Today is my 26th birthday. Sure, happy birthday to me... but the real birthday surprise and celebration comes from the great news we found out today... the baby we are expecting at the end of May 2012 is a GIRL!

I told my husband as soon as we found out (in September) that if it is a girl, and we were able to find out before Christmas, that we would have a pink Christmas tree... he said okay, of course (because he loves me so much!), probably thinking the odds of finding out before Christmas were slim. Sorry hubby, and my dear son...

It's a girl!


So I went to Walmart, got a little 3.5' pink tree, pre-lit, and went down their ornament aisle (awesomely color-coded) and got lovely pink and purple ornaments! I bought pink and purple spray paint for a table (for the tree to sit on), and got some pink tulle for under the tree, to cover the plastic base. There was obviously a lot of glitter involved on the ornaments as well...

I came home, spray painted an Ikea side table, set up the tree, decorated it, and had a BLAST. It is honestly the prettiest little tree I've ever seen... as far as pink Christmas trees are concerned, anyways. Hubby agrees, says it's adorable.

Did I mention that this is how we announced it to family and friends? I thought it was a pretty cute idea... Also, all of this only cost me less than $50. I already had the side table, but if you want to count it-- no more than $70!

Enjoy the photos... our lovely little pink Christmas tree for our sweet little Lily Mae, expected at the end of May 2012!

Until next time...

...Smile!

Finn's 2nd birthday party was a success, despite how blustery it was! Sure, it was breezy, but it was also very bright, cheerful, and fun. Close family and friends came to celebrate with the birthday boy, and everyone had fun playing at the park, kicking the soccer ball, and eating yummy pizza & bright blue Batman cupcakes. Finn didn't like getting the frosting on his hand at first, but shortly after he realized what it was, it ended up all over his face.

Thank you Smith family and friends for allowing me to photograph this special day! Same time next year?


...until next time,

Smile!

There's something special about being able to take photos of people you love. Whether they are family or friends, there's no doubt you just feel more comfortable. Taking photos of my best friend and her family was no exception for me... this was some of the most fun I've had during a photo shoot.

My friends are planning to move to New Jersey at the end of August, so for the family photos, they decided to do something very "California," and have the photos taken at the beach... Crystal Cove State Park to be exact. There are tidepools, shallow water and calm waves, sun and sand, rocks to climb on, just a ton of fun! So off to Crystal Cove we went. The day was perfect... there was just a slight breeze, it was warm, the water was just starting to warm up, and not too many people. The boys absolutely loved looking in the tidepools at all the fun little creatures. Mom and Dad had fun teaching their boys new things, and obviously had a great time playing in the water. All while they were carrying on, I was capturing their fun time.

I'm going to miss my friends more than words can say, but I'm so glad we got to have such a fun time making memories! Love you guys!!


...until next time,

Smile!

A new day, a new month, and a new year! Greetings to all, I hope you have a fantastic new year! 2011 is proving to be great so far... I had a lovely morning with my family, and in the afternoon, I photographed the Pacheco Family! 
First stop was Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach. This family consists of Mom, Dad, three daughters, and three sons... it was busy, but it was a lot of fun! We got some fantastic photos on the beach, and some special photos for Mom and Dad of their son who is a new enlistee into the United States Army.

Next it was off to TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa. What I love about TeWinkle is that it's very serene and foresty, pretty much right in your back yard. The family played hide and seek in all the trees, and gave me some great smiles while climbing rocks.

I had a great time today with the Pacheco Family, and I hope to do it again soon.


...until next time,

Smile!