{Alexis + Mike} Redondo Beach, CA | Palos Verdes, CA Engagement Photographer

Alexis & Mike were destined for a life together. They've known one another since they were 14 years old. They even dated for a short period of time in high school. They went their separate ways but always lived parallel lives, somehow just missing one another. They never forgot one another and kept a place in their hearts for the other. It wasn't until one evening they finally crossed paths again and that night sealed their fate. Alexis even declared to a friend that night that she would marry this man one day. After a long evening together and never wanting it to end, Mike took Alexis home. Only to discover that she lived next door to the rental his parents owned. The same rental he had been visiting every month to collect rent. They couldn't believe it. It was a sign to them both. Nine years later with a beautiful 4-year old daughter, they will finally seal the deal. I loved hearing their story. And I am so thrilled to be a part of their "happily ever after".

These two are a blast to be with. Alexis is super fun and spunky. Mike has such a calm but strong nature about him. They balance one another out and I have such a sense of their love, just being around them together.

Their home is in Redondo Beach and they decided to stay close to home for their shoot to capture a glimpse of their life together. It was perfect! They are just stunning together...

A big shoutout to Amanda of Artistry Make-Up. She did an amazing job on Alexis' make-up!

We visited their favorite Mexican restaurant (Ortega 120) for some delicious guacamole and tableside margaritas. This is now my favorite Mexican restaurant too! I can't wait to bring Dan back here.

And this is the place they finally reconnected after many years of being apart and was the beginning of their life together. We had to capture them here...Patrick Malloys in Hermosa Beach. By the way, don't you just love Alexis' tee? YES! Thanks for a fun night, guys!

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{Brian} Happy Birthday, little B!

Today is my little brother's birthday. I thought I'd give him a little shout out on my blog and tell the world to wish him a happy day. I love this guy! He reminds me so much of my father in the way he wears his heart on his sleeve. He is a hard worker but will always find time for fun with friends and fam.

We shared a room growing up together. For too many years. He loved to hate me. I was responsible for him cracking his head open on our brick fireplace hearth as young children. Sorry! He was responsible for tying a rope around my waist pulled by a motorcycle while I was on skates. (I think we're even.) We are only 20 months apart and spent most of our life fighting one another. It's nice to finally be friends. Love you little "B"! You're not so little anymore. :)

P.S. He's single. Just sayin'.

 

We love our Uncle Darhl!

 

 

{Brooklyn} The curse of a photographer

As you might imagine, the curse of a photographer is spending all your time taking pictures of others that you never take any for yourself. I will say that I have been pretty good about taking pictures of Brooklyn over the past (almost) two years. The curse is that they live in cyber space and not on the walls of my home or in books on our coffee table (if we had one). I have thousands of images that are just floating in cyber space! When I first discovered photography in 2007, I became adament about securing my photos (after losing many in a computer crash) both online and on external harddrives. It's crazy but I have backed up 60,979 photos in 567 albums since 2007 on my Picasa account (many of which are private).

I have only made one Brooklyn book and that is when she was only six weeks old. This is the ONE and only book that I have made for her (BTW, I adore these images)...

Brooklyn by charla BLUE | Make Your Own Book

I kinda love these shots of Brookie playing with her one and only baby book...

 

So today I took a day off and made Brooklyn's 2nd book from her adventures this summer. It was fun and I'm super excited to receive the finished product. Photos are nice to look at on the computer but they are priceless printed.

The second curse is not having any images of me with my little girl, since I am the one always taking the photos. Thank goodness for Photo Booth on the Mac, I have captured me and my little one on my lap over the years. The quality sucks but I don't care. These images are priceless to me, because they are the only ones I have. Isn't it amazing the value we place in photos. They really are such an important part of our lives and legacy.

 

{Danielle + David} Trash the Dress | Laguna Beach, CA

I was super excited when Danielle asked me if she could do a Trash the Dress session with her wedding package instead of an engagement session.And I was even more excited to shoot it and so stoaked that Danielle's goal was to go INTO the water. YES! Love this girl. I didn't actually realize that it meant me getting wet too...but that's exactly what it took to get the shot. We started with David's Harley, another fun addition for me to shoot, and then headed down to the beach at a very high tide.

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{Brooklyn} Celebrating Jude's 2nd Birthday with Luella

Yesterday we spent the day playing at Child's Play in Temecula to celebrate Jude's 2nd birthday (before he leaves for Okinawa next week with his family). We wanted to wish Jude a very happy 2nd birthday (only a month older than Brookie) and get a chance to say our farewells to the Maines family. I officially don't like goodbyes! I've gotten to know this family over the last few years through Cora, and I feel like I've know them for a lifetime. I'm so lucky to have had the opportunity to take photos of their family and will look forward to following their adventures in Japan. Maybe our next session will be overseas? Hmmmmmmm. This is not goodbye...until next time!

Now on to the party! I actually had fun just watching Brookie have fun! She was in play heaven in this place. It was super hard to get decent shots because the kids RAN everywhere. So here are some imperfect shots that I adore in all their imperfection...

The birthday boy, Jude...

Brookie LOVES to jump! She is constantly jumping on our beds, in her crib (the only thing her crib was good for), on the couches, off steps, etc. So she LOVED the trampoline. See her in action here...

These two love each other (and sometimes not so much)...

And one last video of Brookie climbing the big girl ladder and going down the big slide. I climbed behind her a couple of times before I let her do it alone, but she was a pro by the third & fourth time. She is a taste of my own medicine since I had no fear as a little one. 

 

{101 in 1001} An Update

While returning from a day trip from Temecula and talking with the Volkoffs, the topic of my 101 list came up. I was reminded that it is quickly coming to a close. I knew it was ending in 2010 but did not realize that it was in a mere MONTH until I checked my blog. I revisted my list and updated a few things I've accomplished since the last time, but was really a bit bummed that I've only accomplished 32 of 101 things...only 31.6% in teacher terms. Which is a big fat F in the classroom. However, I'm choosing to not look at it like that! First of all, I wrote this list prior to the arrival of a child and the take-off of my photography business. I've also changed and grown and been challenged during this time, so my priorities have also changed. And I'm just happy with some of things that I have accomplished and it's kinda okay that they make up for the things that I have not accomplished. I've always been a goal setter and sought to achieve much, but sometimes the little things are just a little more important. I'm happy I made this list and will make another at the end of this one. But it will be different. It will include smaller and more meaningful moments, like "go to ice cream with Brookie" or "watch a sunset with Dan". And it won't include any "for a week, month, or year" goals. Because my life is just too unpredictable...and I"m pretty much set to fail those goals. I know now.

However, the over-achiever in me will tell you that I will be tackling as much as I can on this list in the next month. LOL! Have you made yours? Please share with me if you have!

Here is an update of my original list...

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Start date: Tuesday, January 1st. 2008
End date: Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Personal
1. Get pregnant (completed 1/12/08)
2. Have a baby (sounds redundant but it’s not) (Completed October 2, 2008)
3. Find a friend to make a 101 list (Completed 1/6/08)
4. Find a student to make a 101 list (Completed 1/7/08)
5. Get a new tattoo (cover up an old one)
6. Return all emails within 24 hours of receiving for one month
7. Keep my car for 1001 days
8. Order groceries online for one month
9. Learn a song I like by heart
10. Get new tires on my wedding cruiser & tune up (Completed)
11. Get an iPhone (Completed 2/6/08)
Marraige
12. Go on a weekly date night for a month
13. Use cook book recipe to cook once a week for one month for Danny.
14. Go for a walk with my husband in the neighborhood one night a week for a month
15. Go to the movies once a month with Dan for six months
16. Catch up on LOST before the series premiere
17. Celebrate wedding anniversary overnight, somewhere other than home
Organization
18. Clean out my closet and donate to charity (Completed 2/6/08)
19. Clean out & organize back rec room (completed 4/17/08)
20. Buy patio furniture for back room
21. Keep up on the laundry for one month (actually fold it & put it away)
22. Create a mail center organizer (Completed 1/30/08)
23. Keep mail center organized (toss junk, file all other)
24. Keep my car spotless clean for one month
Health, Beauty, & Fitness
25. Take a multivitamin daily every day for a month
26. Get to 115 lbs.
27. Run five miles
28. Run ten miles
29. Do another half marathon
30. Drink no alcohol for 40 days (completed sometime in March since I'm pregnant)
31. Drink only water for a week (Completed 2/3/08)
32. Wash my face every night for a week
33. Buy new eyeglasses
34. Spend a day of pampering with girls at Glen Ivy Spa
35. For one week, go to the gym three times before work
36. Floss every day for a week
37. Make it to the gym at least three times a week for a month
38. Go salsa dancing once a week for a month
39. Complete the Rosarito to Ensenada bike race
40. Ride my bike once a week for a month.
Reading
41. Read all the books in my personal library
42. Transfer all CDs onto iTunes
43. Read a book once a month (or equivalent in a year)
44. Log all books on goodreads.com
45. Start or join a book club (completed 2010)
46. Read a book in Spanish
Travel
47. Fly First Class.
48. Go on a wine tour.
49. Visit WSU for photo journal of life (#82)
50. Go to WSU football game
51. See a show in Vegas (does cheerleading count? February 2009)
52. See a show in New York (Completed 1/4/07)
53. See old friends in Spain
54. Go to three states that I’ve never been to before
55. Go to the Getty Museum
56. Visit Miami
57. Mountain bike in Moab, Arizona
Finances
58. Pay off a credit card
59. Cut up a credit card
60. For one month, spend money only on necessities (food, gas, bills, etc.)
61. Get a safety deposit box
62. Save for one summer (Completed Summer 2009)
Photography
63. Buy a new laptop (Completed)
64. Take a few photography classes to improve my craft
65. Attend a photography workshop/conference (Completed March 2009, Fast Track Photograher)
66. Read a business book to help my photography business (Completed March 2009)
67. Upgrade my blog to match site (Completed 2/9/08)
68. Take a photo a day for 365 days (Project 365)
69. Do 26 things photographic
70. Back up all my albums & data on my computer  (Completed ?)
71. Blog at least once a week for a year
72. Blog every day for a month. (Completed 1/29/08)
73. Become proficient in Photoshop. (Does Lightroom count? | If so, completed.)
74. Back up each photo session as I process them for a month. (Completed regularly now)
75. Give away a photo session to someone I don’t know in need (Completed 1/16/08)
76. Finish my Spain scrapbook
77. Complete my wedding scrapbook
78. Frame wedding pictures in collage in hallway
79. Create a printed charla BLUE portfolio with baby prints
80. Create a printed charla BLUE portfolio with wedding prints
81. Create a printed charla BLUE portfolio with family & couple prints
82. Photo document my life in a book
83. Buy a vintage film camera
84. Meet a photographer I admire (Completed November 2008)
85. Second shoot a wedding for a photographer I admire (Completed August 2009, for Dane Sanders)
Spiritual
86. Find a church I like attending. (Completed 01/13/08)
87. Go to church once a month for a year.
88. Attend church every Sunday for a month .
89. Read The Purpose Driven Life.
90. Live by the Four Agreements for one week.
Give Back
91. Fund a business loan for third world country (Kiva.org).
92. Participate in Make-a-Wish foundation.
93. Give blood.
94. Do a random act of kindness. (Completed.)
95. Volunteer.
96. Go on a mission trip.
Out of order...
97. Surprise my husband.
98. Go on vacation with my family (other than my husband).
99. Visit a distant friend. (Completed December 2009)
100. Donate $5 for every item on my list that is not completed at the end of 1001 days.
101. Start a new 101 list at the end of this one.

{Alexis + John} Long Beach Engagement Session

I had such a fun night shooting Alexis & John's engagement session & party! They are friends of a friend of a friend...if you catch my drift! Really, next weekend I'll be shooting Melly & Chas' wedding. And then their friend Courtney's wedding in March. And finally Alexis & John's wedding in July. How's that for word of mouth? Thank you friends & clients...I LOVE YOU!

But on to this session. A&J needed absolutely no warming up to the camera. They were ready at the first click. Gotta love that...because it's a rare occurence. Here's just a glimpse into our session...

 

 

 

 

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