1. Jasmine Star on Creative Live. So I don’t know if y’all know, but if you are a photog you probably do…Jasmine Star did an amazing FREE online streaming workshop for 5 days. It was put on by the amazing Chase Jarvis and Creative Live team. Creative Live puts on all kinds of free online workshops for the art community, but seriously? The Jasmine Star event may have been the biggest thing they have ever done! Jasmine not only walked through how she runs her business, lots of Q&A, but she also shot an ENTIRE wedding LIVE so we could see exactly how she shoots a big day. And then the next day she showed us her entire edit. It was SERIOUSLY AMAZING. And I learned so much. It was a great thing for me because I saw that I do many things similarly which was an affirmation that I do things right and know what’s up. But it also showed me some things I never knew about and also areas which I know I can improve. And really, that was the whole point of watching. To learn, and challenge myself and GROW. Thank you so very much Jasmine for being a complete open book! You have helped the community (and me as an individual) SO much more than you know! And thank you so much to Creative Live for putting on this extraordinary event! WOWZAS! Y’all rock! …and clients? Y’all should know this experience has pushed me to grow and dream so much farther! Ashleigh Taylor Photography is ONLY going up from here!

2. Kimchi. I have been working A LOT lately and I really needed a little date night. AJ asked me where I wanted to go and we ran through our list of usual places. Then he said…”I know, you want Tofu-Ya, right?” And internet, I was shocked! Cause that boy just read my frickin’ mind! “How did you know?” I asked. His response? “I saw kimchi floating above your head.” LOLZ forever. Yes, sometimes I crave kimchi and tofu soon and apparently it floats above my head like I am a cartoon character. We waited nearly 35 minutes to get a seat at Tofu-ya that night but it was SO worth it! That kimchi totally hit the spot! Mmm mm mmm mmm good!

3. The Switch. On Sunday I went to see The Switch with my mom, and OMG, I LOVED it! Ok so is it a cheesy romantic comedy and therefore somewhat predictable? Yes. But you know what I really don’t care. It was really cute. And super funny. And ummm the little boy in that movie is ADORABLE! I want a little boy JUST LIKE THAT! Cause that kid? He was stinkin’ cute and sweet! I came home telling AJ about it and went through a “awww I want a baby phase.” Then AJ reminded how much work children are and how you have to change their diapers and I was all…oh yeah I’m still so not ready for that! LOL. No, one day I do wanna be a momma. Hopefully to an awesome cute little kid. But right now? Soooo not ready. Maybe in about 4 or 5 years. Unless another romantic comedy messes deeply with my mind before then! hehe

4. InfoMania. Do any of you watch this show? AJ and I LOVE it! It’s on Current TV and it’s a clip show…kinda like how Best Week Ever used to be…only this is a bit edgier and smarter. I LOVE the social commentary segments like Brian Safi’s “That’s Gay” but I also just like the pure hilarity of Brett Erlich’s “Viral Video Film School.” Oh and don’t forget Sergio Cilli’s “White Hot Top Five” and “Music Intervention”! I love it! It’s a super funny show and I totally suggest trying it out if you like funny stuff and TV. hehe

5. Aarti Party. So I am like a HUGE Food Network nerd and I could not have been happier when Aarti won Next Food Network Star. Fun facts: Aarti and I both used to write food reviews for LAist.com at more or less the same time. We also live around the same area and like some of the same Indian food joints. So what I am trying to say is, clearly, we are BFFs and I was rooting for her! Now home girl has her own show, and I LOVE it. I have been saying forever that I wish there was an Indian cooking show on Food Network because dang I love me some Indian food! And now it has happened! Oh happy day! Oh happy day!

From left to right: Aarti from FoodNetwork.com, The Switch movie poster from the official website, Infomania cast from the official website, and tasty kimchi from the kimchi wikipedia page.

1. The Kahala. The Kahala hotel on Oahu is like one of the BEST PLACES EVER. They have an amazing, amazing beach that I LOVE. I love beaches where the water is pretty flat. I’m a tiny girl and I don’t really like being pushed around by the ocean. The Kahala also has some seriously DELISH places to eat! And the best high tea ever! The tea they use is by Mariage Freres and it is the most tasty, flavorful tea ever! The Marco Polo tea tastes like TROPICAL HEAVEN! Wow, yowzas. It is good. I also love the grounds of the Kahala. The landscaping is beautiful and the architecture and interior design is luxurious yet welcoming. Honestly, it would be my DREAM to shoot a wedding here! It is THAT amazing.

2. Leonard’s Malasadas. “Mala-what-a’s?!” you may be saying. Malasadas are this Portuguese doughnuty type treat found in Hawaii. They were brought to Hawaii via the wave of Portuguese immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All I have to say is THANK YOU PORTUGUESE PEOPLE. Cause malasadas? They are AMAZING! Leonard’s makes, hands down, the BEST malasadas on the island. They are so very good because they are FRIED TO ORDER. And if you know anything about fried food, you know it is ALWAYS tastiest hot and fresh from the oil! The best way to describe malasadas would be like a cross between a donut and a beignet ONLY BETTER. They are warm, doughy, yet light,  and buttery. I love the original style, but I also like the Haupia malasada that Leonard’s makes! It is a regular malasada stuffed with a coconut custard! DELISH. Dang now I am craving one! Too bad I’d have to fly 3,000 miles to get it!

3. Lani Kai beach. We stayed with family in Kailua, which is probably my favorite area of Oahu. It is very lush and green and a whole lot less crowded than Honolulu! The best part of staying in Kailua though (besides visiting my fun family) is LANI KAI beach!!! This beach has been voted many times as one of the Top 10 Beaches in the world, and I can clearly see why. The water is warm and never to choppy. It is more of a locals beach (not even a parking lot) so it never gets too crowded. And it has two tiny little triangular islands floating in the not too far off distance. So you just look at the crystal clear turquoise water, and you see the horizon, and you see these two little islands, and you feel like YEP I found paradise. It is seriously so beautiful! I could lay on that beach and swim in its waters for hours.

4. Turtle Bay. I also LOVE the Turtle Bay hotel on Oahu’s North Shore! I stayed there the last time I was in Oahu, but this time we just made a day trip out of it! What I love about this hotel so very much is the setting.  It’s pretty secluded on the North Shore and they just own acres and acres of land. There is hiking trails and horse back riding, and TONS of secluded shoreline. There is SO much natural beauty at the hotel. They also have a great calm swimming beach which of course I LOVE. I have even seen turtles swimming at the beach! Nothing better than swimming near little cutie sea turtles in Hawaii!!  Turtle Bay also has a restaurant called Ola’s which is right on the beach. The food is just okay to be honest but the view is worth the mediocre eats! LOL! But yeah my favorite part about this hotel is just being able to really walk the grounds and explore nature and swim at the beach! This hotel would also be a GREAT place for a wedding! Definitely another place on my dream destination venue list!

5. Bubbie’s Mochi Ice Cream. This place was named by Oprah as one of her favorite things, so you KNOW it is good! Bubbie’s serves up homemade mochi ice cream in a plethora of DELISH flavors. It is unlike any place I have ever been on the mainland. I seriously WISH we had a Bubbie’s in Los Angeles… I think it would do superrrr well here! Hello, look at how well Yogurtland has done! Think about it Bubbie’s peeps! Anyways there isn’t much to say other than the mochi ice cream is nom nom nom. I really like the lilikoi flavor and the guava flavor. Oh and the chocolate espresso! That is pretty bomb too! Man, I could really go for one right now because it is so hot in my apartment! Bubbie’s….Culver City has some open real estate ready and waiting for your west coast debut!!

From left to right: Leonard’s Bakery box from Leonard’s Bakery official website, sushi-like Mochi from Bubbie’s official website, Mariage Freres tin from Mariage Freres official website, Kahala Resort from Kahala’s official website.

And now its that special time of the week…another round of Tuesday Top 5!

1. Swimming. Well what is summer without swimming anyways? I am very blessed that my mommy who lives about 5 minutes away from me has a lovely swimming pool. I get to use it pretty much whenever I want and it is no doubt the best way to relax and beat the heat! The party really gets started when AJ & I get to swim with my niece & nephew too! I cherish these summer play days with them! Makes me feel like I’m in grade school on summer break…even though I’m not!

2. California Gurls. Yep, I have caught the bug. I am obsessed with Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” just like the rest of America! It’s one catchy jam, no? The video is kinda crazy and over the top, but I kinda love it too. Maybe I should start sporting a blue wig…JUST KIDDING!!!!

3. Man V. Food. Do y’all watch this show? If you don’t you’re missing out because it’s AWESOME!!! When it first came out I was prepared to hate it. I thought “great just what America needs. A show about a chubby guy trying to eat massive amounts of food. Most of which seems like junk food. Greaaaaaaat.” BUT I gave the show a chance and learned I was wrong. Yes, Adam Richman could stand to lose a few pounds. And yes, he does sometimes have to eat mass amounts of less than healthy stuff. But the show is more about him traveling to different American cities and finding some awesome awesome food. Also Adam Richman is hilarious and it is pretty entertaining watching try to take down the food. I would say 50% of the challenges aren’t even about big portions, many challenges just require him to eat something SUPERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR spicy. Anyways it a fun show and I suggest you watch it!

4. Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Yes ladies you heard right. The BEST sale of the year is happening now. Brace yourselves and your bank accounts! You may ask why the Nordy Anniversary sale is THE best…And I will tell you! Because this is the one sale where you aren’t getting out of season items. Nay, you are getting the HOTTEST FALL STYLES ON SALE before the season even starts!!! Amazing! The only tiny issue is that it is a little hard to be in the mood to buy boots in July. But still. I already scored some Seven Jeans and a Miss Sixty Jacket. And it is taking all the strength in the world not to buy MORE. But that it was husband’s are for. To keep your shopping habits in line. Hehehe

5. Being a busy photography bee. July has been without a doubt my busiest month for weddings as well as portrait sessions so far! I have been LOVING it. I am getting a major taste of life as a true full time photographer and I never ever want to go back. It’s great having so many fun shoots and really breathing photography on a daily basis. I want my life to be like this ALL the time. So I am super anxious for those 2011 bookings to start rolling in!! I have made it my duty to ensure next year is even more awesome than this year, if possible!

I will leave you with two shots AJ grabbed of me shooting my most recent engagement session! It was HOT and bright out which required me wearing a summer dress and sunglasses atop my head. Obviously.

…I was showing my client how to pose in that picture. Yeah it’s silly but it’s awesome too. In a giggly way.

Here I’m just rocking it out with my camera. Clickin’ the shutter and smiling. Because that’s how I roll. With sunglasses atop my head.

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So DC was amazing, though hot. I really had fun exploring the DC food scene with my hubs and I definitely feel a lot smarter & cultured from all the time we spent in museums! And the two weddings I shot this past week were AMAZING. They were both so different but so  so so fabulous! I am on a high. A wedding high. I can’t believe how amazing my clients are, how much love is in the world, how awesome my job is! I am a lucky lady!

So now onto Tuesday Top 5!

1. Volt. If you said, “what was the best meal of your trip Ashleigh?” I would say. “going to Volt! Duhhhh!” Yeah it was that good. Volt is Bryan Voltaggio’s (of Top Chef fame) restaurant in Frederick, MD. And it is truly a-maz-ing. We had the 3 course prix fixe lunch. It started with in-house baked sealt-rosemary breadsticks, in house baked bread, and in house made sea salt butter. The waiters present your food to you in perfect form, making sure your flatware is appropriate, and that you know all the delectable components to your dish. Very much like how the chefs present their dishes on Top Chef. For my appetizer I had the yellowfin Tuna Tartare which was to die for. It was wrapped in a thick jasmine rice paper and finished with cilantro oil and a soy foam. Um AMAZING. AJ had the goat cheese ravioli with wild mushrooms and it was in this insane sauce. The raviolis melted in your mouth. Mmmm baby. For the entree, I had the halibut with pea puree and carrot risotto. Everything was so uniquely presented and perfectly cooked. AJ had a homemade pasta with braised lamb sauce. We finished with dessert which we shared. First for our anniversary, they brought out an orange-mint semi-fredo which was quite refreshing. Then there was Textures of Chocolate. Yes the dessert was called Textures of Chocolate which is as fancy and delish as it sounds. It was a chocolate ganache that you could mix with other chocolate textures on the plate, such as chocolate syrup, chocolate ice cream, cocoa powder, crunch chocolate and more. It was very interesting and wonderful. Lastly was my favorite– cheesecake with sour cherries. The cheesecake was deconstructed which was an unexpected twist. The flavors were spot on and I loved the cherry ice cream! Seriously every dish was a presented in an original and unexpected way. Yet the flavors were spot on and divine. I’m SO glad we made it to Volt! It was a totally fab experience!

2. Good Stuff Eatery. Another place we ate in DC that I am still drooling over is Good Stuff Eatery. Owned by another Top Chef contestant, Chef Spike Mendelsohn, Good Stuff Eatery is like slow food fast. Good food. Farm fresh, organic, earth friendly ingredients in a fast food, burger joint set up. If fast food was like this everywhere, I would not hate it so much. So Good Stuff is a burger place and AJ said the burger was legit. But y’all I ate the “Vegetarians Are People Too Shroom Burger” and it was AWESOME. Fresh baked bun. Pickles. Good Stuff sauce. Lettuce, tomato, onion. And the piece de resistance….A portabello mushroom cap, stuffed with cheese, rolled in panko and flash fried as the patty. WOW. Eating this was so satisfying and tasted so meaty. But it was vegetarian. But it had all the great classic burger flavors. It was GREAT. I only wish I could eat it all summer long!!! I hope Spike will expand Good Stuff and bring it to LA. I know I always say I hate chain restaurants…but Good Stuff Eatery seems like the kinda chain I could get behind, if did in fact become one! I love the principles of this restaurant and I love the food! Oh and I almost forgot…they have AMAZING milkshakes! The toasted marshmellow shake is mind-blowing. Seriously.

3. Landing Safely. I love traveling. LOVE it. But flying? It makes me a little nervous. Not like I need to take a valium nervous. Just a tad nervous. I actually never used have nerves at all. But when I met AJ and fell in love, all the sudden I’d get nervous flying. I got afraid of something bad happening. I think it’s because I love him so much and I love our life and I’m so excited for our future…so I don’t want that to end…you know? But I try to disregard these nerves. Because I know deep down it will probably be okay. And life is about LIVING and not being afraid. And I should see as much of the world as I can during my short time here! I know all this. I do. But still. The whole flight there is always this little pit in my stomach. So when the plane touches down and we are all safe and good, I get really happy. I thank the universe and feel a big sigh of relief! Anyone else feel this way about flying? Anyone? Bueller?

4. Seeing my kitties. Basically from the second we left for DC I missed my cats. Call me lame. Call me a crazy cat lady. Tell me to get a life. Whatever, ain’t no thang. Cause I know that me and my kitties got something very special going on. Every night in DC was hard to sleep. I am so used to having my nightly kitty-cuddles and feeling them curled up by my feet while I sleep. On the plane back to Long Beach I kept thinking “almost time to see those sweeties!” So finally we were home. And I saw there sweet faces. And I was so very happy! And ever since I have been in cuddle city. Because apparently they really missed me too. Like I said, we have a special thang going on, those kit-kats and I!

5.  My Seriously Amazing Clients. Besides being creative and getting to take photographs for a living, one of my favorite parts of my job is getting to meet,  know and work with so many amazing people. My clients continually blow me away with their kindness, and with their warm and genuine hearts. This week especially so. Pam & Justin’s wedding in Maryland was so lovely and so fun. I truly felt like I was amongst friends all day…and honestly that’s because I was! Then there was Ryan & Kristina’s wedding on Saturday. Another couple who are just so welcoming and caring and feel like old friends. I was so giddy all day long for them! Then I came hone to such a sweet thank you note from the lovely Serene & Mike! When my couples take the time to thank me, it means so much! Because really, I thank all of you for allowing me to live such a dream! And lastly, there was the sweet Patricia & Matt on Sunday. They bought me & AJ a funnel cake after our session, which was so unnecessary but oh so very very awesome!!! And it was great to just chill with them over deep fried goodness and develop even more of a friendship. You see, 4 days packed with wonderful client interaction that melts my heart! I really am so ecstatic about all my weddings and all my clients, and so thankful for everyone of you. I can’t wait to see who the next generation of awesome clients will be! But I’m sure they will rock just as much! Because I really do run my business based on the philosophy that my clients should be friends! It’s just so good that way!

1. Swimming…or should I say FLOATING. Because let’s be honest people, the kinda swimming I do is a sorry attempt at the doggy paddle. When in the pool you will most likely find me floating upon a fun-noodle. And I like it. It’s truly what I call FUN! I’m so happy summer is arriving and we have started to go fun-noodling at my mom’s pool! I look forward to it every Spring and enjoy it every summer! Fun fun fun!

2. Bare Escentuals make up. I hate wearing make up. And yet its kinda necessary, especially when I’m shooting someone’s wedding! I hate make up mostly because of how complicated and time consuming it can be to put it on. All that blending and precise placement of color. Ugh. I am LOVING my new discovery of Bare Escentuals! There foundation & concealer is a no brainer to put on and so speedy too! Best of all I have been getting more compliments than ever before! Heck yeah!

3. Old photos. Wowza. Whilst cleaning out my grandparents I have found some majorly old photos. Like  a scrapbook my great grandmother made in 1914 (10 years before my grandma was born)!! Or formal portraits that seem to be even  older. I wish my grandma had showed me them while she was alive and I knew more about the people and places. But still its so amazing. I cherish these! How rare to have photos not just of your parents lives and grandparents lives but of your great-grandparents lives!! I guess photography was ALWAYS important to my family! Finding these pictures really proved to me the power of photography and makes me feel kinda amazing. Maybe one day a great-grandchild of one of my clients will find their wedding album or pictures and be so amazed and thankful. I am preserving family’s histories and wow that’s a crazy thought! But one that makes me ridiculously giddy!

4. Pinches Tacos!!! Holy Moly Guacomole!!! New amazing discovery in my hood! Pinches Tacos! Went there last night and boy oh boy are they delish! Their fish & shrimp tacos BLEW MY MIND! And the rice was delish. And the CHIPS AND SALSA! Oh lord in heaven, the chips and salsa! So fresh! So crunchy! I am in love with Pinches. I can’t wait to go back and try their mexican corn on the cob and if I can wake up early enough for breakfast the chilaquiles! Num num num.

5. Family. Family, it’s like the most important thing EVER. I have always known that. I have always loved holidays and family get-togethers. I was never a kid or teen who hated to hang with my fam. But lately it’s just been proven so much, how much my family has  my back and I am forever thankful. Like my bomb uncle who always helps me with my taxes. Or my uncle the doctor who answers all my hypochondriac concerns (and are there ever a lot because I am nuts). Or my bro who today talked to me about 10 times about how to fill out DMV forms to sell my grandpa’s car. I mean, he walked me through it a lot. Cause government forms scare me! Or Aunt who has given up the last 2 months to help me clear out my grandparents. Or my in-laws who have graciously offered to help the hubs pay off his student loans! I am so thankful to all my family for all they continually give to me & AJ. <3 Family first and always.

And I really didn’t even think people cared about or liked TT5…but apparently you do! Because there have been many sad emails as to what’s going on with it! And that makes me sad that I’m letting my readers down! So I will try my darndest this month to keep up with the Tuesday Top 5 postings, but please forgive me if they are a little late. Anyways…I’ll stop whinin’ and get down to biznass.

1. Etsy. I have been obsessed with Etsy for some time. I discovered it back in 2008 when I was planning my own wedding. Brides, if you don’t know about Etsy then whoaaa you need to learn!! It’s a site where craftsy, artsy peeps can sell their awesome handmade goods or vintage treasures! It is AMAZING! Want art for your house? You can get it on Etsy. Want a wedding ring? You can get it on Etsy. Want clothes, accessories, and amazing hair adornments? You can DEFINITELY find it on Etsy. I <3 Etsy forever.

2. Hawaii. OMGGGG. So my mom & I are taking a trip to visit our cousins who live on Oahu this summer. We last visited them in 2007. So it was definitely time to see them again!! Though Oahu isn’t my favorite island, heck, I sure will take it! Plus we are staying in Kailua which I know I will enjoy more than being in the hustle and bustle of Waikiki! We will be close to Lani Kai…one of the world’s most GORGEOUS beaches! So I am pretty friggin’ stoked!! I actually am DYING to organize a stylized Mr. & Mrs./Trash-The-Dress session while there so if anyone knows any newlyweds on Oahu or even some awesome Oahu based vendors (planners, florists, etc) please send them my way!

3. Sex and the City 2. Yeah I loved it. Yeah I am obsessed. I am a modern chick, what can I say?! I really had a fabulous time watching this movie and I laughed my pants off! I love Carrie and the girls. Always have, always will. And the fashions?? Amazing! I gotta say I get jealous of all the luxury! That trip to Abu Dhabi?? FABULOUS. I’ll fly on that first class suite any day!

4. Kitty Lightshow Laser Pointer. The hubs was an awesome kitty-daddy this week and scored a free laser pointer thingy at our pet store! The cats LOVE chasing the laser light so much! They go bananas. And honestly? It’s THE FUNNIEST THING EVER!!! It’s like having a live youtube video in my house! LOLZ forever. It’s so cute because now the second we pick up the pointer, before we even turn it on, they are BOOM– right there! Ready and waiting with the widest, most excited eyes you have ever seen. It’s awesome.

5. The Bacara. OMG, I shot a fab wedding at Bacara last Friday and it was amazetastic! I have been dying to go to Bacara since I saw a Great Hotels with Samantha Brown episode highlighting the resort back in 2005. Okay, yes, I am a dork! But seriously! What a gorgeous place. And the gardens are everywhere and smell SOOO good. Man, now I wanna go there for a weekend getaway. I must! I must!

And now here is a picture of me being a superstar photog at the Bacara. I look cute eh? Anywho, I will be blogging this wedding soooo sooon! Soon soon!!

But I don’t want to leave my buddies without a dose of TT5. That’s my new abbreviation of Tuesday Top 5. Plus, it is still technically Tuesday!!!

So here goes:

1. Awesome Italian people & last minute bookings! Last Friday I got a call from a charming Italian fellow, asking if I could take engagement pictures of him & his fiance…the next day! Because she would be leaving town! Crazy! But I’m SOOOO glad Andrea & Barbara found me, because they are like the coolest people ever. It doesn’t hurt that they are Italian and have amazing Italian style and adorable accents. And they are so sweet & fun! I had a great time! I am so glad they found me & the last minute shoot worked out! It was fun & spontaneous and I will def be blogging there pics THIS WEEK!

2. UCSB. Also last Saturday, AJ and I headed to his hometown of Santa Barbara for an engagement shoot with my superrr awesome couple Tyler & Christine. Believe it or not, I never have been to UCSB before. I actually was accepted there for college, but I was dead set on going out of state…so I never even looked at the campus. Did you know that….UCSB is like the MOST GORGEOUS CAMPUS EVER?!? Like oh.my.gawdddd!  It’s got this lagoon and all these birds and nature and marshy-ness and bluffs and beach and wow. The dorms face some crazy good views. Dang…I almost regret not going there. Except not, because going to school in Boston was awesome too and I met my lovey at college. But still…wow. UCSB…who knew you were so cool!!!!

3. Headbands! Headbands are my new obsession accessory. I hate to admit it but as much as I love dressing up and looking pretty, I kinda suck at styling my hair. My hair is very fine and stick straight. And I just don’t have the patience to try to curl it. Ever. And it barely holds anyways. And cool buns and side swept do’s?? Uh, ladies, HOW DO YOU DO THIS? I suck. I can’t get my hair to ever look cool. I can’t even accomplish the messy-effortless-up-do look. And that’s supposed to be  messy and effortless. Take away my girlie membership now! But cute headbands? They are a LIFESAVER. A boring, hair down look can be instantly glamorous with one of these beauties. And I love it. Easy, breezy, fo’ sheezy. That’s how I roll.

4. “Easy, Breezy, Fo’ sheezy.” DID I JUST MAKE UP THE COOLEST NEW PHRASE EVER??? Yes, I think I did!

5. AJ. Because he  wanted me to write about him in my top 5. I guess he hasn’t noticed that I mention him on this segment, like, all the time!! I think he just enjoys reading all the gush. If I write about him anymore his head may not fit through the front door! But really he is awesome. Because he goes with my on shoots and helps me out. And carries my bags! Because they are heavy!! And because he gives me kisses all the time. And because he takes pictures of me in action.

Check it out. Ashleigh in action over the weekend. By AJ! Do you see what I mean about UCSB being AMAZING?!?? By the way, this was the WINDIEST shoot ever! And the most adventurous (I climbed a bluff)! Yes, I am so lame that climbing up a bluff and surviving wind seems adventurous to me. Don’t hate. I’m a city girl. I’m sooo LA. Anyways, I digress. Picture below!

1. Escalate Live Broadcast! Did I ever mention, I LOVE a good deal? Well, over the last two days a really cool photography conference that was a couple Benjamins to go to in person…but then they decided to live stream it for FREE! That’s free knowledge guys! Love it!!!! So the past two days I have been multi-tasking, doing editing and chores while listening to all the good info being preached by Becker, Jasmine*, David Jay, Dane Sanders, Jessica Claire, Jerry Ghinois and more! It’s awesome. Getting smarter, saving money, and getting things done. BOOM! That’s awesome.

2. Sentimental Finds. So I have been tasked with the overwhelming job of cleaning out my grandparents’ condo. Well, I am the co-executor of the estate with my dad…but he is only coming into to town for a week since he doesn’t live here so I needed to get a head start…my grandparents had SOOO much stuff! As daunting of a job it is to clean out someone’s whole home, someone’s whole life basically, but there have been so many good memories unearthed along the way. Found photos. Found figurines I used to play with. The doll they bought me in Arizona. My baby clothes that they saved. It’s crazy emotional but so sweet at the same time. It’s weird how a simple object can bring up so many memories & sentiments. But its wonderful too.

3. Vinatge Cameras! Speaking of finding stuff at my grandparents…I found two really old cameras! One is like hella old, you know the kind that looks like basically a black box with a pinhole? Sweet! I also found something called a Kodak Instamatic, which apparently is an old school point and shoot. I don’t think either one works, but they just look cool! I will definitely be treasuring them & putting them on display.

4. HGTV. I go through phases where I am into HGTV. Sometimes I get sick of it and will not watch for 6 months or more. But right now I am back into it. My favorite thing is watching the shows about selling & buying since buying is like a may-jah goal for me in the next 2-ish years. Now, I’d like to ask, where the heck does HGTV find the people to be on the shows?!!! They are SOOOO stoopid! Yes I spelled “stupid” as “stoopid” to hilight how lame these people tend to be. They will see a house and its perfect, in their price range which by the way isn’t too high, spacious…and they hate it because of paint color, or cabinet facades or even worse the bathtub needs to be cleaned!! Seriously, a dirty bathtub is gonna ruin this sale?!! Get yo’ self some comet and scrub it homie, and it will be fine!!!! Ughhhh. It just really bothers me. But it also makes me laugh hardcore.

5. Peaches. I love a good peach. Or plum. Or apricot. I enjoy stone fruits basically. But only if they are sweet! It sucks to bite into a flavorless stone fruit. Majorly disappointing. But one of my husband’s student’s  gave him a bag of fresh picked peaches. And they rule! Num nummy nummers nummerton! I love them!

And now here’s a very teasey teaser of a wedding I will be blogging soon!  Stay tuned, friends!

1.  Babysitting my nephew. On Friday, I was left with a big responsibility. Pick up my nephew from school (it was a half-day) and babysit him till around 5:00pm. Now, I babysit my nephew all the time. But pick up from school? Oh man, that part sounded scary. That’s what moms do! You gotta drive all extra safe. You can’t forget him and accidentally leave him there (once someone forgot me at school and it SUCKED). But all went smoothly. I was like the best aunt ever. Picked him up on time. Took him to Victor Jr.’s for a little pizza pie lunch! Took him to the playground and got him a popsicle. Please file me under Best Aunt Ever! Seriously, it was awesome. And I had a blast with my favorite li’l guy all day. Because my nephew is HILARIOUS and ADORABLE!!

2. Watching Kids Perform! This week was like my kids week. You see my friend Brooklyn directs a kids musical theater program and I went to see their final performance of Annie. Then the next day, I saw my niece perform in her spring school recital, which also was a musical theater theme. It kinda warms my heart to see the kids get up there and give it their all. When I was a kid I was in like a gazillion musicals. I loved seeing a full house and watching people clap & cheer for me (and you know the whole cast)! It gave me so much confidence. And so going to these shows is kinda a full circle, giving back thing. And it gives me the warm & fuzzies.

3. The Culver City Car Show. On Saturday it was just lovely outside! So AJ & I decided we should take a stroll over to the annual Culver City Car Show. To be honest I am not really like a “car person.” I can appreciate a classic car or a nice car but I don’t know..it doesn’t really excite me. Still, I had fun looking at the cars with AJ and being goofy. I decided of all the classic cars, my fav is a Chevy Bel-Air. Two tone please. It is a pretty hot car!

4.  Mother’s Day. Lots of people asked me what I did for mother’s day. Well, I spent it with my momma. At Dim Sum. All day. Because we waited for two hours to get a table. Because apparently that place took reservations and we didn’t know. So two hours of sitting & waiting & hunger. BUT when we got to eat finally it was delicious!!!  Plus I got to be with my mom and laugh and just be. And that was nice. On a sad note, it was really hard not having dinner with my grandma or buying her a card. Mother’s Day was like superrr important to her…so to not be doing anything with her was just strange.

5.  Spring Weather. Okay well minus the days it has been really windy, it is finally starting to get all springy & warm! The Jacaranda trees are in bloom which I love! And the sun feels so good! It just makes me excited! I can tell summer is around the corner and that means swimming and bbqs and fun! Love it!

I will leave you with a quick picture I snapped of AJ & my nephew, Leo, back in February. I never posted it because its not a perfect shot. AJ is a little out of focus. But I dunno I kinda love this shot. Despite AJ being out of focus. So there.

So what better way to kick off my return than with a Tuesday Top 5 eh? Here we go:

1. Sunny SoCal Days. I love living in LA. The weather is so beautiful…and the warm sun?  I cannot get enough! Feeling the sun on my skin makes me feel so happy and so alive. There is nothing better to me than just laying out and soaking it all up. Too bad its terrible for my skin…I will probably be a splotchy & wrinkly old lady, but I can’t get enough sun!!

2. Sunday Brunch. I usually brunch with my mom on weekends when I am not scheduled for a shoot or a wedding. It doesn’t happy every week, but when it happens its so nice! This Sunday my husband, my mom, my other grandparents (her parents) who live in Palm Springs, and my Aunt Betty and I all went to brunch together at John O’Groats, one of my favorite LA brunch eateries. I love just being with family, chatting over coffee and eggs, and just enjoying the leisure of it all! Bonus points to the delish Artichoke Eggs Benedict that John O’Groats serves up! ‘Tis mighty tasty!!

3. Bobby Fay the Spider Killing Cat. My black cat is named Bobby Fay after Iron Chef Bobby Flay…It’s a long story…but anyway point is I love my cat for a million reasons. He is sweet and cuddly and smart and curious and funny and loving…and one more amazing thing. He kills spiders for me! I HATE spiders. And sometimes I am home alone when one appears on the wall. Spiders the size of nickel. SICK. But there goes little Bobby cat. He spots that spider and plans a strategy of attack. Then POW! He kills that spider. When AJ is home sometimes he just alerts AJ to the spider’s presence…he doesn’t want to take away AJ’s role as man of the house. But when daddy’s not home little Bobby goes and gets that spider for me. Its amazing. I have never had a cat quite skilled and practical as Bobby. It makes me love him that much more.

4. Singing in the shower. Did you know the shower generally has the best acoustics in the house? No wonder my voice sounds all divalicious while I am in there. I used to sing in the shower all the time. Often prompting my stepdad to bang on the bathroom door yelling “SHUT UP!!!!” But I stopped in college…dorm living=not so good for shower concerts. Then I moved in with AJ and I was just super embarrassed to sing in the shower while he was home. I am actually still embarrassed. So I wait until he’s GONE, and then I sing out loud! Muwahahaha! My only concern is that the neighbors my hear me…hopefully they don’t mind the entire soundtrack to Cabaret or Lady Gaga’s “Speechless” over and over and over

5.  Treme. As a crazy huge fan of HBO’s The Wire, I was super stoked for the new show Treme to come out! Can I just say, David Simon does it again! Treme is a really good show! I love the characters and the way it goes about telling the story of New Orleans trying to put itself together after Katrina. Each Monday I am already anxious for Sunday so I can see another episode. May I also add that I really am digging Steve Zahn on this show. He is so underrated! If you have HBO, I suggest you check out Treme…but start at episode 1…you can’t start mid way through the season

And now here is a teaser of an engagement session I am currently editing! The lovely Zoe + Nima!!