VALLENTYNE WEDDINGS

Although it is already time again for another shoot with our little man… here are a few pics from our last shoot. I can’t believe how much we’ve fallen in love. He has so many faces and expressions, it just gets better every day!

On March 23rd 2010 Doug and I welcomed our newborn son, Benjamin Douglas Moreau! This is our first baby and it has been an incredible experience…. so far completely unexpected and completely beautiful. Ben is so amazing to us… and parenthood has already been an adventure! Ben’s due date was actually March 8th, so the fact that he was more than 2 weeks late was a big surprise- silly me, I thought he would be early! We have been just enjoying these moments, learning to become good parents, and trying to squeeze in some attention for our other family members- our dogs, Kylie and Roger:) I can’t believe that my maternity leave is actually almost over…. the days since Ben’s birth have flown by. I am finally getting some pictures online while Ben naps, working quickly so I can actually finish this time! This shoot was so funny…. it is really hard to photograph your own newborn! Usually I have the mom there to help me, this time I was on my own! We had to take a few long breaks too…. since Ben was almost 10 pounds at birth (I know, wow!) none of the infant props I have worked for him. Trust me, I tried to stuff him into a few things that were too small and he was pretty mad! The last straw was when I tried to put him into a bucket! Needless to say he wasn’t too happy about that… I guess he will have to get used to this stuff though having a photographer as a mom:) Here are a few of my favorites from the hospital and from our shoot.

I am a big fan of typography and graphic design so I loved this automatic word design that works by sourcing the most common words used in your blog or website! Make your own here: Wordle.net!

A few nights ago I had the pleasure of going up to Costa Mesa to see my friend Lori Epner’s new collection of custom jewelry! CLEEO was created by Lori with the vision of jewelry with a modern twist. It was inspired by her great Aunt… “C” represents Cece (Lori’s great aunt), “LEE” are her initials and “O” is the emotional reaction of a woman, when responding to something she adores. I love this unique approach to naming her creation! Be sure to check out here lovely designs here and take one home for yourself!

The line of handmade necklaces and bracelets are crafted from vintage finds of rhinestones, brooches and earrings are given a second life. Lori’s trunk show was hosted by Goat Boutique in Costa Mesa and there were so many beautiful pieces to see, here are some pics from the evening!

Something my husband and I have always wanted to do was to spend some time in the mountains and the snow. We are both ocean people who grew up by the beach on opposite coasts. But we also both love to snowboard, hike, and see the snow fall. This year, we made it happen. We packed up the computers, printers, hard-drives, and of course the dogs, and headed to Lake Tahoe to spend the month of March! Lake Tahoe is truly a magical place. One of my favorite destinations whether Winter or Summer and we had an amazing month. I have never gotten to snowboard so many days in a row in my life and improved exponentially. I finally learned how to ride in powder and it is truly like floating on a cloud! We had lot’s of close friends in and out of the small cabin we rented and had a wonderful time. I must say, it is hard to beat a hot jacuzzi in the falling snow. We also squeezed in quite a bit of work in the mornings, some yoga to limber up, and lots of hiking that the dogs loved. I think our dogs are really meant to be in that kind of weather… you can tell when they jump straight into the icy water and look like they are having the time of their lives! Here are just a few pictures I think make me remember the trip the most… enjoy!