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Here is beautiful Kalhia!! It has been a pleasure watching her grow from just a week old to a year old. Each time I photographed her this past year, her parents brought her dad’s surfboard. It is fun to document her growth from session to session this way and I can provide the family with something really meaningful and fun as a result. I am looking forward to seeing how much Kalhia likes the beach at our next session!
BABY AIDAN AND A RANDOM THOUGHT…
I can’t believe it is September already! Things have been smooth sailing over at the studio, and I’ve been enjoying seeing some of my regulars coming through my doors as well as some fun new families.
My youngest son Max started kindergarten a couple weeks ago, so I will create another post that includes a few images of his smiling face on that first day. I didn’t *really* cry as we dropped him off that first day because the teacher needed to shut the door as soon as all the kids walked into the classroom (someone was very upset and having separation anxiety). It made the event very anticlimactic. But I had mourned for a few weeks preceeding that day. There was nothing I could do to stop time. It was going to happen. Ahhh, again, I’ll save this emotional stuff for another post coming soon which includes an image or 2…..
The other day I had a random thought. Why do people order sliders? I don’t understand it. Usually there are like “3″ sliders (burgers typically). Why not just order the full size burger? We took the kids out for dinner last week and I pointed out the “slider option” on the menu, thinking 10 year old Tanner might think they were kind of cute and give them a try. He proceeded to make a sarcastic remark about how he ALWAYS ORDERS THE ADULT HOT DOG. Well, EXCUSE me.
We were at Johnny Rocket’s by the way, one of our favorite burger joints. And who would have guessed it, but they happen to have THE BEST philly cheesesteak sandwich in San Jose. In my opinion. Which is pretty valid. I used to order their burgers, and now I only order the cheesesteaks, with all the extra fixings. Hey, you might have read somewhere this blog could contain random thoughts. Well, there you go.
I recently had the pleasure of photographing baby Aidan for a second time recently. He is a delight and has the biggest, most contagious smile! I bet there isn’t ANYONE who could come face to face with Aidan and not break into a smile themselves.
Aidan’s mom is a doctor, so I thought it would be cute to have him pose in a little white lab jacket with the stethoscope. While posing, he demonstrated he knew exactly what he was supposed to do with the stethoscope. He put the round part right onto his chest! It was amazing. I mean, he probably hasn’t had that experience at the doctor’s office TOO many times, being that he’s under a year old, so I found that very interesting.
His parents are smiley people too, which is great. Thank you Shayna and Mike, for bringing your little bundle of joy into my world this month!
Here he is….
Tonight I decided I should put a few pictures of the studio on the blog so potential clients could get a feel for the environment of the studio. The studio’s decor is warm and comfortable, and is located in the heart of downtown Los Gatos, within walking distance of many things.
Many “dates” between my clients have commenced with their portrait ordering appointment (the appointment after the session to see the images of their beautiful babies and children), followed by a tasty meal at one of the many great restaurants on Santa Cruz avenue.
I’m looking forward to meeting some newbies in the coming months!
Happy Mother’s Day to my AWESOME Mom (Joetta) and my SUPER mother in law Bonnie. I feel so fortunate to be loved and supported by you all year round. Thank you for putting up with me, I love you both (even though I am not sure either of you regularly read this)…. Here’s a few reasons why:
My mom. I love that you:
-Can’t pronounce Mitsubishi
-Love my dog as if she were your own
-Keep up with our two kids when you come for visits. I know they tire you out but you enjoy every minute you have with them.
-Travel out to see us 3 or 4 times a year, EVERY year
-Enjoy our special days together. Antiquing, shopping, eating, wine tasting, and the Garlic Festival just to name a few.
-Are my mom.
Bonnie. I love that you:
-Manage, and often ask for, all of the grandchildren, at one time, in your home, sometimes all day
(For those of you who don’t know there are 9, 75% under the age of 11!)
-Are so proud of your boys and their families
-And Dale are still in love after 30 + years and set a great example as couple and team for our families
Also…I wanted to send a special message this week to the extraordinary moms I meet throughout the year. Moms I enjoy getting to know better with each passing session. This AWESOME video describes how I’m sure many of us feel but couldn’t convey as eloquently. The video is of a mom reading an excerpt from a book she’s written. Having two boys I can relate well! The important takeaway is about the significance of ordinary days.
I hope this video helps remind you that the little things are really the big things and that those ordinary days you’re experiencing today will mean everything to you in the years to come. Now sit back, relax and have a few tissues handy! It’s only 7 and a half minutes, do it now!!
Hugs, Michelle
I was SO excited for this session this week! A few months ago I posted an image on this blog of the mom-to -be on her own bike (another cool lookin’ Ducati). Now here’s dad’s toy and their new baby, Logan. She is a doll and although she is usually quite awake and alert considering a newborn, she enjoyed a few winks during our session and we were able to capture her resting sweetly here.
I had a lot of fun with this photographing this mom-to-be on her motorcycle in the studio. In a few weeks, they will bring Dad’s bike in for their newborn session…stay tuned for an image from that session!
Happy Friday! I am so excited. My mom, who lives in Ohio, arrives tomorrow for 10 days. The kids will be off from school and we will be doing some things together. So I am pretty much on vacation all week with the exception of Thursday. I love the quality time we spend when she comes for her visits.
Today I had a conversation with Tanner I’ve been dreading for months. (He turns 9 this Monday). On the way home from school, he asked me if Santa was real. Oh no! I thought I was going to be prepared for this pivotal moment as I had read the best reply in a magazine about how to respond should this ever come up. But I froze and couldn’t remember what the heck it was. When he asked me, I cooly and very matter of factly replied that “Yes, Santa is real and I do believe in him. He is really a spirit that watches over us all year long–that’s how he can do all those magical things that he does at Christmas. Like squeezing into chimneys….” And then I put my sunglasses on and looked in the rear view mirror. Tanner replied, “Me too Mom, I believe in him too. ” I guess his friend Kameron at school had been talking smack today about there being no Santa and that we parents just eat the cookies and drink the milk and sneak the presents under the tree. I DO believe in Santa, just for the record.
Here’s a little image to celebrate Easter. This is little ILA. Isn’t she great? I love her chubbiness. She had a great disposition in the studio. I must say though, that the biggest smiles came from playing with her dad’s guitar (a prop we used later in the session)……
P.S. My May calendar is quickly filling up, so if you were considering contacting me about a session this May, please do so as soon as possible to book your appointment before they are all taken.
I’ve been pregnant twice, and both times my belly was a very unattractive shape. Thank goodness my client’s bellies don’t look like mine when they come in to be photographed!! The shape of my belly was like a…..pear. Really oblong actually. Not round at all. I wanted one of those cute little round- like-an-apple bellies, but nope, not going to happen.
But really, all pregnant bellies are beautiful because of the miracles they represent.
Here’s a beautiful woman with a fantastic, pregnant profile. Kathryn looks this great and is expecting baby number 2! It’s a boy, and older brother Liam was so cute during the session. I’m going to post a few other favorites from the session to the maternity portfolio on my web site. For now, enjoy this Andy Warhol-style image.
