[Featured] St. Bridget's Flower Farm

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A couple of weeks ago I photographed little Myelle and her parents, Lindsay and Adam at St. Bridget's Flower Farm near Solon (thank you to my friend Becky for suggesting it to me!). After visiting the farm, and talking with Cathy, I really wanted to blog about it because I thought it (and she) was so wonderful.

St. Bridget's Flower Farm is a sustainable, chemical free flower farm which was established in 2005. They offer arranged flowers for local delivery (including a weekly or bi-weekly delivery all summer long - great for businesses or someone who just loves fresh flowers in their home!), as well as buckets of flowers if you like to arrange your own. They also can provide flower arrangements for weddings (great for you brides who love buying local), or again - buckets of flowers for the DIY bride. (Though Cathy came up with the arrangement above for Myelle in about a minute and it is GORGEOUS, so I would love to see what she could do for wedding bouquets!) The website also lists "Flower Camp" as an activity the farm offers, for groups of three or more where you get to come out to the farm, have some treats and learn about flower design before practicing what you've learned on the beautiful flowers provided. 

St. Bridget's Flower Farm has also hosted weddings (oh my word, this place would be beautiful for a small wedding!!), bridal showers, etc - so feel free to contact them if you are interested in hosting your event at their farm. You can also visit their Facebook page HERE.

TGIF


Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone! 

I hope you get to relax, enjoy the sunshine, and maybe take a nap or two (Clara definitely has the right idea if you ask me!) as summer kicks off this weekend. Sounds like it will be a hot one - a trip to the pool may be in order, don't you think?

I'll be back next week with more sessions to share and a feature on St. Bridget's Flower Farm!

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Myelle [North Liberty, IA Children Photography]

I'm not sure how to start this post, as these photos are somewhat bittersweet for me. Lindsay first contacted me in the spring of 2011 to take Myelle's 6 month photos and we became great friends very quickly. Sadly, Lindsay, Adam, and Myelle will be moving in the next few weeks out to Oregon (their dream location!!). I am so happy for them, as this is where they really want to be and have been given some great opportunities, but I am sad for me as I will really miss my wonderful friends.

We met up last Sunday evening, at the most gorgeous place - St. Bridget's Flower Farm (more info on this place in a future post - Cathy is so incredibly sweet and you have to see the impromptu bouquet she made for Myelle as we were leaving). We had a great session, exploring the beautiful farm and getting some pretty photos along the way. I hope you guys enjoy the sneak peek! Lindsay, Adam, and Myelle - thank you for being such wonderful friends, I can't wait to come out to visit you guys sometime soon! You will be sorely missed (thank goodness for Skype!!).


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Myelle found a very patient cat to "nap" with. I think this is one of my favorites! Myelle-8063 copy*

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The light in these next few just makes me sigh with happiness. I just love these photos of Myelle with her mom and dad!!
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Madera Custom Portrait Album

Earlier this year I started offering Madera Custom Albums to my brides & grooms, and I'm also thrilled to offer these gorgeous Madera Custom Portrait Albums to my portrait clients. Albums are a great way to show off your photos, and although they are a bit more of an investment from the traditional hardcover book that I offer, these Madera albums feature custom layouts, layflat pages, and more photos.

I just love the images that Melissa and Dave chose for their Madera Portrait Album from their recent maternity session, and I think they would agree that the quality of these books is outstanding. Truly this album took my breath away when I opened it, and I believe each client that chooses to purchase a book like this would feel the same.

These books feature a custom cover and I offer them in 8x10 or 5x5 size, and in my top portrait collection (although available as an upgrade in any of the other collections with books). These books would also be a great addition to a wedding collection as an engagement album or parent album. I strongly believe that photos belong in tangible form, not just on a disc in a drawer and this is a beautiful way to display multiple photos for generations to come!


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Feel free to contact me at info@jenmadigan.com if you're interested in more information or pricing for the Madera Custom Portrait Album.

Featured: Sugarplum Cupcakes [Iowa City, IA]

A couple of weekends ago, we had a 30th birthday party for my husband Josh. He loves cake (I prefer pie) but since we were having quite a few people over, I thought cupcakes might be more user friendly and wouldn't require extra plates/silverware. I remembered seeing Sugarplum Cupcakes mentioned in the GO section of the Press Citizen one Thursday awhile back and so I contacted the owner, Brenna to see if I could order some for the party. I ended up choosing simple flavors, classic chocolate and vanilla.

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Let me just say these cupcakes were AMAZING. I usually dislike cupcakes because of the too sugary/too much frosting but the frosting on these was absolute perfection. Truly everything just melted in your mouth, and the moment I put them out - everyone was asking where I got the delicious cupcakes. In fact, I only got to try the chocolate because the vanilla vanished in about 5 minutes!

I wanted to share my thoughts with you guys because I love supporting local businesses, and Brenna was incredibly easy to work with as well as so, so kind. If you are a cupcake lover, or just want an occasional treat - you can purchase her cupcakes at Revival in Iowa City or through her directly (her info is on her blog - click HERE to view). She also ships cupcakes in jars! :) I need to make a trip to Revival soon, or start planning another party so I can get some more! These would be fabulous for a wedding, birthday party, or whatever occasion you might be celebrating!

Amie + Travis [Iowa City Engagement Photography]

Amie and Travis are getting married in just a few short weeks on Mackinac Island in Michigan, which makes me so sad that I won't be photographing their wedding! I know it will be gorgeous though, and it sounds as though it will be a wonderful day. In fact, to make their day extra special, Amie's brother will be performing the ceremony.

This session has been a long time coming as scheduling became a challenge due to weather, but we finally ordered up the most amazing evening for their engagement photos last Sunday. I had so much fun chatting with Amie and Travis, and of course we brought along the invisible man Josh. :) I wish Amie and Travis the absolute best, I know your wedding day is going to be amazing and I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get beautiful weather like we had for these photos. I hope you like the preview!




I have so many favorites from this session, but this first one I just adore. AmieTravis-5248 copy**

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Elayne + Steve [Iowa City Engagement Photography]

I wasn't sure the weather was going to cooperate for Elayne & Steve's session, in fact I was watching the radar and getting worried as it was orange/yellow over Kent Park last Sunday evening. However, Elayne was willing to play it by ear and see what was happening at the last possible minute before we had to leave. Luckily, the storms held off and we were able to get some gorgeous photos with a mix of sun at the beginning, and a hazy sky later on. I loved how this session unfolded, Steve knows just what to say/do to make Elayne smile and laugh, so we were able to get a ton of beautiful photos.

 Elayne and Steve met when a mutual friend thought they should should meet, Elayne was skeptical - does that ever really work out? (speaking from experience, it does in my mind!) So, their friend set up a tailgate so they could meet. Steve and Elayne actual met earlier that very day, and not knowing about the plan, Steve asked for her number. As it turns out, they have a ton of friends in common and nearly met several times in the past but never quite connected. Funny how things work out, huh?

 Anyways, Elayne and Steve are planning a November wedding this year and I am thrilled to be a part of their day. I hope you enjoy the preview, thanks again to Elayne and Steve for a wonderful session!


Although I love them all, I think these first three are my absolute favorites. Elayne and Steve are just so cute together!! ElayneSteve-7254 copy**

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