I like to surround myself with inspiration. I found some chalkboard markers and started to play with my easel... adding one quote per side to keep me smiling.
go explore // the Camp
One of my resolutions for 2013 is to get out more and go explore.... even if that exploration takes place pretty much in my own backyard. Southern California (and Orange County, in particular) has so much to offer, and even though I've lived here all my life I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of it all. So I promised myself to try something new at least twice a month... whether that means driving around finding new locations to use for my portrait sessions or just heading out to try a new place for lunch. Hopefully, this means you'll be seeing a lot more images from my "travels," and might just be inspired to try a new place or two, yourself. So, here we go.
First stop: The Camp in Costa Mesa.
I suggested trying a new lunch location to Tony today, and he was totally game. I remembered hearing something about "amazing tacos" at The Camp, and figured we could give those a try. (And as I had only been to The Camp once before, and Tony had never been before, we get bonus points for newness.)
We drove there with tacos in mind, but once we got to The Camp we were seriously torn. There were SOOOOO many amazing food places to choose from. So we did the easy thing and decided to try a couple of them.
First up: Taco Asylum. (The name of the "amazing taco" place.) Their menu was making us drool a bit, but having never been there before we decided to play it safe and order something simple: the short rib taco. A-MAZ-ING. We will definitely be coming back for more. VERY soon.
Next up: Umami Burger. There was a bit of a wait (sidenote: how COOL is it when the hosts are using iPads to add you to their wait-list, and then just send you a text message when your table is ready?!!!), so we decided to explore the area a bit more. We wandered through The Camp, taking note of all the awesomeness around us. (Sidenote #2: if anyone wants a portrait session here I am DEFINITELY adding this place to my "locations" list. I have the contact person's name for The Camp and will be able to secure a photo permit here with no problem.)
Aluminum paneling, mini trailers, a hammock and lots of greenery... this place is simply BEGGING for a photo shoot.
Even their parking lot is adorable. Check out these inspirational parking spaces.
And then... on to the food. Umami Burger. I'd been to one in Las Vegas before, but hadn't been to this location. So it totally counts as new.
Tony and I decided to share a "Manly Burger" (beer-cheddar cheese, smoked-salt onion strings, bacon lardon), an "Umami Burger" (shiitake mushroom, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, parmesan crisp, umami ketchup), some fries and a beer.
YUM. Definitely YUM. And how could you NOT love a place where their branding extends clear to the actual food (the "U" stamped on the top of each bun)?
Unfortunately, we didn't leave room for dessert, but will definitely be returning to The Camp to test out another place soon.
amazing
He has no idea how amazing he is. Creating something from nothing, an imagination come to life.
And after 10 years together, I still love to sit and watch him work.
Just a typical Saturday/Sunday afternoon for my husband... sitting at a table at South Coast Plaza's Crystal Court, headphones on, working on his newest drawings.If you ever see him as you wander through, don't be afraid to stop and say hi. And see the amazingness he is currently creating.
have yourself a merry little Christmas
documenting the everyday
I document my life on a daily basis. It's just what I do. Long before Facebook told me it was cool to share what I ate for lunch, and Foursquare allowed me to "check in" with my location, and Instagram let me instantly share my view with others... I was still documenting. I was collecting, journaling, scrapbooking. And taking lots and lots of pictures of my everyday. Because in the long run, it's the everyday moments that count.
I still journal, and I still take daily pictures.
And I invite you to do the same.
Not sure what to document, exactly? Try starting with this:
There are lots of different daily prompts out there to choose from, but the one from Chantelle Ellem on Instagram is one of the more popular ones to play along with. (You might recognize her as @fatmumslim.)
I'll be playing along with this one in December, too. Follow along with my own daily adventures here: http://instagram.com/thesuitcasestudio
I'd LOVE to see how your December goes. Be sure to tag me in posts on Instagram and Facebook (@thesuitcasestudio) so I don't miss a thing!
first trip to DISNEYLAND
My niece and nephew just turned FOUR years old. And their parents decided to celebrate by taking them to DISNEYLAND for the FIRST time. (squeeeealll!!!) Living in Southern California, this is a HUGE rite of passage, and one that I was excited to be a part of.
It was quite a little party we had. The twins, their parents (my step-bro and sis-in-law), a set of grandparents (my mom and step-dad), and myself (the cool aunt). And I don't know which of us was more excited... the kiddos or us grown-ups. Because, while I'm at Disneyland quite a lot (hooray for annual passes), it is something quite different to see it through a child's eyes... especially when seeing it all for the first time.
Everything was so shiny and new. And incredibly fantastic. The twins moved like little pinballs, their eyes bouncing from sight to sight. And we weren't much better. "M," look here! "E," look here! We were all wanting to share our own favorites with them as we went along, and were so happy to be a part of their BIG day.
"E" was SO excited to meet the characters... until he got up close and it was actually HIS turn. (Let's face it... they CAN be quite scary.) But "M" was fearless and dove right in for the hugs.
"E" plans our next move...
While "M" strikes a pose...
...aaaaaand, there's the KID again.
"E" was so amazingly brave and rode a roller coaster for the FIRST time.
Proof that I actually WAS here, though behind the lens (as usual)
Making faces.
love love LOVE this shot. They are SO amazingly wonderful with each other... especially when they don't think that anyone is watching.
The grandparents got to spoil them with LOTS of sweets that day.
But it's hard NOT to... I mean, just look at how CUTE they are!
Click here to see even more images from their day at Disneyland.
Many thanks to my family for letting me be a part of your BIG and wonderful day. (And for letting me stick a camera in your face for most of it.)
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Knott's SCARY Farm // VIP Party
The first time I ever went to Knott's Scary Farm I was 15 years old, a sophomore in high school, and newly in love. I've never been much of a horror fanatic, but I'd heard that Halloween Haunt was THE place to go on a date. I mean, c'mon... I got to play damsel in distress while he got to hold me close while protecting me from the monsters? It was a win-win. I wasn't a huge horror fan, but it was SO much fun to cling to the back of my boyfriend's shirt as he bravely led us through each maze, our hearts racing all the way. -------------------
Flash forward (many, MANY years), and I was JUST as excited to be heading back.
I'd been invited to attend Knott's Scary Farm's VIP Party, as part of their 40th Anniversary Celebration.
I was a little bit older, a little bit wiser, but still very much still the scaredy cat. But I put my brave face on and gave it a go. And I'm SOOOO glad that I did.
This time around, I wasn't hiding behind a boyfriend. Sheesh... I'm waaaaay too mature for THOSE games. (not really.) In actuality, this time I was hiding behind my best friend, Michelle. She's MUCH braver than I am (and a HUGE fan of the scary, gory stuff), so I invited her to be my guest for the evening. And made her go FIRST through the mazes so she could guard me from the spooky stuff. Ha!
Here are a few highlights from the evening:
If you've been to Knott's Scary Farm before, then you know that one of the highlights of the evening is the "hanging," where they mock every current social reference you can possibly think of.
Here they are getting ready to hang "Kristen Stewart."
....aaaaand, now back to the spooky stuff.
Our first maze of the evening. My heart was racing, and it felt like I was about to board a rollercoaster. It was awesome.
Michelle fell in love with the Snoopy sipper.
Michelle and I joined forces with Desi and Tammy of Dez+Tam Photography for the evening. Because there's safety in numbers, right?
We were told that there would be a "gangnam style" flash mob during the evening. I didn't know that Ted Nguyen would be leading the pack, however.
Even the monsters got into the fun...
Tammy had a "little" someone sneak up behind her.
While Michelle was quite happy to be clowning around.
And what would a trip to Knott's be without some yummy funnel cake?
(Thanks for sharing, Desi!)
Even ghouls have gotta get their grub on... right?
Once bitten, twice shy?
This was an awesome moment. Michelle had NO clue that this guy was right behind her till it was too late.
Many, MANY thanks to Knott's and GigaSavvy for the invitation. I hope to come back NEXT year!!!
See even more images from the evening here on Facebook.
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help-portrait
Looking back through the family photos makes me cringe a bit. I see that habit I had when I was younger of sticking my tongue out just a bit when I smiled. I see the horrible gold lamé dress my mother had me wear for Christmas pictures one year. I see the horrible fashion choices I made on my own. (And crimped hair? What was I thinking?) But when I am able to look past all of that ego-centric stuff, I am able to see something quite fabulous. My family. I can see... and I can remember.
And I often wonder... what if I didn't have those photos to rely on? Would my memories of them be a bit different? Or maybe a bit more vague if I didn't have something to SEE in order to spark the recollection?
Some people don't have the pleasure of having a single family portrait, or any pictures at all. There are plenty of people who lost past photos due to fire or other natural disasters. There are those who have fled bad situations, leaving everything behind. There are single parents and underprivileged families who simply can't afford photos. And plenty of other people and other circumstances, as well.
Which brings me to this:
HELP-PORTRAIT.
Help-Portrait is a community of photographers coming together across the world to use their photography skills to give back to their local community. In December, photographers around the world will be grabbing their cameras, finding people in need and taking their picture. When the prints are ready, the photographs get delivered. Just like that.
In 2010, I had the pleasure of volunteering at a Help Portrait event at the Orange County Rescue Mission. Each family was escorted to a room where services were being provided by local hair & makeup artists who had donated their time, tools and expertise. Then the families were led to one of eleven photo stations that had been set up, where each family received a quick family portrait session. A few days after the photographs were taken, each family received a family portrait in the form of one 5x7 and two 4x6 prints.
My favorite moments were working with the families, themselves. Seeing the apprehension and tentativeness turn to joy. And lots of smiles. Hearing the laughter and knowing that, no matter what else is in their lives, in this one moment they are truly happy. And THIS will be remembered when they look at their photo.
It was amazing to see how many people came together to make this all happen... not just photographers, but many other people who believed in this cause, as well. Each person donated whatever time and tools they could, and we were even able to gain some business sponsorships, as well... not just covering some of the photo printing cost, but also lending lighting equipment, backdrops and other necessary items for the day. This event could not have taken place with all of their financial support.
I'm gearing up to do it all again this year, as Help Portrait will be held on December 8, 2012 .
And I'm asking YOU to join me in being a part of it.
Here's how:
Today through September 26, Help Portrait is running a Groupon deal where you can donate $10 to the cause. Each $10 donation covers the cost of 3 prints and a frame for one family.
And even better, Wacom (this year's corporate sponsor) has agreed to MATCH all donations (up to $4,000). So your $10 donation is actually $20!
So your donation would provide new family pictures for TWO families.
Click this link to donate now: http://www.groupon.com/deals/dc-lgt-grs-help-portrait
And THANK YOU for your generosity.
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photo used is from Help-Portrait site.