things i love thursday...

rest stops are gross. but the trips being taken are totally worth the gross factor. in the last few weeks, i have been to the southern part of the state, the eastern corner of it, and to the northern bay. i have driven more than 1500 miles in 3 weeks. all totally worth the hours on end in the car! i'll be tacking on another 250 over the weekend for a few sessions i have scheduled, and then, off to miami! 


my things i love thursday revolves around travel:


1. harris ranch off the i-5. some of the cleanest bathrooms up or down the state! i frequently stop there when i or one of the boys needs a pit stop. and they actually have shade! a rare sight for those of you who know that route! and vacuums, to be able to do a quick cleaning of the car after you accidentally dup the entire bag of chips in the back seat.


2. jupiter jack. seriously, when the hubs bought this, i thought: "how lame and pointless is that thing. i doubt it even works" (and if you know me, i didn't just think it, i said it under my breath, just loud enough to irritate the hubbers) but seriously, it works! it turns the speakers in the car into your phone! just be careful whoever you are talking to knows they are on speaker phone and you have your kids in the car (ehhem, random f bombs being dropped by certain unnamed people!) 


3. lemon iced tea snapple. i can't go on a drive without one. 


4. an awesome playlists on the ipod. god bless ipod for saving me in the dead of the state where no radio stations come it. we were able to continue to rock out all through the drives!


5. out of state license plate game. i never get too old to play this one! 






and of course, a quick preview of the little newbie i drove up to the bay area to shoot! more of her to come in the next day or so!

things i love thursday...

dang it! it's friday again, and i didn't get this posted for thursday like i meant to! it's amazing how sneaky weeks can go by. one minutes it's monday morning and you have the entire week in front of you, then all of a sudden, you look up, and thursday is almost gone! i'm not saying that is a bad thing, but when you name a section "things i love thursday" and you post it on friday, well, you see what i mean! 

1. san diego. we took our 4th annual fathers day trip down this past week, and as always, it was pretty close to another trip from hell! it's not that we plan for the trips to go miserably wrong, it's just that they do! our first year, we stayed in a hotel "right on the beach" only to find out it was a rent by the hour hotel. yeah, they didn't advertise THAT on the website, that was cockroach infested. ugh, i still get the hibby jeebies thinking of that one! the next year, we picked a different hotel, again, beach front, but this time it was right next door to a hostel, so there were some pretty creepy people walking around at all times. not exactly the beach i want to take my 1 year old to! last year it wouldn't have been bad, except our 2 year old refused to sleep BOTH nights. which meant we had a very cranky set of parents, a very cranky 2 year old, and a 2 month old with us, who had no clue anything was wrong. and this year. the hotel was beautiful, the weather was perfect, legoland was crowdedly fun, our 3 year old slept like an angel- in bed with daddy, but our 1 year old came down with a case of hand mouth and foot, and was miserable and wouldn't eat or sleep the entire trip. meaning once again, we are now 4 for 4 miserable trips to SD! oh well! we will try again next year! ha!

2. churros. their crunchy, sugary cinnamon outside, and if you are lucky, just enough dough goodness inside. we hunt them down every time we are at an amusement park. disneyland's by far are the best. 

3. my new piece of artwork for the house. nothing is more personal and sentimental that your footprints. and i now have a canvas with all four of our footprints hanging in my entryway. happy father's day m! it is my favorite piece in the house!

4. summertime! the smells, the foods, the lack of clothing! i love lazy days by the pool and the smell of sunscreen and bbq's in the air! this july, i'm starting the "no tv" rule for the entire month. not just for the kids, but for m and me too! we need to get out and enjoy these times, not waste it sitting in front of the tv!

5. acronyms. in high school, i had a group of best girlfriends, and the first letters of each of our names made "SWAKK" you know, sealed with a kiss. but since there were two of us k's it was double kiss! i always look at how words work together like that, and that is why things i love thursday i will just refer to as TILT. ok, maybe not all the time, but it works! 

happy friday everyone! it's back to business for me,  i have 2 shoots this weekend, so look for all the exciting images up next week! 

ttfn! 

things i love thursday...

it's past midnight on thursday, so technically, it is now things i love friday. but that's ok. i missed last week because the hubs took me on a quick trip to palm springs, minus all computers and technology. it was much needed, and much appreciated, but also put me a little behind on work. i caught up, and in fact, have completed all project i had lined up, so until my next rush begins next week, i have a few days to work on personal project! we're redecorating, or rather, finally decorating, our master bedroom! it's the one room in the house that has never been loved on, and it drives me insane. the room that is supposed to be our sanctuary, our peaceful retreat, our love nest is nothing but a blank slate. so we're slapping paint samples on the walls today and going to pick the perfect shade so the transformation can begin! which leads me to my things i love thursday-er, friday: 


1. paint samples from home depot. i love that you can pay $3 and get a miniature can of paint. it's enough to paint a chair, or a nightstand, or a few large picture frames, and it saves you from making the mistake of painting an entire room golden yellow instead of goldenrod. the guy at home depot thought i was crazy when we picked up 6 different shades of the same yellow. he (and my hubs) can't see the difference in any of them. i however, will be able to see it as soon as they are on the wall, and will be able to chose the perfect shade for our room.


2. etsy.com if you haven't discovered etsy yet, you don't know what you are missing out on! it is the crafter/ artist/ lover of handmade or vintage things mecca. you can get everything from letterpress invitations and thank you cards to handmade soaps and jewelry, plus everything in between. i have my own etsy store, where i sell my amazing diaper cakes, burp clothes, and onesie sets. in fact, just last month, one of my diaper cakes was featured on their front page! yeah, that was me tooting my own horn over it again! 


3. "the most interesting man in the world" commercials. seriously, they are hilarious! "his motto is safety third" gets me laughing every time. "he's been the best man in weddings he hasn't even met the groom" seriously,  whoever writes these, i want to meet and hug, i think they are that funny! 


4. running. so it's not really a "thing" to love, so let me rephrase that, training for a half marathon. yep, i'm training for a half marathon! my inspiration and motivation is my girlfriend janea, who when we met 3 years ago, was twice the woman she is now. she is a go getter, who when she gets it in her mind to do something, does it. and she is now a triathlete, and has convinced me to join her for her next endeavor, the rock and roll half marathon in october! so every saturday morning, i am out there doing my long run (tomorrow is 6 miles), in hopes that i will be able to run all 13 miles in just 4 more months! 


5. my daddy. again, not a "thing", but one of the most amazingly selfless people i know. for as long as i've been alive, and until he retired last year, he would be awake at work before the sun was up, and home after it went down. but i will go more into how amazing he is on sunday, for fathers day! 




and because i can't leave a post without a picture:

things i love thursday...

i will warn, this is not the typical happy thursday things i love posting...

when tragedy strikes a family, it is devastating. this week marked the 13 year anniversary of the death of a close friend of mine. a life cut short, just 5 days after his 16th birthday, because of a tragic accident that could have been avoided.

sadly, the date now will share the anniversary of another life cut short. i will not go into details, as it is not my place to do so. but i will say that postpartum depression is a serious condition that unfortunately too many women are scared to admit they have. new moms try to always look like they have it all together, and that they are loving being a parent. that their world has been made whole by giving birth to this new little bundle of sleepless nights and screaming days- oh, i mean bundle of joy. that is not always the case. i know. i suffered from it after my first son was born. i would cry daily, mourning the life i knew i no longer could live, and mad at myself for being resentful of the son i knew i should be thankful i had. i was able to get the help and support i needed from friends and family, and was able to pull myself out of the darkness without medical attention. not everyone is so lucky.

this week also marked a joyful acceptance for me, to be able to give back to deserving children and their families the gift of photography. i'll go into more detail in a minute...

but because of these three events, my things i love thursday is revolving around 5 charities and organizations that i think are important and need support and understanding.


1. the littlest hero's project.

Our mission at The Littlest Heroes Project is to help provide and capture memories for families who are dealing with hectic schedules due to having a child who is suffering from a serious illness or life altering disability. We understand that in the midst of being thrown a diagnosis and having to switch from a “normal” life to a life that is totally different, and often scary, things like getting photos taken is sometimes a huge challenge and is one of the last things families are thinking about. But when everything is done, and either the child has reached the end of their battle, or has proven the odds against it many wish they had more time to stop, and capture the journey that they lived through for so long.


i am proud to say that i have been accepted to be one of their photographers. this is such an honor for me, as i have always tried to give back with my artistic skills. while i may not be the best public speaker, or the most comfortable around large groups, i have always had a calmness around hospitals and sickness. i truly believe each of these children are beautiful, and i look forward to working with this organization to provide photographs of their amazingly strong children. 


2. MADD Mother's Against Drunk Driving. nough said. i'm a mother. i'm against drunk driving. you need to go somewhere, call a cab or a friend, or me. but don't claim innocent lives because of your stupidity.


3. daliystrength.org an online resource for moms suffering from postpartum depression. not only can you chat with other moms suffering from it, but there are psychologists and doctors who are online to help as well. this network lets you know you are not alone in your battle, and that it is much more common than most people realize. according to PostPartum Progress 


more women will suffer from postpartum depression and related illnesses this year than the combined number of new cases for men and women of tuberculosis, leukemia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy.


just puts it into perspective.


4. the leukemia and lymphoma society my life has been touched too closely by cancer. my father, grandfather, grandmothers, cousin, father in law, and brother in law have all fought, and some lost, the battle against cancer. 


5. adopt a firestation so i might be a little biased, and it doesn't need to be a los angeles fire station, but your local fire departments need your support. as the website says

There are no projects too small - or ideas too complex. Your local Firefighters and Paramedics can benefit greatly from your technical expertise, donated services, skilled labor or excess supplies. For larger or more creative projects, they may be able to channel your financial or labor contribution towards planned improvements.

even just bringing them desserts or breakfast makes these men and women feel appreciated. all too often we forget that when the rest of the people are running out, they are running in to the danger, to protect the rest of us from harms way. 


so there you have it. my heavy things i love thursday. think about how you can make a difference in someone's life, and help! 

things i love thursday!

i lost a filling 2 nights ago. how you might be wondering? flossing. who loses a filling while flossing? apparently, me. i thought the whole point of flossing was to avoid things like this happening. ugh. i'm off to the dentist in a bit to have it fixed, at least they could get me in this quickly.

so here is my very quick things i love list:

orajel. the only thing helping my poor little w sleep through the night while he's teething, and the only thing helping the pain from having an open hole in my tooth. 

tulips. so spring, so colorful, so gorgeous when they are sitting on my kitchen counter!

yo gabba gabba. i'm not quite sure how to explain this show, except that it is educational at the same time as entertaining. if you saw brad pitt's orange jumpsuit halloween costume, he was dressed as dj lance from the show. it's on nick jr, and one of the only shows e will sit through long enough for me to take a shower and get dressed. god bless yo gabba gabba.  weird but awesome.

comedy wednesdays. have i mentioned that before? i heart modern family and cougar town. they make me look forward to wednesdays. 

summer dresses. long, short, striped, floral, my closet is full of them. now that the weather is heating up, my white legs might finally get to see sunlight while i'm rockin a cute dress.

have a great week all!

i don't know if i've introduced enzo to everyone yet. he's our "fur"st born. 100 lbs of pure sugary sweetness.

things i love thursday!

it's amazing how quickly a week can pass by. it truly makes me try and enjoy every minute with my children and husband, as well as with my friends and clients, because time can slip away from you before you know it.

it's been a tough week for us, people always say when things happen, they happen in 3's, and this week is testimony to that. my prayers go out to all the families in their time of loss and sadness, and i have to say thank you to God, for protecting my best friend's dad when he rolled his car 3 times after hitting black ice in the mountains outside lake tahoe.

but now for my things i love:

finding old love letters when cleaning out boxes of junk. i found one that i actually wrote and never gave to my 6th grade boyfriend. he was the one who taught me how to rollerblade backwards, and i was telling him how much fun i had on our  "roller blading date" that weekend. oh the simplicity of youth!

cleaning out boxes of junk! i wouldn't call myself a packrat, but for some reason, i used to hold on to random stuff. you know, the napkin from the first fancy restaurant i ate at (yes, the clothe one went straight into my purse),  movie ticket stubs from when movies still only cost $3.75 (must have been a matinee), a hotel key, bead necklaces from spring breaks in college (oh college!), and more letters from friends dating all the way back to junior high. the memories that flooded back with some of it were great. other stuff, i had no clue why i was holding on to it, so it went straight into the trash!

diaper cakes. i made one for my best friend's baby shower this weekend that i am so in love with! i can't wait to post the pictures of it to show it off (obviously, next week after her shower. i don't want to ruin the surprise of it!) lets just say, it's very cheery!

getting my hair did. finally. i'm doing my color for the first time since JULY of last year! i'm excited!

my new logo design. did you notice? it's a simple design, but i'm a simple person! the website has had a little facelift as well. i got bored of the black and white, and felt it was time to bring a smidge of color into it.

have a great weekend all! did i mention i'm shooting my first solo wedding this weekend? and 2 maternity sessions and a baby shower! heaven!

both my boys have their own rose bushes, planted on their 1st birthday's. w's is blooming already! 

things i love thursday!

photo courtesy of betty lang

this past week has been a busy one. my baby turned 1 on friday, and we had a fun little party for him over the weekend, complete with bounce house, bubbles and a make shift photo booth. it was a great first birthday party for our lil worm.

i've also been busy creating my new cd/dvd sleeves, and am SO happy with the way they turned out. handmade with recycled, organic paper, i am excited to be sending my images off in these little works of art (simple as they may be.)

i took a trip down to the flower mart in downtown LA, to get all the flowers for W's birthday. they are still blooming a week later and making my house smell yummy! (yes, that's them in the picture above) a trip down there is a must for anyone who loves gorgeous flowers without the horrendous prices of floral shops. (just get there early, the best selections go fast. my favorite days to go are tuesday and wednesday, before the rush of people for the weekend)

my new shootsac should be here any day. an early mothers day gift for myself, i finally gave in and bought one, and can't wait for my next shoot so i can use it!

uncommongoods.com is a fun website for off the wall, unordinary gifts for yourself or others. i can always find unique gifts that people love, and their customer service is excellent. check em out!

things i love...

i can't believe it's thursday again! this week has flown by.

my favorite things....

1. planning birthday parties. W turns 1 tomorrow, and we are throwing him a little shindig on saturday. i can't wait to put up all the decorations and get all dressed up!

2. griffith park observatory. amazing views of la, and i love the history of the building.

3. a new toothbrush.

4. spring cleaning and organizing. i donated 7 trash bags of clothes and shoes to good will yesterday. it felt so good to clean out the closets! i got rid of a pair of pants i had had since my sophomore year of high school. not because they were out of style, but because they are now too big. sad. i know.

5. bubble baths

things i love...

yesterday was my brother-in-law's birthday, and while he is no longer with us, my family and i said a little prayer, and quietly celebrated him.

he tops my things i love list, and if i did a things i miss list, he would be on that as well.

things i love...
1. a golden sunset

2. lingering goodnight kisses

3. mint chocolate

4. new friends

5. learning something new

and this:

a little blurry, but he cracks me up with his fish face! 

things i love...

today has been hard for me to come up with my 5 things i love. probably because i've been in a mood. one of those moods where everyone should stay away from me, and i better stay away from everyone else. i've just been, grrrrrrr to the world. for no particular reason really, it's just one of those days. i'm happy it's one of those days on my things i love thursdays though, because it is forcing me to think a happy thought and try to get rid of this funk of a grey cloud i have hanging over my head.

1. hiking. we hit up a trail down the road from our house today called the hummingbird trail. it wasn't so spectacular, but got us out and moving. plus i got a good laugh watching my city boy of a husband walking the trail with half a tree in his hand hitting at all the bushes making sure there were no snakes/ squirrels/ mountain lions around. seriously, half a tree.

2. target's dollar spot. i found the CUTEST notebook for my J* workshop there yesterday: yellow patent leather. i'm giddy thinking about all the amazing notes i'll get to write in it!

3. figuring out how to make an action on CS4. i'm self taught in the photoshop department, and so figuring that out on my own, made my whole day!

4. pb&j sandwiches. with more jelly than peanut butter. oowey, gooey goodness.

5. mrs fields chocolate chip cookies.

and since this is a boring entry, here's a cute picture of my boy. i can't even call him my baby anymore, he looks like such a little man now! at least my baby still looks like a baby, but even he turns 1 at the end of the month!










ps, erin, steph, and kelli, i haven't forgotten about y'all, my CO blogs are in the works still, it's been hectic since i was gone for 4 days!

things i love...

i flew for the first time today without my boys. it was a weird jaunt through the airport, not having to worry about shuffling so much crap through security, making sure we didn't forget anything behind, then schlep it  all to the gate. it was weird, and i didn't really like it. and of course, i was on the flight that had 7 babies on it, so all the families were huddled together waiting for family boarding. out of habit, i couldn't help but smile and watch the families, and out of habit started to head to that section. then i realized, duh kym, you just look like the crazy lady hovering near the babies! so i sat in the one seat available between the two old businessmen.  it made my heart ache for my babies and husband, and made me realize how much i love having my family with me.

so in honor of flying, and the fact that i actually had time to read a magazine on the plane, here's my five things i love about flying.

1. sky mall magazine. where else can you find an exercise machine for your lungs, a hammock for your dog, and a "fashionable leather" wrist holster for your phone (just flip your wrist and the phone is on your ear! never again will you miss a call!)

2. people watching. i saw a man with a mickey mouse top hat, giant clock around his neck (a la flava flave), and super skinny jeans, a man with tube socks on with shorts and a hat inside out, and another woman with arms bigger than hulk hogans. i wish i had the guts to take pictures of each of them!

3. listening to other's conversions. the two sitting on the plane behind me had me laughing. "oh your from mission veijo? i was born in mission veijo! what a small world! do you know so and so?" " uh, no dude, i was just born there, i moved to colorado when i was 2" " well what year did you graduate, he's about your age" long pause, "umm 98" "oh, your a lot older than i thought, i graduated in 08, but i think he graduated in like 01" "yeah dude, i moved away like 29 years ago. i don't know him".

4. seeing family members and friends waiting for their loved ones on the way to baggage claim. i think i'm just uber emotional right now being away from my family, because seeing all the cheesy signs and the huge hugs that people were getting melted my heart.

5. seeing my best friends pregnant belly for the first time! my oh my i don't know if there is anything more beautiful than a pregnant woman's belly (besides the newborn of course)! we haven't seen each other since her wedding in july, so this is a long over due visit, and perfect time too, her hubs is on a "dadchelor weekend" in vegas. yes, you read that right, a DAD-chelor weekend. one last hurrah before the baby comes! hilarious!


now off for bed, i have 2 sessions tomorrow, and cannot wait to shoot in the beautiful colorado tundra!

things i love...

i'm doing my list a little early this week, we are heading off to palm springs for a few days, and i don't know if i'll have time, or an internet connection while we're out there...

this week was loaded with activities for us, while my sister and her family were in town, we found ourselves at disneyland, the zoo, playa del rey, and the parks in our neighborhood. even though it was all relaxed and not on any time constraints, it was exhausting running around everywhere. today is the first day since they left, and e woke up asking for his cousins. after he ran around the entire house and looked in every room, he says to me, "mama, but i love my cousins. where are they????" melt my heart and put it on a biscuit that was the sweetest thing i had heard come out of his mouth.

here are my loves:

1.handwriting. if i could figure out how to create a font out of my handwriting, i would. (and i'm working on it, i just am SO computer illiterate.) it's probably a lot easier than i realize, but i need someone to walk me through how to do it.

2. the pioneer woman from cooking to homeschooling, photography and gardening. this woman is my hero. if i could be like her, i would be. she has such talent and drive, and such a love of life that comes through in her writing and photos. i get lost in her website for hours at a time. if you haven't read high heels and tractor wheels, you better. it's addicting.

3. here's a shout out to another photographer who i admire: Candice Benjamin. she and i met at an la shootout event earlier this month, and since then, i have blog stalked her work and followed her on facebook. she is also new to the industry, but you would never be able to tell. she has such an amazing eye for detail and style, and i just love her! she has the sweetest disposition, and was so fun to shoot with. plus, she makes amazing head pieces, which she sells on etsy too.

4. snapple iced tea. lemon. not diet, not raspberry, not peach, lemon. and only lemon. i could drink it every day and never get sick of it. it was the only thing i craved while pregnant (that's not true, i also craved 7-11 slurpee's) every time we are driving and my hubs has to stop for gas, he comes out with one for me. i love him for the little things like that! forget the flowers, bring me a 12 pack of lemon snapple iced tea, and i will be a happy girl!

5. my mom's clam chowder. i've been craving it lately (even though it's 85 degrees out today). she makes it from scratch and it is so creamy and peppery and pure yumminess. i think i'm going to have to ask her to come down and make some for me...

and because it is almost easter, i'm throwing in a 6th this week: jelly belly jellybeans. YUM! nough said. :)

things i love...

this is going to be a quick one, i've got dinner going and family in from out of town, but i didn't want to not get my second things i love list done!

1. the smell of our fabric softner (downey orchid allure). it is heavenly.

2. descanso gardens. gorgeous grounds to walk through, and everything is blooming right now

3. petunia picklebottom diaper bags. even after my kids are out of diapers, i will be willing to carry one of these bags around. (and the touring tote works great as a camera bag because of all the little bottle pockets)

4. susie cakes cupcakes. sprinkles who? if you haven't bitten into one of their red velvet cupcakes, you are missing out. THE best cupcakes i have ever eaten!

5. my husband. (i'm biased, i know) for allowing me to remodel our rental unit and not complaining how tired he is after working 24 hours then going to the house and working for another 7 hours. he is the best. only a few more work days and we will have the kitchen and bathrooms done!

thats it. quick and to the point. i' off to flip the pork chops now!

the first thursday favorite things list

i read quite a few blogs on a regular basis, and i always love when they do a weekly things they love. so i'm jumping on the wagon and starting one too. since thursdays (aka, grey's anatomy night) are my favorite day of the week, i figure i'll start today!

1. classic v neck t shirts. white, grey, yellow, black, my wardrobe consists mainly of these tshirts. if i had to live out of one thing for the rest of my life, it would be these. absolute favorite are american apparel so comfy and cute! a close second, i just discovered at target, mossimo has super cute and good fitting ones too! and for only $7.99, they don't break the wallet when you want to swoop up every color!

2. my signature lip color (as of yesterday). thank you target, again! jemma kidd is an amazing makeup artist who i have loved since my days as a makeup artist and hairstylist, and now she has her own makeup line carried at my favorite one stop shop.

3. since i'm listing so many items from the store, i might as well add it to my list: target. i love love LOVE target. when i was in college (mom, stop reading now), i would buy everything you could imagine from the store b/c it was one place my parents didn't question when they got the credit card bill. and i could always say it was cleaning supplies and food, not the purses, sunglasses, books, makeup, dvd's and cd's that it really was! thanks mama!! now, it's still the place i can go and buy stuff for the boys, the house, me, whatever, and my husband doesn't question. Except of course when it's my third trip in a week and i've managed to spend over a hundred bucks at each trip. on what? i'll tell you when i figure that out! damn red tag specials!

4. Sophie the giraffe. W's favorite teething toy. she is classic and modern all at once. and since giraffes are my favorite, when we received this gift, my heart melted with how adorable it is!

5. i have to thank my sisters for turning me on to this one, trader joes pizza dough. with how much i love pizza and how often we eat it in this house (every sunday. i know their number by heart. pathetic, i know), i thought it would be fun to start making our own. e loves to roll the dough out and get to decorate his himself, and i love how cost efficient (and yummy!) it is. for just a couple bucks, you get the dough in a plastic baggie. all you do is let it sit out of the bag at room temp for 20 minutes, roll it out, top it with whatever you please (mushrooms and pineapple for me, pepperoni and sausage for m, and e likes 4 cheeses), pop it on the bbq or in the oven, and 15 minutes later, you have a yummy, fresh pizza. they have a few different types of dough, i prefer the garlic herb myself.


that's it! my first thursday favorites list! look forward to next thursday, when i come up with 5 more of my favorite things to share with y'all!