Eric and I decided to head to the Garfield Park Conservatory for a day spent together in 70 degree greenhouses filled with ferns, spring flowers and the like. I woke up like a kid on Christmas morning, excited, smiley and all twitchy for the fun to begin…. Eric was sleeping peacefully while I was starting at his face intently willing him to wake and immediately asked … ” Can we get up so we can go?? “. Eric gracefully smiled and said ” Yes. Let’s go.” We had our usual morning coffee, exchanged our cute cards which by the way did not involve big red hearts or over used words, but words of affirmation and celebration of what we have together.
My favorite space there is the Fern Room. It has plantings of mosses, ferns and cycads and an indoor lagoon. It was created to evoke what the landscape would have looked like in pre-historic times. They had plants in there over 300 years old. This was my favorite room. I was in heaven…. 
We then headed off into the Show Room for their Spring Flower show. The greenhouse was FULL of blooming azaleas in bright pinks, fushias, whites and purples along with perfect white camelias and sweet smelling hyacinths. Towering overhead were big Southern Magnolias and a few crabapple trees. Now this room felt like home, sweet home Alabama will soon be full of all of these blooming beauties. ISpring is my favorite time of the year in the south.
Told you I loved them….
We continued on to the Desert House full of cacti and succulents. This is a favorite for Eric. Doesn’t this look like a little village?
We even found one that looks like Eric!
We headed back to the Fern Room to soak in the last rays of sunshine and enjoy the 70 degrees! 
Where did you go with your Valentine??
I am so very excited to bring you this Woodland Inspiration Shoot. A group of talented vendors got together wanting an inspirational shoot void of pastels and pretty pinks to bring imagery to the bride with a love of nature and the beauty in the barren winter months. Katie from Jayne Weddings first hatched this … Continue reading
One shot as a fun Sneak Peek to what I will be posting on Thursday!! Katie from Jayne Weddings , Kelly from Fleur and I got together to brainstorm a wedding inspiration shoot that was void of pastels and appealed to a love of nature and the barren months of winter. This gorgeous dress was … Continue reading
This week started my yearly class at Chicago Botanic Garden teaching Macro Photography in the greenhouse. It is always a welcome change of pace for me to communicate the technicalities of the camera, meet new students and spend some time away from the computer. I wander with my class in the green humidity and it relaxes … Continue reading
We are so honored to see Catherine & Sean’s modern wedding up on Style Me Pretty this afternoon! Go have a look!
I love rainy day sessions. I know for many a rainy forecast for your session can be a disappointment, but they always end up being so personal and a day to remember. Kristine is so flexible and relaxed so this forecast didn’t even concern her. We hopped in a cab and popped around downtown with … Continue reading
Remember sweet Noah at 3 months? Click here to see how much he’s grown! This little mister is hard not to fall for. He has such a sunny disposition and kept giggling and smiling at me with those beautiful chocolate brown eyes. It is always a joy to spend time with him and his Mom! … Continue reading
I took Jill to an Italian restaurant for dinner, but now I wish that we had gone to the Conservatory – I have yet to go there, and it looks beautiful. Maybe Jill could squish that wall of moss…
yaaaay! moss!! i LOVE the conservatory