June Macro Challenge Contest-Palatine Illinois Photography

♥ 6.15.2014 ♥

Welcome to our second Macro Challenge! This is a new monthly fun project I’ve set up to show appreciation for my visitors and followers! Each month you have the chance to win something. The prize this month is a $5 Starbucks gift card (delivered electronically).

All you have to do is:

1.) Sign up for Our Newsletter!

2.) Leave your Name and a comment below. The comment should be your guess of what the macro photo below is of and anything else you would like to say.

Good luck! When you are done, we’d love it if you took a look around and left a comment somewhere else!

One winner will be randomly chosen from the correct guesses after May 31st. Entries will not be accepted after May 31st at 11:59pm CST. Winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. All entries will be verified before the winners are chosen. US entries only please.

Two Year Old Independence-Arlington Heights Toddler Photographer

♥ 6.10.2014 ♥

Last weekend I got to spend some time with little L! She was so cute and even though I photographed her and her family in the fall, she had changed so much! I love how L’s pigtails went from little springs to a full set of hair. She also changed in personality too. In the fall, she was toddling around but we were able to get her to stay with us and get some adorable smiles too. This time, she had her own agenda running around, marching across the park, looking at the water, climbing up the steps, and a bunch of other things. It was fun to watch how independent she had become and even a couple of those adorable two year old mini tantrums. Mom and Dad both did a great job helping me keep L occupied and get her interested in different things. I think we got some super cute portraits to remember all of those cute expressions at 2 years old, independent and all! Another exciting fact is that we had picked the same location that her Mom and Dad used for their wedding photos so it had some sentimental value too. Summer is my favorite season for portraits! I love the greenery and flowers! Everything is so bright and vibrant!

Flying high with Mommy

Playing peek a boo with Mommy and Daddy!

Can’t get enough of this one! She looks so happy and free!

We had to get one grumpy face too! Too cute! Love the pouty lips!

If you would like to schedule your own toddler portrait session with Just Peachy Photography, contact us HERE!

Spring Tulips Arlington Heights, Illinois

♥ 6.9.2014 ♥

As I toured around Arlington Heights to take some photos for the Kids Adventure Hunts hosted by Yapa Events coming this week, I came across some beautiful tulips and wanted to share them before I forget again. There were so many beautiful colors and some were in the sun and some in the shade. Spring flowers are the best in my opinion but they never last long sadly.

What are your favorite spring flowers?

BELLE + BEAU-Chicago Northwest Suburbs Newborn Photographer/Mom Around Town

♥ 5.30.2014 ♥

mom around town palatine illinois

Welcome to our Mom Around Town Blog series! I will try to post them every other Friday this year if I can. Last time I posted The Little Gym in Glenview, which was a great place for gymnastics, karate, mom and baby classes and summer camp classes to name a few things! This week I’m excited to present a beautiful children’s boutique in Park Ridge, called BELLE + BEAU. Since many of the businesses I visit work directly with children and expecting parents, I think it is important to get to know them well. Our Mom Around Town feature will help you do that! Make sure you check out our other Mom Around Town posts!

 

Business Name: BELLE + BEAU

Business Address: Shops of Uptown, 40 N. Northwest Highway, Park Ridge, IL

Established: November 2013

Website: www.bellebeaubaby.com

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BELLE + BEAU is beautifully decorated and has some of the most unique items I’ve seen for babies. If you are looking for a unique gift for expecting parents or parents of a young child, it is the place to go. Usually it is hard to find a unique gift but BELLE + BEAU has many to offer. The store is very organized and generally has clothing and accessories for boys on one side, BEAU, and clothing and accessories for girls on the opposite side, BELLE. I just love the name and it has such a southern feel to it. When you walk in, there are so many beautiful items that catch your eye from the beautiful pastel items and Christening outfits in front to the toy area and larger strollers further in the back. When I was there, I was taken on a short tour and I have to say that even though the store is filled from top to bottom with items for babies and young children, it is very organized. I had a great time looking around and loved how I was able to find almost anything including bedding, lighting, feeding materials, toys and books, clothing, maternity items and other larger items like strollers.

According to their website, “BELLE + BEAU is a an expecting parent’s dream specialty retail destination offering elegant nursery décor, infant clothing and essentials, gear, unique playroom décor, and gifts. Our goal is to create a magical baby and child shopping experience with a unique selection of stylish, environmentally friendly treasures, services and guest experiences that evoke warm thoughts of childhood, play, comfort and love.” They have many events planned at their store including story time with The Storybook Mom and Ladies Afternoon. You can view the events calendar on their website. “BELLE + BEAU also offers services to enhance the guest experience, including gift registry, complimentary gift wrapping, and a staff that is fully trained in both the products and lifestyle needs of new and expecting parents. We strive to be a trusted consultant to a new generation of parents who appreciate attention to detail, unique products and quality guest service,” shares Mina Biggs, the owner.
BELLE + BEAU is truly a store to see! I love the attention to detail and the personalized experience you receive. BELLE + BEAU takes a lot of custom orders for larger items such as cribs as well as many personalized products and gifts. While I was there, the store was all prepared for the upcoming Easter holiday with homemade painted eggs from a local woman, a decorated chalkboard wall in the back, personalized Easter baskets and other gifts, and other special touches related to the upcoming holiday. I highly recommend visiting BELLE + BEAU soon, even if just to view the beauty of the store. It truly is a baby wonderland and there are so many lovely items to see and purchase. The owner, Mina Biggs, and other staff I met were very friendly and helpful. I even got to see first handed how they get to know their customers which enhances the experience you get when you stop there.

Check out some of the photos I took while visiting this gorgeous boutique:

The reading corner with books, toys and stuffed animals.

If I ever have a little girl I will have to come back for the beautiful chandelier lighting for a baby girl’s room.

Expecting mom items and diaper bags

Adorable personalized items such as growth charts

Enjoy this slideshow of images from my visit to BELLE + BEAU

Go visit them on their website and let them know you read this post on Just Peachy Photography’s Mom Around Town series. If you are a local business owner that would like to be featured on our Mom Around Town blog series, contact Erika at [email protected] or use the Contact link above.

Sam Goldberg - Omg, are those your newborn photographs are on the wall?
Thanks for posting about Belle and Beau, I’ve been looking for a store just like this! Lobe the blog, keep it up!

justpeachyphotog - Those images are not taken by Just Peachy Photography but we also do newborn and maternity portraits which you can see by browsing our galleries or searching “newborns” at the bottom of the website! Thanks for reading the post! It is such a beautiful store and I think a lot of people in this area would benefit from it!

Julie Newell Photgraphy - Just Peachy - great write up for Belle and Beau!!
I am not sure if you know, but the newborn photographers are by Julie Newell Photography and as their preferred and exclusive photography vendor, we are so honored, that owner, Mina Biggs asked us to display our work in her beautiful store.

When Is the Best Time to Schedule Newborn Portraits-Palatine Illinois Newborn Photographer

♥ 5.19.2014 ♥

Since planning ahead and scheduling a session months before a baby is born increases the chance of getting the best portraits, I thought I’d share when is the best time to schedule and why. Many of my clients contact me a week before the baby is born or even after the baby is already born. This is absolutely fine but it is harder to get those sweet sleepy newborn poses when they are a bit older. Many people ask why and so I will share.

When is the best time to schedule newborn portraits?

First of all the best time to schedule a newborn session is at least 1.5 to 2 months before the baby’s due date. This ensures you get in the schedule around the time of your due date. Just Peachy Photography only schedules 1-3 newborn sessions each month to make sure that we can get everyone a spot. Most of the sessions take place on weekend mornings and it is impossible to know when the baby will be born UNLESS the parents to be have a c-section scheduled ahead of time to deliver the baby. This is rare but convenient to schedule portraits. Everyone else has the surprise of when the baby will get here so planning proves to be very helpful. I like to get my newborn clients in my schedule a few months ahead of the due date so that Mom and Dad have time to get their paperwork and deposit in to me to reserve their space and we have time to go over any questions they have and put together a plan of what colors, poses, props or themes they may be interested in. Sometimes I have to put together a special set up for a theme or have to order a special prop and that takes time. It is more likely that I would be able to accommodate a special theme if given extra time to prepare for the session.

When is the best time to photograph a newborn and why?

The best time for the session to take place is as soon as possible after the baby is born! Make sure Mom’s milk has come in if breastfeeding and make sure that if you have a boy who had a circumcision, he has a few days to heal. Those are the only exceptions to the rule. I generally recommend that my clients’ set up their session within 1 week of the baby’s birth but encourage within the first week.

There are several reasons for this:

1.) The baby is very flexible early on and can comfortably fit into the curled up newborn poses. Sometimes after they are a few weeks older and fill out more, they can’t comfortably bend into certain poses which limits the options for the session.

2.) Many babies will get baby acne and other skin issues weeks after birth as their skin is adjusting to being exposed to new things. Even though photo editing software can help with this it is always best to have clearer skin when possible for the most natural look.

3.) The most important reason in my opinion is that the baby sleeps best the first few days or first week after birth. For many of the poses that we use, it is best for the babies to be in a deep sleep. It prevents them from flailing and keeps them nice and still to get them into those sweet, sleepy poses everyone loves!

Do you know someone expecting? Make sure you share this post with them so they know when to schedule their session. If you are expecting and want more information about Just Peachy Photography newborn sessions, send us a message!

 

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