A quarter of a century...

..yep, that's how old I am! 25 yesterday. I'm a lucky girl to have accomplished most of my dreams before 25 ( there are still a few I'm working on)...I'd say that's pretty good. And yet there's no better way to celebrate both birthdays and accomplishments than at home with my family.
And that's just what we did.

(Flowers from the garden/ Me and Ella with her hand made Birthday card)

(The fam enjoying the front porch before dinner)

My mom always cooks "Family Night Dinner" for birthdays and we (the guest of honor) get to pick the menu! I'm pretty easy and just let her plan the meal for it to be a surprise, and WOW what a meal. She even set this pretty table outside on the front porch!

(FOOD...yumm)

After dinner and dessert (which is my favorite...lemon ice-box pies) we all headed out to pool for the rest of evening. We had a great time learning to swim with Ella, watching Soph get in for the first time, playing "keep it up" volleyball, and enjoying the long summer day.

But the best part of birthdays at our house is that they last all week long so when I got home last night I had this sweet little set up from my hubby!

Isn't he cute! He always sets my gifts up so they are the first thing I see when I walk in the door. The envelope was a gift card for a manicure and pedicure!!
Ahhh, I can't wait to use it.
We went to dinner just us to our favorite little local place. After dinner we ran home and changed to play tennis at the park, and had the best time.

I love you C, thanks for my making my b'day so special!

(Cory's excited face)

(We look pretty hardcore here...we aren't really)

(us..two hours later..nice and sweaty)

Thanks Mom for Birthday dinner and to everyone who came and loves me!
I love you back...10 times more.

Alabama Wedding Photography

I love the emotions a wedding brings to the surface, but I love more catching that moment with my camera!

Alabama Wedding Photography

Have you ever met a couple for the first time and you knew right off you liked them?
Well meet the Rowe's. That was my experience with Amy and Clint!

We met for the first time when they came to Vincent for their engagement session in March and they were so much. Amy gave me some insight on the details of her wedding and I just knew it would fabulous. And it was!
Their wedding was June 5 in Opelika at the Bowery Reserve and it was beautiful.
I couldn't wait to start editing them and get them posted.
So here they are...Enjoy!

Ella B.

Look what I got to do this afternoon! I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday than with a sweet mommy and her even sweeter baby girl. More soon to come!!

Beach Sessions

Hi Friends. I wanted to let you all in on a little secret. I am going on vacation (this is not the secret part!!) and I am opening up the opportunity for you to take advantage of my vacation!
We are going to be in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL June 13-20. If you are already going to be there or you want to make a special trip I will be offering sessions at a discounted price for these special beach sessions only!

Space and times are limited .... so hurry.
Please email me if you are interested and would like more information!

(Jessica Traywick 2009 Golf Shores Alabama)

Alabama Wedding Photography

I just couldn't resist! Patience is not one of my strong qualities.

Only a week into editing our most recent wedding and here I am posting not just a few images...but lots of images. I have known Val, well forever really, so when she called me about shooting her wedding I was without a doubt ecstatic!
May 22 was the date and American Village in Montevallo, Alabama was the gorgeous location.
Ro, Val's groom was about the sweetest thing I have ever seen and he is without a doubt head over heels, ridiculously, and beautifully in love with his precious bride. And you can see it all over his face!

Their wedding was so much fun to shoot and I can tell its going to be just as fun to edit!
Come back soon for more images from Ro and Val's wedding as well as more newborns, weddings, and kiddos!

Congratulations Val and Ro!

A Family

...this family is special. Mari (the mother) is my claim to fame..so to speak. She was my elementary school art teacher and the inspiration for my passion and life. Wow. Pretty special I'd say.

Mari is a fabulous art teacher, artist, and most obviously mother. I remember waiting and waiting for that one day a week that we got to go art class at VES, oh I longed for that day every week. One of the very first things I remember her teaching us was how to draw a face, and that the eyes actually go closer to the very center of the face rather than the top! And then a few afternoons a week she taught an after school art class which my sister and I both never missed. Mom would take me to the thrift store for old National Geographic magazines and I would flip through the pages over and over again looking for just the right photograph to recreate as a painting.

I loved art from the very begin of my childhood and Mari was part of that. And now its my life. So when Mari emailed me about a photo-shoot with her family, I was thrilled. I so loved the natural setting and complete creative freedom she gave me. These few images are my favorites so far!

Thank you Mari, for your inspiration to my life and for the opportunity to see your beautiful family through my lenses.