Mitch and Alia.


It was a Friday night at a local diner that I met Alia and Mitch to discuss their upcoming February wedding. They were finally going to have a church ceremony to celebrate their marriage (they’d had a smaller ceremony a few years ago) and wanted to have a photographer there to capture every moment of a celebration that has been long in the making. The clanking dishes and buzz of the restaurant patrons loomed over our conversation, but there was no mistaking the sounds of their happiness as they filled me in on the details of their wedding day and how they met.

It was during their high school days…the days of AOL chat rooms, prom seasons, and just the fun of being high school sweethearts. Alia met Mitch’s family before meeting Mitch and she laughed to remember the small details of their high school times together, down to the glasses she wore during that time. As she scrunched her face remembering those glasses Mitch just smiled and still declared “I like you with your glasses.”
She is more of the goofy laughter and he is the quiet smile that accompanies it. Together they are an example of what it’s like to celebrate love in everyday moments---raising their 3 babies together, him giving her his jacket when she’s cold during the photoshoot, and her making sure he eats vegetables every so often. (yummmm, broccoli!)

 Mitch and Alia, thank you for giving me the opportunity to document this special day for you both. As an extra thank you, my dear hubby created a slide show of some of the special moments of your wedding day....hope you enjoy it!

 May you both continue to celebrate love and life in the everyday moments the way that you already have.
With love, 
Heartbox Photography


The guys and gals were rockin' it like no other that day. I love me some alleyway shots!




Amia Bakery provided their beautiful wedding cake...



Their reception was held at Century House and we had lots of time to take some fun shots before the start of the reception....

I. LOVED. HER. HAIR. 'Nuff said.


Alia's awesome hairstyle and hairpiece were designed by the ever talented Kristina Eugenio of Salon Ethos.












One of my favorite shots of them....

Kony 2012

There are some things that should never, ever be kept silent. Please watch and pass on to everyone  you know so they are aware of this important effort to get Kony "famous".


Bunion Prevention and Leaving the Security Blanket Behind

Saturday went something like this:

"Do you want me to go with you?" my husband asked.

"Ehmm, er, no, but you know. If you want. No wait, I shouldn't be afraid and just go. Uggggh, why am I scared? No, I'll go. I can go by myself. Yeah. I can. I think.....um." Anyone who heard my answer would think I was hearing voices in my head and trying to answer them all at once.

This weekend, I was given the opportunity to be a 3rd shooter for a local photographer, Ananda at Bliss Fotography. It was exciting and at the same time nerve wracking as I prepared my camera gear, printed directions, and tried to figure out which pair of flats would work for this 7 hour shoot and wouldn't threaten bunions down the road.

I was so terrified I almost took my husband up on his offer to just sit in the car or hang out at the other vineyards and drink wine to pass the time while I went and helped shoot this wedding. But of course, I knew I had to face my fear and go in by myself. Like a grown-up. Or at the very least, a big kid without the security blanket. (Plus, the idea of having my poor husband totally hammered  from wine and bored at the end of the night didn't appeal too much to me either)

As with most things I get so worked up about.....everything turned out just fine. Ananda and her second shooter, Shereen were incredibly gracious as I followed them around just listening and watching how they interacted with the clients and handle various lighting situations. It was a great learning exprience and I am incredibly thankful.


A New Kind of Couch Potato

When my husband posted photo to my Facebook wall.  this it made me laugh. He found it on a site called Twenty Two Words.  The kicker though? When he said the blanket should be something that resembled a piece of bacon.

It's Friday....And I would love a baked potato right now.

My First Wedding and Freezing A Bit O' Happiness

There's a good chance I'm going to sound a bit babbly and a bit rambly in this post. I guess that's what happens when you're feeling happy, ecstatic, and incredibly blessed. You just tend to get a little cheesy. 

You know that feeling that you get when you see an 80 year old accomplish his lifelong dream of running a marathon? Or an artist dance their heart out on stage without fear or hesitation holding down any of their graceful moves? That feeling that makes you say to yourself, "Wow, that's so cool and I want to do that someday."

Well, what I've always wanted to do "someday" was to photograph a wedding and this past Saturday gave me a chance to do exactly that. Though I am still in the midst of culling and editing the final images, I wanted to share a sneak peak into a day that marked a turning point for Heartbox Photography and reminded me to never be afraid to take my camera and fly.

You just never know when you'll get a moment to freeze happiness for someone else.

Stay tuned... 

Happy Booger-Monster Day!


It’s Valentine’s Day and I am proudly sporting my nerdy red cardigan. Remember those days when your elementary school teachers required you to give EVERY kid in your class a Valentine’s Day card, but deep down inside, you didn’t want to give a card to the kid who stole your crayons during playtime or to the kid that was known as the booger-monster for all-too obvious reasons? I’m just sayin’. (And for the record, I was NOT someone’s booger monster!)


This past weekend, we got a chance to visit my husband’s grandmother, uncle, aunt, and cousins. We had not seen them in a while and I really enjoyed just sitting around listening in as well as participating in the familiar conversations and laughter that make a family, well, family.

Whether this day may be a happy, full-of-flowers-and-candy one for you, or a day where you’re still running from a present day bogger-monster, I hope you remember to celebrate love, in all its forms. Yes, with your significant other, but also the love you have for friends, family, and life itself.

Happy Booger-Monster Day!



Tucking Away the Chicken Wings

I was excited and of course, very nervous as we made our way up the Piedmont hills that housed the café shop in which I would be attending my first networking/meet up event with other photographers and industry peers. In the attempt to finally get connected with other like-minded photographers, I agreed to come to this event upon the kind invitation from another Bay Area photographer.


Now, I’m not extroverted by nature so to get over my shyness, (a.k.a. I’d rather be sitting in a corner in the back stuffing my face with whatever snacks were served), was a HUGE deal for me. My husband thankfully agreed to attend the event with me and as we made our way into the cute little photography studio/café already buzzing with chatter from other attendees, I couldn’t help but feel a tingle of excitement and anticipation as I made this small step towards connecting with others and ultimately making this photography business more real.

We found some seats in the back (in case my chicken wings came out and I wanted to run/kinda-fly out of there) and listened in as the speaker began his presentation. At the end of the night, I got a chance to meet the photographer who invited me (we had only corresponded via email up until this point) to this event as well as few other photographers. (And not once did my chicken feathers and wings flap out!)

All in all it was a great experience that taught me to tuck away my chicken wings and instead let courage and faith take flight. And yes, I am actually now looking forward to the next networking opportunity that comes up. (ooooh, I said it out loud!!)

Happy, happy Thursday!

Love and Short Arms

Watching the Superbowl/eating too many potato chips, and playing with my camera, while hanging out with cheering and screaming family members are what make weekends and time with the family the best. Especially the eating part. And yes, you guessed it, I (like everyone in America!) had to fight off every urge to stand up and start dancing like I was 8 years old again (side ponytail, colorful leggings and all) during the halftime show with the one and only Madonna. STRIKE A POSE, YA'LL! STRIKE A POSE!

My husband found this picture that made my Monday less mundane. Hope your week is starting off right and with a smile!

Sibling Rivalry And The Way to Solve It

I love remembering the days when sibling rivalry between my two sisters and me was the norm of everyday life. Everything from who snagged the last piece of chocolate (ME! Always me….), to who took the blame for broken lamp in the living room (sister number 1), or who got first dibs on the biggest bedroom in the house (sister number 3). I look at pictures like this and smile to think at how, as older sister, I could have solved many a conflict growing up with my two younger sisters had someone told me about this approach a long time ago:




If my husband and I ever get a brother or sister for our four-legged baby, Kona Bean, this is definitely the way I hope she handles conflict with her siblings.  =)

Hallmark moments and Pig Squeals

I love cards.

Store-bought cards, handmade cards, you name it. The way it's decorated, the colors, but most of all the hidden treasures of what's written inside. If I ever met the genius that started the whole idea of giving greeting cards, we'd be BFFs, homies for life, fist bump, for real.

My husband knows that I love cards so much that I'll read and re-read what's written inside at least 5 times, examine the colors of how the card looks, and if I'm really having a nerd-status day, I'll even smell the card simply for the cool new paper smell. And yes, you guessed it, I still get excited to dig through the mail and find the treasure of an un-opened card during holidays, birthdays and everything in between.

I had received a gift from my friend, Claire, as a thank you for doing a styled photoshoot of her as well as a coupleshoot of her and her husband, Jon a while back. And of course, in all my Hallmark-freak ways, I eagerly dug through the the fluffy and pink tissue paper to discover the hand-written cards she is known to give. I even pig-squealed a little as I ripped open the card.

"There is no such thing as failure, only early attempts at success."

It was written as a congratulations to the start of Heartbox Photography and of course, I read that line and the entire card about 10 times before proudly displaying the card in my office as an awesome reminder that someone took the time to tell me "You can do this."

*sigh* I love me some Hallmark moments.






Life is Too Short Not to Lick the Plate

A while back my husband and I were hanging out and having dinner with our good friends, Noli and Noemi. Noli started retelling the story of how his wife, Noemi, cooked a really awesome meal that tasted so good he not only savored every bite of it, but STRAIGHT UP LICKED THE PLATE, TOO. The four of us laughed until our faces hurt and it became a running joke from that day on.


(Sad to say, but I don’t remember the last time my husband licked the plate after I’ve made a meal. And this is just a guess, but it MIGHT have something to do with the fact that I microwave quesadillas and call it dinner. (I didn’t inherit my momma’s culinary skills….BUT I can program the heck out of a VCR. Told you I got mad skillz.)



In a few weeks, I’m going to have the opportunity to take my camera to a whole new level and shoot a wedding alongside my good friend and photographer, Sarah McGlaughlin. She’s a talented photojournalist (and actually gets it when I turn geek and start talking about lenses and apertures and stuff like that. Think pocket protectors but for camera folk) and though we’re friends I actually found myself stuttering “will, um, you, uhhhhhhhhh, consider, oh but you don’t have to be , but oh like, possibly be the second shooter for, this, ah, huh? A wedding, um, yeah for this wedding coming up?”

Though I sounded like a happy and stuttering nerd, she agreed and said she was excited to work on this project together. As we chatted about how the day was going to unfold, preparation details, more geek talk on lenses, etc. it dawned on me what a huge blessing this is. To be given a chance to challenge myself on a whole new level as an artist and photographer, to look every fear I’ve had in the eye and say “let’s do this”, is a HUGE deal for me. And it’s in these moments that I’m once again reminded that when someone gives you the gift of a wonderful opportunity to use your talents and shake what yo momma gave you, don’t hesitate to graciously accept it , be thankful, and enjoy it.

Every.

Tiny.

Part.

Of.

It.

Life is way too short to not lick the plate and enjoy the entire blessing given to you.
Quesadilla, anyone?


Thoughts on Having Kids and Drooling Chocolate

A part of me hesitated to write this next blog entry primarily because I like to think I’m cool and collected all the time, that I never have issues and that I am not, indeed, a member of the Imperfect Human Club. You know, like I’ve NEVER clumsily tripped in front of a school crush (running in P.E., sixth grade, Hello, ground!), NEVER accidentally drool food on myself while eating in public (Snickers chocolate bar, just this morning, here at the office and I KNOW someone saw), and NEVER threw up on a plane in front of EVERYONE (5 years old, first trip overseas, all over stewardess uniform. I hiccupped-cried and everything because I was the kid that made the plane stink for 16 hours.)


Because you see, as much as I like to think I’ve got it all together the truth of the matter is is that I don’t and never, ever will have it all together, no matter how many layers of cool-kid masks I try on. And those imperfections are also very much a part of my heartprint, the stuff that makes me who I am. And since I’ve based Heartbox Photography on the philosophy that everyone has a unique heartprint that is wonderful and beautiful, and yes, even flawed, I figured…heck. I will write this next post and hope it encourages you to celebrate your own heartprint and the stuff and life experiences that make you unique and cool. Even if you drool chocolate on yourself in public, like me. (ohhhh, that Snicker bar was so good)

My husband and I don’t have any children…yet. One day we will, and it will be wonderful. But when you’re someone like me who struggles with the feelings of trying to be like everyone else, measure up, don’t be a nerd and hiccup cry in front of people when you’re hurt, etc., it can be something hard to accept and not wig out about. A few good friends of mine are currently expecting babies and while it’s a wonderful and miraculous thing, a part of me is having a bit of a hard time lowering the volume on that voice in my head that says “Well???? How about you?”.

It’s enough to make me stop munching away at my Snickers bar and start doubting. Doubting all the wonderful blessings I already have - the wonderful marriage I come home to, the love and support of friends and family, this dream to become a full-time photographer, and just LIFE. I even start doubting God’s promise that He’s got a wonderful plan for me, even after I’ve seen His loving hand many, many times through life difficulties. That His timing is perfect and that no, it's not wrong to dream big of other things before having kids.

Why do I share this? Because little by little as I become  more and more secure with sharing insecurities like this, with telling the world that yes, I am a card-carrying member of the Imperfect Human Club, it opens the doors for God to replace it with a level of real-ness and comfort that will allow me to share with others my own imperfect, but kinda-cool-in-it's-own-way heartprint....and maybe even help them be ok with sharing theirs.

And really, if you drool chocolate in public like I do, don't worry about it...that's what napkins are for.


Meatloaf Mondays and Musicians


Every person is made up of stuff. A mix of stuff that make you, well, you. On the Heartbox Photography website, this “stuff” is referred to as “heartprints.” (I made that term up, but isn’t it cool?) Like finger prints, but funner! It took a while for me to come up with a philosophy, vision, and name for my photography business. Something reflective of my voice, me as a person, and my love for photography. And that’s when I realized that the only way I can come up with a name was to look at what exactly made up my own heartprints and share that with the world.

What or who makes up some of my own heartprints? Lots and lots of people and experiences…so much to name. I’ll talk about them throughout my blog in many future posts, but for now, I’ll start with my husband, Justin.

He is part of my own heartprint as a person, in life, and of course, in photography. He has seen me through and supported me through a lot since we have been together. He’s seen me hiccup and cry (yes, the ugly cry) my way through a lot of challenges. He joins me in the nerdiness of laughing a little too loudly at things in public. He’ll do the dorky dance in the kitchen with me when our favorite songs blast through Pandora. He has the uncanny ability to say exactly what I’m thinking right when I’m thinking it. (it’s THE FORCE people!)

He loves me through morning breath, bad hair days, and becoming emotionally unglued (hello, PMS!). He prays with me, for me, and for us. He gave me my very first Canon SLR camera, knows all about my dreams to become a full-time photographer, and supports me every step of the way. He’s very a talented musician himself and he “gets it” when I talk and talk and talk about all things artsy and creative. Even if it involves me wearing hula hoop-sized earrings and wearing 5 different colors all at once. In public.

This past Monday was just another example of my husband’s thoughtfulness. As I fought my way through traffic to get home, he was making a yummy meatloaf dinner and simultaneously working to wrap things up with work.

I’m thankful to have my husband be a part of my own “heartprint”.

Let’s hear it for Meatloaf Mondays and the loving musicians who make them.


Faces and Football

It’s a rainy Monday and though I’m not a huge fan of rain, I’ve long since made a promise to myself to quit my whining about it, because, heck, we probably need it.

We spent the weekend doing the errands thing on Saturday and of course, the long awaited football game on Sunday. Hailing from the Bay Area, you can’t not root for the 49ers, especially since it’s been 12 years/forever and a day since they’ve made it that close t the Superbowl. In addition to not being a fan of rain, I’m also not too much of a football fan either. BUT! I’m a huge fan of good excuses to eat and to hang with the family. And before you start thinking I’m a typical girl and ask all sorts of questions during the game, that’s where you’re wrong….I do the COOL thing and slump in a corner with a bag of chips and munch away, taking pictures of the 49er-crazed family of mine.

My husband and I normally bring our four-legged baby to these family events, but this time around we decided to leave her behind. And oh, while I enjoy family time, I could not wait to go home and cuddle with this face again:



She steals the laundry, eats the toilet paper, and barks her demands for you to throw her ball and play catch 24/7.

We adore our little furry brat, Kona Bean. Yes, Kona Bean is her name. I would tell you all the genius nicknames I have for her, but I’ll save that for another post.

The night concluded unfortunately with a loss to our beloved Bay Area team. Though it was a bummer, even for not-into-football individuals like me, I almost giggled. (yes, I know I’m totally childish but oh when something's funny, my manners are totally non-existent)

You would totally giggle too if the first thing you see was your uncle’s disappointed face staring at the television, looking very much like this:



Oh, well. Kudos to the 49ers anyway for the hard work ya’ll put in and to Coach Harbaugh for pushing them to a whole new level. You guys still rock.








Duck-Robbing and Standing Your Ground

Once upon a time, I was short. Like, short in a way that’s appropriate for a 6 year old.

I was short enough for the roaming geese and ducks of a local park to look me straight in the eye and challenge me to a dual of wing flapping for the bread my chubby hands held dearly. Little did they know that this little chubby girl version of Bruce Lee (What? You didn’t know? See here.)

Clasping my dad’s hand as he helped me venture down the grassy hill (never mind all the duck diarrhea that we stepped on to get there) towards the birds with my whole-wheat offering, I felt the excitement growing as we got closer towards the flocks of ducks and geese that seemed, at the time, to promise a little kid a wonderful childhood memory in the making.

Now, I don’t know how they did it in the duck/geese ‘hood, but dang, you’d think they’d ask politely instead of straight up rob an innocent kid of her bread offering to them.

ROBBED, I tell you.

I must have been moving too slow in making my offer to them or something because one brown duck about my height not only impatiently snatched the bread from my hand but thought it’d be funny to reach out it’s snarling beak (it was SNARLING I tell you!) and bite my cheek as well. Now, I know I had a bit of a chubby face back then but just cuz a kid’s face looks like Wonder Bread goodness with all that face dough, doesn’t mean you go biting them for fun. That’s just rude.

I could hear still hear that duck waddling away and laughing “SUCKA!!!! I got your bread...AND YO FACE!”

I cried that hiccupping ugly-cry we all get, but stood my ground, sans my whole-wheat offering, among all the laughing ducks.

Key life lesson to remember from this random post? I STOOD MY GROUND.

Even after they took my bread and bit my cheek. Be it with a duck or anything else in life, I continue to learn how to stand my ground.

It's not easy but as everyday passes, I hope you do, too.

Dentures & Stand-Up Comedy

Creative ruts. Artistic lulls. Boredom with the black and white and longing for the color of life to shake things up a bit.


For the creative mind, these times are NOT the funnest times. There were moments like this, when, in my desperation for an outlet to create or be creative, I’ve resorted to staring at a pile of coloring books my niece owns and consider coloring every single cutesy animal page in that book, connect every dot in the connect-the-dot sections of the book, and color each Disney princess’ hair purple. Or maybe magenta. Depending on my mood and what my niece allows me to go Crayola-happy on. I don’t think I can get away with the multi-colored princess hair thing anymore, though. She’s getting to that age where she’s wondering why her auntie still wants her coloring books when she herself has outgrown them.

But alas, nothing beats the lulls better than a little laughter. Last night, my husband I watched stand-up comedian Kevin Hart’s “Laugh at My Pain”. We love ourselves some good “bwahahahahas” and this DVD was no exception. To watch stand-up comedy with my husband and repeat all the funny lines over and over like a broken record to him (because he LOVES when I do that!) on a Wednesday night is, like, the best.

I hope that by the time we’re old and grey, we’ll still be into hanging out together on a random weekday, watching stand-up comedy, and “bwahahahha-ing” till our dentures fall off.

P.S.
Oh and for those of you who have already watched "Laugh at My Pain".....ARIGHT ARIGHT ARIGHT ARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!

Green Pants

I recently read a very interesting and touching story about a woman who is now dying from cancer. I know, I know, not exactly the Monday cheery, start-my-week-off-with-bright-news, but hear me out.

She goes on to talk about how her sickness makes her see the photographs she has of her family, her kids, her husband, etc., as more than just a piece of paper with an image on it. How it represents a moment frozen in time to re-live as many times as she’s able to look at it. How she valued the photographer who made those photos for her.

It was a pretty touching story and it got me thinking of myself not only as a photographer, but as a person who also has memories, etc. stored away in albums. The school pictures. The family photos. The snapshot Mom or Dad took of my sisters and me in dresses that would have won the Dork-Award hands down, had there been one that existed back then. (As I mentioned on my website, we ROCKED those bowl cuts, baby!)

I am thankful for the photographers who have helped document memories of moments I couldn’t re-live otherwise.

Bowl-cuts and all.

(Oh and the photo below? Don't lie. You know you want to rock those green pants and Mary Janes)



Ipanema...and Going to Work

For the past few days, my ear buds and car speakers have been happily blasting the tunes from Amy Winehouse’s “Lioness Hidden Treasures”. And yes, I do think I can sing (don’t we all??), so of course I was singing every chance I got on my commute to work with this newfound CD.  Amy did a lovely rendition of the old bossa nova song “The Girl from Ipanema” and upon listening to it for the millionth time, I got a little curious about this timeless classic and Googled how the song came about its popularity.
According to my trusty resources (what’s up Professor Wik E. Pedia!), “The Girl from Ipanema” was written about an actual girl who lived in the Ipanema district of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, who would stroll past a café everyday. I read that and thought “Heeey, that’s kinda interesting and cool to have a song written about you just because you passed by a café everyday and someone noticed!”
Well, how about a song about “The Girl that Went to Work One Day When There Was No Work?” Cuz that would be a song about me.
Yes. You read that right. I done did that.
Got up early on Monday after the Christmas break, got ready for work, drove all the way to work and realized as soon as I got into the building that there was something definitely off.  No greeting from the receptionist (MAYBE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECEPTIONIST, YOU NERD!), no buzz of people in the building. Just me and the sound of my high heels click-clacking and echoing against that marble floor.
Needless to say, my “I’m-awake-and-ready-for-the-New-Year-Cheesey-Grin” drooped just a bit as I soon realized I made a huge boo-boo in remembering we had the day after New Year’s off from work.
After I click-clacked my way hurriedly back to my car (before anyone saw me in my moment of I’m Super Smart), I suddenly realized this extra day off of work gave me an opportunity to tweak my website and finalize other details for the roll out of my photography business. In the end, it all worked out just dandy. I basically got a day to work on taking a few more steps in my plan towards my photography business, this huge dream I’ve been chipping away at.   
On second thought, maybe a cool song can be written about me, too!
Nerdiness and all, I wouldn’t mind being known as The Girl Who Dreamed Big…..And Went To Work.

Spam Musubi and Some News

Happy New Year! I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed the Christmas break and are having a blessed New Year so far. It seems every year goes by faster and faster, all the more reason to put on the breaks every so often and smell the roses.  Or the hibiscus. The husband has been inkling for a trip to Hawaii again this year, so hopefully that will be something we get to do again this year.
Mmmmmmm. Spam musubi.
Anyhoo!These past few weeks have been a vacation for me and I can’t be more thankful. It gave me time to finally work on finalizing the website for Heartbox Photography. It also gave me a chance to finalize the tweaks on the past few photoshoots done in November and December. And it gave me time to eat more chocolate than I intended, hang with friends and family, cuddle my puppy, Kona a little more than I have been and talk my dear husband’s ear off at home as he continued to plug through working at home. Yes, he loves me!
It’s a new year and I’m so excited to introduce you to the official website for Heartbox Photograph!
www.heartbox-photography.com
I actually feel like waving my hands around in excitement like I’m 5 years old again who just got her first Cabbage Patch Kid! Because truly, after so much time and effort put into designing this site, it feels like Christmas again. With chocolate sprinkles on top.
The new Facebook page for Heartbox Photography can also be found here.
Below are a few of my favorite photos from recent shoots in November and December.  Thank you to all who have patiently waited I worked on the photos from their shoot. You guys rock!
Here’s to 2012 and new beginnings!