An All Star Weekend

If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be super excited for the NHL All Stars madness coming into town, I would have probably responded, "Well of course, I love figure skating." This should give you an idea of how far I've come in my hockey knowledge and love of the game. 

When Phillip and I first started dating, he hid his "Caniac" tendencies well since we met post hockey season. I soon realized that from October till April, our schedule would revolve around 3 parties... him, me and the Canes. Okay, this is an exaggeration, but you get my drift - he's a fan. 

And some guys might have given up the idea of taking their girlfriends to a hockey game after the repetitive questioning of icing, off sides and the blue lines (it took me a while...). But he was patient and eventually, I began to understand what was going on and actually enjoyed myself. 

So once the weekend was upon us, we were both really excited to see all the festivities downtown and join our fellow hockey fans from around the globe in celebrating the league's best players in the world. 

At the young age of eighteen, Jeff Skinner already has a huge following around town. And  I'm told, a lot of marriage proposals from tween girls.

Snow for the little ones even though it was an unseasonably warm 60 degrees that day.

An interview with former Hurricane, Rod Brind'amour.

Thanks for a great weekend NHL. Come back soon!

{Raleigh Photographer, North Carolina Photographer}

Things I Love...

Hand Cream

Don't leave home without it. It's part of my winter survival kit, which includes a hat, gloves, pashmina and Burt's Bees lip balm.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Sometimes I order them in the spring and summer time because they're so delicious.

Power Bars

I'm never without them and have them hidden all over the place - car, purses, bedroom, office, kitchen (obviously) - just in case a hunger attack strikes. My current go to's are the Zone Fudge Graham and Luna Chocolate Peppermint. Yum.

Electric Blankets

Helps keep the electric & gas bill downs, plus Harvey loves them too.

Keurig Coffee Maker

Delicious and under a minute to brew. This is key when I'm running late, but need a little jolt to get me through the day.

And as if the Keurig wasn't enough! My mom found this handy dandy travel mug by the Food Network that's dishwasher safe. I'm in coffee/tea heaven...

Happy Sunday!

{Raleigh Photographer, North Carolina Photographer}

Slideshows!

Keep a look out on the slideshow page to the right! More (engagements & weddings!) to come...

Winter Doldrums

About this time of year, the excitement of the holidays has finally worn off and the realization that there's still two more months of winter begins to set in... ugh. The yummy cookies from cookie exchanges are all gone and now all my clothes seem to fit a bit more snug (so strange). My resolution to start exercising is still waiting to come to fruition. The anticipation of the first snow has turned to dreading the next one to come (thankfully I have an AMAZING husband who will scrape my windshield before going into work). 

And finally, I'm bummed that it's dark when I get home to take Harvey out for his evening stroll - this can be especially hazardous for your shoes when walking in an area where there are lots of dogs, but less motivation for picking up after them. Since, let's face it, it's cold and dark and juggling the gloves, bags and dog can get a bit tricky.

So to cheer myself up, I've decided to reminisce about warmer days...

Sweet Caroline

Miss Caroline, with your tiny pink fingers and toes, bright blue eyes, and slumbering in and out of dreams, your personality is just starting to shine through. Even when you fuss, and don't worry, we all do, it's short lived and then your back to smiling self.

{Raleigh Baby Photographer, North Carolina Baby Photographer}