Last weekend we celebrated my son’s First Holy Communion. It was a beautiful day …for the most part. The ceremony was great. Andrew was quite the handsome picture in his little pinstripe suit. At the start of the party though, my nearly 93 year old Grandmother fell and passed out. Thankfully, my FDNY first-responder husband was there to help her, as were other medical professionals in the family. It was chaotic but we tried to keep the kids busy so they wouldn’t see Nanny on the floor or the stretcher when it was wheeled in (two thoughts went through my mind after she fell: “Find phone. Call 911″. And “Oh my God, my Grandmother just died at my son’s Communion party!”) When she came to, she joked to my father “Tell Andrew that I thought his party needed a sideshow”. That’s how we knew she was going to be ok. ;)

Grandma spent 4 days in the hospital undergoing tests. She is ok for now, but continued prayers for some uncertain test results are always welcome if you feel inclined. She came home on Wednesday and the timing was perfect. It was right after our school bus pulled up yet not before I drove Emily to dance and Andrew to lacrosse practice. I said “Hop in the car! We’re going to see Nanny!” She was so excited to see the kids but I know they were even more excited to see her and to see with their own two eyes that she was doing well.

Of course, I took a few pictures. :)

And as for those Communion shots…

(Andrew with Nanny and with his Godparents after the ceremony)

Andrew, may God continue to watch over you and shower you with blessings today and every day for the rest of your life. Love, Mom

Have an awesome weekend!

Oh man… I just adore this little girl! This was the 3rd time she had came to see me. She’s always smiley, Mom has the greatest wardrobe for her, Grandma usually comes along and I think she’s great… we always have a lot of fun together. :)  Happy 1st birthday Charlie!

Mom expressed interest in the pasta pot shot I’ve done in the past but since Charlie was a little older compared to the age I usually fit babies into my pot (about 6 or 7 months), I made what my husband calls a “gametime decision” as I was shopping for supplies that morning and went with a pancake-themed shot instead. Isn’t this cute?

I am going to bombard you with Smash pictures because I just love the way these turned out!

Charlie’s storyboard. Super-lovin’ the way this one turned out! I love the different shades of pink.

Happy day you YOU!

Beautiful little Giulia came to visit me back this late-Winter, but her session fell right before my Disney trip and I sadly missed Blogging her. Can’t let any more time go past without sharing this little sweet pea.

So, every once in a while, a newborn comes along and gives me a run for my money. I think this session hovered near 4 hours, many spent with Giulia in tears. It was rough. But look at these images ~ I don’t think you would know it! And I think it’s important to tell it like it is because so many times I get a wide awake, crying infant here and Mom and Dad apologize profusely. Trust me, it happens, and quite often at that. I’m not sweating it so you shouldn’t either. :)  We’ll make it work.

And because I am fairly certain these were sent out already, Giulia’s birth announcement (clients, please e-mail me for pricing and details!)

Enjoy the day!

These cute little brothers came for some cake weeks ago. We left the session off of my Blog so their pictures could be a surprise at their party but I think it’s about time you see just how cute they are!

Meet Christopher…

…and Dylan

They weren’t 100% taken with their cake but I think they enjoyed themselves a good amount. As long as we don’t have 30 minutes of straight tears, I’m happy.

Two cakes are more fun than one!

Dylan and Christopher’s storyboard:

I love taking these collages an turning them into thank you cards! These have been quite popular lately. Look for more samples on my Facebook page soon! (I try to give ample time after our session before sharing since I don’t want to ruin the thank you surprise for your party guests. They really print up beautifully. Ask me about them!)

Happy Monday!

Kenzie was such a sweetie! I got to visit her in her home for some casual outdoor shots at 10 months old. In another few weeks, she’ll be making her way to my home studio for a cake smash! Looking forward to it. :)

With Mother’s Day this weekend, this seemed like the perfect session to Blog. I got some sweet shots of Kenzie and her Mommy, Heather. I love the way their peach and magenta tops photographed together. Happy 1st Mother’s Day Heather!

Happy Mother’s Day mommies! <3

(Scroll to the end for a special print sale!)

**Offer valid on any Gina Rae Miller Photography session photographed in 2012. Sorry, this print offer cannot be used on future, upcoming sessions.**

Ava was a dream baby. Once she settled in, she was down for the count which allowed me to pose her and test out some new hats and headbands. :) I love so many of these shots!

Welcome to the world Ava!

Have a sweet day!

(“Tiny joy” wordart, cupcake and colored flower by CD Muckosky.  Owl and clouds by Kaye Winiecki).

Isabella holds the award for client that has traveled the furthest to see me. You’ll never believe this: she lives in Maryland! At just ten days old, Mom, Dad and Bella made the trip to Long Island and I had the honor of photographing them. Bella wasn’t a fan of being naked but I was clued in by Mom before our session date even rolled around so I made sure to take out lots of my wraps. She did love being wrapped, and we ended up with some adorable, snuggly shots.

Welcome to the world little lady!

Congratulation M family! Enjoy your little princess. :)

(“Hello Princess” word art by CD Mucksoky).

Griffin came to visit me for some 1st birthday pictures recently. He was quite the happy subject! He gave me so many great smiles and his photos were a breeze to edit. I especially love the one of him featuring his newborn picture that I snapped last year. His Mom thought to bring it along and I am so glad she did! I am also loving adding the “first birthday facts” to my photos lately. It’s something new I am trying with all birthday clients who purchase the larger package. I figure I have always loved scrapbooking so why not incorporate some of it into a shot? It’s a great keepsake!

Hope you had a wonderful birthday cute boy!

(Do you love my new blueberry wooden plank drop? I do!)

Have a wonderful day!

Wet paint twinkle stars featured above by CD Muckosky.

Woo! A scrapbooking holiday (and my husband’s 35th birthday ~ happy birthday Vince!)

There’s lots of fun stuff going on in the digital scrap world today. I have a bunch of new products to share here, some recent layouts and a coupon for extra savings next week! Here we go…

CLICK HERE FOR MY DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING STORE. Everything is 30% off this weekend!

These are my two May BYOC products. Don’t you just love these colors? To see the entire BYOC line, make sure to check HERE.

Then we had some “Special Saturday” releases today and I released two more new products.

Click HERE for Odds & Ends 1, a pretty mix of buttons, ribbons and flowers.

I also released a collab with one of my favorite fellow designers. Perhaps you saw our sneak peek picture floating around FB last week. I love The Big Bang Theory and this was my inspiration for creating this kit:

I drafted up some colors, Jacque was totally on board and we came up with this fun, geeky kit:

It’s filled with all sorts of science bits, nerdy things, a paper doll superhero and cape and of course, underroos. ;)

You can find that collab in the shop right HERE.

Speaking of Jacque and collabs, won’t you take a moment to check out this amazing LilyPad collab, created with Jacque’s amazing brother in mind?

from Jacque:

There are over 600,000 people in the US living with brain tumors. There are over 120 different types of brain tumors. My sweet brother, Jay, is one of those statistics.

As May is Brain Tumor Awareness month this kit was designed to support and celebrate those affected by brain tumors. With Jay’s tumor came chemo and radiation and hospital stays. But it also brought hope, a desire to be involved and recognition of his great accomplishments and skills. This kit speaks to the devastation of brain tumors but also to the amazing functioning of our brains! Jay is a prime example. He is smart, kind, talented and determined. His ability to cope and persist is unmatched. He is the motivator behind this kit. Support and celebrate with us through Brain Smart! I am so grateful to be a part of an amazingly talented and GIVING community. The-LilyPad designers have been so supportive in contributing to this AMAZING collab! ALL proceeds from sales during the month of May will go directly to http://www.braintumor.org/giving/donate-now.html. This will allow the National Brain Tumor Society to advance research for a cure and to provide much-needed programs and services to meet the needs of patients and families coping with a brain tumor today. Families just like mine!

Click HERE for the kit and some layout ideas!

———————————————————————————————————-

I’ve done some scrapping recently. Not as much as I would have liked but it’s a start. April and May are/were super-busy for me in terms of photography, so I have to take what I can get as far as Photoshop time goes. Since it’s scrapbook weekend 2012, I hope to maybe squeeze one layout in before tomorrow night rolls around.

All of my credits can be found in my Lilypad gallery HERE.

Cousin Outtakes

Bronx Zoo

Sadie

Easter Sunday

———————————————————————————————————-

Looking for some fun in the form of giveaways, games and general scrapbooking chatter? Check TLP forums by using this link HERE.

———————————————————————————————————-

Want in on assorted giveaways this weekend? Make sure to follow my GMD Facebook page!

———————————————————————————————————-

Last but not least, that coupon I promised you plus a direct link into The LilyPad’s FB hop! Get ready to load up on FREE product and coupons from the Pad!

I am the tail end of the hop so if you follow this handy dandy link to Amy Martin’s page, you’ll not only be able to download a fabulous FREE template of hers, but you’ll start the hop from the beginning and collect all of your goodies along the way. :)

Happy Scrapbooking everyone! Have a fabulous weekend!

It’s rainy out today but sometimes, a rainy day isn’t a bad thing. Plus, it helps the flowers and trees look gorgeous. Stay dry local friends!

(Azalea bushes in my backyard)