los angeles photography: god bless craigslist, and other tangents i go off on

if i had it my way, i would redecorate my house with the seasons. i don't just mean a new throw pillow here, and a different vase over there. i mean redecorate. top to bottom. wall to wall. redecorate. but sadly (or thankfully), i have a husband who is quite attached to our couch, likes the rugs we have just fine, and thinks our house looks perfect. 

if craigslist were around when i was still single, i know i would have done it too. why not! all the treasures you can find! the pieces that just need a little love, and they can be perfect, or perfectly quirky, and then just as quickly can be sold to the next person to love just a while too. it sounds like the perfect dream!  

yesterday i brought home a new treasure. the most amazing, beautiful boned, 1940's victorian parlor couch. the hubs said i was crazy, as usual, but humored me as i made him drag it to the bay window in our room. 

isn't she lovely!

eventually, she will be reupholstered in a luscious velvet and given new life, but until then, i can already envision the beautiful sessions that she can be part of! 

los angeles photography: something new to look forward to...

Beautiful woman,
come out and play,

reveal your inner treasures.

The sparkle in your eyes,
the natural swing in your walk,
you radiate excitement and enthusiasm.

You need no latest fashion,
No expensive hair cuts,
No blinding big accessories.

You glow in your passions,
passionate in your pursuits,
you know what you are made of.

You are not easily bothered,
by the mindless opinions of others,
you know very well where you want to go.

you are a joy to watch,
an inspiration to others,
your pure soul an endless marvel.

Beautiful woman,
let your brilliance shine through,
your eyes speak of true inner beauty.

while i won't be featuring all the wonderful boudoir sessions i shoot (unless given permission by the client), please remember they are available.

 bring your sexy, sensual, confident, inner bombshell out. 

valentines day is just around the corner...

poem by Fion Lim

project 52, week 4: to my love...

another year has passed since you gave me your last name. 

it's amazing the life we have created in this short amount of time. 

sometimes it seems as if we've been married an eternity,

others it's as if we just met yesterday. 

i love the way you balance out my ocd,

humor my craigslist addiction, 

and love me even with my crazy peacock hair in the  mornings. 

you are an amazing husband, father and friend. 

i am lucky to have you in my life, and to call you my best friend.

happy anniversary 

project 52, week 3: peek a boo

burbank, ca children's photography: shhhh, don't tell daddy...

baron's mom wanted to surprise her husband with professional photos of their adorable little man. at nine and a half months old, he is a happy, handsome little guy who was still sleeping when i arrived. 

his mom and i quickly hit it off, sharing our love of white t-shirts, stuffed animal taxidermy (sounds strange, but harmless, i promise), and lack of motivation to decorate our master bedrooms. when she woke baron from his nap, i worried he would be cranky, but instead, he woke with an amazing smile, and giggled the entire time his mom got him ready for his session. as soon as he was dressed, and we set him down for his first photos, he just stared at me. not in an upset way, or in a mad way, or even in a who the heck is this stranger with the big black hole covering her face way. it was just a cute, pensive, man of mystery stare. i knew he was going to make me work to steal those smiles, and i was happy to try! 

 mom was finally able to get some good belly giggles out of the little stud muffin

 "mom, why did this lady put me in a basket??"

i hope your daddy loves the pictures as much as i do!

alhambra,ca lil faces: a growing beauty

six months has flown since

she was a sleepy little angel

a little lady with a precious soul

 her eyes captivate me

 a gift from her godfather

thanks for another fun afternoon of playing dress up, ayden!

see you in a couple months!

Project 52, week 2: my personal mantra

more and more each day, i strive to be a better friend. 

more and more each day, i hope to make an impact on the world

more and more each day, i try to learn something i didn't know before

more and more each day, i'm learning to love myself for who i am

more and more each day, i am more comfortable in my own skin

more and more each day, i grow in my faith

more and more each day, i realize how blessed my life is

more and more each day, i fall in love my husband

more and more each day, i become a better mother

more and more each day, i want to touch just one person with my photography. 

paraphrasing william faulkner, "don't try to be better than others, just be better than you were the day before". 

they grow up so quickly!

project 52: a little more realistic than 365!

i've often warned my hubs that if something should happen to me, before he just starts getting rid of my stuff and cleaning out my closet, he better search through everything first. he's most likely going to find a surprise where he least expects it.

i'm a money hider. in back pockets of jeans that are 10 years out of style, in shoes i haven't worn in 4 years, in between book pages, in vases on the shelves. if i had an old coffee can i could bury and not forget where i put it, i'd probably do that too.

it's not that i don't have a bank account, i do. and i have great interest rates too. i just take after my grandmother, who saved all her small bills change instead of keeping them in her wallet, and hid them throughout the house. "you never know when you might need cash and don't have time to get to the bank" she would tell me. and "it's easier to buy something you don't want your husband to know you bought when he doesn't know you had the money in the first place". i loved my grandma!

earlier today, i was looking for the mate to a sock, and came across a roll of money even I forgot i hid! i don't normally pick the obvious places to hide things, so it was a complete wooooohooooo moment! it looks like a lot more than it actual was: 77  one dollar bills. but i'll take it no matter what the amount!

this also marks the first in my project 52 series for the 2011. one picture a week, to broaden my skills, think creatively, and have a little fun with photography. I tried to do 365 last year, and made it to the middle of march before i dreaded picking up my camera each day. fifty-two is a little more realistic in my eyes! i'm not guaranteeing that every picture will be inspirational or even good but i do promise to continue on until we welcome 2012! wish me luck!

and ps, i better not find any of y'all rummaging around in my things next time i invite you over! 

los angeles, ca children's photography: ohhh the difference a cookie makes...

taken literally, 1 minute apart! 

more to come later....

Bay Area photography: Starting the Year off in the Bay!

email for details

a 50% deposit must be made at time of booking to hold your place

los angeles,ca newborn photography: a christmas eve angel

kyia was born on right on her due date: christmas eve. i was able to visit her and her mama in the hospital quickly on christmas day, and couldn't wait till she was home to be able to photograph her beautiful little face!  

 i met up with her mama and daddy on new years day, and while she stayed awake for most of my time with her, she was (mostly) peaceful with everything we did with her. and when she did fall asleep, it was cozied up in her favorite location: mama's arms. 

 so cozy...

 a family's first photos...

 daddy's future rock star...

welcome to the world kyia!