God Bless the Inventor of the Roller Coaster

Matt turned 36 last weekend and when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday a while back he said he wanted to ride some roller coasters. I can't even remember the last time we did that and for a couple of coaster junkies, that's too long!

Since having our two boys, the time we spend doing those things that WE want do to has shriveled into almost nothing. I saw an opportunity to change that and ran with it. I thought about which amusement park would be the best to take the boys and still ride some fun rides. Six Flags, Discovery Kingdom (Marine World) was the place! I asked our fabulous nanny Martyna to come with us and bought tickets.

We had SO much fun.

There isn't anything quite like riding a roller coaster. Being strapped into your seat and whipped, rolled and dropped at incredible speeds. We went on a weekday (thanks Garrett for giving Matt the day off!) to avoid the weekend crowds and because school is still in session the park wasn't too crowded. In fact, Matt and I were able to ride in the front and back rows of our two favorite rides. We basically walked right on and off and back on again. It was a blast.

The boys and Martyna checked out some shows, the dolphin show was the big hit, and rode some rides for kids. We met up a few times so that we could do some things together as a family as well. It was the perfect mix of alone time and family time that we've had.

This experience has taught me to think outside the box. Bring the nanny, or Grandma or friend. Because we brought Martyna, Matt and I were able to have fun together, the kind of fun that reminds you why you're together. We also spent time with our kids doing something fun and different. It was rejuvenating for our entire family.

Happy Birthday my love! I can't wait to go again!!

A Crash Course In Lighting

I had an epiphany about myself in relationship to photography over the weekend which has opened the floodgates for my freedom around shooting. I realized that I was completely hindered and panicked about photographing for money back in the day because I was shooting film. The film cost money, developing cost money and printing cost money. Not really wanting to admit this, because I've worked really hard to cultivate it into a positive thing over the years, but I was and some might still say that I am a person who likes to be in control of things. Taking pictures with an SLR camera and not knowing what you're getting until it's too late doesn't gel so well with that type of personality. ;-) I think the stress of wanting the images to be perfect and never knowing if they were and possibly missing the moment all together was just too much for me. Now, with the digital age, I can shoot, delete and re-shoot to my hearts content! All I need is a big enough card or 4 and I'm good to go!

So, right after I started thinking about shooting more seriously, a mother at Mason's school asked if I would do a portrait session of her daughter. I hate to admit this but I've been putting off giving her an answer because I'm so excited and scared to death at the same time that I've been frozen. (It's funny, when I went on the "Goal Setting Retreat" with my two girlfriends back in March we created vision boards. On my board one of the things I clipped from a magazine was the saying, "it's good to get exactly what you wish for." Here is the universe, God giving me exactly what I was wishing for, I just wasn't expecting it to be the very NEXT DAY!!)

Knowing that I want to do this I realized that to feel more comfortable I need to understand different lighting situations and how to use, yes, the dreaded flash. Thanks again to my amazing husband Matt, for the easy to understand lesson about using the flash. He boiled the information down to the basics and told me just what I needed to know.

On Saturday I had two opportunities in one day to figure it out. First, Mason had a birthday party to go to for one of his best friends, Rasea. I thought, how perfect to take photo's at the party of the kids and see what happens. I strapped the quantum battery pack to my belt, hooked up the flash and went to town. I quickly realized that there's a level of expectation that people have when seeing you all geared up. I didn't have a little point and shoot in my hand. I had the big daddy camera and when the flash is hooked up it looks even more serious. Now, I HAD to deliver. ;-) (Click here to view the entire slideshow)






I came home from the party excited about the images but had no idea if they were o.k. or not. I didn't have time to download and check because I was off to the second photo shoot for the day. Mason's Godmother, Rebecca Love, a heart-felt sculptor who also owns the Painting Garden,was having a gallery opening at the Sebastopol Gallery. The show was of bead and basket work created by women from Africa. The collective is called Rehoboth, The Deepsea Women's Self Help Group of Kenya. Rebecca has traveled to Kenya on a few mission trips over the past couple of years and is now bringing back their jewelry and weaving to sell to help them begin a business. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful. The pieces made for excellent photographs. One of the women, Milka Kabochi, came and represented the group at the show and Rebecca asked if I would come and document the opening. So, off I went for round two.

Unlike the birthday party which took place in several rooms with different lighting situations, this was in one gallery space so I was able to play with moving the flash for the shot and adjusting the focal point tool on the camera. I have to say, that I'm thrilled with the images. I think I did a pretty good job both capturing the spirit of the events and working with the flash so that the lighting looks somewhat natural and warm. (Click here to view the entire slideshow)

Well, what do you think??

What NOT To Do With Your Kids

I'm sure there's a list out there of things not to do with your kids. Like cook with hot oil while holding your baby or taking them with you on your date with your husband. Well, I have one to add to the list. I have to give just a little background before jumping in.

Over the years, I've experienced two pillows that I've slept on that have been the PERFECT pillow. They were super soft and you could pretty much mash them up into a little ball. Hardly any stuffing whatsoever. My mother-in-law has one and she takes it with her EVERYWHERE she goes! It's so squishy!

I was staying with a friend down south once who had one of these pillows and I asked her where she had gotten it. She said her brother made it for her. He took a regular down pillow and de-stuffed it! Brilliant, right?! I would have never thought of that. So, I've been wanting to do this to one of my pillows for I can't tell you how long. Well, this past Friday I finally decided to wait no more.

Here's where the "don't do this with your kids" comes in. ;-)
I took my wonderful Pacific Coast pillow (if you haven't heard of them their products are amazing) and snipped about a 3 inch stretch of seam. Mason and Miles were sitting on the floor of the living room with me just hanging out and playing. As soon as I reached my hand into the pillow, I knew I was in trouble. The down was so fine and fluffy and there was SO much of it! I pulled my first fist full out and feathers went EVERYWHERE. I started laughing but quickly realized I was in deep trouble. Mason came running up and slammed into me AND the pillow. Can you just see it? It was as if it was snowing in my house. Somehow I had to stop him from making bad into worse. I tried to hold the pillow closed with one hand and get the bag open that I had brought in to put the "extra" stuffing into. Not an easy task especially with two boys thinking this was better than anything they had experienced ALL day!

At this point I realized I just had to bite the bullet and get it over with because if I didn't finish the job now, I was going to have to do this all over again. I somehow got both boys to sit a bit of distance away from me, this had to be divine intervention, and I took as much stuffing out as I could. I quickly rubber banded the bag closed and went on the panic search for the needle and thread. (You would think I would have had that ready before I started.) I sewed the pillow shut and let out a big sigh of relief until I looked down at myself covered in feathers and turned around to see my entire living room dusted in white.



Mason, Miles and I spent our afternoon vacuuming the floor and each other. It was pretty funny and I think Mason had more fun in that 20 minutes than he had all week.


I guess the lesson I took from that day was not to get too worked up over something that a vacuum cleaner can fix and I got my perfect pillow out of it!

Mother's Day with My Boys

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms. Young, old, single, married, what-have-you. You are all deserving of some praise!

I had a wonderful Mother's day this year. I only wish that I could have spent some time with my mom and my sister Diana. With Rebecca and Matt's mom and all of my mom friends. Just some time to sit and talk and laugh with each other. That would have been cool.

As I'm growing older my appreciation for my mom and women in general just grows deeper. I have a different perspective now. I can't even believe there was a time when I actually had nothing to do. Do you remember those days? Did you have them? When I truly considered if I should lay out by the pool and lather my body in baby oil, (yes, I really did that. Diana, I think you taught me that one) or if I should go to the beach (and lather my body in baby oil) Ha! Those days are gone and as I write this, I'm glad. I wouldn't trade where I am. I smile and sigh and think, huh, yup, I really feel that way.

I woke up on Sunday to the sounds of my boys downstairs and the smell of bacon. (I made a special trip to the grocery store to pick some up ;-) Not soon after my eyes adjusted to the sunshine I heard the three of them coming upstairs, breakfast in hand. I shared my waffles and bacon with Mason, he had requested to eat on my lap. I drank my mimosa that Matty was so kind to think to pour and I opened my present. Matty made me the sweetest accordion fold mini book of images of us and the boys. It was so great to see the photo's of all of us together like that. It was very cool. He said he had a new found appreciation for what I do to boot!




Seeing those images was perfect for how I have been feeling lately. Ever since my visit to Me Ra Koh's workshop in Sonoma I've been wanting to pick up the camera. For real. I've moved into the digital age but not really. I have my little point and shoot and I use the big 5D when Matt has it around but I always just have him set it up and then I shoot with it. I haven't paid attention to the settings to know how to adjust for different lighting situations etc. So, for Mother's Day I asked Matty to give me a camera lesson.

After breakfast, we had a lazy day in the yard and I played with the camera. He showed me different settings to use, how to adjust for the light and how to shoot on manual which has always freaked me out! I'll share a few of my favorites of the boys. I LOVE these shots. I like everything about them. It was so much fun to "practice". I haven't done that in forever. Thanks Matty for taking the time to give me my camera 101 lesson. It was awesome.






One really fun thing that happened while I was shooting is that Mason wanted to take some pictures. He said he wanted to take some of us, mommy and daddy. I have to share these three shots that he took. They may be some of my favorites of the two of us. You go Mason! You can't start them out too young right?





The day wrapped up with a trip to the lake to feed the ducks and a nice easy dinner at home. While we were eating Mason and I were talking. Miles was finished and Matt was tending to him. Changing the diaper, putting him in pj's etc. Matt, bless his heart, was also doing the dishes, clearing the table and anything else that needed to be done since it was Mother's Day of course. When Mason asked who was putting him to bed we said that daddy was. Then he asked who was putting Miles to bed and we said daddy was. Then he asked a couple of other questions and the answer was..."daddy is" he looked at me and asked with true questioning in his voice, "mommy, if it's Mother's Day, how come YOU aren't doing anything??!" I just about lost it. I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face. That was the best.

The night ended with some ice cream and a movie with my love. All in all a great Mother's Day. I couldn't have asked for more. Quiet time with my family, a camera to shoot some photo's and a movie with my husband. Simply wonderful.

"Life" is Launched on FMN Design.com

I'm so excited to introduce "Life". This new portal of my site highlights children and family albums. I have a Kiss and an Asuka book as samples and will be adding at least one other sample soon.

The photographs I've compiled on the site are from some incredible photographers. Carrie Cook from Urban-Baby, Rick Chapman and Garrett Burdick. They take amazing photographs and I'm blessed to work with each of them. What I love most is how they capture these incredibly intimate moments.

I've also added a "Sample Album" button to both the "Life" and "Wedding" sites. You can click and see a sample design layout. I have to say I love this feature. If you order a book with Forget Me Not, this is how you will view your layouts. I just love it!

Because I have to share, I used some of the wonderful photographs that my husband Matt took of me for my "About" and "Acquaintance" pages of the site. He's pretty brilliant making an older 30 something look as nice as he did! Thanks honey. ;-)

I hope everyone likes the new site. It's a nice reminder for myself to capture the moments of my boys lives in the pages of a book. I can get so caught up in putting books together for other people that making our own goes by the wayside.

Have you thought about making a book of your little ones? No? Maybe you should! It could be a nice Mother's Day gift to yourself or someone in your life. ;-)