photo life

san diego zoo

2012-01-30T10:38:00.000-08:00

fernandez family

2012-01-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

love these guys!

voltron of awesomeness

2012-01-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

i just got back from jeff newsom's workshop. i can't wait to try out the cool things i learned!

cheerio

2012-01-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

i was so happy when my niece and her family came stateside and i was able to hang out with them. if you are ever in london and you need a photographer, julie is your girl. check out her site here.

clearly mc clearys

2012-01-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

pure joy

2012-01-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

when you live in seattle and you come to visit california in the winter, this is how it feels.

nativity 2011

2012-01-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

my nativity set is broken, glued back together and then broken again and again. i'm happy i have a live nativity that doesn't break.

sundance, ut

2011-12-30T12:51:00.000-08:00

black and whites taken with my iphone.

merry christmas!

2011-12-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

the cooks

2011-12-16T13:20:00.000-08:00

i wish i could have seen suzi's face when i texted her and said, "change of location: meet me in the parking lot." the lighting was irresistable. i love the cook family!

a bicycle built for six

2011-12-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

ewell family

2011-12-08T08:35:00.001-08:00

jack's preschool teacher (who we adoringly call ms. ando) and her family were sealed in the lds temple. i was so honored to have captured their special day.

impromptu vacation

2011-12-05T11:01:00.001-08:00

we have had the most amazing winter weather ever! and it called for a quick trip down to san diego.

the hottles

2011-12-02T08:59:00.001-08:00

family reunion

2011-11-30T10:03:00.001-08:00

with everyone living all across the country, this group doesn't get together very often and so family pictures were a must. it was also the first time that grandpa met two of his grandsons, who were born on the same day! i hope they start making this a tradition.

happy thanksgiving

2011-11-27T23:27:00.001-08:00

i'm very thankful for my family.

the kellys

2011-11-21T09:59:00.001-08:00

one year olds are fast... and curious... and adorable.

nob hill

2011-11-16T15:49:00.001-08:00

a real shiner

2011-11-15T10:20:00.001-08:00

i thought the chipped tooth added character, but with a black eye too, family pictures might be cancelled this year.

mcinnes family

2011-11-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

happy halloween

2011-11-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

from a baby elephant, an ex-con, a unicorn, and rapunzel.

the lesueur bunch

2011-10-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

dylan leo

2011-10-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

i know what you're thinking... she did not just have a baby six weeks ago. seriously how beautiful are they both?

big fun with the wallins

2011-10-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

While vacationing in Oceanside, this family managed to squeeze in a photo shoot with me and I'm so glad they did!

woods family

2011-10-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

... and let's not leave the rest of the family out.

spring is one!

2011-10-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that a year has flown by since this little baby Spring was born! It seems like yesterday that I was over at her house taking these pictures. Could she get any cuter?

baby mia in black & white

2011-09-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

ensign family

2011-09-08T23:36:00.000-07:00

this fun family was visiting from switzerland and asked me to photograph them at one of their favorite places. the beach. i didn't notice the secret i heart u written in the sand until i got this picture on my computer. how cool is that? oh, and note to self: do not wear jeans to a photo shoot in august. and heat + humidity + high noon = really bad hair for me. if you don't want to end the photo shoot looking like a sweaty sea monster, stick with shorts and a ponytail.

sisters

2011-08-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

i have two sisters who i absolutely adore! so, when i was asked to take pictures of sisters being sisters and having fun, i was really excited.

maggie

2011-08-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

this senior from seattle wanted pics to remember her summers spent at the beach. what a darling girl! you should have seen me by the end of the shoot i was totally covered in sand.

berry fresh summer

2011-08-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

family tree

2011-07-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

i'll always have a soft spot for this family, since the twins were my first clients when i moved to this area. i loved working with the whole family this time. a father, a mother, six sons, one daughter, one daughter in-law, with one more in the works, and two grandsons, whew!

the petersons

2011-06-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

i love it when clients take me to new places to shoot. we had a fun time exploring around chapman university and even discovered a piece of the berlin wall. it was super cool.

he's a champ

2011-06-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

i had so much fun working with this cute senior and his championship soccer ring.

a few more

2011-06-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

taylor

2011-05-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

ladybugs and dandelions

2011-05-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

make a wish

2011-05-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

i wish for spring to really get here. no more rain and cold weather, please.

happy mother's day

2011-05-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

catching butterflies

2011-03-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

featured in styled mag. here

5 days old

2011-03-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

from head to toe this little guy (well not so little weighing in at 10lbs. 6oz. at birth) is such a sweetheart! i remember when my youngest was that little, and i just stared at him all day watching his eyelashes grow.

i scream, you scream!

2011-03-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

i'm getting ready for my daughter's birthday, and she's having an ice cream party. she couldn't be more excited! I had to make all these samples so it feels like we've already had the party, but i'm happy to do it all over again for my cutie pie.

you can download the printables via onecharmingparty.com

churros & popcorn

2011-02-28T18:14:00.001-08:00

i was going through old photos today and i came across this one. it makes me laugh.

sound advice

2011-02-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

young at heart

2011-02-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

this is my sister in law's grandpa, he makes being 85 look fun and easy.
i'm having a hard time keeping up with 34, facing the reality of gravity and sugar. my great aunt emma used to say, in response to the question, why don't you eat healthier?, "why would i want to live forever, when all my friends are dead? i'll eat whatever i want." so until my friends have kicked the bucket, i guess i better try a little harder to eat right. (and thank goodness i committed to doing that after this party, because that cake was the most delicious cake i've ever had)

to dye for

2011-02-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

there could not be more personality wrapped up into one family than the dyers. the father was singing 'tender shepard' while the mom was singing 'poker face', the dynamics are hilarious, we had such a great time together!

2011-01-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

i've been working really hard on some fun new ideas for valentine's day. you can check them out over at one charming party. my personal favorite are the candy gum ball necklaces.

necklace and pizza photo by me, the rest of the photos by nicole hill.

sunset

2011-01-17T11:33:00.000-08:00

we went to my in laws house last night and the whole family was together for the first time in over two years. it was fun and crazy, and the sunset was spectacular! i'm going to alt this week, so i'll see you when i get back.

happy

2011-01-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

i just couldn't resist posting this series. it makes me so happy.

the hawes family

2011-01-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

i was so nervous to do this photo shoot, because big groups are not my forte, but i went for it anyhow and i'm so glad i did. we had such a good time laughing and joking around. i guess it's true when they say, 'all because two people fell in love'. what a fabulous family!

p.s. thank you for not wearing matching outfits!

2011

2011-01-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

here's to the fresh start of a new year! my goals are to get organized and find balance.

merry christmas to all

2010-12-27T12:37:00.000-08:00

i hope you all had a wonderful christmas spending time with family and friends! note to self: next year do not spend money on expensive toys, because the kids have more fun rolling around in a giant paper bag.

the nutcracker

2010-12-17T18:15:00.000-08:00

just getting ready for the sugar plum fairies around here.

the rest of the gang

2010-12-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

i love it when i get to shoot with out any expectations of getting the perfect picture. we just mess around and the personalities of the kids are able to shine and i think you get way better pictures without trying so hard.

think pink

2010-12-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

going green?

2010-12-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

i did. i met up with the green family in dana point for some family pics. these girls were really good and aren't they just so cute?

oh boy!

2010-12-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

reflections

2010-12-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

my favorite pictures of the season are the first and last ones of this post. the reflections of the kids in the fireplace and the reflection of the girl, who looks like the most perfect ballerina, in the pool. at this time of year, it's nice to take time and reflect on things.

keep dreamin'

2010-12-05T23:52:00.000-08:00

while we were waiting for the rest of the family to come for pictures, i told my niece to lay back and think about her dreams. i have dreams too...they mostly involve a clean house and dinner on the table.

sanders family

2010-12-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

i just adore this fun and crazy family! she is due any day now and i can't wait to meet the latest addition.

the smart family

2010-12-01T22:40:00.000-08:00

i wish i had been smart enough myself not to move away from this family. fortunately for me, they love coming to the beach.

woods family

2010-11-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

if you thought this mother and baby were adorable, check out the rest of the family! just darling, sweet, beautiful people, all of them.

i heart ny

2010-11-29T16:03:00.000-08:00

i'm back to report that the whole experience was amazing! everything was just how you'd imagine it. it was like being in a real life magazine. now i need a craft room that looks like martha's, right now everything's on the living room floor. martha would not approve.

highlights:
tinsel trading co. - vintage and new ribbons, trims, flowers, nicknacks, i wanted one of everything in here.
paper presentation - papers, stationary, craft supplies, everything you could think of.
moomah - cafe for the budding artist, kid's parties and crafts, super cute decor, delicious smoothies.
kate's paperie - papery goodness of every kind.
dean & deluca - sophisticated grocery store, i wanted two of everything in here (i was hungry).
john derian co. - unique gifts and trinkets, unusual, expensive, and super cool. (martha was in there shopping two days earlier).
anthropologie - clothing & home, could the store displays be any more off the charts? how do they come up with this stuff?

i didn't make it to dylan's candy shop, i ran out of time. i have to catch it next time i go. what are your new york faves?

it's the most wonderful time of the year

2010-11-29T07:51:00.000-08:00

i can't believe that it's already time to start thinking about christmas! if you're thinking about having a gingerbread house decorating party, head on over to one charming party this week for ideas and free printables.

thankful

2010-11-20T23:30:00.000-08:00

i'm off to nyc to be on the martha stewart show! it's crazy, i'm nervous, i'm excited too. happy thanksgiving.

models or hottles?

2010-11-16T10:02:00.000-08:00

both (well not professional models, but gorgeous people none the less). i love the hottle family! and their dog too.

5 boys 2 girls

2010-11-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

seven kids! you would think that taking pictures of such a huge family would be a disaster, but this family rules. they have the most darling, smart and well behaved children. I had the privilege of taking this family's pics last year and we were able to meet up at the beach this year for a quick shoot. family of nine... anytime.

morris fam

2010-11-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

after all the rain we've had i was really ready for a relaxing day at the beach. so i met up with this nevada family down at silver strand beach. this hot mama is a photographer herself (blue bird photography) and when you're the one taking all the pics you rarely get pictures of yourself, so we had fix that.

blonde beauty

2010-11-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

while we were out shooting, she was getting honks and whistles and it's not hard to see why. can you believe this darling girl comes from a family of seven brothers!

pumpkin

2010-10-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

in the middle of fall, spring is here

2010-10-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Taking pictures of baby Spring, makes me seriously think that the misery of pregnancy is worth going through it one more time. how precious is she?

scary stuff

2010-10-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

did you know that the ancient egyptians made cat mummies and buried artifacts to follow them in the afterlife. found in tombs of mummified cats were rats and mice for the cats to hunt in the afterlife.

but the egyptians didn’t want it to be all work and no play for their feline idols. they also left saucers of milk in the kitty tombs so they could lap in leisure.

i hope there's a saucer of milk waiting for me too, i could use a little lap of leisure.

more details about these over at one charming party.

some advice

2010-10-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

christmas card photo season is upon us so remember this:
when picking a place to take pictures, choose somewhere that is comfortable for your family. we almost went to a random park for this session and then realized at the last minute that the best place was right in their own back yard. the kids felt natural there, the lighting was great and everyone was happy taking breaks and getting drinks. less stress = better pictures.

go batty

2010-10-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

here are a few batty ideas i put together for a party over at one charming party.

first birthday

2010-10-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

this party was complete with friends, fun and food served in chinese take out boxes! so cute.

overseas

2010-09-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

this cute little family's daddy is overseas right now. i'm so thankful for men like him who keep us safe here.

it's my party

2010-09-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

one of the projects i love working on is designing parties and party invitations for one charming party. we just released the first official party for downloading and this one is free! check it out and download it, throw it on your ipad (using the myPDFs app) and curl up to a good party. i'm super excited for the next big release in november, it's a baking party!

picture by nicole hill

tiger invitation

2010-09-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

if you'd like to download the invitations and have a tiger party of your own, click on the links below:

two year old invite

one year old invite

little tiger

2010-09-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

what kind of party could be more fitting for a wild two year old who growls instead of talks, than a tiger party?
(well, it was either that or cave man theme)

2

2010-09-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

my baby just turned two!

labor day weekend

2010-09-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

i know you're supposed to take a break from working on labor day weekend, but i couldn't resist when some of my favorite clients and their friends were in town. amy's expecting a baby girl, and i can't wait to meet her new baby!

back to school

2010-09-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

h2o

2010-09-02T21:14:00.001-07:00

everyone should try one of those disposable underwater cameras. it was such a blast!

darby fam

2010-08-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

i love the beach in color and i love it in black and white, but i especially love it with this fun family.

cool summer

2010-08-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

while i was gone, it wasn't all play. i did spend a week with brittany from one charming party, working on and styling two fun parties. these pics (taken by nicole hill) are from a water party. i can't believe that there's only 2 1/2 weeks of summer left! and now that the dream of being a hot summer babe has died, i guess i can eat a few more popsicles.

roadies

2010-08-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

we've been traveling and on the road for about four weeks now, going to family reunions. the scenery was spectacular, i couldn't even begin to capture the beauty. the rockies are the perfect place for boys to get in touch with their inner mountain man and the marshmallows for smore's are as big as your face.

colorado

2010-07-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

i just got back from a trip to colorado, where cell phones and the internet don't exist. i have to admit that it was nice to get away from it all, but coming home is so sweet!

1,2,3,4,5...

2010-07-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

and number 6 is due in september!

poolside

2010-07-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

you just can't go wrong when you're poolside at the four seasons with this doll. more of the whole family to come.

a fab fam

2010-07-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

before the boys are off to college, we squeezed in one more photo shoot with this family. the first collage is my favorite of the day!

i heart little girls

2010-07-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

i don't think it gets any cuter than this little girl, seriously!

bite size summer sweets

2010-07-06T12:14:00.001-07:00

class of 2010

2010-07-01T10:40:00.001-07:00

i love the concept of "goodbye, hello" the smiths came up with for their double graduation announcement. i think it turned out really cool. thanks guys!

you're invited

2010-06-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

it was fun to see my art party and pajama glam party invitations featured on 'oh so beautiful paper' i can't wait for the full party reveal!

bride to be

2010-06-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

hair and make up by chelsey b.

seaside

2010-06-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

life lesson

2010-05-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

my dad passed away yesterday after suffering from parkinson's disease for a long time. i dug through my mom's pictures for a few hours and realized that you can never have enough of them. at the time it may be a pain to take pictures, or you think you look ugly, or what you're doing doesn't seem that important but take them anyway. they will mean so much to you later. i wish i had pictures of me and my dad together now.

senior pics

2010-05-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

this cute girl is headed off to byu. i don't think i could get in now, even if i tried.

fletcher

2010-05-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

new nephew

2010-05-12T07:57:00.001-07:00

cruz six weeks old. nice to meet you.