Inara Studios

During our stay in Florence, we took a full day tour of the Tuscan countryside. We headed out early in the morning with our private tour guide and quickly realized that we were in for a real treat. The fields of sunflowers, the vineyards, the hillsides… all of it is just as picturesque as the movies portray them! Absolutely gorgeous!!!

Our first stop was the quaint, hilltop village of San Gimignano. We walked through the whole thing in less than 5 minutes. It’s really tiny, but has great views of the hillside around it.

Then we headed to an Agriturismo, which is basically a Bed & Breakfast that also makes their own products for sale. This particular one, made their own wine, cheese and olive oil. We sat on this patio and had a delicious meal followed by my first taste of Vin Santo (an amazing dessert wine). Yum!!

Below you can see the “towers” of San Gimignano off in the distance. The view was breathtaking.

We learned that it is very common for the vineyard terrain to be fairly dry and rocky. Some of the most expensive wine comes from a region known as Chianti Clássico, where the soil is even more rocky. Apparently, the harder you make the grapes work for their nutrients, the better they (and thus the wine) will be.

Then we headed to yet another winery to get a tour of the grounds. Of course we got to sample their products, which also included pecorino cheese, salami and balsamic vinegar. My mouth is watering again.

We stopped at one last village on our way back to Florence, but I honestly can’t remember the name. When we go back to Italy someday, I want  to spend a whole week touring this beautiful countryside. It is truly amazing!

Baby Liam is now 1 year old. Woo-hoo! His curls couldn’t be any cuter!

Our 3rd stop in Italy was Florence. We spent 2 days visiting the art museums, churches and other historical locations. First up, La Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or Il Duomo, with the bell tower to the right.

We climbed all 414 steps to the top of the bell tower to get an amazing view of the city. Thankfully the climb up was broken up by 3 landings with some windows. It was not nearly as bad as our climb of the cupola in Rome. =)

Looking down at the baptistry in front of the Duomo.

Of course, you just HAVE to take a picture next to the replica (to scale) of Michelangelo’s David. (We saw the original sculpture inside La Academia, but you are not allowed to photograph it.)

More delicious food: ravioli and fried artichoke hearts.

Looking at Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo.

Ponte Vecchio.

While staying in Florence, we also took 2 all-day trips to closeby towns. I’ll post those pictures of Tuscany and Cinque Terre soon.

Happy Wednesday!

(I know it’s been 6 months since our trip to Italy last September, but life has been busy… =)

How do I even begin to explain my love of Venice? I’ll do my best to sum it up, because a complete post would take way too long.

Ponte di Rialto - great place for people watching.

My favorite waterway in Venice. So quiet and peaceful.

Many of the door knobs are very elaborate.

It’s true. Parts of Venice are sinking.

Basilica di San Marco

Looking out over the Gran Canal.

The night life at Piazza San Marco is amazing. Live “orchestra” bands playing music, dancing. So romantic and sweet.

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute.

My mouth is watering as I look back over the food photos. Toasted panini? Yes, please!

On my 29th birthday, Cade took me on my very first gondola ride. Can you tell I am excited?

Lucca, our gondolier, was absolutely fabulous. He even sang us a traditional Venetian love song at the end of our tour.

This lasagna was hands down the best we’ve ever tasted. We even went back the second night and ordered it again.

So long, Venice. We’ll be back someday!

Next up… Florence and then Sorrento.

I really love using fun and unique props/accessories for our portrait sessions. They not only add interest to the photo and establish a theme or feel (vintage/modern/fun etc), but they can make the photos that much more personal, especially if you are using a prop that is your own. I always get a lot of questions about what props and accessories parents should bring along. So I wanted to share some ideas which you can take literally if you want, or hopefully they will inspire you to come up with ideas of your own. (Note: I have a stash of my own props that I can bring, but if you have your own, they will make your session that much more unique and special.)

Vintage radio wagon:

Baskets:

Antique rocking chairs:

Balloons:

Handmade quilts:

Other blankets:

Cute hats, headbands and bows:

If your daddy is a fireman, a firetruck:

Rope swing:

These are just a few ideas I’ve used in the past. There are tons of other options such as vintage high chairs, old Coca-Cola wooden cases, wooden ladders, benches, antique strollers, crates/baskets full of apples, books, vintage couches/chairs, etc… I think you get the point. =)

So as you plan for your next session, be thinking about what you can bring that is either meaningful to you and your child, or just plain cute! I can’t wait to see your ideas (and find some more of my own too - I constantly have my eyes open for deals on craigslist or flea markets)!

Happy Friday everyone!

I can hardly believe that Saturday marked 24 weeks of this pregnancy. Wow! Time is flying by. Only 16 more weeks before we get to meet our little girl. (I’m squealing over here! =)

A bit of info about my maternity leave: I am planning to work right up until the middle of June, or when she is actually born if that is sooner. I will only be shooting a limited number of sessions in June so I highly recommend that if you want a spring/summer session, we get it scheduled for April or May. Dates are filling up fast, so email me soon to reserve your spot!

Once our baby girl is here, I will be taking July and August off to spend time loving on her and learning about this new thing called “mommy-hood”. During these 2 months of “maternity leave”, I will answer emails and continue to schedule sessions for September-December. Product orders may take twice as long to deliver during this time of leave, so please be patient. (Thank you!!)

After Labor Day I will resume working, however my availability will be more limited since I will be working less in order to spend time with our baby girl. Please don’t wait until the last minute to schedule your session. I don’t want you to be disappointed.

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And because every post is so much better with a photo…