Ella Grace's Candler One Year Old Birthday Session by Asheville, NC Portrait Photographer

Happy (Nearly) First Birthday to my sweet niece, Ella Grace! I remember going to the hospital right after she was born and marveling over just how perfect she was.  There is something so very special about little girls, maybe it's their innocence or their ability to make a seemingly normal day into a fairytale where they are the princess and daddy is their prince; whatever it is I realize this special quality in them and that is exactly the quality I sought to bring out in Ella's One year old session. Ella may only be a year old (or close to it), but she already has a personality! She is equal parts serious and sweet, playful and silly! She loves Elmo, shaking her booty to her favorite sesame street tunes, playing in the water, and dogs or cats of any kind, maybe we have a future veterinarian on our hands?! :) Regardless of what she does or who she becomes one day, I am proud to be her aunt and see a little glimpse into her special life on this earth.

Ella is having a French "Madeline," themed first birthday party and I have been helping her mommy, Melissa, brainstorm ideas for it for several months now (yes we are overachievers lol)!  I wanted to carry her birthday theme throughout her session and decided to make some coordinating cupcake liner pom-poms to hang in the trees around her, you can find the tutorial on how to make them here: http://traditionallymoderndesigns.blogspot.com/2011/02/cupcake-liner-pom-poms.html and I also hand painted the special "E," sign to hang above her. I must give a special thanks to the amazing Deana Smith from "The Sugarplum Bowtique," who worked with me to make a hat and tutu that perfectly matched Ella's birthday party colors! I also decided to take advantage of Ella's love for being in the water by getting some sweet shots of her in playing in a kiddie pool, not to mention that her red bathingsuit and blue and white vintage inspired swimcap were to DIE for! I can't finish this blogpost without mentioning that the pink romper Ella wore in the session, the super girly one with rosettes and sequins, was the first outfit, Ella's daddy (my brother Shane), picked out when he found out Melissa and him were expecting a girl! Be on the lookout for a blogpost featuring photos from Ella's First Birthday Party!