Taking a break ....

     Not sure anymore how to calm my racing heart down. I'm not heart attact bound, I'm just running around with my head cut off 24/7. 3 kids, 1 dog, a boyfriend and 8 employees under me makes me a very crazy woman at times. I strive for perfection in everything I do and that is a blessing and a curse. This week I've decided that I really need to set aside time to recharge and grow. 

1. Pray More : I pray everyday but not in a way that calms every ounce of my body. I must look inside and find that spot in my heart that truly lets me talk with God on a deeper level 

2. Walk: today was the first day in months that I went outside and took a walk. My boyfriend and I talked about our day, our kids and plans for our future. I actually saw the beauty around me that I take for granted. 

3.  Drink less coffee-drink more water:  Thisis a hard one for me.  I drink way to much coffee.  It's a very strange thing since I never drank coffee till after my brain tumor. I hated coffee and I loved tea. Well, roles have been reversed. Water is the devil to me.  Hence no gall bladder and dehydrated skin. Well I need to start thinking about the mental, as well as cosmetic benefits of good ole H2o 

4. Explore life more with a child like intrigue: Today the girls and I drove through Palm Springs in search of Frank Sinatras home. It was sheer joy as we went down streets singing, talking, and laughing in search for old blue eyes Twin Palms home. The pure innocents of discovery and the joy in finding something unexpected, is priceless. 

5. Be more Grateful: I've lived an extraordinary life! I've been blessed by tragedy that others see as misfortune. I need to remember who I am, what I have accomplished and be ever more grateful. Live in the moment and take a breath and show gratitude. 

Hadley's on our way to Palm Desert 

Aging....... I'm 46

I really can't believe I'm 46! When did all this happen? 

      We all age, it happens. Some of us try to fight it with fillers and botox, while others just age and say F#%# It!  I'm not sure which woman I am. Have I tried Botox? Yes and it gave me such a headache that I've never tried it again. Fillers no! Why you may ask? I'm too cheap. The hardest part of aging for me is seeing my body change. At 44 my stomach was flat as a pancake, at 46 it's on its was to muffin status. Let's not even talk about the arms, ugh! I have a gym membership that sees my 30 dollars a month long before it sees me.  I'm no longer asked if I'm my children's older sister and the grays  come in quicker then I can retouch them. I have crinkles around my eyes that my black eyeliner likes to call home. I'm aging and it makes me sad some days and happy other days. My girlfriends are aging with me and we talk about our fat, our premenopausal anxiety, and how we went to the beach everyday together as children 

A mothers vision

   I'm not sure how I got lucky enough to have 3 crazy and beautiful girls, but God blessed me. 

   Today my friend Stevie took Senior shots of my eldest Taylor. Taylor has been photographed 100's of times but today she was just my daughter and I was her mom. Pretty soon Natalie and then Jacqueline will be standing in front of the camera as the begin their final year in high school. I often wonder what will become of them and what will life bring them. As I starred at the first image of Taylor, I noticed my little girl was no longer little and the dreams I had for her childhood where not to be.

    Life is funny, ironic and tragic. My life and my girls life has been all three. We have lived ourlives as an invisible family unit that was was made stronger by the tragedy of someone's irony.  The funny thing is, as I look at my daughters,  I see the greatness that will become.

Sneak at a styled engagement shoot with Chris and Lauren

   It's always fun to spend a Sunday working with fabulous people. This Sunday two of my partners in crime photographer Manya and MUA Lucy re-teamed for this fun little shoot. We were blessed to have a breeze at time of shooting. This is just a glimpse at what we accomplished that hot and humid day

Single life single wife

  It's hard to believe that it's been 8 yrs since I was someone's wife. Crazy to think but now I'm at the place where I'm trying to figure out just what I want.  People who get married straight out of divorce have zero time to think and reflect on what they want from their new life. I on the other hand, have dated, not dated, been happy, been sad and always end up content with my choices. But a day doesn't go by when I'm asked,"do you have a boyfriend?"  9 times out of 10, the answer is no. Trying to figure out how a man fits into my busy schedule of work and kids is that nagging question I have.   So no I don't have a boyfriend and no I don't know exactly what I want, and that's ok! 

     

Single Moms deserve a night of fun!

   I hear from single moms all the time that they get bashed for going out and having a good time. It made me think. When I was little my parents would go to friends homes for cards, dinner and concerts and no one thought twice on their parenting skills. What is with people in this day and age that find it ok to comment on a woman's parenting because they choose to go to dinner or a concert. Are kids not allowed to be babysat by a older sibling these days? I say poppycock! (My new favorite word)  Was divorce suppose to turn you into a spinster and make you die a 1000 deaths ten times over. Jealousy is my only conclusion!  Plain old fashioned, she looks good and having fun and I'm not jealousy! 

     I say enjoy life with your friends and when you can take your teenager with you to see Train. 

Senior Workshop part 1

     Nancy and I hosted our second workshop a couple of Sundays ago.  We decided to focus on Seniors and step for a moment out of the bridal world.  This was a fun and crazy shoot. 10 great kids ranging in age from 16 to 19 all came together to help us create this wonderful day. Our them was Abercrombie meets Hilfiger.  I wanted a look that encompasses all the different aspects of the classic Americana Preppy look.  Dogs, bikes and car where hauled in to make this shoot memorable    

Thank you to all the individuals who made this shoot possible

Hair: Briana  Naylor and Suzzanna Hawkins

MUA : Sara Martinez

Concept and wardrobe: Hope Stanley

Coordinators: Nancy Orozco and Hope Stanley