workshop

jose villa and gene higa hosted a one-day workshop in san francisco last week and i got to go!
jose and gene are amazing - each one has such a distinct business and shooting style. while jose shoots film, gene shoots digital. jose's photography is soft with pastel-like colors, gene's images are dynamic and vibrant. their personalities are so different as well! it was quite amazing to hear each one speak about how they started their business and how things have evolved and changed as the business grew.
the morning was spent talking about photography and the wedding industry and then we went out for a photo shoot with two models in the afternoon. the group split in half and took turns watching gene and jose interact with the models. then, we had a few minutes to shoot on our own. shooting in san francisco was a lot of fun and the models were so great! i also enjoyed speaking with other photographers.
a big thank you to gene and jose for being such open books about their businesses.
thank you to maria chang for doing an amazing job with hair and make-up for the models. mandy scott provided the bouquets and amy kuschel provided the dresses. here are a few of my favorite images of caroline.

sneak peek

i had a great time photographing these kids. they were full of energy and it was wonderful to see their unique personalities come out as we spent some time together.
i love my job! what could be more fun than playing with kids and hanging out in a beautiful garden?
have a wonderful weekend!

garden

our garden is so full of treats that i wanted to share a few images. we have corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, cilantro, arugula, strawberries, squash, peas, carrots and lettuce. it is amazing how much can grow in such a small space! my absolute favorite part is getting to eat the tomatoes off of the vine - yum!

friday

wouldn't you know that the box was more appealing than the gift?
the kids had so much fun playing in the large cardboard boxes while the brand new kitchen set sat quietly in ryan's room. the boxes became rocket ships, boats, airplanes, a tunnel and a house. so much fun! ah, the possibilities of a cardboard box!
have a wonderful weekend!
**friday favorites**
this week is all about my love for etsy.
i have quite an assortment of goodies that are all from etsy. the site can be a bit overwhelming but here are a few of my favorites. enjoy!
fall down tree has the sweetest illustrations. this truck print would be perfect for sam's room.
red ruby rose creates beautiful purses. my grandmother used to have a purse for every outfit. these adorable purses remind me of my grandmother.
bugga bugs will send full size pattern pieces as well as instructions on how to make each. this would be such a great addition to ryan's new kitchen set. there is only one small problem, i can't sew!
how about a beautiful pair of earrings from abigail percy? her designs are beautiful.
or, a beautiful necklace from the eninaj shop?

celebrate

i was a guest at a lovely wedding this weekend and it was such a treat to be a guest (= no camera!). the ceremony was performed by a friend who became a 'deputy commissioner of marriages in san mateo county' for one day and he did a spectacular job. dan and shannon added so many personal touches that made every aspect of their wedding truly unique and fun! enjoy your honeymoon in portugal!
happy birthday to tacey and katie! wishing both of you a super fun birthday as well as a happy and healthy year.
on another happy note, my super smart sister is doing very well on her first exams at medical school. go dana! i am so incredibly proud of you!

friday

"the most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."
- elisabeth foley
i had the pleasure of catching up with one of my roommates from college this past week. she is such a wonderful person and although we have chosen different paths to follow, our friendship is still strong.
she is back in l.a. and i miss her already. we lived together for three years - in the dorms, in an apartment off campus and then in a house in newport beach. we have shared some great times together and it was fun to reminisce about the old days. it is hard to believe that we have been friends for over 18 years! even though we don't get to see each other very often, i know she is always there for me and would hop on a plane in a heartbeat.
**friday favorites**
my college friend that just visited just happens to be a super marketing/pr/advertising guru and has been involved in some pretty amazing projects. in honor of her, i am going to share some recent ads that i really like.
this ad campaign is for the gorge grown farmers' market and was created by owen and jones partners in portland. how fun to find a big carrot in the middle of the city! very creative and a good use of the trees!
this is a great billboard for bic razors. i don't know which agency created this but i think it is so creative!
this ad is part of a very creative campaign by richter7 for the utah zoo.
where do i begin with my love for all things apple? i have been a devoted apple customer since i got my first computer in college. here are two of my favorite ads by apple. the first ad is part of the hilarious campaign that is constantly coming up with new and fantastic commercials. the second piece is simply stunning.

have a wonderful weekend!

friday

happy friday!
here are a few more pictures of baby ryan. i like the picture of mommy holding the onesie on her tummy and then the baby with the same outfit. life is amazing!
best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

**friday favorites**
technically summer is not over until september 22 but since sam is back in school and labor day is behind us, i am ready to admit that it is time to move on and embrace fall. in honor of back to school and the wonderful smell that goes along with a batch of freshly sharpened pencils, i am focusing on my love of school supplies, office products and the back to school spirit.
where do i begin with the container store? i love this place. yes, i know it is silly to think that a few containers are going to solve many problems but they certainly clean things up! just put things in a container and you will feel better....instantly! or, at least all of your stuff will be contained!
just take a look at this art supply closet. i am drooling! i know it would last for about ten seconds in the real world but it is fun to pretend!
see jane work is a great website if you are a fan of office supplies. everything about the website is clean and simple. i love these days of the week clips because i have a habit of making piles. i know one of the tips to being organized is to only touch an item once and i do my best but sometimes a 17-month old requires a bit of attention!

paper source is my all time favorite store for paper goods. this is my idea of heaven - a store full of paper products. i love red, i love containers and who can resist a little suitcase with polka dots? there is something so sweet about a brand new box of crayons. the possibilities are endless!

avoid using a plastic bottle in your lunch box by using a reusable container such as a klean kanteen. these bottles are dishwasher friendly, bpa-free and eco-friendly. perfect for a lunch box!
if i buy rain boots for the kids will the rain come? we are in a bit of a dry spell here in the bay area.
you can buy these in pink, red or yellow at giggle.

back to school

sam is back in school and so far so good with the new classroom. this is his second week back and he is still a very happy camper. my goal for pre-school is for sam to enjoy going to school, to have fun, play, and make friends. school has become so academic so pre-school should be filled with fun. he has the rest of his academic life for homework and worksheets!

i won! i won!

hooray!
i am the lucky winner of a new poster (above) from the poster list. the camera poster is absolutely perfect!
mstetson is one of my absolute favorite blogs and they had a contest last week. you must check out their blog because they always find the best design goodies as well as beautiful rooms. a big thank you to m. and stets for their daily inspiration! the poster is going up in my office asap!
here are some of my favorites from their blog...