*Music Friday*- Live Concert Experience {Young The Giant}

  I am incredibly excited to share this post with you. Young the Giant has been a band that I have really enjoyed listening to for a couple of years. When I first met Nate we talked about music for hours and hours and played music incredibly loud in his little studio and danced till 3 in the morning. Ohhh how I miss having the energy and desire to stay up that late and dance the night away. We both bonded over our strong love for the song "Cough Syrup", Back in the day when I was young and a little wild I would take a late night drive to clear my mind and get rid of some stress. I would drive way too fast on back roads in Arizona (I was driving a mini van back then, so I couldn't have been going that fast, haha.) I would put the song "Cough Syrup" on repeat and as loud as it could go and just drive and sing and it was genuinely like therapy for me. When I hear the song now I think back on those days when life was so hard and it reminds me of how far I have come since then. I am grateful.

 Check the song out here...

The moment I knew that these guys were on tour I searched tickets and two days later purchased them. I initially got them for a Christmas/Anniversary gift for Nate but what I discovered a couple days after I purchased the tickets was that the concert was the day after his birthday. It worked out perfectly for me! I knew this would be a great gift, the toughest part was keeping the tickets a secret for 2 months till we opened our Christmas gifts in Tahoe. It was a really fun surprise! I would say my all time favorite song of theirs is "My Body", of course they played that song at the very end and literally everyone was jumping up and down singing and dancing! Such a blast.

  Check out that song here...soooo darn good.  
Here are some of the photos I got that evening, Don't be too critical of them, I took them with my little point and shoot camera and I actually like the grainy look that the photos have. One of my dreams would be to follow along tour with a great band and capture the entire thing with my camera. Oh, I cant even tell you how amazing that would be. Maybe some day! ;) Enjoy the photos...  



They were so incredible live, I could go on and on for days about this band. Make sure to check the rest of their music out.  So grateful for the experience! Hope everyone has a lovely weekend! -Angel 

Zucca Mountain Vineyards {Local Business}

  I was asked to photograph Zucca's tasting room a while back and I thought it would be fun to feature their business here on the blog. I have a special love for this place for a couple of reasons. One: I really really love wine and their wine is incredible. Two: I started working for the Zucca's over a year ago and they are such amazing people to work for. It also helps that two of my best friends work there and every once in a while we get to work side by side. Gotta love small town businesses!

  Here is a little info I grabbed from their website to give you an idea of their business...

• "Zucca is owned and operated by Carol and Gary Zucca who opened their tasting room in the famous Cellar or Cave, as it is called, on main street Murphys, over 10 years ago, helping to establish the foothills as an area for excellent wines."
• "Zucca Wines, a boutique winery making fine wines in limited quantity. Zucca is about sharing great wine, being good and green, enjoying friends and family, traveling, having good food and just plain having a good time! Join us!

 This is the upstairs portion to the tasting room. Called the Toscano room. This portion of their three story building is open during the day on Saturday for tasting. It is also open Friday and Saturday evenings for their "Zucca After Hours." After Hours is their wine bar that is open from 5-8! This is where you will usually find me working on the weekend and its a blast! You simply take a seat in our garden area, someone will come take your order for either a glass of wine, bottle of wine or flight and you will be served your wine shortly after. All while enjoying the garden area with our awesome fire pits! You cant beat the service or the relaxing scenery. Come visit! They also have live music returning March 22nd! Check out their website for more info on that! 

 

Tesoro is my personal fav! Come by and try a glass!

 

This would be the "Cave/Cellar" portion of their Tasting Room, where tasting is open Mon-Sun 12pm-5pm! They have a great little deal that when you purchase your tasting for $5 you receive a token so when you go to purchase wine you can turn it in and receive $5 off your bottle, or come taste for free with it the next time you visit...OR use it at after hours and receive $5 off your glass of wine! It's a win win in my book!! :)

 

 

 

 Well I hope you enjoyed a little feature on this local winery and if you haven't taken time to stop by I hope that you do now! :)

Make sure to check our their website for more info: www.zuccawines.com

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

-Angel

*Happy Valentines Day* GIVEAWAY!

  I hope that everyone has a beautiful day full of happiness and love! I don't believe this day has anything to do with receiving flowers or chocolates or any specific kind of gift or whether or not you have a significant other. I do believe that this day is about appreciating life and your loved ones. I always tend to treat Valentines Day more like a Thanksgiving (sadly without the turkey and stuffing.) I would take turkey and stuffing over flowers and chocolate any day! Haha! I think its SO important to look around you and appreciate the big and little things. Even on my toughest days I always have something to be grateful for whether it be something as small as a sweet text message from a friend, the beautiful sunrise or sunset, a phone call from my Grandma, cuddle time with my adorable little pug dog. We all have something to be grateful for. So I encourage you to take the time today to think of what it is that you are grateful for and keep your mind focused on that. Every year since my Grandpa has passed away I call my Grandma on Valentines Day and ask her to be my Valentine. Just knowing that it puts a smile on her face makes my entire day. I also want to encourage you to do something for someone else. Don't be wrapped up in the idea that no one did anything for you. Be selfless and giving and most the time that is ten times more rewarding then ever receiving a single thing from anybody! :)

  Well I thought since today I am announcing the winner of the Valentines Giveaway I would post the result of last years winners! I gave away three photoshoots and each photo shoot was so much fun and different then the last! This post is a little overloaded with photos but I got a little excited about sharing them! I hope you enjoy!
  Meet Alex, We shot these photos to help her start her Acro Yoga Portfolio. One of the most fun/creative shoots I have ever experienced. Acro Yoga is like an entire new world to me and something I plan on attempting sometime soon! If you are in the Calaveras County area you MUST attend one of her classes! :)  

 

 

 

 

Meet Taryn and her two precious baby girls. Aren't they the prettiest bunch around?! Those little ones are gonna be some heart breakers when they grow up!

 

Meet Sydney, She was the winner of the Arizona portion of the give-away. I wanted to make sure I was still involving my awesome clients there who constantly make me feel loved and missed. Sydney is a doll. Beautiful on the outside but incredibly sweet and caring on the inside.

 

 

I hope that you enjoyed looking over last years winners!

 Now finally what you have been waiting for...This years winners of the Valentines Giveaway are.....

 

Amber Burton

&

Brittany Castillo!!!

 

Looking forward to having you two in front of my camera!

Happy Valentines Day friends!

-Angel