Philadelphia Documentary Photographer | Ashleigh + Lizzy + Andrew | Downtown Kennett Square, PA
I'm not sure why it's taken so long to blog about Ashleigh, Andrew and Lizzy, but without further ado, here they are!
I wish I could find the exact conversation Ashleigh and I had when she initially contacted me for a photo session for her family. It went something like this..."We're up for anything. Casual and fun--just capturing us doing what we love to do. Maybe a visit to our favorite ice cream or doughnut shop? You're the one with the artistic eye - I completely trust your judgement." What transpired was an AWESOME documentary/lifestyle session in downtown Kennett Square, Pa on a beautiful Friday evening.
Philadelphia Lifestyle Photographer | The Sypulskis in Ocean City, New Jersey
Let me preface this post with, if you are envisioning a family shoot somewhere warm and sunny, call me. Nowhere is too far. Especially when it involves a beautiful setting sun, the ocean, and a family who is up for an awesome adventure.
Cue the Sypulski family. Always up for an adventure and so laid back and trusting of me to capture their family in the moment. Documenting their family at the Jersey Shore has become a tradition over the last several years. A tradition I have thoroughly enjoyed! Here are a few of my favorite moments from our shoot. Check them out and then make sure to scroll to the bottom for my Top 5 things to do in OCNJ!
When I'm lucky enough to have some free time when shooting at the shore, there are a handful of my "go to" spots that I have to visit while I'm there. In no particular order...
1. OCNJ Farmer's Market
At the Tabernacle Grounds | 8am -1pm
Fresh fruit, veggies, food, crafts and much more! There is something about a Farmer's Market at the shore that makes it that much better. Get out early before the crowds!
2. Dot's Pastry Shop
3148 Asbury Avenue between 31st and 32nd streets.
There are only a handful of foods that if I wouldn't gain a pound, I would choose to eat every day. One of those is Dot's cream filled powder doughnuts. Oh man, my mouth is watering just typing this. If you don't care for cream filling, trust me when I say this isn't your run-of-the-mill filling. It's delicious!!
3. Bookateria Two
1052 Asbury Ave, Ocean City, New Jersey, NJ 08226
Shore days are meant for finding the perfect spot on the beach, right at the edge of the ocean, planting yourself in a lounge chair and reading a good book. The Bookateria Two is the perfect spot to browse a huge selection of used books. If you're a bookstore nerd like me, you could get lost for hours in this place!
4. Crooked Horn Creek Nature Trail
Need a break from the ocean? Want to get in a little exercise after all of the those Dot's doughnuts? I highly recommend taking a hike on the Crooked Horn Creek Nature Trail.
5. TJ's Ice Cream Plus
100 E Atlantic Blvd, Ocean City, New Jersey, NJ 08226-4511
It didn't feel right to only have one sweet spot on this list so it was only right that TJ's made the list. My favorite thing to do after a huge family dinner is to eat so much ice cream I'm waddling home. Luckily TJ's is only 2 blocks from our house so I don't have to waddle far. I highly recommend getting a classic cone of either cookie dough or strawberry shortcake. You won't regret it!
#ProjectWeekend | June 24 - 25
Did someone say summer? I'm pretty sure the rest of the world would agree with me when I say summer weekends are the best. Sleeping in, sunshine, sand, BBQing, and late afternoon dips in the pool. Last weekend I managed to enjoy all of the above (minus the sand) and it was pretty awesome. Is it Friday yet?
Saturday morning cartoons for the win.
On Saturday, we threw our annual Summer Shindig BBQ and had the chance to have most of our closest friends and family all in one place at the same time. I have roughly 5 lbs of potato salad left over if anyone needs some. Anyone?
Hunter stole the show with his cuteness from here on out...
#ProjectWeekend | June 16 - 17
There only a few things I truly hate. If I had to rank them it would be:
- Laundry
- Moving
- Those stupid articles that make you scroll through a slideshow in order to read them.
This blog post is about #2.
Let me start out by saying I didn't actually move, my parents did. They recently moved out of the house they've lived in for the past 12 years.
Shortly after they accepted an offer on their house, I got one of those phone calls that every 30-something dreads getting that went something like this..."Hey, you know all those boxes you've been storing in the basement for the past 12 years? Can you come get them? Oh, and also, can you go through your childhood memorabilia, too?" Dun...dun...dun...
So while I didn't technically move, I sure felt like I did. My apartment quickly became filled with boxes full of 1980's Barbies, every softball trophy I won between the ages of 6-18, and all of my college books (holy, heavy!)
I of course, procrastinated, and waited until 3 days before the closing to actually go over and get said boxes. By this point, my parents had moved and settled into their new home about an hour away.
As I began to load up the truck, I started to get emotional about saying goodbye to this place. I didn't grow up here, but my daughter did. This was her childhood home. Just as I have a strong connection with my grandparents home, she would someday feel the same way about this place. Being a young mother, I lost count of the number of times I moved out, and back home, and out, and back home over the course of the last decade. And for Carmen, these four walls were always "home."
As I loaded the last box and left the garage door opener on the kitchen counter, I reflected on all of the memories we made here. Carmen's first steps, family parties that centered around the kitchen island, summer days in the backyard running though the sprinkler, and our neighbors who always had ice pops stashed in their garage freezer just for the kiddos.
Saying goodbye was definitely bittersweet for me. I called my mom after I pulled out of the driveway for the very last time to ask if she cried when she left a few days before. Her answer... "No! I was just glad to be finished hauling boxes out of there!" It made me laugh and feel like a complete softy all at the same time.
