I would definitely say the best part of my job is documenting a growing family.  First comes love, first comes marriage, and then comes baby in the baby stroller jogger and all that jazz.

I’m not simply a wedding or family photographer. I want to be your photographer – the one you go to document important milestones throughout your life.

In the PR and political world where I came from prior to photography, relationships are extremely important. Unfortunately, they often reflect the mantra, “what have you done for me lately?”

For my own business, I adore meaningful relationships with my clients. To me, a growing family – however you define it, whether blood-related or not – is one of the most beautiful things to behold, let alone photograph.

So all of this waxing leads me to Leyla and Charlie. Last year, I photographed their wedding at the lovely Rookery. Now they are expecting and I had the privilege of photographing Leyla’s maternity session. It was such a lovely day at the Lincoln Park Conservatory. I will share more later this week, but here are a couple sneak peeks.

As for me, my hubby and I will be cooking a steak dinner at home. Who knows? We may even get a little crazy and light some candles.  While we aren’t getting fancy this year, there’s no other place I’d rather be.

After photographing Tara and Aaron’s wedding a couple years ago, I recently had the honor of photographing their adorable five week old boy, August.

August’s hair is of the rockstar variety. Many rockers will spend big bank to mimic his wispy punk look, but few will achieve August’s crowning glory.

Visiting Tara and Aaron’s home is so refreshingly bright and colorful, especially when you’re tired of Chicago’s gray winter scenery. It was so easy to find fun spots to showcase August’s cuteness.

I especially loved the booties, Tara knitted for August during her pregnancy.

Congrats, Tara and Aaron, on your new sweet babe.

Upon winter reflection, I also decided I need to do more of my own artwork like the above photo of the mohawk boy. When I don’t create, I’m totally stifled and unable to breathe.

Although I am a commercial artist, I need a continual source of inspiration, aka “eye candy,” to fuel my work. Fortunately, I found a wealth of material via art books, music, movies and even iPad apps this winter.

Here are some of my favorites to stoke your own fires of creativity:

1.) Stieglitz: Camera Work

An affordable overview of beautiful photos from early photography pioneers. So many of them look like beautiful paintings.

2.)“Great Artists 2 with Tim Marlow” on Netflix streaming

I love hearing the backstories of artists and their processes for creativity.

3.) “Our City Dreams”

A fabulous documentary about five women artists based in NYC. One of my fave quotes from it, “ignored, then embraced, then destroyed,” talks about the art world and fame, but I think it applies to being famous in general.

4.) Visited a local used book store and found old copy of “The Family of Man”. It contains amazing photos from the exhibit held at the MOMA in 1955, which was curated by Steichen.

5.) Finally broke down and bought Natchwey’s Inferno.

Natchwey’s compositions are mind-blowing, regardless of the heavy subject material.

6.) Any of the art museum apps for iPad. I’ve been especially drawn to the old-school portrait paintings. I love to look at them before I go to sleep. I suppose I’m hoping they’ll inspire my sleep.

7.)Time’s online photography blog, “Time Lightbox.” I can’t say enough about this site. I can spend hours reading it.

8.) Every post on the blog, “Nowness,” blows me away.

9.) The Kills’ new album, and especially their new video, “The Last Goodbye, which I found on Nowness.

10.) The American movie version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and its soundtrack by Trent Reznor. The opening credits especially move me.

I’m sure I have more, but these were my highlights. Feel free to drop me a comment below listing some of your inspiring finds.

Congrats, Tara and Aaron on your sweet boy, August. More to come!

Like with any longterm relationship, the internet and I have had our highs and lows. Sometimes we are hot and heavy like two pimpled-face teenagers making out in a Toyota or like these last couple months, we, er, I decided we needed a break. I was just so exhausted by its neediness, and let’s face it, the internet never shuts up. Blah blah blah, like gigantic gnat swarms you can’t swat away.

After a much need respite, I’m spiritually recharged and have decided to forgive the internet for its demanding ways. But, dear readers, I missed you all. Hope you had a delightful holiday season and are remaining positive during the darker winter months. In addition to staying away from the computer, I’ve been hibernating while picking up a new hobby – knitting. My new pup, Emily, is doing well. Johnny, my husband, has become a U.S. citizen. I’m almost through the Game of Thrones series and have watched a gazillion foreign movies on Netflix.

It’s not been all puppies and happiness here though. Both of my parents’ health has been an issue, with my stepfather most likely having multiple surgeries in the near future. My mom continues to deal with Parkinson’s disease. My grandma almost died a couple weeks ago due to a fall which led to blood pooling in her head. Thank goodness she’s mostly recovered, although she still continues to fight pneumonia.

Watching your parents’ declining health has to one of the most difficult stages in life. You want to honor their independence and respect them as your parents, but at the same time you worry incessantly and want to help them as much as possible. But sometimes both you and your parent will angrily stare at each other, while yearning for earlier times of clearer roles of parent and child.

Regardless, I am in awe of both my parents’ and grandmother’s “tenacity.” In my family, we frequently say “stubbornness” runs strong through our line. But the other day, my mom put an official end to “stubborn.” Always linguistically correct, my mom has determined “tenacity” should be our family’s word of choice to describe our strong will to survive. Illness or disability may slow us down, but we’re still strong in this crazy marathon called life.

(Ahhh, summertime, oh how I miss you.)

We have a new addition to the Peacock-Him household. Meet Emily, aka Em, cuddlebug, snugglebug, Ms. So-Stinkin’ Cute, Sassypants, Princess [insert any cutesy name reflecting her utter adorableness]. As some of you know, I already have two dogs, Winston and Murphy. Although super spry, both boys are getting older, so after our vet’s approval we, er I (with me begging my husband to go along) went to PAWS “just to look around” for a non-shedding smaller dog to keep them both going strong.

The first dog we hung out with was Emily, a 1-year old poodle mix. She was a little timid, but very gentle. Thank goodness my husband is so awesome, because after our two dogs meeting her, we were given the okay for adoption. By the way, I cannot say enough good things about PAWS.  I adopted both Winston and Murphy at two different animal shelters in Ohio, but PAWS blew me away. Social dogs are kept in groups and have well-lit enclosed rooms with windows. Emily had originally come from another animal shelter after she was picked up from animal control while wondering the streets. I’ve heard a lot of flack that you should adopt from less frequented shelters, but that doesn’t make any sense to me. I want to support well-run organizations like PAWS.

Emily’s first three weeks with us have been going really well. She now knows her name, “sit”, “down,” and “stay.” She’s great on the leash, and potty training is going well as long as we take her out every three hours. Winston, the beagle mix, and Emily have become play pals and Murphy, the shep mix, tolerates her adolescent exuberance. My husband and I are in love with her. While not at first thrilled that we were adopting another dog, my husband now frequently asks Emily in his thick Spanish accent with a touch of baby voice, “Why are you so stinkin’ cute? Tell me, why are you soooo stinkin’ cute?”

I’m working on getting a photo of her to show more of Emily’s personality. She’s really funny and still acts like a puppy. She even regularly sleeps on her back, spread eagle while occasionally making little snorts.

Murphy wishes she’d stop wanting to play with him so much. Plus she’s a little bossy.

Although quiet and pensive in this photo, Winston doesn’t mind Emily’s superman body slams she makes while perched high on couches and beds. After all, she is only fifteen pounds. (By the way, doesn’t Winston look handsome in his Thundershirt?)

Love this pic of them all looking out the window in a hotel room on a recent trip. Emily is actually much smaller than Winston and Murphy, but she looks HUGE since she was sitting closer to the camera (and her puppy fro doesn’t help).

Don’t worry, all three amigos don’t get to sleep with us. :) We’d need a king-size bed, and between Murphy and my husband’s snoring, I’d never get any sleep. :)

This quiet fostered some beautifully tender moments between Lauren and Charlie. I can’t wait for their wedding.

Semi-random story – although I promise I’ll get back to Lauren and Brett – I’m watching “The Vampire Diaries” in the background while I work. Don’t worry, you don’t need to watch it, I’ll go ahead and spill the plot: teen angst, vampires and dark ill-fated love. *Cue cheesy emo love song*

Well, Lauren and Brett’s relationship is the complete opposite of Vampire Diaries’ couples enmeshed in oh-my-I-am-so-in-love-it-hurts drama. Real love is easy. It’s calm and steadying.

Congrats Lauren and Brett!