She's Thirteen

What can I say? She's our firstborn. And if you follow me on Twitter you'll know that TODAY she's a finally a teenager, eeek! Robert and I have been feeling pretty old all day in light of our new membership into the your-the-parent-of-a-teenager club.

So, this morning we tried to remain the young hip parents that we once believed we could be and together grabbed both her electric guitars and surrounded her bed to sing happy birthday to her while she slept. She was mortified.


Photo: Carly and Savannah sharing music at the park.

Savannah,
we are so proud of you today. Proud that as a young lady you choose to give, choose to love, and most of all choose to surrender your will to a life of faithfulness to God.
May you always strive to know Him and make Him known.
Happy Birthday Savannah!
Love, Mom

Bella | Claremont Packing House

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...and Bella sure is ready for it.

Not to be confused with my daughter, who is also named Bella, this little cutie pie was turning heads on the sidewalks of Claremont, not to mention her sweet baby doll who also dressed up for the party, so cute!



What I love about lifestyle photography is that I am free to photograph my subjects in their own environment just being themselves and capturing my them doing things that come natural...
Peekaboo, I see you!



Merry Christmas sweet girl...

Hunneedee's Cookies

No, I'm not much of a sweet tooth, I always say. And when I shoot weddings I usually seem to be more interested in the cake design than in the guests sitting at the corner table nodding to each other how delicious the cake tastes.

So, when my friend, Deana, told me she recently started a bakery business called Hunneedee's Cookies in Riverside, I was very happy for her and thought well, it was sweet. But it wasn't until I experienced her products for myself that I became really excited for her.

First, I swooned over the smart and modern brown box packaging complete with custom tags and labels. Then, smiled at the care that went into each detail including those pretty pink bows.




Now, here's the part where I get really excited...
I cannot get ENOUGH of these Coconut Blondie's -- chocolate chip brownies with coconut flakes over the top? Yes please!


And yes, the Chocolate Chip cookies are pretty darn good too. These make great holiday gifts and an even better gift for that cranky boss at the office, am I right?


Oh yes, more Coconut Blondie's, because they're THAT good.


To visit Hunneedee's Cookies fan page on Facebook CLICK HERE.
To place an order CLICK HERE.

Okay, so I'll say it again...I'm not a sweet tooth. But quite honestly, Hunneedee's Cookies have been enjoyed in our home in the past days with both our holiday guests and late at night with a glass of milk!

Thanks Deana!

Canvas Wrap

I was really impressed when I received my first studio sample canvas gallery wrap from Pixel 2 Canvas. The turn around process was fast and easy while the quality was not sacrificed but rather improved from other companies I previously sampled in the past.

Below, is a 16x20 canvas gallery wrap of an image of Bella, who I photographed from our trip to the LA Zoo this past year.


I can't wait to display this in my home studio even though it may give me random cravings to run out and buy myself an ice cream cone!

Another nice feature is the convenient hardware the canvas comes with for easy hanging right out of the package. No framing. No hooks to buy. No measuring. That's my kind of decorating.


How does this work? Your image is printed and stretched over deep gallery stretch bars. These bars have a depth of 1.5 inches and allow the piece to be hung directly on the wall without a frame. Sizes vary and are available from 8x8 up to 20x30 and beyond!


Happy Friday!

Kit Carson Park Escondido | Pauley Family

What interested me most about Kit Carson Park was Queen Califia's Magical Circle. A sculpture garden which consists of large scale sculptures and a circular "snake wall" maze entry. Pretty cool.

Meet the Pauley family. They are locals who have spent many days in this beautiful park for walks, picnics, and leisure time. So, naturally this became a location to document family memories through photographs.

Oh, and you might notice a part of that circular snake in the background...

Citrus Club at La Quienta Resort | Joe and Cathy

I really liked Cathy from the moment we met. Her sweet smile and giddy laugh warmed my heart as we chatted over coffee about the details of her wedding day. She was smitten by her fiance's spontaneous proposal and agreed to a speedy wedding date which was one month away...yes, I said one month!

Nevertheless, we worked fast, and Cathy and Joe were married in a beautiful intimate ceremony set in the desert sunset of the Citrus Club at the La Quienta Resort.






The handsome groom, Joe.


Joe with his daughters, who seemed a little surprised by their well wishes, too cute.


Cathy is stunning in her dress as she counts down the minutes on the clock!






Joe and Cathy, congratulations to you both, may your days be filled with much laughter and love!

15 Years

Today we celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. Has it really been that long?

What a long journey the years have given us filled with many life lessons of humility, forgiveness, and sacrifice. May we have many more years together as we grow old gracefully.

Happy Anniversary to my husband, my hero, my best friend.




2008. Photo by Nicole Liebgott.