Ahh.

today is the beginning of a crazy week. i canNOT even begin to tell you all the stuff that i have to get done just so I can enjoy my upcoming weekend in the OC. yesterday i whipped out my "i drop out of school" monologue which is performed every semester by yours truly. Chris then has to show off with his "no, you are so close" monologue which is SO not fair because he was a theater major. so of course, he wins. boo! but honestly, i can't wait for this semester to be over because in a month and a half, school work is dunzo. forever ever ever. forever ever ever.

until then, today is exactly one week til the Jasmine Star Workshop :)

Happy Monday.

Best Friends Forever For Life

We sat at a small bar table next to the big windows. People walked by, and we watched as we talked about life back then, now, and life in the future. Over plates of potato cakes and mushroom risoto, I said with a shaky voice and tears in my eyes : "I love you Sara. I'm so grateful to have you in my life." As much as it sounds like a lesbian romance, it's not. Sara is my best friend.

Since we don't live together anymore and lead both very busy lives, we decided to go out for a night together. What was supposed to be a trip to Eos for dinner. Soon turned to a trip to Eos, ChaChaChas, and Cheesecake factory. Yes, we ate at three different restaurants all in the same night. (Ended up regretting it afterwards, but man it was good) Yes, one of the reasons we get along so well: Our love for food.

Sara: Last night was so much fun. Yes, Chris sometimes thinks that I love you more than him. But I think that's only because you and Chris are the same person in two different forms. I'm so glad to have the best of both worlds. I love you, and I hope you know that i'll be here for you until the end. Best friends forever for life.

The view from Cheesecake factory is one of my favorite views in the city. I love San Francisco.

A change will do you good.

the other day, i sat in front of my computer and looked through all of my photos. folder by folder. from oldest to most recent. it felt like i was watching a little kid grow up. because that's just it. i've grown up. it's like, "look ma, my photography's all grown up." i can't help but sit back and laugh at the moments i first started teaching myself to shoot. i wanted to bang my camera into the ground because i was so frustrated with my shots, or i just couldn't get my camera to work. but now, my camera and i are bff's fo life. i holla and she holla backs. it's a beautiful thing.

Wanna see what growth looks like? here it is.

there are a lot of things I've learned since the first shot. i learned that practice makes perfect. shooting shooting shooting. practice practice practice. you get better and better and better. i learned that it's ok to pose my clients in ways other than stand next to that pillar and smile, because it really does make a huge difference. most importantly, i've learned that you can never learn enough. as more time passes, the more i learn and the more i grow.

so much more to this, but i have to get ready for class soon. so here's a quote that I love...

“Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown.”

HAPPY FRIDAY!

First Look: Troy & Maren

Troy was waiting for Maren at the bottom of the staircase in the hotel lobby. (Talk about a Titanic moment) Except without the sinking ship, and a much much much happier ending. As I stood by Troy talking and taking his photos, I felt his anticipation. You could tell he was nervous and the only thing that would take the jitters away was the sight of his beautiful wife to be.

As Maren descended from the staircase, her face was calm and excited. She knew that at the bottom of the staircase stood the man she was going to marry.

And when the moment happened. The moment when their eyes took hold of each other. All nervousness dissipated the room, only to be replaced by the love that Troy and Maren have for each other. As I stood there taking shot after shot, I was reminded of why and how much I love photography. Though standing from a far, I felt like I was caught in between their moment. SO beautiful.

But enough talk, here are the photos...

I'll blog the rest of the photos soon. Until then...

Happy Tuesday!

Sparkles the iMac

On Halloween, kids were trick or treating and everyone else was partying. I on the other hand, said trick or treat and got an iMac instead of candy. Yeah, that's right. An iMac. And I didn't even dress up. I'm so cool.

Ok, but fo reals....Last weekend Chris and I were making arrangements for my trip in So-cal in two weeks for Jasmine Star's Workshop (Hollaaa!) When it came to deciding which hotel to stay, I suggested La Quinta because that is where most of the workshop attendees will be staying. I looked up La Quinta and found about 5 different hotels around the area. We were stuck. I had no idea which La Quinta is THE La Quinta.

Here is where it gets real good: Chris then says "Ok, I bet it's the one closest to the Airport because people will be flying in and it's convenient." Yes, makes sense. But it only made more sense to stay at the one closest to the workshop. So I said, "I bet it's the one closest to the workshop. That's where I want to stay." Then Chris looks at me and says, "OK, I bet you an iMac." Really? Are you joking me? I thought he was pulling my leg, but he was serious. So I agreed...

And after asking fellow workshop attendees which La Quinta is the Golden La Quinta, we found out that the majority are staying at the one closest to the workshop.

So here I am, typing this post on my new iMac which I named Sparkles. Don't laugh. It only fits with my mac family. My MacBook is Razzle, and my iPhone is Dazzle. I do need to figure out a name for my magic mouse which by the way is pure magic and sweetness. I think I shall call her Cupcake. I know, I just lost cool points didn't I?

I'd like to thank Chris for buying me this glorious computer. I have been stuck to it all weekend staring at my photos. Not editing them, staring at them. I still can't believe how big and better my photos look. It's like I'm watching a wedding happen in front me. Lovely, absolutely lovely. You have no idea how many times I've thanked Chris this weekend for this. But at one point I think I told him I blame him for my future obesity because I don't want to get up from my chair. EVEEERRRRR.

I'd also like to mention the fact that Chris hasn't learned his lesson and last night he made another bet with me. Guess who won?

Keep a lookout for a blog post in the near future about a new lens ;)

Happy Monday!

Question.

Lately, the same thought has been on my mind. Over, and over again.

"Did I do this at the right time?"

Today is November 1st. By this time tomorrow, I'm sure it will be December because that's how time is. It flies. And once December starts, it's only about 3 weeks of college left. EVER. I can't believe it's coming to an end so quickly. But it's time. I'm ready.

But that's exactly it. I'm finishing my degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration. I don't know if you noticed, but nowhere does it spell p h o t o g r a p h y. 3 months ago, I made the decision to follow my dreams. 3 months ago, my last semester began.

So then comes the question, "Did I do this at the right time?" And to be honest, I have no idea. Because I know how important it is to have a degree, and I love my major. I can't wait to be done and graduate. Then there is photography. A force that hit me like a big yellow school bus, but in the best way possible. But because I'm in school, I can't give as much time and attention to it.

So, "Did I do this at the right time?" Who knows. Only time will tell.

But this, I know...

If you never take chances in life you'll miss out on the best things.

I think in photographs.

My lovely friend/rockstar Kristy @ Uzelicious sent me this today.

Just for me.

It was just what I needed to make me smile.

Thanks Uzi. Love ya!

Happy Wednesday!

Pumpkin Spiced Goodness and the rest of our lives...

I took a sip with the knowledge that my tongue was going to be in pain afterwards. The steam rose from the cup, but the aroma flirted with my nostrils and I couldn't resist. It was Monday and my first time drinking a latte. Pumpkin spice to be exact. But the pain from a burnt tongue was nothing compared to the taste of fall dancing on my taste buds. So I sipped away with contentment. Burnt tongue and all. I praise the sweet heavens for such flavors. Oh sweet baby Jesus, thank you! thank you, thank you, thank you!

I've visited Starbucks or what some cool people call "latte land" (Hi Lynn and Joe) everyday this week. In fact, I went twice today. If the words caffeine and fiend were to have a celebrity baby, they'd call it Caffiend which is clearly what my name should be now.

And earlier today before heading to Starbucks for a latte, Chris and I stopped by at Grandpa Kevin's Pumpkin Patch in Mill Valley to pick a pumpkin. As we drove into the parking lot, I looked at Chris and said "I can't wait til we take our kids to a pumpkin patch." Though children aren't in our agenda for another 8 years or so, it made me smile to think about. I can't wait to share the rest of my life with him. Because he loves me more than anything in the world. Me and my caffeind self.

While at the pumpkin patch, I made Chris stop to take pictures of myself, and him. I think sometimes he gets annoyed because I always have to capture a shot, but it's only because I want to capture every single moment that we have together.

Here he is looking so adorable with our pumpkin.

And here I am looking like the perfect Grandpa Kevin victim. Ha! JK.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Puppy Portraits: Cooper

Warning: What you are about to see is a whole lot of cuteness. Be prepared to want a puppy afterwards.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any cuter....

You were wrong! This photo makes me so happy.

Happy Halloween!!

Thanks for hanging out with me Cooper. I wub ya. Oh yeah I do! You can't hear it, but I'm making a really high pitched sound right now just for you ;)

Don't judge me...

I have a confession to make...

My name is Gladys, and I am a wedding-a-holic. That's right. A wedding-a-holic.

You might think I'm crazy because I kind of am. I don't care. I'm not ashamed. I am a wedding lover.

It started at a young age. My sister and I would take our bed sheets and wrap them around our bodies pretending they were wedding gowns. The longer the sheet, the better. Because the longer the sheet, the longer the train.

Then there was freshman year of college. Everyone talked about living their lives, enjoying the single life, blah blah, blah. Me? No. I was designing my wedding on David's Bridal dot com. Sara, Margot, and Stephanie were lucky because I designed their weddings. I'm such a good friend.

What's next? Hmm. Let's see. What about the time when my friend Silvia got engaged? Oh that's right, about 90 percent of the wedding magazines she had were mine. I wasn't dating anyone, or even close to being engaged. Just had them. Bookmarked pages and all.

As if my love for weddings wasn't enough...

I fell in love with Chris and fell in love with wedding photography.

If my heart was a bomb, it would explode with details, doves, something old, borrowed, and probably something blue.

Don't judge me. I just love, love.