a couple weeks ago i had the amazing opportunity of attending jose villa’s workshop in mexico.  i cannot begin to explain how amazing it was.  it also was monumental for me because i shot almost 100% film all week.   when i received my images back from richards photo lab yesterday, i literally was jumping all over my house with excitement.   as my new website and blog launches next month, more talk on my film work will come out!  but for now here is a preview …

the hacienda el carmen 

an engagement session

some wedding sessions

and just a few more …

in my home we LOVE halloween!!  my kids have been counting the days (literally) since june.  bentley knew right away she wanted to be a witch.  so fun since this is the first year her costume did not have somthing to do with a princess.    and noah’s costume started by me mentioning to my sister how awesome it would be for him to be max from ‘where the wild are’.   seriously within days, she had made a costume and it was in the mail.   she is unbelievable and how lucky am i to have a sister that can spit a costume out like this and is obsessive compulsive as well!  so of course we did a photo session.  i just love my kids!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

san diego has brought a lot of new and exciting things to me and my family but so far the funnest thing that has happened is the new addition we brought home last week.   meet jude.  she is about the funnest sweetest thing!  of course i have been crazy about taking pictures of her!  she is a now 9 week old golden retreiver.   i have been wanting to do a “we moved” announcement to all of our friends, updating our new address, so i took the kids down to the beach with jude for a little quick photo shoot.  here is the one i think i am going to use.

this is on our way to get jude.  we were at the pool and the lady called and i told us we could pick up jude one day early, so of course we packed up our stuff and went straight there!   don’t these kids look excited for a puppy?? (you got to love the pool hair)

this is one of the many kisses jude will receive from noah.

okay seriously … isn’t she the cutest thing EVER!?!

a few friends and family came to san diego a couple of weeks ago for a very good friend’s wedding.   my lil’ brother got a slr camera recently so everytime we are together it seems like we are always taking pictures of eachother.  it is funny but so fun!  here are some fun ones we took, enjoy and happy weekend.

my fetish with citrus fruit will make so much more sense soon - (this is a hint to some goodness that is happening to my business soon!)

i don’t know why i didn’t do it before, i didn’t try to fight it … i just was not convinced i guess.  but today something inside me said, you should give it a try.   so as of today, i am on twitter.  

you can follow me here. 

as you may of noticed i been having some blog/web problems for the past few weeks.  i have it up and running for now until … my new blog and website come up mid/late summer!  that is right!  i am working with the fabulous people at into the darkroom on creating a new blog and site.  i am so excited and it will be so great to not have anymore problems.  

last week i had the fun opportunity of traveling to arizona for another wedding (you have to love this wedding season)!  i have so many fun images to share.  here is a sneak peak of one session, enjoy and happy thursday!

today was a great day. why would it not be?  it was a day i was able to celebrate my mother and being a mother.    the other day i realized i do not have enough pictures of my own amazingly cute children.  so, i found this feild filled with beautiful yellow flowers and decided that i would take them out for a session.  this was the best session i have had with them … no threatening, no crying, just fun!   they must of really listened to their dad who told them to be nice to me on mother’s day.   

i am so thankful for my kids.  bentley and noah are the greatest.  they are sweet, sincere, hilariously funny, and super silly!   here they are. enjoy, this time  … my kids!

please check out the fabulous green wedding shoes blog today.    jenn is the mastermind behind the blog.  it is one of my favorite blogs to follow because she has such great style!  !  she featured rina and jame’s heber engagement session.   i feel honored to be apart of her blog today.  thanks jenn!

a couple weeks ago I had my birthday and first thing you should know about me is … my birthday is a big deal!!!   I don’t usually have a birthDAY - I have what my friends and family call a birthWEEK.   Well, I celebrated my birthWEEK in style, California style!   I already posted about my fabulous time at the Jasmine Star workshop but that is not all I did!   I started my trip in the OC at the workshop, then headed down the coast to San Diego.  I met Ben there and we “area hunted” for a few days.  I drove around what seemed like every square mile of San Diego, seeing what area we loved most (I did find one and that will be revealed later).   I went to the beach, ate great Mexican food (my favorite), and stayed in the most fabulous house (thanks to my friend and her mother … thank you - I love you both!!).  After amazing time in the greatest city, I said goodbye to Ben for another month and headed back up the coast!   I went to LA for the weekend where I met up with more photographers.  Then I spent the morning with one of my favorite photographers - Sarah Rhoads.   I have mentioned Sarah before and made it my goal to meet her this year.   I was checking her blog and saw that she was going to be in CA the same week I was there (by chance, I think not!)   I was able to spend all morning with her one on one.    Her photography is just crazy awesome, I mean like butter awesomeness!  She is artistic and has a style I would kill for.   But can I tell you, she was more amazing in person!  I just went crazy, asking her EVERY question I could think of.  I learned so much from her.   I really wanted her help in defining my style and since I love her style so much - I thought who better to help me!  What I loved most about Sarah is this was all SO last minute.  And if there is anything I love in a girl, it is that she is up for anything - anytime!   That was Sarah and I loved it!!  Thanks again Sarah!  You helped more than you know!    Before I left Sarah took a few pictures of me.  Here are my favs.  I am so super cheesy and well, these are just pure me!  Enjoy!

two days. just two more days.  

In two days I leave to go to CA for about a week.  My main purpose for my trip is this . . .

20 lovely (and may I say fabuous) photographers will be attending the first jasmine star workshop and I AM ONE OF THEM.  About 2 months ago I woke up early in the morning to register and I got in.  It sold out so fast and I was so lucky.   Jasmine Star is a photographer that really inspires me.   Our style is a little different but what I love about her is her business.  I love how she runs and has set up her business.  I love her personality and how she works and relates with her clients.  I have so much I can learn from her and I am so excited.  I also have so many photography questions for her - so she might be sick of me by the end:)!  70% of the workshop is business and branding - so when I get back you might see some changes around here!

After the workshop I am staying out for the week to meet up with Ben (my attractive husband that I am missing like crazy) and we will be . . . AREA HUNTING.  It is a little early to be house hunting, so we are area hunting.  Driving around and really seeing where we want to settle down.  

This year I made a goal for myself to meet the 5 top photographers that inspire me. 

1. Jasmine Star :  I will check this off when I meet her TUESDAY!

2. Denise Bovee:  I am in love with Denise’s coloring.  I am hoping to have her do  my new promo pictures and maybe get some secrets from her about her fabulous editing styles!  Denise also has a way of using natural light that, well, just speaks to me.  And you know how I love my natural light!!

3. Amelia Lyon:  I love Amelia (and her hubby Justin)’s work!   I love their posing (or I guess non- posing), I love their composition, and I love their use of wide angles (how I love my wide angel lens!!!).   They really help define my style.  I am really hoping to meet up with them when I am in CA - a little closer.   They are also talking of holding workshops soon.

4. Sarah Roads: Sarah’s photography YELLS style!!   She has such an artistic edge that I love.  If I could meet her and learn just a little about how she views the world through her lens - well it would be surreal.   Sarah is going to San Franciso in July and I have never been to SF and have wanted to go for so long.  Looks like I will have to make a trip up there.  There is SO much I could learn from her.

LAST but of course not at all least is:

#5 Jose Villa:  Jose Villa is amazing.  His simple composition and style is so gorgeous.  I can proudly say this year I will be meeting up with Jose Villa not once but TWICE!!!  I know- how lucky am I??  Two months ago Jose did a auction for Thirst Relief.   The auction was for his three day Mexico workshop this fall and a two hour one on one lunch with him.   For the last year and a half (when I discoverd Jose Villa and his workshops) I have been eyeing his Mexico workshop.   So when I saw this auction I started watching it.  Well two minutes before it ended I swooped in and WON IT!   So this fall I will be going for 3 days to MEXICO!   This is a all wedding workshop.  Then as soon as I know when I will be north of LA, I will set up a time to meet with him one on one.  I have already started taking notes of all the questions I am dying to ask him.  

I have come along way this last year but a greater year is yet to come and it all starts in TWO DAYS!!!  Can you feel how excited I am.  I have the opportunity to learn from the greatest and I have a husband who totally supports me . . .  I couldn’t ask for anything more!!!