Anthony & Tracy {Couple}

I feel like its been a while since I have posted a real photo session and this one is too adorable to not share with you.

 

Meet Anthony & Tracy....

 

I got the opportunity to photograph this awesome couple last week and it was such a blast to have them in front of my camera.  They have such a crazy little love story that makes everyone believe in in true love. They met on Instagram through a hashtag, became friends and then fell in love. Precious! The only problem was that Tracy lives in New York and Anthony lives here in California. After thousands of texts and FaceTime calls and a few visits back and forth from each of them over a years time, Tracy has made the decision to pack up her bags and head to California and everyone couldn't be happier for them!

 

This was a first time for Anthony being in front of someone else's camera. He is an awesome photographer and you should check out his work @ Mobile Snap Studios! Tracy is a "loc hair guru" and has a popular youtube channel. Check her out @ KOKABUTA! They are such a fun couple and I look forward to there next reunion! :)

 

 

Because on Fridays I usually post a music post I find it only fitting to post one of my favorite little lovey dovey songs! Enjoy!

 

 

<3angel p="">

*iPhone Photography* - Round Two!

 

Hello friends! I have been so far behind in sharing so much with you. It has been an incredibly long couple of weeks with lots of ups and a few downs. After fighting a cold for a week I am finally feeling better and ready to jump back into all that I have been putting off. Exciting news is photography work has been keeping me really really busy, and I have SO much to show you! I thought I would do another "iPhone Photography" blog. I've decided to make it a once a month here on the blog cause I always want to share the photos I take on my phone. It's a little peep into my daily life.

Here are some moments I have captured on my phone that I want to share:

 

1. I went and spent the day with my Grandma, something I don't get to do enough and I always make her take a picture with me even though she absolutely hates it and complains every.single.time. But this time she didn't even put up a fight and I even got a shot of her laughing. SUCCESS!

2. Here are some photos around the property of my home. The flowers are so pretty this time of year!

 

3. Every couple of weeks I go over to my dear friends home to have dinner and catch up and enjoy a little wine. We sat on the back porch while the sun was setting and it was perfection.

3. Brussels sprouts and mushrooms cooked together are becoming one of my fav things to make as a side dish for dinner and it makes for a pretty picture if you ask me :) Don't mind my little polka dot socks. Haha!



 

 4. Early morning work shift and I snapped a quick shot off the balcony. I love my hometown.

 5. I did a little work out at the Zucca Winery and boyyy is it pretty out there! So many old barns and everything is so green!

Hope you enjoyed another "iPhone Photography" set.

My next shoot I am featuring on the blog is some crazy awesome acro-yoga ladies, stay tuned! Cant wait for you to see those! <3 p="">

-Angel

DIY - {89 Cent Wall Art}

 

 I don't usually have a lot of free time on my hands. Working 3 jobs and trying to keep up a relationship and friendships leaves me with very little quiet time. But when I do have down time I like to work on fun little DIY projects. About a month ago I found an adorable picture frame at a thrift store that only cost 89 cents. I was stoked! It's a beautiful picture frame that has a vintage/rustic look to it and you cant beat 89 cents, so I purchased it and immediately started dreaming up ideas of what to put in it. I knew right away I didn't want to just throw a picture in it and call it good. So here is what I chose to do...

I started off by browsing an old Vogue magazine and ripping out any pages that I liked. I started off with some floral pages and black and white images. The idea in my head was very different from the way it turned out but as I was brainstorming everything it all just kinda came together. I wanted a pop of color with some black and white mixed in. I found a backdrop paper and then started lining the sides of the frame.

 

 

 

Once I found the right paper to line it with (I chose the blue paper with butterfly's, and then grabbed some floral to add to it) I used scissors to create a sort of wave look on both sides. I was hoping to come across either an elephant or owl photo in my Vogue magazine and place it in the middle, but that just didn't work out... So instead of filling the middle with a specific picture I chose to add text. I decided on the word Grace and thought there is no way I am going to find those letters  the way I see it in my head and surprisingly I only had to flip 3 pages till I found the word Grace! Woot woot! :)

 

  I cut out the letters and glued everything down where I wanted it and BAM!! Threw it in the frame and it was complete! The frame didn't have a sturdy spot on the back to hang on the wall so I found a rustic chain from an old necklace that I never wear anymore and slid it through some of the slots on the back and created a way for it to hang on my wall. Here is the project completed...

  I am really happy about the outcome and I look forward to doing more projects like this one!  :)

-Angel

 

Feature - {Give Generation}

  This post is really near and dear to my heart.  If you have been a reader of my blog you will notice it is not based solely on my photography work.  As stated on the right side of this page "It's a blog of passion for people, art and creativity." That is something I want to stay true to. Something that was instilled in me when I was a little girl is to always give more than you receive. There have been times in my life where I could barely feed myself and I found some way to help someone in need and I have been incredibly blessed with family and friends who have helped me in some of the worst times.

  I have been planning for sometime now to start a project on my blog where I find organizations/businesses to feature. I first discovered a few different businesses a couple years ago that when you purchase one of their products they gave another to a child in need. One of the most popular right now is toms. I am a huge fan of this kind of thing and have since found many more businesses that do this. I cant even tell you how happy it makes my heart. It's just an incredible idea and a beautiful thing to be apart of.

  I have been holding off on the idea of the feature because I just didn't know where to begin or how to start it, I just knew that my heart has this urge to get the word out for these amazing people doing amazing things. A couple of weeks ago I got a new twitter friend and I don't usually go looking into people who are following me but the name was titled "Give Generation" and I knew I had to check this out. It's funny how God places things in your lap when you least expect it. He really knows what he is doing! Give Generation is a site that shares and links up to a lot of these type of businesses! I immediately fell in love with this website and contacted the founder and here is what she shared with me...

  Give Generation was launched in 2013 but the idea first started in 2011 after she had graduated college. Her first job was for an online marketing agency and she quickly realized that the specific job that she was doing was not for her...
 
"Around the same time I came across a volunteer opportunity at Project 7, a socially conscious startup that helps seven different products like gum and mints.  I immediately fell in love with the company and jumped at the first opportunity that came my way to join their team.  For the next two years I had an incredible and fulfilling experience working at Project 7 and learned a lot about the impact of social entrepreneurship."

"During that time, I also started to connect with other like-minded social entrepreneurs that were running amazing businesses that were built on similar One for One model.  They were helping people in creative and incredible ways locally and across the globe. I was blown away that I never knew about all of these great companies and the great work that they were doing. That's when Give Generation was born. It didn't take long for me to realize that more people could benefit from a platform that featured all the brands and products that give back."

She gathered information and hired someone to create a website...

"A very simple site that features hundreds of fashion-forward products with a short description of how each product gives back to a cause. To date we have added over 150 brands and nearly 400 products that give back to a variety of causes and we're adding new ones every week"

Thank you for taking the time to read and most importantly check out their site and link up on social networks. It's something I plan on keeping my eye on for a while. Thankful for this girl and her big heart! Here are the links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram



Future post:
I will be featuring at least two businesses a month that give back and you can find all of those post in the tab on the right side titled "Give Back", really excited to start that project! :)

-Angel

*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