Part of the excitement of having a daughter has been sharing the things I had/did as a girl. Sure, after just seven months together we haven’t done much of that, but believe me, there’s been plenty of excitement and anticipation about the things we’ll enjoy doing together! and how she’ll look like me! and what I’ll teach her!

So when I found this patchwork sun bonnet that was mine as a baby, I was quite excited indeed to try it on her. Unfortunately, the late 70s and early 80s were not high points in American fashion history, and the bonnet reflects that.

I had a vision of recreating a photo of me compliantly sporting it as a baby, but Juniper was having none of it. Her expressions ranged from, “Woman, what are you doing to me?” to “Talk to the hand,” to “Get it off! Get it off!” to “What’s that? I can eat grass if I wear the bonnet? In that case, you have 30 seconds.”

I’ve determined that she either:

a) Has much quicker reflexes than I did at her age, or

b) Has a much more advanced sense of style.

At any rate, we’ll find plenty of other things to share in the coming years, I’m sure of it. This just won’t be the first.

So my new promo cards are about to go out, but I wanted to give my blog readers a sneak peek. In case you don’t pick up a card around town, mention that you saw this on the blog and I’ll give you the same deal: A $25 print gift certificate with any senior session.

Plus… book your session before June 1 and receive $50 off the session fee. The session can take place any time before Oct. 31.

I have some very cool new products and packages this year for my senior photos. For more info, email me at photos@christinabeam.com.

Emily and Matt were married at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Baraboo on a gorgeous spring day. I learned from Father Bakke during the ceremony that they met in middle school — isn’t that adorable? — and in the priest’s words, were “crushing on each other” then.

The entire day just felt warm with family and people who loved and supported each other so deeply. I don’t know how else to describe it; it was just a wonderful day to get to be part of. So enjoy.

After the ceremony the group stopped at Monk’s in Lake Delton. Call me crazy, but I think bar shots can be fun. Everyone is relaxed because the ceremony is over and the party is about to start…

and when else can you get a shot like this?

The reception was at the Crystal Room at Buffalo Phil’s in Lake Delton. I really didn’t know what to expect, but it was very antique glam.

Emily and Matt won five dance lessons in a charity auction, and ended up extending them to five months. Long story short: They absolutely killed in their first dance, which included a reenactment of the famous scene from Dirty Dancing. I had “The Time of My Life” stuck in my head for three days, but it was so worth it.