First Dances

I follow George Strait on Facebook and saw a message this morning that his new album is available for pre-order on Amazon! I can't wait to pick it up! George and Tori are the only artists who I still buy CDs for, and who I'll pay top dollar to see. They are such different artists, but they are both 100% genuine, and I think that is why I enjoy them so much. As you can see, Tori, George, and I are on a first name basis (haha), & George played at my wedding. Okay it was his music that played ... he wasn't there with his guitar, but it still counts. We're one of the many many couples who choose "I Cross My Heart" as our first dance. It's a perfect first dance. You can't beat George! ;-)



I always love hearing how couples choose their first dance songs. It's a personal declaration of who they are as a couple. It's always interesting to see who keeps their song a secret until the wedding, who sings along, who choreographs their first dance, who cries a little, and what kind of song they choose to kick off their marriage.

Here's a peek at Allison & Rob's first dance to "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Ingrid Michaelson ... what was your first dance?

Gift Card Winner

I loved the responses from the first Little Luxuries post! You definitely chose some of my favorite items. I bought my first re-usable water bottle from the Crate & Barrel outlet last week, LOVE my stand mixer (although I don't use it nearly as much as I should), and am hooked on my morning coffee. There is something beautiful about treating yourself well, if only in small ways!

Thank you for participating in my first Little Luxuries adventure, and congratulations to Leslie for winning the $10 Amazon.com gift card! There were only a few entries, but I used a random number generator to pick the winner fair & square! Leslie, I will email the gift card over to you ... maybe you can use it towards the peacock feather water bottle you liked! =)

Here's a peek at my new water bottle!

Allison + Rob: Married ... sneak peek!

Yesterday, Rob and Allison had a fun & very personal citrus-themed wedding at the San Dimas Golf Course. It was an absolute pleasure to be part of their day. It was extra fun since a lot of my friends were in the wedding party, and my husband was even there as a guest!

Allison & Rob -- I know you'll see these before you leave tonight for your honeymoon. Have an absolutely fabulous time in Antigua! Enjoy your time away, and I can't wait to hear all about your adventures when you return!
Hello gorgeous!

Little Luxuries: An Introduction

During Spring 2000, I spent a semester abroad in Salzburg, Austria. During the week, we had set meals for dinner, and all 27 students in our program ate together at the scheduled local restaurant. I was vegetarian at the time, which worked out fabulously when the meat meal fell flat. Sometimes it was my vegetarian option that didn't work out so well, such as when I was served dinner consisting of only steamed zucchini and squash. We were sometimes fed unappealing things like a frothy garlic soup, and sometimes delicious things like schnitzel and strawberries & ice cream. Midway through the semester, I un-vegetarianized myself, and fell in love with the schnitzel & kasekrainers of Austria. And the giant chocolate-covered or apple-filled pretzels from the pretzel street vendor. =)

One March night in Rome, after we had been abroad for over a month, we found a taste of home: Planet Hollywood. In a continent that mostly served warm, bubbly water, a restaurant that brought pitchers of ice-water to our table was the closest thing to heaven! Of course, the fruity cocktails were nice too. I have pictures in my scrapbook of us drinking a rainbow of fruity cocktails, with giant smiles on our faces.

Nine years of passed since that night, and I can't tell you what my cocktail with the pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry was, but I can tell you one thing: as we walked to Planet Hollywood, I dreamed out loud to Kelli about opening a boutique called Little Luxuries. Little Luxuries would be about treating yourself well. I pictured pewter, cashmere, and pillows. Little Luxuries would be soft, welcoming, and delicious.

Instead of the brick-and-mortar version of Little Luxuries that I imagined with Kelli, Little Luxuries has launched as a virtual store though Amazon. Little Luxuries about knowing that you deserve deliciously good things in your life, even if they are only sprinkled in. It's about drinking your $3 wine from a $20 glass ... or aerating that $3 bottle so it tastes like a $30 bottle! It's about having a really cute re-usable bag for the grocery store. It's about reading books that makes your soul feel good. We all deserve things in our life that make us swoon. I am very excited to share my Little Luxuries with you, and to hear about your favorite Little Luxuries. I am going to show you things I think are fabulous, books that made me grow, and the equipment in my camera bag. Little Luxuries is also going to be a regular segment on my blog, and I can't wait for the delicious things I am going to feature! =)

Click through Little Luxuries, and leave me a blog comment with what your favorite item is and why. After 9pm on Monday (July 20), I'll pick a winner at random for a $10 Amazon gift card. Be sure to leave your real name or email so I can get ahold of you!

Good luck! =)

Lyrics

I have a list of things to do today. Finao teleconference, getting my eyebrows threaded, uploading images, doing a little editing, and responding to emails and Facebook messages.

Oh, and one other thing. One other very important thing. I need to learn the words to the newest Tori Amos album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin! There will definitely be a point today where I sit with the CD insert, listen to the songs over and over, and memorize the words. It sounds like I'm 12 years old, right? Normally the insert rests on the passenger seat of my car, so I can easily look up words or phrases that I can't quite understand (at stop lights, of course!). I can't say why I haven't learned her words this time around. I'm actually not even sure where the CD case and the insert with the lyrics are ... but I will find them ... and I will learn the words!

I'm on a lyric-memorizing kick because I'm headed up to the Greek Theater for Tori's show tomorrow night. I am SO excited! I used to always buy 2 tickets, and drag someone up with me for the show. Tori isn't exactly mainstream, and I usually felt apologetic during the show because my guest came as a favor to me, not because they wanted to see her. At the last show I went to, as I sat next to the empty seat that I held a ticket for, I had a revelation: I'll just buy one ticket, go to the show myself, and rock it out. I'm learning to let go of my inhibitions, and you just might see me dancing in my seat. Yeah, I'm that girl.

Because posts are boring without an image, here's a cool piece of outdoor art at The Living Desert:

Julia: Maternity

Last week I met up with my good friends Julia & Kevin for a maternity session. They are expecting their first child in 3 weeks. We spent the perfect afternoon at the beach before they headed out on the town to celebrate their second wedding anniversary. Julia and Kevin were both amazing models who were up for trying anything that I suggested. I loved creating images that Jakson will treasure years from now. I absolutely can't wait to meet the little guy! =)
(Julia -- Please don't hate me for posting this one! In a few months, you're going to love it!)

The Living Desert

I just got back from several relaxing days in Palm Desert. On Monday, after the boys got back from their 6am tee time, we had breakfast and went to The Living Desert for a few hours. During the summer, The Living Desert is only open until 1:30pm ... and after our 115 degree morning there, I totally understand why!! I think the hot weather made the desert animals feel more at home, though. When Bob and I went back in March, I REALLLY wanted to see giraffes, and they weren't out. On Monday, we saw 4 of them, basking in the shade of palm trees. Two hours & one rootbeer float later, we were headed back to the condo, where we spent the rest of the day relaxing in the pool! I could have floated in that pool all week ... it was fabulous! =)

"Downward Facing Giraffe"The goat really liked Julia scratching his neck!This isn't a great picture ... it was taken through dirty glass from the only angle I could shoot from. I love it though, because the mountain lion's feet were twitching while she slept. Here kitty kitty kitty!
This fountain looked so refreshing & zen-ish that I broke into yoga "tree" pose. For a moment. =)

Just for Fun: Wordle

Hi everyone! I just wanted to share the Wordle cloud I just created from my blog! It's fun to see what words you use most, and Wordle definitely does all the heavy lifting in designing it!

I'd love to see what Wordle clouds you create -- either from your blogs or by typing in your own words. Send me a screen capture of your Worlde, & I'll post include it in an upcoming post!

Maternity: Sneak Peek!

Today I had the pleasure of photographing my good friend Julia, whose first child is due in a mere 26 days. I am going through my images, and it was tough to choose just one favorite for the sneak peek ... but here you go! Doesn't she look like she stepped out of a maternity fitness magazine? =)

Sarah + Nate: Married!

He smiled as she approached, gracefully walking on her father's arm. She smiled back, and nothing else in the world mattered. Surrounded by their friends and family, Sarah and Nate smiled, together, throughout the night.

I am so fortunate that Sarah and Nate asked me to photograph their wedding at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort. I couldn't have asked for a more fabulous, easy-going couple. Not the morning rain nor anything else could have stopped these two from enjoying their night. Thank you, Sarah & Nate, for being so awesome! =)

Here are a few of my favorites:
I love a couple with a candy bar! =)
Bribery works wonders in getting the ring-bearer up the aisle. An added bonus, is if you give a gift he loves, it might occupy him all night long! Watching this ring-bearer channel his inner Luke Skywalker was awesome!
Here's a mini-sneak peek for my next wedding! Allison & Rob get married in 10 days, and I'm thrilled to be their photographer!Oh how I love sun-flare!Please enjoy the slideshow!

If you know Sarah & Nate, you can view all their wedding images & order prints for yourself.

Two Years

Late this afternoon, I sat on the couch with my husband, spending a few minutes together before he left for work. There was a segment on tv about the Walkman, which launched on today's date in 1979. "Wow," I told him, "the Walkman was launched the day after I was born!" He corrected me, saying that my birthday was 2 days ago, not yesterday (oops!). My train of thought went something like "Huh.. I guess it is. I can't believe I don't know that day it is today. Yesterday was the 30th, so it's July 1st ... yadda yadda yadda ..." and then I remembered, today is the 2nd anniversary of Serendipity Images!

The birth of Serendipity Images was a major turning point in my life. Pre-Serendipity Images I worked for a federal contractor, and made my husband crazy because I was so unhappy there. Serendipity Images was born on 7/1/2007, and everything changed. I take ownership of my decisions. I love my life, and love what I do. I love making connections with the couples I work with, and I love the priviledge of being with them, all day, on their wedding day. I love that I have the opportunity to document the lives of people around me. I love being my own boss, and I love being accountable only to myself for the decisions I make in my business.

I am so grateful for the support of my friends and family, and for the clients (now friends) who booked me to shoot your weddings when I had never shot one before. Your trust allowed me to jump headlong into wedding photography, at exactly the right time, and I will never be able to thank you enough for that.

Here is one of my early favorites, and one of the first images I ever sold...
... compared to one of my most recent shots. The sunset at Sarah & Nate's wedding was incredible!
Here's another from Sarah & Nate's wedding (I can't resist!):
Happy Anniversary to everyone who has been a part of Serendipity Images. And to the Walkman. =)