The Way We Click BLOG

2011 was an incredible year for me personally. My life has changed so much, and mostly for the better. This adventure of building a life in Chicago hasn’t been without its bumps, but I can honestly say that I couldn’t be happier than I am at this moment. I took a look back through my  journal around this time last year and re-read the goals I had set for myself. I didn’t reach them all, but I can honestly say that for the first time in my life I am proud that I moved in the direction that I worked so hard for, and that I set in motion in the pages of my diary a year ago.

This year carried with it some terrible losses, my beloved Great Grandmother Ann and my sweet Grandma Tootie both left this earth, which was so hard to swallow. It’s easy to get caught up in the sadness of so much loss in such a short time, but then my thoughts turn to all the beautiful things that have come from this year, and I could only feel overwhelming gratitude. Alex and I have more love for each other than I ever thought possible, and our family grew when we welcomed our little pup Sasha into our family. I was able to spend more time with my family this year than any other year since I moved out at 17, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have had that time. I turned 30 (and still look pretty good haha)! I had one of the most interesting and wonderful wedding seasons of my career, and I was very fortunate to have some good friends, my darling sister, my 2 nieces and 2 nephews here Thanksgiving week to remind me of just how much love I have in my life. So I’ll leave you with just a few shots I took after cooking our Thanksgiving meal for almost 8 hours solid (after going shopping in the morning thank you!!). I hope they remind you of the the beautiful little things you are grateful for, and inspire you to think about what you are looking forward to next year. I am grateful to you all…. and I hope you all had a beautiful holiday!

For the past few years, I’ve been really feeling like an addition to our family is something I’ve really wanted, so for my 30th birthday this year, Alex relented, and we welcomed our baby Sasha Pig McDaniel into our family. Shes adjusting to her new family as well as can be expected, and if she would just stop bugging Mouse I think we’ll all be just fine! Shes a little red head with green eyes, just like her mommy… so heres a few choice pics of her first few days at home. <3

So after a crazy move, and an even crazier first month in Chicago, I got to take a much needed respite to go back to my hometown and shoot Kira and Dave’s wedding! After the success of the engagement session despite the crazy cold rainy weather, I knew that the wedding day would be awesome. I’m such a huge fan of Kira, and Dave is the only man who was ever really worthy, so it was hugely emotional for me to be there, and to be such a big part of the day as well! It was a super bright sunny day which is exactly what I would expect for such a bright sunny person, and Kira’s mood the entire day was  nothing short of sunshiny too! Having the ceremony at the top of Heavenly was just that, heavenly, and the rustic ski lodge fit their personalities perfectly and provided a stunning backdrop as well. Everything was perfect from Kira’s awesome bouquet and flowers by local favorite The Enchanted Florist to the supper yummy cake by Flour Girl Wedding Cakes. I had a great time, and managed to actually get some awesome shots while surrounded by lots of my favorite people! My job is awesome!!!

I always seem to love packing as must stuff into the shortest amount of time possible, and so when I decided to move back to Chicago I thought to myself… oh yeah, lets do it in the middle of wedding season, and stop and see my grandparents and my sister on the way, that’s a great idea!!

I have always loved Chicago, and after I moved back to San Diego in early 2005 I knew in my heart that I would be back. Chicago is a place that I’ve connected with on a creative and spiritual level, and splitting my time between San Francisco, Southern California, and The Windy City made me realize just how much I really wanted to live here again. So Alex and I busted our butts and finally made the move back to the midwest in June. The only problem was that we had 4 days to get here from San Diego to meet our moving truck! That meant that instead of the leisurely photojournalistic tour of the western and middle part of this country that I had envisioned, we drove in shifts, ate disgusting fast food, got caught in crazy lightning storms in Oklahoma, listened to a good portion of both of our Ipods and a lot of NPR, and managed to even sleep in the car in the Arizona desert one night! I managed to get a few choice shots, but really… not much. Here are the highlights of our crazy adventure for your viewing pleasure!

Sand dunes of Western Arizona… complete with wildfire in the background.

Mouse rides in style.

Earlier this year my Great Aunt Ruth passed away, and we happened to show up at my grandparents house in Oklahoma on the day that they were having the family memorial for her. They planted a tree and everyone had a great time reminiscing about her life and enjoying spending time with one another. My family is spread out all over the country, so to have so many of my great aunts and uncles in one place for a visit was such a treat. I will always remember my Aunt Ruth as the woman who made the most beautiful quilts, and who had the cutest hairdos! This is Alex hanging with my Uncle Mike and a friend of the family. He fit right in with the good ole boys!

My Aunt Faye looking at scanned photos of Ruth when she was in her 20′s…. SUCH a hottie!

We stopped by the side of the road in Oklahoma to walk around for a minute and this butterfly came over and hung out for almost 20 minutes. It was so surreal to have this beautiful creature just come land on us and let us pose with it. Such a great day, and one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.

I think it liked me better.

One of my nieces baby rabbits.

You have NO idea how happy we were to see this sign.

Priorities you know?

Mouse was a bit overwhelmed by the mountain of boxes that came out of the moving truck, but I think she loved all the new places to hide!

To commemorate a day that celebrates love in all forms, I decided to dig up one of my all time favorite events to showcase on the blog. The world is a tricky place sometimes, and having someone there to support and love you no matter what is what everybody longs for. I found the absolute epitome of love and devotion when I met Paul and Jack. These two had been together for 13 years and when they were finally allowed to marry in 2008 it was the most awesome event I’ve been to! Held at the uber chic Club Social in Hollywood, these two had every detail perfected, from their custom tailored Dolce & Gabbana and Prada Suits, to the fantastic table settings themed to their favorite designers, to the scrumptious dinner and appetizers from Citrus, it was a day I will never forget.

So on this Valentines Day, lets all celebrate in every way possible and move forward into 2010 with love in our hearts!

And here is a shot of the two on their one year wedding anniversary! Thanks so much guys, and I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am to have been in the presence of your absolute adoration for one another!

About a month or so ago, I drove from San Diego to Tahoe to visit family and decided to make the trek through the desert up the historic 395 instead of fighting horrible LA traffic and looking at cows the entire drive up Hwy 5. There have always been spots along 395 that I’ve wanted to take the time to explore, so this time, alone and with my camera I explored some of the most beautiful and decrepit remnants and randomness of the eastern Sierra desert. I think my favorite part was getting caught in a flash thunder and lightning storm at Mono Lake while taking a hike down to the shore. Standing alone in that place, getting soaked, and trying to protect my camera while watching the light on the lake dance around was a great reminder that we all need this sometimes, and being outside feeds your creative soul.

A while back I finally got around to getting together with my beautiful friend Michelle Murphy from Pixie Salon (who happens to be the most amazing hairdresser I’ve ever had) to take some fun pics of her family in Balboa Park. We really couldn’t think of a better setting to take Elias and Owen so they could run around and be their crazy selves, while we had a couple glasses of wine and enjoyed a beautiful day! Michelle and Travis are one of those couples that everyone wishes they could be, and their family is such a pleasure to hang out with. Here’s a few highlights of my favorite moments of them just being themselves.

So after lots of work, and lots of editing, I finally won a coveted 10th place on the AGWPJA’s second quarter contest for 2008!!! Being a part of the AGWPJA and the original highly respected WPJA (wedding photojournalists association) I am always in awe of the images that are selected as winners from all over the world. I feel very blessed to now count myself as a part of that group! 10th place might not seem like much to celebrate but with thousands of members from all over the world, to even place in the top 20 of any category is an honor. This image (that had a slight sepia tone on the contest entry)won me 10th place in the “Ceremony” category. Thanks so much to the judges, and to Nick and Nicole for their awesome event!

Here’s  a little treat from one of my recent events. I’ve never felt love all around me like this… even the grandparents were getting in one the action and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time with my camera at my hip… lucky shot, but one I just can’t get out of my head.