Roan's Birthday Party

Being a Bay Area photographer allows you to photograph great people and amazing places. However, I am always truly honored when someone asks me to celebrate a milestone by photographing an event that they are having.

I got this such honor when I was the photographer for Roan's 1 year old birthday party. Now Roan may not remember this party when he is older. But luckily he will have photos from the day to see that his friends and family members had a blast!

Let's start off with the cake. Roan had the most awesome birthday cake for the party...


...make that TWO awesome birthday cakes!


And they were yummy!


And even though Roan was a little small to go into the Jump Jump, it didn't stop everyone else from having a great time in it.



Plus, being the birthday boy means you get lots of kisses and get to be the center of attention!


And before everyone headed off for a train ride around Lemos Farms, there was plenty of food to go around.


And it wouldn't be an awesome first birthday party without a pinata and a giant balloon!



Have a great year Roan! And I can't wait to see you next year!!!

California Wine Country

Every year we head up to Wine Country with friends to taste and buy some great wines. And as some people say....we have a wine buying problem. We buy faster than we drink. Luckily we have friends that are more than willing to help us even out the buying to drinking ratio. :-)

This year we went up to the Russian River Valley and had an absolute treat! The winemaker at Unti, one of our favorites, gave us a private tour and barrel tasting of upcoming releases. I really tried to get one of those barrels on the back of the car but it didn't work.

Sebastian, the wine maker, gives us a tour of the grape vines. Showing us how they thin out each vine by hand and how they move the leaves to shade the grape clusters if there is too much sun.



Aren't the little clusters cute!


And just to give you a reference of just how big those barrels are....

If you are up in wine country, be sure to stop by Unti. They have amazing wines and the nicest staff you could ever meet!!!

Henry 8 Months Old

If you have followed my blog, you know that I think Henry is the cutest little thing under 4 feet tall! I love his little giggles and big ole smile! It is such a joy to photograph him and hang out with his Mom, Amanda.

These photos from Henry's 8 month old photo session just shows how happy a little munchkin he is! Amanda is also great at getting him to laugh uncontrollably...


...And he wears his I heart Mommy shirt so proudly!!!a





Plus it's never to early to learn to stay in shape by doing push ups.


Or to be fascinated by the camera lights.


And don't even think of taking his little ball away....because he'll put those little hands right back in his mouth.


And to melt your heart one last time...here is Henry's sweet little smile.

Kate and Matt's Engagement Session

Kate and Matt are getting married next month and I'm so excited! They are a couple who have plans to make their wedding uniquely theirs and I love that. I don't want to spoil the surprise but I'll give you a sneak peak into just how cute they are together from photos from their engagement session.

Being a wedding photographer, I love it when my clients have ideas that are soooo them! (And I have to admit, most of my brides are and that's why I love them!) Kate and Matt do a lot of hiking, especially in Edgewood Park. It is a beautiful park with some very nice trails so if you get the chance to go...do.



Kate and Matt were major troopers...climbing up on this fallen tree and being great sports!




There are so many beautiful spots, trees, flowers, and trails to see and explore in Edgewood Park. I particularly love this one!!!

Minx Nails

I have always loved getting my nails done. And especially doing outrageous colors on my toenails. And now that Summer is here and we have been stuck inside all winter my toenails are as crazy as ever.

I heard about this new application called Minx Nails. It's basically plastic with cool patterns on it that they wrap around your nail. It stays on for at least two months and it is durable. I've done photography sessions at the beach with no shoes on and they have completely held up. Regular nail polish doesn't even do that!

Check out all the cool patterns they have at Minx Nails. And if you're in the Bay Area, Valentino's in Burlingame has trained manicurist to apply them.

Playing in the Sand

As some of you may know, my husband loves to play golf. And I have even started to play around with learning it too. So when Mick, my golf instructor, asked if I could take some photos of him giving a group lesson I was all for it.

The lesson was in the sand and due to the this being a photography session instead of a "real lesson" I recruited my husband and a couple of friends to stand in as students.


Now Mick is a great golf instructor. I told him to start as if this was a real lesson and ignore me. He began teaching the group about the technique needed to get a golf ball out of the sand and then demonstrated it before working with each student individually.

Each student got personalized instructions based on how they swing their club and their skill level.


And in the end...it turned out to be a real lesson for the three of them. And my husband Robert, has even been able to get out of the sand traps since them. Complete success!

Mick truly is a great golf instructor. If you want to learn call to make an appointment with him at Mariners Point Golf Course.

James and Sophia Engagment Photos

When I spoke with James and Sophia about where they wanted their engagement photography session, they knew immediately. They wanted anywhere on the coast. And who could blame them? The coast of Northern California is beautiful, breathtaking, and sometimes a little cold. After having amazing weather on Saturday, the coast decided to be not so gracious on Sunday during our engagement photography session.

But James and Sophia were great troopers and decided to brave the cold weather anyway. Sophia even started out in this adorable dress and you would never know that it was absolutely bone chilling! She's a natural model!!!



After a wardrobe change...we continued photographing them. They are so cute and so in love, you can't help but be giddy around them.


Thankfully that wave did not get them wet...it barely missed! One of the things that I love doing with my brides is to collaborate on ideas. Sophia had this great one and it's how we ended the day!

Best Wishes James and Sophia!