My name is Priscilla O'Sullivan, and I'm the owner of Bellissima Photography. Recently married in 2003, I decided to pursue my first love, (before my husband :) and Bellissima was born! I chose the name because it means "beautiful" in Italian. What a perfect description for those moments that mean the most.
I am married to an amazing guy who is constantly reminding me of how great I am, and I have a 3 year old daughter Kailee, and just expanded our family with the addition of our son, Rylan.
That's the basic scoop on me. Keep checking the posts to find out more!
Okay, I don't know anyone who can't stand to lose a few pounds. Well, I do, but I hate those people so we won't talk about them anyway! :) If you're like me, trying to balance your life with about a million things you need to do before midnight, trying to figure in when to work out is probably the last thing on your plate.
After having Rylan, I looked back at some old photos of me, and I became determined to get back to some "resemblence" of what I used to look like. The problem is where to find the time to sneak that in.
So I first joined a gym, that I love, but the times they have these great classes just doesn't seem to work into my schedule. And I have a perfectly great treadmill in my basement, but the thought of staring at a wall for 40 minutes isn't really appealing to me. So with all this technology at my finger tips, I decided to turn to my trusty iPhone for some help, and help I got!
There are some great apps that can really keep you going, especially when you're on the go. The 2 I have found to be helpful are iFitness and Lose It.
is an app that gives you a bunch of different workouts to use, depending on what you're trying to accomplish. An example, if you're trying to tone your arms, there will be a bunch of different exercises focusing on triceps, biceps, etc. I get bored really easily, so having a variety at my fingertips works for me!
Now with Lose It, this handles the eating portion. I use to think, well, if I'm working out all the time, why can't I eat what I want. This however, is not the right mindset. (Totally wish it was though, that would be awesome!) So I've had to pay more attention to what I put into my body for this to be more successful. This is sorta like Weight Watchers, but you're counting calories instead of points. This was a huge eye opener for me. Like milk, you would think, well milk is good for you. But did you know that 1/2 cup has 45 calories? I was like WHAT! I probably drink two cups a day, which was turning out to be almost 200 calories. That's a lot! More than anything, it taught me that even though fruit and veggies are good for you, there's more calories associated with these than I thought. I was definitely more conscious of my portions as well. Do you even know what a 1/2 cup of cereal looks like? I'll tell ya right now, not much!
So iFitness you can purchase for $1.99, where Lose It is FREE. So back to my story about my weight, well, I was 12lbs heavier after having Rylan, and now only 8lbs. I know, not a huge success, but definitely a start! Let me know if this works for you!
I had the privilege of photographing this adorable little boy Joshua. Okay, the entire time all I wanted to do was pinch his cheeks! They are so cute!!!! This "little" man is going to be 8 months, and he's already wearing 18-24 clothes! I had a blast getting his first professional photos done. Thanks again for letting me be part of your day!
Well, I had the privilege of doing a photography shoot for the Wedding Guide this past fall. It was just released this past month, so I can officially blog about it. Yeah! This was so much fun b/c there was so many details, yet I could completely see this done at a wedding. That's what I love about the Wedding Guide, I feel like it's something my brides could actually use at their wedding. This shoot was no different!
This time Laura from the Wedding Guide was helped out by the amazing duo from Tying the Knot, event planners Brooke and Christine. Everyone did such an amazing job, we got a 2 page spread in the magazine! The shoot took place at the lovely Wilder Mansion in Elmhurst. I was blown away by the place. It's gorgeous! Here'a list of vendors that all participated to make this day awesome.
Look how great this turned out. And the chandelier, it's part of the mansion!
I absolutely love the chargers!
This was harder to shoot than I originally thought. I think b/c there was so much to see on the table! But I love this idea.
So this shoot was more difficult than ones I've done in the past because there were 2 shoots in one! There was this whole other lounge space, which has become pretty popular at weddings. The mansion worked perfect because it already had a designated space, and the drapings added a little touch of elegance.
Fortunately for me, this was just colored water...but boy did it look inviting!
Even though the drinks were just for show, the popcorn was not! I was able to take some of that home with me, and Kailee was very grateful. :)
And last but not least, a girls always needs a bouquet.
I love photographing set ups like this! We had such a blast, and I hope to be working with these vendors at a real wedding this year!
Well, the new year has started as crazy as I thought it would be. Not that I'm complaining, I did see it coming. But this is always the time of year that everyone gets sick, and I hate that. First, it was Kailee and it took about a week and a half before she felt good. No sooner was she better, Rylan got sick, with something totally different. He ended up having it for about 2 weeks, and then the biggest baby of them all, my husband James, got sick. :) And he's still sick. Somehow in all of this, I have miraculously stayed healthy. I just think it's b/c I know I can't get sick, I just can't. I won't let it happen. So sickness, if you think you're gonna get me down, I'm here to tell you that you won't win!
Then, there's my little niece Emily. She had what we thought was the flu, for about a week. But after not getting better, they admitted her into the hospital. She officially will have been in the hospital for one full week tomorrow, and we still don't know what's the matter with her. They have done every time of scan known to man, blood tests up the wazu. She been poked, prodded, and then some. I feel so bad for her. The worst part is they don't know what's the matter. As a parent, that's probably the most frustrating part of it all. I couldn't imagine. Luckily she is at a great hospital, she's at Advocate Christ Medical Center. My friend is an ER doctor there, and he told us her doctor is the best, so she is in good hands. Now we're hoping they'll find something soon so she can finally be treated and be able to go home.
I didn't know how else I could help, so I decided to take in Emily's sister, Grace, for the meantime. She was with us already for a big part of the week, and now is back tonight. So we have a full house! Grace really misses her family, but at the same time, I think she's having a lot of fun playing with Kailee and helping take care of Rylan, so the distraction is great for her. Tonight, we skyped with Emily at the hospital, and it was great to see her. Technology is amazing. What a great way to communicate with someone when you can't physically be there. Why I didn't think of this earlier, but now Gracie gets to see her family as much as she needs to, until everyone gets to come home. How perfect.
So say a little extra prayer for my little Emily the next few nights. She needs it. And everyone knows I can't do a blog post without putting a photo, so here is a photo of Emily and Kailee holding Rylan after he was born. How cute are they?
Well, the Christmas season is upon us. I am so looking to forward to this year because Kailee is a little older now, and I love to see the excitement on her face just talking about Santa. I have to say, last year, watching her walk down the stairs and seeing what Santa left her....it's what Christmas is all about! She was so excited that she giggled so crazily, so I can only imagine what this year will bring.
So, I have already started shopping. This is the earliest I've ever done it. And I have to say, I have become crazy about Black Friday. Yes, I was always the one to say what the heck is sooo important to get that you get up at 4am to drive and wait in this ridiculously long line to save what??? Maybe $50? But a few years ago, I started going out, not quite that early, but I may leave around 7 and head out to see what I can get. I have sorta made it a sport. My sister has joined me in the craziness, and we just make a morning out of it. No kids, no spouses. Just us girls. However, this is not for everyone. Don't expect to go out early in the morning to get some good deals and not have to wait in long lines, find parking anywhere near the entrance of the building, or even a shopping cart some times. It's just expected! I hate going out and hearing people complaining the entire time their in line, being rude to others, and worse...I actually saw someone get out of their car to fight someone b/c they took their parking spot. I KID YOU NOT!
So this leads me into this year. So if you are a parent, you will appreciate this! This years' toy that every parent is trying to get their hands on are Zhu Zhu pets. They are this little hamster that when you push in their nose they squeek and actually scurry around. You can buy different habitats for them and connect them to make your own dwelling. Here's the commercial.
So, a few weeks ago I was told that Walmart would have around 30 of them for a big ad they had coming out on Sunday, sale starting at 7am. Rylan happened to wake up around 6:15 to eat, so after he was done, I thought I'd head out and take my chances. I get there, and who do I see in line, but my dad! He had decided to try to get there since he thought I wouldn't. There were about 12 other people waiting. I was so surprised, I was going to get one! As I was talking with my dad, an employee came out to hand out numbers. She was telling everyone that it would be only one per person, and that they had received 2 shipments, so they'll have plenty for everyone. So I went up to her to tell her that I hadn't received a number yet, and that's when all hell broke loose. The lady behind my dad went berzerk! I had not realized that no one had yet received a number, let alone that they had lined up. The employee had come by handing out the numbers, and since I was next to my dad handed me one, and the lady behind us lost it. She started yelling at me that she had been there since ten to six and the line was back there and I better get in the back of the line. So I told her to calm down, that there are plenty for everyone, repeating what the employee had said. And she would not stop, just yelling that she hadn't waited there since 6 for me to cut, and I was absolutely blown away by this. So naturally, the italian in me came out, and I yelled back at her. I had had it! So I told her, my exact words were some like "There is only 15 of us here, there's plenty for everyone." And when she kept going, I finally said, Listen, you're the reason why we have to have numbers and wait in line, you're the reason why people get trampled on at these sales. Calm down, these are not life saving machines we're in line for, these are pet toys...toys. Remember that." And then she stopped. I think I embarrassed her enough that she couldn't say anything else. The funny part is, when they came out to hand out the toys, they didn't even line us up! So people who came even after me received them first. And the lady who yelled at me, well, she came back in to complain, her's was broken!!!! And there were none left! Ha! Carma sucks huh! :)
So everyone, please try to behave this holiday season!
Well, it's been about 5 months since I had Rylan, and I still need to lose about 5lbs to get back to the weight I was before getting pregnant with him. BUT, I still have 10lbs to lose that I never was able to shake off from my first pregnancy with Kailee. That's probably the minimum that I would want to lose, my ultimate goal would be around 35lbs. I just don't want to be one of those mom's that can't chase their kids around because I'm too out of shape. The problem is finding the time! :) When you go to bed at 1am and get woken up by a baby once during the night, then somehow my some miracle wake up at 7:30 to start your day, it's just hard to find not only the time, but the motivation to workout! So I started at LA Fitness, which I love, except for the fact they have no early morning classes. I am definitely a person that needs to go to a structured class. Their earliest one is 8:30, and James is already gone to work. So LA Fitness, here's my formal complaint! :) What about us moms that work from home? Well, then the season just hit for me, and now my workout plan has gone to the wayside. So it's time to start up again!
Well, we found this clip on YouTube, and I can't believe there's a 5 year old showing me up! :) It's a little long, but you'll get the gist in the first five minutes. It's pretty amazing!
Well, we are in the swing of things! It is getting busy here at Bellissima, and we wouldn't have it any other way! I've done some really great weddings, with really incredible people, and I can't wait to show off some of the images. But I had realized, I never blogged many of my weddings last year! It got a little crazy, so I left it out. So I am making it a point to add some of the previous ones with my new!
Anyways, this is a non work related post. A little while back a friend of mine sent me this clip. It got me thinking, gosh, I love reading the funnies! Somewhere over the years, I just stopped. No specific reason, just did. So in light of my new revelation, I vow to begin reading them again! I love humor, and in our lives there is ALWAYS room for a little more giggling, don't you think. Well, this clip is for all my mommies out there.
