We’re in Ohio

and it is Christmas eve. Our creek is frozen over, but it is still so beautiful. We ran into a man and his dog named Mo. He told us that the snapping turtles were hibernating under the ground somewhere. There is snow. Not a lot, but enough to make it magical.

And magical it is…

Merry Christmas!

 

A Teaser

Just a little peek at what I’ve been working on this week:

These are all for Peek, of course. More soon, promise.

 

Orders, orders…

Between wrapping up shoots and getting orders out, I’ve been running around like crazy and have been really lame about blogging. I promise to share what I’ve been working on soon! In the meantime, I did want to share that I will be taking an extra long (and very much needed) winter break from December 20th through January 9th.  I will be out of the studio for this entire time and although I will have internet access, I will be practicing the art of unplugging and will not be checking my e-mail daily. I can guarantee order deliveries by Christmas if they are placed by December 15th. Any orders placed after December 20th will not be fulfilled until the new year.

In other news, I was looking through some personal images for our holiday cards this year and stumbled across a bunch of shots that Pat took and never even told me about! I was struck by how beautiful so many of these images are. He second-shot for me several times this year and I’ve been so blown away by what an amazing eye he has. He started the year off carrying around my old Rebel xt and then moved to a 30D…I think he just might be ready for another upgrade, what do you think? Here are a couple that melted me…

I should keep him around, don’t you think??

 

a very belated birthday party

And so we are 5.

Due to a long chain of bizarre events, we had a 5th birthday party over two months late…but I don’t think that he minded one bit. Because his birthday falls in early September, we usually have a beach bash and invite basically whoever wants to come. However, because we found ourselves planning a party in the midst of (supposedly) rainy season we thought that a small indoor gathering would be more practical. We decided to have the party at my talented friend Cayce’s Art Studio, Blue Apple Studios. I’ve been a huge fan of both Cayce and her school for awhile, so I couldn’t wait. As it turns out, it was perfect. The kids did (what else?) a construction-themed project. Although I regret not getting a shot of each artist with his/her masterpiece, I did manage to grab a few of the action…

Making the dump truck cake earlier in the day

The masters at work…

Bursting with pride during the big moment.

My first attempt at a 3D cake…

Happy Birthday to the best teacher I’ve ever had. 5 years later and I still can’t believe that you’re here. Thanks for finding your way to us, we’d be lost without you! I Love You, mama

 

random thoughts

So, we got a tree on December 1st. It felt early, but he insisted…the virgo in the family is keeping us on point…

I’m seriously getting into the spirit here now that the tree is up. We made a Gingerbread house today and I intentionally chose the nastiest candy available so that my child would not be the slightest bit tempted. It worked. He still has no idea that those sketchy little Peeps snowmen are actually edible.

I’ve also been too busy to blog, I think. In the 3 years that I’ve been in business, I’ve never had so much work. I am grateful to say the least. I even had to turn some business away, which is a first for me. It made me feel sad, but a little happy too.

Have you ever cried in the scalding hot shower just because it felt good to do so? I tried it the other night and highly recommend it to everyone.

I’m done with my 2009 wedding season, it was a good one. Again, I’m so grateful.

My 5 year old has the best questions…a couple that come to mind: “Does Santa Claus ever die?” and “Mama, how exactly do blimps land?” Any help answering these would be greatly appreciated.

It has been over 6 years since I have left the country and I seriously have the itch…time to renew the passport.

I send you much comfort and joy this weekend…

 

Thankful

a few things that I’m thankful for, in no particular order…

my running shoes, although I have been neglecting them lately

green tea, chocolate, swiss chard, and Sierra Nevada Porter mustard

Canon lenses

central heating and plumbing…seriously.

These hair products

This etsy shop

the fact that I live in Santa Cruz

the fact that I was raised in Ohio

Ikaria, Greece

my health

the pumpkin pie that is baking right now and the way that it smells

The Forest of Nicene Marks

my many, many relatives

old photos

endorphins

polaroid

our garden

sleeping in

airplanes

bulldozers

mountain bikes

this blog

Hawaii

This video

tide pools

farmers

basset hounds

and these two, of course…

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. There is so much, everywhere, every day, that I pass by and forget to notice.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

 

Published in C Magazine!

Guess what? One of my portraits of my lovely and talented friend Amy Williams was published  in the November issue of C  magazine, the fabulous California Style magazine. I spied the magazine in the airport today while waiting for a flight and was so tickled to see my image inside that, well…I bought five copies. Don’t laugh, this is my first time being published. Amy was featured in the “Inside” section, where she shares her favorite local eateries, boutiques, and other spots in the Los Gatos area. Thanks Amy for being so fabulous and thanks to the talented Melissa of Ruby Press for this opportunity. If you happen to see this month’s issue of C magazine (with the ever stunning Winona Ryder on the cover), be sure to grab it and read about Amy’s favorite things.

 

Peek…Aren’t You Curious Launched their Holiday Line

Our friends at Peek just launched their new Holiday line…isn’t it fabulous?

Check out Peekkids.com, Peek’s newly launched e-commerce site featuring one of my images on nearly every page. I love the clean design, modern aesthetic, and the easy-to-navigate set-up. I’m grateful to my dear friends at Peek for the opportunity to photograph so many amazing kids. Photographing for them is always a bit of an adrenaline rush…challenging, scary at times, fun, hilarious, and wonderful all at the same time. I never get bored and am always stretched to try things outside of my comfort zone, which I deeply need as a photographer and as a person.

At the end of the day though, when I look over the images I am always reminded that it’s really not about me.

It is really all about these tiny little souls and how they’re finding their voices in this enormous world…

 

Peek…Aren’t You Curious Corte Madera Event

Pat and I had such a blast at the Peek…Aren’t You Curious Corte Madera store last Sunday. We did 20 mini photo shoots for customers during an in-store event. Check out just a few of the cuties…

Thanks to all of the awesome kids and their fabulous parents for making the day so much fun. And…a huge shout out to Megan, the amazing store manager who made the entire day incredibly pleasant and seamless. If you have not been to the Corte Madera store, you must stop by. Click here for more store info. Also, Peek’s brand spankin’ new e-commerce website will be launching soon…I will keep you posted.

 

silver grass, ripe fruit…

I got to be a part of the most amazing photo shoot the other day.

I cannot spill the beans just yet…but wanted to share while it is fresh in my mind. And yes, it was as magical as it appears.

I hope that the bounty of autumn is filling your hearts…