Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Jennifer + Chris. Trash the Dress.

Jennifer and Chris got married just a few weeks ago. You might remember their post filled with lots of beautiful details :)

Since the day I met Jennifer she has been talking about her Trash the Dress Session! I think she was more excited about this than her wedding...well not about Marrying her darling, but the rest of the stuff :) We spent some time at various locations in North County, and ended at the beach. Jennifer is simply stunning, and is quite Fierce! She Knows how to work the camera :)

I have to give a shout out to Chris for being so Super Amazing! He is such a gentleman and loves his wife So much!!!! As soon as they sat down in the gorgeous flowers, Chris started sneezing! Yes, allergies. However, not a single complaint came out of his mouth! He kept saying "I'm fine" with a small smile on his face. He cared much more that Jenn was comfortable and that he was doing all he could to help! I believe it was the love these two have for each other that made this shoot so successful!

Ok Ok, enough Chatter....




Can she work it or what!!!!








And the freezing begins! It was soooo worth it :)


Yes, that's me in the pink :) I'll do anything to get THE shot! Remind me Not to wear jeans next time :)


I love this series :)


BEAUTIFUL!!!!









Jennifer and Chris: Thank you so much for trusting me with such an important job! You are beautiful people and it has been great getting to know you!

P.S. Props to you for braving that ICE COLD water!!! Anything for the shot, right?! :)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Katie. Belly Session.

I photographed Katie TODAY in the studio and I am so excited I had to post some immediately :) This was my first Belly Session in the new studio, and I am happy to so there will be many more!!! We had so much fun and got some great images!!!

Here are a few of my fave's :)
















I also shot some on film today! I used my very Nikon FA fully manual 35mm camera. It was actually the first non-point and shoot I ever owned :) It will take a few days to get the film back, but I'll be sure to blog some of those, as well!

Do something for YOU today...

This was sent to me by my mother-in-law this morning, and I had to pass it on...

WILL YOU DANCE WITH ME

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they
haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it
was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up
dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then
on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't
suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the
word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you
watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to
lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have
clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had
a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's
Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our
headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when
all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained.
We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet... We'll go on a
second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college..

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and
the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and
all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan
on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and
available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm
for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're
ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an
elevator for a bungee cord..

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's
just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and
eliminate the digestive process The other day, I stopped the car and bought
a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have
died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not
something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only
one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say?
And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the
rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butter fly's erratic flight or
gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the
fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores
running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.'
And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good
friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened
gift....Thrown away..... Life is not a race Take it slower. Hear the music
before the song is over.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Happy Earth Day!

I personally feel the earth should be celebrated every day, and we should treat her with the respect we give our family, friends, neighbors, etc. I do feel "we" are starting to become more aware, but I am still baffled by the choices people are making these days...or should I say lack of choices. I do believe we are the ones causing Mother Earth to suffer, however I also feel it has been out of ignorance rather than laziness. My sister recently gave me Ismael to read, and it was life changing. It opened my eyes to the fact that humans can keep thinking they are the center of the universe, but that is exactly what is causing all the problems. It's funny because now that I realize this, I can't even look at a little spider the same. Rather than thinking, "that spider is invading my space", I think I hope my "shit" isn't getting in the way of his home. I am sure this sounds ridiculous to some of you, but it is amazing at how one book can change your perspective. Don't get me wrong, I am still using electronics all day long, I have yet to start composting ( something I have wanted to do forever ), and we still buy paper towels because sometimes you Just Need Them. I am by no means perfect with the way I treat Mother Earth. I am conscious of it though. I am making daily efforts to improve our relationship :) I have listed some ways below that Jer and I have been able to do our part for this beautiful place we call home. If you have any ideas on other things we could do, please leave a comment and share them with the rest of us!!! Every little bit helps!

1. Recycle anything and everything possible
2. Reuse Reuse Reuse!!! Jer and I try and reuse as much as we can. Our new favorite is mason jars. We use them as drinking glasses and for storage :) We also use Pyrex instead of Tupperware because it's better for us and the environment.
3. We share a car and I walk/ride my bike as much as possible.
4. I work from home and Jer's commute is only a couple miles, so that saves on gas!
5. We shop at the local farmers market for several reasons. One, it is always good to support your local farmers! two, why waste fuel shipping food across the globe, when you can eat the tomatoes grown in your own back yard? three, they are usually organic and pesticide free, which is Way better for you and the environment!!!!
6. We only eat meat that is free range, natural and organic!!!! This is a biggy!
7. I have stopped giving out folders to potential clients with pricing, etc. Instead we view it on the laptop during meetings and I give them one piece of paper to take notes on.
8. All of my business cards and mailers have been printed on recycled paper.
9. We use skoy as much as possible instead of paper towels!!!
10. I just recently switched to a paperless format so I will no longer have to print out contracts, etc.
11. We use refillable water bottles instead of buying plastic.
12. We use canvas grocery bags, rather than wasting paper or plastic ones.
13. Joined the Plan a Bulb project. Check it out here.

These are just a few ways we are cutting back on waste. I would love to hear your ideas! I know there are millions of ways to take better care of this beautiful planet, and this is just the beginning!

Let the sharing begin :)

Monday, April 20, 2009

Katrina. Boudoir Teasers.

Katrina is my cousin-in-law, aka Soul Sister :) She is young, beautiful, smart, fun, wise beyond her years, a teacher, a student, and a very old Soul!

Like every other woman that walks in the door, Katrina was a little reserved and shy at first. My favorite part of every boudoir session is when the Switch happens. It is very instant and you can see it in her eyes. It's the moment she goes from nervous to OWNING IT!!!! Katrina is a great example that no matter how beautiful we are, every woman has her insecurities! If we could only see ourselves the way others do!!! That is what I try to accomplish during our time together. It is my hope that you will leave the studio feeling as gorgeous as the rest of the world sees you!

I am sure Katrina's b-friend will LOVE these, but more importantly she will have them forever to remember this experience...

...and few teasers


















Thursday, April 16, 2009

Janean. Boudoir Teaser II.

I love how Janean's personal style shows through in these photos! That's what it's all about. Embracing YOUR INDIVIDUAL BEAUTY!!!!! The time is now!!! :)



















Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Debbie. Boudoir Teasers

Debbie is getting married to the love of her life this coming May, and decided to have some photos taken as a wedding gift to him :)














Debbie, you rocked it!!! He is going to Love these :)

Monday, April 13, 2009

30 Day Challenge Begins...

I have decided as a little spring cleaning to commit myself to a 30 day Yoga Challenge! I have been slacking a bit in my practice and also indulging in too many cocktails and cookies and this winter :) I know what makes me feel good. I know how to stay present in the moment, how to not let small things get to me, and how to keep my energy high to attract more positivity into my life. For me, the answer is Yoga! I discovered this about two years ago when I found my "yoga home". They practice in mild heat and the class is very meditative. No music, which allows you to be in complete mediation the entire time. They encourage you to practice everyday, even if it's only a little bit at home. I started noticing how blissful I felt after leaving a class. More so, I realized how much more balanced I became the more I practiced. I soon discovered that when I practice regularly, all the good stuff in my life comes into focus and the other stuff that doesn't really matter anyway...just fades away...

I have found through MUCH EXPERIENCE that when Stress starts to take over, we have too options, Re-Act or Surrender. When you surrender you let things work out, when you re-act your persist which only makes the resolve that much harder. For me, Yoga helps me to Surrender to the things that I have no control over. When I practice regularly I am much happier, calmer, grateful, balanced, patient, more peaceful, and pretty much live a more rounded life...

I woke up on my birthday last Tuesday with a Renewed Feeling. You know that feeling when you are just Ready?! Even though I hadn't made any physical changes, I made the change mentally and emotionally and that made all the difference!!!

So, today's the day and the challenge begins! I will do yoga everyday for 30 days, no matter what!!!! I hope this inspires you to do something for yourself that you have been putting off! Remember we are no good to others, unless we take care of ourselves first!!!!

Happy Spring Cleaning :) !!!!


P.S. If you are interested the place I practice is.. Encinitas Yoga :)


And I'll leave you with a photo of Jer and I during my birthday celebration (taken on my iphone :)
I love this man :) !!!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Janean. Boudoir Teaser I.

I had three fabulous boudoir sessions this past weekend, with three gorgeous ladies!!!

I am in the process of editing, but came across this image and had to share!

I LOVE IT :)




You rocked it girl! More to come...

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Monday, April 06, 2009

I heart my Studio!!!

I am so in love with my studio!!!! Right here in Encinitas, it is bright, breezy and cozy. This is where all of my client meetings, *viewings, and boudoir sessions will take place. I would love for you to come by to see it and have a glass of wine or a cup of coffee!...and while you're at it check out my brand new beautiful sample album, filled with my ALL TIME FAVES!!!

There are so many perks that come along with having a studio! For example, I am now doing Viewings for all my clients, and this is when you will see your images for the first time! Rather than reliving your wedding day on your tiny computer screen, you'll come over and see the images projected BIG the way they should be seen, especially for the first time :)

2nd perk...Boudoir!!!! I am loving my new niche, Boudoir, and have found my studio to be absolutely perfect for this! All of my clients are leaving feeling like Rockstars! What better way to start "swimsuit season" RIGHT?! I have a few spots left in April, May is booked, but June still has some availability. Call me to schedule your Boudoir Session, or Boudoir Party if you are interested in coming with 2 or more ladies!

Here is a sneak peak of the studio :)

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Thank You!!!

This was the first email I opened this morning!

"Susie,

We feel like there are truly no words to thank you. There are no words for giving us everlasting gifts that really do keep on giving.
We will carry our artistic and timeless photographs as well as the memories we have of taking them with us forever. It was a pleasure having you as a close part of your special day. SUSIE, we owe you an enormous THANK YOU!
" Ren and Rob


Thank you so much for your kind words!!!

Here is a spread from my new sample album that features the lovely bride :)

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