Jeff and Amy Tie the Knot

Recently two of my favorite people pledged lifelong commitments under the public walkway in Philly's Society Hill, all swept together in ceremony fit for hipsters and squares alike…I chose a few of my favorite shots and I'm looking forward to seeing which shots this inventive pair is drawn to…

A Baby and A Subaru

It's been such a crazy few months with Toujours Magazine's second issue coming out as well as a slew of other projects that I'm working on that I've completely neglected my blog!  So, to start I just have to share these adorable pics of my friend Kristy (who is also a writer for Toujours!) and is due in January.  She is the most amazing friend - I had a two hour layover in Denver and she drove all the way to the airport in rain and traffic to have a 15 min hug session in her Subaru.  It was so sweet!  We were stuck in a parking lot in her new car and I only had a minute to take a photo, but I love how happy and maternal she looks.  I can't wait to visit Denver on a real trip and photograph Kristy and the baby in the spring!

Jumping Traditions: Sound of Music

So, as I've blogged about before, jumping in my family has been a staple in our photos since I was little and my silly mother got her hands on a Philippe Halsman Jump book in the 90s.  So, it has slowly leaked into the photo culture in my group of friends.  My good friend, Jaymi, who is a super talented photographer has been documenting the joy of the jump lately too - and I think her photos tell it all - pure joy, silliness, and fabulous fun!

These shots are so fun, because my friends were in town and we were touring the gorgeous Disney Music Center and as soon as I put the camera on the ground, they said "Oh!  Jumping time?", which made me laugh like a hyena.  It was perfect.  Here are a few of the successful (and silly) shots - we definitely missed the timer more than a few times.  And yes - I'm in them - so it made for an even more difficult shot.  It's all timer and camera placement…which is easy to screw up when you're running into the shot! Too much fun on a Sunday….

First try and we all made it up in the air!

 Not up, but all so ready to jump

 Ugh!  Moved my camera!  Kind of a fun angle though...

my favorite

I love that Sasha is jumping straight, Mason is a bit curved and I look like I'm in a wind tunnel!

For Philippe's book, click here to buy online

LA DAY: Tourist in my own city

My friends Sasha and Mason were recently in town from NY for the weekend and we took a day to explore downtown.  I love exploring this huge city and often forget what architectural gems we are living amongst.  While they may not be hundreds of years old, we have some beautiful structures that are definitely worth the day trip to downtown.

this alabaster stone is cut thin enough to allow light to enter the cathedral like modern day stained glass…the organic quality of light and texture is stunning

my mom recently re-interpreted these sconces for a project in Santa Barbara…I love both this original and the piece it inspired...

visit the LA cathedral - click here

Architecture: Bones of Beauty

I love love love the Getty Villa in Malibu.  If not for a specific exhibit, I adore spending a sunny Saturday afternoon wandering through the grounds and gardens of this beautiful Southern California landmark.  The Villa is modeled after a first century Roman country estate, the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy.  The building was constructed in the 1970s by architectural firm, Langdon and Wilson, who's work is still seen and built all over the world.
I was just up there and took some fun shots that I hope will inspire others to hop over for the afternoon and explore for yourself.  It takes a little pre-planning as you have to request free tickets ahead of time.  Best summer day?  Getty villa for art consumption, lazy lunch at the dive-y Reel Inn in Malibu, and a mellow afternoon at any Malibu beachfront sand spot you can find parking for…

look up…it's worth it

 the attention to detail is spectacular…

meander through the courtyards; the gardens are worth a leisurely stroll..

 in and out…a modern entrance to a beautiful structure referencing history and romance...

Book your visit here…

Sky High: Los Angeles

When I was sorting photos that I had taken last week, I was honestly trying to figure out when I had been on a plane...(I know that sounds ridiculous, but I travel so much for work that I actually have forgotten what city I'm in some mornings)...until I realized I took this at the Ritz in downtown!  While on an interiors shoot I couldn't help but notice the gorgeous view.  The sunset was ridiculous and you can see all the buildings lining Wilshire Blvd all the way to the beach.  While Los Angeles is definitely a sprawling monster, it was nice to see it from this vantage point and appreciate this crazy town.

Check out LA Live and the Ritz downtown - it's an amazing escape from reality!

Two Dinners and a Breakfast

While in NY a few weeks ago, I visited some good friends at their home in Jersey and ended up collapsing at their awesome house for a weekend of delicious cooking and major relaxation.  Here are some highlights….

dinner on Friday…candle lit yard & fantastic sword fish grilled on wine soaked cedar planks.  amazing.

 dinner number two…fantastic yogurt sauce & lamb chops on the grill

 and finally, the best pancakes ever

 we had more than a little fun...

I Paid to Take a Nap….

I know, I can't believe it either…

On Saturday I met some girlfriends at a bath house in Korea Town…and it was quite the experience.  First off, there was a lot of nakedness in this place.  When I walked in, I was beyond shocked by the lack of shyness and went from a nervous partaker to eventually sitting naked on a plastic stool with Korean grandmas sitting on either side of me.  Everyone was sitting around a trough of water, scrubbing down their skin with a mitt and pouring buckets of water on their heads.  No one seemed to care about how they looked, if anyone was watching, or what their bodies looked like…as an American woman bombarded by images of "perfect" women in the media, the whole experience was completely and wholly healing. A few times throughout the day I actually had to remind myself that I was in the United States and not on some trip in Asia.  Honestly, I feel so lucky to live in LA and experience so many different cultures without leaving a 30 mile radius - it's pretty astonishing.

So, after the scrub down and tea baths, my friends and I took a break from our exhausting day (insert dripping sarcastic overtone here), and so, we did what seemed normal, and took a nap.  Yep, you read that right, in our paper thin robes, on a heated marble platform floor, we grabbed some blankets and head rests and passed out in a room with 15 strangers.  Basically, we had nap time just like you remember from Kindergarten…and it was blissful!  It was the end to a perfect day of relaxation, acceptance, and completely new experiences.  I mean, honestly, who can resist nap time?

If you're curious about this amazing bath house experience, check them out:

http://olympicspala.com/

Costa Rican Dreams: A Peak Inside our killer condo

I cannot believe that it's been 3 months since I was in Costa Rica with my friends and all I can say is…WOW.  How is it possible for time to literally fly by?  I am a little shocked by the fact that it is already summer and I'm just now finding time to retouch the photos of the condo we stayed at in Manuel Antonio.  I mean, how could I go on vacation and not take photos of the place we stayed?!  But what's worse is that it took me forever to post them!  So, these are all shot without a tripod.  Because I didn't drag lights down to CR, there are two photos that I shot handheld and put together as a composite in photoshop.  As you can see, the condo was beautiful, but what made this place spectacular was the view…unreal.
So, here are a few of the shots I took of the condo that we fell in LOVE with the second we walked in...

Want to stay here??  We had the best in Manuel Antonio - such a gorgeous spot in the world…

Check out their vrbo site for availability - http://www.vrbo.com/167354