the Anna Delores blog.

julie's bridal shower

2014-01-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

Looking for Julie's bridal shower extravaganza? Please head on over here!

no more updates here -- please visit the new blog!

2013-08-15T14:50:00.001-07:00

Just to reiterate the announcement from Monday, the Anna Delores blog has a NEW HOME on the world wide web. Please update your bookmarks and Bloglovin' accounts as needed!

It's hard to leave this blog behind, but it's because I'm on to bigger and better adventures. Thank you to everyone for their love and support -- I've gotten more from blogging than I ever thought possible!

xoxo.

it's finally here!

2013-08-12T00:30:00.000-07:00

Friends! Countrymen! Lend me your ears.

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

But seriously.

It's ready! My new site + blog is ready to go!

clickety-click to be taken to the new blog!

This means I won't be posting updates here any more. It's a little bittersweet to leave my old blog behind, but I remind myself that it's because I'm moving on to bigger and better things. Like cool new websites and a new blog where everything can be housed under the same roof.

So please, update your Bloglovin' stalking accordingly, because I'm coming back to Blogland! I've missed you all so much!

See you on the other side (i.e. over here).

xoxo

life lately // studio progress

2013-06-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've been quiet about our studio around here, but it is NOT for lack of progress! We are almost at 100% and have even started holding client meetings there -- it's SO exciting, and a little surreal.

Here are some more glimpses of the studio space (via Instagram, of course). :)

1. our sweet little washroom (I like to call it a washroom instead of a "bathroom" because I think it sounds fancier)

2. joelle's calligraphy for a quick in-studio photo shoot we did a couple weeks ago

3. amy's pre-wedding prep (i.e. huge flower delivery). sharing a space with a florist is great fun!

4. leo is our resident carpenter and has built about half of our furniture: coffee table, cabinets, and community table!

5. snippets of our small private office space within the larger studio.

6. the "lounge" area, where I've held all my client meetings thus far. I love it all.

And check out this rad little video tour that Joelle took of our studio! I was skeptical about video on Instagram, but I will admit that it's a bit easier than switching over to Vine to post and view videos. :)

weddings // BHLDN show

2013-06-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a LONG time since I've done a "life via Instagram" recap around here! And since I've taken way too many photos since my last post to share all of them with you here (trust me, you'd hate it), I'm able to pick a theme for my Instagram images to share.

Since it's technically Wedding Wednesday, I wanted to share some highlights of the BHLDN fashion show with you guys! Last week, Joelle and I were invited to check out the new space where BHLDN's "shop in shop" (it's going to be on the mezzanine of the current Anthropologie store in Beverly Hills) will be located. The grand opening is July 10 and I cannot wait!

I think there were at least four or five different dresses coming down the runway for which I leaned over to Joelle and whispered ferociously, "that one is totally my favorite!"

My ACTUAL favorite has to be this lovely gem right here (very Kate Middleton, no?). There was also a close relative of this dress that was sleeveless -- also amazing.

Last week, BHLDN invited a bunch of bloggers and wedding folks to the new space to enjoy some light snacks, champagne, the Anthro store all to ourselves, and, of course, the newest release of gorgeous wedding gowns. I was pleasantly surprised by how many new designs there are going to be.

Anyway, on to the Instagrams. Some of these are actually Joelle's or taken by other ladies attending the event -- all are linked to the original Instagram accounts from which they came. :)

images from joelle duff, bhldn, and annadelores on Instagram

many more if you search #bhldnla on Instagram!

mani monday // on a tuesday.

2013-06-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

As most of you know (or at least have guessed), blogging has been sort of on the back-burner for me. Which means I forgot which day of the week it was yesterday, and I failed to schedule this li'l post about my peachy manicure in time for Mani Monday.

Better late than never?

And this is also a terrible photo. AND, while I was searching for the bottle of color so I could tell you the name of it, I spilled OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark all over my floor. This is the second bottle of LPAD that has broken on my bedroom floor. It's a good thing the flooring is old, crappy, faux tile. *Sigh*

Anyway. This little chica is Clara from Julep. I am a HUGE fan of peach lately. Without realizing it, I went for peach when it came time to design my logo for this blog and my photography business. And I just LOVE it. Pairing it with gray just feels right for my brand.

I also love peach paired with pretty much any other color for weddings. Navy and peach is my ultimate favorite color combo at the moment.

Go visit Heather and check out the other manicures linked up for Mani Monday! Who actually followed instructions and posted on a Monday. :)

big decisions // new blog.

2013-06-16T13:21:00.001-07:00

Okay, I KNOW I have been a pretty serious slacker with this blog lately. I've been apologizing for months about inconsistency in blogging frequency, and of course you guys remember this post in which I debated the pros and cons of moving this blog into the "next phase" of my small business/self-employed life...

Heck, I'm even going to re-use the same graphic I created for that post!

After a lot of self-reflection, inner dialogue, and discussions with friends and colleagues, I've decided that I am definitely merging Anna Delores into a single, unified blog. And it will most likely be located at this address.

But that's not all.

I initially reached out for BLOG ONLY design advice and assistance with transferring this blog's content to Wordpress and merging it with my photo blog's content (also in Wordpress). So, only BLOG stuff.

I didn't want to mess with www.annadelores.com because, well, that's a lot of work. And I'm comfortable with the back-end administration of my current website host, so I wanted to leave "well enough" alone.

But I'm really not a "well enough" kind of person. When I decide I want to do something, or that it's time to make a change, I usually plunge head-first. I was trying to mitigate that natural tendency in myself by taking baby steps with a website/blog overhaul, but here's the thing (well, two things):

It's actually a better financial investment to do it all at once. If I hire someone twice, I'm paying for two different projects. I'm also potentially hiring different people depending on the circumstances, so there's the opportunity for gaps in design flow and discrepancies with other nitty-gritty web design elements I know nothing about.

I've been sitting on these ideas for months now. I've had trial subscriptions to a number of other web design sites (like SmugMug and ProPhoto) to see how I felt about those hosts, and I just didn't have the time to test-drive them to my satisfaction. And I've been unhappy with some of the limitations of my current website for awhile now, and I think I'm finally fed up enough to do something about it.

So I'm ready. It's happening. I'm going to pull the trigger this week. I'm going to be MIA for awhile (yes, more than usual) but I'll pop back in to let you know when all the new goodies are up and running and ready for your enjoyment.

In the meantime, if you want to keep following me on Bloglovin', please do so by subscribing to the blog address that the new blog will soon occupy. If that makes sense. Just do it.

And thank you for your patience. Those of you reading this post are definitely the ones who matter to me, because you're sticking it out while I struggle to figure out a direction for growth. It truly means the world to me.

xoxo.

mani monday // coco

2013-06-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

For this week's Mani Monday, I went pretty basic (but still a little sexy) with Julep's "Coco", a dark oxblood crème from their 1920s-inspired collection.

Sometimes it looks more burgundy-red, other times it looks more closely-related to a rich chocolate brown. I LOVE shades that are so dark they're almost black if you don't look closely enough, and I think Coco is an especially seductive example.

Remember to share your manicures with Heather and me!

mani monday // nautical navy

2013-06-03T09:31:00.001-07:00

I'm a little obsessed with the nautical-inspired fashion and colors that emerge in the approach of Independence Day every year. Julep's June Maven box, with their "Nantucket Nostalgia" theme, hit the nail on the head with this one!

I mean, they even included salt water taffy! Yes. And please.

I went back and forth on which color I wanted to try first (I know, first world problems). I felt like trying a dark color, and I'm pretty much ALWAYS on board with anything navy blue, so I opted for Char.

And there was a big red bow ring I was eyeing at Old Navy yesterday that I think will totally complete this manicure. So I'm off to buy it before I meet the lovely Alyssa Armstrong for coffee.

Remember to link up with me and Heather (her Hello Kitty mani this week is the CUTEST!).

blogging // one or two?

2013-05-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've been going back and forth, back and forth over the past few months about the topic I'm sharing today: whether to continue maintenance of my two current blogs (this one you're reading right now, as well as my photo blog: www.annadelores.com/blog), or to merge the two into one blog for ease of upkeep, reducing the possibility of reader and photography client confusion (why the heck does this chick keep up two separate blogs with the same name? What a weirdo.), and to preserve my own sanity.

I started THIS blog as a supplement to my Etsy shop back in 2010. I saw it as a necessary social media add-on if I wanted to integrate into the handmade community. Since then, the Anna Delores blog has evolved in a variety of ways, from a focus on handmade shops and products, to a shift toward lifestyle and giveaways, and now a heavier focus on weddings (with lifestyle, giveaways, and admittedly random musings thrown in).

Ironically, the "ding" of an Etsy sale no longer holds the thrill it used to (not to say that I'm not grateful for every sale! I'm just more focused on portraiture and weddings these days), but this blog is still very near and dear to me.

I'm truly fascinated and inspired by the community of folks I've met through my blog. I've met a lot of blogger friends in real life, and no matter what happens to this blog, I intend to keep in touch with those people. I've even been blessed and honored with the privilege of photographing the weddings of a few fellow bloggers! I'll be working with Lauren in September and Evani next June. I mean, is that awesome or what?! I've had the amazing experience of photographing Kristen, Sandy, Gina, Lizzie, and others, and I met fellow wedding pro Joelle through our mutual love for both blogging and weddings. We were blog friends long before we realized that we lived in the same county, and because of Joelle I've met a ton of other wedding professionals in my area and have a new studio space that I'm so incredibly proud to be part of. And I've met a ton of rad people just to meet up and bond over blogging!

So, really, I could never place a premium on the value of the experiences I've had as a result of blogging. I'm not a religious person, but if this blog hasn't been a blessing to me, then I don't know what is!

As a result, I am not at all looking to abandon this blog. That is not the debate of the day. What I would much rather do is move the Anna Delores blog to a new domain name and combine it with the photo blog (so, it would ultimately would be a combo lifestyle/wedding/photo blog, which I guess it already sort of is). The layout would be a little simpler and more streamlined so that folks who find me via www.annadelores.com, when looking for a professional wedding photographer, aren't caught off-guard by what sometimes feels like clutter on the sidebar.

The drawback is that there are some blogging themes I'd likely abandon, if not at least decrease in frequency, as a result of linking the Anna Delores blog to my web portfolio photo blog. For example, I think I'd likely refrain from discussing weight loss and that genre of personal topics. There's a fine line there, because I'd still blog about my personal life to an extent; I think especially with one's wedding photographer, getting to know your wedding vendors is something that prospective clients are interested in. Right? I think Joelle executes this very well, and I know that there are a few others I've encountered that I admire in terms of the personal-professional balance (I just can't recall them at this precise moment).

Anyway, I'm in the process of finding someone to provide some assistance with transition to WordPress, as well as getting a new domain and linking it up to my website. If you've worked with anyone you'd recommend, send me an e-mail! :)

What do you think? Will you still be a reader if/when this transition occurs?

photography // luke turns two

2013-05-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to share some fun photos of sweet Luke, who I've had the pleasure of getting to know the past few months -- I've started moving into a studio space with his mama, the lovely Amy of Stella Bloom Designs.

If Luke can feel like he's helping with something (carrying around the Styrofoam padding from a furniture delivery, for example) or being productive by hammering into some cardboard boxes, he's a happy camper. Here he is helping Amy style a bridal bouquet for a styled inspiration shoot we did recently:

And here are a few candid photos I snapped of Luke during our shoot at McCormick Home Ranch in Camarillo (peeks at the shoot itself coming soon!).

And happy belated birthday to Luke, who turned two just this past week!

Is he a cutie or WHAT?!

mani monday // au naturel

2013-05-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile, you just gotta go bare.

au na·tu·rel (adjective \ˌō-ˌna-tə-ˈrel, -ˌna-chə-\)
a : being in natural style or condition

b : nude

This week, I just left 'em naked. I did some first aid on my cuticles and tried to wear those aloe-infused gloves with cuticle oil and hand cream as often as I could (i.e., whenever I remembered to slather on some lotion before bed).

My favorite tools for natural mani maintenance? So glad you asked!

1. cuticle pusher
2. cuticle nippers
3. nail buffer block
4. moisturizing gloves
5. cuticle oil
6. nail file

What did YOU wear this week? Link up below!

photography // father-daughter first look

2013-05-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

I photographed a wedding last month, during which the bride requested doing a first look with her dad before the ceremony. Best. Idea. Ever.

She also did a first look with her groom, which was also very sweet, but I think you'll agree that these first look photos between father and daughter are pretty tough to beat...

Why do a "first look"? Check out this blog post I wrote in January.

Want more lovely "first look" images? I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to them!

And, of course, more images from this wedding at Murrieta Equestrian Center coming soon! Many thanks and much love to Alyssa and Andrea for joining me and being awesome second and third shooters.

mani monday // Julep weddings.

2013-05-13T17:44:00.001-07:00

For this week's Mani Monday, I wanted to share Julep's tips for getting a "ring-finger ready" manicure (i.e., tips for a flawless wedding day manicure)!

Julep's Beauty Buzz blog features an easy, step-by-step, 30-day timeline for making sure bridal (and bridesmaid, mother of the bride, flower girl...) manicures are in optimal condition for ceremony, cocktails, and reception. Check out the post for the details on what Julep recommends for wedding-day prep (and even though this post says it was written by Emily R., it's not me!). :)

Julep also has a Wedding Suite on their site for easy shopping suggestions for nail colors on your big day (with cute wedding-themed names for these mini-collections, like "Tie the Knot" and "A Little Something Blue").

{ natural wedding chic collection }

Julep's suggestions range from classic, barely-there neutrals (the "Natural Wedding Chic" trio is a perfect combo!) to bolder big-day choices like "Reception Red" and "Special Occasion" (I REALLY want Billie Jean for myself for ANY occasion, thankyouverymuch).

Remember to link up below to share your mani-related blog posts with me and Heather!

giveaway // celebrating Chelsea's birthday

2013-05-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like to win some big cash money? I sure do.

The lovely Chelsea recently turned 22 (she's trying to call herself "old," but my 29 years say otherwise!), and obviously the best way to celebrate is by throwing up some dollar bills. That's $230 dollar bills, to be exact. Not actually throwing them up in the air for you to scramble and collect, but throwing into a pile for you to win. Making sense? Nope. Enjoy!

$230 DOLLA BILLZ GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

mani monday // wedding nails

2013-05-06T12:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Mani Monday, everyone! Now that wedding season is getting underway, I thought I'd re-share some of my favorite wedding-perfect manicures (via Pinterest, of course!).

Generally-speaking, I love off-the-wall nails with bold colors and experimentation -- but NOT on your wedding day. I found a lot of over-the-top ideas on Pinterest (just search "wedding nails" and you'll see what I mean) and some of them are borderline acceptable, but for the most part, sticking with soft pink, blush, or peach tones is a good idea, or go with the good old-fashioned French tips. My only exception to this (aside from a little bit of glitter) is going red. It's a classic shade and if it fits your wedding and your personality, go for it.

I have mixed feelings about matching nail polish with your wedding colors... what do you think?

Link up with Heather and I below!

photography // mini-session with Joelle

2013-05-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

You guys know Joelle, right? She blogs over at Something Charming. And she is the fabulous wedding stylist and coordinator of A Charming Occasion.

Because Joelle and I live within a half hour's drive of each other (and will very soon be sharing a studio space), we like to get together and take photos. And then get lunch, or coffee, or margaritas. Oh, the perks of self-employment.

In celebration of Joelle's new bangs (and the cutest blazer ever), we met at the Camarillo Library and snapped some shots before heading to lunch with Amy. You can also see some of these photos over at Joelle's blog. Enjoy!

I mean, come on, Joelle's the cutest! I always have fun taking photos with Joelle (in part because lunch that follows pretty much always involves a glass of wine or, as mentioned above, margaritas). Love you, lady!

weddings // la tavola linens

2013-05-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Before getting into the wedding industry, I don't think it would have ever occurred to me to rent linens for a wedding. I mean, what's wrong with the plain ivory tablecloths and napkins provided by the venue? I have since learned the error of my ways.

Linens can make an incredible impact on the overall look of your wedding. The ability to rent (or buy) linens is certainly subject to budget considerations, but since becoming a wedding photographer (and following Joelle Duff, coordinator extraordinaire, to La Tavola Linens), I've learned just how important linen choice can be.

Case in point: Joelle rented linens from La Tavola for our Kate Spade-inspired shoot back in February. Having this striped linen for the table scape and the emerald sequined prettiness below for our cake table (and bouquet backdrop!) made an impact much more impressive than if we'd used a plain white tablecloth (or skipped linens altogether).

Early this month, La Tavola hosted a celebration for the launch of its spring 2013 collection. Joelle, Emily, and I made the trek to La Tavola's Santa Barbara location for cupcakes, cocktails, and all the linen loveliness we could handle.

Take a peek at some of the images I snapped! And Emily and Joelle are just the cutest, as usual. :)

Moral of the story? I'll be renting linens when it comes time for me to get married (someday, someday...), and I love to encourage any betrothed couple I encounter to do the same!

Would you invest in decor-enhancing linens for your wedding day, or would you rather allocate your budget elsewhere?

resolutions // weight loss check-in

2013-04-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Etsy last week and it is so perfect for anyway who has EVER frowned or fussed or wrinkled his or her nose at the scale.

Not much has changed for me since last week, except honestly, your comments are quite encouraging, so keep them coming! :)

For now, I leave you with this.

{ via Emily McDowell }

mani monday // basic black.

2013-04-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Happy Monday. I hope you had a lovely weekend.

For this week's installment of Mani Monday, I went back to basics with a black creme lacquer -- one of my standard, favorite go-to manicures. I considered a dark almost-black purple shade called Lincoln Park After Dark by OPI (another all-time fave), but the bottle was stubbornly and firmly dried shut. Time to invest a new one, I think!

It also might be time to invest in a new black: Orly's Liquid Vinyl, while a great shade of perfect pitch-black, seems to chip much easier than the Julep, Butter London, Illamasqua, and OPI polishes I've been wearing as of late. (Speaking of Julep and Butter London, did you check to see who won the giant nail polish giveaway?)

So I'm considering Butter London's Union Jack Black as a replacement for Orly. Thoughts?

Remember to link up (below) with me and Heather for Mani Monday!

weddings // Carly + Robbie

2013-04-26T00:01:00.001-07:00

I don't think it's a big secret that I'm mad about weddings. I love looking at anything WEDDING: inspiration, real weddings, lovely details, bridal fashion... the list goes on and on. This adoration goes to an entirely new level when I can sneak a peek at the wedding celebration of someone I know! So as soon as I got to meet Carly, a favorite blogger of mine and seriously one of the coolest people ever, it didn't take me long to ask if I could share her wedding on my blog.

And when I saw that it was at Marvimon House?! Um, yes please!

Here's Carly, the lovely bride, with some of her entourage pre-ceremony.

And walking down the aisle to marry Robbie.

It looks like Carly and Robbie had so much fun at their wedding: portraits full of laughter (my favorite!), tons of dancing, and such a gorgeous venue to boot.

Thank you so much, Carly, for sharing your wedding day with us!

Photographer: Playful Soul Photography // Dress: Lili Bridals // Florist: Chelsea Leah Flowers // Rentals: Huntington Catering Company // Venue: Marvimon // Catering: Lucille's BBQ

new addition // meet alfie.

2013-04-25T00:01:00.001-07:00

If you've been following me on Instagram, you know that two weeks ago, we welcomed a new little nugget into our lives!

Alfie was up for adoption for over TWO. YEARS. And there were no "takers" who wanted to offer this little guy a forever home. He bounced around between a few foster homes, otherwise he was stationed at the Tiny Loving Canines (TLC) home base in Simi Valley.

Below is a video from TLC that shows the little man in action. For being so tiny (he's a little under six pounds), this three-year-old pup already has a big story. Alfie has demodex mange, which is non-contagious and caused by mites that actually occur normally on all dogs. The mites can get out of control, however, on dogs under extreme stress or with poor immune systems.

At the time this video was taken, his mange was in remission -- he currently has much less fur than he does in the video.

Alfie was pulled off a "kill list" from a local shelter, where he was abandoned by his first family -- supposedly, they didn't want to have to deal with the cost associated with his skin condition. TLC swooped in and saved the day, but Alfie still waited two and a half years to get adopted. It can be a financial difficulty and time-consuming responsibility to adopt a dog in Alfie's condition, so any adoption interest was undermined by a flare up of his demodex.

After his first trip to our vet a couple weeks ago (we made him an appointment the day after he came home with us), we found he not only has demodex mange, but also a secondary skin infection from the mange AND a parasite called giardia. He's now on three different oral medications, gets a medicated bath every other day, and takes Benadryl tablets to help manage his itchy skin. I suspect he might also have a little bit of an eye infection (but it could also just be that the sensitive skin around his eyes is itchy), and his teeth need a good cleaning -- but we're waiting until the mange gets a little more under control before we move on to his (hopefully) more minor issues.

He was a bit on the scrawny side when we first brought him home, but he's got a very healthy appetite and has put on a little more weight -- yay!

Alfie makes FOUR dogs in our house. FOUR. They're all under 25 lbs., so really, size-wise, we're at the equivalent of one large dog. That's what we tell ourselves, anyway. I was nervous about Mickey and how he might get along with Alfie, but they are getting along surprisingly well (I'm so proud of my little Mickey bug).

And I've fallen head-over-heels in love with this little guy. His nicknames are "Alfie-bear" and "piglet" (because his little pink skin and snorting noises when he eats make that a pretty obvious association). He burrows under the covers in my bed and virtually disappears in the folds of the duvet, only to emerge if I leave the room or if there is food present. If he's not in my bed or snuggled in someone's lap, he's curled up in his own little doggy bed in my bedroom.

Alfie and I bonded really quickly, almost instantaneously. I think when he came home to a brand new place, he just needed to latch on to someone to feel safe, and that someone was me. The third day he was home, I had to go to Orange County for a couple of wedding client meetings, and he actually howled in my absence (there's a video to prove it). He gets so excited and bounces around on his front paws when I come home. Yesterday afternoon, I walked in the front door and spent what Alfie considered too much time greeting the other dogs first, so he yelped at me for attention.

He's seriously SUCH a sweetheart. I can understand the overwhelming nature of his health problems and how that could spook someone who might otherwise have taken him home, but we've already been paid back tenfold in the form of Alfie's love and affection. He has big doe-eyes that get me every time. I don't love the fact that Alfie had to wait for us for so long, but I'm glad we got the chance to add him to our family (better late than never?).

We also suspect the piglet may have been abused at some point, maybe by a man; he still hasn't warmed up to my dad at all. He barks at him when he gets home, and my dad (who is the gentlest guy EVER) can't approach Alfie without encountering a cringe followed by the scamper of little claws on the hardwood floor. "It's not his fault," my dad says. "He doesn't understand that I'm not going to hurt him. Something must have happened to him before." I think it's really sweet that he doesn't get his feelings hurt by Alfie's reluctance to befriend him.

Anyway, Alfie has a fan page on Facebook so that everyone who has loved him at TLC can follow along with his recovery.

And for those of you who remember sweet puppy-girl Boo, we never found her or know what happened to her. I sort of can't really even think about it too much, because it truly breaks my heart. BUT, I also know that if we had Boo with us in our home, we wouldn't have been able to adopt Alfie (apparently four dogs is the legal maximum in California, haha!), so the silver lining is that at least we can help Alfie start a new, happy, stress-free life in which he is beloved and spoiled (my two specialties when it comes to my dogs).

small business // studio space in progress.

2013-04-24T00:01:00.001-07:00

I mentioned it very briefly last month: Anna Delores Photography is getting a studio space! I'm sharing the space with three other wedding vendors: Stella Bloom Designs, Leo Evidente Photographers, and A Charming Occasion.

We've been painting, investing in furniture, considering renovations, changing locks and lighting -- the works!

{ left: painting walls so we can start fresh! // right: snippets of our new studio furniture pieces }

I am simultaneously shocked that it's happening so fast, and impatient for the day that everything is finished and we can really start working in there (and inviting all of you lovely people to help us celebrate its unveiling!).

Here's a little peek at what we've been up to in our studio...

The Anthropologie mugs in that last photo are gifts from Joelle! She surprised us with monogrammed coffee mugs for each of us. So fun. We're also equipped with a new Keurig coffee maker, a bar cart (and some beer in the mini fridge -- an office-warming gift from Joelle's husband, Robert!), and a gorgeous, geometric-detail community table built from scratch by the incredible, multi-talented Leo (yes, he's also a photographer). We're trying to convince him that he needs to start a side business selling his handmade dining tables. They're breathtaking, and he came up with the design itself too. Amazing!

We'll keep you posted as we continue progress on the studio space. I feel so proud and fortunate to be a part of this Ventura County wedding vendor collective! It's a wonderful community of lovely, talented individuals who share my passion for weddings (and are pretty much ALWAYS game to share a bottle of wine) -- does it get better than that?

resolutions // weight loss update.

2013-04-23T00:01:00.001-07:00

I have been totally missing in action re: my weight loss and fitness progress. Since my last update, I've lost a few more pounds, so I'm still headed in the right direction, BUT my momentum has slowed way down.

On February 5, I was 11 pounds down. Today, I'm 15 pounds down. Like I said -- still headed in the right direction. But four pounds in over two months is definitely slower than I intended.

Honestly, my birthday (in mid February) killed it. And I'm not blaming my birthday, but I definitely gave myself a free pass to eat what I wanted on my birthday and for the few days before and after. I love pigging out on milkshakes and bottomless fries at Red Robin, and it's become a birthday ritual for the last few years.

Since then, I've just had a really hard time with my intrinsic motivation to get back on the weight-loss wagon. The momentum and motivation I had for the first six weeks of the year sort of disintegrated, and I'm not giving up, by any means (truly, I'm just thankful I haven't put the weight back on -- progress is progress, after all!).

If I am to meet my original goal of 30 pounds down by June, I need to lose three pounds per week between now and June 1 (unless I play with the dates a bit and give myself until the end of June to meet my goal, haha!).

I think the strongest motivation continues to be my desire to feel fit (i.e. not sweaty and wheezy) during my summer weddings. Alyssa, Andrea, and I shot a wedding in Murrieta this weekend and it was between 85 and 90 degrees. I felt tired, and everyone was sweating, and in general, I felt okay.

I'll feel better after I can annihilate the next 15 lbs. :)

And there's nothing like my someecards calendar for some weight loss motivation! This was the page for the first day of spring:

How are your New Year's resolutions coming along, if you had any?

mani monday // speckled.

2013-04-22T09:12:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday, friends!

I considered this Illamasqua polish for a few weeks before I decided to go for it. Nail polish with glitter in it isn't a particularly new concept, of course, but there's something about this creme pastel with a more sparing use of glitter in varying sizes that makes it special.

{ Illamasqua lilac speckled nail polish - "speckle" }

The speckled polish series was, as I understand it, a limited edition release for Easter and the beginning of spring, so it's all sold out at Sephora already. BUT, you can still buy it directly from Illamasqua (though I think it's a bit more expensive there).

Remember to link up your manicure loveliness with Mani Monday, co-hosted by Heather and by yours truly. :) Check out Heather's manicure this week; I'm completely smitten! She always has a rockin' mani.

AND, you can still enter to win a TON of nail polish loot in this giveaway, open for just a couple more days.

Your turn to link up! I hope everyone has a very happy Monday.