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Happy 3rd Birthday Gianna!

My little love turned 3 on February 6th this year. I didn’t get to fly out to Arizona for her birthday last year, so I made sure to make a quick trip for the weekend to attend her 3rd birthday party. With her obsession of monkeys, I also decided that sewing a fairy-princess-monkey skirt would be all too appropriate for her celebration day. Found this adorable fabric, and matched the red toadstools with the red tulle underskirt and frilly trimming.

The party was held at the Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, AZ, the perfect spot for this 3 year old’s love for outdoor play, and trains/”engines”. We had picnic area 2, and as soon as we arrived at our picnic spot, little Gianna was running in circles yelling out in joy, “it’s my birthday party!” so cute.

First up was glitter tattoos! Miss Gianna picked out a fairy, and my favorite color! Of course I had to get one, so I had Gianna pick one for me…she insisted we had matching tattoos.

Some friends and family started to arrive! Carrlee and Gianna started with a shy hello, then held hands like best friends and took a walk together to see the peacocks!

Time for a train ride around the farm!

Pizza time!

Off to the petting zoo! We saw the chickens, and a giant bull, and also got to groom some of the friendly billie goats! She was timid at first, but after my sister showed her (Gianna) there was nothing to be afraid of, she grabbed a brush and said hello to mr. goat.

Jumping was way too fun! Maybe too much, because we had to take a break! Giant pillows that had all the kids bouncing around like monkeys! It was challenging for me to sit on that pillow and take photos and stand my ground from all the jumping kids!

Time for a carousel ride!

Hayride to feed “Santa’s Reindeer” was my favorite part!

Note to Gianna:

Happy 3rd birthday to my little monkey, Gianna! Can’t wait to see how much you grow this year, and to all the memories we will share together. I’m glad I was there to document the day, so you can look back at it one day a long time from now and remember how much fun it was to be 3!

Sewing

Sewing Adventures-The Gift of Aprons!

This past Christmas I decided that I wanted to make gifts instead of buying them. I thought…it might be more affordable, more personal. I love sewing, I love being able to express my creativity through creation! I had recently made my own vintage style apron I flaunted off for Thanksgiving. After Face-timing with my family who went crazy over my apron, my mind was made up. Aprons for Christmas it would be! I used Simplicity patterns #1221 in styles A, B, and C!

If you know anything about my family, we are big Disney fans. So I immediately went in search for Disney printed cottons. Amazon had a surprisingly good selection of quilting fabrics, and with the 2 day shipping, I was grateful it spared me a trip to Joann Fabrics, or the DTLA fashion district. Tinker bell was perfect for my mom and her sister’s. I used a softer stretch cotton/poly blend for the pocket and the ties. I also added a nice gold bias tape for the edges to give it that magic touch.

I really wish I took a photo of the Sleeping Beauty inspired apron I made…I used all different hues of blue (dark and light) with a gold trimmed pocket. I used bright pink thread for the whole thing, as to give it that “Make it Pink/Blue” effect. It was styled like the white apron I was wearing on Thanksgiving, without the wavy trimming. Ideally I would have set up my photo backdrop with a dress form, but I just ran out of time!

For my sister’s apron I wanted to do something special. I used pattern style B on the Simplicity 1221. A solid yellow for the skirt, and this adorable seven dwarves pattern for the pockets…to top it off, a red ribbon tie for a signature snow white red bow look. I still have some of the dwarf material left, I’d like to do something with the remnants in the near future.

Until my next sewing adventure!

Photography

The Goldstein Family-Beach Photoshoot

It’s not much of an easy task when you are photographing a family with small children. Well, perhaps just families in general…the bigger the family the more directing and attention to detail. Trying to get at least a few good photos where the children are looking AND smiling at the camera, is a rarity…and even the adults sometimes. It’s about making beautiful images with what you have available to you, no matter the circumstances.

I’m certain that as the years go by, photos for this family (my sister!!!) will just get keep getting easier, because I know that I’ll be taking photos of my niece indefinitely. They’ve put me through a few challenges so far, and I find myself trying to make the best of the harsh light situations and whatnot, but we always find a way.

When you’re photographing your family, it’s hard to set a strict time, or “make an appointment” for the shoot. This makes finding that perfect time of day for photos obsolete…ish. Since I’m mostly working around my sister’s schedule for the day, it is rare that we can get the photos done during that golden hour, or before the sun is in it’s highest point. I’m usually visiting when I’m asked to bring my camera along, and so we just act on spontaneity.

This beach shoot was taken on the shore of Margate City, NJ. We planned on shooting later in the day, and that quickly turned into the middle of the day, when we noticed an overcast sky creating a perfect obstacle for the harsh sunlight. As soon as our feet touched the sand, there was not a cloud in the sky, the sun was beaming…and everyone was dressed and ready to go, so there was no turning back. Racing to the shade, I found photographic refuge under the pier…which gave me the relief from the harsh conditions.

After Gianna (my niece) became a little too fussy (she just wanted to play in the sand already), we wrapped up the photo session and changed into our beachwear to enjoy the most perfect beach day (also my 1st) of the year!