Super Cute Gift Idea

If you know of a girl or woman who likes unique jewelry, you might want to check out Shade Songs on Etsy. (Etsy offers a whole slew of handmade products, so if charm bracelets aren't up your alley, you may want to do a quick search for other cool gift ideas.)

A fellow photographer recently showed off a bracelet her client had made using her baby's newborn photos. The photo charms were interspersed with charms for each letter of her baby's name. It was darling!

In my opinion, the photo linked here doesn't do the product justice. If you've recently done a session with me, or if you're planning to do one and need a gift idea, check out the site and then let me know what you think. I bet we could come up with something great!

Grrr... Still having trouble linking directly to other sites. But copy and paste this into your browser:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29345327

I promise -- it's worth the trouble.

The Second First Day

Last week Baby Girl started preschool. Today was the boys' first day of school, and boy -- were we ALL ready.

They came bounding upstairs at 7:15. DRESSED. Let me impress upon you the impressiveness of that single fact alone. I usually have to go pull their clothes out of their closets, wave them in front of their faces, and then ask, ask again, demand, and then beg them to put them on. So it was a big deal that they were ready to roll at 7:15.

After breakfast, we took a few silly snaps in the driveway. They were so antsy to get to school that their patience was thin. I was so groggy and caffeine-deprived that I could barely remember the functions on my camera. The combo didn't make for winning photos, but I guess we'll have more first days, right?





And if this isn't a fake smile, I don't know what is.



Anyway, the whole family traipsed over to school and we got each boy situated in his class. First up: KINDERGARTEN!



His cubby is one over and one up from the tambourines!



Mr. Kindergarten at his desk:





Then it was off to first grade.



After checking in with his teacher, the Big Guy was off and running. While most kids opted to sit at their desks and color, he and one of his good buddies chose to sit on the floor and go through the book basket.



At the end of the day, both guys seemed a little bit pooped and a little wilted from the heat. (According to their reports, popular playground activities seemed to revolve around looking for shade.) But each gave his day a solid A+. And now they're snoozing soundly and resting up for another fun-filled day...

Little Angels

Last night I got to hang out with a fun, playful family who supported the United Methodist Children's Center (UMCC) by bidding on and winning a family session at an auction last spring.

The girls were darling and were incredibly well-behaved. Itchy dress? No problem. Damp grass? Who cares. They were up for everything and seemed to thoroughly enjoy dancing, spinning and clowning around with their mom and dad. All of which makes my job much, much easier.

Here's their peek. Enjoy!

The Trail

This morning we took my visiting mother-in-law on a little excursion to the beach. We're fortunate to have an awesome trail nearby that winds through some nice scenery and ends at the ocean. The kids rode their bikes (for the most part) and we adults walked (when we weren't pushing/carrying/riding -- yes, riding -- Foxy's bike ourselves). All in all, it was a good time.

I decided to take the new lens out for a spin and decided that I like it equally well for nature and for people.







Funny how they're perfectly willing to smile with a little sugar in their hands.

Don't You Just Feel Safer...

... knowing that these guys are here to protect our world?







I know I do. ;)

Big Girl's First Day

Monday was the first day of school for Miss Sassypants, and she was feeling every inch the Big Girl. Before leaving for her first day, she showed off her new "school 'do" (which includes a side-hanging braid). When she got to campus, she happily reminded us just how old she is now.





Perhaps some of her confidence stemmed from the fact that she had her big brothers there with her, and boy did they step up. The were uber-sensitive to making her feel comfortable, from escorting her in to showing her the ropes -- or in this case, the slide.



And here she is sassing it up with her good buddies (built-in friends are another reason things went so smoothly).



On an unrelated note, I added a new lens to the collection today. It arrived right at dinnertime, so I didn't get to play much. And I was shooting handheld in our very breezy yard (not good conditions for macro shots). That said, I think that this lens and I are going to have lots of fun together...



And finally, a snapshot of the yahoos and their daddy just before bedtime. They sure do love their dad. :)

They're Angels When They're Sleeping

My three yahoos have been driving me a little bonkers lately (SCHOOL STARTS SOON, RIGHT???), but they never fail to melt my heart when -- at the end of a long, crazy day -- they fall sweetly, blissfully asleep. And it's even cuter when they do it together.

We spent last night at the cabin, and they all crashed together before getting moved to their separate spaces. This was the scene when we went to move them before hitting the sack ourselves:







One other thing I love about being at the cabin is the fact that everything here is SO OLD. Even the books the kids read before sleep are old. And the kids don't seem to mind one bit. Here's the pile from which Mr. First Grade pulled when reading his brother and sister to sleep:



So what did we do after all that peaceful sleep? PADDLEBOATS, baby.



Gotta love the bright green water. There are some snapshots that give a little more context, but the air was equally nasty, due to the Santa Cruz fire, so I opted to post just the one.

The Lovely Miss C

This morning I got to meet three generations of a local family, and I truly, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The star of the show -- the lovely Miss C -- was as sweet as could be. I realized after she left that, other than a bout of the hiccups, I never heard a peep out of her. She was simply and beautifully serene.

Personally, I just love this image of Miss C with her sisters. I am honored to have taken their first photograph together. And a quick review of the entire session has made me quite excited to put together the gallery. Until then, here's the peek:

Twins on the Way

Here are a few peeks from my friend T's maternity session this morning. We enjoyed cinnamon rolls and her daughter's entertaining conversation and got some beautiful images to remember this time before her TWO sons arrive.

T, thanks for rolling with everything! I look forward to sharing your complete gallery soon. :)

Paparazzi in the Front Room

This afternoon, I had the house somewhat to myself, so I took advantage of the relative quiet and played with a new lighting set-up. For no good reason, I'd decided to do this just inside the front door, in what we call our front room.

I'd just finished when my poor, unsuspecting family walked in the door. They had no idea that a paparazzo was lying in wait. In the spirit of the busiest red carpet, I started spouting off:

"HERE! LOOK HERE!"

"JUST ONE QUICK SMILE!!"

"TURN TOWARD THE LIGHT, GORGEOUS!"

"WORK IT, BABY!!"







My boys could work on their "spontaneous" smiles, but the grown-ups worked it like old pros.

Family Milestones

I got together with a friend this morning and photographed her extended family, including her parents, who were celebrating a big anniversary, and her brother and his fiancee (that's them in the last peek below). Thanks for sharing this special weekend with me, guys. Hope brunch was fun!

Colors That Flatter Everyone

While online a few minutes ago, I stumbled on this article regarding colors that flatter every skin tone. I thought it might be interesting to potential and future clients who are wondering what to wear for a session. Apparently, eggplant, true red, Indian teal, and mellow rose are the four go-to winners. Could be helpful to know the next time your extended family gathers for a photo, no?

I tried linking right to the article, but something funky's going on. And I'm being summoned outside to look for the family dog, who's gone MIA. So if you're interested, just paste this into your brower: http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/256/the-4-universally-flattering-clothing-colors/

As you were.

Beach Mini-Sessions, Take Two

I was a tad worried that things couldn't possibly go as smoothly the second time around, but low and behold... They just about did. Yesterday as a little windier than last weekend, and I did leave my water in the car (but was saved by an extremely thoughtful client who ran up to the store and got me a replacement). Other than that, however, it was another evening of prompt, prepared and FUN families. I have to rate this summer's mini-session experience an A+, and I hope you all had a great time, too. Here's the peek for yesterday's crew. Enjoy!

Beach Mini-Sessions, Take One

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to the lovely families who joined me at the beach yesterday afternoon and evening. You were all so prompt, so well prepared, and so much fun to photograph. There was a terrific variety of ages and I enjoyed myself the entire time. I'm already looking forward to Round Two next Wednesday. There was one downside, however: I am far more sore today than I was after the recent triathlon. It seems that chasing kids through the sand for hours on end is one good workout.

Enjoy your sneak peek, guys! I'm off to hit the (Advil) bottle again...