Darren and Livi LeBlanc

Darren is a BFF of mine despite that we didn't like each other when we first met. =) If you don't know about Darren and his amazing life story, definitely check out his blog, www.leblanclife.com, it's well worth the read (besides my pictures are on his banner so at least check that out to get you started). He's MUCH better at updating his blog than I am that's for sure!!

Darren and I set up a date to take pictures of him and his little girl Olivia at my new place since I have some sweet colored walls and Livi is just the most beautiful little girl that I know so how could I resist!?! Check out some of my favs below. I got a little carried away with the "chocolate syrup" and "x-processed" looks!! Livi has such an amazing personalily that really shines in these photos!

Using my photos as art!

So its definitely tricky decorating my new place, especially since I have an eye for Kelvins and all so I have to find the perfect colors or I'll go crazy looking at them (hence the 15 or so little sample cans of paint I have no idea what to do with now). :-)

But, it is fun to decorate my place using my own photos. For example, I made a Metal Mural out of my favorite infrared picture that I took this year. These metal murals are very cool and I can wait for some brides to want something so edgy! Its a bunch of small square plates of metal that hook together to make a larger image. So my mural looks something like this hanging on my blue living room wall:




Another really fun thing to do is get a canvas...I do these for brides all the time and everyone loves them. Simply Canvas will actually take my photo and digitally manipulate it to look like a painting...which is exactly what I wanted for this reception detail shot I took this year that is now hanging in my laundry room. Take a look at the before and after. The blue lines on the after show what part of my picture will be wrapped around the wood so it's showing on the side of my canvas. Pretty sweet, huh? Also check out the close up detail shot of it as well so you can really see what it entails.

Before digital painting:





After digital painting:

I've also convinced

Darren LeBlanc to let me make a canvas out of one of his pictures that I absolutely love. This Angel is actually the one for courage, or so Darren told me. This one is going right over my bed. :-)




~Vj

Liz and Rob

This wedding I shot with Andres Valenzuela is the first wedding that I got to use my infrared camera on this year. I only took a few shots, still getting the hang of things, and came out with one that I really like that i put at the end of this slide show. It was definitely tricky getting the light to balance correctly the first few times!

Christine and Bryan

This wedding that I shot with Kenny Kim was really one of my favorites of this year. This couple was meant to be from day one and it was so evident how much they loved each other at every moment.

Now, I've never actually admitted this before, but Christine, when you read your vows to Bryan, I totally had to hide behind my camera to mask the tearing up I was doing because they were just so beautiful! I believe the part "Blessed be His name" is what got me the most.

What's really special now is that Christine and Bryan are expecting their first baby!!! Congrats you guys!!! And like I told you on Facebook, Christine, I'd better see some baby pictures up!

All my Bags are packed I'm ready to go...

Ha ha, I know I used another part of that song for a title before but I can't help but use it again as I'm moving today!!! In this case all of my boxes are packed...including the 4, yes 4, large boxes it took to pack up my shoes. :-) My boyfriend Rob said that he didn't think they were all going to fit in my new closet...which was when I had to let him know not to worry because I have two shoe racks in addition to the custom shelving for my shoes that I had put in my closet. And NO, it's not quite like Carrie's in Sex and the City...but we all have to start somewhere, right?

I can't wait to show all of you my office once it's completed. To give you a preview, I have gray walls and one wall has a thick lipstick red stripe through it. To match Rob got me a sweet looking bright red ceiling fan for Christmas and for the window I'm making a red suede box valence (yes yes, I do have some sewing skills...we'll just see how great they are once I'm done).

Thanks again to Megan and Doug Aumack, Yvonne Moss, Rob Adams, my mom and dad, Allison (my roommate!!) and Joe Marino for helping with the move!!