Relax and Enjoy

Our life here at Rhonda Giedt Photography is a little busy. My clients have often asked "how do you not run out of energy?" My secret is photography. It energizes me and makes me jump out of bed in the morning (well most mornings because I'm really not a morning person).

However, I also have another little secret. I have three little helpers who force me to relax, take a quick break, and just enjoy life. And they are Logan, Mele, and Emily....our pets.


They love to climb on top of me or next to me and take a quick nap. And I'm such a sucker that I don't want to move them because they look so cute! But thanks to my iPhone I can grab these adorable little pictures while they relax and enjoy time with me.

To give you an introduction to each, Emily is 16 years old and has been with me since college. She is a little misunderstood...as in she doesn't seem to like anyone but me and kind of tolerates my hubby.

Mele just turned 4 years old and is the most loving, sweet, dream of a kitten anyone can ask for. Both Emily and Mele are rescue cats and our tortuous shell cats, which I love.

And last but certainly not least is Logan our 95 pound chocolate lab. Logan is 3 1/2 years old and thinks he is a lap dog. He loves kids, people, other animals, getting a bath, well....pretty much anything.

So in the spirit of celebrating our Independence Day, all of the men and women who serve to continue to protect our country, and my three little helpers...take some time this 4th of July to relax, unwind, and just enjoy this great country we live in!

Bridesmaid Dress Trend

It is always hard to pick bridesmaid dresses for your wedding . One of the ongoing trends is to have the bridesmaids pick out the type of dress they feel comfortable in and have them all be the same color and length.

Carolyn had her bridesmaids do this for her wedding and it looked fabulous!


The necklace, color of the dress, and the bouquets pulled the entire look together. Even the bridal shoes were slightly different but the same color.

Each bridesmaid got to show a little of her personality and everyone looked amazing! So when you are shopping for your bridesmaid dresses for your own wedding, think about this great trend!

Big Kid Time

Ian is 2 years old and is a big boy...or at least that's what he was trying to tell everyone at the playground. He wanted to slide, climb, and jump on everything all by himself.


He went for the big kids swing first...

...but settled on his favorite "little kid" swing in the end. I think the smile says it all!



But if there was any trouble or Ian needed a helping hand, Dad and Mom were right there.


And Ian even took a little time out of his busy play schedule to pose with Mom and Dad.



If Ian's smiles were any indication of how much fun he was having,that was only the half of it. He ran around and seemed like he could jump, run, and play all day long while having the greatest time doing it! Possibly a little lesson for the rest of us "big kids" to learn too.

Cool iPhone Apps

I know that there are a thousand really cool iPhone Apps out there. But with the new iPhone just releasing, I thought I would share the ones I love and use all the time. Feel free to let me know what your favorite apps are as well!

IMDB: I use this app ALL the time. I can never remember who was in what or who that actor is in the show that I'm watching. I LOVE IT!

To Do's: this little app keeps me on track and lets me write down everything I need to do at anytime...even at 4am when an idea pops in my head.
Photoshop.com Mobile: Edit your photos that you take on your iPhone and upload them right away to FB or others after you have enhanced them!
Guilt Group: I love to shop and this app sends me designer clothes that are on sale so I can shop right from my phone....don't tell my hubby. ;-)
Sun Alert: This app tells you when to put more sunscreen on and when to get out of the sun. Great for when I'm laying around watching the clouds roll by...wait...that never happens...anyway it's great whether you're at a party or wherever to remind you about the sun.
Martha Stewart Everyday Food: Ok I'm a little embarrassed about this app because I'm not a Martha fan. BUT, her recipes are great. It's awesome when I'm in the store and forget all the items for the recipe.
Fido Factor: Because we bring out puppy (our 95 pound puppy mind you) everywhere we can, this is a great app! I love that it tells you about restaurants, parks, and other places your little four legged kid is allowed!

So there are just a few of my favorites...let me know if you have other great ones too!

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.