Sneak Peek

This past weekend I was in beautiful sunny Californian on a whirlwind tour, sans the kids and husband. I hopped from one location to the next, doing and seeing as much as I could within my strict allotted time. I hate having to have my time limited but am grateful for the few minutes or hours I can see familiar faces and grab as many hugs and hellos as I can get…I’ll take anything! In between the chaos, I was able to schedule 2 photo shoots…two very special photo shoots. I can’t wait to share the pictures and why these 2 photo shoots have a special place in my life and heart!

My heart sunk as the plane took off from LAX last night, and I cringed even more to find out that it was going to be snowing and brutally cold. However, when the mommy mobile pulled up to the curb, I could hear all the squeals and“mommy mommy mommy!!” which immediately made me feel at home…snow and all. Happy Monday!

Have You Laughed Today?

I always love a good laugh. Laughter is like oxygen, I need it to survive. Growing up with my two brothers made me crave laughter since my brothers are seriously two of the funniest guys around. All throughout our childhood, we loved to play pranks on each other, tell funny stories, make funny faces and get a good laugh at tormenting our younger brother David to do the funny things that we wanted to do. I was the mastermind, Richard was the enforcer. My earliest memory of us playing a prank on my brother David was when we moved into our new house, David was just learning how to walk, and Richard and I were hiding around the corner waiting to scare him. We were successful, we scared the daylights out of him, and just last week, 28 years later, David learned how to walk. As we got older, David was no longer our target for our pranks and jokes, but our entertainment. I remember us staying up late at night, watching David do the funniest impersonations, performing the most silliest dances and imitating Pee Wee Herman’s laugh….making us laugh until we nearly peed our pants or until one of us had an asthma attack. Now, David gets chances at paying me back for all the pranks on him when he was younger by acting like a “Cholo” in public and speaking “Spanglish”. Yes, he is so good, that it is totally believable, and that is why it is totally embarrassing. This past Christmas we went to the Nokia Center in L.A to watch George Lopez perform live. H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S! I also took advantage of Netflix and lounged in front of the TV watching comedians for about 3 hours a day. Now, that’s what I call a vacation.

And my crave for laughter extended itself in my friendships. I have ALWAYS had funny friends…always! My best memories are from high school and all the fun I had hanging out with the funniest people on campus. Alina, Erika, TK and Jordan….do those names ring a bell? For those of you who went to HS with me, you’ll know exactly who I am talking about and agree that they are seriously some of the funniest people around. In HS, I honestly would have asthma attacks from laughing so hard and TK and Jordan telling jokes and doing the BEST impersonations….oh, those were some of the best times. And to this day, my best friendships in the world are the ones who bring laughter into my life and allow me to be the goof that I really am.

So, it isn’t a surprise that one of my favorite shows is Saturday Night Live. That show is one of the most brilliant shows with the best parodies ever! The talent there is amazing! I’ve been a bit out of touch with SNL since now that I am a mommy, it airs way past my bedtime. BUT….thank goodness for technology like DVRs and the internet, I never have to miss an episode again. And since Monday’s are my dreaded day of the week, I’ve made it my resolution, among the many, to wake up to something funny to start off my week. So, if your Monday sucks or you simply need a laugh, just click below! Happy Monday!

 

Sneak Peek

I’d like to say that taking pictures of my kids is easy, but that would be a bold face lie. Ok, candids, when we are just hanging out, are a cinch…but an actual photo shoot…hmmm…now that is a recipe of a not so happy mama. ESPECIALLY when the weather is “suppose” to be nice and then it turns out to be crappy and windy. No, I’m not the least bit frustrated..hehe. So, after all that is said and done, I LOVE the pictures I just took of Travis’ upcoming 5th birthday. It is still 28 sleeps away (Travis is on countdown mode) but since February is pretty busy and there is no guarantee of nice weather, we got them done early. So, here’s a peek, just a peek.

Sneak Peek

Let the 2011 year begin! Today I started off the New Year with a twin photo shoot and next week I fly to Los Angeles to attend my BFF’s baby shower and to do 3 photo shoots! Can’t wait, can’t wait, can’t wait!  Until then, here’s a little sneak peek from this afternoon. And let me say, this little guy is such a trooper…in true Colorado fashion, the weather changed on us dramatically but this little guy kept on smiling!

Fontucky

I am a city girl and a beach girl…all.the.way. How can those two co exist? Um, easy….be a native Californian. On one hand, I love being able to wear flip flops 358 days a year (the other 7 days is dedicated to rainy days). have ponytail days, wear tanks and shorts,  but on the other hand, I LOVE being able to get dolled up and enjoy the city life at night. I love the hustle and bustle, but I also love the soothing sound of the crashing waves. When I got married, we lived literally two minutes from the beach. The beach has always been my oasis, a place where I can escape to be refreshed and renewed. I went to the beach 6 out of the 7 days a week…to run, to ride my bike, to soak up all the energy, to meditate, to “bronze” since I am already tan, and to never regret not taking advantage of the Oasis that was my backyard.

I am accustomed and comfortable in the environment that I grew up in. I fit right in. I am secure. Everything is familiar. When I first moved out to Colorado, I was comforted by the signs that read “Coming Soon…” on vacant lots. I hated the smell of manure.  I hated the open space. I hated the dilapidated barns. I hated all the dirty cars. I couldn’t understand why there were SO many streets that still had not been paved but were just dirt. Nothing of this was familiar, nothing of this was comforting….and all this made me feel was like a fish out of water. Back in California, we referred to the cities like this as the 909 (area code for the Inland Empire) or Fontucky (Fontana+Kentucky=Fontucky for those of you who are not native Californians) It is amazing how time can change everything. Things that I once avoided like the black plague (like driving down dirt roads to save time…no thank you..I’d rather spend time in traffic with signals and asphalt roads), I can now appreciate. Those ugly dilapidated barns are now appealing because of the character and unusual background it makes for a photo shoot. Those dirt roads (I still don’t understand why they aren’t paved, especially since it turns into mud when it snows), I love taking because I can drive all the way to Costco which is about 8 miles away and only encounter 3 signals and still make it in 9 minutes. The “Coming Soon…” signs, well, bad habits are hard to break, so YES, I still get excited when I see them (unless it’s another stinkin’ strip mall with the token dry cleaners, nail salon, liquor store but I don’t mind the hole in the wall restaurant they put in because I don’t like chain restaurants).

I love now finding the beauty in things that I never appreciated. My life isn’t one dimensional and neither is photography. I have always challenged myself (and my parents ), especially when something doesn’t come naturally. For me, that is about everything (except being able to put on makeup and style my hair without a mirror…yes, that is talent)…I just have a strong work ethic and I am a very driven person.  Last week, Jessica and I explored some abandoned homes with our cameras. Both of us were out of our comfort zone since there wasn’t a person in front of a camera…just some abandoned houses, barns, random furniture and junk all over the lot. I mean really, sign me up for that…um, nope. But, I love a challenge, I love an opportunity to learn, I love an opportunity to grow, and most of all, I love an opportunity to appreciate the place, both the familiar and unfamiliar, we call home.

 

Check Out Jessica’s Pics….

 

Jessica made snow look fun! Go check out her blog…just click here!

This one is my favorite that Jessica took. (Photograph by Jessica)

Capturing Your: Future

Meet the beautiful Emma Kate, weighing in at 7lb 14 OZ and 18” long. This past Christmas, I was able to meet beautiful Emma and I could not believe that she was already 4 weeks old. I met Tim and Kathy during our child prep baby class for my first son Travis, and since then we’ve remained close friends. Words cannot express the how special and what an amazing gift Emma is to her parents since she surprised both of them with a positive pregnancy result. I will always treasure their story and how God chooses to answers prayers, but in his own timing…and sometimes, how he uses humor to go along with it. I loved holding Emma, the smell of her, her beautiful blue eyes and having her fall asleep in my arms. This is such a precious time and I know that Tim, Kathy and her big Brother Wesley will treasure these beautiful moments for a lifetime. Congrats to the new family of four! I am sooooooo happy for you!

She didn’t like her parent’s wedding rings on her cute little toes, so just as she was kicking it off, I caught her quick balancing skills.

And no one is more in love with Emma than her big brother Wesley!

I couldn’t resist sharing this picture of Wesley. He’s such a sweetheart!

Published!

I have been seriously been putting off updating the blog because I am slowly recuperating from our two week vacation in L.A for the holidays. It’s not so much the time spent there, just the long 1000 mile continuous drive that sends me over the tipping point. However, how can I NOT share this exciting news that one of my pictures is being used by the company Similasan in their online and national campaign?!? I am so completely flattered and grateful that I was contacted about using a picture of mine taken last spring! This is definitely a first for me and I can’t help but be over the moon about this opportunity! So, here’s a first look at one of the advertisement Similasan will be featuring my picture in their ads. As more become available, I will share the images! And since most of my clients are families, please go visit their website by clicking here! They have lots of products are perfect for our little loved ones!