Alison B

New Blog

I have a new blog!  I am so excited because it is so pretty. 

Go here to this link

Photography by Alison NEW Blog

Be sure to update your bookmark or your blog feed because I won't be updating this blog anymore.  You can also see all my old posts from this blog on my new one.  So exciting:)

two girls

Photographing girls is so different than boys.  Cami, you might remember from her layered look a few posts back.  I haven't photographed Kyla in years.  When I first started to consider going into photography for real, I would take tons of photos of Kyla.  She was only two.  Now she is eight.  WOW.  Just typing that really puts some time into perspective. 

Anyway, I had so much fun shooting these two.  I haven't done a shoot at sunset for quite some time.  I usually book the morning.  This just reminded me why I love that time again.  The girls and I picked out their outfits and they went together so nicely.  They were such good models.  I love doing shoots like this.

faves:

sweet family

Here is a sneak peek for my family this past weekend.  We ended up going to a park that was so fun and uncomplicated.  I may have to remember that spot in the future.  All the weeds were blooming:)  It was so neat though.  And the kids had fun roaming.  I will say that photographing an 8 year old is quite a bit easier than two twin 23 month olds.  There was a lot do this shoot and I think we got it all.  Here are a few of my favorites and a good overall smattering of images.

Enjoy:)

baby stuff

I love browsing Etsy  and finding cool, new, handmade things.  This shop, Superfly Lullaby  has the cutest baby stuff I have seen in a long time.  It's worth checking out.

New photos coming soon:)

stuff

This is a great video sent to me by my sister in law, Angela.  It's easy to block this kind of thing out.  For me it is hard to look at because it feels hopeless.  Like what can I as one person really do to make a difference.  It's something that crosses my mind now and then.  Especially since I always feel so bogged down with 'stuff'. It clutters my mind and paralyzes me from getting done what I really want to work on.

It's a long video but worth watching and worth the reminder.  And I swear I knew something was up with our phones, toaster ovens, and hoses.  Those are the products that break unexplainably (that's not a word).  We had one toaster over explode.  We've never had as good a phone as the first one we bought when we first got married 15 years ago.  We used that thing to death.  It was taped up as much as we could until it was just time for a replacement.  And hoses... don't get me started.  There are tons of things that I swear were made SO much better and more durable many years ago. 

So go watch this video.  I need to figure out some ways for us to cut back, not be so much apart of the consumerness (another new word:).  I do love Target though... it's so tempting with all their shiny new things, all the time:P

STUFF

freedom shoot

I don't know what to call these shoots that Kristina and I do.  They are inspired by a photographer I met at the Shootshop  in Dec.  Josh Solar goes out once a month with friends and shoots whatever and I thought it was just perfect for Kristina and I to get together and practice at a slow pace and do something neither of has really done much of... things and landscapes. 

This is our third one and third month (kind of a miracle for the two of us actually to stay on track:P).  We went to south south San Diego and went to an open field where people dirt bike.  We found a lot of discarded junk.  We had so much fun on this old couch even though we felt totally gross after... and during.  It was great nonetheless.

This was kind of a hard shoot because I just don't 'see' landscape stuff.  After looking at my images, I could see better what I should have done.  Very interesting learning process.  It's very freeing for both Kristina and me.  I can't wait to do it again.

This first one is my favorite of the shoot. 

This one is kind of busy but I love the trees in the back.  I wish I would have gotten just those trees.  But the two depths are kind of cool anyway.

I am pretty sure Kristina had no idea I was taking pictures of her while she was shooting.  I have a bunch I really like but I like her eyelashes very discretely visible.  It's the weird little things about some photos that strike me.

allison's visit

I have no pictures to show from this weekend but Allison took some with her phone camera.  I have said this before when I have posted about my friend, Allison's visits but it is true every time.  When you live in a house full of boys, it is easy to forget about your own femininity.  And when you are still holding onto 10 lbs from having a baby 21 months ago.  It's easy to lose it, to forget that I need it and just not do it..

Anyway, Allison comes a few times a year.  She needs to get to San Diego to rejuvenate her soul with the sun and beach and I need her to whip me back into girl gear.  It works every time.  This time, we did a little shopping which was just what  I needed.  I only bought tops.  And how lucky that the current styles are so perfect for someone holding onto weight around the middle:P  I also forget how fun shopping with girlfriends is.  I tend to just decide spur of the moment that I want to go to the mall and go.

And Allison did my hair so perfect.  It is a blunt cut all one length except my bangs.  What a difference hair you like can make.  Allison has given me some great cuts in the past.  But I think this one suits me the best of all.  Maybe it is because I don't wear glasses anymore.  I don't know but I just love it. And it is easy to do. Allison is always appreciative of whatever she thinks I do for her but she does so much for me and I love her for that.

ps.  my dad asked me the other day what strikes me about not having to wear glasses any more and I just figured out what it was:  Sunglasses:)  I love them!

better today

So far anyway.  The afternoon is what can be difficult.  But today, Slater and I went to the zoo.  I brought along some camera gear and decided to add a little photography to the mix as well.  The zoo really is quite pretty.  Especially on a 70+ degree day with flip flops on and wide legged pants (my favorite combo). 

Slater is getting more and more into checking out the animals.  He wanted to stay in the petting zoo which is usually a scary place for him.  We just hung out and after about 10 minutes, he braved petting a goat with me at about 15 feet away.  Impressive.

Of course instead of getting some important stuff done like my dishes or cleaning my desk, I opt to play with the photos from our shoot.  I think I kind of needed it.  And low and behold... someone is yelling at me to come get him  out of his crib right now. 

he's cute, right?

He's gotta be cute because it's his only saving grace at the present moment.  Some days are just really hard.  Slater is incredibly clingy with me.  He says "mom" like 100 times an hour (that is no exageration).  He was saying "mommy" for awhile there which was about the cutest thing on the planet.  But he is now back to 'mom'.  Once he is with me, he just wants me to hold him and carry him around or go on the trampoline... and jump with him... for a loooong time. 

Most days I am pretty good with it.  Today... not good.  It doesn't help that we have all been sick. Joe had it the worst for a week.  That pretty much left me to baby duty a good majority of the time.  And it has been raining a lot so we haven't gone anywhere.  It makes such a difference when we actually do things besides errands. 

I just need him to be more verbal and happier being with other people or just doing things.  When I was pregnant, I told the boys that the baby would adore them far more than Joe or myself.  It just hasn't happened like that.  I hope it changes.  I hope he gets enamored with Tucker and Dallon soon. Or with anyone really.  Tomorrow will be different.

Babies are hard...

snow

My creepy doll post was up on top a little longer than I had planned.  Sorry about that:P  Last weekend we went up to Big Bear for our annual ski/snowboard/sledding trip.  We were SO lucky once again.  We drove up Thursday evening and it had snowed about 2" that day (on top of a ton of snow).  It was absolutely beautiful.  The days we were there were sunny and bright.  The house we had had an awesome sledding hill.  Slater and I had a lot of fun together on it. The big kids had a great time making giant trains.  It started at the hill behind our house and continued all the way around to the front. 

The bad part... I got deathly ill with the stomach flu on Saturday night.  It was terrible!  I slept the entire day Sunday.  Our friends, the Maddens, looked after Slater while Joe took the boys snowboarding.  They had such a great time (it was actually my day to ski with the boys, boohoo).  I was so glad they did.  I was worried about Slater a bit because he is such a cry baby with me:P  But the Maddens had a great time with him. Such a relief to hear. 

I was only around Friday and Saturday up until 6pm so I only have a few pictures.  And I took my point and shoot which kind of bummed me out.  I had a feeling I should bring my slr but decided it would be too cumbersome.  I really wish I had it.  But I still got some fun pictures of the kids.  Despite being terribly ill, I had a great time and so did our whole clan.

Joe came down with the illness on Tuesday sans the stomach part.  Tucker and Dallon weren't so lucky.  Tucker was Thursday and Dallon was Friday night.  We think Slater had it for all of about 5 minutes but that was as much as it affected him.  I finally feel better and almost completely back to normal today.  The boys are good but Joe is still in the midst of the flu symptoms.  I was feeling bad I didn't get the flu shot for myself or the kids but Joe did and it seems we got the strain that was not the flu shot.  So, glad I didn't bother. The flu shot creeps me out anyway.

Onto the photos: