Busy weekend (and week) ahead! Have a few condo showings, a long wedding shoot, and packing for our trip to MEXICO!! We leave super early on Sunday morning which means I’ll barely have time to sleep after the wedding – thankfully I was born with more than enough energy to keep me going. Just wanted to leave you with a little weekend inspo . . .  enjoy!

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Quinoa Fried Rice | I never would have thought to sub healthy, fluffy quinoa for stale white rice. Thank you, Pinterest!

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Dreamy Master Bath | It’s practically the size of our entire loft! Elements here that inspire me – chandelier and giant ottoman (with a throw casually tossed over it, obviously). I could live in this bathroom, what about you?

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Wizard of Oz Cupcakes | This is a fun theme for a kid’s birthday party. Perhaps for Little G’s 2^nd, or maybe Lil Wee G’s first??

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Bacon Pancake Dippers | Genius! A complete breakfast in one!

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Amazing Light Canopy | A myriad of twinkling lights and otherwise simple event décor make for a very delighted photographer.

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Did you know that you can add-on a custom album to any one of my photography packages? Typically my wedding packages include this service, but lately I’ve been seeing an uptick in a number of other clients – ranging from portrait to boudoir – adding on albums.

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Like Brenda, for instance. Check out her custom album by Finao showcasing Brenda’s recent “Just Because” shoot at Cuneo Mansion and Gardens. (Click here to read why I was commissioned for this and to see more of the shoot!)

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My clients often play a role in designing the album with me so that it becomes a true reflection of their personality. Brenda picked out the colors here herself – a beautiful Opaline for the cover, accented with Lust. This one reads “A little bit sweet, a little bit naughty,” don’t you think? (This is Brenda’s second album with me – the first was of her Boudoir shoot, perhaps that one should have been accented with Lust!)

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Brenda’s album comes beautifully wrapped in an exquisite portfolio box. The packaging is entirely handmade – packaged with paper handmade from recycled pineapple leaves and finished with a paper ribbon from recycled mulberry leaves. The enhancement is made from skeleton leaves and dried flowers.

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Don’t forget to ask me about designing your own custom album!

xo, Melissa

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One of the things I love most about what I do is the real-time connections I get with people. Often times, my bride-and-groom couples come back to me for a newborn shoot once they become proud parents. Sometimes, they even re-engage me for a special family shoot many months later, when Little One is not so little! This continual evolution of the people I meet is so cool and simply authentic.

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Take Phil and Joline, for instance.

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I first met this lovely couple – and sweet Baby Miles – when he was just a sleepy, little thing. Look at him now! He’s practically off and running! About two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful family of three together for the first time at Humboldt Park. (You might remember that Papa Phil had to go halfway across the world just days after Miles was born.)

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Phil is currently in healthcare and was in business school and also a photographer, and Joline is in medical sales. Baby Miles is their boss.

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Bright eyed and extremely curious, Miles is now 10 months old and so loveable! Turns out he actually had a double ear infection during the shoot that wasn’t diagnosed until the day after. You would never have guessed anything was bothering this happy little chub! Scroll through to see photos from their sweet shoot.

xo, Melissa

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What a fabulous week it was! Celebrated an awesome Mother’s Day last weekend officially, though I have to admit every day feels great to be a momma and I always feel celebrated – thank you boys!! Had some great family shoots recently (stay tuned next week) and it’s shaping up to be another nice weekend! Life is good. What have you planned?

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Pizza rolled up in a crispy, fried wonton wrapper?? Yes, please!

I can’t help but crack up because this reminds me of that Friends episode where Joey and Chandler celebrate their last day as roommates.

Joey: Here it is! Our last pizzas together as roommates.
Chandler: Oh, I wish I had known you were going to do that. I ordered Chinese.
Joey: Oh. Oh, that’s okay. Hey, actually, in a way it’s kinda nice. You know, our last dinner together: Me, bringing the food of my ancestors, you, the food of yours!

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Mini Oreo Sprinkle Cakes | Perfect for a special birthday party, kids and kids-at-heart alike! Now, does anyone have an Oreo Blizzard?

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Rrrrrrr! Super cute tails to DIY for your wild little thing! Fun for sleepovers or just the everyday.

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Water in Water | This looks awesome, wherever it is. Anyone know? I can’t find the original source, but it’s perfectly calming and inspirational regardless. Hope you enjoy!

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Meet Nisha and Sachin. She is an ER nurse and he is in finance, and this fabulous Chicago couple will be tying the knot in MEXICO at the end of this month ­– and guess what lucky girl gets to shoot them in paradise??

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Due to Nisha’s unpredictable schedule in the hospital (you know, life and death matters and all), this e-sesh shoot was a challenge to pin down but we were finally able to coordinate after months of going back and forth! And luckily we did – these shots capture the beaming couple in their own Windy City element one last time before they take off for white sand beaches.

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We did the e-sesh down by the Chicago River downtown. Nisha and Sachin were natural subjects in front of the camera which makes my job so much easier! They cuddled like newlyweds and posed like models. *Looove*

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And obviously, a wardrobe change was in order . . .

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The lovely Nisha and Sachin were a referral from a past bride-and-groom couple I photographed years ago, Jimmy and Jency. These two have been my biggest referral to date, and as I like to remind all my clients, if you liked working with me, please don’t hesitate to pay it forward and pass the good karma around!

xo, Melissa

Happy weekend, guys! Just a little pinspiration from around the web before I sign off. Check back next week for a great e-sesh with a lovely couple!

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Okay, so I might be hinting just a little with this one—but how perfect would these five freezer meals be for a certain mom-to-be?

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Heart-shaped cookies with personalized messages! Cuuuute!

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I might have been just a tad hungry when I pinned all these yummy foods during my 12-hour fast today for my glucose test. Like this Mac and Cheese Pot Pie . . .

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Peach popsicles for summer—genius! Now, if warm weather would just hurry up and get here already!

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And let’s not forget strawberry popsicles, too––the grownup version of every kid’s favorite summer treat. Bonus: These only take 5 minutes to make!

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A couple weeks ago I joined two other local photographers on a stylized inspiration shoot for ShadowBox Dreams, a vintage rentals and styling company in Chicago launched by Elaine Ibarrola Juridico. ShadowBox Dreams seriously has the most ah-ma-zing collection of heirloom offerings, all personally curated and acquired by Elaine herself. You might recognize a few of these beauties over here, here and here on the blog. Elaine’s story is simply inspiring—one gold Victorian sofa she collected two years ago as part of her wedding day sparked her vision—and mission—to make “happily ever after come true” for countless others.

It was a fantastic time shooting with the lovely ladies of Eva Ho Photography and Coach House Pictures, and a bunch of awesome local vendors* who all contributed to making this shoot a success. Have a look at some of ShadowBox Dream’s one-of-a-kind vintage heirlooms from my shoot. How would you style these?

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 Vendors ::

Little Spoon Events

Chicago Candle Co.

Chykalophia

Bot Bakery

Lil Epic Designs

Penelope & Lala

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There’s not too many things that make me nervous when prepping for a shoot. Working with HUGE wedding parties does though. It can be rather difficult getting so many people to all focus on me at the same time . . . and throw in a little celebratory booze and you get what I mean, yea? With my sweet bride-and-groom couple, Kristine and JR (short for Cesar Jr), their wedding party (which was serially huge with 12 groomsmen and 11 bridesmaids!) wins the crown for making my job look like a breeze––they managed to have a fantastic time together, offering those priceless candid-meets-goofy shots yet also composing themselves when it was needed. Besides this, I had a fantastic time following around Kristine and JR on their big day . . . here’s a little look, hope you enjoy all the details!

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For the wedding party portrait session, all 25 of them descended upon the steps of the dramatic Baha’i Temple, and later, at nearby Gillson Park. Like one big, happy mob bedecked in pops of coral and goldenrod.

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Kristine and JR’s wedding at Chateau Ritz had me tear up more than my usual. I couldn’t stop picturing Roman or Little Wee G’s wedding and hope they’ll continue to love me as much as JR loves his mother. JR’s brother gave an exceptionally emotional and heartwarming toast, and right after it, was the mother-son dance. Me. Sobbing. Mess. (A hazard of the job, let’s call it.)

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Kristine and JR, you are one cute couple. Thank you for allowing me to play a part in your special day. May you have many more blessed moments to look forward to!

xo, Melissa

Kristine and JR’s Wedding Guide ::

Venue, Chateau Ritz //  Bride’s Attire, Alvina Valenta gown //  Bride’s Hair, Diem Angie Nguyen  //  Bride’s Makeup, Diem Angie Nguyen  //  Groom’s Attire, Formally Modern Tuxedo //  Bridesmaids’ Dresses, Jim Hjelm  //  Officiant, Father Michael Wulsch  //  Flowers, Della Mano Design  //  Videographer, Onesix Cinema //  Food, Chateau Ritz //  Cake, Baking Institute //  Music, DJ Jay Funk

Rounding up some weekend pinspiration for ya’ll . . . I’ll be back on Monday with a new post featuring a fantastic wedding I shot at Chateau Ritz! Until then . . .

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Anyone else wander-lusting over Italy now? This gorgeous bedroom reminds me of those in rustic European villas and that one time we renewed our vows in Tuscany . . .

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What’s better than strawberry shortcake on a fresh summer day? Strawberry shortcake on a stick, obviously. Here it is folks, mini morsels of luscious berries layered between fluffy cream and cake. Yes, please!

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Surprise!! Guess what the stork FedEx delivered?

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Simply lovely: lovely lighting, lovely non-pose. Just Mom and Baby in a sweet state of contentment.

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Made this Southwest Chicken Chili Mac earlier in the week during one of my crazy preggo moments (I COOKED – people, do you know how huge that is??). It was delicious and spicy and comforting, all wrapped in one skillet.

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? Little G and I had quite the traumatic experience getting his hair cut yesterday. I think we’re going to stay in and recover while his hair grows back in, and his ear, too. Here are some links from around the web that are pinspiring me this week… happy reading!

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Your Royal Highness: This magnificent creation is a work of art in itself! Vibrant hue, sheer décolletage, whimsical floral detail, and flowing skirt with thigh-high slit… there’s a lot going on here and yet somehow it just works.

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Thank You Crackers: Super cute way to thank someone, don’t ya think? Just don’t shake the box or they might end up with a box of cookies that say “CRIME!”

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Hand and Footprint Fun: An artistic way to memorialize your little one.

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Dyed Mops: Not totally sure about this backdrop… I mean, it seems like an INORDINATE amount of work for what it is. However, its color story is pretty cool and it does inspire all kinds of on-trend ombre ideas in my head.

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Super G! Perhaps for Little G’s second birthday party? It’s going to be hard to top his first fete, but this superhero theme looks like it can stand on its own.

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Put A Ring On It: It’s shiny and perfect. That’s all.

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Better Than Popcorn: Billowy pillows of pure deliciousness, perfect for snacking on this weekend at home!