***"You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love." -Henry Drummond

Once upon a time, I lived in a house with 7 guys. Ha, yes really! It's hardly a Cinderella story but spending my first year in Southern California living in, what felt like a sitcom, is a big part of my story. But that's not what this post is about. It's about one of the guys that lived there - the one that lived in the garage. To me, he is Bobbo; a redheaded musician with a big heart that I would sometimes see in the mornings while getting coffee. To the stunning bride you see in the photos below, he is the love of her life. I was lucky enough to assist at their wedding on Saturday. From the moment they first laid eyes on each other, to the sweet sounds of Ben Harper's Forever  playing as Suz glowed down the aisle, to all the guests belting out "Don't stop believing!" with them in the middle of the dance floor, the day was nothing short of perfect. Watching Suz's face as Bob pulled out his guitar surprising her in singing a song at the reception reminded me that their truly are real life, Cinderella stories. I'm so grateful that April Smith (www.aprilsmithphotography.com) had me assist her in this beautiful day at San Dimas golf course. April is a gifted photographer and a mentor to me that I am so grateful for. You can log onto her site to see even more of this special event. It was an inspiring day spent with beautiful friends. It reminded me that all we truly need in this life is love, after all. Congratulations to my old roomie and his gorgeous new wife, Suzanne! Thank you both for letting me spend this day with you. May your life be filled with nothing but happiness.

Some days are just so good you can't stop smiling. Yesterday was one of those days for me. Maybe it's because in the middle of January, its 75 degrees and I spent the afternoon cruising around in a convertible. Um....ya, that's it! Beyond that I did a really fun shoot with one of my dear friends, Cory Grant http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3423672/ who became increasingly important about 2 months ago when he purchased an International scout. ha! Scouts have always been my favorite and his is an absolute classic. So dreamy! Sadly it doesn't run quite as beautiful as it looks, so Cory is going to have to get rid of it. He asked me if I could snap a few pics to use in selling it. And of course, what was supposed to be a few pics turned into a full photo shoot. Lucky for me, Cory is no stranger to the camera and is an awesome actor. He's a dreamer in every sense of the word and will definitely get where he's going. Don't be surprised at all when he makes it "big time" in the very near future. We drove up to Griffith Park, which overlooks LA and the light was just, perfect. I can definitely say that I don't think I've ever laughed so hard on a shoot. Cor's an amazing subject and we ended up with some great lifestyle shots. I was so inspired I even jumped in a few pictures myself and had Katie join me as well. Hope you enjoy. Blue Skies! 

It seems like the last few weeks when anyone brought up the New Year, all I would say in return is "Big things in 2010." Sometimes I would get even more fired up and tag on a baby to that, "big things in 2010, BABY!!" and then proceed to nudge, nudge and wink, wink whoever I was talking to. It then suddenly occurred to me; what exactly does "big things in 2010 even mean?" Ha, it was in this moment I decided I needed to define what these big things were if I plan on getting anywhere. And that is when the 2010 inspiration fest began. A box of old photos, a couple quote books, some wise emails from pops, Adele blasting from my computer, a glance at Rev Run's twitter page and we were in business. I thought I'd share some of my favorite 2010 inspirations:

"love life, engage in it, give it all you've got. love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it"

Maya Angelou

That consciousness is everything and that all things begin with a thought. That we are responsible for our own fate, we reap what we sow, we get what we give, we pull in what we put out. I know these things for sure.

Madonna

"I've come to believe that seeking happiness is not a frivolous pursuit. It's honorable and necessary. And most people forget even to think about it."

Goldie Hawn

"At a critical time in my life, [prayer] pushed me to take responsibility for my own happiness--to stop waiting for that elusive someone or something to mend and define my life."

Elizabeth Lesse

Maybe . . . the happiest of people
don't necessarily have the best of
everything; they just make the most of
everything that comes along their way.

Carol Torchia

Believe....in yourself, in your dreams, in the

beauty of everyday moments, in the joy of simple pleasures, in the power

of a smile, in the gift of family and friendship, in your ability to

touch the hearts of other people and make a difference in this world.

Believe it in your heart.

I guess the big things I'm referring to are: putting your heart into your job, clients, family and friends. Making the most out of everything.  Counting blessings. Enjoying your friends finding true happiness, being the best sister, daughter and friend that I can possibly be. Enjoying the present. Catching lots of sunsets, trying new things.

Caring. Listening. Creating.  Happy 2010!

As the year comes to an end, it's important to give thanks to the people that made 2009 so great. I've been fortunate enough to assist some very talented photographers this year. Among them is an extraordinary woman by the name of Toki Cavenor http://tokisphotos.com/ She has been so gracious and allowed me to assist her at some incredible weddings in the bay area. She has a way with her clients that I can only aspire to one day have. She is so personal and her love for wedding photography shines through all aspects of her business. She inspires me and I'm so grateful to be learning from her. With that said, I want to share pictures from one of my favorite weddings I did with her. There's something so romantic about getting married under the golden gate. It was one of those weddings that felt like a fairy-tale. Here are some of my favorites.