Baking with Busia {Holiday Traditions}

One of my favorite traditions from childhood was spending a day in the kitchen making homemade Pierogi with my Dad. We always kicked off the Holiday Season by destroying the kitchen and getting in trouble with my Mom for the amount of flour we'd inevitably get everywhere. This was always done the day after Thanksgiving, and we'd top the day off with me begging to get out all the Christmas decorations and have them all up that night ... I was never one for patience....

This year was the first time in several that I was able to make Pierogi with my Mom & Dad; we made them here in NC the day before my surgery...and yes, soon after I was begging for help to get all of my decorations out. 32 years and nothing changes...I don't know how my parents put up with me.

But as special as it was for me to once again share that tradition with my family, I was even more excited to be able to be in NJ visiting my parents at the same time my brother and his family were there. Not only did I get to soak up some much needed snuggle-time with my two adorable nieces, but I got to capture my oldest niece's first time baking Pierogi with her Busia! (that's our word for Grandma) These are the moments you remember about childhood, but often don't have photographs of; I hope someday years from now J will find these memories in an album and just get a huge smile on her face...

 Pajamas, new toys, and snuggles from your Busia & PopPop....perfect childhood mornings! That's miss J playing with PopPop, and below is the First Birthday gal, miss C, getting some snuggles from her Busia.

My parents have this carousel that plays Christmas music, and since she was a baby miss J has always been enthralled with it. I am so glad I happened to have my camera nearby to catch her once again watching the animals go 'round and 'round...this is one of those memories that I know my Mom & Dad will always cherish of her. Whenever she comes to visit them, she goes straight to the carousel....they can't put it away after the Holidays anymore or they'll be in trouble!

Hanging out with the McBrayers {Linear Park}

What a super sweet bunch this family is...and I love the lavendar the gals were wearing - from Emma's sweater dress to Elizabeth's boots and little collar detail, they had it so right on! And how badly do I want to go boot shopping now...lovin' all three pair!

Great job on the styling, you guys! Everyone looked so great; your clothes "flowed" and worked great together,  but still showed everyone's personalities. Paired with your fantastic smiles and how cuddly you all are...it's a big thumbs up!

I had a great time getting to know you guys and can't wait for you to see your gallery! Hope you've enjoyed this little sneak peek; there's so much more to come! Thanks so much for a fantastic session!

OpLove Photography {Home Sweet Home}

This beautiful couple welcomed home their sweet little man just a few short weeks ago, and I loved being able to capture these tender moments for them before Dad heads off to Afghanistan. Using their home as our backdrop, we met up bright & early Saturday morning for this OpLove session....

Little "W" was the calmest little guy...just happy to be in Mom & Dad's arms...

I was thrilled that Buddy came out for some photos, too...my four-legged family member streak continues! I love it! {But it's seriously getting harder & harder to resist bringing home another warm fuzzy to add to our family. I keep trying to tell myself two pets are already enough....I may just have to go get a goldfish or something...I just love dogs!}

Buddy seems to be pretty chill about sharing the attention with this new little member of the family; maybe that'll change once "W" is crawling after him, but for now he was all about trying to plant a big 'ol slobbery kiss on him. "W" didn't seem to mind one bit - boy, those two are going to be adorable together as the years go by! Sure hope I get the opportunity to capture some sweet little moments between the two of them in the future.

Thank you guys for the wonderful opportunity to photograph your sweet little family. I look forward to sharing the rest of your gallery with you. May this year apart speed by for you; can't wait to hear about a safe & happy homecoming!

{OpLove disclaimer: "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."



Eli {and Mom, and Dad, and Buzz, and Woody....}

This little guy has such cute little cheeks & perfect little pouty lips...and some of the best "I'm cute so I can get away with whatever" looks. {definitely caught some of those for Mom & Dad to enjoy!} His favorite word right now is "no!" - but he's so adorable about it, it's not a trouble-making "no," just a cute little "no." No matter what you ask. I love little ones....I love how they force you to step back and just enjoy the moment, because you never know what they'll say or what will get them excited. Inevitably I always wind up over-shooting when working with this age group because they're just a rollercoaster of expressions and I never want to miss a beat. It's so fun, but it definitely makes it hard to select the final images for the gallery.

 These were the first two shots of the session, when Eli was still being a little shy. I loved how he was peeking over Mom's leg...

 Getting to play by the fountain with Mom & Dad won him over....and since he brought along a few of his favorite friends we just had to let them splash & play, too. I was so glad he didn't move when I went an moved all his buddies to get them lying just like he was; I was so afraid I was going to miss the shot!

The skies were cloudy on Monday morning, but thankfully the little rain droplets held off until the  end, and even then they were very light. Whew! This session was originally scheduled for when Hurricane Irene hit, so I was a little nervous seeing "scattered showers" in the forecast. So happy Mother Nature remembered that she owed us one and we were able to get this session in.

Sweet Liberty {The Patrick Family}

One of my favorite benefits of being a photographer is getting to work with so many wonderful families; meeting everyone and getting to experience so many special personalities & moments is something I truly cherish. Sometimes, though, I get an extra special treat - the opportunity to photograph a family that's close to my heart. This was one of those sessions...proud new papa Eliot was the Best Man at my wedding {almost six years later everyone still talks about his speech} and last year Mike & I were there to help him celebrate his marriage to his gorgeous wife, Crystal. I don't think there's enough words to describe how ecstatic I was to be able to catch up with the two of them and finally meet their sweet new baby girl, Liberty. 

Parenthood looks amazing on you two...congratulations again!

Miss Libby was not the happiest of campers in the tutu, but I still think she looks so stinkin' cute, even with the tears. {and how could I ignore her Mom's awesome shoes?}

Extreme Makeover Home Edition {Day 4 on set}

Yesterday was Day Four of the build, and it's definitely getting to crunch time! I've started popping in and out rather than staying all day like previously because I feel bad getting in the way of all the workers by walking around and through them to get images. But it's so much fun, and everyone's so fantastic that I have trouble making myself leave the area!

Cool compositions are all around on build sites...I was loving these people working on the stone; the straight line with varying heights - yeah! Of course you have to just "let go" and realize that you can really say "everyone stop! Hold it so I can get that shot!"  when you're on a time crunch like these folks are, so you snap while you see it and hope not to many people step in front of you at that exact moment. {I'm still amazed that this one only had one "head" appear! This place is bumper-to-bumper people!}

This gentleman and his friend had the best spot in the house last night....right by a huge fan! Smart guys...very smart...{I should add that they were working hard, and only paused for a brief second. They joked that I had to take a pic that made 'em look like they weren't doing their job...so in case you're reading this, guys, see- I vouched for ya!}

 I just thought this was cute....hustle and bustle all about below and I look up to see a pair of feet handing down through the rafters. Nice work shoes, too!

These are some of the guys who were working feverishly on the gorgeous decking. When I took this shot they'd been here for about 14 hours or something...but not one complaint and all still smiling and laughing...

Finally got to be there for some of the night action last night. This was at about 9:30 PM...they have it all lit up like a football field for the workers....

I saw this guy taking a breather and had to grab the shot really quick...just a bit lit from the bigs lights, I liked the "mood" of it. I actually bumped into him this morning and told him I liked the shot I got of him, and he told me he'd been on the site for 38 hours by that point! Yowzas! {He'd gone home and snuck in 6 hours of sleep and was back for more today. Love the dedication!}

Lots and lots of paint is needed for an 8,000 sq. foot home! I've been able to walk around inside and see some of the colors going up....very cool! I can't wait to see it all done when the show airs!

Well, I'm actually off to grab some more shots. If everything's on schedule then this afternoon the home gets turned over to the designers for them to work on the inside decor. Tonight I get to dust off and get dressed up to enjoy the VIP Fundraising dinner at the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens. I'm so excited!

Extreme Makeover Home Edition {Day Two on Set}

Day two on the set of Extreme Makeover Home Edition was so fun! {I think I'll be saying that about every day, just to warn you...} Nothing like tearing down a house to create some excitement. One of my favorite parts of any EMHE episode is seeing what creative ways they come up with for the demolition. Today was no dissapointment, and again it's just so crazy to watch how it all gets filmed versus how it plays out on TV. Certainly can't wait for this episode to air! I'm sure most people in Fayetteville know what happens from reading all the Tweets and FB updates, but in the spirit of good fun here on my blog I'm going to make you wait for the episode to actually air. {October-ish is the date...and yes, "ish" was the term used. I'll certainly let you know when I know the date...and after the show airs I'll write some "behind the scenes" notes - sort of like those "pop up videos" that VH1 used to do, only Missie Blog Style}

I will tell you that it was a fantastic group of Women who made the magic happen, all of whom are Veterans or currently serving in the Armed Forces. {a lot of awesome comraderie out there today!}
It was neat to see some of them snag autographs on their shirts...and so fun to watch Ty in action.

{Red shirts are Veterans, Green shirts Army (Hooah!), Blue were Navy & Airforce} I have a lot of great shots of the action today, including some shots of each of the designers autographing a very cool item that's going to be auctioned off, but any images I have of the designers/VIPs/Building Process, etc, I have to submit for approval before I can post. It's so cool to experience something like this as a photographer who normally focuses on family/child photography...I'm spending an entire day on set capturing hundreds of images, and then I come home and immediately upload them and have to narrow down to 25 to shoot off for submission. I then still have to go through all of them, do any little "clean ups," and then get everthing I shot on to CD to hand over in the AM when it all starts again. {let's just say my tendency to do a lot of clicking away is quickly being minimized! The art of "shooting for a purpose" is something that truly comes in handy for this!} I figured in advance I wouldn't be able to share any Celebrity/VIP images I capture until the approval process happens, but I was surprised to hear about them needing to look over EVERY image...but the answer made perfect sense: Some images won't be shared until after the show ends so as not to give away the entire episode; some will be used in promotional pieces just before the show airs; all need to be looked at to make sure everything is OK for legal reasons....so, now I know!

Here's my favorite group of gals on set again today...rockin' those blue shirts for sure. My personal goal is to get a group pic of them every day...now that the house is down, tomorrow that means these gals will be working hard...can't wait to catch 'em in action!

Extreme Makeover Home Edition {Day 1 on set}

This week is such an exciting one for me; I will be photographing all the behind-the-scenes excitement of the Extreme Makeover Home Edition build here in Fayetteville! I linked up with the builders from Blue Ridge Log Cabins this morning...we got a little "pre-game" pep talk from the producers, and then it was off we went to surprise the family! {the caravan over was a whole journey in itself ... I'll save that for next week's "awkward!" hehe}

Before knocking on the door, Soldiers from Ft. Bragg, volunteers from the area, and the builders joined together to welcome the Designers...and got to enjoy the U.S. Army's Golden Knights parachute in! Then it was time to march over to the home! {this was my favorite part because you got to learn a lot about how shows are filmed. Everyone marched in complete silence and pantomimed the cheers and excitement...the sound will be added in later. It was funny to watch everyone smiling and throwing their arms in the arm in dead silence as we walked up the street and around the corner. The onlookers may not have realized they were told to be silent...must have been weird for them to see}

These awesome ladies have a special tie to the family being surprised. They were all so cute and so fun to meet...I hope to see a lot of them this week! 

Above:  Producers and the film crew give the crowd directions before silently marching to the home;
Greg, Chip, and the rest of the Blue Ridge Log Cabin builders and volunteers get filmed on the go; answering questions at a brief Press Conference in front of the home. Below: Golden Knights drop in.

Below: Barbara and members of the household talk to the press after being surprised.

For Daddy {OpLove Photography}

This past Friday morning I met up with this lovely Mom and her adorable little man for an OpLove session. Sweet little "A" has by far the cutest little furrowed brow and serious little pout; he completly won my heart from the first little sniffle and bottom lip quiver. I'm glad he can't talk yet- with his little looks I would have handed over anything he asked for... not to have him growing up too quickly on Mom & Dad, but oh heavens when he's 4 I hope I get to photograph him! I can just imagine how many little faces he'll make and the funny things he'll be saying. I really enjoyed getting to know Mom and coo over little "A." I certainly can't wait to get an album downrange to Daddy so he can enjoy his beautiful family...

{disclaimer} "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."

Thanks SO much for the opportunity to capture these moments for your family. I can't wait for "A's" First Birthday session, and my fingers and toes are crossed that Daddy will be home safe to you by then!

Awkward & Awesome Thursdays {Week 5}

Such an amazing week I've had...and of course like all thing awesome, it just flew by in a snap! So many things from my time at the amazing Chicks Who Click Conference that I want to share with you all in the coming weeks, including some exciting additions and changes to Missie Jurick Photography; but first it's time once again for Awkward & Awesome Thursday!

The Awkward:

• Can I get a round of applause,please? I spent four days surrounded by extremely talented, blog-stalker-worthy, utterly wonderful fellow photographers...and somehow managed NOT to completely embarass myself! I didn't fall, walk around with spinach in my teeth, trip over any cords during a photo session sending sets tumbling, or {that I know of, anyway...} say anything completely ridiculous. For this I'm granting myself a one-week "pass" for anything in the awkward range of life. This week, as far as my blog is concerned, I was the epitome of perfection....{?? is this allowed ??}

The Awesome:

• Stressing slightly over being at a conference all by your lonesome only to find that a friend from WVU, who you haven't seen in 4 years, is there too!
• Having a career in which conferences are actually FUN, motivational, enriching, emotional, and life-changing events. True confession: when I was a teacher and went to conferences I'd be watching the clock thinking "when's the break?!" Since becoming a photographer full time I don't miss a session and am always just wanting more! True confirmation that I've made the right call for myself in leaving behind a steady paycheck to build my own business. It really is all worth it.
• Needing a box of tissues because you're just that moved by someone's images and story.
• Being "that girl" on a 5 1/2 hour plane ride who talks a stranger's ear off because you have so many ideas in your head you just can't keep them in a minute longer or you'll explode....and having that stranger thankfully not strangle you or pretend to fall asleep. {Regina, if you ever stumble upon this blog thanks for listening and your feedback!! }
• Coming home to your dog waiting excitably at the door for you, tail wagging and tongue out.
• Your best friend coming to visit...and a house being a home again because of that.
• Excuse to go to the Cupcake Gallery!!! Your best friend is here with her hubby and two crazy-cool kids, and everyone knows after a day at the Children's Museum you HAVE to have cupcakes!

Heather & Erica will have their posts up today, too, so don't forget to check in with them! I hope you have a fantastic weekend...HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! XOXO missie

Merry Bee Farms

This is beautiful Merry Bee Farms...I am lucky enough to have met the owners, and beyond thrilled that they are allowing me to offer their property as a location for portrait sessions! I enjoyed a beautiful spring morning walking around taking in all the scenary last week as I prepped for the Bowman's family session. I am so in love with their farm...and so grateful for the opportunity to photograph there. I just love the morning light on their farm, and so hope to get to take advantage of it more in the future....

Member Spotlight Headshots {Omni Fitness}

Omni Fitness Center in Fayetteville, NC, is going to be starting a Member Spotlight every month on their website and facebook page; each featured member will be applauded for their achievements, and hopefully their individual accomplishments will also serve as motivation for other members. It was my pleasure to photograph this inagural group of Omni Fitness Members!

The Bowman Family {Merry Bee Farms}

I was so excited this morning to finally have the chance to photograph a session out at this beautiful location. The owners of this farm have been beyond gracious in letting me come out to oogle their fantastic setting, and roam about to enjoy their horses and cattle with my lens. Today I got to share this scenary with a super sweet family, and I so hope to be able to share it with many more families in the near future....

{I am in love with these two shots...when my hubby & I finally have our family I can just picture a set of 2 or 3 of these over our couch. Doesn't this just scream "fun?!"}

Ah! Such a beautiful family!

 Mr. Connor wasn't the happiest of campers this morning, but there is a series of shots to go with this one where he's sitting on the crates that I know his Mom & Dad are just going to love...

 Miss Jade is such a wonderful big sis...isn't that first shot of her in the awesome hat just so sweet? It completely matches her personality....

After a morning in the thick, wet, Carolina heat there's no better way to wrap up a photo session than to enjoy some watermelon. {well, unless there's a pool nearby...I think we were all ready to find one to jump into by this point!} Bowmans, thank you for being such a wonderful bunch to work with! Enjoy the rest of your vacation time, and Happy Father's Day to you Aric! Hope you enjoy this sneak peek...