about

about me

20 random facts

1. My husband Tony is five years older than me and we met at a bar we both worked at while I was in college.

2. We have a son named Brandon, and a daughter named Alexandra, who we call Ally. I named my business after them!

3. I am completely addicted to coffee and chocolate. I know I should stop, but I just can’t!

4. When I was little, I wanted to grow up and be a writer (working on that goal!).

5. I have my Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education and am a former Early Childhood Special Education teacher and Kindergarten teacher.

6. My kids are my everything. Time is flying by and although it makes me sad that my babies aren’t babies anymore, I love watching them grow and learn and they make me so incredibly proud every day.

7. One of my best friends passed away Freshman year of high school. She had an undiagnosed heart condition and collapsed on the field during a soccer game. That day changed my life forever and changed who I am as a person.

8. I live a daily struggle of being Type A/OCD and completely messy artist.

9. I hate being cold. Illinois winters make me crazy.

10. I love listening to live music.

11. I’ve seen every episode of Friends so many times I can recite them all. I still can’t help referencing episodes during similar real life situations.

12. I love wine (Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon are my favs!).

13. I suffer from anxiety and I hate it so much.

14. My favorite food is mashed potatoes. I could eat them all day long!

15. My eyes are green but sometimes they look blue depending on what I wear.

16. I’m addicted to hoodies!

17. I have a group of girlfriends who I’ve known since I was 8 and we are all still super close. They are the best!

18. I come from a very artistic family. My mom is great at watercolor painting. My dad is an amazing artist and can draw, paint, cartoon, build...you name it, he can do it! My parents and sisters are also musically talented!

19. My all time favorite movie is The Sandlot. I even have a t-shirt with Porter’s face on it!

20. I never had any intention of becoming a photographer. My dad taught me how to use a DSLR a few years ago and I've never looked back. I have the best job in the world now!

established in 2016

it all started when

I married my husband Tony in 2007 and we now have two beautiful children, Brandon (who we sometimes call B) and Alexandra (who we usually call Ally).  I have a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education and began my career as an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher as well as a Regular Education Kindergarten Teacher in Evanston.  

During my pregnancy with Brandon in 2011, we had an unexpected turn of events when I found out at 21 weeks I had short cervix. I started modified bedrest at home. Despite being extremely careful at home, I went into preterm labor at 25 weeks and landed myself in the hospital on bedrest for 7 weeks.  After showing stability, I was allowed back home at 32 weeks to finish bedrest.  Brandon came at 36 weeks with no nicu stay and we had a healthy baby boy.  I absolutely loved spending time at home with Brandon and decided to quit my teaching job to be a stay at home mom.  

During this time, I rediscovered my passion for art and began drawing again.  A friend suggested I start an Etsy shop to sell my art.  I opened up my shop in October of 2012 and began selling prints of my nursery art.  My shop did well and I began began transferring my designs onto infant and toddler clothing.  I was loving having a creative outlet!  

In 2013 I found out I was pregnant with my daughter Ally.  Unfortunately, I had the same issue with her pregnancy and had to be very careful at home with Brandon. Ally came at 37 weeks, healthy and no nicu stay. I was busy being a stay-at-home-mom and running my small business.  

In the summer of 2015, we moved from Elmhurst to Naperville.  It was a busy time for our family and I had to take a step back from my Etsy shop.  During this time, Etsy itself took a turn and shop owners were seeing less and less shop traffic and sales.  In addition, I was finding it difficult to keep up with the fast pace of retail while continuing to be at home with my kids.

A few weeks before we moved to our new house, our lives took another turn when we found out my {then} 17 month-old nephew Owen was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  We were so heartbroken over the news and wanted to help Tony's sister and our brother-in-law any way we could.

My brother-in-law Brian said he would love it if I could take some family photos of them because he knew I had always loved photography and had a DSLR camera.  The photos came out beautifully!  Brian joked that I should start a photography business and the rest is history...

My dad, who had a career in the printing field and therefore is very knowledgeable about photography, film, and cameras, taught me the technical aspects of the DSLR camera and the main principles of photography.  I began building my photography portfolio and launched the business in January of 2016.  I absolutely love photography and the way it helps tell a family’s story.  I've learned first hand through multiple events that life can drastically change in a instant and we should cherish the fleeting moments we have.

I really look forward to working with you!

<3 Marie