A day in life - haircut - personal photography - Appleton, WI

Ladies and gentlemen… we have eight inches. Eight inches of glorious hair!

Here's the back story… In the last year, my daughter's hair grew like crazy. Granted, it's been almost a year since we gave her a haircut, her beautiful thick hair managed to get over eight inches long. And yes, we had waited on purpose for those eight inches.

I had explained to my daughter about how some kids cannot grow hair due to a sickness… she said that she would like to donate her hair. So we waited...

The game face… Big thanks goes to lovely hairstylists at Heads of Time in Appleton. 

And the happy customer face :-)

The hair will be shipped to Children with Hair Loss. We are super excited that we can help someone in need.

A day in life - Winter fun at Plamann Park - personal photography

As a mommy, I try my best to provide my family with entertainment… As a photographer, I try to capture that family fun.

My sister and her husband visited us for the weekend. The weather was so nice that we decided to go sledding.

There were two reactions to sledding… One little girl didn't care so much...

The other one couldn't get enough of it. :)

Everyone took turns going down the hill with this cutie.

My lovely sister and her husband… They have been married over three years yet still they can be lovey-dovey.

The day ended with wet socks, dry cheeks and hot cocoa. It was a good day.

Great Gatsby inspired 1920's stylized wedding session - Green Bay, Wisconsin - vendor collaboration

The 1920s call to mind opulence and abundance. Cultural and economic expansion dominated the 'roaring' twenties. All said, the 1920s era has always appealed to me.

When I think of that era, I envision Art Deco lines, long strands of pearls, gold and shimmery jewelry. All that to me equals to an elevated radiance. And this is what I was trying to portray in this 1920s inspired stylized shoot.  (Note - I shot this back in May of 2013 but had to wait till now to publish it on my blog. You can find images in the Premier Bride magazine).

I took my idea to Peggy and Katie of Seize the Day Events. With the help of other local vendors, they helped turn this idea into a fabulous reality.

From the antique jewelry and the right dresses to a custom made hair accessory, we tried to make the stylizing as close to 1920s reality as possible. We also made sure that the setting of the session would be authentic.  Yet, all these details can be reproduced by a today's bride.

Beautiful flower arrangements by Nichole of Petal Pusher. And stunning bridal gown from Bridal Elegance and Formalwear in Kaukana. 

Antique bracelets, rings, earrings, pearls from Acme Arts owned by Erika Wachter.

Tuxedo was rented from DuBois through LuAnn's Bridal Elegance and Formalwear in Kaukana.  

After a wedding dress, our model changed into a party dress also from Bridal Elegance and Formalwear in Kaukana. 

Peggy used pearl bracelets as napkin holders. 

Delicious cake and macaroons from  Alpha Delights in De Pere.

The stylized shoot was done in the entry of the Oneida Golf & Country Club. You can only imagine the rest of the country club.

Make up and hair was done by Cory from the The Day Spa in De Pere.

Stephanie of Ribbon to Bows made this gorgeous hair piece.

Close up of the beautiful flowers from Nichole of Petal Pusher

The invitations were also provided by Bridal Elegance and Formalwear 

A wide selection of 1920's inspired rings can be found at Diamond and Gold in Green Bay.  

Thank you to the models of the day, Shyanne & James. And a big thank you to all of the vendors and their creativity. Dziekuje!

Peggy and Katie - Seize the Day Events - planning

Lu Ann - Bridal Elegance and Formalwear - bridal gown, tux, invitations

Erika - Acme Arts - the vintage accessories

Nichole - Petal Pusher - flowers

Stephanie - Ribbon to Bows - hair accessory                                                                        

Cory - The Day Spa - make up and hair                                                                                     

Mary - Alpha Delights - sweets

Oneida Golf & Country Club - location

Gosia's Photography

Ice storm - Appleton, WI - personal photography

It's funny how Mother Nature works... We had a long winter, and then some more snow and then, on April 10th, we had the most spectacular ice storm of the whole winter. 

I went outside as soon as I could. The plants were encased in ice. You could hear the ice crunch with every movement of the tree branches.

And it was gone as suddenly as it came... Melted all away in a matter of hours. 

A day in life - Chicago trip - personal photography

I love going to Chicago during Christmas time. The cool air, the city's architecture, sparkly lights and tons of people - that's my kind of relaxation. LOVE it!

We stayed at Chicago-Mart Plaza (Riverview) hotel (http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/chicago/chipl/hoteldetail) where the views were simply amazing.

Disclaimer... iPhone photos only ;-)

After a little refreshment, we decided to brace the crowds, because for a change, the weather was very pleasant. We even ended up carrying our coats in mid-December! 

The obligatory trip to Macy's. I think next year, I will bring my older daughter on this trip. We will gaze into the store's window displays, and have lunch at the Walnut Room and of course, do some shopping. ☺

Did I mention that I love Chicago's architecture... Here's a random building's atrium. Isn't it beautiful? 

A Christmas tree and Menorah in the same room ☺

In just a couple of hours, my little eye spied three brides. This one was brave enough to cross many lanes of traffic just to get this favorite Chicago shot... I really hope, I will have a chance to photograph a downtown Chicago wedding during December. Imagine all that sparkle! ♥

Here is a 'must have' shot with my hubby.

The next day, we got a little bit of sun that created yet another kind of sparkle.

It's amazing how a 24-hour trip can lift my spirits. Hope you have something that can lift your spirits too.