Christina McGuire | Novi, Michigan | Children's Portrait & Lifestyle Photographer

Unruly

2013-05-08T09:50:00.002-04:00

Back in Class

2013-05-02T14:13:00.001-04:00

{my happy place}

Week 1, Mastering Natural Light Indoors

Ahoy Cuties

2013-04-18T09:16:00.000-04:00

The only thing cuter than a 4-year-old and his pirates?

A baby sis who loves them just as much ;)

Two of my favorite little people...

Wind

2013-04-09T09:18:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I've used my blog for an IHF submission, but feeling nostalgic for a little summer breeze this morning so thought I'd post an old favorite here rather than Flickr. p.s. hey Michigan/Mother Nature: I'll even settle for a spring breeze... just come ON already.

{Check out more wind-blown cuties and beauties here}

Creativity Challenge 3/12: Perspectives

2013-04-02T00:35:00.001-04:00

I had the stepladder out for this month's project, intending to shoot from above and capture the symmetry of unruly pigtails, busy fingers, and little piggies peeking out. But when she paused to think up her "rhymin' words" and began to sway, I knew what was coming... and where my vantage point needed to be instead.

So often, she's blissfully unaware that I'm watching as she composes these grand ballades, carries on with imaginary friends, or choreographs dance moves with her reflection in the sliding glass door. Not wanting to ruin the moment, I rarely stop to pull out the camera.

But sometimes you gotta chance it. Because when I'm old and gray, I want to remember the many facets of this little girl's big personality, and how much she made me smile every.single.day...

My very own Ode to Joy. ♥

{Curtsy}.

For more fun with perspectives, pop in on Kelly Garvey's adorable boys and follow the circle around.

Waiting

2013-03-14T15:42:00.000-04:00

Creativity Challenge 2/12: Food Photography

2013-03-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

I had intentions of going with something, ahem, healthier for our monthly project. But February got away from me and ended with a snow day, and with each snow day comes a yummy tradition borrowed from a college girlfriend. mmmMonkey bread...

There's dozens of variations out there, but we keep ours simple:

Monkey Bread

2 or 3 cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut each biscuit into quarters.
Mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add biscuit pieces, in batches; toss to coat.
Place half of the biscuit pieces in a greased tube pan, drizzle with half the butter. Repeat. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon-sugar on top. Bake 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes; invert onto serving plate.

Should be a tasty looking blog circle this month! My friend, Krista Campbell, is up next and I got a little sneak peek -- um, yummmm and so jealous of that Arkansas sunshine that seems to follow her and her beautiful daughter everywhere they go. ♥

Disney

2013-02-27T22:25:00.001-05:00

Just realized I haven't blogged in nearly a month.
Making up for lost time with just a *few* vacation photos...
Consider yourself warned ;)

Creativity Challenge 1/12: Close-Up Portraiture

2013-02-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

My lovely CMpro friends and I are back with a new monthly project for 2013. This year, we're pushing our creative boundaries with a different type of shooting exercise each month-- some within my comfort zone, and many more outside. Should be fun!

January's challenge was close-up portraiture, which I didn't think would be too much of a stretch for my shooting style. Well. Perhaps a ray of sunshine + a macro lens + a willing subject would have been a better match for my vision. Instead, I found myself trapped inside on a rainy day, trying to focus while braced against a headboard, negotiating with a pint-sized Crabby McCrabberson.

Good thing she's cute.

(Because being 3 is hard work.)

- - -

Next up is the talented Beira Brown, and in the months to come we'll be switching up the link order. I caught a couple of these girls' up-close sneak peeks in this week's Daily Project, and w-o-w... Can't wait to make the rounds myself this morning.

Winter Sun

2013-01-24T20:21:00.000-05:00

Poor neglected little blog. I'm alive, just artistically uninspired, as I am most Januaries when when the wind chill hits 20 below. But despite the cold, there's been sun, and for that I am grateful.

Morning sun, shot through condensation on my kitchen window.

Afternoon sun, reflected in the tinted window of my super fancy sports car.

Okay so it's the sliding door of a minivan.

Because try as a might, even my darker work screams MWAC/mom-with-a-camera.☺

12/12: {The Way I View} The Holidays

2013-01-01T23:59:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! And with that, we've reached the finish line of our 12-month project. I'm ending things with a simple but magical holiday moment. Snow wasn't in the forecast that day, but in the time we spent in church on Christmas Eve, Mother Nature must've been busy enlisting help from a few elves of her own. As the doors opened, we filed out into an angels-singing-heavens-parting-winter-wonderland-of-beautiful. My girls were giddy, twirling in their fancy swing coats, arms outstretched, their little faces (and tongues) towards the sky. Snowflakes were falling fast, but so was daylight. I crossed my fingers, cranked my ISO, and managed to get a shot in before dark. ♥

Kisses to my blog circle of talented girlfriends for keeping me both motivated and inspired to shoot every month this year. I'm looking forward to our new 2013 project, which kicks off in February. In the meantime, take in one last "The Way I View" around, starting with the lovely Beira Brown.

Home Sweet Home

2012-12-23T20:46:00.000-05:00

It's been a crazy month filled with lots of traveling; packing and unpacking every.single.weekend. With the last of the suitcases emptied tonight, I'm not sure I've ever been so grateful for quiet evening of laundry and cleaning (even if I'm currently procrastinating both).☺ We're together, and we're home. ♥ From ours to yours, a very Merry Christmas!

Homeward Bound

2012-12-17T09:43:00.000-05:00

Dedicated to all the tiny souls and mighty heroes who made their flight to heaven Friday.

Better Than Chocolate

2012-12-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Or jewelry. Or any other Mother's Day/birthday/holiday gift, in my humble opinion.☺ This is the second clever dad I've had who's booked a super secret session and surprised his wife with photos of their kids. Mommas, wouldn't you love to find these under your tree? ♥

11/12: {The Way I View} Blessings

2012-12-02T00:09:00.000-05:00

Woohoo, we're in the home stretch of our monthly project! I wasn't sure what direction to go with this month's theme-- so many blessings, so little time. I hemmed and hawed, but ultimately decided to go right to the top of the list: my family's health, my #1 blessing.

We've dodged a few bullets over the years... My oldest had cysts in her brain in utero. My youngest had crazy enlarged lymph nodes that wouldn't quit; her doctor dropped the b(iopsy)-word. And in between, their daddy developed blood clots which led to pulmonary emboli; lots and lots of nasty little emboli just hangin' out in his lungs, gone undetected for God knows how long. Following a week in the hospital, my then-31-year-old, tough-guy hubby was released needing a walker and a round-the-clock babysitter. But then? My baby's cysts dissipated. My toddler's blood work confirmed... mono. And my husband's diagnosis of a blood disorder is now under control with medication and an old-man compression sock. Blessed, blessed, blessed. And all too aware that each of their outcomes could have gone a different way.

So last month, I found myself grateful for planned hospital trips instead.. for routine procedures... for early-morning adenoidectomies. For frivolous, yet completely necessary, me-and-my-dolly nightgown sets and green froggy slippers. For kind, witty, and competent doctors and nurses. For whatever else that kiddie-acetaminophen-cocktail contained that made our little ham even more entertaining than usual.☺ And finally, for peaceful and (at last) quiet slumber for our sweet girl. ♥

Going, going, going...

...Gone. ♥

{For more beautiful blessings, check in on Beira Brown, and follow our blog circle around.}

With a Little Help From Her Friends...

2012-11-26T23:11:00.000-05:00

...she's been celebrating the Big 0-6 all month long.☺

I'm sitting down to write this following her (actual) birthday dinner out tonight... which followed her classroom celebration this afternoon... which followed her party for friends last weekend... which followed her party for family the weekend before that. Phew. What began as a valiant effort in homecooking + crafting at the first couple shindigs concluded with a last-minute Target run for lame-o canned frosting + gummy worms for the (I-almost-forgot-she-needed-a-)school treat today.

But I love this kid so, so much.
I love that my kids' best friends are my best friend's kids. (did y'all follow that??)

I love that she was sooo excited waiting for her guests to arrive for her first "friend" party and that those little friends were adorable, had impeccable manners, and ate their vegetables to boot.

I love that our tiny living room was somehow big enough to house a Taylor Swift dance party and Doc McStuffins clinic, concurrently.

I love that my husband and mom humor me in my crafting aspirations, even when they prove to be a bit lofty.☺

And... I love that after a few hours of trampling through the house with high-pitched squeals, these cute little girls all went home to their own cute little beds. p.s. Moms, when do the sleepovers start?? I'm thinking... never?? ;)

Happy 6th Birthday, C. ♥ Your momma tends to get embarrassingly sappy with these types of posts (really, 6 YEARS??) but tonight all I feel for you is joy. Joy that at such a young age, you have been blessed with friendship. I know in the years to come, there will be many ups and downs, with large doses of girlie drama in between, but I will always be here for you to help sort through it all. I pray that one or two of these pretty faces stay with you through the decades, and that one day, you are as blessed with lifelong friendships as I have been. I love you, I love you more, and I love you most. xoxo, Mommy

Friday Phone Dump

2012-11-23T12:08:00.000-05:00

Finally! I've been waiting months, no, years, to do a Friday Phone Dump post of my own. As it turned out, my last "smart"phone wasn't so smart. So I'm a little late to the party, but arrived just in time for Thanksgiving on Woodward Avenue... A beautiful, fun, and (over)filling day spent in the company of my favorite people.

A belated Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I am so grateful for those of you who check in here from time to time, and for the kind words and love you leave. ♥

Not So Long Ago...

2012-11-17T19:35:00.000-05:00

...it was my first baby girl turning 1 this month. She had the same big eyes, full cheeks, wispy brown hair, and hammy personality. I love this age, and I was smitten with this little cutie. ♥

Blink

2012-11-09T16:59:00.000-05:00

It's not just my own kids-- sometimes I blink and even my friends' and clients' littles go from newborn to 12 months *just like that*. I love being able to look back in the comfort of my own blog.☺Happy 1st Birthday, S! You are so very cute and so very loved.♥

10/12: {The Way I View} Halloween

2012-11-01T23:59:00.000-04:00

November 1st. Namasté.

I'll be honest: Halloween kind of exhausts me. Super fun but... So many parties. So much noise. So.Much.Sugar.

And copious amounts of photos just in time for our monthly project. It's no surprise that my favorites were taken in the quieter moments of the days leading up. Because throughout October, we grocery shop, bank, dog walk, farmers market, even doctor's office in style:

And once the errands are complete,
inhale...

Exhale.

Enjoying a bit of calm before the next storm.
Because, well...
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
♫

{Quick, soak up the last bit of Halloween fun before the carols hit the radio(!):
start with Melissa Gibson's cuties and follow the blog circle around.}

$9.75/gallon

2012-10-30T00:01:00.000-04:00

Crazy spring weather = apple crop shortage = cider to the tune of $9.75/gallon this year. Whatev, this family will dig for change in the couch cushions before we'll stop supporting the local mills & farms... at least a time or ~~two~~ five every fall.☺

{worth every penny} ♥

Five Days New

2012-10-26T10:34:00.000-04:00

Like my girls, this darling little guy is lucky to have a grandma who knits. Like, a lot. The cocoon, the crown, the hat, the sweater, and even the sock monkey! Probably could have left my prop bin at home.☺ Such sweet new family...

Fun Runnin'

2012-10-22T22:12:00.000-04:00

Clickin Walk

2012-10-17T10:46:00.002-04:00

A hodge podge from a lovely evening spent in the company of local photographers. Some old friends and some new, we must have looked like a pret-ty obnoxious clickin' herd meandering the streets of Ann Arbor... But not much beats the atmosphere of a college campus in the fall, except of course a little more green & white and lot less maize & blue.☺

Shot for Jen

2012-10-15T10:59:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, the photography community lost a beautiful, talented, and courageous young mom, following a year-long battle with ovarian cancer. Late last evening, I found out that a tribute was being planned in loving memory of Jen Burgess Thompson: a series of self-portraits of us with our kids, to be posted on Monday. My girls were in bed (but still squawking), I was in sweats, and the tripod was in the basement collecting dust. No time like the present.

For the record, I had every intention of at least poking my head up as they snuggled on my chest ;) but trying to coordinate the camera's self-timer with two rascally kids up past their bedtime?? Oh well, 2 out of 3 faces ain't bad... Plus I couldn't resist their devious grins here. ♥

No, this dimly lit, mommy-has-two-hands-but-no-face photo won't be going in my portfolio anytime soon. But I love that I have this moment captured with them, and for them... I hope it helps them to remember these late-night snuggles and snippets of their bedtime routine. The books, the stories, the songs, the back scratches, the hugs and the butterfly/eskimo/fish-lips kisses. The I love you - I love you more - I love you mosts. And although I'm pretty sure they'll one day forget about the 2am stripping of wet sheets or the 4am microwaving of heating pads and rubbing of growing-pained-knees, I won't. I'm forever grateful for the good and the bad, the giggles and the tears. And I'm feeling so blessed to be a mommy today --a healthy mom of 2 healthy kids.

Pop over to our Daily Project to see more. Join us in praying for Jen's friends & family, especially her two young sons. And hold your babies a little tighter tonight. ♥