This session was a blast! Amy-Jo and I go waaaaaay back. Okay, well, maybe not THAT far back, but we did go to high school together. And she is the same warm, happy, confident, and gorgeous person inside and out that I remember from our Thespian days. I am so honored to be sharing some photos from her maternity session from the weekend. Can you believe she is due in just over a week?!?! She looks amazing. I got to meet her wonderful husband and their most adorable son. I had so much fun editing this session–I could not stop smiling as I looked at each laugh and hug and smile that I captured that afternoon. I can’t wait to meet the little one when she arrives! Until then, here is a sneak peek from your amazing session.

We started out near the train station where little E gave us a run for our money around the planter:

Can you just hear the laughter? Amy-Jo, you are a gorgeous mama!! :)

Then we did a little walking around Downtown.

Who doesn’t love bubbles? :)

Not this little guy! :)

Thank you, Amy-Jo and family!! Can’t wait to see you again soon! :)

I am absolutely in love with this family! April brought her beautiful children to meet me for a session in San Marino the other day. We had a great time playing with sticks and bubbles and swings and slides. Just looking at these gorgeous faces brings a smile to my face and the sound of laughter that rang through the air was absolutely infectious. Thank you for the most enjoyable afternoon and some fun memories. Enjoy your sneak peek!

More from Liza and Chad’s engagement session in Fullerton! :) Thanks for being so amazing!

I had SO much fun on Sunday with Ryan–an adorable 4 year old with a sweet, soft voice and big brown eyes. This little guy and his dad, joined me for a special session where I had the privilege of capturing lots of hugs, smiles, and laughs between father and son–moments to treasure for a lifetime. Here’s your Sneak Peek, guys! Hope you enjoy it–there’s plenty more where these came from. ;)

Another gorgeous sunny Southern California day. It’s days like this you wish you could spend some time outside in the fresh air instead of inside staring at your computer . . . It’s Friday, though, so methinks I will indulge in some of my absolute faves to start the weekend just a tad bit early.

1) Khiel’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve

This stuff is AMAZING!!! I have tried everything for my embarrassingly ragged cuticles and sandpaper hands, but this works like a miracle. Seriously. The first time I tried this, I couldn’t believe how soft my hands were–not greasy at all. The unsightly “cracks” and dry skin instantly vanished. And my hands stayed that way for hours!!! If you have dry, cracked hands like me, save yourself from further unnecessary suffering and buy this!!

2) Tazo® Shaken Iced Green Tea (sweetened) from Starbuck’s

I first tried this on our way back from our annual Polar Express trip (which I also highly recommend if you have young train enthusiasts!!!). I wanted something different from my usual Green Tea Latte (yes, I have a thing for green tea) and this sounded refreshing. WOW! I guzzled that Venti-sized tea like it was going out of style! Really, really crisp and refreshing. Slightly sweet (which is how I prefer to imbibe my teas). Yummy!! Okay, now I need to go get one.

ETA: I went to the Starbuck’s and they said they didn’t have it. WHA?!?! So I high-tailed it to the other coffee/tea place and picked up their Naja Iced Green Mystique Tea. OH. MY. WORD. Love you, Tazo, but I do believe there’s a new iced green tea in town. Their teas are full-leaf and come in these AMAZING flavor combinations. There’s even a chocolate tea that I have yet to try. Seriously, check them out. I hope they will  be selling the Green Mystique online soon. I WANT MORE!! :)

3) Brandi Carlile

I am so bummed that I was such a slacker and didn’t buy tix for her concert at the House of Blues tonight!!! You wanna know why? Because Brandi is such a TALENTED singer who is UNBELIEVABLE live–that’s why! I heard her first on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic”. They played “My Song” which immediately caught my attention. This girl can ROCK! How to describe…….I would say folk with a bit of country and a nice dousing of soulful rock is a fairly good description of her album “The Story” (this gets daily play time on my iPod). Such a nice break from alot of the mainstream junk that gets so much air time.

4) One World Vegetarian Cuisine

This is so gonna be dinner tonight. I’m a wannabe vegetarian. I do indulge in some meat now and then–like maybe once a week or less–but even then, in small quantities. Whether you’re veg, wannabe veg, or carnivore, this place will leave you wanting to come back for more. I even took my ueber-skeptical, meat-and-potatoes-loving hubby for their “Grilled Teriyaki Kebabs” and he was really surprised by how delicious everything was! And super affordable. I went back for the “Zesty Serendipity” (orange flavored chick-un) and, again, I was blown away. How could this not be meat?!?! And to top it all off, you’re not left waiting for a half-hour while your food cooks. Service is friendly, fast, and great. I am so excited that this is so conveniently located to us. And I can’t wait for dinner tonight!! :)

One World Vegetarian Cuisine
178 S. Glendora Ave., West Covina, CA 91790
Phone: 626-917-2727
Hours: Monday through Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

That’s all for this week. Got a Father / Son session scheduled for Sunday, so stay tuned and have a wonderful weekend! :)

~Rachelle

Despite the 60% chance of rain and the crowds of people, Liza and Chad’s engagement session was blessed with not a drop of rain (well, may ONE drop)! I joined them, their gorgeous girls, and some family friends at the Aquarium of the Pacific, where we had some fun blowing bubbles, running around, and capturing some wonderful shots. I had a blast and hope you did, too. Enjoy your sneak peek, guys!

Well…..not really. I’m not actually ON the PTO, but I went to my first PTO meeting tonight. Not just that general meeting that everyone has to go to during the year, but a “meeting” meeting. Like a “just-the-board-members” meeting. I was even on the agenda!! :) What spurred this turn of events? I watch the Food Network. Yup, me likey FoodTV. :) If you’re a foodie like me, you might have seen the commercials for The Great American Bake Sale starring Sandra Lee (of “Semi-Homemade Cooking” fame). GABS is a national campaign that mobilizes Americans to end childhood hunger by holding bake sales in their communities.”I wanna do that! That would be so amazing to do at Colin’s school!” So off I went to my friend Google and the rest, as they say, is history.

I got a pretty positive response from the board and enthusiastic support from the principal. We’ve even identified a date for a bake sale in the Fall! Looks like I have some work to do, as it looks like I’m spearheading the planning process. Go me! If you’d like to help by hosting your own bake sale in your community, sign up at www.thegreatamericanbakesale.org. You really can make a difference and help the fight to end childhood hunger in America!!

I know what you’re thinking–it’s been a looong time since I shared a client session! Well, rainy days, winter activities, and new house hubbub have slowed me down a bit, but Spring is nigh and I’ve got many weekends lined up all ready. :) I’m sharing this session with a fun group of guys who founded a comedy group called KWIS (Know What I’m Sayin’?). I didn’t get a chance to share it late last year, so here are a few of my favorite shots to tide you over until my upcoming sessions!