root helps take that away!

look out...they are watchin' you in the marina!

all the boats liiiinnnnneeeddd up

pretty lure

lots of pretty lures

Amber was really excited to get out on the lake!

Mike helped get everything read for use to get out of the marina

we saw lots of boats as we were leaving the marina...little ones and big ones!

driving to find the perfect fish spot

there were lots of people fishing

Uncle Eric (aka Uncle Fluff Muffin) concentrating really hard on finding that perfect spot

It must have worked cause not long after we got a king salmon!

it started to get dark, so we decided to head in for the night

and this is what happens while I wait for the boys to get the boat put away =)

I think it looks cool!

Shootsac!

Ok, so I have been wanting a Shootsac for  a LONG time...like really long. Ever since I stumbled across them on Jessica Claire's Blog (who, I might add is an amazing photographer). So, I finally saved up enough $$ to buy one! And...o-my-gosh I don't know HOW I lived WITHOUT one! Ahh! It makes changing lenses SOOOO much easier and faster. I can't wait to use it more! Anyway...here are a few photos of it =D

Just got the box in the house...and just before un-boxing it...it was like Christmas morning! =D

the shootsac's come with a black cover but I got an extra cover to go with mine...I had such a hard time choosing it...there are soooo many pretty ones!

woot! official Shootsac logo

ready to go! Got a couple lenses in there and ready for a test run!

Sheboygan County Fair 2009

I can't believe that August was here and gone. The summer seems to have ran away...again! It seems that every year the time between memorial day and labor day gets shorter...even though it doesn't. I love labor day weekend...because its our county fair weekend! I brought horses to the fair for over 10 years thanks to the Sheboygan County Horse and Pony Project. So, now after I graduated from 4-H I still somehow end up spending 4 days at the fair! But, this year I made sure to bring my trusty Canon with me =) I got some cool shots...well, at least, I think so!!

Caitlyn and Lacy in Showmanship

Amber and Diamond in Hunt Equitation

"big green tractor"

"moo"

gotta love the porta-potty lines!!

ponies =) (ok, ok...these are actually ALL horses in this photo...but I still refer to them as ponies...it sounds cuter! haha)

waaay awesome demo up at the horse barn on Sunday. This horse and rider team were showing off thier reining and

Check out more photos from the fair under the photos section on the website!!!

Jasmine | Senior 2010

This past weekend I had the pleasure of shooting Jasmine's photos. She is a senior at Plymouth High School. Jasmine and her mom were troopers this past Saturday! It ended up raining for about the last hour of our shoot =( buuuuuttttt I was still able to get some gorgeous images!! =) So despite the rain and cold and wind it was a fun photo shoot! We started out in Plymouth, then headed to an amazing garden in the Kiel area, swung around to Sheboygan and last, but not least, went to Terry Andrea park.

Definately one of my fav's...I LOVE the colors

Yes...we both laid on the ground for this shot =)

Love the smile and laughter!! (apparently she doesn't like her photo taken....I think she does!)