Penny Sylvia Photography

new blog

2008-08-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

Check it out New Blog

sweet love

2008-08-21T17:29:00.001-07:00

It's sort of a joke among my friends ..."you must take tons of photographs of your kids ... right?"
One would think! But I've really had to make an effort to stop and capture those moments that I most cherish.

This past weekend my family was in San Francisco and I was able to grab these ... Mason and Isabel were so good the whole weekend! We got a surprise visit from Grandma and Grandpa ... which was so so touching ...

What?! You put decaf in the coffeemaker!!!

2008-08-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

It was a normal day at the Sylvia house. I stumbled out of bed ... straight to the coffee maker for a cup of joe ... ummmm ... joe, my good friend. I check emails, get things moving in the work flow ... you know ... nothing unusual here ...

Tony comes home from work ... we are chatting about the day ... I express how tiered I am ... see, I'm a two - to - three cup a day coffee gal .... I had three cups today ... I should be zippy as normal ... as we continue our usual conversation, how was work today ... hummm ... yep, the kids were good today ... what's for dinner ...... then Tony says .... oh, I need to run to the store, I got decaf instead of regular coffee!!!! WOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW ... stop the presses! WHAT?! Decaf! No wonder ... I've been functioning on fumes today!!!

I never thought I was addicted ... until today!

2008-08-18T17:20:00.001-07:00

Mason and Isabel are ham bones when it comes to the camera and I love it! It's only been a recent development, which I'm sure surprises you all! My kids have always been the ones that say, "no photos, please" ... only not quite that nice! You'd think that they were followed by the paparazzi ... no, that's just mom! But recent developments have made me proud ... I often hear "mom, can we do the photo booth thing on the computer?" or "mom, get the camera ... follow me" ... how precious is that?!

I had to share these two ... as I was packing for San Francisco this past Thursday they asked me to grab the camera and follow them ...

2008-08-10T21:02:00.001-07:00

LOVE ... it is my passion to capture it.

I was honored today to photograph the Chou family ... with 4 generations all together! How awesome is that?!!

The Chou family was so gracious and kind ... reflecting as I often do on my drive back home I remembered the photograph of my grandparents that I keep on my nightstand and smiling at knowing that they had been married for so so many years ... I remember my grandmother saying that "some people don't live as long as we've been married Penny Marie" ... I remember chuckling when she said that thinking 'okay... grandma' ...you know in that young teenage way...

Now I think of them and reflect how true that was and how honored I feel to be a part of capturing families and images that mean so much. Thank you Chou family.

2008-08-10T11:36:00.001-07:00

Being six is an amazing time in life ... life is so fresh ... so bright ... and full of love at six. When I met Toby and his family yesterday that is exactly what I was thinking as I was driving home from the shoot ... how true we can show our love at six. As soon as I met Toby ... I felt his warm heart ... so so so sweet ... Now ... 9 ... Nine is a great age too ... Toby's brother is so talented ... art abounds the house which this young talent has created and I was serenaded as I was leaving to a amazing piano melody! I had so much fun meeting this family and capturing the love they have for each other. I really love the image above ... let me add that at 6 ... kissing mom and dad is cool ... at 9 ... a little more coaxing is involved ... ;-)

Elaine ... mom ... is part of the Down Syndrome Information Alliance and I had the opportunity to look at their site and one of the things that as a mom I thought was so awesome is they have a group to meet others whose lives are affected by Down Syndrome ... I thought ... what a wonderful resource for parents. Check it out ... Also, they have a big event coming up ...

Buddy Walk Featuring Chris Burke!
Saturday, October 4 | Southside Park, Sacramento

2008-08-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

Honestly, there are photo sessions that are hilarious, there are photo sessions that are crazy fun, sessions where I'm handed 'buggies', session where belly laughs abound ... and then the unexpected ... a session that moves me in a way that I never expected. I'm a cry er ... anything sentimental gets me ... every time someone wins a Gold in the Olympics I end up crying because I know that great sacrifice came to get that win and the person has achieved such victory ... LOVE IT! But I have to say that it is rare that I feel moved ... changed in someway.

Yesterday, was a day that, like many other, started with craziness in the a.m. (I do have two little ones of my own) and then an early photo session. This session was with my friend Jennifer who I've photographed many times ... she has three beautiful boys and a handsome husband ... and let me just say that Jennifer is so darn cute herself ... they are easy subjects!

I got to photograph Jennifer for a Kidaround article ... again nothing unusual or strange about that. This session was of just Jenn and her youngest for a very special issue ... which you'll have to grab when you get a chance September 1 ....

ANYWAY, after I took this image ... I looked at the back of my camera and tears welled in my eyes .... this image just moves me ... and moves me in a way I don't even think I can get out in words ... I'm thankful that I was able to create and blessed that I actually make a living at it ... not only to share with Jennifer but to feed my soul ... it amazes me that sometimes in the simple things there is such power.

2008-08-03T21:13:00.001-07:00

It was official, now that Princess Ruby is 5, the King and Queen of the castle agreed, she could invite Princess Ariel and all the other princess' of the land over for a party to celebrate ... and celebrate they did!

2008-08-01T21:38:00.001-07:00

Last weekend My brother TJ, his fiancee, Megan and I got together for an engagement session and had a great time. I tell you, the two of them have personality ... and peek at the photo below ... who can do that? CRAZINESS!

seriously, I made my brother do that a few times, just because I could not believe my eyes! My brother is 6'8" and Megan is 6'3" or 6'5" !!

This was too funny too, at the reception they are doing a little personal touch at each of the tables ... this is one of the images ... I can't show you them all ... but I can tell you ... there are sure to be laughs and dinner conversation at the tables!

I love this image ... I love the bike in the background ... silly I know ... but I'm obsessed with bikes right now ...
stay tuned ... their wedding is in October and I'm shooting it!

Happy Anniversary Turners

2008-08-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

It happens to me a lot, I meet my clients through other clients who have become my friends and then I'm blessed again with another friend. Such is the case with the Turners who just celebrated their 5th anniversary. What better way than take some fun family photos! I always enjoy getting together with them ... Thank you guys for letting me be a part of your celebration!

berry pickin'

2008-07-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

The sign read "no berries allowed in picnic area until purchased", we walked by and sorta giggled ... do you think they know we were sampling as we were pickin'? No doubt they must know ... he-he-he ... we just covered our mouths and looked at each other with eyes meeting each others and silly smiles .... he-he-he ...

Last week we we berry picking and it was so so so yummy, errr, I mean fun, yeah fun! We picked so many berries that I'm sure we could be grubbin on berry pie for weeks if it was all we ate for dinner! The squeels from the vines were priceless "Ah, Mom ... this one is totally juicy" Mason haulered and "Man, Mom, this one is HUUUUGE!" Isabel gleefully announced.

Here are some pics of our fun ...

Quite Contrary

2008-07-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Oh my! I have to say that the fashion shoot for Quite Contrary Clothing was so very fun! These kids were so full of life and they loved the clothes, which made it even more fun ... I have to give an extra special shout out to Rebecca and Mary of Stems. Honestly, their hospitality was way over and beyond! Their store is beautiful and their personalities the same. They were truly lovely. If you are looking for flowers for any event ... I tell you ... they are your girls!

Here are some of my favorites from the shoot ... all the kids were so so so great ... I love them so much!

There are a bunch of them ... I just couldn't resist!! Enjoy!

Max and Mokie

2008-07-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is really about dogs that I love so much! I LOVE them. Maybe it's the whole unconditional love, always happy go lucky ... wet nose thing ... who knows ... but honestly they are so great! I absolutely love photographing them! I really feel like I'm playing.

Sunday, Max and Mokie came over and we did a surprise shoot for their human mom ... here are some of my fav's ... Aren't the doggies beautiful!

little miss. audra

2008-07-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

Every time I visit Miss. Audra she gets more and more cute! I'm telling you ... it's so fun! I got to play in the backyard with Audra recently and then it was getting a little close to dinner time so we went inside and she got a little snack ... she really really wanted that artichoke!!

nicole and wesley

2008-07-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's wedding was so so so much fun! Parting until midnight ... Nicole and Wesley had such a beautiful event. At their families winery in Apple Hill, the evening was a perfect summer evening.

Here a are few images from the day ... more to come in a slideshow ...

2008-07-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

OK .... soooooo I have to share something so sweet it makes me cry ... I cry at EVERYTHING ... really, but this touched my heart right to the core.

This evening, Mason, the same little boy who said (very loudly ... I might add) while waiting in line at Nordstrom ... and I quote "You are a bad mommy" , told me as I was tucking him in to bed ... "Mommy, you are so preeeetty" ... OH MY GOSH ... I'm in love!!!

I hope I remember that moment for the rest of my life ... it was just so cute to hear him say that with his cute little smile ...

photos like the dentist

2008-07-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

OK ... Sooooo, I don't love the dentist ... I have a great one ... but I don't like going ... AND ... I don't like getting my picture taken ...which is kinda funny being as my passion is taking photographs ... it is rare that I'm in a photograph without my tongue sticking out or a funny face ... I just like being goofy and then when the camera is in front of me ... well ... it just brings out goofy ... you know???!

This past weekend I did a fashion shoot for Quite Contrary and Georgina ... who is near and dear to me grabbed some photos while I was working ...which I was actually thankful for ... but it was still painful!!! Enjoy! I'll post some of my images shortly.

moms workshop announcement

2008-07-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hot dog! It's finally here! I'm so super excited about this! Many of you have asked both photographers and moms if I was going to do a workshop and I kept saying that its in the works ... well my friends ... it's here!!! This first workshop is designed specifically for moms ... not professional photographers ... the photographers workshop will be announced shortly ... I promise!!!

So .... are you ready .....

The moms photography workshop is Saturday, September 27th. Registration is $99 which will include your lunch. Please email me at penny@pennysylvia.com to register and get more information.

summer sanders

2008-07-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

Finally! The new issue of Kidaround is out and I can blog about my wonderful trip to Manhattan Beach to photograph Summer Sanders ... who, by the way, is super sweet...which I'm sure if you've met her before is no surprise.

One of the reasons I was excited to photograph Summer was because she is from Sacramento and we are around the same age ... so my best friend from high school, Jenny, who swam competitivly in high school knew who she was ... so Jenny thought it was pretty cool that I got to meet her ;-) as did I! Also, Manhattan Beach rocks and I would move there in a heart beat ... the place just buzzes of wonderful beach life and I've never seen so many volley ball nets in my life on the beach!

Summer's dad was at the house and he was so so so nice and warm hearted ... he made me feel right at home ... he came down to the beach with us to help with the stoller ... we got a great photo of him on his cell phone and pulling the stroller in the sand, all the while with a burp cloth over his shoulder ... like every good grandpa! I love that photo!

Anyway, the trip was awesome and so was Summer! Who I have to say has the most fabulous arms ... when I'm at the gym I envision that one day, soon, I'll have those kick butt arms!!!

Thanks so much Summer!

vacation slowly ending...

2008-06-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

It's the last night of our wonderful vacation at "Da Big House" and it has been so great! We really just hung out and had a nice time ... hence I haven't been blogging or really working this past week ... I promise once we return lots of fun updates are one their way.

Now, I'm off to watch a movie with the honey and enjoy the evening.

the present

2008-06-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

There are many things that I love, big dogs, chocolate ice cream, warm jeans from the dryer, belly laughs, children's giggles and movie quotes ....

We recently took the kids to see Kong Fu Panda, which is a kick butt movie ... the animation, the colors ... oh my! It rocks! Mason was signing the song all the way to the theatre and home! Really great.... I bring this up because I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately and there was a quote that I really thought hit the nail on the head in so many ways for me ...

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift ... that is why they call it the present"

I LOVE THAT!

sexy

2008-06-15T20:06:00.001-07:00

The other day I got to photograph Ms."A" for a hot mama shoot and it was so fun! Now, I can't share them all with you ... but this one ... I love it! I absolutely LOVE the 1940's and the nostalgia of black and white grainy film ... oh-la-la! This image grabs that for me ... many that we shot did ... I'm so excited to share the rest with Ms. "A"!

peep-a-boo Ana

2008-06-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

Oh my! I had so much fun with my little friend Ana! She is too cute! Here are some of my favorites... I just love photographing her because she is so full of life! I love her smiles and when her mommy and daddy sing to her she dances so cute!!!

2008-06-06T20:13:00.001-07:00

What a week!!

This past week I booked a wedding that I'm so excited about I can't stand it ... I love color and I've wanted to photograph a Chinese wedding for as long as I can remember! I'm photographing my first this coming October and I'm so excited! The bride is so wonderful. We hit it off instantly! She is so kind and beautiful ... I honestly have the most wonderful people in my life! Today she sent me this quote ...

A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it.

-Ernst Haas

I'm so honored to work with such wonderful people who love and value the art of photography.

I also got to goto Manhattan Beach and photograph the fabulous Summer Sanders! Summer is so sweet ... I felt like I was part of the gang while I was there. And her arms totally rock! I crave to have arms like Summers! Look for the next issue of Kidaround in July to catch some of the images.

And I got to meet a most wonderful family of three little girls this evening where the hugs were non stop! It was awesome! I love hugs! I honestly can't get enough of them! Thank you.

I suppose tonight I'm sorta in a personal paradise as I reflect on the week and think ... wow, when you really love what you do ... you are blessed. I work with the most wonderful people, and I get to do the most wonderful job ever ... because truly I don't work ... I enjoy life and I happen to get to feed my family with the art that I love .... how awesome it that?!!

Lunch at Manhattan beach

2008-06-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

Relaxin' before a shoot!

Meet Max

2008-05-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got to hang out with Max and his family and we had a great time. Max has an awesome backyard with great furniture ... so we had fun putting Max in all kinds of chairs! My favorite was in the bedroom with him M! Max is such a happy baby ... instantly when I met him my heart was warmed by his sweet smile ... and lots and lots more sweet smiles that followed! He is such a sweetheart and his parents were super too!

back to school

2008-05-26T10:36:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday Isabel got to host the family to her back to school night and she was so excited! She was so nervous ... it was really cute. The Kindergarten class was giving a concert and she really had the jitters like I've never seen before ... so to take her mind off it a bit ... she got some lip gloss on ... sassy shoes and we went out front to do a mini shoot ... above is a collage ... I just love these! I threw the feet in because she just loves ... I mean loves those shoes and they do not look comfortable in the least and yet she wears them everywhere!!!

Haley and Jeff

2008-05-25T09:19:00.001-07:00

Oh my ... I had such a good time hangin' with Haley and Jeff! They had a vision of incorporating local public murals in their engagement session and it was so fun! Sacramento is so colorful ... it was really great to capture that color and their love!

If you click on the image above you can see a slideshow from their engagement session!

I also had the honor of meeting Finn ... their most awesome cat and I'm in love ... I had to come home and tell my cat Harris I've been cheating because Finn was just too cool!

He, of coarse, got to get photographed too!

Hot Spring Nights

2008-05-21T07:20:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness! Let me just say it was so HOT Friday! Not only the weather ... but Torrey and Calli are so cute, fun and loving ... I had such a good time photographing them Friday ... while we were melting!

We started off grabbing a cocktail and then we were off to brave the heat. One of the highlights was as we were walking by the train tracks we heard the train, we were sorta joking about it and then there it was ... I nabbed a few as they smooched and the train passed ...... so romantic.

Click on the image about to view a slide show of my favorites from the evening .... Enjoy! I can't wait for the beautiful wedding in September!

Dante & Erin

2008-05-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

Part two of Dante & Erin's engagement session ... I tell you ... these two are so super sweet! They totally entertained my ... oh, oh, let's stop here ... or hummmmm, where are those great doors I saw yesterday? They are so fun!

ice cream ... oh so yummy

2008-05-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

Day with Thomas

2008-05-11T21:22:00.001-07:00

This weekend was a blast! We took the kids to see Thomas the train and go for a ride ... it was so fun! I love surprising the kids ... so we didn't tell them what we were doing and when we pulled up to the event Mason was so excited! Soooo cool it brought tears to my eyes! Anyway, here are some images from the day.

drip ... drip ... drip

2008-05-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

I've been crazy busy this last week, not only with engagement sessions and cutie pie session, but just life in general ... images to come soon ... I promise. I had to post this one of Ava ... I get to visit her every 3 months and I just love this one!

... she's sooooo telling me ... "that's a wrap!" ... I love it!

Today, though, was one of those days that just rocked! I haven't blogged in a while and so I thought that I would tonight to add to my list of good things today! I got so much accomplished and Tony did too! He installed my drip system for around the pool today and I am super excited! I'm heading to the nursery to plant shop tomorrow for sure!!! I've had my eye on several unique plants for some time now and I have a feeling like I'm going to go crazy! I love plants ... well, honestly, I love to go to places like Sea World or Disneyland where the plants are so well manicured and dream that one day I will have that in my backyard ... a girls gotta dream!

Anyway,

A while back I mentioned the great book The Go-Giver and the first law of stratospheric success which is the law of value "your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment" ... I bought another copy last week because I gave my copy to my good friend Barbara and I wanted to share the second law ... the law of compensation "Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them" ... how true that is. Not just in monetary income, i think that is a bit obvious ... but emotional income. I've really been thinking about that a lot lately ...

Oh yes, and one more cool thing for today ... today my brother Scott called me and told me he loved me and really appreciated me. I'm sure I've mentioned it before ... my brother is one of my very best friends ... we talk every day on the phone ... we alway say I love you ... but today it just made my whole day ... maybe even month that he called just to say I love you ... that was so cool!

Well, off to get the kids in bed and do a little reading....

Nice

2008-05-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

....waiting for my client ...and its beautiful out!

grummpiness

2008-04-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

.... is that a word???!!

I'm not sure ... but I do know that today was the grumpiest I've been in months! I'm not sure why but I was just blue! I was havin' a total bummer day and I'm a girl that usually makes the best out of anything ... really ...

This evening I tried to make up for it and shift my moods ... hot fudge sunday with one of my best friends, hot bath, manicure, pedicure, great romantic comedy and a glass of wine ... ummm, well, ok two glasses of great red wine ... I have to say that I'm feeling much better ... but man I was in a funk ... ever get that way?!??? I think it's past now ... whew ... I'm looking forward to a great day tomorrow!

Anyway, off to get my kiddies to bed and catch up on some reading.........

good day sacramento

2008-04-24T19:37:00.001-07:00

Michele Kane is the real deal! She is awesome ... so warm and friendly . When we did our spot on Good Day Sacramento the other day it was like being with an old friend ... she makes you feel so comfortable!

Mason was a typical 3 year old ... no matter the bribe ... well ... unless they were tic tacs ... he was not happy ...

... that is until we let him do his own thing ... with tic tacs of coarse!

The piece was on how to get great pic's of your kids ... here's the link if you wanna check it out
http://cbs13.com/gooddaysacramento

Thank you so much Michele and Dave, the camera man ... you guys are awesome!!

baby faith

2008-04-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some images from baby Faith's birth ... just a sneak peak.

welcome baby faith

2008-04-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Amazing! Such an ordinary word for such an awesome experience!

Yesterday I had the honor of documenting baby Faith's entrance into the world. Just sitting here and reflecting on the day brings tears fresh into my eyes. I'm so very blessed to get to do what I do ... to share in the joys of people's lives. I never feel like I loose sight of it ... but then when you experience the welcoming of a new life ... it is just awe inspiring ... words that describe the emotions I don't think really express it quite the way you feel ... the excitement, the nervousness, the empathy of seeing someone you care about in pain, the amazement, and then the true and pure miracle. It puts so much perspective into the trivial things that we worry about from day to day.

The honor to be able to capture those raw moments of life beginning ... I'm telling you ... it is the BEST...truly the BEST and I thank Kim and Randy for having me there. I'm always telling people that I get to work with the best people ever and time and time again I'm honored by my wonderful clients who continually bring me so much joy and happiness in my life by experiencing their joys and happiness. It's so cool!

I promise to share a few images soon ... just catching up on some family time and relaxation! :-)

san francisco here i come

2008-04-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to San Francisco this afternoon and I'm so excited! I just love the city ... although I'm heading there on business I'm taking the camera so I can nab a few photos while enjoying the afternoon before my meeting.

I'm on call to photograph a birth, today is the due date ... hopefully I wont be speeding home from San Francisco!!! Yikes!! I could be posting baby pictures tomorrow instead of bridge pictures!!!! Stay tuned!

Napa Fun ... the details

2008-04-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

My honey's surprise trip to Napa was great fun! We left early Friday evening and found a great little hotel ... had a little cheese and wine in the lobby before setting out for dinner ... we ate at one of our favorites ... Hurley's in Yountville and it did not disappoint. Tony got crazy and tried the boar ... it was very good and I love their crab cakes ... so of coarse I started with those and then had the butternut squash ravioli ... very tasty. No trip to the Napa Valley is complete in my book without stopping at Dean and Deluca ... I love that place! I once visited their store in New York and I have to tell you that I've been hooked very since ... it is so clean and organized and full of flavors ... all the things I love in one place!! We got some treats to take to the hotel room ... they had chocolate mint malt balls ... oh my goodness ... I had to throw the diet out the window for those!! A girl cannot just eat one!

We woke up and after having breakfast in bed went to explore ... We found a cute store in St. Helena Pennaluna ... my eye caught it because from distance it sorta looked like my name all run together ... we found some great treasures there and then we went to this cute dogie store ... remember in no uncertain terms I was not getting a puppy ... I still had to go to the store and see all the cute things one could get for their doggies ... and then we saw my dream car ... other than the viper ... AND in my color!!! I had to roll down the window so as not to get droll on the window ... it's beautiful!

Then off to wine tasting ... we ended up buying two cases of wine ... I can't wait to drink it! Then before heading home we ate lunch at Mustards ... it's always tasty.

So all in all we had a great trip!

Surprise ....Napa

2008-04-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

On our way ...

Sent from my iPhone

8 years

2008-04-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

My favorite number is 8 ... ask me why ... I'm not really sure ... just have always liked that number ... but today ... today, my friends, is my 8 year wedding anniversary!! I woke up this morning to warm snuggles and a big smooch from Tony! I have to wait till this weekend to celebrate ... Mr. Man has something up his sleeve ... he is not a man that usually pulls off the surprise ... but this year ... I have not one clue what we are doing except that I had to make sure my calendar was clear for Friday and Saturday .... the anticipation is killing me! I asked for a puppy ... I've been told in no uncertain terms that there will be NO puppy ... darn! I have to admit that being married to a man that doesn't usually pull off the surprise is a blessing to me as I'm not a big fan .. in fact growing up I would always start crying when someone would surprise me with a party or extra something special that I had no clue about ... I'm super sentimental and a total cryer which in turn would always make me embarrassed! Now that I'm older .. I enjoy the surprise more ... still cry but love the warm fuzzy feelin' that someone took the time .... I'll keep you posted!!

ben ... cutie pie ... anytime...

2008-04-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

It was so fun photographing little Ben this past week ... chasing him all over ... see Ben is 15 months and he has the energy that us 36 year olds can only dream of having again!!! Here are some of the images that I loved from our recent session ... thank you Ben so much for letting me chase you!

turkeys everywhere

2008-03-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

I saw the most turkeys I've ever seen in one place ... in the wild no less ... No! No! sillys ... not Barb's family who I got to photograph recently ... but real live wild turkeys were all over the place while we were shooting ... it was Awesome! Mark knew how to call them and so we got to hear them talk back at us ... it was great! We also saw about 5 dear ... so fun! Here are some more fun shots from their session.

fun at the stables

2008-03-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got to hang out at the Penryn Oak Stables with my young friend Annika and it was so much fun! I think I've found a love for horses! There is something about them that is so tender ... I felt drawn to petting them ... and apparently photographing their noses!! I grab some other fun images too ... check 'em out!

I've photographed celebrities before ... the human kind ... this guy is a celebrity in his own species ... do you know who he is? He's graced the cover of magazines!!

napa fun

2008-03-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

Wow! This week I got to take a trip to Napa to photograph Julia and Tom! They are so so so sweet! We had so much fun! Their buddy Tullie the most beautiful boxer hung out with us and was so well behaved it was crazy! We went all over Napa snapping away ... I had worked out earlier in the week so I was a little creaky on the stairs at the Culinary Institute ... it was quite a laugh ... I promised that I wouldn't work out hard before the wedding! When we were at the Culinary Institute Tom bought the most awesome black licorice EVER! RJ's Natural Licorice ... when I was driving home late that night I felt so mischievous to eat it as it was left behind ... I truly could not resist! I think they got me hooked! We also had a wonderful dinner at the Rutherford Grill , the chili, which Tom recommended was excellent. On the way back home we stopped at the wedding site ... Julia's parents property/winery ... oh my goodness! The wedding is going to be awesome!! The scenery is absolutely gorgeous! Here are some images from their engagement session ... we drove all day practically to find the mustard ... who knew that they were going to mow it throughout Napa the week before our shoot!!!! Thank you guys for such a wonderful day!!

addy and sam

2008-03-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

Friday I had the pleasure of photographing my friends Addy & Sam clothing line and it was a blast! The kids were absolutely GREAT! Well behaved and havin' fun ... who could ask for more?! Here are some of the images that I grabbed that I love!

cute buns

2008-03-24T19:14:00.001-07:00

Oh my! This morning I could not resist! Mason was getting into the project closet ... I could hear him and peaked in on him ... I had to run and get my camera and snap this of him ... now normally I'm of the thinking ... never embarrass the client ... but he's family ... he is fair game!!!

farts

2008-03-23T21:25:00.001-07:00

This past week I got to photograph my friend Wendy's boys and their cousins and it was hilarious! Coming from a large family ... I've learned the art of when to pull out the big guns when you need smiles ... by the way ... it's never say "smile" ... I just sorta ... ah .... well ... started talking about farts!!! Ok! Ok! ... now it wasn't an adult conversation ... so it was totally ok! I had them laughing in no time at all! And I was laughing too ... it was great!

Here are some other great shots from the day.

Thank you so much for feeding me Wendy!

Wesley and Nicole ... HOT

2008-03-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness!! I had a great time photographing Wesley and Nicole this past Thursday for their engagement session! We were all over the place and got some great images ... the two of them are naturals ... all giggles and snuggles ... it was so fun!

ruby is going to be a big sister

2008-03-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

That's right! Here are some fun pictures from their session. So Fun!!

harlem

2008-03-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

So this past week I got to hang out with my friends Jennifer, Chris and the furry family, Harlem, Ella, Bosco and the big furry kitty that I wanted to pack in my camera bag and bring home with me! I haven't seen Jennifer and Chris for a while ... way too long ... Jennifer owns ME Boutique here in Sacramento and is quite a busy gal! We were planning to get together and I got the call that she had to cancel because Harlem had a very important vet appointment.

Harlem has cancer.

I had the most wonderful morning with Jennifer and Harlem this week photographing them together and Ella and Bosco tolerated that the session was not for them ... it was so funny. Ella was a total drama queen and Harlem in his wonderful manner let them know ... "hey, kids ... settle down ... it's my spotlight with mom today" ....

I feel so honored to get to capture Harlem and Jennifer being them ... just hangin' and lovin' ... below is a little slideshow with some of the images from the morning.

Enjoy.

best parties

2008-03-18T21:34:00.001-07:00

I truly get to photograph the best parties! Recently I got to photograph Ashley's bridal shower that my friend Kara threw for her and it was so very nice. Everything was perfectly set for a wonderful party and the evening came through to be just that. A henna artist was there to decorate everyone and she was awesome! The food and wine ... all delightful ... of coarse! Here are some of my favorite images of the evening ... the party went into the wee hours of the night ...

I couldn't resist the ever cutie pie Charlie!

tagged

2008-03-01T14:16:00.001-08:00

I've recently been tagged...by Jennifer. If you haven't seen this going around...once you've been tagged you have to write 10 random, odd, unknown tidbits, habits, or goals about yourself. My family and I have been a bit under the weather and are now surfacing ... so finally I'm answering ... here are the 10 random penny things ..

love the ocean ... that is a known fact; however, I have an irrational fear of sharks ... the crazy thing is I love to snorkel and dive ... here is how I do it ... once I jump in the water I quickly grab my breath, regain composure and literally accept that today I’m swimming in someones home, most likely jaws, and I might get eaten up ... once I’ve accepted that ... I’m totally good. REALLY.
In high school in all my friends yearbooks I wrote ... “never give up on your dreams because dreams really do come true” I’ve always lived by those rules and it has never failed me. I think that is why I'm a photographer now.
I love hooking people up ... not in the dating sense ... but in the sense if I think two people should meet or if someone has an idea and I think another might be able to help them ... I just love making that connection.
I really started the backyard on fire when I was eight ... not my brother Scott ... who totally got in trouble for it! I hope my mom isn’t reading this ... if my brother is I’m sure I get a call ASAP saying ... “DUDE! It’s about time you came clean!”
I love to cook and have a huge cookbook collection. My favorite thing to make ... not sure ... but I always cook tacos when my brother comes over ... weird!
I left college with two semesters left to finish my marketing degree ... that was 7 years ago ... word to the wise ... working in corporate America 50 hours a week and carrying 18 units for 4 years is possible ... but not advisable ... people will think you are crazy and most likely you’ll have an ah ha moment that you’ll wonder ... “what the heck am I doing” ... and again I say ... follow your dreams ... you don’t always have to do what others think you should do. You know you best!
If for some reason I could not be a photographer .... I would want to have a coffee shop/bistro and I’d know all the regulars and sit and chat with them and just enjoy the days and I’d for sure have a big dog that would greet everyone.
I love my grandmas hands ... so much story behind them ... when I think of them ... I visualize her stirring a pot of soup or washing the dishes and holding my hand. I want to be just like her. Recently when my grandfather passed away we were all chatting and no one knew how they met ... except for me ... I remember one day when we were sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a cup of tea together and I asked her and she told me the most sassy, romantic story of my grandfather chasing her and her being way too bothered to give him the time of day ... they were married for 68 years! If one day you want to hear the story ... I'll share it over a cup of tea :-)
I really want to learn how to play the guitar and the sax. I think they are both sexy!
I ate french toast for the first time since the sixth grade, this past August the morning before a friends wedding I was photographing. Why is this monumental to mention? In the sixth grade my mom made it for me because I was in the school play, french toast was my favorite, I was so nervous that I had to run off stage and I threw up. Ok, that was over 20 years ago!
I love black straws! I think they make a drink look sexy.

Soooo, who will I tag? I'm going to tag ....
Barbara with KidAround Magazine
and I'll work on the others ... but for now ... Barb consider yourself tagged!!

brothers

2008-03-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

Is is wise to have your brother as your personal trainer???

I think I'm paying for all the "nice" things older sisters do to their siblings! I started training with my brother last week and I've not felt so sore in my life! Not to mention all the "yummy" protein drinks I "get" to drink!!

No really, I'm loving it ... but DUDE! It IS work! I have to admit that I haven't slept so good in months ... which is worth all the work ever!

p.s. I totally love my brother!

2008-02-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

So I'm finally getting to the computer tonight, we had to take Isabel to the hospital today with an eye injury, she is fine but in a bit of pain.

The good thing about today is I got to sit and watch a movie No Reservations which I enjoyed but what was so cool is it had an awesome quote ... it's this "The best recipes are the ones you create yourself" Oh my Gosh!! I love it ... it's so true! As an artist we are constantly inspired by others ... but our true greatness always comes from something that we put a little of this ... a little of that ... a pinch of our authentic self and whola!

It was nice just to hang with Izzy today and snuggle. I know she needed it ... but I did too and on a rainy day ... it doesn't get any better.

too cool

2008-02-22T18:14:00.001-08:00

Cooper is too cool for words! He had so many expressions he had me cracking up the whole time ... from silly to thinking to laughing to angry ... honestly ... Hollywood watch out!! So fun!

sweet ... so sweet

2008-02-22T14:40:00.000-08:00

I honestly could hang out with Jordan all day! She is a true love! She gives the BEST hugs! Jordan's eyes are amazing ... so beautiful and she is so full of life ... we had so much fun. I'm sure I'm in a little trouble for teaching her a bad habit or two ... taking our shoes off in public, sticking our tongues out at each other but we sure had a blast!! Here are some of my favorites from our session.

hipchick

2008-02-18T21:26:00.001-08:00

I had so much fun shooting for Dana with Hipchick Designs! Dana designs custom flower hair clips and they are to die for! She really has impeccable style ... and she is one the sweetest people I've met!

Each piece is fabulous! Everything is hand sewn with exquisite details such as Swarovski crystals ... they are awesome! The flowers look so very real ... that is what I like the best about them. It was so fun photographing each unique piece ... my little Isabel was drueling over them ... all I could hear in the background was "mommy ... can I have this one ... oh! oh! mommy ... what about that one!" She was driving me crazy! Not only does my Miss. Isabel love them ... but they have also been featured in Hudson's and you can find them at many local boutiques including Koukla Kids.

mommas who get it

2008-02-17T07:47:00.001-08:00

... what is important that is!!

Jill and Shelley are two moms who really get what is important in their families lives ... their children.... who are a kick in the pants I might add. See ... Shelley was married to Rod and they have a little boy and now Jill is married to Rod and she and Mike have a little boy from their prior marriage ... and they are one big HAPPY family! Not to mention that Shelley and Jill are one of each othere BEST friends! How cool is that?!

I got to photograph them; then grab a glass of wine and chat with them just about life and stuff and it was AWESOME! Check out their website NirvanaMommas.com. Their story is coming up in the next issue KidAround Mag so check it out ... they truly are inspirational ... coming from a family similar to Jill's growing up , the way they are making it work for their children just totally ROCKS!

prom

2008-02-16T16:22:00.000-08:00

Last night was totally rad! The Mininger Foundation hosted a benefit for the Stanford Home for Children and it was way awesome ... lots of mullets, lacey tights, 80's blig ... great music ... great times ... here is a sneak peak ... warning ... I don't usually post so many photos on the blog ... but they were too fun to resist!

give

2008-02-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

If you are generous it will come back to you ... in buckets...the funny thing is, is that you never know what will be in those buckets...but it's always good.

I've know this and live by this ... in fact many times my husband thinks I'm totally crazy...just shakes his head sometimes and then I get to giggle when he sees the ah-ha moment. I LOVE it!

I want to share with you all a book that I grabbed in the airport on the way to Santa Barbara to meet my friend David Jay, who also by the way is a giver. The book is The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It is a quick read and RIGHT ON! I finished this book smiling so big ... my husband walked by and said man, must be a good book ... I just giggled ... I'll make sure I leave it on his night stand! Really though, the book is an awesome, right on the mark business book and I highly recommend it. The book gives THE FIVE LAWS OF STRATOSPHERIC SUCCESS. I'll head to bed on this note ... Give more in value ...

authentic beauty

2008-02-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

What an afternoon I had this past Thursday! I was so blessed to spend an afternoon with Nancie, who actually bid on me at a Red Cross event! Our mission was to capture her new beauty. A writer I am not ... but I want to share a little here ... see when I met Nancie, briefly on a cold Friday night at a Red Cross event she caught my eye ... she was striking to me ... I thought to myself, wow! I hope when I am a little older I will have the kind of class and beauty that she resignates. I had no idea of who this woman was or what she had been through the past two years. To my delight Nancie was the highest bidder and we were going to have a session together! I meet Nancie for coffee to discuss our session and Nancie shared with me that she is a recent cancer surviver ... and she is so so so amazing, so full of life, so spunky ... we hit it off instantly! With our goal in mind we set the date; Thursday February 7, 2008, I left Starbucks feeling excited to get to have a significant project in the works. I arrived and Nancie and I had a cup of tea and enjoyed chatting, petting Pippen, her most wonderful doggie, while I captured her authentic beauty. Nancie, as she will tell you is a women with an opinion and I just LOVE her! Nancie gets it! She is inspiring, she is honest, she is beautiful! And she has a most wonderful laugh! It is contagious! I am so honored to have gotten to capture her authentic beauty ... I left her home feeling warm inside ... feeling so full of life ... smiling. Thank you so very much Nancie!!! Here are a couple of images I wanted to share ...

freeze

2008-02-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

so much has been going on these last few weeks ... I found this clip of the coolest collaboration project off of Dane Sanders blog ... just made me think ... we all need to take a little break every now and again no matter how brief or where!

Several years ago when I was in New York and went to Grand Central Station they were remodeling it and it was like deader than a door nail .. I kept thinking I wish I had my camera .. it was creepy quiet! Anyway, that same trip, 6 people were shot on top of the Empire State Building as we were heading down the elevator ... CRAZY!

ever wonder

2008-02-06T07:30:00.001-08:00

if you have the BEST job, ever? I don't ever wonder that ... because I know I do! I love what I do! The other day I got to spend some time with Pierce and Preston and it was so great to see them again. Aren't they so cute ... and talented!!

old soul

2008-02-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

This weekend I spent time with a family that is so sweet ... I love 'em! When Surrender called me to photograph their new baby Raha I was so so excited. I had photographed their little boy when he was just barely sitting up so it was so fun to see him again.

The neatest thing, when I was photographing Raha she was so in tune to the camera ... it was awesome. When she got a little fussy and her mom starting singing her name ... she instantly calmed. As I looked into Raha's eyes when I was photographing her ... it was so interesting ... I had heard people say "oh, he or she has an old soul" which I thought "humm, ok" ... but there was something so intriguing about Raha ... her eyes seemed to speak to me.

Anyway, I feel in love with her soft, sweet self and enjoyed photographing her so very much! Here are some images from the session.

Baby 3

2008-02-03T16:04:00.001-08:00

I LOVE budding photographers! During our photo shoot, Diego decided that he must step in and get the shot! I LOVED it! I had to snap him getting it ... so cute!

Here are some of my favorites from our shoot recently ... baby 3 is almost here!!

Make-A-Wish Winter Wine & Food Fest

2008-02-03T14:32:00.001-08:00

I LOVE this event! The Make-A-Wish Winter Wine & Food Fest was last night and it was a hit! As always there are stellar wines and the eats were delectable not to mention a great date night with the hubby,who was totally not feeling well but entertained me none-the-less! I was asked to bring the camera along and snap some pic's ... so here are some that I enjoyed grabbing!

Never enough wine!

A tea pot made of chocolate ... OH MY! Tea and Chocolate are two of my favorite treats~

Grilled cheese and tomato Bisque ... OH MY again ... comfort food that I couldn't live without!

Aren't these cute!
Special thanks to Barb with KidAround!

john and gina

2008-02-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

I just love John and Gina! Honestly they are the sweetest couple! I had so so so much fun getting to know them. While photographing their engagement session we were cracking up so I knew the wedding was going to be wonderful!

The rehersal dinner was so warm and welcoming! After the rehersal we all headed to Gina's moms house where dinner was served and family and friends enjoyed each others company ... it was awesome! I even took a slice of cheesecake for the road!!

The wedding day was nothing short of wonderful! The little details like Gina's mom bringing the penny from Gina's baby book, to John saying he felt so relaxed before he went into the church were so neat to be a part of.

Here are some images from the wedding that I thought I would share ... enjoy.

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day."

2008-01-29T10:35:00.001-08:00

I love that quote! So funny how we as people strive to perfection. This weekend at David Jay's he also stated that if we strive to understand the why and not the how we will never be failing. We will always have a success because we will be always be learning.

Sometimes we get so caught up in what others think what is right and we don't just go with it ... I say GO WITH IT! Follow your heart or your gut and you will always be right.

freedom

2008-01-24T20:13:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm in 4th grade again and it's the night before school starts! I'm so excited! I'm sure it will be a sleepless night! Not to mention my 3 year old will most likely crawl into our bed at 2 p.m.!!!

Tomorrow I'm heading to Santa Barbara to hang with 10 totally awesome photographers and David Jay , who is our gracious host and who I admire so greatly not only for great photography but most importantly to me, his attitude and generosity towards life and other photographers. I heard DJ speak two years ago at a Pictage event and I was so impressed with his philosophy about helping others ... you know when you hear something and it strikes something in you that just resonates and you are like ... RIGHT ON, YES! That was a moment in my photography career and life I shall not forget, it just made so much sense and since then I've made it my practice to live by the words he spoke ... to help others in our industry and the example he gave of how it takes so much effort to be negative and so little to be positive and help others and help them up. So so awesome! It truly is wonderful how blessed you are when you are interested in those around you. Interested in helping them succeed ... not just in yourself.

I can't wait to get to Santa Barbara and once I return home to share my experience. Stay tuned ...

sunrise

2008-01-22T11:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I met Bill and Julie and their beautiful girls. They are so awesome. They shared the story of bringing the girls home in the van and I could just imagine their journey. I left their home with such a warm feeling and such a joy for the little ones that bless our lives. I love getting to be a part of capturing the love that my friends have between them. It moves me and makes me wake up each day feeling renewed and happy. Each sunrise I'm thankful for. Enjoy the slide show below.

Jase 6 Months

2008-01-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

It is such a blessing to get to be a part of my clients lives and watch their little ones grow! This is Jase ... I met Jase 6 months ago when he was just a little new born and now he is growing like a weed! He is so cute! His little tongue was crazy and it cracked me up the whole shoot ... I think he is for sure getting some new teeth! Too cute!

love

2008-01-21T17:22:00.000-08:00

I'm in love! I feel in love this afternoon when I opened my new 20x20 canvas wrap of my favorite photograph of Isabel! I can not wait to get it on the wall! I'm sharing this because I so rarely print large items of my own kids ... I usually print things for clients and love them but I don't usually get things for my own walls ... I was brought to tears my friends, it was so awesome! This is the photo that I used ...

I took this one afternoon when I stopped by a local park to get their wiggles out ... they were driving me crazy so I thought I better let them run it at and like every good photographer I had my camera so I snapped some pics and didn't think much of it. I'm so glad I got this picture ... it captures her so well and the wispy hair ... oh! I LOVE it!

The All Important ...

2008-01-20T18:52:00.000-08:00

Spell Check!

All RIGHT! It is true ... I am a terrible speller and those of you who love me dearly have let me know that it is no longer acceptable ... so from this day forward if you loved ones shall find a spelling error on my website and/or blog you will get a prize! I'm not sure what it is just yet because I have to be able to live up to it! But I do promise that it will be a good prize.

Thank you guys for your keen eyes and your love and support! You ROCK!

p.s. I'm not including grammar in this ... a girl can't change everything over night!!!

wine and weddings

2008-01-17T19:40:00.001-08:00

Last night was a total blast! A group of us gals got together and brought out wedding dresses and albums and had fun guessing whose dress was whose and laughing, ohing & ahing over each others photos ... and of coarse no gathering would be complete without great food and wine!

Here are some shots of the dresses ...

Here is my dress ... I didn't get a picture of it at my own wedding when it was just hanging there ... so it was fun to grab this one!

Here everyone had written either a romantic or a funny story about their wedding day ... from bees in dresses ... to getting that fabulous tiffany wedding band .. the stories brought belly laughs and tears ... it awesome!

Checking out some great photos ... someone event brought the album from their first wedding ... what a hoot!

I just love this picture of Jenn ... so cute!

Buster had had enough! Cute little guy!

Thanks for a great night Kristen ... can't wait till the next event!

2008-01-17T19:34:00.001-08:00

I had to share these! I've really been trying to take more photos of my own kids ... I do grab them here and there ... but not as much as I would like ... so I grabbed this one of Miss. Izzie when she was brushing her teeth ... at 5 ... she was none too happy with me! So funny!

Then Mr. Mason ... oh my gosh this is cute! Nannie got him this faux Thomas the Train razer and of coarse it was ripped from the box and opened right away for the first bath after our get together! I snapped some pics ... who could resist!

He looks so grown ... makes a mommy sad!

Chuck E. Cheese

2008-01-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

Oh Yeah! That's right ... Chuck E. Cheese! Today Isabel, Mason and I met my mom and my sister Leasa's little girls at Chuck E. Cheese for a little carbs and dare I say relaxation! It was fun. I even got my picture with the famous himself ... okay ... so it was a plastic version ... it was still fun to ride the car and my mom peaked in the pic too! Now, don't judge on the pic's they were taken with greesy fingers, chasing 4 kids under 5 and all while I was trying to get the most tickets ... and with the iphone! Craziness!

Inspiration

2008-01-13T19:37:00.001-08:00

I'm a quote junky! I love inspirational quotes and I have a habit of saving them in this crazy file and then pulling them out when I need 'em. Not so long ago I left a 9 to 5 job that had me pulling into that file on almost a daily basis ... I remember sticking one of those quotes along with something my neighbor told me on my monitor ... What my neighbor said to me that made me really smile inside was "I like the way you do life" WOW! I just loved hearing those words ... so once we were done being friendly outside I wrote them down in my notebook and on a sticky for the monitor ... I then added it to the quote on the monitor already that read ...

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." ~Thomas A. Edison

I kept that quote up there because my goal was to be a full time photographer.

Last night I was going through a box of files and my quote fell out ... wow ... I am now a full time photographer and I still love those words .. .but seeing them again really made me think and reflect on how if we stick to our dreams we can achieve them and then have even more dreams.

Never give up! No matter what the trail is ... no matter what ... if you believe ... you CAN!

I posted this picture of my buddy Peyton because I just love it ... we did the shoot at Standford ... Peyton is 6 and wants to goto Standford and I tell you friends ... If I were a woman who bet ... i would make the sure bet that he will indeed do it .. I love Peyton's spirit ... he is full of life and every time I photograph him I laugh and run and laugh some more!!! I love Peyton! His mom totally ROCKs too not to mention the rest of the fam ... but truth be told ... Peyton cracks me up the most ... I love the way he does life!

2008-01-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

Finally! After too long we've finally launched our Newsletter. If you would like to sign up feel free at the link below.

2008-01-10T20:05:00.000-08:00

It is interesting ... I've had this conversation with about 5 friends in the last few days ... why is it that we know what makes us feel good and keep us happy and healthy but we don't do it. The things that are the most important to us, Spiritual Things, Exercise and Eating Healthy are the things that we give up first or we seem to not have the time to do. It seems we put off ourselves to do the unimportant things, that seem oh so important at the time and then the important things, the truly important things, suffer the most...our relationships, our health both physical and emotional. It's craziness.

I told each of my friends, relax, take some time out for yourselves, pour a glass of wine, take a bath, get back in touch with your spiritual needs, exercise ... and then I thought ... "hey there Ms. Penny, you need to heed your own advice!" So last night I did because I was really getting into a funk and I have to tell you that today I woke up and felt like myself again. It was great!! It is amazing what a hot bath, good wine, good ready and a little reflection and goal setting can do for oneself!

Balance. It truly is key. I didn't make it to the gym today ... but I did think about it and promised to make it there tomorrow.

Cool

2008-01-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

Penny Lane ... How cool!

2008-01-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

I got to hang out with Jacob and Aruba recently ... oh yes, and their parents! I so enjoy visiting them. I tell you I have the best clients! I'm so blessed to be able to photograph families as they grow ... it's awesome! This was Jacobs one year session and here are a few of my fav's. I always take pictures of Aruba when i visit ... I'm in love with Arubadouge! Oh yes, and of coarse Jacob! ;-)

A special project benefiting Make A Wish

2008-01-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

It is with great excitement that I'm announcing an awesome project that I launch this year ... Penny for their thoughts ... it is a special project benefiting Make-A-Wish in honor of their 25th anniversary I'm offering a limited number of sessions for an exclusive coffee table book. 100% of the session fee goes to Make-A-Wish. For your donation those participating will receive a copy of the limited edition book once it is published and an images of your child will be featured in the book on behalf of your donation to Make-A-Wish.

The session fee which is normally $200 is $100 for 1/2 hour session for this project and again 100% of that session fee goes to Make-A-Wish!

Make-A-Wish has always touched my heart. When I met with them to get the ok for the project Debbie was telling me about the stories of wishes for different ones and my eyes just welled with joy and I truly feel honored to be able to be a part of such an awesome thing.

2008-01-05T18:54:00.001-08:00

This evening I visited Maren and Jason to grab a family portrait for them. Marens grandpa recently turned 87! He is amazing. I always enjoy seeing him and spending time with their family.

This evening I grabbed these two photos ... and I just had to share them. They were off to Fats for dinner ... soooo good!

2008-01-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

Two years ago I had the wonderful opportunity of photographing Vinnie and his mom at the park. Vinnie was so darn cute! He captured my heart instantly! I'm a total sucker for dark eyes, long lashes and curly hair! I never forgot little Vinnie ... he was just too cute! Recently I had the pleasure of photographing his beautiful sister ... just 9 days old. Sophia is such a sweetie! Here are a few images that I just love.

2008-01-02T16:27:00.001-08:00

Today I got to meet with Renee of RGPhotography and what a sweetie! She loves photography and enjoys photographing little ones ... so you can image we had lots to chat about! We met where any serious momprenurer would meet when bringing a combined 4 mini assistants (aka kids) ... McDonalds, of coarse! In silly Penny fashion I busted out the camera to take grab a snapshot of us ... notice that Mason avoided the picture entirely ... he was even on my lap but made it a point to lean out of the image ... silly guy!

Hot Mamma!

2008-01-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hot off the presses! I just got the new KidAround and the cover and feature spread I shot with Jada turned out so Hot I have to share!!! Moms truly are sexy!

2007-12-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm heading to John and Gina's rehearsal and I'm really looking forward to this weekend. I love them ... they are so fun ... truly, whenever I'm with them I'm laughing the whole time, it's awesome! I met up with John and Gina Wednesday to grab a cup of joe and go over some details of the wedding and again, I was smiling and laughing the whole time. I'm totally envious as they are leaving to Kauai for 10 ...yes TEN days ... I told them they should totally take me ... i mean, really, who will take their photos of them together!! They didn't bite ... well almost ... and then they snapped to! Darn it! They are going to have the best time ! One of the best experiences of my life was being about a foot away from hundreds of dolphins in the middle of the ocean with my husband in Kauai ... oh I'm so envious that I can't go with them! Anyway, I'll post some images of the weekend by Sunday :-)

Bob and Esther

2007-12-26T20:34:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful day! Sunday was an awesome day ... I got to spend time photographing my good friends Esther and Bob's wedding and it was perfect! It was truly an honor to get to hang out with them throughout the day and capture their smiles and tears. The evening was filled with dancing, laughter and love with lots of family and friends. It was so wonderful because so many of my friends were also there. Esther is moving to New England as we speak ... in fact at this hour they are probably pulling over to grab a bit to eat ... uhhhh, well they are newly weds ... maybe they are calling it a day ... anyway ... I wanted share their wedding with you ... below is a slideshow ... Enjoy!

Beautiful Day!! YES!

2007-12-23T10:38:00.000-08:00

Today is a beautiful day! Its Sunday and I shooting Esther and Bob's wedding today ... I'm super crazy excited because it is way way nice outside today! I have to say that when they booked their wedding and said that it was today I thought ... oh please don't let it it rain!

It's also a beautiful day today because my honey made breakfast, oh so yummy, my kids are playing happily in the living room, my honey is watching the game and I get a quick moment to blog and enjoy a cup of warm coffee ...my second cup of the day! And later this afternoon I get to photograph one of my friends weddings! It is truly a beautiful day!

Can't wait to post some images tonight. We are going to shoot some of the bride and groom shots outside ... after dark ... how cool is that?!!!

Cake Decorating at the Sylvia House

2007-12-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

So today I wasn't really feeling that great ... so I thought I needed to take it easy. I baked a cake last night for the kids to decorate today ... so I got everything out and let them frost and decorate any way they wanted ... here is the how it went down ... I haven't laughed so hard in a while ...

Here they are just dying to get the goodies to start the tornado of decorating ...

The weapon of choice ... oh my it is so good!!

Some people like their spinkles on the cake and then there are those who throw caution to the wind and just go for it (a little one after my own heart!)...

The masterpieces ... Isabel told me that the pink chocolates on her cake represent rose buds ... wow ... she is not kidding when she says that she wants to grow up and be an artist ...

And Mason ... who knows what the yellow dots are ... he just wanted to dive into the goodies!!!

So much fun ... I had to share! I should have taken a picture of the sprinkled floor and the chocolate all over the table and then the bathroom door with chocolate fingerprints ... but we were too busy enjoying the cake!!!!

2007-12-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

Can a year go by so fast that you don't even believe that the time has flown by???? Crazy! I photographed Miss. Jaydens mommy when she was expecting Jayden and I can't believe how the time has passed. I love visiting them and capturing their moments ... I love them and I love their doggie Scully!

2007-12-08T18:49:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness ... Miss. Ali is so so so cute! She was cracking me up during our session!

2007-12-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

Dirt is tasty mom .. really! I love this picture of Ana ... she just grabbed a bunch of dirt and it was priceless .. isn't she a cuttie!! Her mom and dad are great too!

I love this one!!!

2007-12-08T18:39:00.001-08:00

Recently I had the absolute pleasure of spending a very special day with the Lucas family. It was a lovely event with family and friends from gathering together to share their love. I feel so blessed to be part of their lives and capturing so many wonderful moments that they share. I remember meeting them for the very first time in anticipation of Audra's arrival and now to watch her grow ... it just Awesome!

Dinner out with the Fam

2007-12-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

This evening I was totally craving going out to dinner ... we usually eat at home ... but for some reason tonight ... we all, all four of us, wanted to go out ... so we headed to Tower Cafe, a family favorite. It was so yummy. Isabel and Mason shared a grilled cheese, Tony had a morrocan chicken sandwitch and I have some green thai chicken ... oh my it was good! Since getting the iphone a month ago, I've been snapping family pics like crazy and Mason is my best subject! He's not a fan of my "normal" camera ... but the iphone he is all grins ... here are a few from dinner tonight.

2007-12-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

These sweeties were so fun to photograph! I love the two locks next to them!

L Wine Lounge

2007-11-28T18:04:00.000-08:00

Last week I was at an event at the L Wine Lounge , which I have to say is so so so chic! Not overdone or too stuffy, to benefit the American Red Cross and it was so great! There was a fashion show ... here are some images ... and great people there ... here are a few of my friends that participated and that attended, thanks so much to Christine with Brown Bag Botanicals and Britt from Britt Steele Designs for putting it on ... you guys both ROCK, Emily with Wildflower always has such unique items, I bought an awesome ring ... I love it! Barbara from KidAround came to say hello while out celebrating with her honey, Manpreet from Pulp Papery and Ashley with Bella Donna Boutique also were out enjoying the event and hung out with me for a while. It was really fun and a great time, everything was great from the friends, wine, designs & location! Congrats to Nancie who was the highest bidder for the Lifestyle portrait session ... I can't wait to get to meet with you and take some awesome photos!

2007-11-25T19:31:00.000-08:00

Meet Dylan! Oh my he is sooooo sweet! And his parents Misti and Tim are too! They instantly touched my heart. I got to photograph Mr. Dylan and his parents at their family winery, Pescatore , and it was such a delight. I was warmly greeted by their two doggies, which I instantly feel in love with and then I got to meet Dylan and man o man ... so so so sweet ... he reminded me so much of my Mr. Mason when he was the same age ... just three weeks old. The above picture was Misti's idea and I was giddy when we went down to set it up ... I think it is one of my all time favorites! Thank you so very much Tim, Misti and Dylan for letting me capture such an awesome time in your lives and for the wine too!!!