Portraits with Kara.

I had such a great time last weekend! Julia gave her friend, Kara, a portrait session as a birthday present and I had so much fun photographing her in Malibu, CA. Here are some of my favorites:

             

Thank you so much for making me a part of the birthday celebration!

See some more photographs here!

Winter Getaway

For me, there's nothing better than a getaway to June Lake. It's become a winter-time tradition for my husband's family and ours. We even have our favorite places to go to: Breakfast at the Great Basin Bakery, Obsidian Dome hike near June Lake, and spa time at the Double Eagle Resort and Spa.

It was also baby Daniel's first encounter with snow! Grandma Leite bought him this little astronaut suit that was so thick he could barely move. So cute...

Photo credit: Rachel Rundengan

We were also celebrating our second anniversary. Time flies and our family has definitely grown! Here's our dysfunctional family portrait. =]

Baby Daniel

It was a close call for about 2 1/2 months but I finally feel like I have a handle on things. Labor was...well... laborious. You know how women are always saying that it will be the hardest thing you ever do and you never believe them? Well, you should listen to them.

All I have to say about my labor experience is that everything went in the opposite direction I wanted it to except for the result. The result was so amazing it actually makes you crazy enough to consider doing it all again (emphasis on CONSIDER).

Now that I'm starting to feel like my old self again, it's time to pick up right where I left off. It's definitely great to have a new subject to photograph!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures of little Daniel.

Happy Holidays!

Little Moments

Moments like this just make my day. Here is the newest addition to our family (although not for long!), Kaya, with the polar bear James got me as an anniversary gift when we were dating. So cute.

Have a great week!

Sunday Treats

It's time to make all of your summer favorites one last time! After all, the official start of the Fall season is right around the corner - not that this means much for us here in Southern California. One of my favorite dishes this summer is this delicious salad my mom made. We used corn, heirloom tomatoes, and hearts of palm. 


Verdict: Eat it often and without guilt!


Ingredients for Champagne Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar (do not substitute – it’s a delicate dressing)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Whisk all ingredients until emulsified.

Inspirational Saturdays

Happy Sabbath!

There's nothing better than friends + food. Two of our dearest friends came to visit us yesterday and got our weekend off to a great start. Could these be the last guests we have before the baby arrives?? Fingers crossed!

The picture above was taken on the way to Mammoth. We can't wait to take our little one there!

Any day now...

We've been making bets on when the baby will be born. My doctor says it could be any day now since I'm 2cm dilated (!) but it's still very hard to predict. Here are the guesses:

Father-in-law: September 23
Father: September 25
Mom & James: September 26 (my mom picked around midnight and James picked 10 a.m.)
Me: September 27
Mother-in-law: October 2 (now that's just mean!) =)

With the amount of discomfort I'm feeling, I really hope my father-in-law wins! Why can't mothers and unborn babies have better communication?? It would be so awesome if he could let me know. Maybe he could send a message like: "On September 27th, I'm coming out! 3 p.m.!"

Who will be right, I wonder?