A View of Lisa's World

Sweet Cheeks- Half Moon Bay Baby Photography

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of photographing a 6week old cutie named Paisley. Isn't that just the cutest name? And speaking of cute...

Isn't she something? She was of course, awake the whole time (because babies don't sleep when I have my camera out) but she was such a happy girl and lots of fun to photograph.

We also did a few shots with her handsome big brother!

Thank you Lisa for inviting me into your home. I'll have your full gallery to you as soon as I can.

 

Tales from the slippery slope...

The other day I was chatting on the phone with a friend of mine about my photography business. She made the comment that I had "jumped in with both feet". I totally laughed and explained that it feels a lot more like I have fallen down a slippery slope.

For years I've said I wasn't going to go pro. Then I said that I'd just do a few shoots here and there and then...and then...and then. I've slid right down that slope and find myself with a real live business.

So live that today my very first advertisement came out in the local paper.

I was so excited to open this up. It just made me feel so happy to have let go of all of the things I thought that I would never do...and so grateful to be able to do something that I love doing so dang much.

July 4th recap...

I hope that everyone had a happy 4th of July. Ours was actually quite fun. We headed up to the good Ole Fashioned parade. I love that we live close enough to walk to main street and don't have to think about traffic or parking...just walk out the front door.

We got a spot in our usual area and then saw my Grandparents down the block a few feet and decided to hang out with them. Todd was pretty happy because he ended up being the only kid in that little area which limited the competition for candy thrown from floats (which I noted was decidedly subdued from past years, thankfully).

I love the traditional stuff in the parade.

and I love the horses...
speaking of horses....we had a wee bit of horse excitement this year.

One of the horse riding groups (not the ones in the picture, I didn't manage to pull up my camera during the drama) but one of the horses in a group of horses got a little excited. I saw the rider off of the horse and trying to get back on. The next thing I knew, the horse reared up and the rider lost hold of the reins. So we had a runaway horse.

Matt jumped up (Todd and I too) and Matt walked calmly out into the street and held his hands out like a fence. The horse came towards us like 3 times, getting within a foot or two of our sidewalk. Matt just calmly walked in front of him and he turned another direction. The horse ended up getting into a parking lot area and was quickly roped by one of the other riders in the group. He was back on the parade route with his rider on his back all in a matter of about 5 minutes.

I so wish I would have put my camera up to my face, but I think I was just standing there with my mouth open. I can't tell you if I was more amazed that there was a loose horse running up and down a crowd lined street or if I was more amazed at my calm-take charge- I know how to deal with horses husband. I've been married to the guy almost 10 years and didn't know he knew any of that stuff. (Fell in love with him a little bit all over again when I saw his big arms all stretched out between us and that poor scared horse.)

Other than that, our day was pretty uneventful. We had a wonderful dinner at Geoff and Moriah's. Even though we didn't have our usual vantage point of the boat for the fireworks, we pulled up a piece of highway median and enjoyed a perfectly delightful night and firework show.

Christmas in July

First of all, thank you all so much for the kind words about my boy Huck. I appreciate each and every comment.

Recently I created a few Christmas layouts for a project that is actually not going to happen, so I thought it might be fun to share them here. These were inspired by some specific art pieces. Lately I've been scrapping a bit on the simpler side and I have to say it has been a lot of fun.

I realize as I look at these again how much I love getting photos and stories onto paper and how it will always be something I do.

Thank you sweet Huckleberry and goodbye....

I've sat down to write this post every night this week and then walked away because I couldn't really find the words, and more than that because I didn't really want the words to be true.

But true it is, after almost 14 years together, I lost my sweet Huckleberry on Monday.

I considered walking away again today, but he was too good of a friend, so here I am. Here to say thank you.

• Thank you for being the cutest thing I'd ever seen, and the first living soul other than myself that I was responsible for.
• Thank you for reminding me of the wonderful friend I named you for on a regular basis (he would have loved you)
  

• Thank you for keeping me company in my first apartment away from home (even if you did eventually get me kicked out)

• Thank you for being there for me and letting me bury my head in your neck fur and cry when I thought the world was ending because dumb boys broke my heart.

• and Thank you for being there for me and letting me bury my head in your neck fur and cry years later when the world as I knew it really ended and my heart was beyond repair.

• Thank you for all of the walks, and games of fetch, (and I forgive you for the broken nose, I know you were just excited.)

• Thank you for barking and scaring half to death anyone that tried to enter my front door (I wonder why I got kicked out of that apartment?). Thank you so much for always making me feel safe.

• Thank you for eating more things that belonged to my dad than to me. I know it was hard being at daycare while I worked, and Papa's boots were entirely too yummy.

• Thank you for jumping on the cute guy that moved into our tiny apartment building just days after I swore off ever dating another man.
  
• Thank you for making me apologize profusely for your exuberance and forcing me to introduce myself to that man.
  
• Thank you for not eating him because before long that guy would become your dad.

• Thank you for protecting my baby. For loving him and accepting him, and never for a moment being jealous of the new little person in our family.
• Thank you for moving from room to room with him and sleeping near his door (and it was pretty nice that time you let him pull your tail through the baby gate and yank on it when you had no way to escape)
  

• Thank you for running and playing when that little boy started to grow even when your old man hips could hardly keep up.
• Thank you for letting him walk you on a leash up and down the yard and think he was training you when all you wanted to do was nap.
  

• Thank you for accepting and even on occasion embracing the crazy puppy that joined our family earlier this year. If she grows up to be half the dog that you were, we will all be lucky.

 

Most of all...

• Thank you for fourteen great years.
  
• Thank you for smiling with your eyes at me, every time I looked at you and for wagging your tail every time I walked into a room.
  
• Thank you for making me feel like I was the most special person in the world.

I'll miss you more than you know...and I'll never forget how lucky I was for the time we had together.

Rest in Peace big guy.

Turning ONE - Half Moon Bay Family Photography

I was so excited when I was asked to shoot a one year old and his family. This is another one of those scrapbook connections, and it was so great to meet this little guy (and his dad) and to see his mom again.

I promised a sneak peek on Sat night...and if I hit submit on this post in the next 20 minutes, I think I'll still make it. So I won't waste time with lots of chit chat. I know that Mom and Dad just want to get a look at some of the pics!







I was giddy when I heard that they were bringing this car...it is fabulous and the driver is pretty darn cute too....

even if he doesn't always follow the rules of the road...

I brought along my antique high chair and a cupcake to celebrate the big birthday...I thought we might get some smashing shots, but he was more of a mustache guy.

but he was willing to share...

Thank you Gina and Jason for hanging out and sharing your darling boy. I'll get more images to you soon!!

running out of steam....

I'm working on editing some photos from an impromptu shoot that Moriah and I went on today. The weather has been less than stellar around here and I have a shoot tomorrow, so I mentioned to Moriah that we might go test the light. So she decided to tag along and we could try to get the photo of the two boys together that we promised my mom for mother's day!

Well...that is easier said than done...and like I said, I'm running out of steam...so here are a couple of early faves...I'll definitely be sharing more...and so will Moriah I'm sure.

I also wanted to share this little series that cracked me up. We told Todd to hang onto Alex on the bridge because there were bikes coming by etc. Todd, being Todd took the whole "hanging on" thing a bit seriously. Alex being Alex didn't care for it, and quickly turned the tables. Man I love these boys.

Finally I did try my hand at Macro without a Macro...I think I'll leave it to Moriah because she's rocking it.

the Mohawk...

It is so cool that Todd and Matt have such a great relationship. The two of them hang out and play...have their "men time". I don't ask much about "men time"...there is usually noise and mess and golf and motorcycle talk. Truthfully I'm happy that they are happy so I mind my business (and enjoy my quiet).

So the other day they were concocting all sorts of plans about a Mohawk. Todd was so excited. They were sketching and planning and Matt held a trip to Michael's over his head for a couple of days. Finally, they were off and they came back with a bag full of stuff and giggles galore. I could hear them discussing adjusting the plan, and then they were off to the garage to complete the execution. I had no idea what they were doing.

Finally it was the unveiling...and I have to say, I was pretty impressed.

where I've been...a photo essay...

I used to be one of those people that couldn't understand when other people said the end of the school year was crazy. But I'm eating those (and a few other) words about school age kids. But that is another story.

At the end of the school year we went on a couple of field trips...one on foot.

120 kids walked to lunch to celebrate the Holy Ghost Festival (Chamarita) here in town. We stretched 3 or 4 blocks and it was really fun. It made me happy to see all of those kids at the traditional lunch. (must be the old Portuguese lady inside of me)

Todd of course didn't love the meat...hello? not an adventurous eater (I have to take the genetic hit for that one). He did however enjoy the bread.

Then there was the big zoo field trip...

Matt took the day off of work and we got to hang out at the zoo with a group of 6 kids from Todd's class. We called them the Cheetas....

but the boys especially were more like monkeys!!

Then there was the great Kindergarten pajama party. I think this was the most talked about event of the end of school season.

and then it was the last day of school..which I spent with a lump in my throat because my boy is no longer a kindergartner.

Tomorrow I will share the Mohawk my child has for Summer...

(its not what you think!)

a fun moment and the break-up box...

This is the break up box, and it is something I was really glad to have leave my house today. Before anyone goes getting any ideas. I was breaking up with a job not a person and it has been a long time coming. Maybe someday when the the loan market stops being a big fat mess, I'll process a loan again, but for now, it is goodbye to all of these numbers and files and work without a paycheck. I can't quite put into words how it feels. I'm not really good at quitting things, but in this case it feels really good.

I'm so glad that I am free of this for the summer...and that I can spend more time doing other things....like photography and spending time with my boy.

Like today, after school I was finishing up the edits of the cutie patootie newborn I shared the other day, and Todd decided to do a little coloring project rather than jump right into his "screen time".

We chatted across the table about his day and about what kinds of things we might do this summer. I'm thinking about one of those activity box, pull the slip out of the jar type of deals to keep things mixed up around here (more about that when I figure it out) but for today we were chatting about different things he might like to do....like "make root beer floats one day" etc.

It was nice....and when he was done he said, "this was a very fun moment, I've got to remember this."

sigh....way more important than numbers in a box.