Roadtrip

After a car ride filled with lots of Disney movies, snacks, rest area visits and two episodes of car sickness (poor Brynnie) we made it here to sunny Florida.

I am trying to get some much needed R&R and will have limited internet access, so I will return emails and phone calls when we get back in town next Monday, December 1st when I am refreshed, revived, well-rested and tan.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Noel Rose Hair Studio

"Following your dream" is something that I always heard people say and it always sounded so cliche to me. Personally, I always thought, why wouldn't I 'follow my dream' and do what I was always meant to do? It just took me a while to figure out what it was I was meant to do. I loved working as a paralegal, and for a while I thought "my dream" was to go to law school. Had I gone that route, I think I would have had a mediocre sense of happiness, but I think it would have sufficed. However, fate steered me in other directions...



My friend, Erika, is similar to me...an entrepreneurial spirit, a go-getter -- it just took us both a little time to figure out what it was we wanted. After graduating from college, she proceeded to beauty school, but still hadn't quite found her niche as she worked for other salons. Eight months ago, Erika found herself back in school for nursing, but something just didn't feel right.



Here is Erika today, a beautiful business owner following her dream. I was lucky enough to spend some time at her new salon in Chicago, Noel Rose is on N. Halsted just north of Wrightwood (way too close to LaBamba, my favorite burrito place). She is open for business and her website will be up and running soon, so she needed some promotional shots and head shots for her and her "girls." I was more than honored to oblige...







They make a formidable team.

These girls were so much fun to shoot and were totally workin' for the camera.

Is she not a walking advertisement for a salon??? I went in there and thought, can you make me look just like you? ;)

Josie, the sultry makeup artiste.

Bubbly Tamikcah.

Sassy Yvette

Flirty Melissa

Erika and her dad did an outstanding job with the renovations. The place looks phenomenal and is so warm and inviting. Her color palette is perfect.

Come let these girls pamper you and make you look gorgeous. Give them a call at 773-325-1695 and schedule your appointment to get your hair 'did.'

Greg & Kristin: Wedding

This time of year is the best in Chicago. The holidays are coming and decorations and lights are going up in every storefront and street corner. Greg & Kristin picked a great time to have the most fabulous downtown wedding.

I stopped by Fulton's on the River, their rehearsal dinner location, the night before their wedding to drop off their beautiful 16x20 canvas print. They displayed it on an easel (not on the couch).

The next morning we met up with the girls in their suite at Swissotel on Wacker. The par for the day was set extremely high when I walked in and was faced with this amazing view.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, then I saw her shoes...

The groom's mom putting on the final touches.

Kristin and her mom.

She was nothing short of stunning.

Dad's first look at his beautiful daughter...

The groom looking very James Bond-ish.

One of the ringbearers waiting for the shuttle to the church.

Do you see the symbolism is this one?

Kristin, the bride, is my best friend Leigh's sister-in-law and she married Leigh's husband, Josh's, (who is also her stepbrother), best friend (Greg). Did you follow that? So Josh, Leigh's husband was the best man.

Leigh & Josh

Sharing a moment just before walking down the aisle.

Gorgeous flower girls...have you ever seen anything so cute??

I love how happy Greg is in this shot as he sees his bride for the first time.

The wedding took place at one of the oldest churches in Chicago, Old St. Pat's. Old St. Patrick’s is one of the few buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Its survival makes it the oldest public building in the City of Chicago.

This ringbearer was so cute, he was so excited to wear his tux.

One of my favorites from the day.

Our plan was to go to the median on Michigan Avenue in front of the Wrigley Building, however, the second we stepped off the shuttle, it started raining. So we had to make a back up plan and headed over to the reception at Swissotel. Although I was disappointed, I am thrilled with what we got instead.

Christina and Alba at You'll Say "I Do" handled every last detail of this wedding day. They did such an amazing job with the decorations and the planning. Everything went so smoothly, it was wonderful to have a coordinator to take care of it all.

First dance

The bride and her dad did the cutest dance to "My Girl."

High Society Orchestra was awesome. The dancefloor was packed all night.

It did stop raining so we were able to go out for a few shots. For those out-of-towners, that is the Wrigley Building and the new Trump Tower in the background.

This is my favorite shot from the whole day. I love the motion and the lights...you can't even tell how cold she was. It was fr-e-e-zing!

Faye, thank you so much for shooting with me and Leigh, thank you so much for the referral :) A special thank you to Dawn Bergeron for coming up from Bloomington to shoot with me as well. I will add a photo of the three of us when I get one.

Greg & Kristin, I hope you are having a fabulous time in Hawaii. I could not be more jealous. Thank you so much for including me in your day. It was amazing and we had a ball. Congrats!!