Jason and Melissa stopped by our house to trick-or-treat with their daughter, Isabella, since our street is super busy with kids (although this year they started much later than last year). She is still relatively young, but this was her first Halloween and first trick-or-treating experience. She might not remember this, but for Jason and Melissa, it is the first of many first time experiences as parents. It was fun to walk to a couple houses with them – the neighbor across the street always decorates and this year it was a giant pumpkin and graveyard with the Scream masks. A few houses down, they were playing Halloween music and obviously having a blast. These two settings allowed for some impromptu photographs and I absolutely loved how Isabella was sitting on the grass with leaves surrounding her.
Isn’t she the most adorable Princess Leia? I love this little girl.
It felt like just yesterday that I took Daana and Cory’s engagement photos at Santa Monica Beach. They were hand in hand, walking from tower to tower despite the chilly weather. It did not seem like that long ago yet somehow, time passed quickly, and the next thing you know, it is just a week before their ceremony and receptions. Yes, receptions. Daana and Cory went out to Utah for their ceremony and reception on October 9 and celebrated with Cory’s side of the family. And then the following weekend, they had another reception, but this time in California, for Daana’s side of the family. If planning one wedding isn’t hard enough, imagine planning two on back-to-back weekends! Despite it all, Daana and Cory pulled together a beautiful, Fall-themed wedding with shades of green and brown. And since this was their second reception, there was much more ease and relaxation…until Daana and Cory had to stand up on chairs, join hands, and watch as friends and family ran furiously under their arms, trying to knock the couple down. Daana and Cory remained locked and together, hands joined until the group of men finally decided to carry Cory off. It is definitely a testament to what their marriage is going to look like – whatever adversity may come in their way, they are going to face it together. With this, congratulations, Daana and Cory! Your bond is obviously strong and may the two of you have many happy years together!
Besides Daana dancing with her father and Cory dancing with his mother, guests took turns dancing with each of them and wished them well. It was a joy capturing intimate family moments and seeing Daana and Cory glow with happiness.
After the dancing, that was when Daana and Cory had to lock hands and bear through a round of women circling them followed by a round of men. It was pretty intense, especially when the men ran around the entire reception area!
One of the last moments captured was the cake cutting. I loved that Daana and Cory gave each other a wary look before playfully smashing cake into the other’s face.
My birthday fell on a Saturday this year, but I was actually busy on that day. I had a wedding to shoot that night – stay tuned for photos! – so I really had a celebration the day before and the days after. It was different and nice this year – a bit more low key and spent more with close friends and family.
I really do have an awesome best friend. Kris made reservations for Animal, a restaurant that Taro and I tried to go to but was packed. The earliest reservation that they had when we tried to go was 11 p.m. 11?!? I could not wait that long to eat dinner. So when Kris asked if Animal was okay, I was very excited. It took a while to get out to the restaurant – traffic was not entirely horrendous, but it was not a breeze – but once there, Kris and Adrian were excited for the prospect of the Flat Iron Steak with Sunchoke Hash and Tuffle Parmesan Fondue. Since it is more like tapas style, they both suggested that we order around six to eight dishes to share. We decided on the following dishes: shaved heirloom melon, muscat, lime; marrow bone, chimichurri, caramelized onions; soft egg, matsutake, rabbit broth, cress; melted petit basque, chorizo, grilled bread; crispy rabbit legs, sliced heirloom tomato, aioli; and foie gras loco moco, quail egg, spam, hamburger.
So what were the outstanding dishes? Definitely the flat iron, but what was even more enjoyable was the loco moco. The hamburger was medium-rare and the foie gras…simply wow. We each had a generous serving and the thought of licking the plates – both the loco moco and flat iron – crossed our minds.
You might be asking, where are the photos? I was so so bummed that I could not document our series of dishes. For my birthday, Taro bought me a new camera, which was so so so exciting, but somehow, it was defective. What are the chances? I tried not to be too frustrated; I mean, after all, it is just food, right? Inside, I was dying. The funny thing is, Taro was, too. So, there are no photos of our experience at Animal, but I definitely want to go back soon and next time, the camera will be working properly. (We sent it back and I will have it for my upcoming sessions – super excited!)
On my actual birthday, it was a relaxing day at home with Taro and Peanut before heading to Mission Viejo for the wedding. It was nice – I was able to watch tv, edit photos, and just relax. I will tell more about the wedding once I finish the photos, but overall, it was a good first experience. Yes, my first wedding! Hopefully there will be many more to come…
After the wedding, Taro and I headed over to Andy and Amy’s, who kindly let us stay for the night. Upon arrival, I was greeted with doggie kisses and to my surprise, a half dozen cupcakes from Sprinkles! It was nice to sit and enjoy a cupcake with two people whom I have gotten to know a bit better. I really appreciated the thoughtfulness of the cupcakes. And who better to share a cupcake with than Kaitlyn! I love that she now has longer hair. She is such a cutie!
The next morning, all of us headed to the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel for Sunday champagne brunch at Raya. Taro and I always try to find great breakfast locations, but for some reason, we are stumped. However, at the Ritz, it was absolutely amazing. There was a wide selection and can you really beat starting off with diced fruit as an amuse bouche? For the most part, each of us ordered something different, which really provided an array of choices for breakfast. All of us were stuffed by the end, but still decided to check out the view from the hotel.
As we were walking around the Ritz, Kaitlyn started jumping around. I loved watching her get air. Yes, it might have been slightly off the ground, but from the look on her face and her overall excitement, she could have easily been jumping ten feet into the air. I especially love the last photo of her with that priceless look on her face.
On Monday, I celebrated with my family and also Taro’s parents. John took us to Sushi Nishi-ya a week ago and Taro and I enjoyed it so much that we wanted to bring our families there. I figured my birthday was the best time. We ate…and ate…and ate. All the sushi there is so fresh! I usually do not eat uni, but at Sushi Nishi-ya…butter.
The last thing we did was head home where Taro bought a tiramisu cake from Whole Foods. Everyone really enjoyed it despite being stuffed full of fish. I really could not have asked for a better birthday weekend – good food, the company of good friends, my first wedding, and family. Thanks to everyone who made it extra special.
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