A Papa's Girl and San Diego Adventures

Living in California, there's always lots of places to see and discover and I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I've never been to San Diego, neither has my husband, and neither has our furry-monster, Kona Bean. We kept hearing about how San Diego is the dog friendliest city in California and only in Cali would you have pet-friendly shops and restaraunts so away we went.

We packed the car up with the essentials  (i.e. dog seat belt for Kona, coffee for husband, and barf bags for me) and drove down to have us some San Diego adventures.

Thought it rained a little more than we anticipated (I actually wore my jacket the entire time we were there) and you all know that roadtrips and me are frenemies, it was still worth the drive and few days away to be able to write another chapter in our adventure book together - the husband, our Kona Bean, my barf bags and me.

Happy Thursday!

 It was an overcast day, but full of the soft light that is a photographer's dream. Kona insisted I take the photo from her good side.

I. LOVE. THIS. BENCH.

Yes. She's a papa's girl.

These samosas right here? I wanted to walk away with the entire tray. Too good.

Roadtrips & Barf Bags

It's no secret in my family that I'm the one who hates roadtrips. My dad enjoys the drive, my mom enjoys the scenery, my siblings love the adventure.  

Me? I love the barf bags and Dramamine. They are my homies during the long hours of a roadtrip and we bond quite nicely.
Don't get me wrong - I love travelling and even did a bit of it after college. Only, I chose the trips that required an airplane. Maybe it's because I felt like a cool kid getting a stamp in my passport. Maybe it's because I wantd to prove to the world that even fun-sized (a.k.a. short) people really can lug their own luggage off the conveyer belt at baggage claim ALL BY THEMSELVES.

Who am I kidding? It's mostly because I'm impatient and want to arrive at the destination sooner rather than later. And as I get older, I find that I'm having to keep this impatience in check espcially with regards to my dreams to becoming a full-time photographer. After all, the road may be bumpy and may seem a little long, but with a destination is always worth it, right? Right.

Shout out goes to the barf bags and Dramamine who've accompanied me on many a roadtrip. I couldn't have made it without you guys.

Happy Wednesday!

Benito, Izek, and Naiya. 2012.

Matching outfits, running around the park until your matching outfits were grass-stained and tanbark soiled and pushing around siblings because they were the best playmates...remember that?

Those were the best days. 

And hanging with Mitch and Alia's kids reminded me, with a smile, how awesome it was to be a kid excited for monkey bars, how cool it was to have the freedom to run around without worrying about your shoes, and most of all how sweet it was to be a kid again.

Happy Tuesday!

Jorge & Noel. PREVIEW.

Before we had cell phones, we had pagers. Bright green, white, neon colored, it didn't matter, we wore those things proudly on our hip pockets.  You know. So our mommas could page us to come home before it got too late.

And, oooh, whatcha know about pager code? 

Before we had Facebook, we had Slambook.

(Those of you who know what a Slambook was, just smiled... I know you did.)

I spent my Saturday with a serious blast from the past. A good friend of mine from the Slambook and pager days agreed to to pose for an afternoon photoshoot with her husband. It was an awesome opportunity to reunite and catch up.

If there was one thing that I recall so vividly about Noel when we were kids, it was how easily she smiled and laughed. At everythang! Like, her laugh was seriously contagious and the moment you heard it, you had no choice but to laugh along at whatever it was that made her laugh.

Noel is quite tall and I have a feeling that what made her laugh during a majority of the photoshoot was watching her little shrimp friend hustle around with a camera without the help of a ladder.

Here's a little sneak preview into Jorge and Noel's photoshoot this weekend...stay tuned for more!

Happy Monday!

Balky's Dance of Joy & My Bag of Skittles

If I had to work on my photography in a cube, I'd cover that cube with wall paper (cube paper?) that had Skittles on it. Not because I have this weird dream to live inside a candy machine (Willy Wonka was a freakin' genius), but because it would mean I'd be surrounded by a world of color, all day, everyday.

It's this running joke with my husband that the worst thing you could do to me is leave me stranded on an island where the only colors that existed were burrito brown and gloomy grays. And there was no such thing as vegetables or salads. (gasp!)

I've loved color of all sorts for as long as I could remember. If I had conrol over my wardrobe as a child, I think I would have chosen to dress up as Rainbow Brite everyday, complete with yellow hair and a cheesed out grin on my face. I'd proudly be the kid in kindergarten who showed the world what it'd look like if Bruce Lee ever got into a fight with a bag of Skittles. And WON.

Color just makes me as happy as Steve Urkel was doing the Urkel dance, as Balky was doing the dance of joy - so you can imagine my glee and yipees when the husband suprised me with MAC eyeshadow palettes once for Christmas. Oooooh, my boo knows me!

Hope you enjoy a sunny weekend full of life, color, and  a Costco-sized bag of Skittles.

Happy Friday! 



The Spinach Monster, Kona Bean

I used to think dog owners were a little weird. How could someone love their pet so much they'd dress them up in pumpkin costumes for Halloween, talk WHOLE conversations with them, or sneak a French fry to them when no one was looking?

Then....it happened.

When I started talking about my day at work to our own little furry monster, started wondering how she'd look dressed up as a stick of gum for Halloween (oooh, THAT would be cool!), and started sneaking spinach leaves (yes, spinach leaves!) to her more often that I probably should, it became clear to me that I became a proud member of the Weird Dog Owner Club. Yo, where my dogs at?!

Kona Bean recently had her yearly physical  at the vet and everything checked out well except for the fact that she was 2 pounds overweight (whaaaa?). She's got a bit of junk in her trunk and so we've had to lessen how much we feed her every day, which is fine.

But....the vet didn't say anything about spinach....=)

Happy Thursday!

A Day in the Life of Nona Tai

A few years ago, in the midst of planning my own wedding, I had the privilege of meeting and working with Nona Tai of Floral Design Studios. My husband and I were immediately drawn to her friendly personality and ability to quickly sketch out several ideas of how the floral decorations should look on our big day. I love me some color and what she designed far exceeded our expectations.

Now that I'm a photographer, it's an honor to have this opportunity to write about Nona as an artist and person.
On my quest to learn about Nona and all the hard work she puts into running her business, I accepted her invitation to accompany her on a trip to the San Francisco Wholesale Flower Mart, a place where floral vendors come together to purchase what their businesses need. I had to be there are 5:30 a.m. (eeek!), but nonetheless I was still excited for this rare opportunity to go behind the scenes.

Nona had been preparing for an annual event called Bouquet to Arts, an event held at the deYoung Museum in San Francisco. Floral designers display their work in ways to interpret the artwork in the exhibits.  I can barely keep a cactus alive so to see floral designers get together to design these spectacular floral arrangements (even making them look like cupcakes!) is pretty amazing.

Have you ever had those moments where, while you're listening to someone talk, you realize that the things they're saying are amazingly tied into profound truths? That's a bit of what I experienced while Nona and I chatted away and she skillfully worked on her craft back at her warehouse. She smiled and told me that to understand and work with each flower is very much like working and  understanding a human being....one wouldn't force another one into ways that are not naturally them as a person and the same goes for a flower. To figure out the room temperature, the special care required for each flower, required paying close attention and heeding to it's "language"...again, very much like a person. That if you wanted to get the best out of a flower you had to know it well first and respond accordingly.

Pretty cool, huh? I sat there and nodded away feeling very Karate Kid/ Mr. Miyagi-like...but surrounded with vases, flowers, and scissors instead of sparring mats and hi-yawwww type of boards.

Nona understands full well she's helping brides create irreplaceable memories with each unique design she crafts together. She helped make my own wedding day a memorable one and it's awesome see that she continues to do the same for so many others.

Here are a few snapshots that show a day in the life of the Flower Diva herself, Ms. Nona Tai. Be sure to check out her Floral Design Studios on Facebook.

Her little fur baby accompanied us to the Flower Market...

 

Below is a part of the dragon Nona created for the Bouquet to Arts event at the DeYoung Museum.

I know. She. Got. SKILLZ.

I still can't believe how awesome this dragon turned out. And crafted from plants and flowers?! Whaaaaa?

Rodriguez Kids

Remember those days when it was ok to make a cray cray face (the crossed eyes, sticking your tongue out mixed in with a little bit of cartoon-character-type giggles) at a passing stranger and they actually thought it was the cutest thing they'd ever seen?

Or the days when just because a kid in your class ate Elmer's paste, it didn't necessarily mean you were among the loonies of the world but simply hangin' with your best homies in class? 

Or how about those days when you felt like were big pimpin' because you were sportin' the latest in Big Bird or Sesame Street wear with a super side ponytail to match?

Here's to the days of bein' a kid again along with a sneak preview of the latest photoshoot with the Rodriguez kids.....Benito, Izek, and Naiya.

More to come to stay tuned....and while you're waiting, feel free to go on and rock that Big Bird sweater like it's nobody's business!

The Bruce Lee & Rainbow Brite Days

I always find it easier to be an artist in my photography when I feel that deep in my mind, gut, and soul  each image I share to the world is a reflection of my own way of creating. Not his or hers or theirs, but mine. As much as possible, I try to put a little bit of me in each image "painted" by my camera. 

My sister shared this photo with me and I had to smile. It reminded me that long before my love for photography existed, before Heartbox Photography was born out of that love for creating with a camera, there was my dad's Pentax 35 mm camera and two sisters who rocked the Rainbow Brite and Bruce Lee-ish bowlcuts with a smile. A huge smile.

Happy Monday!

Battle of Caterpillar Brows - WWF Style

As I'd mentioned in my last post, networking is always a tough thing for me. Not because I don't think it's great or beneficial, but more like because walking into a room full of strangers feel makes me feel like it's my first day of kindergarten all over again. (Minus the Big Bird pink sweater and slightly crooked bangs that swept oh-so-stylishly over my caterpillar eyebrows at 5 years old. Oh, yes...straight caterpillars. Freida Kahlo's eyebrows and mine could have faced off WWF-style and mine would have won because they were like the Hulk Hogan of hair. See? Stylish, right?)

Anyway, I kinda view networking as exercise. It's hard to get going on, but once you do it, you never regret it and really, it can only be beneficial in the end. The networking event I had recently attended featured Jessica Quintal of Shine Photography and the topic of the night, posing for high fashion shoots, was one that I hold near and dear to my heart as it's the type of photographic style that I aim for in my own photos. The minute she started her presentation, I hung on to every word and tip she gave the crowd. I even won a drawing for a free mentoring session with Jessica, which I am super stoked about simply because it has been difficult for me to find a photographer that shares the same passion for fashion forward/editorial style photography who was willing to be helpful and share advice/tips, etc.

I am the queen of all things shy and timid. Meaning, yes, I've pretended to be super busy on my cell phone (let's read my old text messages over and over again shall we?) instead of approaching people at conferences, get over myself, and just say hello. BUT.... when I got a chance to speak to Jessica at the end of the night, that shyness was nowhere to be found as I rambled on about my enthusiasm and excitement about her work (and how grateful I was to win the mentoring session) in such a way that I resembled a Beatles fan/Star Wars fan/Justin Bieber fan all rolled into one crazy mess. I am thankful for opportunities like this because it's another learning experience, another contact made in the photography industry, and another chance to push myself as an artist and grow.

And because every post is so much more fun with a photo, here it is. Why this photo? Simply because I love my husband and also because I miss the days when our little Kona Bean really was this tiny.

 Happy Thursday!

Vogue It Out

I think Dr. Seuss is a genius and you'll see me referencing a lot of what he wrote about in the many books he's written for children and hey, even for adults. (Because really, I think a lot of adults life stuff can be best taught if the college curriculum involved study of Seuss' books. Imagine a thesis based off of a book that's 20 pages long. Genius, no?)

This week is the start of a new journey for two friends of mine, both who are pursuing graduate study programs in their field of study. New challenges, lots more homework, and a chance at a huge reward at the end of it. I'm very proud of them, needless to say.

And though I'm not techically enrolled in "school" like they are, I still feel like I, too am immersed in some sort of learning institution because of all that I am learning about becoming a better photographer, artist, and business person. Though it can be scary, tonight I am attending another workshop to meet other peers in the industry/other photographers. In other words, I'm going to network. (yikes!) Something that's always been a challenge for me, but is very necessary in this line of work. I'm excited for this particular workshop because my favorite types of shoots are styled/fashion shoots and yes, the topic to be discussed tonight deals with ideas for posing clients for these types of shoots. Yep...I'm gonna teach my clients to Vogue like no other, for real.

And though I sometimes feel as shy as the new kid in class when I network or attend these types of workshops, it's still a step forward on this new and exciting path and for that alone I am grateful.

Here's to the many, many places you'll go.

The Good Kind of Stealing

Ok.

I don't advocate stealing. Not bubble gum, not crayons, not your classmate's chocolate cookies form their lunchbox and certainly not the creative work of another, be it photographs, music, paintings or whatever.

However.

As a photographer and as an artist, I DO advocate being influenced, inspired, and studying the greats who've paved the way for newer artists and dreamers-turned-doers. And I'm a huge, huge fan of giving credit where credit is due.

I saw this quote and image from Austin's Kleon's Steal Like An Artist and it moved me to remember a few important things as an aspiring professional photographer: To continue to reach high just as other artists have, to say thank you to photographers who've unselfisly shared their knowledge with me when I needed help, to study their work and make photographs and images they've influenced but yet is completely my own, to always be playing on the side that dares to break the mold each time.

“If we’re free from the burden of trying to be completely original, we can stop trying to make something out of nothing, and we can embrace influence instead of running from it. “ - Austin Kleon, Steal Like An Artist.

Word to your mother.

Two-Stepping Into A Weekend

I think I may have mentioned this a million times before, but in addition to photography, I loooooove music.
Loooove. Like, all kinds, too. Happy dancing while making that face (you know, the FACE that shows you're having a concert in your head) is the best.

My husband has a musician's background and so pretty we much we make our dog, Kona Bean, Roger Rabbit/Cabbage Patch/waltz/two-step with us whenever iTunes is blaring the latest R&B, the classics of Etta James, the island jams that beckon us to visit Hawaii again, the 70's jams that make me want to rock bell-bottoms, or the latest hip hop that reminds us that we're still cool and gangsta like that even if we go to sleep by 9 PM.

Our home is filled with music, two young-at-heart adults, and a dog that has no choice but try and two step with her Momma and Daddy. It's awesome.

And I don't know if this post will make me seem like a screaming teenager at an NSync concert (oh well, there goes my cool cover), but when I heard how Bruno Mars did this rendition of his hit "Just The Way You Are", I almost started Roger Rabbit-ing and two-stepping in front of my computer.

I love the ol' school vibe Bruno infused in this version and hope it makes you wanna dance your way into an awesome weekend.

http://youtu.be/eTtyVvj06-s

Happy Friday!

Noli & Noemi - Here's to Life, Love, & LOL

I am fortunate to have a husband who loves/gives in to my begging for him to tag along to all of Heartbox Photography's photoshoots.

He willingly drives to the shoot locations (because I'm too busy hyperventhilating into a bag and getting nervous about the photoshoot), willingly holds up the necesary reflectors (so I can get just the right balance of light that make the subjects look their absolute, fantabulous, best), and willingly supports and encourages me even when I try to act cool and stuff in front of clients.

But the best part of having my husband tag along on the photoshoots? He loves making these hilarous videos as an extra fun touch and way to remember each project, each photoshoot, each memory captured.

Here's to my supportive husband, and our awesome friends, Noli and Noemi for loving laughter just as much as do.

Half Homer Simpson, Half Bear

Rain and gloomy weather tend to bring out my inner bear-like tendencies. (Minus the fur and back-scratching against a tree.) The tendency to want to hibernate. The tendency to want to snack away at whatever's around me. (salt and vinegar chips with a jar of Nutella, anyone?) The tendency to move a bit slower than usual when I'm foraging for those snacks.

My inner-bear started to protrude it's true colors as I sloshed through the rain last night and made my way to a local restaurant to meet up with some former co-workers for dinner. While waiting in my car, watching every single raindrop do a dance on the windows of my car, I longed for the warmth of my pajamas and socks at home and all the fun snacks in the cupboards waiting to be discovered. Don't get me wrong. I love me some dinner and spending time with friends, but remember people, it was raining and rain = hibernating bear in my world. So truth be told, I was struggling to feel alert and peppy as I waited for just the right moment to finally go into the restaurant and enjoy an evening with old friends.

I waited at a table and chatted on my cell phone with my husband (so of course to look cool and pre-occupied) while I waited.

And waited.

And waited. (The cool act lasts about 10 minutes, FYI)

Finally, in a moment of Spazzoid, I asked my husband to check my little calendar/weekly planner/Type A scheduling book at home and confirm with me that tonight was the night of the long awaited dinner, right? RIGHT?!?!

Silence.

"Babe, I'm not joking. The dinner's tomorrow night. You might want to come home now."

FOR REALZ?!?! I half-laughed/half groaned/half wanted to smack my forehead in all Homer Simpson-style at the mistake I'd made. Upon hearing this, I dropped the cool act like a hot plate and hightailed home.

I know things happen for a reason, even the little things like having a scheduling mishap like I did. And this time around, I think this happened just because God wanted this little bear to laugh a little...even in the rain.

Lessons In Losing

I like having things in place and a place for all things. Also known as, a control freak over how well my file system is alphabetized, and which highlighter to use for which color-coded notebook, that's filed away in that bin, not that bin. So you could imagine my chagrin to discover that one of my precious camera lens caps had gone missing/ran away, done left a note to say "Peace out. I've moved on to greater and better things beyond being just being a mere cover lens stuffed away in a camera bag." My camera lens was now naked, people, and my system is now out of order! Somebody call a state of emergency!

I find that the funny thing about losing things, big or small, is that I tend to go through the same stages. The Panic McSpazzy phase where I do everything I can to try and find it, including throwing aside couch cushions, wiggling my fingers into that corner under the bookshelf that has yet to meet Mr. Dust Rag and Pledge...all this just to achieve feeling of peace that comes with knowing I have found the lens cap and all is well in my little world.

Then, if the Panic McSpazzy phase does not yield a recover of the lost item, then there's the blame game. It's because of this or that or him or her, that I lost that item, that relationship, that friendship, that spot in line, that last serving of honey walnut shrimp on the plate. (I blame it on my seafood-crazed sibling who takes advantage of the fact that I'm the more slow-moving eater at the dinnertable)

And finally, if the lost item isn't found, there's this weird grieving period. Wallowing in the feeling of straight loss.

The other night a friend of mine and I chatted about a mutual friend we had lost contact with and the hurt, sadness, and frustration that resulted because of this loss. And though it just sucks (for lack of a more mature word ), I like to think that as part of the whole "Im a big kid now" process, it's necessary to move into the stage of acceptance in order for Growth and Maturity to come around and hang out with you more often.

Oooooh. "Necessary to move into the stage of acceptance." That sounds so Dr. Phil, don't you think?

After a while, when Growth, Maturity, and I slowly become better friends, it's easier to let go, easier to accept loss, and easier to cherish with new appreciation what I still have despite that loss and what I've learned from it. 

And oh, lens cap, thank you for your coverage and protection to my treasured lens. I will miss you terribly and hope you have, indeed, moved on to greater things. 

Every Small Part of It

I'm not sure what age did it become cool to hang out with family vs. party on the weekend with a whole bunch of strangers, but I'm pretty sure this transition for me happened when I realized that family were the first humans on this earth to tolerate you even if your face was sporting caterpillar eyebrows like no one's business and weird colored turtlenecks with polka dots on them.

This weekend was no exception as my husband and I spent a Saturday lunchtime celebrating my favorite uncle's birthday at a local Chinese bistro. My tummy still smiles something fierce when the piping hot bowl of won ton soup is set down on the lazy-Susan by the waitress. I always have to remind my impatient tummy not to worry--- that yes, by the time that lazy-Susan spins around my way, there will be enough won tons left in that huge bowl for me.

What I enjoyed the most about this Saturday with family is how loud it got. Not from the sounds of the restaurant, but from the sound of the roaring laughter that erupted every few minutes as a reaction to a joke told my uncle, a story told by my cousin, a smirky comment from my husband. These sounds reminded to live. That I am alive. That those I love are alive and playing Wheel of Fortune with the lazy-Susan, too, on a random Saturday afternoon at a local Chinese bistro. 

And to remind me to enjoy every small part of it.

How I Know It's Friday

I stood in line at the bank wondering why that person against the wall was staring at me--only to realize that individual with a staring problem was a cardboard cutout of a person happily advertising the benefits of a savings account.

Sometimes, you just know it's Friday.

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Coffeehouse Chatter

BFFs! KIT forever!

These acronyms were generously scattered in multiple pen colors across old pages of yearbooks both in high school, junior high, as well as hastily scrawled in notes passed between friends during classes and lunch periods. The memory if it made me smile as I recall the days where actually writing a note to someone (and delivering it in PERSON...whaaaat??) versus typing out an email, was the everyday norm.

And maybe I'm getting old or somethng (no, I'm SOO not telling you how many white hairs I've counted on my head) but the meaning behind "best friends forever" or "keep in touch" has much more meaning and weight to it than it did when I was one of those students who'd hastily scrawl these acronyms across any note I passed or yearbook page I signed before the floodgates of summer break opened up.

The other night I gathered with a few old friends at a coffee shop we used to meet at regularly on Wednesdays. And there was something a little heart moving, a little nostalgic, and yes, a little emo for me as I observed everyone laughing and talking as we had done so many years before every Wednesday night, the only difference being that there were a few more extra chairs needed for the little babies that joined us. Time had passed and changed us, and yet nothing changed at all, if that makes any sense.  The chatter that kept battling the sound of coffee machines grinding were the same, the laughter were still the same. The familiar smell of coffee and of food from the Filipino restaraunt next door owned our noses for the next few hours. It was within these group of friends did I meet my future husband, so needless to say, these folks will always hold a special place in my heart. And though not everyone whom I've been fortunate enough to call friend was present there that evening, it still reminded me to never get tired of investing in friendships and sharing life with people. It made me thankful for friends who were there for the long haul and not just for a season. It reminded me that, truly, investing in people yielded so much more than investing in things.

A long time ago I used to want to try living in different places. To travel internationally and not be rooted to one place. And yes, I did get to travel. Yes, I left friends and family behind to try life somewhere else. But you know what? I'm thankful these experiences still led me back home...a home filled with lifelong friends, coffeehouse chatter, and the smell of Filipino food doing a happy dance in the air on a random Wednesday night.

Shoes and Flowers

Flowers? Colorful and cool.

Fashion? Uber fun.

Flowers meet fashion AND displayed in San Francisco?

YES, PLEASE!!!!!!

This weekend my husband and I celebrated 7 years of dating (yes, we still celebrate that!) and decided to check out the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. It was their annual Bouquet to Arts Exhibit where floral designers take their love of all things floral and use it to interpret existing sculptures, paintings, & artifacts in the museum.

I love when artists of all mediums mix it up, bake it up, and shake it up to produce displays that make you go oooooooooooooh.

And that red shoe with the flowers displayed in it? Oh, how I love thee.

Have a wonderful Monday!