The Open Kitchen

Our friend, Chef Andrew Garrett, entered a competition where chefs teamed up with breweries to cook up delicious food to compliment their team's beer, and WON with Ambacht Brewing. 'Open Kitchen' decided to expand upon the winning duo and invited Chef Andrew and Ambacht to create a 5-course meal, each course paired with a different beer. What's really neat about 'The Open Kitchen' is that everyone at the dinner gets to enjoy one course in the kitchen, watching the magic happen. Matt and I were invited along and didn't just play with our food, we photographed it too! More on our FB page and more about The Open Kitchen on theirs! Also, keep your eyes peeled for Chef Andrew's new hot sauce coming to Williams Sonoma's this fall!

WPJA: 2011 Quarter 1 Announced!

I'm SO stinkin' over the moon!!! I won 7th place in Ceremony category for the WPJA's first quarterly contest for the year!


This was particularly difficult because they only accepted photographs taken this year, and we only had the one wedding before the submission deadline. Thankfully, Holly & Scott were a such a lovely couple and I was able to land a winner when they came out of the church. Did I mention how EXCITED I AM!?!

Check out WPJA.com for the other winning photos; it's such a beautiful collection of pure emotion, delightfully unexpected visual stories, and stellar compositions from a full range of talented international artists.

Boudoir, out of the boudoir!

When Stefani approached me about taking some risqué photos for her boyfriend's upcoming birthday present, I jumped at the chance. Having photographed Stefani previously on a carousel in the middle of a shopping mall, I knew she'd be up for a fresh approach on the classic pin-up shots! We brought in the fabulous Aimee J'Adore to rock the hair and make-up, and the shoot was a blast! What a lucky boyfriend to have a gal do something so thoughtful and fun!









Matt bought me a ring flash over the weekend, so I was super excited to experiment a bit! Can any fellow-photogs tell which shot I used it in? :)

Bridal Shower/Bachelorette Party

My two Portland bridesmaids put together a really special evening for me this past weekend to celebrate my "Bride-To-Be-ness". They were super secretive about the planning, but it was fun having no idea what to expect! All I knew was the festivities were to end with a slumber party, so to pack an over-night bag and be on time.


I knew I wouldn't bring a camera out for the evening with me, so I thought it'd be fun to set up a studio light in Caitlin's basement, put the camera on the timer, & snap a few portraits of us all glammed-up before we hit the town. We popped champagne and had the quickest mini-shoot, perhaps ever! All the other girls were great about taking photos out that evening too, but I'm glad to also have these to remember it by. And what a memorable evening it was! It was like a birthday party... but BETTER. I loved every minute! Getting married is FUN!

The Shoes Have Arrived. It's OH-SO-REAL.

I want to share with you a moment I had this evening. It happened shortly after a sharp knock at the front door.

I swung it in open in time to catch a wave and "Have a good night!" from the UPS guy already turning the corner at the end of the hall.
"You too!" I replied in return, as I set my gaze to the floor.

The box at my feet was for, none other then, my feet. My wedding shoes had arrived!


Anxiously, I tore into the little cardboard treasure chest and pulled out the little beauties as I decided I should also pull on my dress to get the full effect.

So, there I was. 15 minutes till Matt was expected home from work, standing in the mirror with my dress and shoes on. For whatever reason, it suddenly felt OH-SO-REAL and OH-SO-PERFECT. (Well, besides the fact that the dress doesn't actually FIT just yet) I jumped, I yelped, I laughed, I danced.

I slipped into the little cardigan I'd bought (in case it cools down too much in the evening for my strapless number), and the perma-smile on my face could not have stretched further. This was it. This is what I'm going to wear in 78 days to commit myself, fully & whole-heartedly, to the man I love more then I'd ever imagined possible to love.

I can't flipping wait.


Matt snapped these photos last night, the dress is a secret, but I need to break in the shoes