My Canvas in My World

Little Old Blue Eyes!

2011-12-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

Here are a few from a recent family session. This little boy has blue eyes with squeezable cheeks that will melt your heart in a second. Enjoy!

Waiting for Chase

2011-12-14T15:07:00.001-08:00

Here are a few from a recent maternity session.

My Pretty Little Liars

2011-12-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

Here is a few of my daughters and niece together. I tried to embody a feel from a "Pretty little liars" show poster I had seen. Its had this sort of "dark beauty" quality that drew you in and that what I wanted to convay.

Sweet Angel Baby

2011-11-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

Here are a few peek at a recent newborn session. The first two portraits have the new tint shades I have been using. These pink tinted images are a shade called "Sweet Angel" which was so fitting of this adorable little girl. I hope her parents love these as much as I do. Enjoy!

Girls in white Dress

2011-11-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here is more from the new tinted shades lines, These shades are called "Pandora" and "Swoon". I just love with how dramatic it looks and how it warms up a photo of a white dress that usually gets washed out.

Sweets for the Sweet

2011-11-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Here is a preview of new color tints I'm using. they are really great for girls becuase of the bright colors they wear. Here are a few shots I have been playing with.

Tiny Angel

2011-09-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of a recent newborn session with a tiny little angel. Her daddy was brave enough to let us do some shirtless portraits holding her. However seeing as he is a firefighter I doubt this was something that would frighten him. I love the contrast of a tiny fragile baby being held by strong masculine arms. Enjoy!

Tommy Turns One

2011-08-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a little guy that I did newborn portraits of and I'm now doing his first year...time flies! This little guy was so great in front of the camera, he smiled, giggled and flirted the entire time. Not to mention he had stayed up past his bedtime and was still so well behaved.

Soon a table for 5

2011-07-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent shots of a beautiful family of four that will soon be welcoming a new member. I can't wait to meet this little one when he or she arrives!

Baby its You!

2011-04-19T21:02:00.001-07:00

Here is little Chloe and what an amazing session we had. I have some great new hats and props and lil Miss Chloe looked adorable in all of them. Enjoy!

Little Boy in Blue

2011-04-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Here is the beautiful baby Kade. We had such a great session and tried out some new poses. I just love him in the blue little hat with his arms crossed beneath him. I also love him snuggled inside the dresser drawer. What a sweetie!

Baby on the Way!

2011-03-10T09:44:00.006-08:00

Here are some beautiful recent Maternity shots that include a beautiful new location in Simi. The green meadow is just to die for and I hope to use it again soon. Thanks to The Monica Family for trekking throught mud with me to find it. Oh and Karen that ant hill didn't stop us from getting a beautiful portrait. :)

"Baby as Art"

2011-03-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, This is a newer more out of the box style of newborn photography. I really thing it is beautful. This little angel was a perfect model and never complained about all the silly things we did to her. Thanks Chandra and Shane for trusting me to create something beautiful for your daughter's portraits.

A slice of heaven

2011-02-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

Here are a few images from a recent session. This little lady was such an angel to photograph. This was my second visit to this familys special moments as I had photographed her big brother when he was born in this exact same blanket and basket.

Irish Dance Shoe Portraits

2011-02-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a sample of the Irish Shoe Portraits I will doing at the Weslake Village Feis this month.

Waiting on a lil Lady

2011-01-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

This party of three will soon be four and I can't wait to meet the new addition once she arrives. I love how rustic and beautiful this images turned out. We were very lucky that the weather went from freezing to sunny and clear just in time to do this session. Enjoy!

Sibling Surprises

2010-11-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

Here are few great images from this past weekend. I love doing protraits in the fall the light is just beautiful. This good looking pair are brother and sister, don't they photograph fantastic. These portraits are a surprise for the holidays and I know everyone will love them. Enjoy!

Sweet Lil Miss!

2010-11-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun shots with my neighbors beautiful new daughter Alaina. She is the third girl to grace their household and I know this little lady will be just as lovely as her big sisters. I hope they enjoy these. Also I have some great new props for newborn girls featured in these images.

Little Beauty

2010-09-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few from a recent session with a tiny little beauty. Amazingly she was wide awake and content the entire session...what an Angel!!! This pint sized princess was so cute and tiny you could fit her in your pocket.

Little Seabee Boy

2010-07-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here is the adorable little Navy Seabee baby that arrived only days ago. His Daddy is away on tour and to honor him we had a military themed session. Not only is the boy handsome but sweet and well behaved. He barely cried or fussed as I took portraits wrapping him in an itchy American flags or his Daddy's Navy Jacket. I hope his Daddy enjoys these!!!

three girls are great company!

2010-06-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

These cuties are sisters who are all three beautiful! I love how they look alike but are also very different and adorable. Don't they have hair to dye for not to mention they're natural ruby red lips. There was lots of giggles and silliness during this session and I really had fun with these girls.

Double the cuteness, double the fun!!

2010-06-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Twins are such a blessing that some say comes with twice work for the mommy. But I say double the work equals double the loves. These two are just too precious for words and were soooo well behaved little models that I doubt there mommy feels she is working double.

Seabee Baby Belly!

2010-06-02T22:46:00.001-07:00

This beautiful Military Mommy is very special. Her husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan and the sweet baby boy in her belly will be arriving before he can return home. As a surprise she decided to have some portraits taken so that he wouldn't miss these precious moments. I really enjoyed doing these portraits for her and her husband. I can't wait for this little Seabee baby boy to arrive to do his portraits as well.

Animated little ladies

2010-05-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

Maddie and Lauren were due for some new portraits so we headed out to take some. However my girls took it more as a "be silly photo shoot". Lauren brought a parasol and the girls kept pretending they were on a tight rope at a circus or ladies in a garden. Honestly they were too cute! These are just a few with more to come :)

A beautiful Belly with two angels!

2010-05-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

There beautiful portraits are of Rebecca who is pregnant with twins. I know she looks too amazing to be carrying two babies in there but it's true. In inside are a sweet little boy and girl waiting to make their debut in a few weeks. Rebecca just glows in these images with her natural beauty with stunning Rapunzel -like flowing hair. These are a few of my favorites and I hope to see Rebecca again when her little angels arrive.

Mother and child

2010-04-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more beautiful than a mother with her children. I love how these pictures of Sylvia with her adorable little ones came out. They were taken at my new favorite (shhhh its a secret) location which I will not reveal. Sylvia's hair is beyond gorgeous and I wish mine looked as great as that chasing after by own kids. Speaking of kids aren't these two precious!!! OMG I could eat them up!

Miss Madison riding!

2010-04-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots of my Madsion horseback riding! She just greaduated to the next level at Elvenstar riding academy and I'm so very proud of her!!

Chris & Ashlee

2010-04-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some cute couple pics!

Lauren's 6th Birthday

2010-04-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

My poor neglected blog is due for an update. Life has had us very busy and I'm only just beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Anyway here are some adorable pics of Miss Lauren's birthday. We held it at La Petite Party in Thousand Oaks and all the children had a great time.

Alexis

2010-01-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

Here are a few from a recent teen session. This beauty, Alexis, is turning fifteen in a few weeks and is on her way to being a charming young lady.

Maui Moments

2009-12-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my favorites from our vacation to Maui in early November. My hubby and I had a great time being alone without the kids. These are shots form Haleakala Crater at Sunset. The Crater is 10.000 feet above sea level and the sites are incredible to say the least. The orange sky at sunset was so high in the sky that everything around us turned red-orange. It was breathtaking and worth the car sickness we got driving up the zig zag road.

a few from a family session

2009-12-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

Love these shots with the feet and dog.

Seeing double

2009-12-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more favorite from the twin session I did awhile back.

Feeling the holiday!

2009-12-12T18:45:00.000-08:00

Okay so I've been super swamped but I'm feeling a little breathing room so I'm posting some pics on the old blog. Here is my dog Cookie wearing his Santa hat for our Christmas card. He is a sweet boy and didn't give me too much trouble getting this shot. Thanks goodness for cheese, my puppy with do anything for cheese. I wish there was something that worked that well for kids....lol!

Family Session

2009-11-17T11:16:00.001-08:00

I know I've been missing in action but we have been gone on vacation and I will post some more pics soon now that we are home. Here are some recent portraits of a beautiful family. I had a great time shooting them and love the location they chose which was Whitter College. Enjoy!

Trick or Treat!!!

2009-11-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

With amazing weather and the full moon, the mood was set for a fantastic night of trick or treating with my girls. My girls are getting older and with that a lot easier to deal with in some aspects and not so easy in others. Here are some sots from the start of our night!

Twins!

2009-11-01T13:02:00.001-08:00

Here are some sweet pics for a session I did this past week. These twins were just too adorable!!

Baby Eva

2009-10-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Just want to share some favs from my session the other day. I got a chance to play with this sweetie for a little bit ( her mommy was busy with her big brother) which was so nice, I never pass up a chance to hold a baby. Check out my new "egg and nest" feel props. The circular basket along with my new egg shell cocoons are a big hit with the babies. The newborns really love being cuddled up tight inside the cocoons which makes for an easy session with beautiful results. I have to thank Eva's mommy Sylvia for joining in the session and posing. Doesn't she looks amazing in this portrait with her new baby daughter!

Bryn & Lacey's Wedding

2009-09-25T17:35:00.000-07:00

Butterfly Fantasy!

2009-09-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

My girls love butterflies and ever year we make a trip to the Natural History Museum to see them up close. My Madison, braver than most girls her age, charmed every butterfly she saw coaxing them onto her hand or arm. This year Maddie eased the butterflies onto Lauren, the not-so-brave-child, and surprisingly she loved it! Anyway I got some great shots to share and I recommend going cuz we always have a blast!

Lil Miss Audrey

2009-09-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

Baby Aiden

2009-09-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Lacey & Bryn

2009-09-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

playing catch up!

2009-09-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Okay its been one busy summer and I'm only now getting a chance to update my poor blog. So here we go! This beautiful angel is Miss Chloe. Her mommy loves leopard print and had a fabulous blanket to photograph her on. My personal favorite is Miss Chloe and her big brother's feet together...too cute!

A few more of Miss Olivia

2009-07-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sweet Olivia!

2009-06-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a few portraits from a recent session I did with little Miss Olivia and her Mommy & Daddy. She was quiet the little lady and I had the best time getting to know her. I have to confess that Olivia is a smart girl, she has her parents very well trained (wink wink) at attending to her every need. I hope everyone enjoys theses and the many more to come. Welcome to the world Olivia, you're a little angel!

A peek at a pair of cuties!!

2009-06-10T11:27:00.001-07:00

These little darlings have such beautiful faces. The expressions were often priceless and I loved photographing them. I posted this set in black and white...which I love! I think with their sweet simple expressions they remind me in some ways of the old 1930's pic of the "Little Rascals" and "Our Gang kids."

Dance baby Dance

2009-06-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a few shots from Lauren's dance recital this past weekend. She did fantastic despite the ugly weather and rain!

a Wild Birthday!

2009-05-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Madison turned eight this year and for a child such as mine is there was only one thing she wanted...Reptiles! Yes you heard me right sister...my kid asked for lizards and snakes! Now I'm not zoned for such creatures to live among us here in the Lewis household. I will however meet her half way, I will let those requested creature come for a visit. Setting the party to a Luau theme we gave Madison the reptiles she asked for in a show. We hired Pupsandreps.com to give us an fantastic hour long show. Although is was blazing hot outside Madison had a blast. Even Lauren who was quite grossed out at first ended up liking the visitors.

A quick one!

2009-05-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

These two cuties belong to a dear of friend of mine who just moved out of state. I wanted to give her a going away gift that she would always remember california by. So what does a photographer give....Portraits! Anyway you will see more of these sweet faces when I'm closer to finishing the proofs.

Flowers and Bellies!

2009-05-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

I love how beautiful the Mommy to be and the yellow flowers are in these pics. They feel is so serene in the pictures but they do take a bit of work to achieve. Most importantly is having a brave mommy to be. Thanks Alex for being such a great sport and walking all that way ( and hope a fence) to get these shots in the flowers! Also I want to say thinks to Alex entire support crew (hubby, stylist sister and sister's boyfriend) you guys were all great and kept me in stitches!

Spring Maternity Session

2009-04-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

I love spring, when everything is lush and green out. I must admit I love spring even more when I'm doing a portrait session during it. Here is a beautiful Mommy, Julie and her son Caleb that I photographed yesterday. Julie is very photogenic and as you can see her handsome lil guy Caleb takes after his mommy in that department. Julie's sundress was the perfect mix of color against all the green of the trees and tall grass. I can't wait to meet that lil girl growing in her tummy and photograph her as well!

Ashlee part II

2009-04-29T21:38:00.001-07:00

Ashlee's senior pics!!

2009-04-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

Here are Ashlee's senior pics. I'm so proud of Ashlee, she has grown up to be such a well rounded girl. A "Renaissance girl" if you will that is smart, funny and talented in sports. There will be more soon but here are a few of my favorites!

Meet Our Cookie!!

2009-04-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

We got a new puppy!!! He's a 3 month old Chihuahua we named Cookie! The name fits cuz he is one smart cookie. He is extremely smart and already house trained...I know amazing huh?

OMG I cannot tell you how much I love this little guy and how everyone in the house adores him. He so little ( 4.5 lbs) and pocket sized..lol! He follows me everywhere and is extremely attached to me..which I love. He just like a new baby, the son I've never had...tee hee!

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

Spring pics!

2009-04-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

Of all the times to take photos spring is my favorite. I love the color of soft green grass and bright colors. I took Lauren out for a little model session. Amee came along and we had a great time looking for great spots for portraits. Here are a few of Lauren...so cute!!

February Beach Day!!

2009-03-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

Its was the last few day of February but it was warm enough to have a beach day. We headed down to our favorite hide away and enjoyed the sunshine. The beach was empty (love that)and we had it all to ourselves. Maddie found five sandcrabs and built a "house" for them. Lauren spent her time helping find shells as we had first pick of everything..lol! Here's a quick pick from the day, enjoy!

Grandma's 80th!!!

2009-02-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

My Grandma turned 80 years old this weekend and we had a huge party to celebrate. I think she looks amazing for her age, don't you! I can only hope to look as good as her when I reach this milestone birthday. My Grandma is an amzing woman who rasied 10 children and is not only a grandmother but a great-grandmother as well. The grandchildren are too many for me to count but I'm sure Grandma knows the exact number. I am so blesssed that my daughters not only enjoy their Nana but their Great Grandma as well. The Jones clan was out in full force to celebrate doing what they do best...dancing, singing and having a great time! My gift to my grandma was to photograph everything for her just as I do when I'm hired for weddings. I love how everything turned out and I hope Grandma loves the images as much as I do! For Jones family members wanting to see them all visit my proofing website: www.thinkpinkincproofs.com The gallery name is "jones clan" and password it "toni". Its case sensitive so use lower case letters only. I will be burning a disk of all the images for everyone to have because my images file size is too large to email all the photos . I will however try to send the group ones out in an email to you all. If you think I might not have your email please send it to me! Want me to print a professional enlargement for you? Just let me know. HUGS to you all!! Happy Birthday Grandma, I love you!

The end of an Era!

2009-02-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

Today I realized it's finally happening, not that I didn't see it coming or anything, but today it hit me. Lauren is going to start kindergarten in six months! Do you see that sweet face? In two weeks I will register her for school and make the appointment for the Medical exam. In six months time I will no longer be able to say I have a little one at home. Soon I will have two school age daughters, yes it is coming. I wasn't realizing all this when her 5th birthday came two weeks ago, it had eluded me. But now knowing that loosing her front teeth and having real homework is coming scares me. Where did the time go, how can I put on the breaks! But its here and now, I must deal with it. So the end of the baby Era ends in the Lewis house. I have no strollers, no high chairs, no baby gates or bottles. Its all gone and I'm left with two beautiful little ladies!

My Three Daughters!

2009-02-10T15:09:00.000-08:00

My three daughters, well two are mine and one I is my niece Kali. But I consider her my third child, cuz I love her as much as my own! Here are some pictures of them from a few weeks ago before the rains came. We still had some lovely leaves on the trees, the weather was warm, and they had a blast! Oh and in the last pic Lauren is pretending to be a peg-leg pirate....lol! I begged her to put her leg down and she said "No Mommy it will be a funny picture". And so it is!

A Fish and a Mermaid!

2009-02-02T08:20:00.000-08:00

My girls fight and argue like any other siblings. But it's the moments when they show how much they truly care for each other that touch me the most. Here was a conversation they had the other day while watching Disney's "The little Mermaid"

Lauren: "When I grow up I want to be a Mermaid!"

Madison: "Lauren don't be a Mermaid. You'll live in the ocean and I'll miss you."

Lauren: "You can be a fish like Flounder and come with me."

Madison: "Okay!"

My baby is FIVE!!!

2009-01-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

Can you still be a baby at five? Well I say yes, since Lauren turned five and she is still my baby. She still seems so little to me, to young to be five. Too little to be starting kindergarten in the fall! YIKES! Anyway she had a princess tea party at Olivias's dollhouse and tearoom this last weekend. Needless to say she had a blast!!!

My Crew!

2009-01-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

I posted a few pictures of my niece Kali and cousin Amee today. These little ladies comprise my Shoot crew. Which means both of these girls help me out at photoshoots as my assisitants. The carry camera bags, hold reflectors, shack rattles to get little kids attention and run errands. The biggest perk of an asisstant is I take pictures of them often when I'm setting up or finishing a session. For me the best part out is hanging out with them and having a great time!!

Sisters are special!

2009-01-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

I didn't grow up with a sister and have always envied those who did. When I see my girls together it warms my heart. I know they get fussy and have fits over the little things sisters do to each other. Still at the end of the day, no matter what, they are each others best friend!

Life needs a little Sprinkles!

2009-01-07T11:11:00.000-08:00

Went to Rodeo Dr the other day with some friends and had a blast. No trip to Rodeo would be complete without a stop at Sprinkles for their amazing cupcakes! These pics are for all you to drool over and to remind you to take time to enjoy life's little pleasures in 2009!

My Girls !

2009-01-06T07:12:00.000-08:00

Here is the last few shots of Christmas 08! The girls in their matching holiday dresses, so sweet and little! Oh I know it won't last much longer so I have to squeeze every opportunity out while I can. Happy New Year!

Family Session!

2009-01-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

Went out to Glendora to shoot this family! Such a beauiful group of kids and so polite!

Shane & Chandra part 3

2008-12-27T22:33:00.000-08:00

Shane & Chandra part 2

2008-12-27T22:28:00.000-08:00

Shane & Chandra

2008-12-27T22:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas Recital

2008-12-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

We got to enjoy Lauren's Christmas recital this past weekend. My baby girl loves to perform and we love to watch. They did a Christmas round up song...so cute! We got her a bouquet of flowers after the performance, which she loved. I have to say my kid is great at dance and I'm really proud of her.

A Faery Hunt!

2008-12-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

I took the girls, along with some of their friends, to a local interactive show called "A faery Hunt". Girls and Boy follow along on an adventure to find the magic faery light. They encounter trolls, faeries and other strange creatures. The kids had a blast. They even do birthdays and I have this on my list to do again. Check out their sight. http://www.afaeryhunt.com/

Our Tree

2008-12-16T22:06:00.000-08:00

The girls decorated this year all by themselves. They barely let me put on ornament on..lol ! Good thing the can't reach the top. This way Michael and I at least got to put the angel on the top!

Coney Island

2008-12-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

On our trip to NYC we did a trip to Brooklyn. We made a visit to Coney Island, which I loved! We got to see the famous Astroland that wil be destroyed next year to build condos. Here a few shots of Astrolands ride to share. After days of clouds we had the most amazing blue sky!

Awards Week

2008-12-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

Madison received an Academic Achievement award at school last week. We are so proud of her and how hard she has worked.

Cutie in a tutu!

2008-12-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a quick pic of a cutie!

Proud of my girl!!!

2008-12-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

I want to share some cute stuff. Here is Lauren in the preschool Thanksgiving play. She is playing one of the queens of England. In one picture she is blowing kisses to us from stage and in the other the class sang a song about Indians (hence the bow and arrow poses..lol). She has no fear on stage and was so animated, too cute!!!

Getting Close up!

2008-12-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share another one of this little bit of cuteness!!! There is nothing sweeter in this world than a sleeping baby! Isn't she just precious!!!

A little Angel to share!

2008-12-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a sneak peek of a recent shoot. This little one was an so sweet and well behaved. I loved her hair, glossy thick waves with a a color I wished I could buy in a bottle. Congratulations to her family, you have a quite the beautiful little angel!

Fall Frolic!!!

2008-12-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

Hey there everyone!! I've been super busy but wanted to share a few pictures. Here are Maddie and Lauren at the park the other day. This was taken a jungle gym bridge on the playground. They were being silly, hence the goofy grins. We had a great thanksgiving and got to visit with lots of people we love. Michael did his AMAZING deep fried turkeys and we are so spoiled to be able to enjoy them...YUMMY!!!

A lil Love for the NYC

2008-11-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

Here is another quick share from our trip to New York! I had seen that "love" statue many times on T.V. The sun was setting and the sky was a deep dark purple. I liked the contrast in colors.

Good things come in small packages

2008-11-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

Here is the little cutie that I photographed a few weeks ago. His mama is the one with the baby belly from last month. This is the birth announcment I designed for the them. Talk about a beautiful baby! He is so adorable he doesn't look real. To top it off he is a sweet little guy too, congrats to his family!!

New York City Sky!

2008-11-11T09:59:00.000-08:00

Michael and I did a trip to New York City in October. There was so much to see and we did tons...I have the blisters to prove it! I will be sharing some of my favorite pictures from the trip.

The is the view from 57Th street. I loved the mirrored building to the left. It happened to be sunny on this day ( we did have lots of clouds and drizzle) and this caught my eyes.

Halloween

2008-11-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

Okay I was gone a lot the month of October and I'm only now catching up on things. Lets share some Halloween pictures. This is Maddie and Lauren as a Cat and Dalmatian. lauren was suppose to be Cinderella but at the very last minute (like as we were ready to go tick or treat) she wanted to have face makeup " just like Maddie". I remembered we had the Dalmatian costume from Madison a few years back. Luckily for her, it fit! The down side is I usually like to take my time doing there Halloween pictures and usually do them when its still light out. No luck doing that this year with the last minute change in costume.

Baby Bump with Flare!

2008-10-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

I've been super busy with travel and photo sessions. Here is a lovely shot from a Maternity Session with a pretty mommy-to-be at the beach. There is nothing sweeter than a baby bump silhouette.....except maybe one that has a beautiful sun flare in the same shot!!

Its Oktoberfest!!!

2008-09-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

We headed to Underwood farm Oktoberfest this last weekend. We had such a fantastic time! The kids went straight for the pumpkin patch to pick their favorite pumpkin. The polka music filled the air as we went to all the different activities. Their newest activity is "Panning for gold" and it was quite the hit with my girls. You can pick either gems or fossils to pan for. When Lauren pull up her pan she started screaming... "OMG Its a miracle"!!! In her pan was a rock of fools gold, a giant piece of Quartz and another clear stone with facets similar to a diamond. She truly believed she had found diamonds and gold or"treasure" and she put it!! Maddie had fun too her her favorite was the Hawaiian shaved Ice booth. In the heat of the day it was a great treat to cool off with. They had plain shaved ice and then "True" Hawaiian shaved ice. The "True" shaved ice has a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom and a drizzle of sweet cream (which is sweetened condensed milk). I had never had a true shaved ice and was a bit unsure how it would taste... but I got one to share with Michael out of curiousity. Well with one bite I was a convert. It was icy cool and creamy at the same time..yummy! I'm never going to go with plain shaved ice again. It was sooo good.....Michael and I were fighting over the last few bites!!

Fall Hiking

2008-09-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

Went hiking in Agoura Hills the other day and invited Jayna and her kids to come along. It was such a great day and we had perfect weather. The kids had a picnic in the woods and we relaxed in the serenity of nature. I took this picture at the stream nearby. Ahh doesn't make you want to just sit and relax!

Something to make ya smile!!!

2008-09-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, thats me "IF" I had graduated in 1960...lol!! It about thirty years off but it looks so real!! It's very funny huh and you gotta love the glasses...woa baby!!! I had to laugh at all the crazy choices of hair. Oh the miracles of photoshop! Now if you want to do your yearbook picture!! Go here: http://yearbookyourself.com/

Vintage Wedding Pics

2008-09-18T14:07:00.001-07:00

A popular style of photos is vintage black and whites. They have a soft grain and texture to them and give great depth to story of the images. I really like how they look! Here is a few shots from Kelley & Kieth's Wedding done old school style!

Wedding Bliss

2008-09-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

I photographed the Wedding of Keith & Kelley this past weekend. They make such a handsome couple! Everyone is eager to see the pics while I edit them. Here are a few sneak peeks for all of you waiting to see them!

Labor Day!

2008-09-02T06:54:00.001-07:00

With Labor day comes the true end to summer! My kids played endlessly in the water. It's as if they knew the days to play would soon be far and few. What is really amazing is all you need to do is give a kid a hose and the fun will never stop!

3G and ME!!!!

2008-08-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

My hubby has wanted an iphone since they first came out and I had never really cared much either way. When the 3G came out Michael couldn't seem to stop talking about them. Finally we both have an iphone and I am a convert! I have had this baby for a week now and it has been shear HEAVEN!!!! I can truly say I had no idea what I was missing out on. It sucha "fun" phone they should have called in "funphone" stead of iphone. I never knew I could "text" so fast. I love it so much I can't put it down! To quote a line from one of my favorite movies (Ferris Bueller's day off) ...." If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up, it is so choice"!

Back to school!!

2008-08-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school! NOW ..don't even get me started on what a chore it is to get the "back in the school" routine under way. Honestly it is just as painful for me as it is the kids. I have enjoyed this summer and....." that's right you heard me"...I don't wanna get up early either..."yuck"! The very loud alarm rudely awoke me this morning at 6am. I had to drag myself from my cozy bed and make lunches, breakfast, fed the fish, fed the kids, etc. Next I dressed the kids in their super cute new school clothes. Then piled those smartly dresses kiddos in the car for school. In tow with them were all the new backpacks, lunchboxes, pencils, etc that would be needed for the day! I guess it was worth all my juggling and organizational effort... cuz Maddie and Lauren looked good enough to eat!

Santa Barbara Zoo

2008-08-27T12:51:00.001-07:00

My friend Jayna is new to California and I love showing her around the state I call home. Being members of the Santa Barbara Zoo made it a perfect excuse for us to go there with her. It was a bit hot a humid out but the kids didn't seem to mind at all. Lauren and Maddie had so much fun taking Jayna's daughters all around the park. The kids fed the Giraffes and rode the mini train. We even stopped to ride the antique mini carousel. After a yummy picnic lunch we headed back to the Zoo playground. The kids played forever on the anthill slide. The kids were so pooped out from all the fun they slept all the way home!

Day at the farm!

2008-08-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we spent that day at the UnderWood Family Farms. Jayna and Jule joined us with their kids which made it so much better!! . Both my friends brought tons or carrots for the kids to feed the animals. Maddie and Lauren were in a feeding frenzy trying to disperse the carrots to all the animals. We had a few first-timers on the pony rides with Jayna & Jule's little ones. They told me Maddie was now too big to ride...how sad! Then we took the kids over to check out the rides. I loved how all the kids had there "buddies" for the day and played so well together!

Best Summer EVER!!!

2008-08-26T10:24:00.001-07:00

We did so many things this summer and it's really been the best one ever! I have been so far behind on blogging all the fun things we've done. Then I had tons of pics with Maddie and Lauren's little friends in them..... which is a great thing! But first I needed to ask their Mommies if it was okay to put the pictures in my blog. Well they said "yes"!! So now I can share more of the fun we have been having. Honestly, I have been having a great time too. I have been hanging out with old friends and new ones. I started a moms club at cafe mom and have loved all the fun kids and moms we have met. My new friends Nicole and Jayna live so close and we hang out all the time. It's great to take the kids to the park and actually have fun myself. Heck I never want to leave cuz I'm chatting with a cool crew of mommies! I have also started a monthly scrap night with all my friends and its great to use some of the scrap stuff I have stored up! I could not have asked for a better summer and I am so sad for school to start. Here are some pics from our big Lemon Park playdate. You can see a few of the kidz from the summer playgroup regulars taking a rest and having snack! I will be posting more pics soon!!!

Pavilion of Wings!!!

2008-08-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

We visited the Los Angeles Natural History Museum this weekend to see the Pavilion of Wings. It's a live butterfly exhibit that is running this summer. Last year we went to a similar one in Santa Barbara, which was done much better than this one. Either way the kids had a great time. Lauren wanted so badly for a butterfly to land on her I thought she'd die.....and sadly it never happended. However they seem to love Maddie and come right to her. I must admit the dinosaurs at the LA Natural History Museum were very impressive. I have never seen a real dinosaur skeleton and it was a treat to see two enormous ones ( a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops ) on display in the entrance. They had tons of the typical "stuffed animals" on display in the giant dioramas. Miss Madison loved all the dioramas and searched out the animals inside. She made us look at every singles one as she couldn't pass any of them up. Maddie had such a great time that when we arrived home she a built her own "mini museum" for the dollhouse people to visit. We will have to make a trip here again!

Off to the Circus!!

2008-08-16T13:45:00.001-07:00

We did our first family trip to Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey's Circus. It was everything the kids had imagined and wanted. Clowns were everywhere causing mischief. While elephants and tigers did amazing tricks. The kids quickly discovered that everything is bigger under the big top.....that includes the food!!! Yes, my kids dined on the endless supply of junk food. OMG the box of popcorn alone was almost as big as Lauren! As you can see from the picture above...lol. The cotton candy was also enormous and Maddie ate it so fast I thought she might get sick. As you can see from the pic of her enjoying her cotton candy feast. The show was full of energy and never dull. My kids sat mesmerized thought out the entire show and never made a sound. We will make sure to go again next year!

Our little Olympics!

2008-08-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

Lauren and Maddie had their gymnastics expo this past weekend at Fun & fit Imagymnation. The expo is an event where the kids show off their skills on the balance beam and double bars. Madison is a very talented gymnast and it comes naturally to her. While Lauren is one who really has to work hard to achieve her goals. I must admit I was very impressed by both my girls. The fact that Lauren was able to reach her goals shows she has really worked hard. Madison has terrible stage fright and didn't want to perform for the large group of over 60 parents. However, with tearful eyes she went out into the arena and did her routine perfectly. Their coach , Ben, is an amazing guy! We are so lucky to have him!! His positive energy and constant motivation draws the kids into the challenges. They don't give up because he is right beside them cheering them on and telling them they CAN do it. That is Ben's motto we never say "I can't do it" and we always say "I can try"!