Kristen Mintz Photography ; southern california family photographer

Minty Fresh Monday: Rain, rain, go away!

2011-07-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

Mint (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

I actually LOVE rainy days. Every photographer is overjoyed when the weather turns cloudy. Believe it or not, these are the perfect lighting conditions. An overcast day = pure joy. Unfortunately, I live in sunny southern California, where rain is fairly scarce. But, I got a few great rainy day photos this year because we had more rain than usual. Looking through these photos gave me an idea...

This week, your tip is also a challenge. Use rain to your advantage. Go out and play in it! Let your kids get muddy! (Hey, there's always a nice, warm bath afterword.) You can look for reflections and really play those up in your photos. A really great umbrella can add serious fabulousness to a photo as well. If you live in a place like I do, then make your own rain!
Whatever you do, have fun. Let your kids have fun, and capture it. Please share any photos with me, either here or on the fanpage. I would love to see!

Have a brilliant week!
xo,
Kristen
ps- if there is anything in particular you'd like more help with, just leave a comment below! :)

Fabulous Friday: A super birthday party.

2011-07-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

I seriously can not believe that my Jack is turning two tomorrow, and that my twin's baby turns one! I have been scouring the internet for party ideas, and one of my favorite tools to use is Pinterest. It's a great tool for keeping all of my favorite ideas in one place. Through Pinterest, I found some great ideas for scooter parties, dinosaur parties, and cowboy parties. And the party I definitely want to try (next year?) is the Superhero party! Hey, it gives me an excuse to dress like Wonder Woman.

I think this whole party is amazing. You have to go see the whole thing on her blog!

Have a fabulous weekend.

Kristen

Feeling Cheeky

2011-07-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday!
I'm on summer vacation, which means I have more time to blog, but it also means that some days my brain is working better than other days. This shot is an outtake from my trip to New York City. I think this horse had a message that he was hoping to convey. Could he be a little tired of the purple feather?
Anyway, have a fantastic Wednesday.
xo,
Kristen

Minty-Fresh Monday: Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

Mint (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

Happy Birthday, America! I hope you have a fantastic day! My family and I are lucky enough to be having a block party today, so I get to make chili and cookies and watch fireworks without leaving my own yard. Nothing better than that!

And speaking of birthdays, I have a little man who turns two this month. So I thought I'd start our tip series with something that is unusual for me: posing your child. You see, I'm big on capturing moments and it is honestly very rare for me to pose my children. Even when I do a family session, it's more about chasing kids around than posing them. However, there are times when you actually do want to get someone to stay still and smile.

I got a burst of inspiration this week when Jack grabbed one of his daddy's shirts and tried to put it on. I saw Jack in that man-sized shirt and inspiration struck. I brought him downstairs to our "library" and propped him in a chair so he looked like a businessman at work.

Now here's a quick word about light. We'll talk more in depth about it in future posts but here's a tip: if you are indoors, open blinds and curtains and place your subject near a window. These photos are all un-edited, straight out of the camera, just to show kind of light you can get without a flash. Click on individual photos to get a closer look:

So what's the trick to getting young kids to stay (relatively) still? Give them something novel to hold and play with. Don't want a giant Buzz Lightyear toy in your photos? Try a sticker (easy to hide with the right angle) or bubbles (photogenic). For older kids, tell corny jokes, stories or ask them questions about themselves (girls always love to tell you what their favorite colors are). Sometimes kids will even sit still if you promise to let them see their picture. Snap a shot, flip your camera around and show your subject how great they look. And never forget the power of a good bribe! A promised cookie goes a long way to getting the photo you want!!! I should also add that I made sure to get my settings right before I even put Jack in the chair. That and lots of practice shooting on the fly helped me get these shots before he scrambled onto his next adventure.

Try these tips today, and please share! I'd love to see your photos. Make sure you get each lesson,by become a fan of my Facebook page or subscribe to the blog by clicking on the right. See you next Monday for more Minty-Fresh Tips!

xo,
Kristen

Fabulous Friday: Chalk and Inspiration

2011-07-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

My daughter will be starting Kindergarten in August of 2012, and being a Kindergarten teacher, I'd love for her to have some phonics skills down before she begins. We have this chalkboard in her room (I love IKEA) and I've decided to write her simple messages and have her sound them out during the week. She decided that there needed to be more hearts and people on the message. I love it.

I found a fantastic tutorial on how to make your own sidewalk chalk by Stacy on Kid Stuff World. It's so simple! You can find her awesome tutorial right here.

As a photographer and a Coldplay fan, I have one more thing to share with you regarding sidewalk chalk. Their newest video is really inspiring- I would love to have a photo shoot with chalk! Anyone up for it?

Have a fantastic weekend. See you Monday with some tips!!!
xo,
Kristen

Minty Fresh Monday: Mom Tips- Top 5!!!

2011-06-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Minty Fresh Monday! Mint (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

Hello, brilliant moms and dads!  I'd like to share a post that I did for the very first Mom Tip Monday on Babysteals.com.

I'm so excited that Angie asked me to share my top 5 tips on photographing your family.  I know that as parents, you

want to have gorgeous photos of your children that will become gorgeous heirlooms in the future. As a mommy and a

photographer, I know how hard that can be.  So, I'm here to help.  I give you my top 5 tips on getting great photos that

you will cherish for a long time.

#1. Capture details.

Get closer to your child. I once had a mom tell me before our session that she just loved her boys' eyelashes and feet.

Guess what I tried to focus on? Yup. Adorable feet and long eyelashes. One of my favorite things about my son is his

little Buddah belly. Think about it. If you know what your favorite features are, use that to your advantage! Focus

on those things and try to highlight them in your photographs. 
 
#2. Lighting is everything.

If you are fortunate enough to have a DSLR camera, the best thing you can do for yourself is learn how to use it. Turn

it to the manual setting and don't look back. I found a wonderful resource for learning how to shoot manually at digital

photography school.  Trust me, it will make all the difference in your photos. If you don't have a DSLR, or

you're just too afraid to learn how to use it, at least try one thing: take your subject outside. Get some extra gorgeous

light during the "magic hours" of sunset and sunrise. Turn off that flash, please.  
 
#3. Get a different angle.

Walk all around your child while allowing them to play. Get high. Get low. Experiment. Snap a shot, and then try

another shot from a different perspective. 
 
#4. Keep learning.

Keep practicing. Have a camera with you as much as you can.  Even if it is just thecamera that comes with your

phone, you will still begin to learn how to best captureyour child.  Practice framing and looking for light.

Practice looking for moments and it will translate to your "real" camera, too. As a full time teacher, I assign

homework all the time. Do you know what homework really is? It's extra practice. And guess what? The kids

who practice more are the kids who make the most gains. You will get better if you keep practicing. For both of

my son and my daughter, I took a photo of them every day. Now, that's quite a commitment that I can't expect

everyone to make. But I think it would be a fantastic goal to try to take one photo each week. That's do-able

right? If you'd like to join me, I'll make a weekly challenge on my blog where I'll share tips, and you can share

your questions and photos with me.

#5. (I like to save my favorite for last.) Capture real moments, not "dress-up-and-say-cheese."

If your family is anything at all like mine, they don't dress up and say cheese very often.  If your

family makes messes, runs around nekkid, jumps in puddles, or creates works of art, then capture THOSE

things. Let them play, and just keep snapping.  Chase them around! It's fantastic exercise! (Do your children

really stay still and "cheese" all the time? Mine don't.)  You'll get something you love.  Chances are, the photos

of your child making a mad face or wrestling with their brother will resonate with you more in 10 years than a

photo of them standing stiffly in their itchy Christmas sweater will.

I hope these tips have been helpful, and I hope you've been inspired to get out

and shoot!  Come join the weekly adventure on my blog!

Xo, 
Kristen

**Featured on**

Fabulous Friday: Ice Cream

2011-06-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

Just because, I couldn't get it off of my mind. Here is my favorite ice cream in the world- Bryer's Mint chocolate chip. (Yes, it's a bonus that it has the word Mint, ha ha!)

Mmmmm, deliciousness.

So, for my Friday find, I'm going to give a little shout out to Baby Steals:

They have some amazing deals for moms on a budget, and beginning Monday, they will be offering tips to mommies everywhere. Guess who will be giving the first tip? Yours truly! I have already been brainstorming and writing a few ideas- I am so excited!!!

Stay tuned. I can't wait to share it with you.

Have a great weekend!

xo,

Kristen

Water Works

2011-06-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned yet that I'm on summer break? Mmmm, hmm. I am! I really love having this time to spend with my family. We went to the local pool the other day, and it was really fun playing around with them, watching Lilly SWIM by herself and show off her floating techniques. I'm so glad that we invested in a few swimming lessons for her.
The coolest part is that her little brother wants to do everything that she is doing, and has no fear of the water. He wants to jump in and tries floating and uses his arms to swim while we hold him.
These two water babies are so fun!
How are your kids at the pool? Do they love it? Are they fearful? Are they fearless? I'd love to hear from you!
xo,
Kristen

Minty Fresh Monday: Shine

2011-06-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

Mint. (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

Being a teacher sometimes has it's perks, for sure. I got to play host to twenty or so silkworms in my classroom, and I decided to sneak three of them home to meet Lilly. She loved holding the little caterpillars, giggling at how sticky their feet were.

When they made cocoons for themselves, it was pretty exciting, but not quite as exiting as the day when Mr. Moth came out. Mr. Moth was fuzzy and had the coolest little antenna that looked a bit like little eyebrows. He doesn't fly much. He just searches for Mrs. Moth and tries to make little eggs with her. My four year old squealed with excitement as she got to hold Mr. Moth, and Jack wanted in on the action, too. It's been a really great experience hosting these little moths. I think we may try some Praying Mantis eggs next year.

(say hello to Mr. Moth)

So, watching Mr. and Mrs. Moth flutter around, and knowing how short their life span is, it made me start thinking... We have a short time here on this planet. We need to make our mark. We need to shine.

David Gray- Shine

Have a fantastic week.

xo,

Kristen

Happy Father's Day!!!

2011-06-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

I have been lucky enough to share some amazing moments with families this year. I love to see the special moments people share with each other. Perhaps because I feel lucky enough to have had one of the greatest dads ever, I especially look for moments that kids share with their dads.

Fathers are very special people, and I hope each one that I've worked with can see the joy that they bring to those around them.

"I love my father as the stars - he's a bright shining example and a happy twinkling in my heart." ~Terri Guillemets
Dads, this post is for you.

Happy Father's Day!!!
xo,
Kristen

Fabulous Friday: Love Locks

2011-06-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Today, while munching on the yummiest snack ever, (yes, you heard me, double-stuff oreos. You are the yummiest!!!)

I stumbled on something I thought was really cool. They are called Love Locks, and people across the world add locks together to symbolize their love for each other. I think it's beautiful and amazing, and I'm going to find a place to add our own locks soon. What do you do to show your family that you care?
Have a gorgeous weekend!
xo,
Kristen

Wallpaper. Who knew?

2011-06-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes,four year olds have the greatest ideas. It was a hot June day, and Lilly and I were looking for something to do. I was a little to tired to drag out the box of craftiness, so we decided that we would just explore the house and see what we could do.
We entered the garage, and that's when she spotted it. Two rolls of wrapping paper. I was saving it from Christmas, to be used next year. She said, innocently, "let's decorate!"
The wheels started turning, and we decided to make photo backdrops out of it. It was so much fun! I loved turning our walls into removable art. I definitely need to do it more often!

show me your wrapping paper!
xo,
Kristen

Minty Fresh Monday: Imagine

2011-06-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

Mint. (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

Getting inspired by other artists is the name of the game. I adore Ron Howard, and I'm amazed by the entries that I see coming in for Project Imagin8tion. If you have some brilliant photographs to share, you've got one day left to enter them. Go now! Inspire others. Good luck!

http://www.youtube.com/user/Imagination

have a fabulous week.
xo,
Kristen

Fabulous Friday: Inspirational Finds

2011-06-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love my iPhone. I love the photos I can take with it, and as I've mentioned before, I am currently addicted to Instagram, and post photos all the time. I am adding this to my wishlist (remember, my birthday is in September, so you have lots of time to save! ha ha!). I love these little lenses from Photojojo. I really want to try them out.

Buy the Fisheye, Macro, and Wide Angle Camera Phone Lenses at the Photojojo Store!

Aren't they awesome?
Have a fabulous Friday!
xo,
Kristen

Bubble-Rama

2011-06-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

Summertime always makes me think of sidewalk chalk, blue endless sky, and bubbles. Honestly, it's one of the things I always try to bring with me when doing a family photo shoot. Nothing is more fun than a bottle of bubbles! It really brings out some family dynamics that may otherwise go unnoticed. Here are some of my favorties!

Share your bubble photos with me! I'd love to see them.
xo,
Kristen

Minty Fresh Monday: Little Wing

2011-06-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

Mint. (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

Well, dear fans, it has been a while. The last month of teaching always proves to be the most difficult and hectic, leaving me with very little energy to work on the things I love, like photography and blogging. My apologies. But I'm back! And for those of you who have been enjoying my Minty Fresh series, I've decided to make it a weekly thing. My Minty Fresh posts have been about sharing quick photography tips, and I will continue doing so. I'm going to switch it up every now and then and also introduce you to brilliant people, and new discoveries.

Today, I'd like to share something that is close to my heart. My husband is an AMAZING musician, and is an up-and-coming film maker. He recently finished a project that I'd like to share here- his first animated short, called Little Wing: Descent. Our 4 year old daughter debuts in the role of Lilly Wane (aka Little Wing).
Enjoy.

Little Wing: Descent from Matt Mintz on Vimeo.

The Gunslinger. (my version)

2011-04-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

It was a hot day out in the desert. Packing only a water hose, the hero wandered the desert, looking for people in distress.

He happened upon a lonely princess, who was on the verge of sunstroke. The Gunslinger knew exactly how to help- he quickly pulled out the waterhose, making sure to take precise aim. But there was an evil King holding the girl captive! Our gunslinger fought him off bravely...

..and managed to cool off the princess just in time.

They played together for the rest of the day, promising that they would remain friends forever.

Another damsel saved. All in a day's work for our Gunslinger.

Have a happy ending!
xo,
Kristen

Through The Viewfinder.

2011-04-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I stumbled across a type of photography that was really intriguing to me. I kept seeing these square images with ghostly, haunting qualities to them- it reminded me of film photographs, and of the slides I used to look at when I was a kid. Check out this group on Flickr to see what I'm talking about. I found out that this photography was called Through The Viewfinder, or TTV. The photographer took their camera and aimed it at the viewfinder of an old film camera, like a Kodak Duaflex. So, it's essentially a picture of whatever the Duaflex (or other camera) is aimed at. I fell in love with the idea and had to try it out for myself. I purchased a Duaflex on Ebay, which set me back a whopping $20 or so, and started to construct something that would block the light. I found this amazing tutorial from Russ Morris and I have to tell you, it was so much fun!!!
Here are some of my resulting photos:

As always, I love sharing. If you've tried TTV, please show me what you've done! If you haven't tried, go ahead to the Flickr pool, and tell me some of your favorites. Have a fabulous week.
xo,
Kristen

Minty Fresh: Point of View.

2011-04-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

Mint. (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

ok, I'm cheating a bit with this one, but I thought it would be fun... Three and four year old kids see the world in a very different way than we do. My daughter Lilly really finds it to be a very magical place.

Yesterday, I was sitting in the kitchen with her when she suddenly jumped up and yelled, "Fairies!!!" Wondering what in the world she was talking about, of course I asked, "where?" She quickly ran over to a little stream of sunlight coming in through the window, pointing out the tiny dust bunnies floating around. "Right here, mama! Fairies!" (Note to self: cleaning is overrated. Ha Ha!)

Anyway, a few months before she turned four, we got her a tiny little camera (I think it's by Fisher Price). Here are some of her photos.

Now, aside from the fact that she is a genius (right?), I adore looking at these photos because I get to see the world through her eyes for a few photos. My absolute favorite just has to be her self portrait in the middle. Love it.

Don't be afraid to look at things in a new way, and find a fresh point of view.
xo,
Kristen

Templates!!!!

2011-04-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday, my friends! I wanted to show you- my lovely readers- what I've been working on this weekend. You see, I FINALLY figured out how to make my own cards and templates in Photoshop. Up until now, I've been using templates made by other (very talented) people, and have been really happy with them. It's so easy to put my own photos in, change colors and fonts, and presto! I have a beautiful card.
But I really wanted to start making my own from scratch, and after finding lots of beautiful papers and patterns from all around the interned, I figured out how to make my own templates. Here is a peek at my first three cards, which will be on sale soon in my Etsy shop.

Tell me what you think! I'd love some feedback.
Have a fantastic week- xo,
K

Photo-essay Friday.

2011-04-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

What is love?

Love is trusting.

Love is full.

Love is joyful.

Share your thoughts with me!
xo,
Kristen

hugs and kisses.

2011-04-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time, hasn't it? I missed my blog, and you, dear blog-stalkers. I missed you a lot!!! I had the amazing experience of shooting a surprise paty for an 80 year old this past weekend. It was really fun, and you could tell that this family really loved her. They came from as far as Missouri to visit, and it was the first time in over 10 years that the whole family had been together.
Here is what I thought was the most amazing thing. When Grandma Perla came in, she was so excited to see them, and she went around the room, hugging every single person who was in attendance. And it wasn't just one of those quick let-me-hug-you-so-I-can -get-to-the-next-person kind of hugs. It was an I-missed-you-so-much-and-I-am-so-thrilled-to-see-you kind of hugs. To EVERY SINGLE one of her guests. Let me show you what I mean:

Today, hug someone like you mean it. :)
(giant) XO
Kristen

No internet, new idea.

2011-04-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

I'm discouraged today because I got to shoot an amazing family this weekend, and because of my horrible internet issues, I can't share photos yet. However, I have a little idea that I hope will work. I would love to share my instagram pictures with you!
If you are using this app for your iPhone, please let me know. I would love to see your photos! Don't forget to follow me at kdmintz.

Xo,
Kristen

The Last of the Baker's Dozen.

2011-03-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

A Baker's Dozen is 13, not 12. I'm throwing one last favorite photo in for good measure. And I saved it for the last, because it tells an amazing story- captures an amazing moment... I'll just let it speak for itself.

Love. This, my dear friends, sums up why you need to have a photographer in your life. To capture moments like these- the ones that you'll someday grow out of.
Thank you for taking this journey with me, Minty-fresh fans. I love that you came to see my favorite photos- all 13 of them in my Baker's Dozen series. Thank you for letting me share!
xo,
Kristen

A Baker's Dozen: #12

2011-03-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a friend who wrote you amazing letters over summer vacation, even though you'd see her next week? I mean like 13 pages worth of stories- filled with tidbits of information, and ridiculousness that only best friends could understand? I had one. Her name is Michele, and we were such good friends that we'd spend ages together. We called the other's parents "mom" and "dad", and really felt like family. We had every single class together in seventh grade. I just adored her.
Michele and I lost touch when she moved during our senior year in high school, and re-connected last year through Facebook (I love Facebook!). It was so great seeing her again, this time with an adoring husband and a gorgeous little boy. I talked her into a family session, and I'm so glad I did. It was great to visit her gorgeous home, and really see what an amazing person she's turned out to be. See for yourself.

Friends are forever.
xo,
Kristen

A Baker's Dozen: #11

2011-03-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

Here's what I love about this: Mom and dad came totally prepared for this session. They brought bubbles, snacks, drinks, and tons of things for their little girl to play with. And then- guess what they did? They PLAYED with her!!! They completely forgot about me and just played together like a family. We got some great shots that day, and even though this one isn't completely perfect, I love the story it tells. Liittle Miss D was so happy to explore and play. She would often stop and show off her toys to me, as if I were just an observer. I just loved it!
At your next photo shoot, just be YOU.
xo,
Kristen

Shutter Love Tuesday: Emotions.

2011-03-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

I thought this would be a fun link party to join... The theme is emotions, so I chose this photo I took (ok, 2 photos) a few months ago. Jack was not happy about having to wear clothing. Ha ha!! I just love it. He'll be a boy who isn't afraid to show his emotions, that's for sure. :)

Happy Week!xo,Kristen

Winner! Winner!! (And a bit of showing off...)

2011-03-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

First, I need to share with you a wonderful resource I've found. Her name is Elena, and she has the most amazing things in her blog. It's filled with great tips, awesome ideas, and gorgeous freebies, too! I made this gorgeous mini accordion book for my grammy's birthday, and I just adore the way it turned out. Thank you, Elena!

And now for the winner of the name necklace giveaway.... Becki Schuurman! Congratulations! :)
I'll send you a message on facebook!
For those of you who didn't win, please visit my Etsy shop and take 10% off of anything you buy this week with the coupon code: fbfan.
xo,
Kristen

A Baker's Dozen: #10

2011-03-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

What do I love about this? What's not to love? Babies have the most amazing skin, don't they? And that baby smell- I mean, you just can't get enough of it! This photo was taken in a room with very little natural light, but we made it work. His mommy was so well prepared for the session- she had the heat cranked, his belly was full, and she had some white noise in the room. He slept through the whole session! Awesome.

xo,
Kristen

A Baker's Dozen: #9

2011-03-11T14:45:00.000-08:00

"A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty."
-Author Unknown

xo,
Kristen

A Baker's Dozen: Sisterly Love

2011-03-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a while since my last blog post. We've been having a few issues with the internet (boo, Verizon.)
Anyway.... I'm sorry. I really want to keep myself posting at least three times per week, so I'm going to cram my three posts in starting today. :)

Sisters have that certain something. A bond that no one can come between.
This photo makes my Baker's Dozen list because you can see the bond that these girls have. They were both cracking me up during this session. They actually came about this pose because I was on the ground to get a better angle of the family. The girls were watching me shoot and decided that it was a perfect pose for them. I love the way they are sharing a laugh with each other!
love your family. show it.
xo,
Kristen

Name Necklace Giveaway!

2011-03-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

There's nothing I like more than free stuff. Well, there is you, of course, my dear minty fresh fan. Wait! I could put those two things together!!! Yes!

Thank you fans! You've helped me reach one of my first goals, and in honor of that, I'm giving away something fun. It's a fabulous necklace, made just for you. You choose what you'd like it to say- it doesn't need to say your name. Maybe something a bit more you. Like: "fabulous", "foxy", "brilliant." You get to tell me what color you'd like it to be, too! Here is a photo or two:

To be perfectly clear, this necklace is made from Shrinky Dinks (remember those?), and will be attached to a ball chain for wear. (You get to tell me how long you'd like it!)

The way to win this contest is simple. Leave one comment below, telling me that you are a fan of Kristen Mintz Photography. (I will be checking! Of course, if you aren't a fan yet, all you have to do is become one by clicking "like" on my page.) I'd love you to let me know what you would want your necklace to look like, so let me know in your comment!
I will be drawing names out of a hat (Yes, I know!!! What a brilliant system, right?) next Friday. So you have a few days to enter!
Good luck!
xo,
Kristen

Baker's Dozen: #6 and #7

2011-03-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

I feel a bit like I've fallen behind on my series of the Baker's Dozen, so here are two. Well, because any good baker adds an extra little treat every now and then.
This first one is from a wedding I did for one of my best friends. He found the greatest girl in the world to marry, and I was honored to be a part of their day. This is their first dance together as husband and wife. I just adore the way he is holding her. LOVE!

Wow, talk about holding and love, check out this gorgeous couple. I love everything about this. Her smile. The dip. The angle in the background. It just rocks. I feel lucky when I get shots like this.

Happy Weekend! xo,
Kristen

Minty Fresh: Natural Frames.

2011-03-03T16:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have to admit. I posted this photo a few days ago on my facebook page, and it got a lot of attention (YAY!) Of course, I have to point out that it is most likely because I have such a gorgeous little girl. Right? I mean look at her. Really.
I'm sure you've seen this used before- it works especially well in landscapes, I think. As you take your photo, be aware of what is around you- try to find something near your subject that adds a frame around them. In this photo, my daughter was sitting in her new favorite spot- a windowsill outside.

ta-da!
Have fun!
xo,
Kristen

A Baker's Dozen: Am I only on #5?

2011-02-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

So, this photo. It is definitely not in the category of what I would call "technically perfect." As a matter of fact, I can see about a billion mistakes that I made. However, this photo still makes my tummy do a little skip every time I see it. When families really get involved with their children, it makes shooting families so much more fun. Can't you just hear this little girl squeeling with delight? I just adore this. It isn't perfect, but it tells such an awesome story. This is a family that loves each other. They are silly, they play, they make messes. And they enjoy every moment together.
xo,
Kristen

A Manifesto.

2011-02-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

It's the little moments that count.
You know them: you see the mess your 3-year-old just made and know that you're living completely. You share a private joke with your sister and just know that she's your soul mate.
Your heart is full and you remember that love does conquer all.
I live to capture those natural, imperfect moments.
I create art for fabulous families, images to last a lifetime.
I believe in capturing the unique, natural beauty of people and letting it shine.
I come to you, where you feel most comfortable.
We will make messes, hug, play, and laugh. A lot.

Thanks to the fabulous Kristen Kalp and the wonderful Matt Mintz for their help in writing this!
xo,
Kristen

mmmm. the smell of baking. #4

2011-02-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome, friends!
Oh, you're back to see more of my favorites? Well, that's fabulous! Grab a coffee and come on in. Grab a cookie, too.
While we're talking about sweet... just look at this!

Nothing could be sweeter than sibling love. These two boys were so much fun- I got this photo while they were wrestling around, and I just adore it.
enjoy the week!
xo,
Kristen

Baker's Dozen: #3

2011-02-21T16:27:00.000-08:00

Hello, gorgeous people! I'm so glad that you are taking the time to come visit me each day. I really appreciate it!
I hope that all of my Minty-Fresh posts are providing you with fun tips, and that you are using them. Please let me know if you have anything in particular that you'd like me to address!
I'm continuing on with my series of favorites, the Baker's Dozen for today's post. I believe I forgot to mention that Saturday's Minty-Fresh post was also part of the series... I apologise!
Ok, so here is the third in the group of favorites:

This is from my first wedding, where I was the second photographer. It was so much fun to be able to capture the bride and groom when they weren't watching me. I was lucky to get a lot of candid moments, and this laugh from the bride is one of my favorites. It really tells the story about how she was feeling that day- she was so happy and gracious, and just gorgeous. Love.
xo,
Kristen

Minty Fresh: Come closer.

2011-02-19T05:59:00.000-08:00

Mint. (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

Welcome to Saturday, dear blog-stalkers. First of all, a quick little side note for those of you who read my Valentine's Day post, I'd like to thank you for all the prayers and good wishes. I found out that the mass on my jaw is a benign tumor! I can't express how grateful I am.

Now, let's get back to business. This week, for your photos, I want you to try to get close. This is a tip that I use CONSTANTLY. If you are lucky enough to have a macro lens, get it out. If you aren't, you're going to have to do a little more work. Take your time. Hang out and chat a little before shoving your camera in your subject's face. (Not that you would do that, of course.) I like to talk to my subject and distract him, taking photos here and there, all the while, inching a little closer. Try to fill up the frame with your subject. It's especially awesome to try with babies and children.
Here is one of my favorites:

I mean, really. Can't you just smell that baby smell just by looking at this?
Enjoy your weekend, and don't forget to link up your photos!
xo,
Kristen

Top 10. Scratch That. A Baker's Dozen.

2011-02-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

Someone really brilliant helped me decide to do something fun on my blog over the next few weeks. I want to feature my favorite photographs! Of course, the ever popular "Top Ten" list comes to mind. Man, I love that David Letterman. But, of course, I really, honestly couldn't decide on only ten. So I've decided instead to feature a very lucky thirteen of my favorite photographs, in no particular order. I'll be calling it the Baker's Dozen, and I'd like to spread the photos out over the next few weeks, so you (my dear Minty- Fresh fans), will have a chance to take them in. Devour them. Digest them slowly. Either or. :)
So, without further ado, here is the first:

What I love about it: Oh my goodness, look at this awesome color! And, seriously? That gorgeous belly filled with life... to die for! The juxtaposition of new and old, the textures that play off of each other. It's just one of those images that pops. I love that this couple was willing to walk around town with me, exploring alleys to find the perfect spots. I was lucky enough to get to meet their little man, and an image from his newborn shoot also made my top 13. Stay tuned for the rest!

XO,

Kristen

What to wear - pink and green.

2011-02-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

I finally made my own little what-to-wear guide. This is actually what I'm thinking of having my own family wear to our upcoming photo session. My daughter's two favorite colors at the moment are pink and green, so I thought I'd play off of that. We are a definite flip-flop and jeans kind of family, so this "look" really fits our style. I actually love that the greens and pinks are slightly different from each other, and they aren't matchy-matchy. It's a good thing.
If you are looking for something to wear to your next session, work from a color palette, and wear something that suits your family. Make your kids stand out by bringing along some accessories or toys they love. Most of all, be you.
xo,
Kristen

Happy Valentine's Day & a biopsy.

2011-02-14T06:40:00.000-08:00

To be honest, Valentine's Day has never been a big deal to me. I'm not a fan of getting flowers because they last all of an hour at my house. (I have a huge lack of a green thumb. I could kill dirt. Really.) Of course, I adore chocolate, and I would never turn that down, but all-in-all, it's just another day. I believe we should tell each other how we feel all the time. Saying "I love you" shouldn't be a once-per-year occurrence. It should happen as often as possible.
Off to the next subject. A biopsy. I discovered a lump on my jaw a few months ago, and I finally got to see the doctor about it. I had to wait a month for an appointment, and when she saw me, she sent me to another doctor, who sent me for an ultrasound, who sent me around town getting referrals and order forms to take to the hospital, who finally called me on Friday asking when I wanted to schedule my biopsy. What better day than Valentine's day, right? So I'm headed in this morning. And I thought, before I go, I want to send out love to you, Internet User, and to you, Universe. I love you. I hope that this day brings you much joy- and you feel as loved as I do. I'm so lucky to have these three people in my life (along with so many others!!!)
Happy Valentine's Day, World.
xo,

Kristen

Minty Fresh: Toys.

2011-02-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

Mint. (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

This week, I'm taking a little breather. It's been a rough week, so I'm posting my usual Thursday blog on Saturday. Please feel free to join in the fun at any time and show me your shots. Just post a link in the comments! I'd love to see what you're doing!

My children are precious and dear to me. They do, however, have a very hard time putting their toys away. (Remember this post about the Toy Fairy?) At times it makes me a little crazy, and other times, I realize that it is part of who they are. That their toys have a little life of their own.

Can you hear that? "Hey, mama-type. Why don't you aim your camera over here? Just look at me! I'm really cute! even if Lilly just drew all over me and Jack just drooled on my head. Take my picture!"
Ok, toys. This post is dedicated to you.

have a fantastic weekend!
xo,
Kristen

wedding details.

2011-02-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

Weddings are beautiful events; carefully planned months and sometimes years in advance. My favorite part of weddings are the details. Things that some people don't even notice, but that really make all the difference in a fantastic event. Check out some of these inspirational details...

Have a fantastic week!
xo,
Kristen

Minty Fresh + Snow.

2011-02-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

Mint. (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

I have to tell you this secretly. Lean in. Don't let your family hear me say this. I live in Southern California. The weather here has been chilly and windy, but I haven't seen an inch of snow. Sssshhhhh!!!!
I'm telling you this because I know what it feels like. I want you to know that the sun is shining somewhere, and that there is hope. Spring is coming. And Phil said it is coming soon! This weekend, I'm going to announce a "dreaming of spring" giveaway, but in the meantime, I want you to embrace the snow. Yes. You read that correctly. I said, "embrace it."
Do you have a delayed opening? Go outside and play! Don't forget your camera! Get down on their level. Capture the "couch", snowman, cave, snowballs...the trail of snow pants, coats, hats, mittens, boots and scarves that litter the floor. Maybe you'd rather stay inside? Give me a photo of your child looking out the window, or sipping some hot cocoa. Here are some of my favorites: Check out this snow suit- remind you of A Christmas Story? Utterly ridiculous, right?

Here's one that shows how much my daughter loved "swimming" in the snow.

Ahhh, and one of the good old fashioned "couch". Love.

Enjoy your time with the snow. And if you want to come to my house for a little break, please feel free! :)
xo,
Kristen

Ps- please leave a link in the comments to your photos- I'd love to see them!!!

All Natural

2011-02-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

The three words I use or branding my photography are sweet, natural and brilliant. I'd like to take a moment to talk about that middle word; natural. I really like this word. I feel like it really suits me. I am the kind of girl who doesn't usually wear make up. If I throw on eyeliner, my husband gets really impressed. I don't fuss around with my hair very much, although I did get it colored recently, I often just run a brush through it and run out of the house. Of course there are those special occasions that require a bit of primping, but when it comes to my day-to-day, I'm all natural.
My approach to photography is very much the same way. I try as hard as I can to get my photos right IN CAMERA, because I don't enjoy doing a lot of post processing. When I capture people, I find beauty that is already there. I don't try to make people look like someone they're not. I don't use fake floors, fake backgrounds, or anything like that. My aim is to make people see how beautiful they are already. I am not into making people look plastic. It may be what the world of photography is leaning toward, but it's just not my style. Call it a personal preference. Here are three examples of what I mean by making the images right in camera- these three are straight out of the camera.

Beauty is within. It's in everyone. It's in you. Find it. Capture it. Be you. Be beautiful.
xo,
Kristen

Best January Face...

2011-01-31T17:04:00.000-08:00

Over at iheartfaces, they are hosting another weekly photo challenge. This one is a challenge for the best face in January. I thought I'd enter this challenge when I saw this photo of my son. He was trying out the swings for the first time all by himself, and he was really proud of himself. I just adore him.

If you'd like to enter one of my challenges, please check out this blog post about portraits. I'd love to have your link! :)
xo, Kristen

Revisiting NYC.

2011-01-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

The place where dreams are made...

I can not tell you how much I adore New York City. It's the most amazing city. I'm thinking of getting these photos blown up onto canvases and putting them in my bedroom so that I can just lie in bed and dream about it. After all, there's nothin' you can't do there.

have a fabulous weekend!
xo,
Kristen

Minty Fresh. #2.

2011-01-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

Mint. (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

I've decided that I want to try to include a weekly installment on my blog- just a little tutorial. So although this is the second "Minty Fresh" post, (here is the first) it will mark the first of the tutorial series. I want to encourage you to share your shots with me, so please use the linky tool on the bottom of the page, or go ahead and leave a link in the comments!

So for your first tutorial, I want you to look for the extraordinary today. Or look at the world in an extra ordinary way... think of it as being "minty-fresh." :)

Sometimes a great portrait doesn't have to include a face. Remember, a portrait is just a way of telling a story about a person. Go ahead and use that husband, kid, or dog of yours as a little experiment. Grab your camera and just hang out with them. Let them talk, play and explore. Keep your eyes open for things that they do; little motions they make with their hands, messes they get into... Try to capture moments without getting their face in the shot! It's fun!

I'll share with you some of my favorites...

Have fun!
xo,
Kristen

More of my every day...

2011-01-26T15:44:00.000-08:00

I really, really, really love taking photos every single day. I honestly learn so much from doing it. Finding something to take a photo of each day is a fun little challenge. I try to tell stories with each photograph- sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't, but it's fun to make something artistic every day. Even if it means taking my macro lens to my daughter's gold sparkly shoes, or a toy shark:

or checking out my roses, my hair, and my baby:

I just love Jack on the swings by himself. I had to make another collage of just him- oh, and who let him turn into a little boy so quickly? He shouldn't be riding a swing all by himself!! :

May you find beauty in your every day.
xo,
Kristen

Innocent Wonder

2011-01-24T06:43:00.000-08:00

The innocence of children absolutely amazes me. One of my favorite parts of being a photographer is finding little fleeting moments like this one. Jack was crying, but just heard a puppy barking. He forgot all about his sadness and walked to the glass door so he could try to see the source of this mysterious barking. This is one of my favorite images!

If you've got an "Innocent Wonder" image to share, head over to I Heart Faces...
see you there!
xo,
Kristen

Meet the Toy Fairy.

2011-01-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

I mentioned the Toy Fairy in my last post, but I didn't explain her very well. The Toy Fairy is a pretty nice fairy, but she takes toys. No, no. She doesn't steal or anything like that. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about her. After all, look at how pretty she is! So let me clarify. The Toy Fairy comes when children don't clean up their toys when they are asked. It is supposed to work something like this:

Mommy: "Ok Lilly. Time to clean up these toys." (Keep in mind, I have giant bins that the toys can just be thrown into.)

Lilly: "I really like messes. I don't like cleaning up."

Mommy: (thinks to herself, "oh brother.") "Lilly, if you don't clean your toys up, the Toy Fairy will come and take them."

Lilly: "oh! Ok, I'll clean them up."

That's the fairy tale version of the story. Here's how it really works.

Same conversation as above until I tell her the Toy Fairy is coming... then...

Lilly: "mom, I want her to have my toys. I like to share with her." Or there's always the distracting technique: "What does she look like? Is she nice? Can I draw a picture of her?"

Great. Now when she goes to sleep, I have to stash all of her toys in a hiding place and tell her the Toy Fairy took them and is keeping them. I know she won't care because she has a billion other toys to play with. Clean up FAIL.

ahhh, I love these little moments of parenthood.

:)

Tell me your tricks for getting kids to clean up!

xo,

Kristen

Minty Fresh

2011-01-20T16:11:00.000-08:00

Mint. (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

This is going to become a monthly thing for me, I can just tell.

One of my goals for this year is to have a cleaner house. So I got some tips from Martha Stewart (don't hate), and I'm going to try to do a little every day. Each day, I'm going to give myself some tasks. It might look something like this: Monday-laundry, Tuesday-windows, Wednesday-floors, Thursday-bathrooms, Friday-counters, Saturday-clutter... wait. Clutter? Shoot, I think I need to revise that. You see, I have these two little people who live with me. I have tubs for their toys, an entire play room, but toys somehow end up everywhere in the house. Everywhere. No place is off limits to them. Not even (dare I admit this?) the toilet. *gross.* I just gave myself the chills. I will literally pick up a toy and put it in the toy bin just to have Jack take it out as soon as I turn my back. Along with two more toys. This is a photo I took when he was about 11 months old. It's titled "One Baby, Ten Minutes." Completely true.

The other day, I sat down with my four year old, Lilly to help her clean her room. "I like it messy," She told me. "It makes me happy." So I came back with, "but my dear, it doesn't make ME happy. It makes me sad. And the Toy Fairy will come and take your toys if you don't clean up." (the Toy Fairy will be explained in my next blog post...)
"But mommy," she replies, "I want to share my toys with her." Awesome. No need to clean the clutter!

That is mint.
-more minty freshness: here's a quick photography tip- keep your camera close to you all the time. Capture messes that your family makes! These photos will always tell their own story, and will make you laugh one day! Maybe one day far, far into the future... but still. :)
xo,
Kristen

Lilly is 4!

2011-01-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

She actually turned 4 on January 6th, and I posted her slideshows on facebook. I'm sharing it here, too! Enjoy.
xo,
Kristen

music by Matt Mintz. Written just for her. :)

Snow Baby.

2011-01-17T17:55:00.000-08:00

This one is something really special to me. We were in New Jersey, visiting my family for Christmas. The day before we were supposed to fly home, this amazing thing happened. A blizzard. In a crazy turn of events, our flight the next day was of course canceled. The next flight they could get us on would be a whole week after our original departure date. It was a little hard to swallow at first, I'll be honest. But then I realized- we had a whole entire week to just play. I couldn't believe our luck. We had a friend who loaned us snow boots for my 4 year old, and a hand-me-down snow suit for my 1 year old. We had a blast!
What was really magical about it all was this: we were staying in the house where I grew up. I got to see my kids playing in the same places I used to play- walk down those same streets, sled down that same hill, sit in the snow like it was a couch, just like I used to. Seriously, talk about nostalgia. wow. Amazing. I'll never forget it.

and now for one without a face- (it's not for the contest, but I had to share it)

Doesn't snow just make you feel dreamy?
Have a fantastic week!
xo,
Kristen

Every Day.

2011-01-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

On my last blog post, I talked about my goals for the year. I can't believe I did this, but I left off an important one: I'm doing another project 365 this year! I'm going to take a photo every day this year. I've done two of these already- one all about Lilly and another about Jack. This year, my 365 is focused on life, and finding beauty in things around me. I thought I'd share the photo's I have so far for the year!

In the above photos: Lilly sleeps on my parent's old bed, visiting my father's grave, Jack reaches up to be held (many times that day as we were flying back to CA), Lilly with braids.

these are a bit out of order: on the 6th, we celebrated Lilly's 4th birthday at Disneyland. On the 5th, we dressed some paper dolls, and the 7th shows some of the decorations around the house put up by two little people..

above: Silly bands and coloring, a new Diana Lomo film camera, Jack plays guitar, and Jack's new hair do.

Above: Lilly's new doll house, courtesy of her aunt Jenny, Lil's babe, my little boy blue.

If you are doing a photo each day, please feel free to add your link in the comments- I'd love to see it!
xo,
Kristen

If I can get through this flight, I can do anything.

2011-01-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

That's what I was thinking about an hour before our trip. You don't want to know what I was thinking during the trip. Just trust me on that one.

I've made the trip before. Lots of times. I have moved an inconvenient 3,000 miles from my family, but I make the trip from California to New Jersey as often as I can. Things got a little more complicated when I added a husband. And even more so now that we have a 4 year old (just turned 4 on the 6th!) and an 18 month old. Our 4 year old is and always has been absolutely perfect on airplanes. Sure, she would want to get up and walk around a bit, but she has never made a peep. People would look at Matt and I as though we were heroes. We'd soak it in, thinking, "Yes. We are the model parents. After all, we are fabulous. Of course our children are bound to be utterly awesome."
We haven't been so lucky with our 17 month old. Especially now that he wants to walk and move everywhere. He screams and cries because he hates being made to sit still for so long, and even when he's being held, it's a fight. Now we're the parents who every one stares at. I feel like I can try everything in the book with him, and he still feels so sad that he has to be forced to be on this machine flying in the sky for the next 6 hours. I want to offer him up to the staring people and say, "You want to give it a whirl? Go for it." Because nothing works. Not until he sleeps. And then of course, he wants to be held the whole time. But it's back-wrenching heaven, I tell you.

So, back to my first thought; "if I can get through this plane ride, I can do anything."

I'm making goals for myself this year, and I'm going to keep myself accountable to them. I'm going put my goals on a giant piece of paper, and add a call to action on each and every one of them. I'm going to have a check in with myself at the end of each month to see the progress I've made. Right now, my goals are pretty broad, but I know that whatever I choose to focus on, I'll be able to do. I'm the master of my fate.

Some goals I'm choosing:
-Eat better. Have 3 green drinks per week.
-Exercise. This should be easy since I got "Just Dance 2." I love that game!
-Keep a cleaner home. Make a schedule of when cleaning needs to happen, and do something "big" once a week.
-Cook more often. I love cooking, but I always feel too tired to do it. Last year, I made a menu for the entire month, and it really helped with planning. I'm going to go back to it.
-Get my business license. I really want to be up and running for the new year. I plan on doing at least one craft fair, and I have the most fabulous idea for a booth. *not telling*. :)
-Save more $$. This one is important because I'm not getting a paycheck in August due to a change in my district's schedule.
-Blog more often. I'd like to blog about 2 times a week. Maybe more!

This is just to name a few... Stay tuned. Feel free to share your goals- I'd love to hear how you are making them happen!!! Maybe we can help each other stay accountable!!

oh, and here are some pretty pictures for you to look at. :)

xo,
Kristen

Tonight, I made a camera. *tutorial! (and Cyber Monday)

2010-11-28T21:40:00.000-08:00

I didn't make a real camera, although I think I may try one day... Check out this pinhole camera from Unplggd!!!

Is that seriously awesome, or what? I've actually been wanting to try pinhole photography for a while... I love the images that people are creating. Ethereal, magical. But, no. I didn't make that gorgeous thing that you see above. I made this:

I just went on a tangent, didn't I? Sorry. Ok, back to the reason I'm posting right now. I've been looking at a few camera pendants just for fun. I mean, they are really cute, right? But, since I have decided that I should try to craft things more often, I decided to give my Shrinky Dinks a try.

First, I found a photo of a camera I wanted to make, and simply blew it up to the size I wanted, then printed it out and traced it onto my shrink plastic. I'm sure there are many of you out there that can draw your own. After all, it's simply a rectangle with a few little additions.

Seriously, I can't believe I'm letting you see my second grade drawing skills. Ha! Note how I let one edge of the page be the edge of my camera? Less work! :)

Next, cut out carefully. I also decided to make a separate "o" shape for the lens. Make sure to punch a hole (or two, depending on how you'd like your camera to lay) before you bake. Color your camera however you'd like. I'm thinking next time, I'll use something better than crayons, but they worked for my draft.

Then, heat your oven to 325 and shrink away. Please know that they will roll and look all out of shape while they bake. It's normal! Just wait a bit, and it will shrink up even more and flatten.

Now, I just added some hot glue to the "lens" and glued it in place, added a jump link, and put it on some ball chain.
Say Cheese!

Here, you can see the glue- I had to cut the excess off. Not pretty.

hope you liked this- If you make your own, I would love to see it! :)

Lastly, go visit my site if you are in Southern Cali. Get 27% off of your session fee and the price of a CD when you book a session with me! :)

Happy Week-
Kristen

Small Business Saturday and some link party love.

2010-11-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

What a fabulous week it has been for me. It's been really nice to take a break from my Kindergarten class and focus on some things I've been wanting to do. I made the above necklace for my friend, and it's inspired me to add it to my shop. come visit my Etsy store.
So, have you been shopping for the holidays? I took advantage of a few Black Friday deals, but mostly, I bought for myself. I've come to discover that I am a horrible shopper. It's Small Business Saturday today, so I'm determined to buy things from other Etsy sellers today. I'm also giving a special to all of my facebook fans.
Here are some of my favorite photos of my babies from this week, just for fun. Head over to my site to see more of my work.

Have a great weekend! xoxo, Kristen

now, here is the fun part! Let's have a link party! I was inspired by Simply Designing and Under the Table and Dreaming to throw my own link party. Show me something that you've made recently. Please be sure to link up to a specific post, not your shop. Show some love to others, and please remember to link back to this post. Thank ya!

how long has it been? decades?

2010-11-23T10:27:00.000-08:00

It's been a looooooooong time, that's all I know. A long time since blogging, and even longer since I've had things in my etsy store. If you saw my last blog post, you'll know that I discovered a way to make my photos into jewelry.

I have also decided to offer a 2011 Calendar!

so, Happy Thanksgiving... have a great week!

my first love marries my second love.

2010-10-29T06:17:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, the reason I started this blog years ago was to show off some of the jewelry I was making. Of course, when my daughter was born, (was it really almost 4 years ago now? Really?) I had little time for it, and found myself learning photography to fill that creative need. I discovered an awesome tutorial on how to make photo pendants by Brigitte, and I just had to give it a try.

I think I may even open my Etsy store again!
:)

I am definitely in need of some practice, but I absolutely love wearing them. Here are my favorite two:

oh! and one last thing....I made lasagna this week with homemade sauce from my sister-in-law's recipe. Talk about Jersey Italian food. YUM!!!! Just check out this cheese, and inhale:

right? yummmm. Have a great weekend!

Shrinky Dinks and Sunday Love

2010-10-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

They are on my mind today, and I think I'm going to need to take a trip to the local craft store and see if I can find some. I'm thinking of making my own nameplate necklace and maybe a pumpkin or something for Lilly.
My hubby is parked in front of the television for the remainder of the day, so he won't miss me at all.
So, onto the things I'm looking at this week. I think you may find that I seem to gravitate toward the same type of blog over and over again. I love photography, jewelry, food, and crafting!
So first: Have you seen this coupon for Michaels? check this out. Nice, right? Good for some shrinky dinks maybe?
I also spotted this mini tutorial on Clicknmom's website about taking portraits of kids. I use a lot of those same methods, and I also tend to tell really corny jokes.

It's my favorite time of year, Autumn. The photo above was taken in New Jersey. Unfortunately, here in Southern California, if you want to see color like this, you need to drive up to the mountains. Fall means apple picking for our family, because I love making apple pie from scratch. I never would have guessed it, but I have grown to love baking. So, this is the recipe I use for my crust: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/crunch-top-apple-pie-recipe2/index.htm . I need to tell you that this crust will have you making crust constantly. Although I adore the crust in the above recipe, I really like my apple pie to be a subtle flavor. I use this recipe with Winesap apples for the pie filling: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Apple-Pie/Detail.aspx . Deeeeeeeeeelightful.
Have a fabulous Sunday!
xoxo
Kristen

Modern Baby Portraits

2010-10-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

So, in case you didn't know, I have a twin sister. Yep. We're fraternal, but as close as people can get, especially considering we live 3,000 miles apart. We're so close, in fact, that she had her baby boy exactly one year to the date after I had my baby boy. Just call us the Wonder Twins. Mmmhmm. We answer to that.
So when she had her baby boy, I flew out to New Jersey so I could meet the little man. Did I mention that I flew by myself with two little ones? See? Wonder Twin. (If you don't count the escalator incident. Which we won't mention.)

I love this family. I seriously feel like the luckiest girl ever.

Summer just won't let go.

2010-09-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

I was really hoping that last week's cooler weather was the signal that Fall would arrive on time. I was wrong. this upcoming week is supposed to be hotter than Hades, and I am not extremely happy about this. Oh, don't get me wrong, I adore summer. I'm just REALLY ready for fall.
So, having said all that, here are my favorite moments from this summer:

Smirk. top ten!!!

2010-09-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

This post got 5th place!!! yipeeeee!

Angelic? I think not. Perhaps devious would be a better word. This is my entry for the weekly challenge at http://www.iheartfaces.com. This face, by the way, knows how to get her grandparents to do just about anything. Wonder where she learned that? *smirk.

ps- I'm hosting a week long photo scavenger hunt on facebook. (just look for my fanpage link to the left and click). Join in the fun! :)
Kristen

Modern Family Photos

2010-09-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

There's this gorgeous family I know. They asked if I would take photos for them while I was out in New Jersey, and how could I resist? After all, I love their two boys. They are two of the best nephews a girl could ask for.

After all, they allow my dear daughter to torture them as much as she wants to:

When my sister in law suggested that we go to the gazebo where she and my brother were married, we got a few more family shots.

And I couldn't resist getting my brother and Suzie to pose for me.

Much love, you four. xoxoxoxo
Kristen

Sunday; lovin around the web.

2010-09-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

I had a really nice birthday yesterday. :)
I bought myself a canon 100mm 2.8 and a new website from Portfoliositez! I am so grateful to my mom for these gifts! I literally can not wait to get my new lens and add more photos to my fanpage.
Since watching the inspiring and beautiful Jasmine Star workshop on creative live, I have been thinking of my 3 words. I think they will be Natural, Intimate and Brilliant. Like?
So, here are some wonderful things I have found around the web this week: Photo Freebies, adorable flowers to make for packages, hair ribbons, etc..., and finally a tutorial on how I got the above image.
Have a fantastic week, blog land!
love, Kristen

It's my birthday today! 9-11-10

2010-09-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday! And my twin sister's, and my favorite cousin's! I'm tuning 370 years old today. ok, so I only feel like it's 370. It's really just 37, but when you go to bed at 6 pm the night before your birthday, you tend to feel a little older than 37. My birthday has been and always will be special to me, no matter what. I LOVE that I have always gotten to share it with my fantastic sister. I love the cake, the excuse to eat ice cream and chips and hotdogs all at once, and (I hate to admit it) the presents!!!!! I remember having a sleepover party while listening to Michael Jackson's newest album, "Thriller" and the year all we wanted was Cabbage Patch dolls. Be quiet. I already told you I feel old.
This year (as well as last year), my hubby is in Vegas with his buddies- doing a fantasy football thing. So that leaves me here, by myself with my two adorable children. Both of them are feeling a little under the weather, so my plans to drag them to the beach went flying out the window. That's ok. Matt is going to win me a million dollars this weekend, and the kiddos are going to let me be lazy. But I still need a little somethin'-somethin' from you guys. How about a birthday contest? Yeah?

Beginning today, September 11th, submit a photo of you on your birthday and tell me what you LOVE about your birthday. To submit a photo, either email it to kdmintz@hotmail.com or post it on my facebook fanpage under fan photos- the album labeled "Brithday 37 contest." The winner will receive a $75 credit toward their session. (pricing is to the left.)
Here are the details:

* One entry per person.
* You must be 18 or older.
* Picture can not be from another professional photographer.
* Photos will be accepted until next Saturday, September 18th 9pm Pacific time..
* Contest is open to everyone!!

HOW PHOTOS WILL BE JUDGED

* All entries will be uploaded into an album on my fanpage.
* To vote for a photo you MUST "like" Kristen Mintz Photography on facebook.
*Get your friends to vote for you! (they must "like" Kristen Mintz Photography as well.)
* Click "like" for the photo you are voting for in the album labeled birthday 37 contest.
* Photo with the most "likes" will be the winner. Comments permitted, but WILL NOT count
towards the total number of votes.
* I will verify that all "likes" of the winning photo come from my facebook fans. "Likes" from non-fans will not be counted.
*Voting will close on Saturday, September 25th at 9 pm Pacific.
* Offical winner will be notified and announced no later than Sunday, September 26th!

Please post any questions you have in the comments section of the blog and I will be happy to answer them. I look forward to seeing all the entries!!

happy birthday toooo meeeeee (and my sister and my cousin)!
love, Kristen

Fabulous family photography

2010-09-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

How lucky can a girl be? Kristine is a fabulous girl who I've known since my freshman year of college. I was lucky enough to live with her for two years in college. After we graduated, Kristine tipped me off to an interview for a California school district that was happening in Princeton, New Jersey. She went to the interview as well, and we were both hired as teachers. We made the move together; three thousand miles away from our families. We lived together for a while, moved next door to each other, and then we were lucky enough to start teaching at the same school together. She has been in my life for a REALLY long time now (I'd rather not give age away here, but trust me when I use the word 'eternal'.)
She decided to move back to her family in New Jersey a few years ago, and met the man of her dreams. He is a great husband who has the sweetest daughter in the universe.

I adore the three of them! I feel really lucky that I was able to spend a little extra time with these three- and I can't wait to see them again.

love you, D family.
Kristen

Amazing family photography

2010-09-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

Meet Michele.

She and I were best friends since the moment I met her in 5th grade. In 7th grade, we had every single class together. It got to a point where I would say to my mom and dad, "hey parents! Guess who's coming over?" and my dad would reply, "oh no." That became her nickname after a while. :) Isn't she just the most gorgeous girl?

She had to move when we were seniors in high school, and as life sometimes happens, we lost touch. Luckily, we both discovered Facebook. I feel so lucky that we have gotten back in touch with her.
It was amazing to be with her and her family, even if our time was super short. Her husband is the BEST guy, and her son is sweet, funny, smart.... I just adore her family. Here are some of my favorite shots from the day.

Love,
Kristen

Favorite blogs of the week.

2010-09-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

First, I need to thank the beautiful and talented Stacey for this idea. There are so many places I've been discovering lately and I need to share!
It's so great to laugh at the end of a long day. Make sure you visit here. Or here.

I've recently discovered Adele, and I totally wish I had her idea. It would have made my son's 365 much more interesting!

If you're a mom who loves photography, visit the maternal lens for inspiration...

and finally, this one is for the crafter in me.... This site has amazing projects- I made something like this last week. No sewing required! I could seriously spend an entire Sunday there. In fact.... What am I doing here? See ya!
Have an amazing week.

love, K

Gorgeous family photography.

2010-09-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

Sandy and I went to Kindergarten together. She is so fun and has the most gorgeous family.

She is quite the budding photographer and loves to scrapbook (cough, cough- when do I get to see your stuff, Sandy?) so we wanted to get a lot of different shots. They were so willing to run around in the heat with me!

Sandy willingly rounded up her family and drove an hour to meet me. Did I mention that it was one of the hottest days of the year? I can not believe how gorgeous they still looked by the end of the session. My twin sister and mom came along so they could see Sandy, and my dear daughter decided that she needed to get into some of the photos, too! :) This is one of my favorites.

It was pretty surreal meeting with her, and seeing her kids- it seems like just a few weeks ago that we were in Kindergarten together!
Thanks for coming out, fab 5.
Kristen
ps- Happy 10th Anniversary, Sandy and Bill!!!

fun family photography

2010-09-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

Meet the Donovans. Fun beyond belief. Jen went to high school with me, and was probably the first one of my old friends to jump on the bandwagon when she heard that I was going to be in New Jersey for a week. She's strong in so many ways, brilliant, and just gorgeous.

I swear, her boys were SO MUCH FUN! They played outside for a bit even though it was unbelievably hot just so I could get some photos.

When we snuck inside, they showed off their dance moves for me! Oh, my dog- HI-LA-RI-OUS. Seriously. I have made her promise to have a play date with us the next time we are in the same state because I know my three year old would just adore them.
Thanks Jen and Brian for sharing these little guys with me for a while!

love, Kristen

i heart faces photojournalism entry!

2010-08-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

I've recently come across a fantastic site called "I heart faces." (www.iheartfaces.com) It's an awesome resource, and they are having a contest that I thought would be a good fit for me. As you may know, I am self taught and started by shooting my own kids, doing a picture each day for a year for each of them. Honestly, it was a challenge, but I would say that if you really want to learn about your camera, and your style, it is a challenge you need to take on. I look back on my first year with Lilly and can see so much growth in my photography since then.
So taking a photo every day just lends itself to photojournalism, especially if you have kids like mine who won't sit still. You have no choice but to shoot them when they are doing something! It's fun to look for "little moments" to take photos of!
without further explanation, here is my entry!

humming "the girl from Ipanima"

2010-08-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

well, because that's the song that always pops in my head when I'm thinking. You know, almost like my very own Jeapardy theme. What? you don't know it? Well, here you go.
You can thank me later, when it gets endlessly stuck in your head. (you're welcome!)

Anyway, here are some photos to get you out of your Monday Blahs.

Jack walks really well (I guess we should be honest here, and call it running.) However, whenever we put shoes on him, he acts as if he has no idea what to do! It's hilarious watching him "learn" all over again when we go out in public. So cute. At least it slows him down a little.

Now here is a girl who loves to dress up. In everything imaginable. So we made some play dough lips and a little play dough ring. Love her. She has the best imagination.
enjoy the night!
k

one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.....

2010-08-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

today was a good day. that is all. :)

Why teachers are frustrated.

2010-08-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

*sigh.
I shouldn't be feeling like this already, this early in the school year. Especially with the class I have- they are fantastic! I couldn't be happier! I just wish I were allowed to teach students what they need to learn without being a robot. I'm sorry, you could program a robot to read from a teacher's manual, and make copies from my adopted series.
The human part comes in when I recognize a need, and I know how to fill in the gaps. When a kid asks a question, and instead of reciting some answer, I SHOW them; TEACH them how to figure it out by themselves.
My goal is to create a desire to learn. My goal is to help kids discover ways to help themselves. It's really hard to be told that I'm not allowed to fill in the GIANT gaps missing from my core curriculum. Then when test scores ultimately come back, and the kids are missing things, (oh, and they will be if I'm only allowed to teach my from my curriculum guide) it comes down to ME. Not my curriculum, not the people "in charge" who tell me how to teach my students, not the parents, not the kids themselves, but me.
*sigh.
I really need to start my own business.

back to school

2010-08-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been MIA for the last few weeks. I am definitely aware that my full time job throws me far off course when it comes to following my dreams, but I need to feed my children, right? It's lucky that I happen to love teaching. It doesn't give me the thrill that photography does, nor do I feel like I am very good at it. I adore watching the kids transform. Last week was our first week back, and I can not explain what a difference I see in them ALREADY, after just one week. They are certainly going to be the best behaved class that I have had in years! I can't wait to see what they learn.
I'm going to try to keep blogging and updating things, even just to help keep myself on track. I'm making a goal of blogging at least once a week, and I'm thinking of doing another 365 (year in pictures) starting on my birthday, September 11th. It's going to be my 37th year of life, so I'd better get it together, right? Meanwhile, have a peek at some things I'm dreaming of....

so, I guess you might say I'm dreaming of summer. It was only a week ago that things were so carefree! I know you'll come back to me, summer. See you soon!

Mike and Joann.

2010-08-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

I've known Mike for a REALLY long time. He's a great friend, and when I got the news that he was engaged, I was thrilled for him. His now wife, Joann, is not only gorgeous, but sweet and funny. And she happens to be a fantastic mom. I seriously look at her two girls and hope that my kids will one day grow up to be like them. (That is saying a lot, coming from me). I was honored that they asked me to be their wedding photographer! Happy wedding, Mike and Joann. I know you are going to have a fabulous life together!
love, Kristen

An amazing month.

2010-07-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

This month, so many amazing things took place. My second born, Jack, turned one. On that very same day, my twin sister gave birth to her first baby, Benjamin. I had the honor of shooting a wedding for one of my dear friends, and then I flew to New Jersey to visit my family. While I was in New Jersey, I had 6 photoshoots in 7 days! It was a whirlwind, and totally absolutely amazing. I have to give a giant shout out to my mom, who watched my babies during each of my shoots. It was definitely rough because Jack was going through some serious separation anxiety.
I had so much fun hanging out with old friends and family. What an amazing trip. So, without further explanation, I'll move on to some of my favorites! Enjoy!

this is the end.

2010-07-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well, the end of my 365 with Jack. :)
I definitely plan on doing another 365 (a picture a day) that will focus on my daily life. So it will include Jack, Lilly, Matt, my job, my messy house.... it should be fun. I really love the challenge of picking up a camera every day and creating art. Here is Jack's 365, and in case you missed it, this is Lilly's 365. When I look at the two sets, I can really see how I've grown as a photographer- thank heavens!
If you've ever done a 365, I'd love to see it! Just leave your link in the comments!

why I am in love with photography.

2010-07-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

It's the little moments that count.

It started when I had my first child, a gorgeous girl. My family was 3,000 miles from me and wanted to see her, so I began photographing her everyday. I was able to put my images up on Flickr, but my father had terrible eyesight and was confined to a nursing home for the last few years of his life. My mother would print out photos for him, but I wanted him to be able to see every detail in the prints he was getting; I wanted him to feel like he was right there with us. It was the birth of my style.

There was a strong connection between the two of them, and each time we were able to visit, we saw new photos plastered on his walls. The nurses would welcome us as if they knew us for years. My father passed away when she was almost 2 1/2, exactly one month before my son was born.

I'm not your regular photographer. I like to get close, break the rules, and create intimate portraits. . I believe that photographs can create connections, and help preserve memories for more than a single lifetime.

new.

2010-07-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'm daydreaming today. My twin sister is getting induced, and I have her on my mind. So here is a very distracted post. You know what? I'll just put up some photos, ok? enjoy.

winner, winner!

2010-07-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well, my first contest has officially come to a close. I am so excited to have had so many people participate! I honestly can't express how much your support means to me. All of you have said such great things about me! Thank you, mah girrrrrls. I love you.
So as strange as it may seem, I definitely had people I was rooting for during this contest, I can't lie. I won't tell you who it was, but I have to admit, there were certain people that I was really hoping would win. Of course, there were more than 2 people I was rooting for, so I could never decide. I expressed this to my hubby, who forced me to put my names in a hat, right then and there. Thanks to Jack, who loaned his hat for a very good cause. :)

. And to make doubly sure I wouldn't cheat, he made Lilly reach in with her grubby little hands and pull out the first name:

Can you read that? It's Sandy Ormsbee Hogenauer! She wins the free photo session!!!!!! I'm really excited to see her since we've already talked a little about her session. It's going to be fun!
and now for the second winner....

It's my friend Kristine Hickman Delp! She gets free playdate cards!!!!

And just so you know, Lilly continued to take all of the names out of the hat and make a giant "snake" out of the paper. So really, you're all winners! Ha ha!

Again, I can't tell you all how much it means to me that you participated. Look for something in your Facebook inbox from me as a "thanks" in the near future.
love, love, love,
kristen

Contest! yippeeee!

2010-06-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I'm excited? I get to go visit my sister in New Jersey in July!!!!! She is scheduled to have her baby about two weeks before my visit, and I am so thrilled, I decided to have a contest!
I'm giving away two prizes to two lucky people. Since my sister and I are twins, I decided there really should be two prizes, not one. So, drum-roll, please.....
Prize #1= One Free Session! *please note, a free session is a $95 value!
Prize #2= Free "Play-date" cards when you book your session! I just love these little things, such a cute idea. You will get to sit with me and choose your colors and designs. Check them out:

How to Play:

visit my fan page and then come back here and leave a comment telling me how you would use your "playdate" business cards.

1st bonus entry--make sure you are a fan of kristen mintz photography on facebook. (It's easy! Just click on the fan button on the right!) Come back and leave a comment that you are a fan (yep, that's a second comment to better your chances of winning!).

2nd bonus entry-- share the contest!!! Post a tweet, fb, blog, however you choose to share the love, go for it! Come back here (yep, third comment!) and leave me a link to where I can see your PUBLIC post about it! (that means if you're posting on facebook, you need to hit that little lock thing next to your post, and change it to "everyone".)

3rd bonus entry- send me email (kdmintz@hotmail.com) to schedule your shoot with me. For my Jersey peeps, I will be available from July 22nd until July 27th. Emails will be added to however many comments there are. (If I get 20 comments, the first person to email me would be #21, the next person would be #22, and so on.)

I will be putting numbers, not names, into a hat (rockin' system, right?) and pulling out two numbers! The first number I pull gets the free session, and the next number gets the free playdate cards! Good luck and happy sharing!

I just got a new logo doing the happy dance

2010-06-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

yipee!!! I got my new logo from Marie at http://daisiesanddamask.blogspot.com/ . I'm so excited, and I am already dreaming of a million different ways to use my logo as a marketing tool. So what do you think?

In other news, I am really enjoying my time off. I am able to catch up with people on Flickr, Facebook, and even Twitter (which I am still trying to figure out, ha ha!) You can follow me @kristenmintz . Hope to see you there! Off to make some sidewalk drawings with my daughter! :)

hello, summer

2010-06-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I actually made it through my first year of teaching Kindergarten. It's amazing that after 14 years of teaching, this was probably the hardest year. It started off with me on maternity leave for six weeks, leaving my poor Kindergartners with a myriad of substitute teachers (because my district wouldn't allow me to choose my own substitute, who would have been there the entire time). Anyway, by the time I came in, it was a bit of a mess, but we figured each other out pretty quickly.
It amazes me how many people (outside of the teaching profession) think that Kindergarten is easy. Although the subject matter is simple, this is the hardest grade to teach. Teaching a child how to hold a pencil properly, and how to follow school rules all while they are crying their eyes out because they need a nap, or their mom, or a snack, is no easy task. I can't wait to take on the next year.
In the meantime, I am going to be trying to fill my summer with photoshoots. :)
happy summer!

coming to northern New Jersey in late July?

2010-05-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

I may be heading to New Jersey (Somerset County and Monmouth County) in late July. If you'd like to book a session, please send me an email and I will let you know what dates I will be available. Mini sessions will be available as well. Hope to see you there! Kristen :)

new business cards!

2010-05-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

I ordered some fabulous cards from , which I love. They are just beautiful in person! Now I just need to pass some out! Would you like to help? Pass out 25 cards and get $15 off your session fee! Leave a comment below if you'd like to help! :)

1+1=3

2010-05-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

you do the math. :) I got to photograph this couple when they were still pregnant, and then had the honor of being asked to photograph their newborn! These 3 seem destined to be together. What a fabulous family.

a slideshow.

2010-02-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

so, I have come to terms with the fact that I am a horrible blogger. It's ok with me actually, because it means I have that much more time to spend with my family. So, I'm trying something new... a slideshow!
Here is a slideshow of Jack's 365 so far... enjoy!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

365 challenge.

2009-08-22T21:58:00.000-07:00

I have recently discovered how much I love newborn photography, and it is so fun to be able to practice and play every day with my very own newborn. Today we had a really fun little photo shoot, and he is proving to be a fantastic little model, just like his big sister! I can't wait until I get to do this full time (*sigh, one day....). I started a 365 for Jack, just like I did with Lilly (a photo a day for a year). It's challenging, and I have to admit, there are many days that I want to quit. BUT, it is really worth it. I love the challenge of coming up with something new every day, and I get so much practice- giving me more confidence. AAAhhhh, photography. I love it!

Our new family.

2009-08-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a long time since my last post! I found out I was pregnant a few weeks after my last post, and had a wonderful pregnancy. It was a stressful time- the end of the school year, weddings, trips back to New Jersey, and then my father passed away a month before I was due. Jack Martin was born exactly one month after that, and it was bittersweet for me.
Lilly has become a wonderful big sister, giving kisses and helping out when we ask. She is still only two, so we aren't expecting her to suddenly become a "mommy" to Jack... she is still very much our baby. Jack is a sweet baby who eats a LOT!

icicles.

2008-12-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

First, a little background. Our darling daughter truly enjoys thinking that she is a grown up. She isn't even two yet, which makes me really worry about what her teen years will be like. Ha Ha, I think we are in for it. Whatever she does, she will always try to do it by herself. She enjoys trying to drink her daddy's coffee, or whatever we are drinking. (Which reminds me of when I was little- I used to steal my dad's drink so often that it is still a running joke between us, and now I tell my daughter to steal from him too. He loves it.)
When we sit down to eat at a restaurant, one of the ways we can actually keep her sitting is by offering her the ice in one of our drinks. "Ice" is now one of her top words.

Now that you have the background, on to our story. We have been snowed in for two days now. it was a little fun and exciting at first, but we are all starting to go a little stir crazy. Remember "The Shining?" Ok, nothing that bad, LOL. So last night, we busied ourselves by making a fire while eating dinner. My husband, Matt had the brilliant idea to open the door, break off a gigantic icicle, and give it to our little ice-lover. She totally went to town on that thing, and we finally had to break it into a smaller chunk so she wouldn't freeze to death eating the thing. Her little hands and cheeks were bright red. Such a perfect way to end the evening!

snow day(s?)

2008-12-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

I copied this post from weather.com about the snowfall here in the southern CA mountains.
"2:26 pm ET
It's snowing...hard: The reports we're receiving from Southern California paint a picture that the snow falling over the mountains of Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties is coming down fast and furious.

In Crestline (San Bernardino County): A foot or more of snow has fallen in a short time resulting in hazardous travel. Two semis are jack-knifed on highway 138 between highway 18 and the city of Crestline. Numerous disabled vehicles on Highway 18.

The snowfall rate in Running Springs, California is running at 1 foot of snow per hour! That is a sight to be seen...or maybe not...as you can imagine visibility is close to zero.

What's that you ask? Do I feel guilty for taking the day off? And NOT risking the life of my daughter? nope. not at all. I love my second graders. I think they will be fine without me for today. And maybe tomorrow... and the next day.... Ugh.

playdates are fun.

2008-11-26T01:58:00.000-08:00

My girl and I got to meet up with a friend I met on Flickr at the Wild Animal Park in San Diego. The girls had so much fun together, and I felt like I had known my flickr friend forever, although it was the first time we had met in real life. Unfortunately, my girl was overtired and suffering from an early onset of the "terrible two's". She was grateful to be able to run around with her new friend. It was a fabulous day, and I am thrilled to have met these two wonderful people!

For once, I can touch what my heart used to dream of

2008-11-18T15:47:00.000-08:00

For once in my life I have someone who needs me
Someone I've needed so long
For once, unafraid, I can go where life leads me
Somehow I know I'll be strong

For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Oooh Someone warm like you
Would make my dream come true

For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it hurt me before
For once, I have something I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore

For once, I can say, this is mine, you can't take it
As long as I know I have love, I can make it
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me

For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it hurt me before
For once, I have something I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore

For once, I can say, this is mine, you can't take it
Long as I know I have love, I can make it
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me

Riley's Farm

2008-11-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

We hung out in Oak Glen, CA a few weekends ago. It was a gorgeous day for hanging out with a nice hot cup of apple cider. I love family days.

Halloween and Aunt Jenny.

2008-11-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

Aunt Jenny was due to visit us on Thursday, October 30th. She is in charge of Lilly's Halloween costume because she loves doing that kind of thing. On Monday, she called saying that my dad had suffered a minor stroke and that my mother was in the hospital with abdominal pain. My mom ended up having gall stones, which needed to be removed.

"Nenny" is the kind of person who needs to make sure that everyone is happy and ok, so her trip was in jeopardy. Thankfully, my dad seemed to be doing well, and my brother volunteered to take care of my mom while Jen was here. I'm so happy that she was able to come out- she's such a great support for me. We tried to convince her to move to CA with us, but she isn't buying it- YET. *smiles*

Pumpkins.

2008-10-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

We took a glorious drive today and found ourselves at a pumpkin patch. we drove over the river (eerrmm, lake) and through the woods, then onto the badlands, and finally found ourselves surrounded by pumpkins. I honestly felt like we were driving around in a fairy tale. Lilly picked out her own pumpkins (I had a hard time stopping her at three) and pushed them around in her stroller. It was so much fun, and the perfect way to spend a gorgeous Sunday.