merry christmas!

Sending loads of love, peace, happiness, + joy in the new year this holiday season. For everyone that has been so wonderfully supportive, this has been an amazing season!

Enjoy this time with family + friends, and have yourself a merry little christmas. I'll return with new posts in the new year!

xo-Kate

a moment of silence

I can't escape the reality of what happened just twenty-five minutes from where I live. It is everywhere. While I can turn off the TV, I can't escape the flag at half staff on the Bethlehem green, now surrounded by flowers and teddy bears and cards... now soaked with the cold rain of today.  All I can offer is my deepest sympathies  for those families who lost loved ones, and to all the children in this country who's innocence was stolen from them. No words can express what I feel at this time.

The Bethlehem green, after the vigil held on Saturday evening.



Our country is grieving. Each child who has been slaughtered belongs to each of us and each slain adult is a member of our family. It is impossible to explain the horror to ourselves and to our survivors. We need to hold each other’s hands and look into each other’s eyes and say, “I am sorry.”-
Maya Angelou 

sisters

A few images from one of Saturdays sessions. It was a cold and wet Saturday, but that didn't stop us from our photo shoot at the Bellamy Ferriday house in Bethlehem. Afterwards we got hot chocolate and candy canes.

a snowy day.

It's really starting to feel like winter here in New England. I mulled cider, planted Paperwhite bulbs in a  galvanized steel tub (I love white flowers in steel or silver), and hung my wreath on the front door. I also put some red bows on my window boxes. Maybe they are a little bright? There's snow on the branches now. I wonder how long it will stay? Long enough for another holiday photo session this weekend?

goodbye autumn

So the beginning of November is upon us, which means suddenly we are scrambling around preparing for all the holidays, right? After hurricane Sandy, I lost power for 48 hours (which is nothing compared to what other friends and family are enduring at the moment). It was really frightening listening to the wind howling in the pitch dark (it sometimes sounded like a truck driving right into my house).  Lot's of limbs falling on the roof, which caused minor damage. I am considering myself very lucky!  I really appreciate the most basic things right now (like water). I read actual books by flashlight and with out all the noise of the internet and iphone and TV, spent time just thinking about all the things I am grateful for. I hope those of you in the tri-state area can get back to some sense of normalcy soon! Finally being able to watch all the news is heartbreaking. Some of the stories that have come out of this hurricane are truly heroic. This was a real tear-jerker. Also all the wonderful birth stories! And to make things better after watching all these sad stories on the news, I saw this picture of a rainbow over the city. Growing up in NYC I will always consider myself a New Yorker. Strong people there. Sending all my best to my city!

Don't forget if you still need your holiday card pictures, I can help with that! Just send me a message . And most importantly don't forget to appreciate the tiny things! Have a lovely weekend all  -Kate

PS-these pictures were taken pre Sandy. Right now the roads and yards are still littered with trees! If you want to help you can donate to the RED CROSS RELIEF FUND. So many families have lost everything!

flower power

Happy Monday! Assorted flowers from the garden, arranged, imperfectly scattered about the house in old milk bottles.  I'm taking advantage of the these late summer  days. Just a few more days till Fall officially kicks off.  I'm looking forward to pumpkin and apple picking!

long meadow pond

Winding up this gorgeous late summer (almost fall) day with a quick dip in the lake. I still can't get Bode to swim (he just wades) but at ten, Ruby could play fetch with the tennis ball for eons. That's my girl. How lucky am I to live just a half-mile from such a great spot?

Happy (almost) weekend! I hope you have plans to enjoy the late summer early fall weather we are getting here in New England. I plan on getting in some gardening time and am looking forward to a  family photo session.
PS- if you want to see more pictures from Long Meadow, check out my friend paddle boarding with his adorable miniature labradoodle.

the golden hour....

In photography, the golden hour (sometimes known as magic hour) is the first and last hour of sunlight during the day, when a specific photographic effect is achieved due to the quality of the light. The light is defused and warm, when the sun is near the horizon.  In my case, it serves a duel meaning....my two golden retrievers, Bode (the whiter one who is still a pup) and Ruby, my heart, who is ten now. I  think about light a lot. September light is especially warm, and golden, lending itself to a romantic and nostalgic feel. 

a quick view

Just a quick hello. I wanted to share my sunset from Sunday night. No editing involved here. Still a bit on the rebound from my vaccines, and have the final one today.  Resting up for my G'wich wedding, which I have been really looking forward to. Pictures to post next week from the wedding!

dinner with friends

I love summertime--if not just for the fact that you can eat al fresco almost every night. While temperatures soared here in CT, my wonderful friend, Mark offered to prepare me a belated birthday dinner. It was a gorgeous meal, and a gorgeous setting. Being that it was the first official day of summer, it was a wonderful way to bring in the new season: prosecco, oysters, flowers, good wine, fresh grilled veggies, it was perfection. I am so lucky to have good friends. Have a lovely weekend!

color inspiration: pink + orange

Todays color inspiration, pink and orange. Could you think of a more festive color combination? It screams party! On this somewhat cool rainy-ish day in June, I slipped on my pink tired and true Jack Rodgers, to brighten up my morning, and picked some pink peonies for the house. The orange roses are from my dear friend Carolyn who grew them herself. Lucky me, it was my birthday last friday, and she brought them just for moi!

PS-my dresser always seems to sneak into my photos. I like the image in the background, its my parents in London. The other image, my little sister and I in my moms garden, around 1972.

color inspiration: red, white & blue

The unofficial colors of summer. Why? Because nothing says summer more to me then red, white and blue! The first strawberry crop is small, but sweet and delicious. Fourth of July is just a month from now. We will be knee deep into summer by then! Happy Weekend !

rain drops on roses

Who would of thought this city girl could keep up THIS garden? As the heat and humidity climbs, so do the roses.

top to bottom:
Roses, Pink Dogwood tree, Peonies, climbing hydrangea,more peonies, nepata, iris, salvia.