So ooookay- not like I am going to be stopped and asked for my autograph

but I can not help but smile that I have been featured on the flosites blog.

flosites created this FANTASTIC blog for me- and I can not even come close to expressing how awesome it was to work with them but would love to formally scream from the rooftops how AMAZING flosites is! Their customer service is outstanding, fun, and upbeat- and flosites totally took the time to make my blog customized to exactly how I envisioned. Wide format- big photos– a lot of bells and whistles.

Check out flosites- and the flosites blog.

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and in other Happy Monday news:

I am excited to post my first wedding slideshow-

CLICK HERE

to take you to Brie & Chris’s wedding.

You will be asked to click “view slideshow” when you get there.

My wonderful blog readers- and prospective clients…

please excuse the minor delay in returning phone and e-mail inquiries. This week I will be catching up as well as posting some exciting new sessions!!

Still to come:

joanne - tim- aidan- madeline

keri & brandon

michelle - bill - chelsea - tony - erica & taylor

can’t wait to show these awesome shoots off!

most calls will be returned this tuesday from 10-3 if you have left a message via voicemail. Look forward to talking with you!!

and I don’t want a completely bore you because blog posts without fun wouldn’t be read

Here are some of my favorite shots while in Santa Cruz:

i love the mohawk drawn on the sign. the dude also has some banana converse on– only in Santa Cruz.

awesome coffee shop!!

this is next door:

:

Jen and Chris Stewart with baby Bella

Nudrat checking to see if she shoots left or right eye… (or both!)

The glowing Beth Daane claiming little Bella.

Above and below: Mark and Kerri Lydell

Mark sniping shots- and all nasties that were deleted of me were mucho appreciated.

Chris explaining something extremely technical.

Roseville, CA -OSP Dinner

Aside from being great photographers- Jen and Chris Stewart know how to get their host on and graciously opened their house for a photographers get-together. Chris made the most AMAZING enchiladas and the rest of us filled it in with well… a LOT of dessert! Besides meeting a few photographers here and there this was my first ever social event with other photogs and I had an awesome time. We ate, and talked nerdy about shooting and business- LOVED every minute. Thank you guys for making me an honorary member of the Roseville group- hope to see you all real soon and you know who to call if you are ever in the great state of Texas!!

xo ox

and some photos I took from the other photographers blogs:

food and my thighs.

lol… I must have been about to say something very important.

PS. Tana- I wish you were there. I had the pleasure of having dinner with the talented Tana Huffman the night before…  awesome meeting you (and your family)  as well!!

LOOK!

My lovely friend Sarah!

She just looks classically beautiful here.

I had SO much fun with she and her husband Matt.

My absolute favorite!!

San Jose, CA – Portrait Session

While I was in CA, not only did I get to photograph my life long friend Tamara, I also got to photograph another cherished girlfriend Sarah. I met Sarah a little after I moved to San Jose back in 2004 through a Bay Area based mother’s group. We set up a play date and turned out our daughters (who were a little under 2 at the time) adored each other. Actually- I accidentally stole a book of hers at a mother group meeting so it did turn out to excuse to meet up again to return it. :D. Needless to say a unique and special bond formed as we continued to hang out- and a few years later I seriously don’t know how I could live without her! She keeps me sane. (And if she were a psychiatrist she would have made serious bank off of me.)

So moving to TX was so sad because I loved the relationship our daughters had (since this is what I had when I grew up) and I just didn’t want to part with a great friend. It is interesting to me that though we live a half a country apart- it’s like nothing has changed. Sure, we don’t get to hang out as often but we do talk pretty much every day. Yes- we are total dorks like that.

Of course I was totally flattered when she asked if I could take some photos of she Matt while I was in CA shooting Brie and Chris’s wedding. She had loved the photos of Mike and I taken by bobbi+mike and gosh darn it- she wanted some too!  A birthday gift if you will- though I guess it isn’t a gift when I get payment via a large pound box of see’s and a sushi diner.

So I had a blast making her wiggle and squirm to see these.

I’ve expressed my love affair for action shots. Not really even necessarily my own action shots- I love when photographers post their own action shots. I guess it may just stem off that I am the nerd who actually likes watching the outtakes and listening to the directors commentary feature on movies to get more insight on who things were done… so yes, they’re are actually people who do use those features! I was stoked whenaspiring photographer Joanne Callahan came out to second shoot for me and snapped this shot. (More to come of Joanne!)

RUN JOANNE. RUN. (you *knew* I had to post this right??)

This card seriously could be Brie and Chris…

gorgeous hair piece.

Brie was stunning — STUNNING!

Studs.

a favorite!

Brie had MANY adorable faces… just like this one.

vw 1966 bus- vintage awesomeness

gorgeous couple!

my most favorite of the day!!!

Silverado, California – Wedding

I’m a California girl at heart so when Brie and Chris asked if I could come shoot their wedding my answer was quite the enthusiastic, “YES!!!”
Brie happens to be the cousin of my best friend Tamara- who was also one of her 8 bridesmaids. ? Because I have known my dear friend since I was 2 years old, I also got invited to many of many family get-togethers and that is how I became to know Brie. What fun Brie and her ENTIRE family are! There is never a dull moment when the family gets together so this occasion was such a pleasure to be a part of. Quite honestly I was completely honored (and flattered) to be there. Oh, and shooting at Rancho Los Lomas is just a photographers haven – not to mention a gorgeous wedding party! Pure enjoyment as a photographer!
When originally talking to Chris he had requested to cap off the photos at only 300… LOL!! At first I thought- no problem… by the end of the day I just knew that between Nely (a fantastic photographer based out of San Diego who came to assist me) there would be absolutely no way to limit the photos to only 300. I again asked Chris at the end of the night if he still wanted me to limit the images- and with the biggest grin he just answered… “I’ll let you make that call!”

I just had the hardest time limiting the photos to post on the blog… I had to make myself stop! So- be sure to keep your eyes out for a slideshow that extra photos added to this post.

Brie and Chris- thank you for having me, I had such a fantastic time at your wedding and with your families!!!

PS.I warned you… I had to make myself stop so I could post this wedding! So these make up for my lack of photos in the last couple weeks . Stay tuned for the slideshow!

Pleased to announce:

chris & brie - the slideshow

click:

VIEW SLIDESHOW

I’m not a huge e-card fan but my girlfriend sent this to me and I thought it was hilarious!

What’s wrong with ordering a:

iced, soy, 2 1/2 pump vanilla, latte- as a grande but in a venti cup with extra ice??

i can’t take it anymore!!! this whole no dsl thing is driving me nuts!

though feeling slightly liberated that I haven’t been attached to the hip by my computer the last 2 weeks I also have felt really disconnected. I mean, without having my headlines popping up- how on earth am I suppose to know what is going on in Britney Spears life?? Just kidding. Aside from not being able to photo blog as often I also have am a few days behind in e-mail responses. Tommorrow I head back to Houston and life (online and personal) will resume and I will be able to respond to all open e-mail and orders. Thank you for your patience…

Today I will soak in one last day of BEAUTIFUL California weather. (and slightly dread tomorrows day of flying solo with two little ones!)

Coming up:

OSP-Roseville

Brie & Chris : wedding

Sarah & Matt : portrait session

Joanne - Tim - Aidan - Madeline : family session

FINALLY PHOTOS!!! :D 

will be more comments and revised later- I shamelesy uploaded this sitting in front of a closed panera bread. seriously.

this is Tamara and Aaron:

her mom will love me since her photo is outdated by 3 years.

 my faaaaaaavorite!!!!

gotta love a guy who can put *T* in her place ha ha! 

Los Angeles, CA - Portrait Session

I am still working in CA but have traveled back from Orange County back to Northern CA. I have been sick for the last two weeks and it has just been hanging on, so literally have spent the last few days recouping.
While I was down in Southern California I shot the MOST BEAUTIFUL wedding at Rancho Los Lomas. The bride just happens to be cousins of my best friend- and those photos are coming up really soon.
This post however is about my most bestest friend in the world- Tamara. We have been friends for 26 years… she was my next-door neighbor growing up and we also have the same exact birthday. And since I was born in Japan I have always taken that proud ”I am older.”(kind of like in that weird twins type of way). Though I am guessing now that we are actually getting younger she will get to tell folks she is “younger”

We use to steal our parents cameras and film and run around playing “photo shoot” long before I had thoughts of being a photographer- among the countless hours we spent riding bikes, playing house, doing each others makeup, and talking about “boys”. I have been SO SO fortunate to have such a great friend throughout my life. Now that we are all grown up (weird) email and our phones are huge assets to our friendship, as well as an occasional visit when airfares our low. She is also the godmother to both my little girls and they LOVE their Aunt Tamara!! (And I love how much she adores my babies.)
So with the limited time that we actually get to see each other you would never guess how excited she and I were for this road trip together. Most think- “Ugh- 8 hour drive.” Where we knew we got to spend ALL this time together… and I feel compelled to mention she is a store manager for Starbucks so it is an extra bonus traveling with the coffee discount. Accompanying us on our journeys was her wonderful boyfriend Aaron who is the “Water Man” of Chico, CA. Seriously- he owns Water Man and knows everything about water. Quite the production he has going on there, which is really impressive. I love these two together- they make such an adorable couple. (Two thumbs up *T*)
So now traveling with a business owner, a store manager, and a photographer I wish I could have tallied how many phone calls, text messages, and e-mails were answered and responded two on our drive to the OC. Amazing.

a familiar drive (I use to live in LA)

we arrived in LA just in time for traffic- and a high speed chase that occured on another freeway that added to the delay.

deceiving as we were never really going fast- but a fun shot.

I loved taking photos of my best friend and her love. I wish we had more time but we had just crossed over the grapevine and knew that we only to await the infamous LA rush hour traffic. Good times though- bumper-to-bumper traffic was totally bearable with these two lovely people.

del scorcho aaron….. del scorcho!!!!