Archive for August, 2010

Packing for vacation has never been my favorite thing to do, but now with two kids the focus I needed to remember everything was tremendous. The end result is always worth the time and energy preparing for a trip, but I’m usually exhausted before we leave. We traveled by car, taking 2 days each way, a total of 1,600 miles. We brought fun new games and toys for Eva to open throughout the journey, stopping regularly for breaks and stretches. Jeff and I love taking road trips because we always have the best time listening to music, and talking for hours.

The weather was peaking at around 90° when we left Long Beach the week of our vacation. This was our second time back to Brookings, Oregon and our third time to the Redwood Forest.  Most people jet for tropical climates, white sandy beaches  and palm trees, yet we usually opt for any place with cool temperatures, forests and trees. Don’t get me wrong, put me on the beach with a Mai Tai in hand, and I’m your girl. But, there’s something so amazing about this part of California and Oregon that I love.  I’ve traveled to many places in the U.S. and around the world, and the Redwood Forest and Oregon Coast has to be two of  the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

We stayed at the Loft at Duley Creek, we found on the VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner) website. The owners made us feel right at home for our week stay. We had a pot belly stove, two rooms, a full kitchen, our own laundry facilities and more.  It was great traveling like this with little kids. We ate most of our meals in, and Jeff and I enjoyed our evenings together after the kids were down. The owner is an angler (fisherman), fishing freshwater salmon, mostly on the Rogue River. He brought us his fresh catch two nights that week, and we enjoyed the most amazing salmon one night and brought the rest home to enjoy.

Here’s the loft with a few pictures of the property and some fun details.

The next set of pictures were taken at this great park in town. The kids loved it.
One evening, we took a walk along a beautiful trail above the coast in Brookings.  Isn’t this tree lined trail gorgeous?
View from our walk of Harris Beach.
We visited Klamath two years ago when Eva was only a year old. We had to go back, because we love the Sky Tram there and the fun trail that follows.  It’s a total tourist spot, but we love the trail and views from the top.
She wasn’t too sure about Paul Bunyan…he kept talking to her. It was funny.
She was pretending to be Snow White.
Seriously…my girl has the most beautiful eyes! I know I’m bias. :)
View from Sky Tram:
The next day we decided to do the 2.5 hour drive to the Oregon Caves National Park. We’d been there back in our kid free days, and didn’t think of calling or inquiring to see if we could take the kids into the cave. Well, we got all the way there and found out we couldn’t. Oh well….it was such a beautiful drive, we took a hike and ended up in the snack shop and enjoyed some ice cream.
Here are a few pictures we captured along some of our drives through the Redwood Forest.
Eva loved this day, playing in the sand and chasing the waves. It was just shy of 60° that day, but it didn’t stop her.
Her pants wouldn’t stay up, especially after the bottoms were wet.
This was our last day in Brookings, so we decided to head down to the harbor and walk around.  Of course, it ended in more ice cream. What’s a vacation without ice cream?

The “Habitat ReStore” is part of Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles (HFH GLA) that sells new and used home furnishings and building materials to the general public. I had the privilege of shooting this private event last month. The event was held to thank the many friends and family members, including donors and board members of HFH GLA.  The Habitat ReStore is there to provide an additional funding source to support the low cost housing that HFH GLA provides to the community and families. Read more about the mission here. All of the items sold at this store are marked at 50% below retail value.  It’s worth a stop if you are looking for something specific for your home, or just want to browse. They are constantly receiving new items. My main focus was to take pictures of “stuff”…may I say such cool stuff I wish I had another home to decorate.   Here are just a few of the pictures I took that night.

When I met Keith, Julie and their daughter 10 months ago, I was struck at how down to earth they were and how relaxed and easy going Julie seemed about her wedding day. We had a great first meeting and I was counting the days until their wedding. She had been a hair client of my best friend Jen for many years and she had referred Julie to me. Jen did her hair and it looked absolutely amazing.

It was a perfect summer afternoon. The sun was shining, the breeze blowing and a wedding was about to take place.  The Newland Barn was the perfect setting for this beautiful couple and their closest friends and family.  Their daughter, almost 3 years old, was ready for her big moment as she sat twirling around in her purple skirt. Thank you both for letting me capture your wedding.  Many blessings to you, your family and to your new marriage.

Keith and his son Kean

I met Rachel through my good friend Lisa (check out Lisa’s pregnancy photos here). They were roommates in college back in New Jersey and decided to move out together to California and start a new life here on the west coast. They both met and married men they met while living in Belmont Shores, and both had babies this year.  I love stories like this between best friends.  Rachel and Mark have a beautiful 5 month old little girl. She’s so sweet, and has the perfect chubby legs…I just wanted to eat them!  This is such a beautiful couple, inside and out.  I’m so thankful for their friendship and wish them many blessings on their new journey as parents.

I love this one.  So sweet!