Jacquelyn, Austin and Huey

These two.. well three.. They were so sweet, smiley and naturally awesome.. They brought their little man Huey to the shoot and it was so perfect.. Yet another gorgeous San Diego day with sunshine and beautiful light..

We are so lucky to live here..

man.. it is so perfect.

 Jacquelyn and Austin are not only gorgeous, easy going, tall {really tall!!} and really funny..  they are so sweet!!

These lovebirds contacted me to shoot their wedding and I couldn't be more happy.. These two are so in love and sparkle with excitement..

See you two in October.. Can't wait!

fawns favorite.

 i have been wanting a dream catcher for so long.. 

i have searched and searched and they never LOOKED right.. don't know what i was looking for, something soft.. not a lot of crazy and i love feathers..

i went on etsy and browsed often..

one day this guy pops up..

it was perfection.

i am so in love with etsy and all the amazing talent overflowing over there..

these gorgeous dream catchers you can find here.. 

the price is great! 

we have it upstairs to catch all our dreams and the girls are very smiten with it..

so am i!

AND?

the shop owner alycia is a local san diego girl..

couldn't be more perfect!

.

Etsy shop - www.etsy.com/shop/AlyciaMealy

Blog -http://www.alyciamealy.blogspot.com

and of course.. 

instagram- @alyciamealy

 

a couple's best friend..

 his name is huey and he really is smiling..

 more coming soon..

a quote for my girls..

this last week was dr. suess week at school and the girls were learning all about him.. as we read books, colored pictures and quoted him.. i really loved so much of what we learned.. see some favorites here..

i never realized as a little girl reading his books he was so wise..

did you?

Wedding Albums

A wedding album is honestly one of the best purchases you can make.. I mean..

It tells the whole STORY of one of the best days of your life.. It is seen by everyone, forever, and many, many times over.. You would grab it in a fire, you will show your children one day, and 10 years later.. it will still make you tear up. I offer these albums to all my clients, you just throw it in your package.. I will design it, you will approve it before it goes to print and it is easy as pie to have this gem on your coffee table in a couple weeks.. 

it will make you smile really big when you get this gorgeous package delivered to your door..

I promise.

{leather}

{linen}

{colors}

psst! look over there ------->

so exciting that i am on wedding wire as a preferred san diego wedding photographer.. a HUGE thank you to you wonderful brides that left such amazing reviews for me.. i really am the luckiest gal on the earth.. you had such sweet things to say about me.. man. so crazy!

it means so much.
and..
{i can't post without a picture!!!}
 here is a photo from last weeks engagement session i am currently editing..
this kind of light makes my heart skip..
it really does.
i am such a nerd.. i know. i know.

mini kitchen remodel

 

so we have been hard at work trying to make out new house a home, just getting things to FEEL like us is hard enough. we painted the house, hung pictures and found a place for our "stuff'.. that itself is a stressful chore..

the kitchen is the heart of the home and we really wanted to make it bright and white and on a budget we did it ourselves, well, damian did.. most of it.

we took inspiration from pinterest, houzz and of course picking the brains of all my stylish girlfriends..

here is what it looked like before.

 

we tore down all the upper cabinets and all but 2 people told me i was crazy and i actually thought i was too for a minute when damian actually started ripping the door off..

6 useful cabinets of storage..

poof! 

GONE!

 

the one cabinet above the fridge i actually wanted to keep but.. it came off when damian removed the one next to it.. so.

we went with it..

yep. we will take that one down too.

why.

not?

we tiled up the wall.. allllll the way up the wall..and on alllll three sides..

the hardest part was removing the 8" black splash of granite.. that was a whole day.. yes. 1 whole day.

 

it is a bit tricky to get the pattern down.. and all the cutting! all the light sockets.. geesh!!

but.

i just LOVE the look of subway tile.. so clean and fresh..

 

we took down the drop ceiling light boxes and had some pocket lights installed.. it lifted the ceiling and made it SOOO much brighter...

 

we had all the bottom cabinets painted white and put new clean modern hardware on..

found it all home depot.. nothing too fancy.

 

repainted the ceiling a fresh coat of white..

 

hubby worked late after work every night for a week.. his hands were raw and he was so exhausted..

looking back it was quite a stressful task we took on but to tell you the truth.. 

we over simplify everything..

i mean we really do..

we usually jump into things and go..

"oh wait! this is sort of a big deal!"

it always works out and i love that about us..

remember our camping adventures?

prime example, bought a pop up trailer and went camping having no idea AT ALL what we were doing..

but we figured it out and it is what we look forward to every summer..

sometimes you just gotta JUMP! and the net will appear..

have you heard that saying?

i love it..

 so here it is the after photo.. 

a sweet friend bought me an air plant and glass bubble for christmas and i am obsessed! i went to buy 2 more because i love it so much! they were the perfect addition to our new kitchen! hanging in this corner they are just perfect!

{thanks nicole!} 

a BIG tip i learned.. adding some plants, my oils on the counter, cookbooks, etc.. made a HUGE difference it making the space feel lived in and not too stark white or just being non functional.. who would of thought i would ever say too white.. right?

for that great question..

 "where is all your stuff?"

{additional photo added}

so here is where we store all of our dishes, everything we need to serve our meals is here, i love the restaurant feel of having the dishes out there and stacked up..  we have a couple more wood salad bowls that i just pile inside of the one you see here, something about a kitchen feeling used but organized.. it just feels great! all over flow of platters, big bowls, pitchers etc are in the garage in bins and labeled for the one time a year i may actually use them :)

the tooth fairy arrives.

little c.. 

she lost her first tooth.. february 16th, 2013

we were at jersey mikes and she bit into her salami sandwich, winced in pain and there it was.. the wiggly tooth just fell out.. it wasn't pretty and i feel bad for the poor patrons that had to watch me basically do cartwheels and whip out my phone to take a photo.. it was quite exciting.. she has been hard at work.. wiggling that tooth for weeks now..we got home, she wrote her letter and put her tooth under her pillow..

it says " i am so iside."

{i am so excited}

simply stated and to the point..

love that girl.

6 things.

1.

okay.. so we bought a house! yes! uhh-huh!! we did! i want to shout it from the roof tops.. hear me roar.. we BOUGHT a house! i am still in total awe of it.. you know when things just line up and one thing after another just works.. this was one of those things.. we moved 12 house down.. same neighborhood, friends, school and street!! i didn't breathe a word about it because i am superstitious and didn't want to jinx it.. but yes. we are homeowners. it was a stressful 45 days and we are now settling in.

{iphone photo}

2.

we did a small kitchen remodel before we moved in and i took photos. on my iphone. i am working on that post. i have not had time or energy to blog and i am sorry for the absence. but my awesome hubby worked his tail off.. the kitchen is so important to me, i think it is the heart of the home.. i am glad it all came together.. i was a bit worried for a moment {or two}
yes. we ripped off all 6 upper cabinets
yikes! right?


{iphone photo}

3.

work is going to start up again soon, i have 2 wonderful engagement shoots this weekend and i have a feature coming up soon on an amazing blog i am so honored to be a part of. it is looking like another great year and i am just so blessed.

4.

i took the facebook app off my phone. decided..i really do not need another distraction from what is in front of me. my girls are growing so darn quick and i just don't need that distraction. i AM on instagram and i love the idea of snapping a photo of my life and sharing it, two passions colliding to me. i love instagram.

5.

i had a birthday. it was a weird one for me. i think the emotions of moving and adjusting to the new home, my girls decided they want separate rooms and then being another year older.. it wasn't a fabulously exciting birthday for me. i just wanted to be mellow.  hubby and i enjoyed a delicious dinner at burlap in del mar.  i went to la costa spa for a massage the day before which is like disneyland to me. seriously. the best place. ever. the day of my birthday we had a picnic on the beach with caprese and pink champagne. that was pretty amazing.

{iphone photo}


6.
a friend of mine gifted these gorgeous sunbursts to me for my bday and they make me so happy.. i adore them. and her.  
{thanks angela}

i have learned that warming a house is pictures up, friends and family who visit,  cupcakes being made and lots of snuggles on the couch.. it is starting to feel better.
so glad this is finally OUR home.
{insert sigh of exhaustion here}

for the love of beets..

if you know me.. 

you know i LOVE beets.. when i see a recipe with beets, i usually have tried or i will.. this was no different..
 i love goat cheese and i have found a interesting love for arugula lately.. i love it on top of pizza and in sandwiches.. how about sourdough bread, goat cheese, beets and arugula.. umm. yes..
most ahhhh-mazing combo..
ev.er.

i actually thought to take this photo as my stomach was severely grumbling..
 and then.. 

POOF! the sandwich was gone..

and how pretty is it?

a great sandwich for a lunch guest!

iphone photo moments..

so damian has been taking the girls to play tennis.. each one their very own day.. chloe i think enjoys the time by herself with dad.. she is a lot more concerned about her outfit then getting the ball over the net..

makena loves it and has a lot of fun with it, neither of our girls have that super competitive drive like their dad.. it's funny to see him being so patient.. it is awesome time together and it is FUN.. and that is what matters most.. 

we hiked torrey pines and it as always, was so stunning.. san diego is such a beautiful place to live and i count my blessings {the many} every single day..

it started to rain on us halfway through the hike..

it was sort of fun but..

 {mental note: check the weather when it is a bit cloudy outside before going on a hike}

loving that my 8 year old still wants to match with me.. i made her promise when she climbed in my lap at dinner the other night to always want to snuggle.. her response..

"really mom?really? do you think i would ever not want to??"

oh man. how i hope not.

and i can't stop wearing these grey suede boots..

i love them. mucho

we went and explored low tide with some friends and it was SO freezing!! can't you tell by this photo?

i mean, it is 37 degrees in the mornings lately.. 

i am allowed to say its cold?! right!?

i need a puffer jacket or something?

a friend shot a photo of her in the in- n- out drive thru on my instagram feed on saturday and i couldn't get it out of my head all day.. i caved.. we do not eat fast food.. ever really. not saying that i care if you do.. i grew up on it.. and i am totally fine.. {right?}

we eat brussel sprouts/veggie tacos one day and pizza the next.. i am all about moderation and to just try your best..

no judging or lecture here..

but fast food chains.. i don't do.. 

but in-n-out..

they don't count..

{we all make our own rules, right?}

so. when i indulge in- n- out..

i go big..

i go animal style and extra extra pickles and i enjoy it tremendously..

it is a glass of wine worthy meal..

look at this hanging planter i made.. a friend of mine has one in her home and i admire it mucho.. i was browsing through pinterest and came across a tutorial on refinery29.. pinned it and voila'..

i love it.

we recently went ice skating in del mar at the del coronado hotel.. it was stunningly gorgeous.. ice skating on the beach.. 

that is pretty fabulous..

chloe was over it in 2 seconds, my mother in law fell but was a total trooper.. man that lady is awesome and so makena and i were the last girls standing..

it was pretty awesome.

little c is reading.. i had tears in my eyes.. that moment when the lightbulb just goes off and they are reading is so wonderful.  few words to describe..

precious precious moment.

oh. and? she was a wiggly tooth..

i am a proud mama.

ok. and did you watch the golden globes??

man.. kate hudson..she knocked my socks off..

my jaw dropped when i saw her in that stunning alexander mcqueen master piece..

she is perfection..

i will leave you with this photo of her..

as i sit here in my sweats, hair in a high ponytail and coffee in hand..

someone has to keep it real around here.