Oh, happy Monday. There’s nothing like a whirlwind weekend that makes it so hard to get up on Monday mornings. Especially when you have to work on a perfectly good Columbus Day!

Here’s the weekend re-cap:

We attended a wedding on Saturday. It was great. Colin enjoyed seeing his cousins and running around with them all night during the reception. Poor kid had laryngitis by the end of the evening and woke up with a major cold, though. :( We adults had a good time, too. I think one of the major highlights of the reception was the photo booth by All Star Photo Booth, complete with all kinds of goofy and colorful props. The kids couldn’t get enough of it! And guess what? I even got my folks in there with Colin to snap some crazy fun smiles. They were totally into it!! Haha….well, the pictures tell all:

Colin and my parents:

We all made it home safely and turned in after the long, eventful day. Rubbed a little Vicks on my sick baby and kissed him goodnight. He. Was. Out. And so were we.

Sunday morning came much too quickly. I had a morning photo session, so I got up early to prepare and get in the right frame of mind. It was shaping up to be warm day by the time I left the house, but we survived the heat and the bugs that were out in full force. I actually made it unscathed by nary a bug bite!! The last outdoor session left me in Urgent Care with an infected spider bite and a scrip for antibiotics. Can I help it if I’m just that yummy?! ;)

I couldn’t wait to get home to the hubs and my sick boy. I called them after the session and told them I was stuck in a parking lot on the 10 Freeway—didn’t know how long I would be. We literally did not move for at least a minute—not even an inch. So I had time to snap a little evidence. Don’t worry—I don’t normally do this while driving, but it wasn’t like we were going anywhere:

Finally made it home. My self-sufficient men had already devoured a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches. I even had one myself for lunch. With sliced tomatoes—yum! The rest of the afternoon was spent running errands with my boys, picking up stuff for Halloween and getting ready for our Pumpkin Carving Party at the end of the month. Once Colin was asleep, I finished assembling the invitations to the party. Now just a few last minute touches on that, and they’ll be ready to go:

Midnight comes far too fast at our house. And Monday morning comes even faster, it seems. Here’s to what will probably be the busiest, most stressful weeks I’ve had in a few months. But I’m always up for a challenge. ;)

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’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.

What an eventful and fun-filled weekend! It started out with a wonderful session at the Claremont Colleges with 3-month old Kendall (sneak peek to come!). And not only did we have some of my family visiting from the East Coast, but both sides of the family all converged upon our new home to celebrate a very Happy Easter! :) It was a gorgeous day–the sun came and went, but stayed out long enough for us to break in our patio and put our old teak table to work. Colin and Daddy colored the eggs for our centerpiece on Saturday, then we took some sod and “custom-fit” them to our containers. With his keen eye for color and composition, Daddy placed the eggs on the sod for our fun tablescape. Finished off with some asiatic lilies, we were all set for the Sunday celebration.

Colin waited all week to give us our Easter present–something he made at school. He was SO proud, even telling me one lazy morning in bed, “You’re gonna like it.” :) He was right–downright brought a tear to my eye! I love my little guy. After a (not surprisingly crowded) Sunday mass, we came home to eat, eat, eat! Of course, there was the egg hunt with Colin and my cousins. Plus the birthday cake for my Dad, who’s birthday was two days before. Throw in a little earthquake and we’re good to go! I even snuck in some time for mini sessions with the family. And what Filipino celebration would be complete without a little karaoke?! ;) So on the eve of a workday, I sit here exhausted–in a good way–sharing a glimpse of “Easter with the Smiths 2010″. It’s shaping up to be one heck of an amazing year!!

Gotta color the eggs for our centerpiece:

Our Easter surprise from Colin; the finished centerpiece; my sister’s creative egg hunt genius; the fruits of labor:

My favorite model (when he cooperates!):

Sneaking in some family shots. :)

Until next time, Happy Easter!! :)

~Rachelle

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

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!!

Happy Friday! Gosh, it’s been a while since I’ve shared with you all–we’re still unpacking and trying to get settled in the new house. Let me say that as much as the old one gave us plenty of room to roam, we are quickly falling in love with our new home sweet home. I’ve even started cooking again–a luxury that I haven’t indulged in for quite some time because the commute after work left me completely useless. I’ve gained a whole hour, now, and I am not letting it go to waste. Even though nearly 70% of my old pantry contents are still in boxes waiting for a home, I salvaged those everyday, must-have ingredients and have been making mini-trips to the store for fresh produce. Oh, and how I love our local farmer’s market! I actually look forward to getting up early on Saturday mornings to take in the wonderful Chinese greens, gorgeous red beets, heirloom carrots, and fresh flowers and plants.

Two Saturdays ago, I brought home some lovely young asparagus spears from the farmer’s market. I had in mind a gorgeous and simple soup from one of my favorite cookbooks Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson, who, incidentally, has an amazingly beautiful blog called 101cookbooks filled with lovely and mouth-watering photos and recipes. As I started my mise en place, I noticed a lonely lemon sitting on the kitchen counter. I had every intention of using it before the week was up. Hmm…. Lemons and asparagus would be nice and bright. I’ve got some pearly barley stashed somewhere. Oh, and leftover creminis from yesterday’s pizza night. A simple soup, yes. And off I went to my friend Google.

I searched for “lemon asparagus barley soup” and that’s exactly what I got! Served with some fresh french bread–oh, my word was this good!! My sister and hubby gave it the thumbs up. SO good. I substituted reduced-sodium chicken broth for the water and Veggie-Stock Gold, added the mushrooms, and voila!! So, here it is. My first Friday Favorite. Bon Appetit!!

Lemon Asparagus Barley Soup (recipe and text courtesy of The Spice House.com)

A satisfying variation on the Greek lemon chicken soup “Avgolemono”. It’s an easy vegetarian dish. The sunny colors will remind you of spring – just when young asparagus begins to come to market. Try it with blanched sugar snap peas or tiny broccoli florets, as well, but don’t add the vegetables far in advance because the acidic lemon juice will turn the vibrant green to a less appealing color. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 1/4 -1/3 pound tender, thin asparagus, trimmed and cleaned
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups onion, minced
• 1 1/2 ounces Veggie-Stock Gold
• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups barley, cooked
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• to taste, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves / Yields

Serves 4

Preparation Instructions

Steam or boil asparagus until crisp-tender. Drain, shock in cold water to stop cooking, blot dry on paper towels, and chop into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until wilted (4-5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Stir in diluted Veggie-Stock Gold® and barley, and bring mixture to a boil.

Beat eggs and lemon juice together in a bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk about 1 1 /2 cups of hot stock into the egg-lemon mixture, beating constantly. Stir warmed egg mixture into the soup.

Return asparagus to soup. Season with pepper and add salt, if desired. Heat gently but do not let liquid boil. Serve at once.

Well, we did it. We moved. Again. In my 20+ years of living with my parents growing up, I can only remember moving twice–once when I was 14 and again when I was 22. So it completely boggles my mind that this is the 4th time we’ve moved since my beloved hubby and I got hitched 7 1/2 years ago! This is our son’s 4th house in his 5 1/2 years! Wow. Just WOW. This is it, though. We’ve pretty much agreed that we’re going to stay put for good long while. At least by our standards.

Our new house is an oldie but goodie. Built in the ’50s, it’s got charm, some character, and a big yard. A huge change from our old tract home which we watched being built from day one (well, aside from the big yard). We got to choose everything from the wood floors to the finishes on the cabinetry to the slate tile in the laundry room. It took a crew of 6 guys just one day to roll 10 colors of paint on our walls! We couldn’t wait to put the “super family room” and the ginormous bonus room to good use. Each time we went back to visit the model home, Colin ran straight to “his” room. He knew exactly where it was and he loved it.

Once he got into the real deal, he never looked back.

I really hate moving. All the packing up then unpacking. But what makes it SO hard for me is leaving the space in which our little family has created so many memories. Big and small, monumental and trivial–those memories which I hold so terribly dear. I love my baby and the wonderful little man he is becoming, but oh how I WISH I could slow down time just a little bit so that I can still hug him a little bit longer without him pulling away so fast or preserve his wide-eyed wonder of what we adults consider ordinary. Time flies by so fast, yet I see in my mind each day that has come and gone just as clearly as the day they happened.

I see a 3-year old Colin standing at the top of the stairs each morning, peeking between spindles and proudly declaring, “Mommy, I woke up all by myself!” Making cookies for Santa on the kitchen island. Getting dressed up in goofy, mismatched costumes and dancing and singing on our hearth. Potty training in the downstairs bathroom! :) I see him sitting on the living room sofa, staring out the window with my aunt, waiting for the garbage truck to come around the cul de sac. And him smiling from ear to ear, running at lightning speed to give me a hug as I walked through the front door after work. It goes TOO fast . . .

In the blink of an eye, he turned 4.

Got his first bike.

Turned 5!

And started Kindergarten.

Too, too fast. But as hard as it is to say goodbye, it is exciting to know that we will make so many more memories in our new home. He’ll start 1st grade, then 2nd. We’ll make new and improved cookies for Santa in our new little kitchen; get dressed up in goofy, mismatched costumes and dance and sing around the dining table; ride bikes in the new neighborhood; plant a garden and watch it grow. It will be different and it will be new. And best of all, it will be our’s.

So goodbye, old friend. Thank you for the amazing ride. May you be loved by the next lucky family as much as we loved you. Here’s to old memories and new ones to come . . .

~Rachelle

As year-end approaches, each day seems to fly by faster and faster. My weekends are completely jam-packed with photo sessions and personal commitments for the rest of year, and with great reluctance and a heavy heart, I’ve had to turn some of you away. I wish there were more hours in the day!! But rest assured that I will follow up and book you that session that you deserve! :) And we all deserve one, don’t we?

I’ve been truly blessed this year–to have had such a wonderful and positive response to my photography and to my journey in developing my skills and my own style as a photographer. I’ve had the joy of working with friends, and friends of friends, and meeting new and wonderful, fun-loving people who let me take a little peek into their own lives by capturing that laugh or the tickle that ignites giggles from their toddler. And I hope to meet more of you!!

So the 2010 Calendar is open for sessions. If you’re interested in a photo session for yourself or your mom or dad, send me an email. If you want capture your baby’s first smiles, email me. Or if you have been putting off getting that family portrait with 4 generations of your family, please, email me. :) We’ll set something up in the coming year and make it a wonderful and memorable experience from which you’ll have a photograph–a memento, a keepsake–to remember and cherish…

I do hope to hear from you soon!

All the best,

~Rachelle  :)

For my family. For the happiest little boy and the warmest, most thoughtful husband. For smiles and laughter. For friends. For all that I am blessed with–food on our table, a good job with wonderful colleagues, the gift of music, snuggly hugs with my boy, an amazing family support system. I am thankful. I am blessed. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!

~Rachelle