January | 2013 | Carolyn Ann Photography

As soon as I got my spiffy new camera and lens, I knew just who I wanted to shoot- this darling. Her mother is in my Masters program and we often get together at Panera to “study”, which means I give mom a break while I cuddle Karley. You’ll see that this little one can be all ranges of emotion within in ten minutes, which gave us quite the morning of entertainment!

Her eyes just blew me away 🙂

You can see just her playfulness here.

This photo always makes me smile. I imagine her speaking with a British accent saying excuse me?

This is when the dramatics began. I can’t quite remember whether she was screaming, crying, or singing, but it made for a darling picture.

Once again, looking like a little adult giving looks.

Putting on the water works- how precious!

And finally this beautiful shot of mom and daughter cuddled up:

For New Year’s Eve, Alex and I decided to visit Chicago with my best friend Marissa and her husband Josep. We did all the necessary Chicago to-dos: Went to the top of Willis Tower (ah-hem Sears Tower), had a Chicago-style hot dog near Wrigley Field, and finished off an afternoon of shopping the Magnificent Mile with deep dish pizza at Gino’s East. What struck me most about this trip was the opportunity to see all the amazing Christmas decorations still up. “Christmas in the City” makes me think of holiday movies, twinkling lights, silver bells, well you get the picture. I was excited to capture some of the little details that make this trip to Chicago so special.

We started our trip off with a trip to a comedy club and then I dragged everyone to this bar, which I’ve frequented nearly every time I’ve been in Chicago. I was so pleased to see the delightful decor 🙂

We spent the next day brunching (well waiting for brunching by walking through the zoo for a gazillion hours- note to self: brunches in Chicago at sports bars during a Cubs games with all you can eat buffets = 2 hour wait)

After brunch, we walked to the Magnificent Mile via Astor in the Golden Coast. Its home to quite regal estates and lovely decor! The the Magnificent Mile did not disappoint with bustling sidewalks 🙂 and twinkling lights!