Madeline & Sylvia/ Pearl River Family Portrait Photographer

Sylvia and I have been friends since our first day of college when we realized we would be suite mates freshman year. I can't date myself by detailing how long ago that was, but let's just say Sylvia is now settled into a beautiful Pearl River home with her family. It is crazy to see your friends grow up and live adult lives because in my heart, we will always be crazy teenagers. For the record, Sylvia and I also shared a full sized bed in a 5-floor Astoria walk - up during my first summer in New York! Oh, the memories!


Madeline, pictured below, is her youngest daughter at 7 months. Keira, 3 and Dad were at a birthday party during our shoot so we'll try again in the summer for complete family portraits. For now, enjoy Maddy who is so delicious it's painful!

New Sponsor on Wedding Chicks!

It's been a quiet winter her on the East Coast and business is now starting to pick back up. Between intermittent snow storms, marathon training and running another small, seasonal business, there has been little time for blogging. One of my goals for 2011 was to double business by reaching out to a wider audience and to increase my blog readership 200%. So... in February I received an email from Wedding Chicks inviting me to be a sponsor on their site. Check out my vendor page HERE and pass it on! Of course, I welcome any feedback and suggestions on the page and you can leave a comment below or email me at ilene {dot} squires {at} gmail {dot} com. 

One Week in Buenos Aires: San Telmo

This is my last BA post (insert sad face here) and I write that in the most unapologetic way! It's common knowledge that I am my "best self" when I am at a flea market. A red wave comes over me, and I morph into a crazy, bartering old lady. What can I say?! It's in my blood! I spent countless weekends of my childhood with a $5 bill in the swap meet with my family. Figuring out how to stretch that money is a goal I still strive towards today.

We spent our very last BA afternoon at La Feria de San Telmo, BAs largest and world renown flea market. Since there are no real second hand stores in BA, San Telmo is where vendors from all over the continent come to display their collections of vintage treasures. Enter harps and angels here! I came away with leather goods, one of a kind jewels and an antique Russian camera from the turn of a century... WINNING! The perfect exclamation point to a wonderful trip.

One Week in Buenos Aires: Las Madres de La Plaza

The major highlight of this trip was Plaza de Mayo. Las Madres de la Plaza is an organization that was founded about 30 years ago when distraught Mothers were trying to find their "disappeared" children during the Dirty War. It was moving to witness a sliver of history; these Mothers have organized civil protests every Thursday at 3:30pm in the plaza adjacent to the Casa Rosada, or the equivalent to our White House. We were so moved by this, not only because of it's historical significance but also because of our age. The Mothers and Grandmothers pictured below could very well have been ours; and with that, I hope the story I tell captures the essence of the afternoon and the injustice these Argentines have faced for more than three decades. 

One Week in Buenos Aires: Tango

The Argentine Tango is the most sensual demonstration of male - female chemistry. Fortunately, there are many BA street performers to quench your tourist thirst so we weren't compelled to attend a more formal Tango show. Even in these small snippets, it was obvious who had skills and who didn't! Enjoy...

 While eating lunch at an outdoor cafe in Caminito.

 In the San Telmo Sunday market.

 She was old enough to be by Grandma but could really cut a rug! 

Day trip to Colonia del Sacramento

After a week of lounging around town and eating to our heart's content, we decided to venture off Argentine territory for a day trip to Colonia del Sacramento across the pond in Uruguay. It's always nice to add another stamp to your passport!


Colonia was just a 45 minute jaunt from the El Puerto Madero. When we arrived around 9:00am it was slow and we took a stroll around town (all of the size of a football field) and then hopped into our rented golf cart for a ride up the coast. With it's cobblestone streets, Colonia was charming up until the next ferry of tourists arrived mid - afternoon and we could hardly manage our little golf cart around the families sauntering aimlessly through the streets with their gelato! So we did what any smart girls would do and decided to get "lost" which was when we were chased by a stray dog who barked incessantly at the vehicle until we turned the cart off. That my friends, above anything else, was the highlight of the trip. The pictures tell it all.. 

 The autumn textures took me by storm --- they were simply bold and beautiful!

One Week in Buenos Aires: Caminito

Caminito, though widely recognized as BAs unsafe tourist trap, was actually quite charming. Caminito's Genoan roots, colorful buildings and lively street vendors were a departure from the metropolitan landscape of the rest of the city. We decided to throw caution to the wind and not venture off the tourist district since tourists and portenos alike advised us against sauntering aimlessly. This was not the neighborhood for that! So, after a mini photo shoot and a stop for some Havanna alfajores (though Cachafaz are by far the winners in my book), we hopped in a cab back to Palermo Soho.