So, honestly, I don’t know how we got to this day so quickly. After a few trip planning hurdles and some unfortunate events, one of my best friends Mikey and I are leaving to visit another one of our best friends, Mason in Guatemala! (sans Marie… Who will be missed more than I think she even knows.) Around the time he left to do his Peace Corps duty there about two years ago we all commented how we should take a trip to visit him. Knowing us, and how we find it hard to even plan a trip home to San Jose at the same time, I can’t believe we managed to pull this together.

So readers, friends, family, clients- I’ll be out of country in beautiful Antigua, Guatemala until Sunday. I stole this off of someones flickr gallery.  Sue me! You had awesome quality photos and I promise, you can steal mine when I get back.

Tim was a good sport last week. While we may not be the next big couple photographer team, he was a great assistant and it was pretty nice to look up and see him across the room instead of just wanting to get home to him. Maybe if I pay him next time he’ll be more enthusiastic? Timmy, you are appreciated.

I snuck some blurry photos of him arranging cigars for his magnificent detail shots.

So most of you already know that I have a degree in fine art photography. Weddings wasn’t exactly the route I always thought I would take- in fact, to be honest, most of my professors (and classmates) would probably be horrified. This post is for them. I am still an artist! Do not get me wrong, I absolutely whole-heartedly love what I do. It just isn’t where I would have said I’d be if you had asked me 3 years ago. I consider my wedding work art but I consider this my art. This is an ongoing project I’ve been mentally working on for the last couple of years. When my sister is in my dreams, whatever she is doing, she’s usually around 5 years old. She’s got bouncy curls and two adorable massive front teeth. I’m usually following her around, panic stricken that something might happen to her. Nothing usually does but the haze I’m in prevents me from seeing much. It’s my sister in these photos and for me, it’s about her, but it doesn’t have to be- there is more to it but I’d love to see them printed- large giclee or lighjet prints and hanging on a massive white wall. Maybe then I’ll write more about what they mean to me.

I’ve been busy- busy to point where I am waking up in the middle of the night in cold sweats wondering what it is that I forgot to do yesterday. Everything is grand, I am just busy and while I am usually not the sort of person to complain even an ounce about my busy-ness (seriously, usually I’m totally arrogant about it) … I’ve been complaining. Busy complainin’! But I’m back and here’s a blog post to show it. In truth, I really have been busy. Last weekend I spent up in Nor Cal shooting a wedding, at The Fairmont, with one of the most amazing reception hall transformations I’ve ever seen. I’ll blog it in a bit. Then it was back to LA LA Los Angeles for the week, then back up to San Jose for a beautiful wedding just north of San Francisco. Then next Tuesday it’s off to Guatemala…. For now….

….back to Kauai I go, excuse me, we go. Ready?

Ahhhh, that’s better. So this day I said, “I’m hiking!” And my mom said something like, “I think it’ll be good for you (even though I know you are dying inside)- ya know it’ll get everything moving!” Hm… Well whatever she said, it helped. I got myself moving and went out to hike the Napali Coast with the fam. At one of the first main bends we walked through a vortex. Seriously!

At the end of the hike (well as far as we were going) there is this great little beach. We forgot sandwiches though and sooomme people were running low on blood sugar.

Mom and Auntie Nan

Tristan, Mom, Emma, Me

Timmy and Me

On the way home I made Tim stop so I could grab some shots of this church to show you guys. Anyone want to get married on a beautiful island in this beautiful church?

How about that Michael Phelps? More soon!

Interrupting my scheduled Kauai posts for this announcement. Thanks to my lovely friend Amanda who works at E! we got to check out a taping of The Soup last week- and meet my favorite tv show wrap up host Joel McHale! You know how when you are with someone you both have those “get out of jail free cards” when it comes to certain celebs? Joel McHale is one of mine I saw him at The Grove a few months back and couldn’t look away! hee h ee I pretty much felt like hell still from my sickness but I just couldn’t pass up the chance to see him in action up close! And I’m glad I didn’t because there were some awesome guest stars! Corey Feldman and … wait for it, wait for it…. Jeff Lewis from FLIPPING OUT!!!!!! Along with Zoila and Jenny!! Tim and I about died when they came out- they film that show all over Los Feliz and we LOVE IT.

Shameless pics with a “celebrity”… It’s not like we accosted him at The Grove for the photo- everyone was doing it! Me, Robin, Joel, Katie, Amanda, and Mich

Me, Joel, Timmy, and Gabe - I’m not sure about Timmy’s face here … I guess he was just… excited?

So the day my family came in was the same day my sickness came in. It was rather unpleasant and I am honestly still suffering- blogging at 10:30pm might not be helping too much but I had a restful day, okay?

Any how, I felt horrible the first day they were there and basically spent the day restlessly sleeping, then loading up on Thera-flu and other lovely over the counter flu products. So by the next day I was getting kind of pissed- sick in Hawaii, HA! The one thing Timmy wanted to do while we were there is take a surfing lesson, so even though I didn’t feel good enough to actually get out on the waters, I volunteered to do what I do best, take pictures! Boy, am I glad I did. There was my Aunt Nancy who pulled a hamstring right off the bat, my mom who rode each wave in on her knees on account of a recent foot breakage/surgery, Timmy who I think thought he was more coordinated then these photos prove, and Emma, sweet Emma, who was riding waves in like a pro by the end of the day.

I think this might have been when Em found out I, in fact, wouldn’t be surfing. Sorry sis! A classic Emmy face, none the less.

Grandma ready to hit the beach!

The fam! Tris, Auntie Nan, Mom, Em, Me, Uncle Sean, and Grandma

Who here actually lives on the island?

Hee hee, look at moms face.

Auntie Nan heading in…are these comments annoying? With weddings I don’t feel the need to say much, but this is my family. Don’t they deserve introductions???

So it wasn’t all wipe-outs, they are just the best though, aren’t they? Love Tim and Em’s smiles as they plunge head first into the ocean.

Poor Timmy He’s going to kill me, “Why didn’t you post any of my catching any??? I didn’t wipe out on e very one!” Well Timmy, those just aren’t as funny.

Emma wins the trophy.

bit of a different approach..

Does it get any better?

One more to come… hiking day!

I meant it when I said I was going to stay away from all things digital, I have barely even updated a “tweet” since leaving. Finally, home and rested (sort of, read on..) I am blogging the first of a few posts documenting our trip to Kauai. We arrived last Thursday evening after a bit of a plane doozy for both Tim/I and my brother. Grabbed our weeks supply of groceries and headed out towards Hanalei! Kauai is one of those places that feels as though it could be perhaps located on another planet. The landscape is breath-taking and the vibe endlessly calming. Uncle Sean rented a house in Princeville as a Cancer-Free celebration and most of my family was convening there for some overlapping vacations. Tristan, Tim, and I were the first to arrive and did some good stuff before the rest of the family got into town on Sunday.

Sadly, on Sunday I came down with what could only be described as torture. Sickness that knocked the life right out of me and made me cry- bed stricken for a day I couldn’t help but think I was being punished for the pace at which I lead my life back here in Los Angeles. Perhaps it’s time to stop and smell the roses a bit more often? I am on some heavy antibiotics now, having been diagnosed with a flu induced sinus infection, which then led me to a chest infection. Seriously folks, I was siiiiick. Lost my voice though, which is always kind of … fun?

Here’s my brother, Tristan, celebrating his 21st birthday the Hawaiian way in “downtown” Hanalei!

Everything is so colorful on the island.

Tim had never been to Hawaii before and he quickly adapted to the “hang loose” mentality. (PS Hawaiian air does marvelous things for my natural wave- no blow dryer needed!)

Tim caught this next one. I liked the crop although the focus could have been better. Great images are sometimes just “happy accidents.”

Uncle Sean and the beautiful coastline. Not sure what this beach was called but it was really nice. Every time you step out onto a beach you feel like you were traipsing along in the jungle and just happened upon this beautiful span of sand. It rains everyday on Kauai and the showers that day on the beach were particularly refreshing.

On Saturday, we headed out to a waterfall just outside of Lihue. This is the brush overtaking the path to get down to the falls.

We all jumped off the 25 foot waterfall and Tim was brave enough to do the rope swing. You can see the scale here by how tiny he is! I am going to be such a nervous mother- I get so scared when people I love do things like this! Turned out okay though..

Tris dove off the waterfall- another nervous moment of mine.

Happy happy in Hawaii.

… more to come!

Well, the day has arrived, okay not yet, I still have to make it through the night… and while the weight loss goal was never attained- I am going to be wearing a swimsuit whether I like it or not- because I am off to Kauai for a week of snorkeling, eating, laying, swimming, hiking, resting, laughing…. the list of positives just goes on and on. (Besides, I bought two killer one pieces at Anthro that will do just fine. )

I will be periodically checking my email and MAYBE fitting in a blog or two, but… I doubt it. I’m going to do my best to avoid anything “digital” while I am there- even, gasp, twittering! (P.S. Follow me?) (P.P.S. Since it’s really easy to twitter from my phone I can’t guarantee I will be totally avoiding that form of “digital” and of course I will be using my trusty Canon digital gear.)

I am leaving you with a few photos I took last time we were there! The first set is from a series I am working on about my sister, Emma, called, “She once was little and now she is big.” These were on done on 120mm film in a Holga. Nothing digital done to these except scanning- I miss film sometimes. Okay a lot of the time.

Last night Heather and I had the privilege to attend a fun industry evening at The Oviatt downtown hosted by The Wedding Salon. The Oviatt just oozes style- it is such an awesome awesomely cool art deco venue to have your wedding! The party was in the penthouse suite and on the roof top deck and we had a fun time drinking wine, eating yummy small foods, and chatting it up with lots of other local vendors. Heather ran into a super awesome planner she worked with before named Kelley from Picture Perfect Events. Check out her website- so chic.

Here are some silly photos of some of the wonderful men from one of my favorite Palm Springs venues Rancho Las Palmas, and two awesome photographers from Greco Photography - Angela and Lisette- and you’ll recognize Heather and I, of course. Going to events like these are always fun- we’ve all made our career out of going to parties!

Today my baby sister is old enough to drive- legally! The big 16- we leave for Hawaii on Thursday and I will get to wish her a Happy Birthday in person but Emmy, I love you. I wish we still had the van to pass down to you as you most definitely deserve it. …. One piece of advice-avoid driving with Mom until you’re like… 25.

Yeah so we’re pale, it’s in our genes, and as Emma says, “Pale is the new tan!”