The Great Cookie Event of 2012

Yesterday I decided it would be a good idea to have my two little girls make and decorate their first cookies ever.  Now, I've never baked anything my entire life, but I figured the expectations would not be too high.  I'm so glad we did because it was a blast.  It was certainly messy and the cookies were a little burnt but my girls were so proud to help put the ingredients together, roll the dough and use the cookie cutters. They'd been practicing with their play-doh. And when it came time to decorate the cookies, it was time for me to grab my camera.

Nicole has had plenty of arts and crafts practice at school so she was explaining all about the art of decorating.

And of course, she had to assign which cookie belonged to whom!

Maya, on the other hand, after working hard to squeeze the sparkle gel out onto the cookie, discovered that it was better to just eat the sugary gel right out of the tube.

And then she got the concept of eating the cookie as well...

Mmmm, love that face!

Once they were all done and mommy had cleaned up, Maya certainly had to come back for just one more!

Best Saturday morning project we've done around here in a long time... loved it!
#lovemylife

Vanessa + Peder - Wedding at Prospect Park Picnic House - Brooklyn, NY

I had the immense pleasure of capturing Vanessa and Peder's Brooklyn wedding this past November.  As if planning a wedding wasn't stressful enough, these two had spent the past year putting everything together all the way from across the country! And when I say "they", I of course mean mostly Vanessa :)  I think they flew in from San Diego on a Friday, did their sunset engagement shoot at Dumbo that Monday and got married that Saturday!

Everything that day ran beautifully on schedule for the most part and I was in love with the church and venue they had chosen.  The wedding ceremony at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church was just beautiful and very moving.  It was so exciting for me to witness the everyone's excitement.  Vanessa and Peder are high school sweethearts that had grown up around the same Brooklyn neighborhood, and you could feel the warmth and love their parents and families have for them as well as one another.

Their reception at the Picnic House at Prospect Park was perfect for these two. An elegant, and intimate venue in the middle of Prospect Park that also allowed for an awesome dance party as well... and let me tell you, there were some fantastic dancers on both sides!  Watching Vanessa's Colombian side and Peder's Norwegian and Italian side really embrace Gangnam Style and so much more was so fun that it made the evening fly by!

Here are a few of my favorites from the day:

Vanesa and Peder, thank you for a magical day! I feel blessed to have witnessed that sparkle you two share every time you look at each other and are unaware anyone is watching!

For more on Vanessa and Peder check out: http://vanessaandpeder.jessicacrespo.com/

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Vanessa + Peder : Brooklyn Engagement

I have the pleasure of bringing you Vanessa and Peder's engagement session in Dumbo today.

I immediately felt drawn to these two for some reason. Maybe it was because like me and my husband, they are also from different cultures.  She's Columbian and he's Norwegian and Italian.  I'm from Ecuador and my husband is from Poland.  However, unlike me and my husband who grew up in separate continents, they grew up just a short distance from each other in Brooklyn, NY and were high school sweethearts. After college, she left for the California to pursue her PhD and he of course, followed.  *sigh*

Vanessa truly impressed me by her ability to plan a fantastic wedding from across the country! And because of their busy schedules and distance, we were able to meet up for their engagement session until just a week before their wedding.  

They are such a fabulously sweet couple that was a little camera shy at first.  However, they quickly forgot I was even there. It was as if having the opportunity to step away from the wedding planning stress for just one afternoon allowed them to relax and enjoy being together.  

Nothing more romantic than a sunset stroll by the water with amazing NYC views.

Almost literally, "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass" (DUMBO). Vanessa, you know how to strike that pose! Love it!

Peder did not hesitate one bit, when I asked if Vanessa was ticklish!

Thank you Vanessa and Peder for making me a part of such a beautiful event in your lives. Can't wait to share your wedding images as well!

For more on Vanessa and Peder check out: http://vanessaandpeder.jessicacrespo.com/

P.S. Feel free to leave Vanessa and Peder some loving in the comments section below.  10 comments or more and they will receive a complimentary gift!