Self Portrait

I haven't done this in quite some time. That is, shoot a self portrait. I wasn't about to let this time in my life pass by without getting some shots of my own. Any day now my beautiful wiggly baby is going to make his/her appearance outside of my belly. Faced with the reality that it is just under two weeks till my due date I set up my tripod and got to shooting. I've never done a self portrait like this, but it's exactly what I wanted right now!

I know my belly and what is inside does not define me. But, for years I've admired pregnant women and their round, protruding bellies. Pregnancy is such a beautiful and natural state that when I decided to shoot a self portrait, I knew it would be faceless. I'm so in love with this little guy/gal already!

Self Portrait

My Own Super Harvest Moon

Jessica & Carlos - The Wedding

It was such a blessing to be a part of Jessica and Carlos' special day. I absolutely loved that their wedding was perfectly fitted to their personalities... even down to the smallest details like the cake topper or the brides white Chuck Taylors. They are an awesome couple... Congratulations!

Days after the wedding my computer rebelled needed some repairing. Now it's back and I'm excited to be working on the images from Carlos and Jessica's Wedding.

Terrific at Two

I wanted to celebrate my nephew Xavier's 2ND birthday the only way that I know how... with a photo shoot! It was such a blessing to share an evening with my brother Rene and Xavier. I think that two is absolutely terrific! Please enjoy a few of my favorites...

This weekend I had the opportunity to shoot my friend Natalie & Steve's engagement session. They are avid lovers of the ocean so it was very appropriate to start off at the beach. They are a lovely couple and I can't wait for their fun reception :)

Mickey's Trick or Treat

(California Adventure Oct 2008)

I had an amazing time at California Adventure for some early Halloween fun. I felt like a kid racing to rides and candy stations.

This image was taken from a ride across from the ferris wheel. I'm happy that the ride was still enough, long enough for me to take an extended exposure.

Ocean Side Holiday

First I'll point out that this post is pretty late, but I'm a busy girl. Also, I'm a beach lover and despite all the warm weather, not once had I made it out to the beach, at least until now. The decision to cram all possible beach activities in one day was obvious. You should have seen the grin on my face as I realized that this day would be the opportunity that I'd been looking for. Seeing as how I had a day off, no plans, and willing participants, well that's all you need for a fabulous day/night at the beach.

I wasn't kidding when I said my day on the sand would begin at 7, well it was more like 8am, but you get the point. The immediate mission was to locate and claim a spot worthy of our intents. This process is like staking your flag in the sand as though you have discovered this area for the day. Looking around we weren't the only ones taking part in this ritual. Some left a lawn chair or sleeping bag out, while other claimed their area with a simple beach umbrella. The tedious part is hulling all the goods from the car to that designated spot, but it's worth it.

It was a beautiful day accompanied by friends and family. The most eventful part of the day was watching my nephew Xavier fearfully discover the ocean water. This was his first encounter with hot afternoon sand and cold water. It took some convincing, but he finally stopped trying to run away from the tide.

Below are my favorite captures from the day...

Xavier and his Godmother, Veronica

Grandma's lesson

Little Angel

Serene

Despite the cooking and busy bee things that I do, I'm thankful for moments like this. Thank God for beautiful sunsets that are capable taking us to a happy place if only we take the time to notice.
To close out the day we fired up some logs and roasted marshmallows. It was a perfect oceanside holiday.

Groovy Birthday Bash

In celebration of Ryan's 30th birthday I threw him a 60s themed Beatles Sing-A-Long.

We didn't feel that any karaoke CD could possibly be a decent representation of the Beatles music and instead opted for the "real thing." The mic was open all night for those brave enough to sing along to their favorite Beatles tracks.

Even the birthday "boy" said that this was one of his most memorable birthdays, ever! Thank You to ALL for dressing up, singing, and joining us on this special day.