Emby Taylor Photography

A Real, True Princess

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 21:39:00 +0000

The other day while we were out, a lady at the store overheard Emma talking about princesses. She stopped and looked at Emma and said, "do you know how you know if you're a real princess?"
Emma just looked at her with those big hazel eyes and shook her head in wonderment.
The lady said to her, "if you have a blue line inside of your wrist, then you are a true princess."
Emma looked, and sure enough... there it was! Her blue line!!!
She gasped in disbelief! It couldn't have been any cuter.
She looked at the inside of her wrist for the rest of the day and told everyone we met that she was a real true princess.
After we got back into the car, I would look in the rearview mirror at her and she studied her princess wrist the whole way home!

Back To School Routines

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:14:00 +0000

We are snapped right back into our routines now and we've come up with a system that really works for us. First, we have a great bedtime routine and morning routine that I swiped right off of "I Heart Organization." (ethically...it's a free download and HERE is the link)
It works perfectly for us and the kids are getting pretty good at moving through the routine without me having to tell them what's next.
I love that they are now involved with getting their clothes ready for the next day. This, I have found, is teaching a very valuable lesson on preparation and looking ahead to the next day.
We have a drawer in his bedside table that is dedicated to their "up on deck" clothing. We keep tomorrow's clothes in it so that in the morning we are not scrambling in different drawers to get everything we need. It is all together ready for even the sleepiest of eyes. I also put clothes that are needed for tomorrow's activities in there. So if we have his soccer practice or her ballet class, those clothes are in there as well.

The morning routine saves us a bundle of time as well. The kids know what is expected and we are out the door with plenty of time to spare.

Emma and I continue our routine by going over to the Y after we drop Drew off. I run for almost an hour and she visits her friends in the Playhouse. It works great for us.
Then it is either time to drop her off at school, time for ballet, or time to go home and have some mommy/daughter time together.

It works like a charm! I love being back in the routine of things!

The Beautiful "Golden Hour"

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 18:02:00 +0000

This is the perfect time of year to capture that beautiful time that photographers call the "golden hour" just before the sun sets. Call now to book one of our sessions to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and get this beautiful golden hour look.

County Fair Photo Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 23:15:00 +0000

End Of Summer Photo Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 18:13:00 +0000

I really enjoyed spending one of the last nights of summer with the two sweeties! We had a great time listening to some Disney Radio while we took some pictures on this beautiful evening. I love this age and they are one of my favorite to photograph. I love to have a little fun with them and it really cracks me up how we get them to break a genuine smile and sometimes a full-on laugh! We not only had a great time, but we captured these beautiful faces before time has the chance to change them. They will only look like this for a very short while before they grow throughout the school year. I'm glad that Mom will be able to display her true work of heART on her walls forever.

A couple of beautiful options for galleries that could be made from this shoot. Wouldn't you love to have these of your own children on your walls! A true work of heART!

Drew's Senior Buddy

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:35:00 +0000

On Drew's second day of school he met his Senior Buddy.
His Senior Buddy was waiting for him in the morning with a big welcome sign. They met, shook hands and talked for a moment while posing for pictures for mommy. Then they walked to class together.
I LOVED THIS MOMENT!!!
I think it's such a great program too. Since the school is Jr. K through 12th grade, they match a senior up with a Jr. K'er. At the beginning of school, as you saw, the senior buddy welcomes their little buddy. Then, throughout the year they have all kinds of little events together. They support each other throughout the year as well. Drew's buddy is on the school lacrosse team and Drew is so excited for the season so we can go watch his buddy play. I see big signs with his name on them in our future. :)
Then, at the end of the year, the Jr. K'ers send off their senior buddies with signs decorated for their future college.

Drew and his senior buddy

The meeting

And they're off! Drew thought that his senior buddy must have stubbed his toe since he had "a boot" on his foot. Apparently it was actually a running injury :(

Walking to class

We are so fortunate to have his senior buddy. I'm sure all of the senior buddies are great, but I just love his! They seem to be able to talk easily about "guy" stuff. You know, Star Wars, Pirates, and Angry Birds! haha! Drew really enjoys his time with his buddy and is always excited to meet up with him. I'm sure we'll have many great stories this year to tell!

Our Little Guy's First Day Of School

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 05:03:00 +0000

Our little guy is off to school! Today was his first day at "the big school."
I am so happy for him, but I am so nervous too!
We began the festivities last night by preparing a Back To School Dinner of grilled cheese and alphabet spaghettios, our new tradition.
We celebrated the beginning of a new year and all of the exciting things to come!
I found a lot of the back to school dinner table ideas on Pinterest and from my friend Sarah.

The table was set

Grilled cheese and alphabet spaghettios for our traditional back to school dinner

A special dessert for my little smartie too!

This little stow-away joined us for dinner. He'll be tagging along with Drew on his backpack everyday.

Nom nom nom!!!

It's here. Drew's first day

Ready to go in the building!

Mommy and Daddy aren't the only one's who are going to miss him!

This one is heartbreaking. Our little princess is really missing her best buddy!

This is the song that came on the radio as we left the school. How appropriate.

Generations...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 03:57:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite ages to shoot. Innocent and beautiful without even knowing it.

What a special evening I was able to spend with this family. Grandfather, mother, and daughter... all raised right here in Kannapolis. I got quite the history lesson during the shoot and thoroughly enjoyed it!
My favorite part was being able to visit the spot where where the grandfather met his wife back in 1954! How wonderful is that! I of course captured him in that very spot and it was such a poignant moment.

I love this dynamic duo!

Sweet Girl, Mia

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 03:03:00 +0000

I love photographing Mia's eyes! They are beautiful! She is beautiful... and adorable all at the same time. We had such a fun time with her in the little village!

Dreamy Evening

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 02:54:00 +0000

What a wonderful evening to spend in the park with one of my BFF's and her family.
The girls were precious, sweet, and adorable. We had a fun time chasing the little one around, and big sister was such a perfect little model.

Be-You-Tiful!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:38:00 +0000

Beautiful Baby Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 04:49:00 +0000

This precious little one is a dream girl!
What a precious little one to hold, cuddle, and comfort. Big brother was full of life and the sweetest boy!

One Very Special Family

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:21:00 +0000

This beautiful family is very near and dear to me. I taught Jordan when he was in 5th grade and he and his family has had a special place in my heart since.
Now he's off to college. I can't believe it! Time has gone so quickly. And now they are adjusting to their new norm.
We are so proud of Jordan!

And Another One On The Way

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:25:00 +0000

Well, I haven't posted this yet because all I could think about was how this mama already has another one on the way!!!!!
Congratulations, Christin!!!!
This shoot was pretty interesting. We headed over to what is usually a very quiet little spot.... but not on that day. There was a street festival with a crowd, music, and even helicopter rides!!!! What a distraction for little man! But we had fun and he and his daddy had a great time watching the helicopter.

Charming Engagement Session

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 03:16:00 +0000

You couldn't ask for a more magical evening: a charming farm with beautiful horses, gorgeous weather with a romantic sunset, and a couple in love.
I so enjoyed this session with Susan and Eric. They are a sweet couple and I wish them the very best!

My First Model Turns 1

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 02:52:00 +0000

You've seen this picture a time or two

It's my first "professional" picture. This is sweet little Cayden only 4 days after he was born. Well, now that handsome little guy is 1!!!!!! We had a wonderful time on this beautiful morning in the village. He's a special little guy to me and he'll always hold a little piece of my heart.

The Dog Days Of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 20:51:00 +0000

So we are now back from our much-needed vacation.
We got away to the desert for a couple of weeks and thoroughly enjoyed our time away from the humidity.
But this little guy, still back here in the Carolina heat, has my heart.
Tell me he isn't the sweetest 14 year old you've ever seen!

From Couch Potato To Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 02:58:00 +0000

I'm such a voyeur. I gobble up other people's blogs, I look in windows when on walks (from the street, I'm not like creeping in your bushes or anything), you know, in that I-wonder-how-they're-livin'-in-there kind of way.
I love to get updates on how people are doing and what they are doing.
So I thought I'd share my progress from ~~couch potato~~ computer chair potato to marathon. I'll be posting my progress and inspiration on my fundraising page for those of you that are like me and like to watch "what's going on over there in their world."

Come on over and check it out. I met and trained with my team tonight and it is such a wonderful experience of feeling like something so huge and so important.

If you feel so inclined, feel free to make a donation. Might I suggest a dollar for every mile I'm going to run on October 28 with my team? That would be a whopping 26 miles!!!! (I'm a little sceered, but my team will get me through it) Or better yet, a dollar for every mile I'm going to run for training this month. That's 54!!!!! Yeppers, 54 miles this month (cumulatively over the course of the month of obviously). And it only goes up from here!

Come on over and check out a picture of my team!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/corps12/mwestgarth

Enjoying The Nice Weather ~ Charlotte Baby Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 17:55:00 +0000

I love living in North Carolina. We've enjoyed an incredibly beautiful spring and I love living close to the root of my family. This is the area where I am originally from and I love that I am close enough to a lot of my family to see them often. I was able to spend a beautiful spring morning at the park with my cousin Greg and his beautiful family. It was the perfect day to be out there. Obviously little Banks loved it too.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:52:00 +0000

When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad

Most of you know I was a teacher before I started on my photography journey. The reason I taught, and the reason I love taking family photos is because I LOVE children. So when a child gets hurt, it truly breaks my heart. Even when it's something that we all go through. Now when you look at these pictures, you're going to assume I'm talking about this sweetie's little broken leg.
Nope. Other than her cutest little hobble ever, and the bright pink cast, you would never guess she was hurt. We didn't hear a word of complaint from her. And I was so excited that mom and dad were still so eager to take pictures. This is, after all, a stage they are going through that should be documented too. They love photography, so they make plenty of opportunity to capture the perfect, non-cast moments too.
Back the the injury.
The older sister was running in some clover, and as adorably cute as those sandals are, they did not protect her from the bee that was less than impressed with her playing.
She was stung right on the bottom of her foot! I felt soooooo badly. You pick out these locations, the family is there because YOU chose it, and WHAMMO!
But mom and dad were very understanding and played it super cool (maybe cooler than me... I have a few things to learn) and she was calmed down and loved-on and contently cuddled very quickly.
Then, the pictures come out and mom tells me it was all worth it. Which of course makes me feel at least a little better about the situation. (:
So here are a couple of images that were the silver lining to the first bee sting of her life.

Augusta ~ Kannapolis, NC Senior Portrait Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:12:00 +0000

If you could go back and give advice to the 16 year old you, what would you say?
There is so much I would say. First of all, BE YOU, THERE'S ONLY ONE OF YOU! If I had the insight that I have today without having to spend all that time learning the lessons, I sure would live for me. I wouldn't have spent all of those years trying to be different things for different people. It took me to get to my late 20's to figure out that being me would make for the "best me." And now that I'm in my mid 30's, I'm happier than I could have ever imagined being.
Augusta's got it though. I wish I had the wisdom and go-get 'em attitude that she has in life.
This girl's going far and it couldn't happen for a better, sweeter, harder-working girl.
I hope that my Emma has some of these qualities. I know Augusta's parents are super proud of her and I am too!

Happy Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:13:00 +0000

Happy Mother's Day to all of the hard-working, loving, incredible mothers out there! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Hopelessly In Love With Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:39:00 +0000

When Pandora's Box was opened, all of the chaos in the world was released. We feel it every day. Life is hard, it is a struggle no doubt. But the most beautiful thing in this world came out of that very box as well...

Hope

I am hopelessly in love with hope. Just like everyone, I've endured the ups and downs of life. And through it all, love and hope have gotten me through everything.

It is hope that makes me want to work with Team in Training again to help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It is my hope that a cure will be found.

Last time I worked with Team in Training, I was a participant, fundraising and running in the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco. This time, I am working with them in a different way.

Emby Taylor Photography will be taking portraits at the upcoming event,

Mission Day this Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 10:00 am at Omega Sports on Park Road in Charlotte.

Please come out and join us for a great morning to celebrate all that the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has done to help patients of blood cancers and their families.

Be The Match is also going to be there offering free registration for the first 25 to sign up for their marrow donation plan. There will be kid-friendly activities such as balloon artists and Monkey Joe's mascot. And my personal favorite part is that this is a chance for survivors and participants to meet.

Hope to see you there!

Update

Mission Day was a great success!
Of course it was a success. It's such a great cause and such a great group!
Here are a few pictures from the day.

One Thousand Lashes And Three Pennies

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:30:00 +0000

There is a Chinese proverb that states when you have only two pennies left in the world, buy bread with one and a lily with the other.
I agree with that, something good for the body and something good for the soul.
But.....
I will never again be without three pennies. I would have to add mascara to that list of must-buys.
Somehow I don't think that a penny is going to cut it though for Keira Knightley's favorite Chanel mascara. I have to say, I think this might be on my list of frivolous pampering in my future. I mean, if our eyes are the windows to our souls, well then I want my shutters to frame the view beautifully!

It's senior portrait time and I'm just so floored by how beautiful these girls are! Aren't her lashes gorge!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Beth) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:47:00 +0000

Be you.... you are already beautiful. Today. Right now.