A note from the heart...

For the past few days I have been thinking about my blog...and how I've disappointed myself. I knew that I've missed a few days from my 25 Days of Christmas Challenge. I didn't even want to log on to type this post because I would be facing my disappointment.

Was it too much to handle? Was 25 days (in a row) too much? Did I have enough topics to cover? Was I busy? Yes. Yes to all of it. And that's what hurts the most.

I knew I wanted to challenge myself, blogwise, because I don't blog as much as I want. I thought that since Christmas is coming, that it'd be fitting to blog about Christmas related topics. Before the idea was set in stone I made sure that I had 25 topics that I could write about. Which I did. But when would I find time to write about them? From working full-time, to doing photography, taking care of the family, AND let's not forget Christmas shopping. Where could I fit writing about any of my topics? Especially if I'm not much of a writer.

I wanted to write out my posts and schedule them out for the week, or at least a couple of days, but that didn't work. I ended up writing day of and didn't even post until I got home from work, around 6pm. How can I start a new, fresh blog post at 6pm? It should be posted in the morning. Like reading the newspaper in the morning, with a cup of coffee (or hot cocoa for me).

I know that I don't have much readers, which is okay, but I wanted to complete this challenge...for myself. Letting myself down totally sucks!

Anyhow...I've decided that I'm going to continue to finish the challenge. I may not post every day, but I will continue to write about the topics that I had originally planned on writing about. If it passes the 25 days, then that's okay because the Christmas season lasts all the way until New Years. :)

Thank you to those who have read my blog, or are continuing to read my blog. It really means a lot that you stop by to read what I have to say. I'm not the best writer, but it does feel good to write. :)

Hope you're enjoying your holiday season.

It's all in the craft

I've always been a creative person. I remember in fourth grade we were doing sand art. I had a photo of an alligator (this sounds a little too amateur for fourth grade, huh? so I'm not sure why we were doing this at that time). I colored him in, along with the scene around him. I outlined him with the sand art. After recess I came back to my desk and was pretty much done, but my classmates were still working on theirs. So I decided to fill in some areas with sand art. I think the end product was outstanding, if I say so myself. :)

A few of you may know, but others probably don't. I am a crafter at heart. My obessession is paper and fonts. (I think I've mentioned that in a previous post.) My niche..invitations and cards.

It all started in the mid to late 90's. I want to say 1997-ish. My aunt wanted me to help her make invitations for my cousin's baptism. I used that blue stationary paper with the white clouds. Ha, ha!! That just screams BEGINNER!! I'm the type who always wants to add more. So with that invitation, instead of printing directly on the blue cloud stationary, I printed on tissue paper. Tissue paper, like the one you use for gift wrapping. Literally. I think I was going for the vellum look, but didn't even know what vellum was, or even that it was called vellum. Couldn't they name it "stylish see through paper"? I wish I saved a copy for myself to have as a memory.

Little by little I would try to kick up the next one up a notch. Another one I did was I used parchment stationary paper and gold ribbon. After that I believe I took a break because I don't remember any other invite that I did until 2004 when my nephew was born. I also did his baptism invites.

I used a sepia photo of him that I took while I worked at the JCPenney Portrait Studio. I printed it on cardstock, used vellum for the inside and tied it all together with gold yarn (but not really yarn...more like string). I really liked that one because the photo blended in with the card.

Around 2006 I took it to another level. I wanted to make a business out of this, but started small. I went to Craigslist.com and found a couple who was getting married. They were on a budget and were looking for someone to do their invites. I was nervous, but accepted the challenge. I believe I made 60 bucks off it. Probably spent more creating it all, buying the supplies, and shipping, but at least I got my name out there, right?

Fast forward to today. I don't get to do a lot of paper crafting because photography has taken over my life, in the most wonderful way possible. However, a couple of months ago I promised myself that I would dedicate one day a month to paper and nothing but paper. I intend to keep that promise because I really do love emerging myself in all my scrapbook paper, various types of glue/adhesives, different colors and styles of ribbon and my Cricut...oh how I LOVE MY CRICUT!!! Sometimes I just sit and stare at it because there's SO much you can do with it that I don't know where to start.

Here's some that I've made in the past.

Another craft that I have started to do is custom hangers, or what I like to call it, wire bending. I'm sure you've seen those wooden hangers with "Bride" or "Mrs. fill in the blank" in recent weddings. I decided to try my hand at it because after seeing one in action I never want to photograph another wedding dress without one.

So I bought some hangers and some wire and I started my newly acquired wire bending skills. This is my first completed hanger. You'll be seeing more of these for my 2012 brides who do not have one. Congrats Brides :)

Because I have decided to rededicate myself to crafting, I have decided to make it a feature on my blog. Therefore, you guys get to see what's freshly made :) About twice a month I will talk about what I've made, or plan on making. I haven't quite set a date for these yet, so they may just pop up one day. So be sure to keep coming back. I appreciate the company :)

There may also be giveaways...and don't we all love free stuff?

Happy crafting!!!

Two days in one...

This post will be two in one as I was swamped yesterday. My apologies...

Yesterday we purchased our Christmas tree. For 3-4 years now (actually, I believe this is our 4th year), we have been purchasing our Christmas tree at Larry's Produce in Suisun Valley. If you haven't been there, you should go. It's on Suisun Valley Road.

They have mini trees, like Charlie Brown trees, but with more branches. They also have medium to large trees. I couldn't tell you what type they are because I was just interested in a big, full tree..and the type didn't matter. :) Their trees are a really great price (mediums and large same price, not sure what the mini ones are priced at).

This year we got a medium sized tree. It's about 6 feet tall and not that wide. It's actually perfect because in the past when we got home from getting our tree, we'd have to shave off an inch or two on the bottom. This time it fit right in. :)

Lights are on it right now, but no ornaments yet. I have to gather all the kiddos so they can "help" decorate it. Doesn't that spell disaster??

Speaking of ornaments (which is supposed to be today's post, yesterday's was the tree), I'll have to go out and get some new ones. Actually, last year I decided that it would be a great tradition to have the kids hang their own ornament, one they chose themselves. However, when I decided that, none of the kids were with me and I was already out. So I bought them an ornament each. Maybe the tradition should be a new ornament that I picked out for them, huh? :)

I purchased the ornaments at Cost Plus World Market. I love them! They're different...and CUTE!!!

The main reason I purchased the ornaments there is because I fell in love with this one

Oh yeah...I LOVE IT!!! The downside is, it's one of those that can break easily. So it hangs at the top of the tree and I'm the only one that can touch it.

They had a few different types of cameras, but in the end I chose this one. I wonder if they have these this year. If they do, I'm definitely getting a new one! :)

Happy tree decorating everyone! I'll post a picture of the finished tree tomorrow. :)

Day 2...Music to my ears

Day 2 of the 25 days of Christmas Goodness is the sweet sounds of Christmas melodies. Fa la la la la..la la la la. That actually reminds me of the most recent Target commercial where the lady is in the greeting card aisle recording herself singing in a few recordable cards. It's hilarious!

Whenever I hear Christmas music, I picture myself laying on the couch under a warm, soft and comfy blanket (preferably one of those Korean blankets because they keep the heat in), drinking hot cocoa (with marshmellow cream), while watching a Christmas movie on tv (my first choice...Elf with Will Ferrell.) All that sounds good, huh? Makes me want to drop everything I'm doing now and make that happen :)

Since the above can't always happen, my next choice is to listen to the Christmas station (96.5 KOIT) while driving. I love KOIT because they actually get you in the holiday season even before Thanksgiving! It's funny when I change it to that station with the boys in the back of the car because one of them will say "Mommy...I know that song. That's the Christmas song." I say, "That IS a Christmas song." Then I sit and hope that they won't ask me to change the station because they don't know the song and can't sing along. Because they do that :)

When I hear Christmas music, I think of three things: 1- Me standing on the piano chair when I was about, I wanna say 5, singing Jingle Bells while my sister and cousin attempt to play the song on the piano. 2- The Mariah Carey Christmas CD (the one with "All I Want for Christmas") that I left in my sister's car which I never got back. Who knows where it is now... 3- My Nsync CD (yes...I said...Nsync) that my sister borrowed many years ago and never returned. It's in the land of the lost (with Mariah) and she has yet to purchase me a new one after years of reminding her what a great gift it'll be. Maybe this is the year. Shall we place a bet on this? :)

(album cover from www.mariahcarey.com)

There are millions of Christmas songs out there. I don't have a favorite one...I have FOUR! The first is "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" that's in the Home Alone movie. That's a classic. I also love Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas", TLC's "Sleigh Ride", and Nsync's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays".

What are your favorite Christmas songs?

My Christmas Challenge

Tonight I'll be starting my 25 days of Christmas Goodness blog posts. Yep, you read that right. Twenty. Five. Days. But it's all Christmas related...and don't we all LOVE Christmas?

Up first for the 25 days will be gifts for photographers. This is a great start because it will give you 24 days to shop for any of these items for the photographer in your life (*hint, hint Babe) :)

I'll start with the least expensive ones because face it, the expensive ones deserve to be on your list, even if you know you won't be getting it. You never know though...you may have been really good this year. :)

1.       Referrals - FREE (that's the greatest gift of all) :)

2.       Camera Necklace @Amazon.com

3.       Starbucks Gift Card (because we all need caffeine for all the late night editing)

4.       Canon or Nikon Lens Mug @ Adorama.com

5.       Boudoir Divas Gift Certificate (starting at $10) @ boudoirshop.com

6.       MCP Actions Gift Certificate (starting at $25) @ mcpactions.com

7.       Scott Kelby “The Digital Photography Book” Series (There should be 3 volumes. Great for those starting out.) @ Barnes and Noble

8.       Scott Bourne Book “Going Pro” @ Barnes and Noble

9.       Bryan Peterson “Understanding Exposure” Book @ Barnes and Noble

10.   Animoto Gift Certificate @ Animoto.com

11.   Digital Frame (to show off all the photos they’ve taken)

12.   Mod is Modern Camera Strap @ modstraps.com

13.   External Hard Drive (because we always need to backup!!!)

14.   Me Ra Koh DVDs @ refusetosaycheese.com

15.   Mike Colon DVDs @ mikecolon.com

16.   Photoshop Elements 10 (Photoshop CS5 would work too, but Elements is much cheaper)

17.   Kelly Moore Camera Bag @ kellymoorebag.com

18.   Shootsac Camera Bag @ shootsac.com

19.   Photoshop Lightroom 3

20.   iPad2 (hey…I had to J)

Another great gift to give a photographer is your love and support :)

Have fun shopping! Come back and tell me what you bought.. :)

Three words... Twilight: Breaking Dawn

The time has finally come...and I'm soooooooooooo excited!!! Twilight: Breaking Dawn is finally here :)

I wanted to catch the midnight showing, but I knew that I might have fallen asleep. Edward deserves my full attention :)

I wanted to catch the first showing, but my niece would still be in school.

* That little boy is excited about my growing collection :)

Luckily, it's a minimum day for her so we get to watch it right after she gets off. Bonus points because it's still a matinee showing.

Hope all you fellow Twilighters/Twihards/Whatever the name is enjoys the new movie. :) Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Time to pick up the niece. :)

YAY!!!!

Fun times ahead

Hi everyone! It's been a little while. Hope everyone is doing great :) I have been doing a lot and I can't wait to share.

Since last, I have my new website up and I love it!! Thanks to Photobiz for having easy to use templates. The hard part was choosing the photos and where to put them. :) And thank you to all who are in the photos. You all are beautiful and I'm happy that you were a part of it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

So I know it's been a while since I photographed this wedding, but I never got around to posting it on my blog. (Don't worry, I'm totally working on being a blogging machine soon, thanks to Brand Camp and their Unboring Blog Camp. If you're new to the biz, or need some refreshers to your business, check them out. They're awesome!)

Anyhow, I had the honor of being one of the photographers at my it guy's wedding. Ha, ha...not the "it" guy, the "IT" guy. :) He and his wife are fun people to be around and they are truly meant for each other. Know why? Because he's Chris and she's Chrissy :) See, meant for each other.

Enjoy their summertime backyard wedding, located at a private rice estate in Marysville, CA.

And here's their heartfelt video. :)

Midnight showing

It's almost midnight. Are you ready???

Ready for what you may ask? The premiere of my new website, silly. :) Yes, I've been working hard on it and now it's time to premiere it. And what's a premiere without a trailer?

Well, it's not really a trailer, but a preview to the premiere. Ha, ha, ha....

Can you tell I love the photo? :)

Have a great night!

Season Premiere...

I feel like a television show, coming back from a break with new work. Quite a few things have happened: more sessions, new photos, new logo and so far a new blog. I hope you all enjoy :)

Today I will be featuring Luis and Adela's wedding. They tied the knot last month in Brentwood, CA. I always enjoy my time in Brentwood as my family and I used to live there. That was the boys' first home, so it always has a place in my heart. :)

Because I'm not much for words...just yet...please enjoy the video below of their day.

Thanks to the following vendors:

Church - Immaculate Heart of Mary

Reception Hall - St. Anne Catholic Church - Community Life Center

Florals - Heaven Scent Florals

Cake - TLCakes

Catering - El Gallito

Hair & Makeup - Anna Alvarez

Videographer - Franco Films

Photographer - Veronica Hudley Designs

 

Luis and Adela, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day. It's truly an honor and I had a great time.

Changes in the near future

It's been a little over a year since I've made photography a business. And what a year it's been. I've learned a lot, made some mistakes, attended some workshops, followed some of the world's most fantastic photographers (well, not followed as in I traveled with them. Follow as in watch/read what they say online :) )

So now that I'm learning more of what I like and not like, I'm starting to think of the future and the changes that need to be made.

With that said, please be patient as there will be changes made to my website, blog, etc. Keep checking back for these updates.

Thanks everyone!!! :)

Waiting for new life...

Pretty soon, like any day now, my aunt will be having her first baby. This is very exciting...for the whole family. :)

A couple of weeks ago I did a mini maternity session with her. It was nice because I've never talked to her in a long time. It was also funny because she was worried about her smile, so she would laugh at trying to smile. Soooo happy that she laughed at herself because those were the best photos...being real :)

Here are the lovely photos :)

See you soon baby :)