Our friends at Evantine (the brainchildren behind my own wedding design) have launched a new website and blog. One of the things I really like about their blog is that it's as much about beautiful events as it is about unexpected tidbits of style and local cuisine.

I keep asking Melissa to blog about the damask lampshades from my wedding that I get numerous emails about. She seemed convinced last time I chatted with her about it so keep an eye out for future damask lampshade insight.

I'm not exactly sure why all little boys love trains, but this one was no exception. I loved meeting little T and his hip mama, whose photos will be available on display at Two Paper Dolls in Wayne.

Most may recognize me as an early adopter of digital photography (which I love), but I still enjoy a little film for my personal work. A few weeks ago I took my little dog Art and a Holga out for a visit to one of my favorite locations.

We live in the city, so it's fun to watch him run free in nature.

This baby boy has two older brothers (twins!), and the three of them keep mama very busy! I photographed this family last year and now their newest addition has arrived. I love his little smile in the first one...

You may have seen on our new website, www.lauranovakkids.com, some examples of how family portraiture can become an integral part of your home decor. Last week, I met with the legendary Vicente Wolf, a highly influential designer, to discuss this concept with him, and further explore the possibilities. Vicente was very enthusiastic about the idea of using family images as decor, and we talked about the possibility of him speaking at our studio sometime this fall. He has since posted about this on his blog, which you can read here.

I'm looking to see if there is a local design community in the greater Philadelphia area who would be interested in hearing Vicente give a talk in Wilmington or Philadelphia. If so, please leave a comment below with your name, organization, and the best way to contact you.

Below are some of my favorites - examples of how our clients have used their family images in their home design.

A lovely black and white wallpaper mural, used here in a nursery.

This image is acrylic, which pairs well with the minimalist environment. I love how the contemporary blues in the photo pop against the classic, stark white of the walls and trim.

Finally, an image of a newborn in a transitional home. Note how the art piece hangs above the same couch this cutie was photographed on!

Meet Ethan, a super-nice skater and all around cool guy. Ethan's dad is the Joe of YoYo Joe's Toys & Fun, a boutique toy store in Wilmington that I highly recommend if you have not visited it yet.

It was Ethan's idea to incorporate his skateboard and yo-yo tricks into our recent portrait session, which I totally loved.

It was so refreshing getting to do a session with 12-year-old Ethan, who's every bit as wonderful as his parents are. Some people stop scheduling individual portraits for their kids once they're past a certain age. But as you can see here, these photos capture Ethan's personality in a unique way.

Last year I had the pleasure of traveling to Bar Harbor to photograph Krista and Rory's engagement session in anticipation of their wedding at the Hotel Dupont, which took place last month. We had so much fun getting to know one another, and their wedding was a beautiful celebration of love and family. Flowers and decor were by Carl Alan Floral Design Ltd. with event planning by the lovely Sara from Engaging Affairs.

Have you heard of Engage: Something Blue? If not, it's worth looking into! Engage: Something Blue is a really neat luxury wedding symposium that I attended with an amazing group of people, and was honored to be a guest speaker Engage 09: Something Blue in Cayman Islands. I had so much fun hanging out with friends, both old and new, while taking a much needed break in the middle of the busy June wedding season. Believe it or not, I didn't bring a camera, so these photos are all by the talented Stacey Kane.

Michelle Rago designed our beautiful welcome party complete with fireworks.

Here is Darcy Miller, editor of Martha Stewart Weddings and The Bride's Guide, speaking on the first day. She and I had lunch afterwards and it was very fun to learn about all of the exciting things going on at Martha Stewart Weddings.

Our final event of the evening was designed by Celebrations LTD in Cayman, which was absolutely beautiful. I don't believe that there are any photos of me speaking, so if you have any please shoot them over and I will add them to this post! I was on a panel with my friend and mentor Sean Low, as well as Harmony from the Bridal Bar.

The absolute funniest moment during the closing event was when Randy Fenoli of Say Yes to the Dress began dancing with Sylvia Winestock. They are both so fun, I absolutely adore Randy's positive energy and love for life. This video was taken by Bee Kim of WeddingBee and is a MUST watch

Engage 09 Party Time! from Weddingbee on Vimeo.

A big thanks to Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce from Engaging Concepts, the hostesses of the week, for providing such a great event for us to all enjoy.

Finally, there are rarely photos of me here on this blog so I thought I'd share one with myself and friends Vanessa from Two Paper Dolls, Karen from Grapevine, and Beka from Innove.