reflect and celebrate

I just turned 34 a couple days ago. I remember when that number used to scare me. I remember thinking that anything over 30 meant the person was so old. But now that I'm here... I feel, in a way, that I'm just beginning to live. And so, as I take the time to reflect on things... who I am & where I'm at in life... I can honestly say that I'm HAPPY. Surrounded by friends and family who love me, and lots of people who inspire me, I am extremely happy with my life. That's not to say that things are perfect. I've had my share of heartaches and pain in the past, and am still dealing with plenty of current struggles, too. But that doesn't minimize my JOY.

Because it's real life. It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

Here are a few highlights from my past year...

Capturing my husband's beautiful smile as he plays with one of our nephews.

My first trip to the Getty Museum.

My grandmother's noodle recipe was finally passed on, and my brother and his wife prepared them perfectly.

Timree had her own product line for sale in Papyrus. I couldn't be more proud, and was happy to be there to celebrate.

Fun with bokeh... this was my Christmas tree.

My New Year's Day tradition... staying in my jammies and watching the Rose Parade.

The kids being old enough to take them out for the afternoon and have a WONDERFUL time.

I can't say ENOUGH awesome things about my OC SMARTY group.

THIS photoshoot. And I'm looking forward to attending their wedding in about a week's time.

2 nieces and a nephew. Three of my favorite people. And 3 of my favorite photo subjects, too.

WonderCon. Good prep for ComicCon.

THIS photoshoot, which touched me incredibly deeply. First birthday photos... taken right before her father passed away.

Updating my wardrobe, and unleashing my STYLE... thanks to Nicole of The Wardrobe Code.

THIS photoshoot. SO much fun. Looking forward to their wedding soon, too!

Visiting Santa Monica Pier for the FIRST time ever.

Attending this book signing. Exciting and inspiring.

THIS photoshoot/workshop. Stretched myself to try new things. Spread my wings. And I FLEW.

Annual softball game with a bunch of friends. Next year, Tony and I will be captains. EEP!

ComicCon!!!!!

I was this girl's HERO for a few minutes. It felt awesome.

Tony and I, in costume, relaxing over lunch.

In front of the different Iron Man armor. Wearing my Tony Stark shirt. All that was missing was Robert Downey Jr.

Jasper. His presence is pure therapy, and I wish I could bottle his cuteness.

These pictures in NO way sum up my year. There are lots and LOTS more moments which are precious to me. Some there are photos of, and some are mere photos of the mind. But all will be treasured.

And I can't wait to see what year number THIRTY-FOUR has in store for me.

Bring it on...

get real.

I just can't say this enough... I LOVE what I do. I am so appreciative of every person and each and every family that I photograph. Because time is precious, and so I'm ever so grateful that they are sharing a piece of their lives with me. Especially since I get to see the REAL them.

Because I don't do the "sit here and smile" type of photos. I capture REAL life as it happens. And sometimes life gets messy. That's okay.

Especially when dealing with kids... I know not to expect perfection, and I never ask that of them. I know how it is. Sometimes there are tears and tantrums. Sometimes there are diaper explosions or potty training moments. Sometimes there are messes that make it into the mouth, down the chin and onto the shirt. And sometimes they just won't sit still, even for a moment.

Let me repeat: That's okay.

Kids are kids. And this is real life.

So I wanted to  share a bit of my "behind the scenes" with you so that you see that, while I don't deal with "perfection," I still capture beautiful moments.

Here's how: I don't ask for perfection. I don't force it. Not even a little bit. So if you have nightmares of past portrait sessions... trying to hold a pose, get your kiddo to stop wiggling and smile for just ONE picture (pretty please), while you're crossing your fingers that it happens without a meltdown... don't worry. This will NOT be your experience with me. Cross my heart.

Because I play. I work with the kids' attitudes and energies, and incorporate that into the portrait session. We get natural movement, natural poses, and that natural smile that you love so much. And I get a workout. I bend, twist, run, and do whatever I need to do to capture those moments.

From music, to toys, to treats and games, it's an ebb and flow of activity.

I wanted to give you a peek "behind the curtain," so to speak... using these pictures from a recent family shoot to help me beautifully illustrate my point.

This is William, Jon and twin girls Rachel and Rebecca. I took their family photos before, and they recently came back for more. Two-year-old twin girls are a handful, but so adorable to see. Here is how our morning went:

We decided to hold the session in the yard of William's sister's house. More than just pretty, the location held a personal connection to them. I spread a blanket on the grass so their toys would have a place to rest. I set my Pandora playlist to my "Disney" station and hooked up my speakers so we could all enjoy.

The girls were a bit shy, and just coming out of their morning naps, too. So after saying hello to them I stayed in the background for a bit while the girls played with their fathers, giving them plenty of time to get used to me and my camera.

The girls were soon feeling more confident and their personalities began to shine. I knew that they loved their gymnastics and dance class, and asked them to show me a few moves.

We paused for snack, juice and a potty break. They're in the potty training stage, and one of them didn't quite make it. (Just keeping it real, here.) But no worries. After a quick clean-up and change of clothes she was ready to play again.

She decided to wander the yard and explore a bit, and I followed along to capture her adventure.

Then it was back to giggling and dancing with her sister. This is one of my favorite images of the day.

With both girls in good spirits, it was time to grab a few family shots.

So, just how did I keep those smiles coming? With a magical (and hilarious) puppet show put on by my husband (who is also my assistant for many shoots). While I shot the pictures, he borrowed the girls' favorite dolls and had them moving and grooving around my shoulders and arms. It not only entertained the girls, but the fathers were cracking up, as well.

The girls then decided to put on their own puppet show on top of their fathers.

The "stars" of the show.

Dolls in hand, we made our way to a favorite local park, where we played a bit more.

We were winding down. One of the girls was "done" with the camera and just wanted to play (which was perfectly fine since we'd caught a LOT of fabulous shots already), so she stayed on the swings while we caught a few last pictures of her sister.

No muss, no fuss. Both kids finished the photo session in good spirits, and the parents did, too. Not only did I capture new family photos for them, but they now have a new memory of  a special playdate with their family.

And more than just pretty pictures... these are memories of their experience.

Because it's real life. It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

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vintage visions

My Saturday morning started with a text from the lovely Heather (better known as Cheeky Woman):

"Sorry it's so early, but if you are up get over here. My neighbor is selling a whole bunch of old cameras that work."

And with that, I was up and on my way.

I spent almost an hour crouched in the neighbor's driveway, cradling each camera in my hand... Buttons, triggers, wind-ups... they were all so beautiful, each one heavy and full of history.

I soon had a growing pile of select pieces I was considering taking home with me, and I guarded that pile like a mama bear. Not wanting to spend a fortune and knowing that each camera was being sold for $15 (which is really a fantastic price), I told myself that I could only adopt THREE. But which ones? Yes, no, yes, no, yes? I must have picked up and put down the same 20 cameras over and over, trying to make a decision I could be entirely happy with.

So my heart melted when the seller told me that I could fill a box up with as many as it would hold, and take the entire box-full for $50 total.

Really? Honest and true? (happy tears.)

Since he was parting with part of his beloved collection (he was still keeping the best ones for himself), the seller loved knowing that these cameras would find a new home with someone who would appreciate them.

Welcome, my lovelies.

You are home.

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meet: Stephanie Barrymore

Meet Stephanie Barrymore. (Hi, Stephanie.) She is an absolutely extraordinary woman... founder of The Selling Method, new leader of the Orange County SMARTY group, a wife & mother, and just an overall pretty awesome person to know. Stephanie came to me a while ago, needing a new headshot. So she signed up for a business casual session with me.

Stephanie was after more than just a pretty picture... she wanted one that showed her personality.

One that showcased a bit of who she IS.

Ta-da!

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Like what you see? Click here to find out which of my sessions would suit YOU best.

Jessica + Nicole // class of 2013

Both bubbly, adorable and full of laughs, these girls are most definitely twins. And by all measures, best friends, too. So, while we were originally out to capture their senior portraits (which we did), we also used the opportunity to take plenty of pictures of the two of them together. We laughed, we played, we got tossed around in the wind.

Here are just a few of my favorites from the day...

Showing off just a couple of pieces of their personalities... Jessica adores her collection of Nicholas Sparks books, while Nicole is known for wearing a bow in her hair (and has one to coordinate with each outfit).

And, oh yeah... have I mentioned that they are both six-time world dance champions? WOW.

And my personal favorite from the day...

Share the love! Please leave a comment below... if this post gets 15+ comments, Jessica + Nicole's family will receive a free 8x10 print.

the Tomoda family

Hide and Satomi quickly welcomed me into their beautiful home and treated me like a treasured guest. I was introduced to both sets of their parents (who were visiting from Japan) and, of course, their new baby girl Kao. Once we got some music going, it was as if we had created an impromptu party. Let the fun begin...

I love tiny baby bits & pieces. Check out those feathery lashes...

And, of course... teeny, tiny toes.

This elephant was a handmade gift from one of the grandmothers.

Proud grandmothers...

Below is actually one of my favorite images, being a momentary peek into their world.

I am so honored that I was invited to capture these special family moments for them to treasure always.

Click here to see even more.

it's all about the EXPERIENCE

It had been a loooooong time since my last manicure. While I enjoy the look of pleasantly painted nails, the upkeep is a bit time consuming (and costly). But being that my cuticles were overtaking my nails, I sheepishly headed to the salon to get my nails done. And it was great. I even decided to splurge on getting "gel nails" (guaranteed to last 2 weeks) instead of just normal polish (which I usually mess up on my way out the salon door).

I was in luuuuuuuuurve with my nails. So shiny. So sparkly. And no matter HOW many times I banged my fingernails on something (what can I say, I'm a total KLUTZ), the polish stayed perfectly in place. It was all kinds of awesome, and I smiled each time I looked down at my hands.

Fast forward 2 weeks...

My nails have grown out and the gel needs to come off. The person who had done my nails in the first place was kind enough to tell me HOW to remove them myself. So, being a DIY kinda person (and always happy to save a couple bucks), I gave it a go. Acetone? check. Cotton balls? check. Foil? check. Should be simple, right?

WRONG.

Soak the cotton in acetone, place on finger and wrap with foil. Let sit 10 minutes or so. I am not a patient person (to put it mildly). I don't think I quite made it through ten minutes without the foils falling off.

I decided to take a different approach: dump some acetone into a makeshift finger bowl and rest my nails in there directly.

After that, the polish should start to peel off. Use foil to scratch the surface and peel, if necessary. I scrubbed, I scratched, I used the little file attached to my nail clippers for crying out loud.

I spent an hour repeating this process, finally giving up at midnight. My nails were still lumpy and had spotted color, but I just couldn't take the process anymore. I was stiff from perching on the couch, afraid to move too much lest I spill the acetone. I had a headache from smelling the acetone the entire time. And my poor puppy, waiting for bellyrubs or other similar affection, had been neglected since my hands had been otherwise occupied.

I was tired. And frustrated. And I finally gave up for the night, my nails looking like THIS:

um... not so pretty, but I was at my wit's end. The next morning, I couldn't stop touching my bumpy, lumpy nails. Such a small thing, but they made me feel hideous. I balled my hands up into fists to hide the nails... even from myself. I was just thankful I got through the morning without having to shake hands with anyone.

And I decided to give in. Because even though I'm a very capable woman, and could have spent the time fixing what I'd started... sometimes it's worth it to PAY to get something done, even if you can do it yourself.  Because it's all about the experience... NOT just the end result.

I headed to a local nail salon and was taken care of immediately. Gel nail polish removed, nails cleaned up, hand massage given, and nails given a fresh coat of paint. I spent less than $20 for one hour of pampered goodness. And it was worth every penny. I walked out of there feeling shiny and new.

Life likes to beat me over the head with these lessons sometimes. I always try to impart the importance of the EXPERIENCE on others, but sometimes I forget to take my own advice. Because, in the end, it's not about having shiny nails... it's about how I FEEL with them that way.

And so, here's what I learned: even though I'm a very capable person, and am uber-proud that I CAN do most things myself (and save $$ along the way), it doesn't necessarily mean that I HAVE to. Sometimes it's okay to let go of the reins a little bit. And it can be totally WORTH IT to pay the professionals to handle what they're good at. Because no matter what it is, it's not just about the outcome... it's also about the experience along the way.

making memories

"Can my daughter take a picture with you? You're her favorite character." I was at Comic-Con, and had dressed as the popular character Velma from Scooby-Doo.

I looked down at the little girl buckled into her stroller, whose eyes had grown big as saucers.

"Of COURSE you can have a picture with me."

The mother unbuckled her daughter who shyly inched near me... wanting to get closer, but almost as if she were worried I might disappear if she were to reach out and touch me... like finding out it might all just be a dream.

I bent close to the little girl and asked if she would like a hug. And all hesitation disappeared. She threw herself at me and squeezed as tightly as her little arms would allow... and her mom snapped the picture.

The little girl then sat back down in her stroller and continued to watch me with a HUGE grin plastered to her face.

The mom thanked me profusely, saying that once the little girl had spotted me, she excitedly started saying my name and practically begged her mom to chase me down so she could see me. The mother said that I had, in fact, made her child's day.

I was exhausted from walking so much, hot & sweaty under my wig, and my feet ached like CRAZY in those shoes... but it didn't matter one bit. All my aches and pains were WORTH it for that one moment where I could bring such JOY to that one child.

And it's a memory that I will treasure forever.

Many thanks to my husband who had the foresight to capture this moment for me.