Beloise Photography

2009-07-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

No more posts here.

Ever.

New BLOG @: www.abiqblog.com

Happy day!!

Shiny and new:

2008-08-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

New blog... go check it out here and update you bookmarks!

Side note: Today is my husbands birthday so I won't be doing any new posts on the blog until tomorrow...

busy

2008-08-25T13:59:00.001-07:00

Just a note to promise I'm not dead. And new posts will be coming very very soon. ;)

I'm in the process of catching up on all of my editing and redoing my image, branding, blog and {soon} my website... so yeaaaaa. Very soon there will be a whole new site to bookmark and big, glorious pictures to marvel at! ;)

..... ramblings.....

2008-08-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

A sign I saw today at the store:

"Do something you love every single day."

It made me heart smile. So simple and somehow so revolutionary.

So, today I will do two things I love. Just to catch up. ;)

~ 1. Eat a very large, very naughty, bowl of ice cream. With brownies and hot fudge.
~2. Make out with my husband ;)

Giraffes do exist!

2008-08-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Rewind five years ago. Our buddy Erik was planning on moving to Mexico to work at a orphanage in a few months, but since the orphanage wasn't fully ready for kids Ryan {boyfriend then} Sarah {my bestest} Erik and me would make the 4 hours journey every week to work on getting things ready. We scrubbed and painted, the boys tiled and put up walls.. and then in the evenings we would steal away for roadside tacos or if we were feeling rich, twelve dollar lobsters. It was a great summer. The worst part of the trips ( or best part, now looking back) was that Erik's car had no radio. No, I don't mean no cd player, like literally the radio had been ripped out. And so, we four were forced to talk for hours on end. We would fight and argue, sing crazy annoying songs and laugh over jokes. All in all, we had a great time making noise to fill the silence.

One particular day we'd run out of things to talk about and Sarah decides to play the Alphabet game. What?! Short synopsis: "A for Antelope" next person "B for bear" "C-" you get the idea.... {And she wondered why we weren't eager to jump in. } So she's playing all by herself because the boys were in a mood and I was busy laughing at her. She was having a grand old time. And she gets to G.

"G for giraffe"

and I still don't know why but I thought it'd be funny "What did you say?"

"G for giraffe" she says, laughing.

"Sarah, giraffes aren't real" I say glancing up and meeting the boys eyes in the review mirror.

They caught on. "Are you serious? Oh my gosh Sarah!"

She's obviously flustered and I'm dying laughing, because honestly, she believed anything back then. "Oh so I suppose you thought unicorns were real too? " I press " Have you ever seen a giraffe?"

She's shaking her head, bright red and completely embarrassed.

This torture went on for at least twenty minutes. Maybe longer. We three had my Sarah convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt, that giraffes were make believe. It took another good half hour to convince her we were kidding...

and the story is legendary. I use it whenever I need to prove how blond Sarah can be. Or just for a good laugh...

that's why when Sarah called me and told me about this shirt I almost had a heart attack. I mean, what are the odds that somewhere, someone else was convinced that giraffes were pretend?

Daniel and Lydia I July 25, 200

2008-08-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

{Sit back, grab a cup of coffee and put your feet up. This is a long one... ;) }

The weather was perfectly fitted for a lazy summer day, but the day was anything but lazy. From the early morning hours Lydia's friends and family worked to make her ceremony the black, cream and red vision she'd dreamed of for years. And it was well worth the work.

When Lydia and her father came though the old oak doors of the church, the stained glass windows illuminated the beaming bride. The congregation stood, holding candles as she came down the aisle to the wedding march played by a gorgeous and rare 18th century Organ.
Classic, yes. But traditional? No. Just sheer perfection.

Sneak peek...

2008-08-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Lydia and Daniel got married two weeks ago in Portland and since I know shes dying to see a picture.. here's a sneak peek from their day after session...

Traveling...

2008-08-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let ya'll know that I am still here I just don't have internet access so it may be awhile before I post again. Ryan and Me spent the last week and a half in Seattle, Portland and Colorado and now I'm in Virginia shooting another wedding. ( and catching up with high school friends) I will be home in a week and then there will be millions of hotness to blog so pllllleasse don't forget me. And until then, I'll be updating my twitter. ;)

Wedding : Tiffany & Alex

2008-07-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

*This wedding I was once again second shooting for the fabulous Shyla. ( who ps is nominated for Blu girl of the year pretty please vote for her!)*

Tiffany and Alex met when they were camp counselors one summer. It wasn't long before the attraction was evident for all to notice. As Tiffany's maid of honor said in her speech "we knew Alex was special from the moment we met him, but we knew he was for keeps when he would sit through 27 pictures to get one 'good' one."

Tiffany's love for pictures extended into her choice of photographers. She knew she had to have the best and thats why she searched until she found the perfect one. She took her choice to her dad telling him that pictures were going to last and she just had to have Shyla. Little did she know that her Dad had actually been Shyla's mentor in college. Small small world we live in.

This is during the 27 pictures speech...

After the dinner and dancing had started we stole the couple away to a made-in-heaven field that was caked with golden light... yum. {I truly do have a love affair with dusk... }

And you think I'm kidding...

2008-07-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

But I'm not. Tomorrow is July 11 and on this day 7-11 (the store) gives away free slurpees all day long. No, I'm not even kidding.

Two years ago after discovering this phenomena Ry and I hit up as many 7-11's as we could find.... this year I'm thinking of going all ninja with wigs and outfit changes in the car. We need some type of disguise that will get us more then the one drink per person. Hey, some slurpees don't last all the way to the next store. ;) You can call me crazy. I call it one of the best days of the year.

See~ some of the best things in life are free. ;)

E session I Ariana & Dany

2008-07-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Ariana and Dany knew each other in high school but it wasn't until years later when they started to notice the little things about each other that were special...

She watches his every move with adoration. Doe eyed and enthralled. And Dany, well he's definitely smitten. Randomly throughout the day he grabs her hand and kisses it as a simple reminder to Ariana how lucky he feels to belong to her. They are a gorgeous couple full of life and laughter. A pleasure to be around and completly, utterly, head over heels for each other...

*Note: This is one of the engagement sessions that Shyla gets all the credit for. She's shooting their wedding in september but she let me tag along for fun. Make sure you check out her blog for all the hotness...*

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! One of my favorite-st days in the year. I hope with all my heart that everyone of you be able to enjoy the simple things that makes the 4th of July so amazing.. bbqs and pool partys, fireworks and friends. I for one have to work tonight ( booo) but I had a festive breakfast with Joel and Emily of waffles, blueberry's, strawberrys and whip cream. All in the name of being patriotic. ;)

Thank you to all the soldiers who make independence day a reality. And to their family's who miss them.

And last, but not least, Happy birthday to my dearest friend. I love you Sarah Gentry.

Family

2008-06-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

We'd been wanting to see the Quiz side of the family for a few months and finally got a few days off last week. So we hopped a plane to WY for some good food and family time. ( and in case anyone missed it my husband has 12 kids in his family. 6 of who still live at home.)

I'm so far behind blogging and trying to catch up, thus,

THE Highlights:

Bags lost there

Bags lost on the way back

Yellowstone park

- chased a moose through a swamp with Steven and Ry trying to get a good picture.. Note the trying.

- Bought a 10 lb bag of hot tamales' for the trip. And jellybellys. And sour patch kids and hoho's and chips ahoy cookies and cream soda and chips... and yea. No judgment. First of all, I didn't do the buying. Second, we took carrots too. And third, when your in a car for 12 hours searching for wildlife, what else are you going to do? We seriously had so much junk food that all 10 of us ate the entire time and we still had loads of candy and cookies left over... ummm, yea.

- saw a mom bear and her 2 cubs. ( and I won the slap bet! woot!)

- saw bubbling paint? It was pretty cool. Very land before time-ish.

- had old faithful spray us when it shot up. yes, I have tasted a national landmark. ;)

- Got reallllly close to a buffalo. ( Did I mention you're supposed to stay 45 feet away? We're rebels us Quiz's. )

- And last but not least played the story game. You know, where one person starts, and then the next person adds a sentence. Well, I was feeling all wilderness- y and envisioned a hunting story so I start.

"I always wanted to buy a gun"

Ryan "and so I did."

April "and I shot my sister." (what the-? )

Josh "and that's why I'm in a maximum security prison." (getting darker by the second)

Mom Quiz " I'm not supposed to squirt my sister with a water-gun and so thats why I'm grounded to my bedroom thats like a prison. "

We all died laughing. Leave it to a mom to change the story to being happy and G rated. Unfortunately, Stevie was next and the sister died again...

The time was short, but sweet.

And these are a few pictures from our first evening there. I went outside to try and catch the sunset and take a few photo's of Rebekah's tree and ended up rolling around laughing in the dewy grass with Anna, April and Ruth. And for just a second.. I was little again...

Seriously.

2008-06-28T23:16:00.001-07:00

Random, I know, but I had to share...

I 2nd shot a wedding today and it was so hot in palm desert that I burned through my shirt. {And we were outside for all of 15 minutes}

Is that even possible?

As Shyla said last week, hells {most definitely} cooler.

Side note: I will be posting lots of pictures in the very near future!~

Happy Saturday!

Shyla

2008-06-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

So I'm going to brag now... My buddy shyla is in town from Boston and I get to tag along with her all weekend long , because miraculously I have today and tomorrow off .

I'm super excited to be able to just sit and watch her with clients. Although I've worked with her before it's been over a year and back then I was more concerned on getting my manual settings right during the wedding then actually sitting back and just learning from her. So, I'm stoked to be able to watch someone hot rock not just one, but 3 sessions .

Yesterday we had the most gorgeous couple for engagement pictures. And oh the pictures and the Shyla light! Amazing. you have to check out her blog in the next few weeks for images from the shoot. HOT. I'll post some pictures in the next week or so once she has hers up.. but for now.. I leave you with these pictures of us..

and keep in mind that it was 1 in the morning at a grand celebration/reception party that started wayyyyy earlier... after 2 apple martini's {which is 2 too many } ;)

Too hot to think

2008-06-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

So. incredibly. hot.

Wasn't it just a few weeks ago I was saying that I wanted it to be hot enough for shorts? Well, now its hot enough to fry a egg outside. {hmm.. I should test this theory} And I wish it were cooler. Fall perhaps. Maybe even snowing a bit.

I finally convinced Ry to let me turn the air on yesterday. If anytime to turn on the air 103 is a good time. So now its hotter outside then inside by about ten degrees. Our little wall unit is trying his hardest and I really and truly appreciate all his hard work, but seriously, I would do almost anything for a good dip in a pool or some central air about now. Good thing: our freezer is full of ice cream. Bad thing: its rapidly disappearing. {And I'm the only one home. }

Yes, I went there.

2008-06-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

So today in San dimas its is 103 outside. 103. Hot enough to fry a egg on the sidewalk. At least thats what the people say. And I've always pondered it as a kid. "could you really fry a egg?" so, today, bored as I am I decided to try it.... its a myth...

The Newlyweds I June 7, 2008

2008-06-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

He spent fifteen hours making her a scrapbook for her birthday. Pictures of their past adorned the pages~ the outreach they did in Mexico. The road trip to Washington state. The murder mystery dinner theater. Their first kiss. He made sure to make a page dedicated to her birthday too, symbolized the present. And in the very back was a envelope all folded up. When Kim opened it she saw a picture of a ring, and "future?" scrawled next to it. Appropriately, Tom had bought her a three diamond ring. And the rest they say, is history...

I got to document one of the most important days of their present last Saturday. It was a beautiful wedding and I'm so lucky to have been apart of it. Thank you Tom and Kim for allowing me such a honor.

I just adore this picture! Something about it just makes me smile..

Ryan all the credit for the walking out picture~ super hot.

Teaser Teaser.

2008-06-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

Its like a movie preview.. just a glimpse and your hooked.

more to come very, very soon. promise. But right now, it's girls night and I'm off to be finalllllly "carried away" and eat lots and lots of buttery popcorn. Yey!

2008-06-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

I had just got done running with the dogs. My mind was clear and I felt refreshed. I was ready to work. On the way in I decided to check my mail. Bills, bills, and yea....

T-mobile was one of them. My usual bill is somewhere around a 100 dollars with my faves and unlimited texting. Well imagine my surprise when this bill was 237 dollars. And 54 cents. What the?

So I call T-mobile bound and determined to be tough ( I was a CSR for dish network in college so sometimes i melt under the pressure and stop being mean because I know what its like to be on the other end of the call) anyways.... so the plan was to be tough and threaten to cancel my service if they don't explain to me why my bill is so high and don't offer to help me...

and Joe answered. And he was getting married in October and has a fifteen month old. Him and his finance are getting married at a ski lodge in the mountains. And he does photography in his spare time. He was really nice...

and I lost my meanness and ended up joking around with him ..

and I still have a bill of 237. and 54 cents.

Suck.

My kind of healthy:

2008-06-01T18:19:00.001-07:00

I bought the m & m's for the good of my health. Seriously, I did.

In previous weeks I've tried to develop a healthy alternatives to candy while editing pictures since I've been known to eat through an entire (BIG) box of hot tamels in a nano second. {and goodness knows hot tamels do nothing to help my waist line} I tried fruit but it proved to be too messy. Carrots worked well for about a day and then I was tired of them. I recently switched to Banana chips as a snack. And I was happy. They were tasty, sweet and nutritious. Low and behold the other day I turn the package over and find that my little 8 oz container holds a whopping 1200 calories. Sneaky packaging company. I mean, common a 1 oz serving? Please. I go through the 8 oz container and I'm still hungry.

So, obviously, today, at the grocery store I bought the bag of m & m's. At least they have calcium. Here's a toast to strong bones. ;)

{On a side note, today I finished my first sample album. Cheers! }

{Breath}ing deeply

2008-05-31T14:52:00.000-07:00

On days like today,
when I feel especially broke,
i have to remind myself to take a step back.
To breathe.

I remind myself on these kind of days that money doesn't equal happiness. Mac and cheese for dinner or not, I have a husband who loves me . Unconditionally and always. For better or worse. And while we may not be in the forbes top 20, these are the days we will look back on and cherish someday. The days of our youth, when we were young and free. No children, no ties. Open to possibilities. Open to adventure.

If I were in a different time and place with boatloads of money, there is no guarantee I would be happy. I may, in my alternate world, have a closet stuffed to the brim with Jimmy Choo and Chanel purses and be amazingly stylish but I may be in love with an idiot. Or not in love at all.

So today, I am making a concious choice to be thankful for what I do have. Even as frustrated as I am with the now. While my 30D isn't the 5D, I do have a camera that I was so longing for a year ago. I may not have my branding, or my custom blog that i want so desperately that I've actually dreamt about it, but I do have a website. All the greats took it one day at a time too. And while I may not have all the answers, at least I'm beginning to understand.

I'm frustrated with album designing, but I'm learning. I'm frustrated with my work flow process but it will come with practice. I'm frustrated with learning how to use the TRA mix, but I do have them. And when I figure out my own unique look it will be a glorious, glorious day. {And there will be free ice cream for all.}

It's all about the learning process in this thing called life. One foot in front of the other. {Breathe} Getting up and trying again. {Breathe} The joy of discovery. And all the glorious possibilities tomorrow may hold...

Brandon & Jessie I May 17, 2008

2008-05-28T19:55:00.001-07:00

They wed on the lawn overlooking the lake at five in the evening. Brandon stood flanked by his groomsmen, nervously awaiting his bride. On the balconies of the resort, overlooking the ceremony lawn people watched for her entry. The music started and Jessie apeared, glorious to behold. She was beaming from head to toe, excited to marry her love. So excited in fact that when the minister started with "Jessie do you take-" she interjected an emphatic "I do!" before he had even finished. The friends and family attending laughed along with the couple at her eagerness and Brandon beamed at his bride, delighted to be wanted so much.

The flowers were beautiful. The Bride and Groom were all smiles. The lake glistened. The bridal party was full of disko divas who stayed on the dance floor all night long. And the favors were boxes of gourmet chocolate. Does it get any better then this?

Brandon and Jessie, thank you for allowing me to be apart of your celebration. And thank you for letting me steal more then one box of chocolate for the ride home! ;) Have a blast in costa rica! ~A

Love letter

2008-05-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

My love,
I'd do anything for you. I love you more then I did two years ago.. and less then I will in thirty years. You are my other half, my soul. I love you. Happy anniversary. Better late then never, right? ;) Always, Me

Our wedding anniversary was on Wednesday. We spent the day in San Juan Capistrano, wandering around the old mission, exploring the fabulous antique stores and walking the town. The mission was absolutely breathtaking and very romantic. In a tragic titanic kind of way. Afterwards, we drove PCH up the coast to Laguna beach and spent the sunset hour on the rocks watching the tide come in... and we ate the most glorious ice cream cones ever invented. Grape flavored. With nerds mixed in. Seriously, life changing and a very close second to watermelon...

May 21 is by far my favorite day of the year.

2 years ago...

Liberty Anna

2008-05-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

I still remember the first day I held her. She was the prettiest baby I'd ever seen. Gorgeous brown eyes. Wisps of curly hair. When Liberty was born I was sixteen and I thought she was perfect. Nine years have passed since then. And I still think she's pretty much, well, perfect. Lib is a bundle of energy..a tomboy who can run with the best of em. While wearing lip gloss, of course. She is absolutely breathtaking and I love being able to bust my camera out and photograph her.

Maternity I Lindsay Jo

2008-05-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and I met freshman year of college. She was the good girl. I was the loud one. She liked to study. I liked to go get coffee and pretend to study. Somehow, polar opposites that we were, we became friends. I think it had alot to do with the fact that back then I liked to shock people and Lindsay was easy to shock. ;)

A few months ago she came into town and we met for lunch. Over In and out we talked about life as we'd known it, growing older, being married. Kids. Lindsay and her husband Jake have been wanting a baby for awhile now. What we didn't know a few months ago was that that Lindsay was actually already pregnant. Last week she came back into town.. and I took some pictures for the excited, blushing mom to be.

Congratulations guys! I am so incredibly happy for you two! Lots of love,
A

E session I 40's fashion

2008-05-20T17:29:00.001-07:00

They fell in love over coffee.

When Lydia told her friends about a boy who she liked to debate with after she got off of work, they all raised their eyebrows and smiled knowingly. The couple would meet up at the local coffee shop and talk long after it closed into the wee hours of the morning. Religion. Politics. Movies and Music. After a while the topic wasn't really important anymore... and they began to fall in love. Her friends said he must be something special. Lydia knew he was. And the rest they say.. is history.

Lydia and Daniel wanted something different for their engagement pictures. Something that would be considered art on their walls. After much thought they decided on a 40's fashion feel at Union Station in downtown LA...

First comes love ...

2008-05-07T12:24:00.001-07:00

They were high school sweethearts. And although parents will tell you first loves don't last, Rachel and Steve are living proof that they can, and do last. Their wedding was a celebration of their love and the long awaited joining of their lives.

Steve and Rachel~ Thank you so much for letting me be apart of your special day! I hope your honeymoon was amazing and that you did get to see monkeys in the trees!

My favorite part of a wedding~ without a doubt, is when the couple is introduced as Mr. and Mrs. ~ the bride is always beaming from head to toe!

2008-05-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

Every day matters.

2008-04-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

I am a romantic. Pure and simple.
I need to be allowed to dream.
I need to feel that escape is at my fingertips. We could move tomorrow if we dared.
That excitement lingers.
All notions are within reach. If you only try…
Nothing is impossible.
I need to really and truly believe that people can change.
I need to believe with my whole being that love is vital. Like breathing.
I am a romantic. And a dreamer.
I don’t always believe that we’ll really go to Paris this spring, or retire in Maine.
And when I say I want a sailboat for the summer I mean it with every fiber in my
being.
But I don’t mean now. I mean someday.
Dreaming keeps me believing in something more then the traffic.
We will have a willow tree . Someday.
Believing keeps me content in the now and makes me hope for better.
We will travel the world side by side. Soon.
Hoping keeps me sane.
I will write a book.
We will have a cottage on the lake.
We will raise brilliant beautiful babies.
We will be in love until the day we die.

I’m a dreamer and a romantic. Don’t try to tame me.
Let me be.

Going to the chapel...

2008-04-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

If any day to feel old, today is the day. Just last year we were screaming at each other and having marker wars. Just last week she was giving me the dreaded "chicken head"and mocking me while I tried to babysit. Just yesterday I was eight and eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of my very own sister. Soon I will be meeting her to go dress shopping. Not just any dress shopping. THE dress shopping. Yes, my beautiful , blue eyed, adventures, amazing little sister Autumn is engaged. And, in typical Autumn fashion, it was a whirlwind of a relationship~ the type that takes your breath away and leaves you tired. So whirlwind in fact that I haven't even met him yet. As I said, typical Autumn. Crazy. Fun. Spontaneous. ( Though the proposal was approved by dad last weekend and was indeed talked about and planned.) We always said she would be one to meet "him", fall head over heals, and be married before we blinked. My parents adore him, my younger brothers and sisters rave and... well, i have yet to meet him... but if he turns out to be half as good to her and wonderful as they say, I know I will love him to. Welcome to our family Todd. I am sooooo extremely excited for you guys! xoxo

~ Stole the picture from her myspace~

So hot right now...

2008-04-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

My Sarah and her Lilli left yesterday evening and I must admit, a week wasn't long enough. Sarah and I just get each other in the way only dear friends can. And although I did love sleeping in this morning, my house is way too quite today. In a perfect world, Sarah and I would live near each other like we had planned. We would be together while our husbands worked, raising our kids side by side. And reeses pieces would have no calories. Sigh. Why do the ones we love the most have to live the farthest from us?

On a happier note, I managed to dress my amazingly beautiful mom-friend up this week and do a photo shoot of her and lilli... who as I mentioned before, is literally, the prettiest baby I have ever seen. We call her pretty pretty princess... and when she's old enough... she will wear a tutu everyday...

I mean, seriously, look at these lips...isn't she breathtaking?

Makeup by Rebekah White. Styling by your truly. More pictures will be added tomorrow so check back soon...

and.... I'm off to eat tacos.

New pictures added: enjoy!

Lilli

2008-04-04T01:47:00.001-07:00

My bestest, Sarah, and her little girl Lilli are in town for a week visiting and making my days full of sunshine. This is one of my favorite weeks ever and it has just begun. Sarah was my roommate for 4 years and (excluding my husband, of course,) is my best buddy and hearts twin. Lilli is literally, the prettiest and cutest little girl I have ever seen. And, seriously, I'm not prejudice. At all. Lilli's only 9 months old and already she's learned to whistle. We're thinking she may just be eligible for the Guinness book of world records as the youngest whistler ever. And if not, then definitely for the cutest baby ever.

Today

2008-04-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

A yellow ribbon symbolizes devotion. Loyalty. They are powerful symbols of ties that bind. Longing for loved ones who are far way to return home to us safely.

So today, I hung a ribbon for you brother.

I love you. More then you know. And, I'm so looking forward to July when I can throw my arms around you and not lose sleep at night anymore. xo

A little wreckless...

2008-03-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

Angie....

2008-03-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

Meet Angie. Brilliant musician. Lived so much already. Full of laughter. Beautiful inside and out... and, so glad to call her my friend.

My little brother...

2008-03-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

The reason we went to Colorado for the weekend was to see my brother Tyler before he deploys in a few weeks. While we were there he asked if I could take a few pictures of him and his girlfriend, Sara. Of course I said yes. It's so easy to photograph beautiful people!

And they say their camera shy....

I managed to sneak in a few portraits of Ty by himself even though he was moaning the whole time. Isn't he cute?

I love you Ty.

Durango

2008-03-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

I've been in Durango the past few days and managed to get a few landscapes in...

enjoy.

Little boys...

2008-03-10T01:13:00.000-07:00

My dream has always been to have a bunch of little boys. I love the cowboys and indians, scraped up knees and elbows, stick fights and tonka truck's, rough and tumble of little boys. The Prior kids are no exception... I spent the afternoon in the park with them yesterday and had a blast. Meet my new favorite little boys this side of Arizona...

And their parents:

Little people...

2008-03-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

The beautiful bride on my website, Christina, has two beautiful babies. A few days ago I stopped by to snap a few pictures for her newly redecorated living room walls. How cute are they?

Parker:

he hadn't taken a nap yet....

And Hailey...

Hailey loves to play dress up. Everytime I've been to see Christina, Hailey is either wearing a tutu or Cinderella dress... so I ask her to go put on a princess dress... I love little girls!

Michelle #3

2008-03-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

I know its totally out of hand.. but really I just loved these pictures and had to post a ton. Bear with me.... this is the last of Michelle's pictures...

I think this may be my new favorite... I just love the look on her face...

Very much of an Egan feel....

And the night pictures...(if I haven't mentioned it before I have been dying to try a night shoot ever since Lauren Clark did one and I saw her amazing pictures...)

And my personal fav~

Happy Thursday!

Proof

2008-03-05T01:04:00.000-08:00

... Just further proof that I will do whatever is required to get a good shot..... how fun is this picture?

Picture by Dave in Zuma beach

Happy birthday tooooo me!

2008-03-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

Its my birthday! I'm 25 today so in jasmine star fashion I googled 25 ....

25 is a weird age. I keep on thinking this means I have to grow up and be responsible. Ehhh... moving on ...

My hot hubby bought me this bracelet I've been wanting for weeks now. Its juicy couture and so stinking hot. I love it! (now to score the discontinued lip charm..)

We are planning a lazy day to celebrate.... we had brunch with friends this morning and ate glorious plates ( yes I said plates... I think I hit the buffet at least 4 times..) of fruit and waffles and cannoli's. (Cannoli's have got to be one of the glorious breakfast foods ever created) Mmmm. For dinner we are having strawberry shortcake and steak. Yea, doesn't really make the "normal" dinner menu... but its my birthday.. and on birthdays you should get whatever you want. It will be a good day! Lots of food, minimal movement, ( one of the birthday presents I requested is the removal of calories from all food for today~ for everyone~ so eat anything you want today with no guilt. ;) Also on the agenda~ girl movies in the afternoon (poor Erik and Ry) and friends and coffee in the evening. Could it be any better? I think not...

Side note: Eat a cupcake or two. Their calorie free. I Swear.

Michelle #2

2008-03-01T13:08:00.000-08:00

As I promised... more images... But with the best day of the year around the corner (aka my birthday) I still haven't had time to edit my FAVORITE picture. So stay tuned for some more incredible pictures... these are just a few...

*SPOILER:* We did a lil' bit of a night shoot... ;)

and these are two edits to the original post that I think are prettier together... so these sets or the first?

Michelle #1

2008-02-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

I had a blast shooting Michelle yesterday. Not only is she fun, but she's beautiful as well which makes her extremely easy to photograph! We started shooting in an ally in santa monica for more of a fashion feel before moving on to Malibu for the sunset.

(I am on my way out so I can only post a few of the million pictures we shot~ but I promised Michelle her mom would be able to see them tonight. So hi to Michelle's mom! And to everyone else~ more pictures are promised tomorrow!)

Side note: I'm thinking of adding Michelle to my website. So be sure to comment and tell me which are your fav!

She had the cutest vintage purse from the 50's.

Heads or tails?

2008-02-24T18:01:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those days when all the songs running through your head have a familiar theme? Avril Lavigne's "Runaway" and this song by Jo Dee Messina keep playing in my head. On repeat. Maybe it's because I miss my hubby and am desperate need of a date day where all we do is watch movies and cuddle. Maybe it's because its raining and wet and cold outside and I don't own an umbrella. (And I'm sick of looking at my house's inside all day.) Or maybe it is just LA and the traffic ... uhh the traffic. Either way.. I can't get it out of my head. (Granite you would have to switch out the california part. Tails Italy has a nice rhyme to it.. but, seriously, don't you ever just want to get away from it all and go on mental vacation? Margaritas and white sand. Mmm...

Heads, Carolina Tails, California.
Somewhere greener, somewhere warmer.
Up in the mountains, down by the ocean.
Where? It don't matter, as long as we're goin'
Somewhere together. I've got a quarter.
Heads, Carolina Tails, California.

....

2008-02-23T16:36:00.000-08:00

Rain rain go away......
If only I had a cool umbrella, rain boots and a willing model. Or if only it weren't raining. I'm itching to shoot and its dark and gloomy and storming. Oh well.. I guess I'll just bake cookies and watch a movie.
However... if in the next week someone wants to do pictures in the rain and has a willing umbrella let me know! I can't eat cookies forever....

E session!

2008-02-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

Meet Rachel and Steve. High school sweethearts. He was afraid to ask her out and almost threw up. First love and adolescent nerves. Oh sweet bliss. To get in the groove we started shooting where it all began. As they walked around the high school they pointed out where he first asked her out... where she first saw him..

I mean really, how cute are they?

*also side note~ I will be experimenting a lot in the next few weeks with borders and fonts as I work on my branding. Comments are ALWAYS appreciated!*

Leopard Rosie...

2008-02-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

This week. Ohhh this week. So memorable for so many reasons...

I flew to Colorado to hang with the fam and do a few photo shoots. However, no one warned me until I got here (too afraid I would back out probably) that in some places there was 7 feet of snow. That's right. No grammatical error. Feet. I always, always, ALWAYS love a good photo shoot. And of course, I am always down for an adventure. Adventure is what makes photographs memorable. Unique. Lovely. Except in 7 feet of snow. With little people hardly 4 feet tall. So, needless to say, today was fun. The snow had melted a tad, but really, even if it had melted 50% that still means lots and lots of white....

Along with the BLIZZARD on hand, I had two of the most unique kids I've ever photographed.. ( And I say this, in total love. goodness knows the craziest kids I've ever met are Saunder-berry's. Aka family. ) Garrett is the boy. 10 years old and already building working, moving, operable planes with items he find in the house. can we say rocket scientist? And the little girl? Well she was born Makenna haley brook six years ago. In second grade she decided she "needed a change" and decided to tell her whole class to call her Rosie. Rosie Michelle. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone in Durango now ( other then family) that calls her Makenna. She's a Rosie though and though. She also owns piles and piles of leopard print. Leopard rain boots, Leopard coat. Leopard shirts, pants, suits, dresses.. you name it. She owns it. And she owns it with class. She has fashion taste and clearly doesn't care what anyone thinks. The next Chanel perhaps? (ohhh wouldn't that be fab ~ I would discounts on her purse line! )

Little Rosie~ don't you just love the rain boots?

and Garrett~

beauty.

trying so hard not to smile. so so cute.

tomorrow i will go home. no matter what i say the next six months i love la. i love 90 degree weather in February for no reason at all. I can't wait to see my pups. and cuddle with my hubby.

A website, a puppy and flowers...

2008-02-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

What kind of flowers? Pink ones.... Okay, so the first two are true. The third is hopeful wishing that my darling hubby will bring me tulips tonight. Hey, its worth a try, right?

Anyways.. back to my story.. when I though today couldn't get any better ( since I have been dreaming of my website for over a year now) I got a call from a friend. This friend had bought a puppy, and then decided she really couldn't take care of it right now. Rewind a week ago when we baby sat the puppy for two days. Lexi Lou fell in love. And since the pup went home, Lex has been sad. Disheartened. Hasn't eaten and pretty much moped around. So I get a text last night. And I texted Ry. And today my Lexi has to be the happiest dog in the world. Her soulmate has returned! She's got a buddy! A best friend for life. And me? I'm pretty excited. The pup is super sweet and a total lap dog.

I'm content. I have a brilliant website. And two awesomely ugly-cute dogs. ( in case you don't know.. this is the phrase that describes the common knowledge that the uglier a dog is.. the cuter it is)

So without further ado ... meet the pup...

He will be about 8- 10 pounds. Is it bad if I don't feed him so he stays forever little? Kidding.... his current name is Montgomery. I'm thinking it may have to be changed to pickle. What do you think?

Can you handle it?

2008-02-07T02:36:00.001-08:00

It's LIVE!
My website is up and fabulous! .....now what are you waiting for? ...go check it out already. And then, if you want to tell me how perfectly amazing it is, come back here and tell me what you think! ;)

Happy Glorious Thursday!

Click here !

3:21 am ...

2008-02-06T03:53:00.000-08:00

that is when I thought I was done. 3:52 am was when I finished my final touches. Its going live in the next two days! I couldn't be happier! Blu is a great website company to go through! They were incredibly easy and my site is super fab. Yeayyy! Yeayyy! Yeayyy! I am so stoked! I will keep everyone posted when its official...

And to keep you hanging... a recent from Christina's bridal shoot... and p.s. its not nearly my favorite... but for that.. you must wait! ;)

...

2008-01-28T01:09:00.000-08:00

Big news! My amazingly amazing husband let me buy a website through Blu ! I was waiting for him and Jason ( brilliant brother in law graphic designer) to design a custom site for me.. and while I know that site will be perfect, I also know (realistically) it will take months to get my custom site going.( and, as I have mentioned before I'm not an overly patient person when it comes to anything pertaining to fun, adventure, or presents... ) Soooo, while they are creating a masterpiece, I will have an amazingly beautiful site. I already purchased the design.. now its up to Blu to get it up and running... and me to get my work re edited and sifted through.... oh yes, and to find music... Check back often! It should be running in the next week...
~La Bella Vie

In case...

2008-01-24T14:02:00.001-08:00

Something I thought I would share...

I spent the good part of my morning reading about a mother. A mother who just happens to be one of the best children photographers I've ever seen. What I read on her blog made me cry. Her and her family lost their precious little girl this past year and the women is so brutally honest about her pain. so open. so thankful for the time she had with her daughter. It moved me to tears and made me realize even more how much photographs are worth. So, that being said I leave you with this...

In case tomorrow doesn't happen. In case we don't get to tell them just how much they mean to us. In case life throws us an ugly blow... cherish.
everything.
every kiss.
every laugh.
everything.
give extra hugs.
love more.
live.

"We don't remember the days, we remember the moments. " ~ Pavesa

I leave you with a photograph I just found...

Boo

2008-01-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

My parents family dog ~ boo, got hit by a car last night. This is in memory of a dog who was loved very much ~ goodbye boo...

One

2008-01-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

"At this moment, there are 6 billion, 4 hundred, 71 million, 8 hundred, 18 thousand, 6 hundred, 71 people in the world. Some are running scared... some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day... others are just now facing the truth. Some are evil men at war with good, and some are good.. struggling with evil. 6 billion people in the world, 6 billion souls and sometimes... all you need is 1...." ~ O.T.H.

Photo by Shyla

Beauty.

2008-01-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

A few scenic shots of Victor, Idaho.

Drew boy...

2008-01-15T18:02:00.001-08:00

I totally forgot to add these pictures to the ones I had blogged earlier of my little in laws. Drew was all dressed up for photos. And then he looked around.. made sure mom was gone.. and ripped open his shirt. "take some of these!" he said. How could i resist? Aren't the best pictures of kids when they are really and truly just being themselves?

Good things out of bad....

2008-01-15T18:01:00.001-08:00

A bight point to my trip. Seeing the little ones.

Grandpa's workshop

2008-01-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

My Grandpa Vern was an amazing woodcrafter. He built baby cradles, rocking horses and highchairs. ( just to name a few things) He also made beautiful grandfather clocks. He had an amazing talent.. and he crafted all this magic in his basement. His workshop he called it. I remember being little and going down and watching him work. Marveling at his masterpieces. It used to just smell like sawdust. But My Grandpa probably hadn't been down there in several years so now it is a bit more storage space.. a little less workshop. When I ventured downstairs the old basement smelled of sawdust and musty air. and you know what? I still loved the smell. I think I'm more sentimental then i realized. While I was in New York, I got out my camera and took pictures of his special spot. Here are a few pictures i particularly love.

This is above the staircase and you go downstairs...

old notes ..

his nails organized...

The funeral.

2008-01-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

My family flew me in for my wonderful grandpa's funeral. It was a sad day. I read something that I had written for him~ but I revised it to make it a goodbye as well. This is what I read~

My grandpa, Vernon Saunders was an amazing man and although his life was long, all of us grieve his death. It's not that it has come on suddenly, or that his time has come to soon. He was 95 in December and lived to see a whole world unfold around him. The roaring 20s and the invention cars. He saw the great depression and despite living through it remained a positive, loving man. He married his college sweetheart and bought a little farmhouse with her big enough to raise a family in. He lived through world war 1, world war 2 and the 50's. Fathered 4 boys and survived their teenage years. He witnessed the 60's and 70's unfold and his boys turn to adults. The end of the Vietnam war, the 80's, and beautiful grandchildren... the 90's and grandchildren growing up. A whole new millennium, two great grandbabies and 70 years of marriage. My grandpa Vern had a wonderful life. But somehow that doesn't make it any easier when we are left behind and lose a part of ourselves with his death. For me, my grandpa is surrounded by and symbolizes all the things I love.. all the memories of my childhood and innocence... summers past and lazy days on the lake. I am losing my grandpa and all my memories of childhood will be just that from now on ~ memories. My Grandma Gert loses her husband. The love of her life and her friend. My dad and his 3 brothers lose their dad. Their hero. And everyone else who knew and loved Vernon Saunders lose a piece of themselves as well. . Although we had 95 years with him, somehow that isn’t enough. But, today, we reluctantly say our goodbyes knowing that he is in to a much better place . Believing in the hope that someday we will see him again and this goodbye, while it is sad, is not forever. Farewell to our mentor, our friend. Goodbye to a beloved husband and father. Goodbye my dear sweet grandpa. You will be missed.
~ALQ

...... And although it may seem odd, I dealt by taking pictures. This is one I particularly love of my daddy. He was watching them close my grandpa's coffin. How do you say goodbye to someone you love so much?

I know in reality there is no "perfect" day for a funeral. But it seemed almost perfect to me. Gray. Dark. Solemn. Cold. My dad said he thought a sunny day would be better for a funeral. I told him no. A dark sky indicates sadness. That God is grieving with you. Sharing in your sorrow.

Goodbye Grandpa Vern. I love you.

Catching up....

2008-01-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

So now that I am finally home and actually have a day off I am catching up on lost blogs. I have so much to share! I did a wedding this weekend, found an amazing picture of drew I forgot to blog and traveled from Jackson WY to Idaho ( and then by plane) to Denver To washington DC (layed over overnight because my plane was canceled~ yea for untied. ) to NY to Chicago to Idaho again. Then 24 hours later I got back into the car and drove home. This happened in the matter of a week. To say I was tired, is well, an understatement. However, despite everything that went "wrong" I still managed to have a good time and stay awake so i didn't miss any time with my favorite people. ( Did I mention that in the span of a week I managed to see all the people who matter most to me? My family, Ryan's family and my best friend? All that was missing was my little brother Ty and sister autumn. )

On another note, The reason for all my traveling was my Grandpa Vern died right before we left for WY. So, my family bought me a plane ticket and I flew home to NY for the funeral. ( I will blog about that as well~ right now I am focusing on the positive.) The plane as I mentioned before got canceled and i was stuck overnight in DC. The good news in all of this was I was able to see my best friend Sarah and her new baby Lilli who I hadn't managed to see yet. Sarah's husband Matt got us food at three in the morning and we managed to catch up for a few hours in the hotel before they drove me back to the airport. It was a much needed visit. So maybe the plane being canceled was a godsend?

I took a few pictures of Lilli while we chatted. Isn't she beautiful?

Jackson, WY and three of the quiz kids...

2008-01-04T22:29:00.000-08:00

We ( Jason, Karla, Erik, Ry and Me) arrived in Jackson, WY yesterday (after a long 15 hour drive) ( in which we ~ of course ~ stopped at Cracker barrel for breakfast) to spend a late Christmas with the Q family. ( And for everyone who doesn't know~ The Q's are Ryan's family and Ryan is one of 12 kids) So today while the rest of the quiz's flew in and were picked up we ( Andrew, April, Ruth and me) dressed up and did a photo shoot. We traipsed around in the snow and while we intended to only take pictures in front of the barn ( since the snow was knee high) we ended up getting lured in and climbing around. Pretty much, it was awesome. I love exploring new places! And, might I just mention how lucky I am that everyone related to me is beautiful!

Ruth Tiqvah and April Joy ...

Andrew Logan...

when there are no words...

2008-01-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

Goodbye my dear, sweet grandpa. You will be missed.

Feliz navidad ~ and a Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

I hope you get all that you wished for~ and more.

Justice and Maria

2007-12-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

Justice and Maria got married over a year ago~ a day before Ryan and me. A few weeks back I had a random idea to get ahold of them and see if they wanted to model for me because I was itching to do a fashion-y ( is that a word?) day after type session and I didn't want to wait until after my 2008 brides get married. Well, to make a long story short(er) Justice told me his wife had been praying since they got married for another opportunity to do pictures.. she had no idea I was wanting someone to model and I had no idea she wanted new pictures really badly. How cool is that? And I got to make her wishes come true and help capture hot wedding pictures. (Such agony I tell you!) We shot at union station and Olvera street. Justice and Maria were like two high school kids making out even when they weren't supposed to be, which in my world, is always a good thing. I wish them 50+ years of making out and not being able to keep their hands off each other! Thanks guys for a great shoot and being such hot models.. And thank you Erik for coming along and being my assistant. (Aka bag/flower/scarf holder). And.. without further ado...

Justice and Maria...

We pulled over on the side of the road because I just had to shoot here~

Isn't the room and light just classic ?

Justice brought "Michael jackson" hats for props...

and .. these two.. are my favorite....

and the years will roll by...

2007-12-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

I read this on Punam Bean's blog and had to share it.

This is a quote from a commencement speech given by Steve Jobs to the students at Stanford, class of 2005:

You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.

-Steve Jobs

As this year is wrapping up all I can say is I am so excited to see what the future holds~ as a photographer, friend and wife. I have a wonderful man I wake up beside each morning and get to share my days with. My husband is my best friend. I have family and friends that I really and truly love and am so thankful to have in my life. (They say your friends reflect who you are and if that is even half way true in my life, I would be overjoyed.) My friend and family are so giving, so full of life.. they make the world a better place with each breath they take... they are beauty in it's truest form. And what can I say about my work as a photographer? I have a (soon to be full time ) job that allows me to be me~ to be creative and to stretch and think as an individual and an artist. Photography allows me to capture the beauty around me and freeze memories in time. Could it get any better then this? I will know perhaps in a year.. maybe ten~ only God knows what lays ahead. Yet, even though the future is unclear I know this: if you aren't content with your life, don't settle. Never, ever settle. Because once you find it, you know.. and life becomes a glorious dance...

The "good ol' boys" and Brad's birthday...

2007-12-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday it was Bradley's 21st birthday. His mom rented out the Marilyn Monroe suite at the Roosevelt Hotel in downtown Hollywood. Then she got together a list of his friends and invited them all... ( who just happen to be mostly made up of models/singers/actor/actress hopefuls~ so, in essence, beautiful people.) She had an open bar set up in the suite and trays of mini pizza's and burgers were the main course. *this also earned her the "your mom is the coolest" award* She flew in from Maryland for the event. And Brad.... had no idea. I got to be there to capture it all...

his "what's going on?" expression

He hugged his mom for a good two minutes when he first saw her.

Brad and his four friends call themselves "the good ol' boys"... and so, accordingly, his roommate made matching tie dyed shirts..

Brad and Angela, (who recommended me~ thank you again! )

The "good ol' boys" inspired cake

And Bradley, just being himself~

Early Christmas present!

2007-12-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

So today we're having a sunday funday~ movies and food and making out! ;) Oh~ and also involving going to Sammy's and getting me the 580 ex flash ! I'm super duper excited, because even though I totally prefer natural light, sometimes natural isn't enough~ and besides, I've really wanting to do a night photo shoot! So be prepared~ lots of trying-out-flash pictures to come! Yea for days off! And hot husbands!

My (fantasy) Christmas wish list...

2007-12-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

Ever made a wish list.. like a real true wish list... all the outlandish things that you know you won't get but really and truly think would make the best presents ever? Well, I made one of those lists last night while I was bored at work. And just remember, if any of my friends out there is independently wealthy and would like to make all my dreams come true... you may buy me a fantasy present! After all, to say no to a present is just rude.

Fantasy Wish List :

1) A pony. Or more precisely, the smallest horse in the world. Her name is thumballina. And I realllllllly want one like her. Or her. The thing is thumballina tours the world making sick kids happy and if i owned her i would keep her to myself and carry her around in my pocket ... so there would be lots of sad sick kids. But I would get noticed.I mean, common, who's going to say no to someone holding a horse? I mean, i could be, like, superwomen. Powerful. A force to be reckoned with.

2) In conjunction with the last wish list I would like to own a city. Town. Country. Paris would do. Pretty much I just want to be ruler of something and have people fear me. And make naps mandatory. For the grown ups. Then we might actually get world peace.... hmmm...

3) Jewelry. Of any kind. Diamonds are a girls best friend. But what they don't tell you is girls have more them one best friend... as in, sapphire, emerald, pearl.. pretty much if it sparkles and was lots of money, we're bound to be friends. But then again, if I owned my own country I could just re instate a bandit of pirates to capture all the jewels in the land....

4) A Chanel bag. As in the black one with the chain straps... it doubles as a weapon in times of need and is oh so fashionable in the process.

5) A zonkey. Same basic idea as number 1... I would name him martin. And we would be bestest friends...

Whats on your Christmas (fantasy) list?

Christmas lists and tinsle.

2007-11-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

I am so tired. Literally, I can barley keep my eyes open. I'm working doubles and studying new food items for Fred's. (Ew to six points of service and ew to pivot points.) Anyways, as I was saying... I'm deathly tired and overworked... But here I sit drinking cup after cup of coffee to energize me and get me studying my notes.. and yet, here I am, avoiding just that by writing instead. Ohhh well.....the reason I'm writing is because, quite simply, I love the holidays. Love, love LOVE everyone of them... (even presidents day because if your in school you get school off and normally there is a sale going on somewhere..) Christmas is the breathtaking holiday. It's the holiday that is the most like magic and fairy's and miracle's. I love the lights that pop up on houses you never would of noticed before and the songs on the radio. I love the smell of Christmas trees and cinnamon and sooo many incredible choices of cookies! And chocolate covered cherry's and mistletoe ... *side note: put on shopping list* I love the first snow. I love the sound of the winter wind howling from outside. The coats and scarves and boots. I love all the colors of Christmas.. and the decorations everywhere you turn... and wreaths! Secrets. Laughter. Hopes. Excitement. Family. Hot cocoa and fireplaces and blankets and movies. Singing Gloooooo-rrrrrr---iiiia. I love ornaments and decked out Christmas trees. And stockings... and presents! Mmm. I love Christmas and all the days surrounding it.

It's Christmas time!

2007-11-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over! Which means that Christmas is almost here! Holiday shopping has officially begun! My Ipod is loaded up with Christmas carols! We bought a Christmas tree ! And hung wreaths! Thanksgiving may be my favorite holiday and fall my favorite season, but when Christmas finally arrives I always am tempted to rethink those choices. I mean common... pretty lights inside and out... snowflakes and the smell of evergreen trees... and of course... presents. So to celebrate the initiation into Christmas time we bought a tree and decorated the house inside and out...

While Ry strung lights Erik and Vince decorated a little tree...

you know that saying about less being more... normally I don't agree.. but yeahhh...

Lexi watching all the crazyness..

They hung ornaments from everything with branchs...

And our topper...

little disfunctional.. but then again, whats the holidays without a little crazyness?

Random

2007-11-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a sign can make your day.... like this sign by a little cafe in Pasadena.

Simple things

2007-11-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

Going home is good for the soul.

Thank you Erik for a brilliant idea and making it all possible. We love you!

mom and dad

2007-11-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

My mom and Dad are wonderful people.. and even though they fight like all normal married people ( except of course for me and Ry who are perfect..) they are a true inspiration. They have been married for 29 years, are each others best friends and still have the hots for each other. Inspiration indeed.

We took pictures for the church website today.. these were the winning ones...

Graham Josiah ...

2007-11-17T23:38:00.000-08:00

EmmaLee Joy~

2007-11-17T21:14:00.000-08:00

My little sister... all grown up... in my old prom dress... isn't she hot??

Autumn told her to think of a certain boy for this picture...

Liberty Anna

2007-11-17T08:19:00.001-08:00

Did I mention yesterday lasted forever? ~ In a good way ~ we did sooo much and when we finally went to bed I turned to Ry and said "did we just get here today ?" So along with driving in, and coffee mudslides, pellet gun duals, and celebrating mom's birthday by chilin in a kick butt hot tub, we made Libby dress up and made her do a photo shoot for a half hour before it got too dark. She was a ridiculessly perfect model looking away into the distance, brushing her hair back and holding her arms like she was a pro. Afterwards she asked Emma if we thought she was good enough to be a real model when she grows up... you be the judge...

Home for 1 day and 2 half days!

2007-11-16T22:48:00.000-08:00

Soooo we made it to Colorado in record time... even stopping at cracker barrel for breakfast... mmm... grits for the boys and true southern peaches for me....

Scenery on the way here... i lovve lovve love route 417 !

Isaiah was an absolute doll from the second I saw him! We'd been worried cause he's cautious of strangers but mom had kept on telling him i was on my way home... and when i pulled in he ran towards me and gave me the tightest longest hug ever. ( might I add this was all before he saw the kick butt firetruck we'd got him or heard mention of presents.... ) I was bawling. And yeahhhh.. he might have to be my new favorite for a while.. i mean common.... he's adorable.

we played guns for a while... opps... i forgot we aren't allowed to point them at each other...

buying his love with my left over ( coffee) mudslide ..

My little brother who is almost as tall as me! ughhh..... I remember very vividly when he refused to take off his mickey mouse sunglasses with the glass poked out because he couldn't see without them and would fumble all over the house if he "lost" them...

Mom, Autumn and me...

Ry and dad challenged each other to a dual...

this was the result...

did I mention that all Isaiah will eat is noodles? Ramen noodles to be exact...

they joke they are going to name him Isaiah Ramen Noodle ..

And a sneak peak at the new cabin...

and its surroundings...

Breathing in deeply ...

2007-11-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

Yeyyyyy!!!! We're going hooooooooommmee to colorado for the weekend! Ryan, Erik and me. Yeeey for roadtrips through the night and candy pit stops! Yey for meeting new little brothers, ( who might I mention we bought the coolest firetruck ever for!.. yeah yeah, buying his love... we know this already..and its a brillent idea aye? ) Yey for cool mountain air, long gray coats, mittens and scarves! Yey for good home cooked food! Yeyy for lots and lots of pictures and photoshoots and memories that will be made! Yeyy for living and breathing and tasting life. Sigh. Ohhhh I'm so excited it's finally today!

... and to get in the roadtripin' mood while Ry and Erik work and I wait (im) patiently.... ( did I mention that I'm worse then a kid on christmas eve? I hate to wait almost more then Ry! See my mom never made me sing the clarence the turtle song... "have patience have patience when your in a hurry... " Oh poor Ry. And I still can't help laughing over it! Anyways with both of us extremely impatient... we make a very why- wait- for- tomorrow- when-we-could-do-it-today-and-do-something-else-fun-tomorrow kind of team... I mean, this could maybe and possibly be a good quality?? ) anyways.. as i ramble and write and wait and wait .. I drink mug after mug of coffee and blare my music. Loud. Currently listening to...

it helps to pass the time... sorta.

Inspiration...

2007-11-13T18:53:00.000-08:00

... has many forms. It can be a word. A quote you read or a kiss that makes your toes tingle. Inspiration can be found in a weeping willow or a photograph in a fashion magazine that catches your eye. It is the music that haunts you, pushes you, wills you to create somethings as beautiful as the melody and lyrics. Inspiration is found in many forms... and today I had to take out my camera and capture it.

Silent

2007-11-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.. ~ Ansel Adams

Deviant art...

2007-11-13T13:08:00.001-08:00

Oh. My. Gosh. I just spent the last three hours completely oblivious to all things real .. well, photographs are real.. but... as I was saying... Deviant art is amazing. My brother in law Jason Quiz has told me countless times to go on and check out the work on there.. but once i found Lara Jade I was so enthralled by her work that I have never checked out the other amazing artists on there. Well... if you have a few hours .. go check out ...

Michal Mierzejewski ~ his picture "clouds" is going on my christmas wish list...

Stephen Sellman ~ again... "a summer storm" is getting on my list!

I also really like 18's work.. but he has no name posted to give him real recognition...

anyways... they are amazing landscape photographers.. and thats saying alot since I don't normally like landscape photography... check em out. You'll lose your whole day...

Being good

2007-11-11T10:59:00.001-08:00

So I am trying desperately hard to blog as much as possible so that i get into the habit of it.. I mean, if I can "learn" the art of catching up on all my favorite blogs with my morning coffee, then I am pretty sure I can blog nearly everyday too. So, this is what I am going to do... I will blog everything interesting that happens to me.. everything that requires pictures, all photo shoots that i can... all adventures that I take part in... and when all else fails... i will blog about another photographer and their amazing work....

Ladies and gentleman... an amazing shot by Milos Horvat

Fall party!

2007-11-08T01:22:00.000-08:00

We had a "yeyyy -its fall" party today , because, after all, fall is the best season around and certainly deserves a celebration. Plus, I've been craving apple cider and carmel apples and really wanted to try making butternut squash soup... so yeah, we threw a party. We had lots of fun and Shyla made an awesome apple and pear sangria. Mmmmmm. Yeyyy for good friends and good food!

Angela

2007-11-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

Today I had the pleasure of shooting a session with Angela who is a hair stylest in Beverly Hills. She got her hair done for the session ( of course~ ) and it ended up taking longer then she'd planned ( the cost of being beautiful) ~ plus silly me, I forgot when I scheduled today that the time change would affect our time too... so needless to say, we only had 40 minutes to shoot. The cool thing is, I had have read alot latley about 30 minute portrait sessions and was able to do it myself! While getting steller pictures. Woohoo! I'm sure it didn't hurt that my model was gorgeous... ladies and gentleman.. Angela... who ps... is single and loves latin men. ~ shh~

She wanted a fierce one without looking mean.. I think this does the trick..

and my favorite of the day~

Me....

2007-11-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

I did a survey thing earlier that takes the images you pick out of a bunch of others and it trys to sum up who you are. So did it define me? no.. not really.. but it was fun.... the crazy thing is this~

your a real romantic and a bit of a dreamer. For you love is about devotion and tenderness. (mmm hmmm... ) A open road and a full tank of gas can take you pretty much anywhere... (check. and done so many times. ) when it comes to art you appreciate raw and edgy stuff - you like to be challenged. ( if its not challenging... is it any fun at all? ) As for music; its all about joining in. A bit of self expression. ( to find the perfect song to fit the mood~ ) Oh yeah.. and in case your wondering I came on this on myspace.. and only figured out later it was a dating service.... nothing to be worried about! Try it! Its fun!

November !

2007-11-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

November is here! and yet, for some reason it still feels like August in California. Don't get me wrong.. I love it here... I just wish that by November there would be a chill in the air and we would be able to tell its almost the holidays by the coats and scarves not the newest drink at starbucks. I want to wear boots I tell you! And long jackets and gloves! Okay, maybe for only a day.. but at least if it was cold out I would have a reason to buy them. hmp. On another note~ I have discovered a new artist. If you don't own her cd ~ go out and buy it. A Fine Frenzy is amazingly steller . And almost lover is one of my most favorite songs ever! It is so .. haunting. and haunting is a good thing.

Grandpa Vern and summers past...

2007-10-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

My mom called me today to tell me my grandpa isn't doing very well. They have taken him off his medication and his heart is swelling.... I guess it's kinda ironic to think that he will die for having had too big a heart... my grandpa is an amazing man. It's not that this has come on suddenly, or that his time has come to soon.. he will be 95 on december 24 and he has lived to see a whole world unfold around him... the roaring 20s.. the first cars...the great depression... marrying his college sweetheart.. war war 1, war war 2, the 50's and 4 boys...60's ... 70's and peacefully hippies... the end of the Vietnam war .. the 80's, bad haircuts, men wearing short shorts and grandchildren... the 90's and grandchildren growning up.. a whole new millennium, two great grandbabies and 70 years of marriage.... My grandpa Vern has had a wonderful life. But somehow that doesn't make it any easier. My grandpa is surrounded by all the things I love.. all the memorys of my childhood and innocence... summers past, first loves and lazy days on the lake. My family moved so many times I never had a childhood home... but the one place that always stayed the same no matter what state we moved to, was my grandparents home in upstate New York. They have a little farmhouse that was purchased for $10,000 as a wedding present from Grandpa Wolfor. Since then, other homes have sprung up beside their little place, but the garage is still an old barn filled with treasures... and once when i was little we found buried chicken bones on the hill by the creek .... and thought they were dinosaur bones. Until a few years ago they also had a cottage on silver lake that is my favorite place on earth... this is where the creaky staircase is .. and the fire that smokes... and the cornfeilds and overgrown pastures.. and hidden ponds and leaky boats.... this is a magical place where my grandpa put an extra handle on the wooden screen door down so i could reach it.... this is where i was paid a penny for every pinecone i picked up... where grandpa taught us to play croquet...and where 4th of Julys and lake of fires were always celebrated. My memory's of upstate New York and my wonderful grandparents and Uncle Mark are fondest of all childhood memories... and although I was there two years ago... i always feel like i should go back..one more time... to say goodbye.... I can still feel the early mornings at sixteen... the sneaking down the stairs... the slipping into one of grandpa's old flannel coats... and the stepping out into the early morning sunrise.... when the day is new... the air smells of alfalfa and dairy cows... my barefeet on the dewy grass.... the days possibilitys are endless.... and i soak up the feeling of being free... being home. Since we moved so much, I took to having things and people be home to me.. that way when we moved .. my sense of being home went with us.... my dear grandpa symbolizes my childhood home... my lake and cottage and upstate new york and all its memorys that are so dear to my heart. And now.. I feel as if i will soon lose a peice of myself. and that... is why i may be sad for the next few weeks. I am grieving.

Pumpkins!

2007-10-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today we got went to a pumpkin patch with Erik and his sister Betty and Shyla and got lots of pretty pumpkins! So, needless to say our day was filled with carving and taking random pictures and baking goodies to sustain us while we carved away... okay, so I really didn't carve that much.. okay.. okay .. at all... but I documented the day and baked the pies.... it was loads of fun!

Eric eating the inside on the pumpkin....

The seeds all toasted up... and already gone...

my pumpkin pies.. photo by shyla...

and the finished product....

and now... to eat those pies... mmmm.....

It looks like rain....

2007-10-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

It looks like rain. It smells like rain. The clouds are starting to boil and it's crisp and wet outside. MMmm... a afternoon fall shower? That my friends, makes me extremely, utterly happy. Close, in fact, to a state of bliss. Fall is by far the best season around, but sometimes when I smell winters first snow or lilacs in the spring, when I'm laying by the pool in the california sun with friends or bundled up drinking hot cocoa and eating candy canes, I wonder if, possibly, there could be a better season then fall... but when its fall and its rainy... there is no contest in my mind. And, as if it couldn't get any better... I have the whole day off, and my hubby will be home soon. I'm contemplating cinnamon rolls and oodles of butter. And dark dark coffee. It is going to be a perfect day for so many reasons!

PS The picture above was stollen from my wonderful photography friend Shyla, who took it on her recent adventure to maine. (ummm... yeah little jealous... maine.. in the fall..) You can check out her stuff at Shylasblog.com . And for those of you who don't know.. she's amazzzzing.

Eyes...

2007-10-18T18:03:00.001-07:00

I just had to share this eye picture that I adore, but had no place to post...

Ed and Amber

2007-10-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Amber is another one of those amazing people I got to meet and become friends with because of work. We shared many boring happy hour shifts together and always found something to talk about. One thing we both had in common was the fact that both our ex boyfriends were extreamly alike, we were still very much in love with them, and still held on to the hope that someday... someday. Three years after meeting each other I married the man that I was still in love with. And last sunday, surrounded by family and friends, Amber married hers. What can you say but .. love conquers all.

Ed watching his soon to be wife come down the aisle ... and his brother watching Eds reaction..

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Steph Hu

2007-10-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite people, an amazing friend and incredibly fun person. California misses her very much, and hopefully she will be back sooner then planned, because I miss her too. My friend ~ Steph Hu~

Rebekah White... again...

2007-10-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

Two days ago I posted about my fabulous session with Rebekah White... here are a few more pictures that I decided to add because I only edited some of Bekah's favorites ... leave comments on these as well! I need as much critique as I can get! xoxo

Rebekah White

2007-10-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of shooting an amazing singer/ songwritter and friend, Rebekah White. She is one of those people that you know no matter which way your life had twisted and turned, eventually you would of found each other and became friends. She grew up in VA, just 40 minutes from where I grew up. Her dad was a pastor, and so was mine. She moved to CA a few months before we did and lived just minutes from us. And then three octobers ago my best friend Sarah Pace happened to overhear a conversation about her. "Where is she moving?" she asked Bekah's coworkers. They said they didn't know , but Bekah would be in shortly. Sarah had a few minutes to spare before flying out so she waited around to meet Bekah. They instantly clicked over breaking up with boyfriends and crazy blue eyeshadow. And then, Sarah invited her for thanksgiving at our apartment. The second I met Bekah I loved her. And while I helped her make banana cream pies, I knew we would be good friends. She is an amazing person and the sweetest thing you will ever meet~ Rebekah makes sweet tea seem tart. So, as I was saying, yesterday I dressed her up and together with Shyla we did one of the hottest photoshoots I've done. Not only is Bekah sweet, she is also beautiful from the inside out. ( Cliche I know~ but how can you help saying something that is oh so true? ) Currently she is working on an album with Printz from the black eyed peas and soon, very soon, she will be a house hold name. Ladies and Gentleman... Rebekah White ...

P.s. Also please leave a comment about which # is your favorite and why. xoxo

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Lexi Lou

2007-10-03T13:10:00.001-07:00

My Lexi is the most annoying creature ever. If you haven't met her and had her lick you from ear to toes .. be happy. She jumps on you when your sick and whines when your sleeping and all she ever wants is attention! attention! demanding attention! living for attention! She is so stinking smart too that it drives me mad. She knows how to go find her leash and drag it to the door demanding, and insisting to be walked. I love her to death somehow and can't imagine life without her. For all those of you who have yet to meet.. I give you Lexi Lou...

this is her classic...

hey where's my dinner?

look.

hehe.. I woke her from a nap and she was pretty annoyed with me.

The newest Q's reception.. and the party goes on..

2007-10-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

Once again.... used the camera a little , but spent more time focusing on having fun. My two favorites of the night...

Amy

2007-10-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

Amy is an actress and a friend of my friend Kim Lupe. She wanted head shots and I wanted someone to shoot. Works well, eh?

PS Did anyone else know that taking pictures on railroad tracks is a misdemeanor? Yeah. We almost got arrested and i didn't even get the picture I wanted! So heads up~ Don't do it anywhere where cops can see you.

Amanda and zoey.

2007-10-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

Another Zoey. Another beautiful little girl. I love the name, and seeing that all Zoey's i have met are adorable I might just have to name my little girl Zoey. Hmmm...