The Pimple Named Bob

Ever since we've returned from our vacation in New York, I swear my stomach has been talking to me demanding that it continue to be fed all the great food that we enjoyed while there.  And I've been just as adamantly arguing back, telling it to be quiet as I spent an additional 10 more minutes on the elliptical trainer this morning at the gym.

Getting back into the swing of things after a great vacation is always hard. I am a firm believer in taking another day for vacation to recuperate from the vacation, because gosh, it's just boo-boo how reality smacks you upside the head when you get back to the grind of everyday. Even getting back into blogging has been a bit of a challenge as the blank screen and I do a face off to see who'll win the battle of the stare-down.

Talking to other like-minded up and coming entrepreneurs does help light the fire back up again and as I tend to mention a lot in my blog, my sister and I do chat it up quite a bit as our goals are very similar.  Our chats can go from intelligent-sounding conversations about branding, marketing, and business goals to "Dude, did I tell you I decided to name this pimple on my forehead Bob?" in a matter of 2 minutes. Since she doesn't live in California, conversations like this serve as our form of high-five-sister-girlfriend-you-know-what-I'm-saying? 

And I don't know how this slogan below ties into any of this post, but on my funky-funk days, this couldn't be more true. =)



 Pure genius.

Justin doesn't know it, but I'm already getting ideas for his Valentine's Day card.


And......this is why I don't scuba dive. Or chase random balloons with money tied to it.


And this one? I just let my inner nerd laugh when I saw this....


And of course, I will always need reminders like this:




Happy Tuesday!

Fall 2012 Heartbox Photography Special


In celebration of the new fall season and women everywhere, Heartbox Photography is now offering contemporary portrait and glamour makeover photo shoots.

Whether for maternity, mothers and daughters, grandmothers, sisters or just a girls day out with your best friends, celebrate her today.

Check out the latest specials on photo sessions that include hair and make up, plus $50 off your photo session if booked by October 31st.

Contact me at maria@heartbox-photography.com for further details.To see a sample photoshoot, click here or feel free to view the video below.





Because her beauty is timeless.

Happy Monday!

My Tummy Grinned in New York

Whew. Folks weren't kidding when they said New York moves fast.

It's been a whirlwind of a week and so fun to not only see things in New York that my husband and I have only seen on TV, but to also discover little secrets of New York that aren't always mentioned in the tour books. (Google "Whispering Gallery at Grand Central Station." It actually works!) Oh, and did I mention the food? My tummy hasn't stopped grinning since we arrived and I have a strong feeling that Justin is just excited he hasn't been forced to eat a salad once on this trip so far. Big ups and a shout out to Social Eatz for their lobster roll sandwich, The Meatball Shop for the beef meatballs with parmesan cream sauce and Espresso ice cream cookie sandwich, and Katz Delicatessen for their pastrami sandwich and matzah ball soup.

Oooooh....I think my tummy just smiled again.

It's been worth the trek around this concrete jungle to take in the glow of lights at Time Square at night, to hop from one subway line to another with the crowds of native New Yorkers to get across Manhatten (Call me a geek but I love maps and the New York subway system is super easy!), to people watch while eating gelato in Little Italy, to actually ride a ferry to Ellis Island and see Lady Liberty in person, to see the vastness of this city atop the Empire State Building.

New York is fun and inspiring and I'm thankful that I get to experience this adventure-filled trip alongside my best friend.

One more day left here....let's do this!

Happy Wednesday!

Fall 2012 Heartbox Photography Special


In celebration of the new fall season and women everywhere, Heartbox Photography is now offering contemporary portrait and glamour makeover photo shoots.

Whether for maternity, mothers and daughters, grandmothers, sisters or just a girls day out with your best friends, celebrate her today.

Check out the latest specials on photo sessions that include hair and make up, plus $50 off your photo session if booked by October 31st.

Contact me at maria@heartbox-photography.com for further details.To see a sample photoshoot, click here or feel free to view the video below.





Because her beauty is timeless.

Happy Tuesday!

Never Forget

This week we are surrounded by a buzz of constant activity, yellow streaks of taxis whizzing by, subway stations at practically every corner, a maze of concrete that leads to new discoveries - yep, we are in New York City for the first time.

One of our absolutely must sees as tourists was the 9/11 Memorial. The 9/11 memorial was nothing short of amazing. Watching the Freedom Tower being constructed and seeing the site where the Twin Towers once stood was enough to render me in a somber silence. St. Paul's Chapel, this little church right across the memorial served as a hub for rescue workers to receive medical care, counseling, and meals during that time. I came across this display of a worn and weathered firefighter's uniform at St. Paul's, still covered with the dust and debris from serving during the rescue efforts.  Truly, there are some things that should never, ever be forgotten and the bravery of many firefighters, police officers, and medical workers on that day is one of them.

I'm looking forward to see more of what New York has in store and will be posting them here here so stay tuned!

Happy Monday!


Full Plates & Humble Beginnings

In search of a dish to hold my breakfast of oatmeal and granola this morning, I came across an old stack of brown colored plates tucked away on one of the shelves in our kitchen cupboard. These plates proudly boasted the orange flowery designs fit for old school decor and I have a very strong feeling these plates could have made their debut on The Brady Bunch show.

These plates aren't hip or cool looking like our fine Target chinaware. They aren't going to sell for much on EBay. And they certainly aren't rare antiques that will rake in thousands of dollars in new found wealth. These old plates are actually worth more than all of that.

A few years back, when I wasn't married, I found these plates, old-looking but unused and in perfect condition, in the back of a our church parking lot along with a whole ton of other giveaways. And because I had just moved out on my own without much, I remember thinking that with a little cleaning, these plates would serve just fine as my dishware for now. This all happened during a time when I had moved out because of some rough family issues going on. And it was also during this same time that I found myself suddenly without regular income coming in despite the fact that I had just moved into my first apartment.
As bleak as that season was, I clearly remember that my every need was met, whether it was money to pay my rent or other bills, a car that worked, gas to help me get to one temp job to the other. And those old plates? Well, as I'd said, they're not very cool looking and would never be chosen for a Martha Stewart magazine spread for fine chinaware, but they were also never void of food for me during that time.

A few years passed my husband and I have been fortunate enough now to have our own set of chinaware that are much newer. Yet, we still keep those old plates around because they remind us of not only humble beginnings, but of plates that were always filled and a God that always, always provides.

Happy Friday!

Almost Done

There was something about having brownies in the oven that were almost done. I would impatiently stick the toothpick in and see that clearly, the brownies still needed more baking, just a mere 5 minutes or so. But because chocolate and me are BFFs, I was already formulating reasons in my mind that hey, they were almost done and in my book, that was good enough. I just had to rescue them from burning in the oven and welcome them with a glass of cold milk and a smile. I told you. Chocolate. Me. BFFs. Fist bump.

Mmm. Brownies.

Speaking of almost done, I am excited to say that my sister Kristina will soon be making the debut of her company's website.  Her work is awesome and I am proud that she is going to be able to share it with the world even more.

In the meantime, be sure to check out Salon Ethos on Facebook and stay tuned for more!

Happy Thursday!

Dewey Decimal System Cool Factor

I like to read. Nay, I luuuurve to read! Books, magazines, the back of cereal boxes during breakfast, you name it.

One time on a 16 hour overseas flight, I was so immersed in a great novel during turbulence that the husband actually got annoyed that he was freaking out all by himself. And I in turn got annoyed that he interrupted me at the best part of the book. Because even as a kid, the intrigue of the stories wrapped up in the print of the book's paper could occupy me through anything....even turbulence.

I love the library and still proudly use my library card when ever I get a chance. The smell of the old books, the creases of the pages turned many times over to the delight of the reader, heck I even miss the card catalogue/Dewey decimal system from my elementary school library days and doing book reports. (Did I just reveal how ultimately cool I am or what?!)  If it wasn't for the fact that libraries don't provide your own personal kitchen and bathroom, I'd happily live in a library or local bookstore just for the opportunity to wander around and discover the treasures of books, books, and more books.

Which leads me to this picture.....whoever drew this, knows me all too well.
Happy Wednesday!

Blend and Be Ready To Serve

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to catch up with an acquaintance who is not only an accomplished hair and make up stylist in the Bay Area, but also had just recently graduated from Bible college this summer. Needless to say, she's a hard worker and accomplishments such as these recent ones probably shouldn't even surprise me. What struck me about our recent conversation was to hear how excited she was to be in a season of her life where there could possibly be even more leaps of faith coming her way soon. Yes, she absolutely loved being a stylist won't give up her love for hair and make up, but she was also thinking even bigger on ways she could make herself more available to serve God. The smiles and anticipation were obvious in her voice as she elaborated more on what God was doing in and through her life and I couldn't help but grin ear to ear on the phone listening to all the details.

While we caught up and talked about collaborating on future beauty/glamour photo shoots for women such as seen here we also talked about how we both wanted the paths we chose to honor and reflect God and his love for people. For me, it was wanting to have a photography business that specialized in photographing women of all ages, races and lifepaths and communicating the message that a woman is beautiful no matter what she may have thought of herself before. For her, it might be embarking on a path of ministry through the Dream Center.

I shared how I sometimes struggle with trying to blend my faith together with my love for photography, often times separating the two into my "God" section of life and the "other" section of my life. Though I try not to get like this, I have to admit that there are some days I get a little worried that the pursuit of a photography career is completely out of God's will because it wasn't your obvious "church" work like helping put away chairs after a Sunday service or singing on the worship team. (I'm more likely to make the chair topple over and break the mike with my American Idol-like singing efforts) Thankfully, through this conversation, I was reminded that contrary to the doubt I sometimes feel, the truth is that my photography work can absolutely be used for  reaching people and can actually be blended together to serve as an opportunity to minister and encourage women.


Not sure why I shared all of this except maybe for the following 2 reasons:

1. To encourage someone out in the big ol' Internet world out there that your talent can absolutely be used to serve God in huge ways

2. Remember, don't let me near a microphone at a Sunday service or otherwise - unless you have a desire to lose your hearing.

Happy Tuesday!

Heartbox Photography FALL 2012 SPECIAL

In celebration of the new fall season and women everywhere, Heartbox Photography is now offering contemporary portrait and glamour makeover photo shoots.

Whether for maternity, mothers and daughters, grandmothers, sisters or just a girls day out with your best friends, celebrate her today.

Check out the latest specials on photo sessions that include hair and make up, plus $50 off your photo session if booked by October 31st.

Contact me at maria@heartbox-photography.com for further details.To see a sample photoshoot, click here or feel free to view the video below.





Because her beauty is timeless.

Happy Monday!

Friday Homework Fun

It.

Is.

Friday.

It's been a whirlwind of a week and I am so glad to have a rest tonight. The first workshop this past Tuesday night, was everything I suspected it would be - a dish of awesome and a small side of homework. Homework?! I am up for the challenge as it will allow me to experiment with my camera, learn more of the technicalities and pretty much step up my game as a photographer. It's almost as if I can hear the instructor shouting "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"  as students run around with their cameras and boot camp gear on.

I attempted to do some of my assignment this afternoon during my lunch break and hilariously enough, though I am taking this workshop more for professional development in my photography career, that old familiar anxiety cut it's way into my thoughts: "I gotta get an A, I just GOTTA! OMG, the homework is due Monday, due Monday, when is it due? MONDAY!?!? Steve Urkel, where are you?!"
But even though the pressure is on, I was actually excited when the instructor assigned the homework. And now that I have just admitted out loud to everyone on the Internet and their momma that I actually love homework, immediately I see my dear husband rolling his eyes, saying "Oh, you were one of those students."

Yes. I am. And darn proud of it!

Happy Friday!



Happy Birthday, Kiddo

Ten years ago today, this kid was born into the world and changed our family's lives forever. She is the first grandkid, my sister's first baby, and my first niece. 

And I still smile to look at these pictures because really, time does fly by way too fast.

If I could list the crazy things she says that come out of the pure innocence of being a kid, this post would go on forever. Her presence and laughter alone reminds me to smile, not take life too seriously all the time and that a kid picking their nose is gross...but still freakin' hilarious. 

Happy Birthday, kiddo. We love you. 

Happy Wednesday!

Yeast and Sugar

It's a fun and scary thing to actively pursue a dream in hopes to capture it and morph it into reality. Fun because all you see is possibility with each step taken towards fulfillment of that dream that, up until now, only existed in your mind. Scary because, obviously, with every great thing comes great challenges, obstacles, and perseverance-building moments.

Tonight is a start of an 11-week workshop I've signed up for with a long-time professional photographer in the Bay Area. "Long-time professional photographer" is code for the teacher knows what he's doing and will not be afraid to tell his students where they need to step up their game/go all Mr. Miyagi on you. There will be homework and yes, it's mandatory we show our work to not only the teacher, but EVERYBODY in the class. *gulp*

It has been a very long time since I have sat in the "student's seat" much less had an audience critique my photographs. And as scary as this is to me, something inside is also looking forward to the challenge - the opportunity to be vulnerable, take feedback that might not be all sugar coated and grow. You ever realize that the stuff that makes bread rise and grow like bread is yeast, not sugar? Well, I like to think of this class as yeast to my dream of being a photographer. Sugar-coated words and compliments to photos I've produced in the past are always nice and appreciated, but it's the hard questions, challenges and critiques that push me to be a better photographer and to grow.

High-five for yeast, you know what I mean?



Happy Tuesday!

Heartbox Photography FALL 2012 Special

Heartbox Photography FALL 2012 SPECIAL

In celebration of the new fall season and women everywhere, Heartbox Photography is now offering contemporary portrait and glamour makeover photo shoots. 

Whether for maternity, mothers and daughters, grandmothers, sisters or just a girls day out with your best friends, celebrate her today.

Check out the latest specials on photo sessions that include hair and make up, plus $50 off your photo session if booked by October 31st. 

Contact me at maria@heartbox-photography.com for further details.To see a sample photoshoot, click here or feel free to view the video below.

Happy Monday!


Heartbox Photography
Because her beauty is timeless.





Ten Commandments of Owning a Pet

I saw this on the Internet and thought...wow. This should be required reading before 
anyone gets a pet.
Excuse me while I go and give my dog a big hug for being one of the best reasons I look forward to coming home everyday. Besides the hubby, of course! =)
Happy Friday!

"The Ten Commandments of Owning a Pet"


1. My life is likely to last ten to fifteen years. Any separation from you will be painful for me. Remember that before you acquire me.
2. Give me time to understand what you want from me.
3. Place your trust in me. Remember that before you acquire me.
4. Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, and your entertainment. I only have you.
5. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don’t understand your words, I understand your voice when it is speaking to me. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget.
6. Remember before you hit me that I have teeth that can easily crush the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.
7. Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate, or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I don’t understand what you ask of me or perhaps I am not feeling well, not getting the right food, been out in the sun too long, or my heart is getting old and weak.
8. Take care of me when I get old, you too will grow old.
9. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say " I can’t bear to watch," or "let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier if you are there.
10. Remember, no matter what, that I love you. Unconditionally.

Vogue For Puppies

I love photography. And judging from this picture, Kona Bean does, too. If there were a Vogue magazine for puppies, this would be her cover girl shot.

My dog is pretty fantabulous.

Happy Thursday!


Change and Challenge

Challenge and change are good thing. I can't speak for anyone else, but I know that if I don't feel the stretch of challenge and accountability for my goals as a photographer, I get a little too comfortable. Comfortable with stagnancy, that is. As my old mentor once told me, "comfort is the a satin lined coffin". And she's right.

For the next 11 weeks I am signed up for a workshop with a long time photographer from the Bay Area and I am excited to not only learn more technically, but to also challenge myself on the areas I've always wanted to become better at as a photographer, such as looking at light in different ways and how I can make sure to capture my clients at their absolute best and oooh, even the opportunity to receive helpful critique and feedback from other long time professionals in the industry.

Challenge and change...bring it on!

Oh, and because every post waaay more fun with a photo...times have certainly changed, that's for sure!



Happy Wednesday!

Because Her Beauty is Timeless - Fall 2012 Specials

Her beauty is timeless.

It doesn't matter what age she is, what color her skin is, or the if she is short or tall.

Her beauty is timeless.

She could be single or a wife, a girlfriend, a daughter, a sister, a mother, a grandmother or great grandmother, somebody's best friend. Like you or I, she may have even wished at one point in her life that she was older or younger, thinner or curvier. 

Regardless of what she thinks about herself, her beauty is timeless.

She could be 8 or 80 years old. With the smooth face of innocent youth or the laugh lines on her face from a life filled with moments of growth and wisdom.
The age, it doesn't matter...her beauty is timeless.

A photographer that I admire and respect once said:

"My mission is to photograph any woman out there who has ever looked in the mirror and not felt good enough about herself at any time in her life."

As a woman myself, this statement resonated with me and now I've made it the mission of Heartbox Photography.

In celebration of the new fall season and for girls and women everywhere, Heartbox Photography is now offering contemporary and glamour portrait sessions. Sessions include professional hair and make-up and if you book your session with me by October 31st you will receive $50 off your selected package.

Whether for a best girlfriends day out, sisters, maternity, mother/daughter, high-school seniors photo shoot or as a gift for someone you think should celebrate all that she is. Or even as a styled photo shoot you have always wanted to do to celebrate you as a woman. Whatever the reasonis , contact me for details today on how to book your session!

Happy Tuesday!

Heartbox PhotographyBecause her beauty is timeles.






Those Mondays

It was one of those Mondays.

You know the ones I'm talking about. The one filled with traffic jams, nothing good to listen to on the radio (no Cyndi Lauper ??!?) while you sat in the traffic jam, slept less than the ideal of 8 hours, endless calculating on spreadsheets, new shoes you thought looked cute but at the end of the day had your big toe screaming for mercy and a hug...yes, those Mondays.

Yet as I type this this evening, even after one of those Mondays, I am also filled with an anticipation for the new possibilities of tomorrow. I am slowly moving towards the type of photography I want to do and even more importantly than that, am moving towards it with less and less fear. I guess action does that for you...it lessens the fear of the unknown, makes you want to take a few chances and be a little nuts for the sake of your dreams. It is very tempting to be the same photographer as everyone  else, a temptation that I constantly have to fight against both in my mind and when it comes to what type of photography I am passionate about in my heart.

A friend of mine once told me that she loved the fall season because it meant a change, a shedding of the old so that room could be made room for the new. It took me a while to really agree with this as I wasn't much of a fan for the fall season (I'm more of a summer gal and believes it should be 80 degrees year round), so this analogy didn't mean too much to me until now. Now that I am exploring new things in my photography, now that I am learning more about contemporary portrait photography, now that I am seeing how it can possibly tie into my love for fashion and for encouraging women, I am suddenly excited for the fall season and am moving towards making room for the new. More to come on the details for a few Fall Specials on portrait sessions being offered by Heartbox Photography, so stay tuned!

And even if it was one of THOSE Mondays....happy Monday, anyway!