It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day for May’s session with her gorgeous children. We strolled up and down the boardwalk, ducking into the candy store, hopping on some rides, and playing some games. Thanks for the wonderful afternoon, guys–enjoy your sneak peek!! :)

Fun at the arcade:

Beautiful, beautiful family:

Sour candy strips–YUMMY fun!! :)

Well, it isn’t quite his birthday, but Colin’s class has been celebrating all the summer birthdays this month and today was his day. :) And I’m calling this post “Part One” in anticipation to his actual birthday party next month.

Mr. Birthday Boy was adamant that the theme be, what else, Star Wars! When asked if he wanted cupcakes or pizza, he chose cupcakes–even insisting that the girls had to have Princess Leia cupcakes since they wouldn’t like Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker. [And for you die-hards, if you're wondering why Leia is brandishing a blue lightsaber, it's a mixture of creative license and the fact that I had a lot of blue lightsabers left over, for some reason or other.] Being that it was his birthday and that I tend to indulge him a bit during this one time of year, I gave the okay. And so I scoured the internet for ideas for Star Wars cupcakes and settled on some designs I thought would be easy enough. And I think they came out pretty cute! HUGE kudos to the best sister in the entire world for the Darth Vader line drawing which I copied onto the fondant with royal icing!! :) I also wanted to do a giveaway that tied into the theme. Initially, I was going to do my sugar cookies on a stick, but while I was in Michael’s I got the inspiration to do lightsabers out of pretzel rods! Time-consuming, but really easy. So, tons of powdered sugar, marshmallows, cake mix, sugar sprinkles, candy melts, shortening (I know, yum), and A LOT of gel coloring later, I had the makings of a pretty decent set of marbled cupcakes and sugary lightsabers.

When the hubby and I got to the classroom, the kids REALLY wanted to get their hands into the cupcakes. Colin got to pick one of his classmates to help him pass out the treats while the other kids went to recess. It was so amazing to watch him help out his teacher. He was so methodical, placing the napkins just so right next to the juice boxes–so cute (’cause you know he doesn’t do that at home!!). :) Once the kids washed up after recess, Colin went to the front of class to help lead a prayer before eating. Then his friends got the chance to ask him questions about his favorite this and that:

What is your favorite cupcake flavor? “Vanilla.”

What is your favorite sea creature? “Sea horse.”

What is your favorite book? “Pokemon. Actually, I have two. I have two Bakugan books and two Pokemon books.”

What is your favorite land animal? “Hedgehog.” :)

What is your favorite Abraham Lincoln book? “Uh….I don’t have one.”

Being a working mom, I rarely get the chance to see him in school while on lunch duty or recess duty or other volunteer things during the school day, so this morning was simply amazing. I can’t tell you how proud I am of my boy. He has matured so much in just one year and is growing so much. His teacher even told me something that blew my mind: he was chosen to read the psalm during the Kindergarten Graduation mass–in front of the whole school! She showed us what he was going to read and I could simply cry all over again, just thinking about it. I AM. SO. PROUD. I hear the Kleenex calling. Sigh……….

Cupcake time ensued and the kids lapped up the buttercream and had fun making mustaches with their frosting. I witnessed several blue tongues being showcased around the room (thanks to that lovely blue Wilton gel) and snapped some shots here and there. It was a wonderful morning. :)

So without further ado, behold the Star Wars Classroom Party for the sweetest and most endearing little almost-6-year-old boy ever:

I had a great time last weekend with Little Miss Chloe and her family in Long Beach. She had fun on her new walking legs (she just took her first solo steps two weeks before!) and playing in the grass. Mom, Dad, and Big Brother were a joy to work with, as well. I just love looking at these smiles and all the love. Enjoy your sneak peek, Miss Chloe! And Happy Birthday, too! :)

Spring is in full swing and summer is fast approaching! I got to spend the afternoon with Maria and Jacqueline, a beautiful mother and daughter team, last weekend in Claremont. We strolled around the colleges and took in the setting sun. It was a gorgeous day and I’m thrilled to share your sneak peek, ladies! Enjoy! :)

I’m so excited to be announcing my first Mini-Session of the year, just in time for Father’s Day! :)

Don’t spend hours at the mall searching for another tie or shirt when you can spend 15 minutes having fun with your own family and your very own personal photographer! You’ll get a taste of the unique and personalized photography experience that I offer, plus you’ll get some amazing memories captured in print for you to look back on in years to come. Surprise Dad or Grand-dad with his very own family photo session or schedule a session with the kids and give the photos as gifts!

But please don’t wait–there are only a limited number of Mini-Sessions available!

Available Session Times:

5:00

5:20

5:40 Booked

6:00

6:20

6:40 Booked

7:00 Booked

::HOW IT WORKS::

1) Email me at info@rachellebsmith.com with your NAME, PHONE NUMBER, and your TOP 2 TIME SLOTS in order of preference.

2) Send payment via PayPal or personal check. Once payment is received, you will receive an email confirmation with the time and specific location of your Mini-Session.

3) Arrive for your Mini-Session! :) Please be on time. In consideration of those scheduled after you, I will not be able to run beyond your allotted time slot if you are late. Don’t forget to bring your signed Model Release(s) which be emailed to you  in your email confirmation.

4) Once your 3-Day Gallery is made available, select either your 16″x 20″ Unmounted Wall Collage Print OR your favorite image for print. In order to ensure delivery of your print(s) in time for Father’s Day on June 19th, please note the following timeline**:

May 29………………..MINI-SESSION

June 2-June 4……….GALLERY AVAILABLE

June 5 at 5pm……….DEADLINE TO SEND YOUR FINAL SELECTION

June 14……………….RECEIVE PRINT(S)

**selections sent after June 5 at 5pm PST cannot be guaranteed to arrive by June 19, 2010.

I headed to one of my favorite spots for urban shots last weekend to meet up with Chris for his Senior Photos. We roamed the streets looking for great texture and color and came up with some great captures. Enjoy your sneak peek, Chris. And all the best for a successful future! :)