J. Cornman Studio

kelly + brad

2012-02-08T10:38:00.000-05:00

When I prepare to shoot a winter wedding I hope and I pray for snow. Well, Mother Nature listened to me on December 17. I couldn't have asked for more perfect timing for a lovely little snowfall and I also couldn't have asked for better clients.

Congrats Kelly & Brad!

katie + chadd | married!

2011-12-05T20:01:00.001-05:00

winter is here

2011-12-05T14:51:00.001-05:00

I've been quite absent from my regular posting but I have been brewing up a lot of new ideas and some new ventures for the new year....Stay warm and check back soon for a lovely November wedding and soon, a beautiful December wedding.....

lindsay + joe

2011-10-26T10:40:00.000-04:00

There are times where Mother Nature just works against a photographer and I was worried that the day of Lindsay and Joe's wedding was going to be one of those times. It was a beautiful, crisp fall day in Michigan but the wind was a little out of control.

We were lucky enough to find some spots tucked in the woods where the wind couldn't bother us. For a quick 15 minutes of shooting I think you can truly see the love between Lindsay and Joe....they were glowing!

Enjoy!

danielle + tom :: married!!

2011-10-18T07:15:00.001-04:00

Danielle + Tom = True Love!!! Enjoy!

Ashley + Josh :: Married!

2011-10-06T10:14:00.001-04:00

Hope the fall season is treating you well! I shot the gorgeous Ashley and Josh last month and am so excited to share their wedding slideshow...Enjoy!

caroline + adam are having a baby!

2011-09-08T13:25:00.000-04:00

I always love getting to photograph a couple when they are expecting their first child...there's absolutely nothing like the feeling of waiting for your baby to arrive!!!

I've had the privilege of knowing Caroline and Adam from way back in our college years! Caroline and I worked at the University Bookstore together and have stayed in touch after all these years. When she contacted me to come to Grand Rapids and have a little session with her, Adam and their baby bump, I was thrilled! Enjoy!

roderic + lauren

2011-09-06T13:46:00.002-04:00

As I headed to Northern Michigan on August 13, it rained and rained. And then rained some more. I'm not going to lie - I was feeling so sad. I had been looking forward to Roderic and Lauren's wedding since they hired me last year! Any chance to get to Traverse City and shoot near water is my favorite thing......But, as my husband and I drove onto Old Mission Peninsula, the weather miraculously cleared up. It was chilly but let me tell you, after shooting weddings in HOT weather all summer, the chill was welcomed.

The location for this wedding was perfect. I have no other words to describe it. And Roderic & Lauren? Well, let's just say I couldn't take a bad photo of them if I tried....

peace, love & horses

2011-08-22T14:22:00.002-04:00

Are you a horse person? Even if you aren't, you have to admit there is something truly magical about horses. I am lucky enough to have grandparents who are "horse people" which meant that I could easily be a horse-crazy girl without having to bug my parents about buying a horse to keep in our backyard! I know, I was lucky.

I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to hang out with a bunch of horses at High Point Stable and follow them around with my camera. Some of them completely ignored me and others followed me around like puppies (loved them!!!). I'm not sure where my newfound love of photographing horses will lead but I sure hope I'll have the opportunity to hang with more horses soon!!!

alyssa is ONE!

2011-08-17T08:08:00.002-04:00

kelly + brad :: engaged!!!

2011-08-16T07:49:00.003-04:00

How cute are Kelly & Brad?? I was so excited when Kelly told me she wanted to shoot their engagement session at a putt putt golf course (their first date was at a putt putt golf course)....I think it was the perfect spot!!!! Can't wait until their wedding this December!!

molly + jessie :: east lansing, michigan wedding

2011-08-14T22:06:00.002-04:00

Are you ready for another beautiful wedding???? Yep, it's been a busy summer!!! Molly & Jessie had an amazing night at the MSU Alumni Chapel and Kellogg Center....Enjoy!

karen & michael :: east lansing, michigan wedding

2011-08-11T21:49:00.003-04:00

How can you not just love a wedding with a bride who was super organized and a wedding party up for whatever??? I have to give a shout out to the bridal party for traipsing along some railroad tracks with a storm brewing in the distance for some cool shots. We totally lucked out - as soon as were done shooting, it poured!!!!

Some of the best images of the day were right at dusk on the beautiful grounds of Eagle Eye...make sure you watch the whole slideshow to see them at the end!!!! The perfect golden time of day......

2011-08-09T08:34:00.002-04:00

(Lily After a Rain - Summer 2011)

Right Now, I am ...

:: listening to: my boys recreate various Harry Potter movie scenes with their legos

:: embracing: my daily cup of coffee

:: enjoying: working a bit while also eating breakfast with my family

:: loving: my new iPhone

:: feeling inspired: I have a very exciting photo session scheduled on Thursday

:: watching: the Today show...

tiffany & dustin | married!

2011-08-04T12:40:00.002-04:00

Tiffany and Dustin were married in one of the gorgeous gardens at MSU (how lucky are we to have a university like MSU around with the most gorgeous settings???) on a H-O-T summer afternoon. It was beautiful!!! Enjoy the eye candy...

john + jennifer

2011-07-26T21:38:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to document the re-commitment ceremony of John and Jennifer at the Rosewood Inn. John and Jennifer were married in a private ceremony a couple of years ago here in Michigan and then moved to sunny Florida shortly thereafter. They decided to have a ceremony for their friends and family to witness their very obvious love and commitment to eachother. It was so beautiful! They were very into the pictures and we had a blast touring the grounds at Rosewood to get some amazing shots of them! Enjoy!

mike + megan | married! | michigan state university

2011-07-12T13:59:00.002-04:00

Mike and Megan had the absolute perfect day for an MSU wedding! You can always tell when a couple is for real by the love of their family and friends and there was no shortage of that love at this wedding!

elizabeth & carlos | married! | rosewood inn, lansing, michigan

2011-07-11T08:17:00.003-04:00

I don't even have the words to describe the love flowing between Elizabeth & Carlos! I was so honored to be present on their wedding day and document a little slice of their love. Amazing.

(The ceremony & reception were both held at the perfect Rosewood Inn in Lansing, Michigan. The staff at the Inn do everything! Flowers, cake, setup, etc. - it's truly beautiful!)

liz + ryan | married!!

2011-06-28T13:56:00.002-04:00

Yay! I have another gorgeous wedding slideshow to share with you today! This was an especially fun wedding for me to shoot because the bride, Liz, is from my hometown AND she and Ryan were married in the church my husband and I were married in!

Church: Olivet Congregational Church
Reception: Eagle Eye Golf Course
Florals & Decor: Event Depot

Full Screen Slideshow: Click Here

nick + dawn | married!

2011-06-23T13:21:00.002-04:00

If you love MSU, you'll love this Spartan wedding! Congrats Dawn & Nick!!!!

Ceremony Location: MSU Alumni Chapel
Reception Location: MSU Stadium Club
Flowers & Decor: Petal & Forrest
Amazing Cake & Cupcakes: Piece O' Cake

Here's their slideshow! (or click here to view in it's own screen)

will + jen | married!

2011-06-21T12:55:00.000-04:00

So excited to share this slideshow with the world. :) I had the pleasure of traveling to beautiful West Michigan a couple of weeks ago and shooting Jen & Will's wedding at the Silver Lake Sand dunes! If you haven't ever traveled there, you must go this summer.

As if shooting in this beautiful place wasn't enough, Jen & Will had me meet up with them the morning after the wedding and go out on the dunes for a little session - we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. It was amazing!

Photo of the day | 6.13.11 (Silver Lake, Michigan Wedding, Lake Michigan wedding)

2011-06-13T14:16:00.000-04:00

Jen + Will : 6.4.11 (There will be WAYYYYY more from this amazing beach wedding this week!)

Photo of the day | 6.5.11

2011-06-05T10:10:00.000-04:00

"So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A lovely bookshelf on the wall."
— Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Photo of the day | 6.4.11

2011-06-04T10:08:00.000-04:00

Photo of the day | 6.3.11

2011-06-03T10:07:00.000-04:00

Photo of the day | 6.2.11

2011-06-02T10:07:00.000-04:00

Photo of the day | 6.1.11

2011-06-01T09:59:00.000-04:00

A GREAT man was lost yesterday.

A man that lived life on his terms. He rode a sassy horse, loved his family and spoiled his dog, kept the lawn just right, hunted the back 40, drove a big truck and an even bigger tractor, and enjoyed a nice cold beer. He will be missed greatly.

Grandpa - I'll always remember Narrow Lake, the farm, your endless jars of homemade dill pickles and your fishing hat.

Photo of the day | 5.30.11

2011-05-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Socks designed by my sister....aren't they amazing???

Photo of the day | 5.29.11

2011-05-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

Photo of the day | 5.28.11

2011-05-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Nothing sweeter...

Photo of the day | 5.27.11

2011-05-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Photo of the day | 5.26.11

2011-05-26T13:49:00.000-04:00

(There are tons more from this beautiful family that you'll see popping up throughout the summer as I get back to my "photo a day" format...)

a tiny glimpse...

2011-05-19T07:04:00.000-04:00

more glimpses to come....

Spring has sprung...

2011-05-13T15:10:00.000-04:00

..at least for now! And, today feels like July.

It took awhile to get here but we're finally experiencing some warm weather here in Michigan! I can now kick my kids out of the house and into the backyard when they're acting up!

As of this morning these babies are almost full bloom!

We are clocking a lot of hours on the ol' trampoline!

My new favorite flower - Ranunculus! Bought this beauty at Horrocks last week and already have it planted in my garden. (Garden is a loose term for me...living in a treeless open area is making it hard for me to have a specific garden. Right now we just have random areas planted. This is my year to do some real work out there though...)

My helper!

How has spring sprung where you live?

Alyssa {& a family photo session note}

2011-05-06T13:36:00.000-04:00

Alyssa {9 months}

{2011 Family Photo Sessions}

I am currently scheduling family photo sessions for the summer and fall. Please contact me soon to schedule your date - I have limited availability between now and October and don't want you to miss out! I'll also be scheduling a mini-session date for sometime in the fall.....I'll announce that information on here and also on my Facebook page. Thanks again to all my repeat clients who keep me busy!

all the pretty horses

2011-04-28T13:44:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we visited my grandparents and their horses. I couldn't wait to get my camera on them. :) And, it's looking like we have a horse-crazy girl on our hands....

The Best Cupcakes Ever!

2011-04-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

(or, how we spent a morning cooped up in the house. Again.)

Let me say this first before I go on a rant about how much I love cupcakes....I am not a professional baker. I just like to bake with my kids and convince everyone I know to make my favorite recipes. There, now that I got that out of the way, on to the cupcakes!

Addie "helped" from the dining room. She even had her cupcake apron on.

Chocolate-Chip Cookie Cupcakes (I found this recipe here, added cinnamon, deleted the filling since these were mini's and cut the amount in half)
(This recipe makes 32 mini cupcakes)

Ingredients (for cupcakes):
1 1/2 sticks butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

-Pre-heat oven to 350
-Line your cupcake pan with liners, set aside

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

It helps to have an assistant who doubles our sifter as a hat and who cleans up afterwards.

Ingredients (for the frosting):

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
pinch salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour, salt, & cinnamon. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended. Frost the filled cupcakes as desired.

Ready for delivery to The Yarn Garden to celebrate the shop's 4th birthday!

Random Tuesday Thoughts....

2011-04-19T13:03:00.000-04:00

(Lilac Watch 2011 - Despite the insane tricks that Mother Nature is pulling on us here in Michigan, I am happy to report that my lilac tree has buds and will be blooming soon....can't wait!!!)

Is it really April 19th today? Because here in Michigan it feels and looks like a dreary November day. We had the tiniest peek of that hot thing called the sun for a few minutes this morning but I was too busy shuffling my kids to the mom-van to soak any of it up.

So, to get me through ANOTHER day stuck in the house with gray clouds looming over, I am compiling a little list of some happy things to share....

-Do you have a ton of photos that you love and are not sure how to display them around your house? Here are a couple amazing posts on some photo gallery displays in real homes. Ali Edwards and Young House Love

-These patterns make me want to bust out my embroidery floss, needle & hoop! How cute are they???

-I've never made a log cabin quilt (heck, I've never even followed a pattern for a quilt) but I think I really love this one...

-And, I'll take one of each from here...

-One more image that just has to make you happy....the best cupcakes I have ever made!!! Recipe follows tomorrow!

Hello?

2011-04-18T15:36:00.000-04:00

The thing with blogging (if you aren't doing it for a living) is that the longer you go without blogging, the harder it is to get back on track....

I love blogs. I love reading them, being inspired by them and totally being distracted by them. So, after a much-needed lazy winter, I am SO ready to get back to blogging.

I'll start with another look back to a favorite client of mine from last fall. I have met up with the Greenburg's a couple times before and was so excited to get an email from Jen letting me know that they have a new baby girl to add to their boy family! We decided to have the session at their home since the weather was starting to get cold. I love capturing a family just being together....

Check back tomorrow for another fabulous session from last fall!!!!

ali + madelyn

2011-03-24T14:15:00.000-04:00

How cute are these girls??? They are another family from my Fall 2010 season. I've been lucky enough to photograph these lovely girls a few times and I was so happy to do it again. The whole family held it together in our not so lovely weather. I think we made the most of a 15 minute super mini session!!!!

At this point, little Ali had enough. She was like "I am NOT taking more photos in these conditions!" These are types of pics I just adore - so real life!!!

Thanks Mary and Mark for having such cute girls! :)

ava + jackson

2011-03-23T21:27:00.000-04:00

My most favorite thing (photography-wise) is to document families. I think that being in the midst of raising a family, I gravitate towards young families and how they interact.

It's such a short frame of time when the kids are little and life seems to revolve around their every action. It's so important to take these pictures as a family while you can - before we know it, the kids will be annoyed teenagers who would rather be anywhere else than taking photos with their parents.

I have a bunch of sessions from last fall that I never blogged - over the next couple of weeks I'll be showcasing these favorite family sessions!

Up first, Ava + Jackson!!! I first met this family here and was so excited to see them again last fall. The woods around their home once again provided the perfect backdrop for our session.

(Just seeing these fall photos makes me miss the fall....I really need some better weather!!!)

A little something for this guy....

2011-03-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

We've recently done a big room switch and moved Alex in with Addie for now. They are the 2 that have to be wherever I am in the house which means they could care less about playing in their room. Drew has been wanting his own room forever. So, we're giving this a try.

To make it super exciting for Alex we got him a new bed and I surprised him with a new blanket and pillow. He loves fleece and soft blankets so it was a no-brainer when it came to the material! I made a huge, warm blanket by sewing together 2 big cuts of fleece and then sewing a little pillowcase from the leftovers. He loves it!!! It makes lots of appearances in the living room, too!

UNDER CONSTRUCTION....

2011-03-07T14:37:00.000-05:00

If things are looking a little weird here....well, they are! I'm working on a little update and re-design and to be honest, have no idea what I'm doing...just bear with me!

artist addie

2011-03-07T13:47:00.000-05:00

I've vowed to always encourage my kids to be creative - we color, we paint, we write, etc. Addie's already got the creative spirit....

It's not sunny out but we wear our beach hats when the mood strikes...

And, shouldn't all artists wear their pink cowgirl boots to color??

Happy Monday!

Done!

2011-03-04T14:27:00.000-05:00

I don't know what has happened....I am getting projects done! Guess that little post helped get me going!

First up...my cute little baby sweater with fabric edges. I think it's kind of fun to use fabric with yarn. I have a few more ideas for some upcoming yarn+fabric projects!

I just used a little plastic snap at the top of the sweater to hold it together. Seems to work nice...not sure how it will hold up on a wiggly baby, though!!

I also made another project bag...it still needs the drawstring.

I tried to sew a divider inside - next time I'll make it smaller but I didn't think it was too bad for my first try.

Here's to a productive weekend!!!

Project Update (otherwise known as getting my act together)

2011-03-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have a really bad habit of starting lots of projects and then getting totally overwhelmed while trying to finish each one. Or, not finish them. I really hate it when that happens. My one little basket of projects has turned into a pile of project bags, leftover skeins of yarn, notes about other projects and other random items that have found their way into my area. (I don't have a craft room, more like little areas around the house where I can keep stuff).

Anyways, in order to get my projects organized (and remembered!!!), I tackled the mess during naptime and the Type A part of me is feeling so much calmer. I decided to photograph each item and post it here with the hope that I can hold myself a little more accountable!

First up, technically this is a finished project and I love it!!! I have an obscene amount of fabric that is just begging to be made into something. As a knitter I am learning that I can never have enough project bags. I accomplished a couple things here: I used up some fabric that I love but didn't know what to make with it and I used up some leftover yarn to make the tie.

The above bag is currently holding this new sweater for Addie:

I'm not following a specific pattern, just winging it as I go and so far, so good. I have plans for her to wear it with her adorable new Easter/Birthday dress.

Below is a scarf that came to be out of a blanket. Yeah, I totally overestimated my excitement in knitting a bunch of squares to sew together for a little blanket. Hence, the scarf. :) I followed the instructions here for the The Dreamcatcher Blanket and then just knitted the pieces together and knitted a small border around the whole thing. I think it will make the perfect gift for a friend's birthday later this year.

This will end up a little stuffed Hippo...cause who doesn't need a stuffed hippo in their life?!?

Next up, a sweet little sweater for my niece who turns 2 this summer. (Trying to stay on top of things....) The pattern is here and is a really fun project. This is actually the 2nd one I've made - the first was just given at a baby shower this past weekend and unfortunately, I didn't get my act together enough to get a photo...

Ooh, this is an almost finished project...I modified the little newborn sweater in the Itty Bitty Nursery book and instead of buttons I am going to attempt to sew on a little border of fabric with snaps for the closure. We'll see how it goes....

I still have this to sort through but it's at least managed for the moment!!!

If you're a knitter, how do you organize your works - in -progress???

Mornings with Addie

2011-03-02T15:12:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love tea parties in footie jammies, bedhead and a tiara?

molly + jessie | engaged!

2011-02-16T13:56:00.000-05:00

Molly & Jessie are getting married this summer...can't wait!!!!! Don't you love that they included their dogs in the photos? Claire and Murphy loved the snow and squirrels!

lauren + rod | getting married!

2011-02-08T13:18:00.000-05:00

The campus of Michigan State is seriously beautiful in the winter. It's really one of my favorite places to shoot anytime of year because there are so many different spots to visit and they never get boring to me.

Lauren, Rod and I completely lucked out that we had a beautiful snowfall the night before our session. Our setting was practically perfect.

I'm thinking that Lauren & Rod's wedding site will be practically perfect too....can't wait!!!

boys!

2011-02-02T11:37:00.000-05:00

I just love it when kids hide from me when I am trying to take their picture....

You can usually capture the perfect little boy expression when they decide to come out and play...

This little guy can't run away from me yet but I'm sure he'll be joining his brother in no time!

welcome baby clara!

2011-02-01T06:54:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of spending the morning with baby Clara and her parents last weekend. If you've read my blog for any amount of time you may remember them from here!

I was definitely the black and white love with these photos...hope you enjoy this little bit of sweetness on this cold, gray morning!

alyssa

2011-01-24T09:42:00.000-05:00

Miss Alyssa is 6 months old now and full of smiles!!!

(How did I luck out with the perfect snow again????!!?)

Don't they look like an ad for LL Bean?

i love photo books!

2011-01-19T21:40:00.000-05:00

Back in the day (5 years-ish ago) I loved scrapbooking. I was mildly obsessed. Then I became a photographer and couldn't manage the thousands of photos I accumulated. I never knew what to do with them. Do I print all of them? How do I choose between the 10 shots I have of the same thing? But my kids look adorable in every picture, etc. etc. Sound familiar? Then, I became the organizer of my grandparent's bags of photos. Well, it totally kicked my butt in gear to get some sort of system in place for getting something done with our photos.

Enter the photo book. I know they are nothing new but I have recently fallen in love with them for my personal photos. Within a week of our Disney trip, I had a book put together that my kids can look at and experience our vacation all over again. I loved our Disney one so much that I made one of our whole 2010 and felt absolutely liberated at creating the book, ordering a few prints to update my frames and then moving my 2010 folder to my external hard drive and deleting the directory on my laptop. It was great!

So, if you have folders upon folders of jpg's on your computer make a book today and get those memories printed! Your family will thank you for it someday!

i love trees.

2011-01-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why, but I love trees. (Funny that I live on a subdivision lot with 1.5 trees.....)

Last week at Dawn & Nick's MSU engagement session, I was in heaven with all the beautiful snow in contrast with the trees.

dawn + nick | getting married!

2011-01-17T20:52:00.000-05:00

Planning anything outside in January, in Michigan, is risky.

You could get dark gray skies and dirty gross snow. Orrrrrrrr....you can get totally lucky and get a fresh coating of snow, zero wind and not totally freezing temps.

Top that off with a snowglobe affect snow fall and it can equal a pretty perfect winter day.

Dawn and Nick were in town from Chicago to work on plans for their June MSU wedding and we decided to try our luck at shooting an engagement session. We were lucky.

We were almost finished and out of nowhere came these amazing snowflakes. They were beautiful!!! I think it truly makes these photos one of a kind. It's practically impossible to plan.

I can't wait for the wedding, Dawn & Nick!!!

casey + erin | 12.18.10

2011-01-16T22:00:00.001-05:00

I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my 2010 wedding season.....(and yes, those are big beautiful snowflakes in some of the pictures! PERFECTION!)

Click here for their slideshow!

alex | a self-portait project

2011-01-05T14:28:00.000-05:00

My son Alex is one of a kind. I know that all people are one of a kind but Alex is well, Alex. :) I have a feeling he will be challenging me everyday for the rest of his life. He's busy, he's sassy, he's a little sneaky and oh my, he's smart. Our family jokes around that he will be the next big computer genius. We're only partially joking.

He turned 5 years old a few weeks ago and while he's exhausting, he's such a bright spot in my life. Like his mama, he loves a camera. His favorite subject? Himself, of course. Last week I was going through all my pictures from 2010 and I had loads Alex self-portraits. He also loves to take extreme close ups of other people, too. Mostly his baby sister and she loves the paparazzi.

I'm thinking of making a little album of all his "work". It will be funny to look back on, I think.

A finished sweater!

2011-01-03T13:48:00.001-05:00

I finished this back in November and just never had a moment to photograph it...It's so fun! It's so super soft and the best part? When someone says..."Oooh, I love that sweater...where did you get it?"

Nerissa + Eric = MARRIED!

2011-01-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

I'm really feeling the black and white's for Nerissa & Eric....So honored to be part of their gorgeous wedding!

Click here for their slideshow!

Taking a Deep Breath....

2011-01-01T21:56:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have left me winded, to say the least. On top of the regular holiday preparations for my family, I shot 2 wonderfully beautiful weddings that I had been looking forward to all year, planned Drew's classroom Christmas party AND went to Disney World to celebrate Alex's 5th birthday! (Not complaining at all...just making a note to NOT schedule so many things in December from now on!!)

Disney was a load of fun but also so exhausting. Traveling with small children is not relaxing at all..I'd say it's more tiring than everyday life. But, I'm a firm believer in making memories with my family and sometimes that just means I need a couple extra cups of coffee....

My favorite part was seeing the castle all lit up for Christmas. It was really beautiful. We were lucky enough to have my parents along for the trip - we wouldn't have survived without them.

Nerissa + Eric's wedding - I can't wait to share their slideshow...it's beautiful!!

Oh, wait until you see Erin + Casey's wedding. They were total rockstars and stood in the FREEZING cold so we could get beautiful snowy pictures. You won't want to miss their slideshow.

I'm not a huge resolution person. I try to always set goals for myself. The beginning of the year is a natural time to re-evaluate my business and make some changes. I have a lot of new ideas floating around in my head and I can't wait to take some time and put those things into motion. One of my goals has always been explore the more fine art side of photography and see where that can take me. I have some little trips planned here and there for the year so that I can take my camera and explore. I can't wait! I've also become quite the obsessed knitter/sewer. I have a notebook filled with ideas for patterns and I hope that by stating that here I can work up the courage to publish something. We'll see!!!

On the personal side (well, of course my business is so personal but you know what I mean) my new goals include organizing my personal photography better, meal-planning a month at a time and just to be more calm and present with my kids.

Cheers to you and Happy New Year!!!

Hello December!

2010-12-09T07:28:00.000-05:00

I'm going to post in bullets today because that's just how my brain is working lately....

-So excited to be done with my Christmas shopping. Just have to order a few photo prints...

-The coffee is tasting good this morning. Thank you Coffeemate for making Peppermint Mocha creamer.

-We are going to try and stay warm this morning in the single digit temps...what's up with that???

-What can be more fun than building a tent on the floor with Dad?

-I'll be searching for some Ugg-type boots online for Tim to buy me for Christmas. Any suggestions?

-I need to get my behind in gear and make some Christmas cookies!

-I have 2 winter weddings coming up this weekend and next weekend, I seriously can't wait!!!!!!

30 Days of Gratitude Project

2010-11-30T10:56:00.000-05:00

First of all I want to thank those of you that followed along with my little project. Rest assured that any days that I skipped a post (like the whole last week) I was completely living in the moment of life and feeling grateful for it. Certain stories in the news the past week or so have completely torn at my heart and really made me take a minute to stop and let go of any negative thoughts, wants, etc. to focus on the joy of my family and my little life. I am truly blessed and will not forget that for one minute.

I'd love to think of something to do similar to the 30 Days project in December...we'll see what I can come up with!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 23

2010-11-23T15:09:00.000-05:00

I'm so thankful for the dedicated teachers at my son's school...they organized the cutest Thanksgiving musical last night. There's my little xylophone player!

(I just realized I've had an awful lot of Drew on here...better photograph the other kids!!!!) :)

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 22

2010-11-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

So grateful for random dance parties.....

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 19, 20 & 21

2010-11-22T13:33:00.000-05:00

This photo about sums up our weekend....

I'm so grateful for books on tape, harry potter glasses, & lazy weekends.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 18

2010-11-18T11:27:00.001-05:00

I'm so grateful for modelesque clients. I didn't have to work very hard to get amazing shots of this couple.....

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 17

2010-11-17T11:26:00.000-05:00

Thank you Lego makers for being a huge part of my children's lives. :)

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 16

2010-11-16T11:23:00.000-05:00

(Alex & Drew earlier this year with their Harry Potter glasses and robe).

I just want to publicly thank JK Rowling. Drew has like Harry Potter for some time now but with all the press about the new movie and the release of Harry Potter Legos last month, we are in full Hogwarts mode around here. (I am so very grateful to hear about something other than Mario & Luigi.....).

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 15

2010-11-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

(Tim and I on our 9th wedding anniversary - 8.4.10)

I could write for pages and pages on why I am SO grateful for my husband. We met when I was just 19 and him, 20 (practically children!). We've become grown-ups together. He's seen me at my absolute worst and my absolute best moments and still sticks around. :) I really couldn't imagine life any other way and with any other person.

Next year is our big 10 Year Anniversary! A big vacation sans kids is out of the question because we are taking the kids to Disney World for Christmas but I'm hoping we get to do something special to celebrate this milestone.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 14

2010-11-14T09:39:00.000-05:00

When I pictured myself as a mommy, I never thought that I would have boys. Ever. I am a serious girly girl, I grew up with one sister and a bunch of girl cousins.

Well, I can't imagine life without these boys and you know what? They don't mind doing some of the things I enjoy. I've been teaching them to cook and bake and I'm seriously soaking up this time with them. I know someday they'll probably want to deny that they enjoyed baking cookies with me so I'm glad I have photographic proof of it.....

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 13

2010-11-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, I am so thankful for this girl.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 12

2010-11-12T21:31:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm certainly cutting this entry close...:) Today I want to recognize how grateful I am to have a friend like Erin. We met way back in 1997 when she was my roommate at Champion Cheerleading. It was my first year on staff and her second. She is part of all my happy memories from back then! We hit if off immediately and have been friends ever since. I can't imagine life without her and our early morning phone conversations! Love ya Erin!!!

I'm especially lucky to be able to photograph her beautiful family....

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 11

2010-11-11T19:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, today's entry is somewhat dorky. But, I'm thankful for cell phone cameras. :) Back in the spring Tim and I went to Chicago so I could shoot this fab-u-lous couple (Hi Erin & Casey!). Once I was finished with the session we went off to explore the city and I really didn't feel like hauling around my giant camera. (I love you 5DMII but you get very heavy) Anyways, Tim shot these random pics of me and I love them. They totally remind of the fun we had since it's not often we get to go anywhere without our 3 little tagalongs....

(Yes, I was that giddy to be at American Girl Place....)

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 10

2010-11-10T20:45:00.000-05:00

Today I am so grateful that Sam's mom found me online and contacted me about shooting this gorgeous wedding!!!! Sam and Joe were married at the River Birch Lodge, a completely amazing location in Hartland.

Here's their slideshow!!! Congrats Sam & Joe!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 9

2010-11-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

I sort of can't believe I am writing this.....when I first started my business one of my goals was to be published in a bridal magazine. To be honest, I didn't know if it would happen. I've had some really incredible weddings to photograph but I never had the confidence in myself to put my work out there with the big name photographers. Silly, I know, but just one of those things.

When I shot Jessica & Luke's wedding last summer, I knew it was amazing. Everything about the day just happened so perfectly and I took a chance at the very last second and submitted a link to their wedding. I heard back from the editor at The Knot the very next day that they wanted to publish some of my photos from their wedding. I couldn't believe it. I am so incredibly grateful to Jessica & Luke for having such a gorgeous wedding and so thankful that The Knot published it. I'm still a little giddy eventhough I've known about it for months.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 8 (LATE!!!)

2010-11-09T13:55:00.000-05:00

Whew. This weekend totally threw me off course. My little sister was married on Saturday to a really great man. Their wedding was absolutely perfect for them and we had a wonderful time celebrating. I was lucky enough to play 2 roles....photographer and matron of honor. :) Luckily, Lindsay and Jason made it easy on me and we did all their photos before the ceremony and they were so laid back about the rest. It was perfect.

So happy!

She's come a long way from the days where we played "Bride" in our parent's hallway. :)

How insane are her flowers? Big time shout out to Petal & Forrest for their amazing work!

My new brother in law!

My sister's shawl was handknit by my mom and her wrist warmers were handknit by her friend, Sharon.

What am I so thankful for? Well, a bunch of stuff. I'm thankful for an amazing sister. I'm thankful she found the perfect man. I'm thankful that their wedding was perfect.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 7

2010-11-07T11:24:00.000-05:00

Today I am loving the fact that 2 of my clients knit (above) and crocheted (below) items for their babies to wear during our mini-sessions last weekend. Aren't they adorable??

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 6

2010-11-06T11:21:00.000-04:00

This is an obvious one....I am so thankful for cameras and photography and people who know when to take the right photos. Below are 2 priceless photos to me...my grandmother as a little girl playing with her dollies and my grandfather doing one of his favorite things, racing motorcycles.

(Today is my little sister's wedding...you can bet there will be lots of people with cameras taking photos at all the right moments!!!)

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 5

2010-11-05T11:20:00.000-04:00

I'm so grateful for coffee and good books. Enough said.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 4

2010-11-04T06:53:00.000-04:00

Today is a two part entry....Number one, I'm so thankful to the brides that go traipsing around the woods in their wedding dress so we can get amazing images like the one above.

And, number two, thanks so much to those brides who choose little ol' me to document one of the most important days in your life. The significance is not lost on me.

Have you been documenting your gratitude thoughts anywhere? Share!!!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 3

2010-11-03T06:35:00.000-04:00

Today's entry? I'm so grateful for my childrens' imaginations.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 2

2010-11-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

I'm so thankful that I get to photograph precious babies like Alyssa here. (And, I'm especially grateful for the parents who trust me to do it!)

30 Days of Gratitude

2010-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm one of those people that can be annoying sometimes...one of those Little Miss Sunshine types. I just can't help myself. I really do try to see the positive in every situation and when faced with an adverse situation, I plow through by thinking about what I can do to make the situation okay.

But, even us Polly Positives can feel the stress of the holidays, work, child raising, school (insert stress here). I'm making a little goal for myself to focus on the many blessings I have in my life for the 30 days of this month. (Not that I don't want to think about those things the rest of the year, but with Thanksgiving this month, I can't help myself.) I hope you'll join me!

Up first and most important....family! I should mention that some things will be the obvious big things in life and others, the little things that can just make me smile when I need it most!

My husband, Tim, and 3 awesome kids, Drew, Alex & Addie!

(Taken for me by sister-in-law this summer!)

Tim's side of the family!

(Taken by my friends, the tripod and self timer)

Us at one of our favorite spots...my parents' cottage up north!

(Yes, I am totally holding Drew down and Alex is giving the Mario Brothers peace sign!)

My side of the family!

(Taken by my friends, the tripod and self timer)

Our latest family photo shot by my friend Amanda Cornwell!

his + hers

2010-10-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is my beautiful sister and her fiance...they are getting married in one week!!!!!!

(She designed the hats...are you a knitter or want to be? You should go to her store!!!)

Meg + Mike | getting married!!!

2010-10-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Remember Bubba from yesterday? Here are his fun humans, Meg + Mike. They are getting married next summer and I seriously can't wait to shoot the wedding!!!!!

Bubba...

2010-10-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Bubba's humans are getting married next summer! Check back tomorrow for their fun MSU Engagement Session! :)

(BTW - I love dogs. Please bring them to your session. Or, better yet, book a photo session for your dog...)

thommie + nick | 10.2.10 | st. johns conference center

2010-10-26T15:02:00.000-04:00

Thommie and Nick were married on a somewhat rainy fall day in Lansing, Michigan. Luckily, Thommie didn't give up her hope for "foresty" pictures and you better believe we made the bridal party head out in the elements.

Luckily, it wasn't a downpur during their pictures and they turned out amazing. The many details of this wedding and reception were incredible. Thommie and her matron of honor, Erica, truly outdid themselves!

Click here for their slideshow!

Mini Sessions!!!!!

2010-10-13T17:15:00.000-04:00

Last year I randomly decided to do some mini-sessions and they were really fun! A mini-session is a 20-30 minute session at the location of my choice for a one time fee of $125.

For that $125 you get a cd filled with digital files from our session to print to your heart's content. If you don't want to commit to a regular session, this is perfect for you!!!! With the digital files you can get prints to update your frames, have photo holiday cards printed, and create a ton of other photo related gifts!

This year's mini sessions will be Saturday, October 30 and the location will be Old Town Lansing again. It's really quite the perfect spot. There are cool textures and colors from the buildings, water, a park, and other fun stuff.

Contact me at jessicacornman {at) yahoo.com for more information!!!!! Here's a sampling of my favorite shots from last year's mini sessions:

Well, what are you waiting for?

nikki + jon | married 9.25.10

2010-10-13T12:48:00.000-04:00

In my opinion, it doesn't get much better than Fall in Michigan! It's hands down my favorite season! I love pumpkins, chilly air, colored leaves, apple cider and fresh made donuts. Add a wedding to the mix and it's close to perfect for me.

Nikki & Jon were married at the Post Family Farm in Hudsonville, Michigan. If you want a unique location, I highly recommend the farm. The smell from the farm kitchen alone will make up your mind for you!

The details of this wedding were completely adorable and screamed fall! The couple? Totally in love and made for eachother.

Click here for their slideshow!

Happy Fall!

2010-10-12T06:23:00.000-04:00

Don't you just want to run to your nearest Apple Orchard/Pumpkin Patch/Cider Mill and inhale this whole tray of donuts? Oh, that's just me?

(Photo from Post Family Farm during Nikki & Jon's sweet apple orchard wedding....lots more photos to come!)

Every 5 year old girl should have an outfit like this....:)

2010-09-27T14:13:00.000-04:00

Don't you just love this outfit?????!!!????

Miss Kendall celebrated her 5th birthday this summer and I was lucky enough to see this outfit in person!

Her adorable brother, Noah!

it's been a crafty summer.....

2010-09-17T13:24:00.000-04:00

I'm a little embarrassed to even post after completely ignoring my little blog this summer. It was a productive summer though....

A quilt for a new precious baby....

(patterned material bought last winter at this cute little quilt shop in Northern Michigan)

Some material and a pattern for an adorable outfit for Miss Addie:

(material purchased at Field's Fabrics in Grand Rapids)

On my needles now....a bunny from Itty Bitty Toys by Susan B. Anderson

A finished front and back for this sweater!

A knitted body that will soon be Princess and The Pea from my knitting bible, Itty Bitty Toys....

On the non-knitting/sewing side, I have inherited bags of photos that tell the story of my grandparent's lives. (They are still alive). I'm working on organizing them, scanning some to share with family and my goal is to create some history books a la Good Stock.

(That's my Papa in the top photo when he used to race motorcycles...they have a lot of stories to tell!)

There's more...those are the only things I could grab photos of real quick. I hope your summer was a crafty one!

erica + roy | married 8.28.10 | rosewood inn

2010-09-14T14:27:00.000-04:00

Erica & Roy were married a couple weeks ago at one of my favorite spots, The Rosewood Inn. It's a seriously gorgeous place to hold your wedding & reception.

How picture perfect is this?

And, how beautiful is Erica?????

Erica & Roy opted to see eachother before the ceremony - I'm loving the bridge at the ceremony site for this!

I think Erica lied to me about her profession...she can't be a nutritionist, she must be a model. :)

A view inside the tent before the ceremony and reception! The weather was completely perfect for an outdoor occasion - Thanks Mother Nature!

Married!

First Dance - they danced to "Then" by Brad Paisley. I also used that song for their slideshow!

Photo of the Day | September 9

2010-09-09T06:24:00.001-04:00

A little sneak peek from Erica & Roy's wedding at the beautiful Rosewood Inn Bed & Breakfast. Slideshow is coming soon!

(Look out, I posted 3 times in 3 days.....I might just get back into this blogging thing!)

Awesome bridal dances!

2010-09-08T15:23:00.000-04:00

You just gotta love guests with video cameras......Here is some footage from the dances I told you about on yesterday's post!!!!

katie + matt | married 8.21.10

2010-09-07T14:40:00.000-04:00

I have a couple beautiful weddings just itching to get out here on the blog!

First up...Katie & Matt! I just sent Katie an email explaining my dilemma: I seriously couldn't choose the pics for her slideshow. It took me 2 weeks to whittle the number down. I finally ended up with just over 200 and that's about 100 more than usual.....The wedding was that gorgeous.

See....look at her!!!! She looked beautiful in every.single.picture.

A photographer's heaven, I tell ya. Click here for the slideshow!

Tomorrow's post includes video from the very fun dances you see at the end of the slideshow!!!!

laura + adam | married!

2010-08-02T13:37:00.001-04:00

It's that time of year.....Absolute craziness both professionally and personally (and really, they overlap so much!)

I didn't meet Adam and Laura until the day of their wedding and you know what? It felt like we were old friends. What can be better than that? When Laura emailed me about the details of the wedding, I knew it was going to be awesome!!! A vintage pink cadillac, vintage inspired details, and 2 people madly in love. :)

There will be more to come in the next few weeks from this fun wedding but in the meantime, here's their slideshow!

steph + chris | married!

2010-07-14T08:45:00.000-04:00

This is just one of many photos you'll be seeing from this wedding...it was that amazing. The details, the location, the couple...all just perfect.

Click here for their slideshow!

nerissa + eric | getting married!

2010-07-12T22:34:00.000-04:00

Just a quick little sneak peek for Nerissa and Eric.....

(It's always an honor to photograph my friends and family...Nerissa and I go wayyyy back to 1996 when we were "Camp Champs" at cheerleading camp together and then staff members at the same camp for a few more summers after that. So happy that we've connected again and that I get to be the one to document her wedding day!!!!)

Summer Archives

2010-07-06T10:51:00.000-04:00

There are so many things I love about these 2 pics...the beautiful Mackinac Bridge is always a breathtaking site to see and I think I will always love the photo of Tim and Drew on the rocks. Drew was only 3 here and wearing the Power Rangers jammies he was obsessed with.

I'm trying super hard to organized my 1000's of personal photos from over the years and may post a few here and there....