Spring is here!

Weather can be a photographer's best friend or their worst enemy. And in the Northwest it has been a LONG wet couple of weeks. Having been stuck indoors, I have been brain-storming new ideas for shoots and perfecting my Photoshop techniques.
While researching new clothes, it became obvious which clothes I DID NOT want to represent in my photography. To say that I am a little tired of the glitz and dazzle, nylon and sequins (and Hannah Montana!) of the last few years is an understatement.
I am ready for precious, sweet, vintage innocence. Fashionable clothing with bold colors and fabrics that make your child feel one of a kind, because THEY ARE.
After countless hours of trying to find that "perfect" clothing designer, I finally came across an Ebay listing of hand-made, high quality fabric clothing, made out of Kentucky called CRADLE WILL ROCK. I had to buy all the dresses I could find. I fell in love instantly with this designer's work and knew I would be a fan for life. I quickly went to see if CRADLE WILL ROCK had a Facebook fan page; and sure enough, they did! Not only that, but the owner personally sends all her fans a friend request. (Which is so fabulous of her!) It shows she wants to get to know all her customers personally (xoxox).
A couple weeks went by and the dresses were sitting in my closet, waiting for Spring to come. Since the rain wasn't stopping anytime soon, I pulled out my favorite Cradle Will Rock dress and put it on my daughter for a quick photo shoot. As soon as she put on the dress she said, "Look Mommy, I am a princess." This was the very first time I had ever heard her say that! It melted my heart knowing she felt the same way I did about the dress.
After quickly editing the pictures, I put them up on my Facebook page to show off how cute the dress is. I also tagged the owner, Rhonda, in the picture so she could see how adorable my baby looked in her creation.
Rhonda was very happy with the picture and quickly asked if we could trade work. I jumped off my chair screaming with excitement. I can't tell you how good it feels to have your FAVORITE designer ask if you would be willing to trade work! I know she spends just as much time and energy on her clothes as I do on my photography. I know we will be great match working together.
A few days later, I received a surprise package in the mail from her. The package, which contained several of her latest designs, happened to come at the best time. The rain stopped for a moment, and the clouds split, revealing an unbelievably gorgeous sunset. I found the perfect dress and got my daughter ready for a quick shoot. We snapped some wonderful pictures, and when I was looking at the finished product a quote popped into my head.

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter." ~Ansel Adams

The sunset was made for this dress.