Casanova Photography Blog

Category Archives: Personal

Click on the title of the blog post to view the entire entry.

My Bitty Man’s a Big Boy!

September 3, 2010 – 11:52 am

This was the first birthday that Grayson was actually anticipating and excited about, so of course I really went all out in making sure he had the best Dinosaur Birthday Bash possible. I know he probably isn’t going to even remember this day, but for what it’s worth, he had a blast. Seriously, Grayson had a great time. This time around I made a conscious effort to document the event, and I am really happy with all of the fun memories I get to remember forever.

My sister-in-law bought Grayson a sand box and my mother-in-law bought him some outdoor toys. He literally played inside of it for half the party! I also had purchased a Dino Excavation Kit for all of the kids to play mini paleontologists in the brand new sand box.

We included a fun arts & crafts project for all of the little guests.

So happy that my Grandpa Don could come celebrate with us.

Of course I had to have Dinosaur Centerpieces!

JP was grill master for the party.

More party decorations…..I know I went a bit overboard, but I just couldn’t help myself.

We still have the Dino banner hanging and haven’t found a permanent home for the Stegosaurus.

This is one of Grayson’s good friends, Mabel, who looks remarkably like her father!

Grayson’s first swing at the nearly indestructible pinata….

and this would be his third attempt…..

JP had to finally intervene!

A few more cute photos of kiddies beating up the pinata.

Go figure…my 8 year old niece would be the one to break open Dino. I think by round 4 we were all rooting for her to end the game.

I seem to be the only one not distracted by all of the cupcakes.

Happy Birthday my Bitty Man.

“I’ll love you forever,

I’ll like you for always,

As long as I’m living

my baby you’ll be.”

By admin | Comments (0)

Alison & Russ are Married!

September 1, 2010 – 2:01 pm

I just got back from attending Alison and Russ’ wedding, and boy was it an event. Rehearsal dinner on Thursday, Bachelorette Party on Friday, and Wedding on Sunday. I am spent, but feel so happy for Alison and Russ. It was wonderful watching my best friend getting to celebrate such a huge moment in her life. I had a great time meeting new friends and catching up with old ones.

Unfortunately, I took so few photographs at their wedding. It’s not possible for me to be Matron of Honor and still capture images. But I did get to snap a few during the Rehearsal dinner and while Alison was getting ready. Enjoy!

The Happy Couple practicing for the big day.

Alison made us practice the ceremony 3 times!

In true Seattle fashion it rained during the rehearsal. Alison had picked out this white sundress and was concerned about wearing it in the rain. When she paired it with some rain boots, it made a perfectly lovely combination.

Gorgeous Curls!

I love this image.

And this one too.

So pretty!

Congratulations A! Oh, and you too Russ! Have a wonderful honeymoon and I can’t wait to see all of the photographs.

By admin | Also posted in Wedding | Comments (0)

Alison’s Bridal Shower: Queen Mary Tea Room Seattle, WA

August 24, 2010 – 2:04 am

It’s almost here! Alison’s wedding to Russ is in less than a week and I haven’t even blogged about her bridal shower! Alright, here goes.

It’s amazing to think I’ve known Alison for 15 years. Seriously, when did I get so old? The early days of our friendship consisted of swim practice, carpools, and the never ending concoctions we’d dream up for taming our curly locks (start off with some John Frieda Frizz Ease Hair Serum, move on to a squirt of Herbal Essences Gel, and finish off with some Herbal Essences Spray Gel…those were the days!) Since that time we’ve perfected out hair regime and our friendship has matured to include weddings, marriages, and children. I couldn’t have been more honored when Alison asked me to be in her wedding. Not only do I love the fact that this is one wedding where I get to drink champagne, get dolled up, and dine at a non-vendor table, but I am so pleased that my best friend has found a true partner to share her life with. Russ is perfect for Alison. It’s as simple as that.

Now on to the Bridal Shower. Since the majority of the guests live in Washington, it only seemed fitting to host the party up in Seattle. Alison’s mother (Kitty) and I both loved the idea of having an Afternoon tea. Tea rooms can be so quaint and if you’ve never experienced an afternoon tea, it’s really something worth trying. Well, our tea was delightful. It was such a fun gathering of great people, delicious food, and an obscene amount of baked goods. Who could ask for anything more?!

I also loved getting to spend an extended amount of time with Alison and Russ. This was a trip I planned without JP or Grayson and it was really nice having a “mini vacation” from all of my Mommy duties. I had a wonderful time going on some runs around Alison’s home and also getting to do a bit of sight seeing. Plus, Alison and I finally made it up to the top of the Space Needle! Every time I have gone up to visit, we manage to make it over to the Needle, but then decide not to go up. One time it was too windy, another time one of us was tired….you get the idea. But this time we made it up and have the photos to prove it!

This is the exterior of the Queen Mary Tea Room. Very quaint.

The day before the bridal shower Alison and I had breakfast at the tea room. I made her take these silly photos and I am glad I did because I love her smile in them.

This is the lawn where Alison and Russ will be married…on Sunday! Can’t wait to post some photos from their wedding! It’s such a fun spot.

Afternoon Tea was Scrumptious.

One of the guests brought her daughter, who had a fabulous time hanging out with us old ladies. The staff gave her a special “pint sized” afternoon tea that included a peanut butter and jelly finger sandwich (without the crust of course).

Her own special tea cup.

And a yummy sugar cookie!

Though the ladies at the tea room repeatedly advised me NOT to get a cake (they kept assuring me that their would be more than enough food) I could not let Alison have a Bridal Shower without a cake. Not sure why they insisted on the candles, but at that point I was done arguing with them.

You can only imagine how crazy they thought I was when I ordered 2 dozen cookies. But for a girl whose favorite food is Cookie, how could I not indulge her sweet tooth?!

Alison with her mom and soon to be mom-in-law.

I can’t photograph a bride without making sure to include a mini portrait session. It’s habit, I guess.

Alison with her cousin Ashely, whose from El Salvador. I only bring up where she is from because I had NO idea Alison had family in Central America. Go figure.

Getting pastries the day after.

This photo is random…I know. Alison took me to the Ballard Locks on my last day in Seattle. It was such a gorgeous day and I had a great time taking all sorts of photos. What I got most excited about was the Fish Ladder where I got to see salmon swimming up stream. So, of course I had to take some photos. Here’s one of my favorites.

And finally proof that we made it to the top of the Space Needle. It was such a bright day (and I don’t have a built in flash on my camera) that I wasn’t very happy with the exposures of the photos when I had Alison and Russ stand in front of a certain vista. Either the skyline was blown out or they were underexposed (a little technical, but that’s the only way I know how to succinctly describe it). So we hopped on a bench and used the reflective glass of the windows to serve as our “vista”.

I leave for the wedding in a couple of days…. quite eager to embark on my next Seattle adventure!

By admin | Comments (0)

Andrew & Marisol: My Family

June 17, 2010 – 3:00 pm

I’ve waited quite a while to write this post. I have to admit it was tough one to sit down and describe with words. Weddings are a big deal, no matter how you plan them. And I don’t just mean the actual party, I mean all of the changes that come with the wedding. A marriage expands a family and there are so many emotions that come with the changes. I think what was so overwhelming about Andrew and Marisol’s wedding is that basically a year’s worth of emotions were packed into a weekend. It was a whirlwind to say the least.

One Friday morning in April my brother Andrew called me up to ask me if I knew of any wedding photographers in Los Angeles. When I said maybe and further inquired as to why he was asking, he let me know that he and his girlfriend, Marisol, were getting married on Saturday…..as in the NEXT day. My first response was, “Is she pregnant?!”…..Nope……”Does she need a Visa?!” (Marisol is on a Student’s Visa)….Nope….”Well then, why the rush?!”……..”It’s the way we want to do it.” Alright then.

So later that day we jumped into our car en route to Culver City. We spent the night in San Luis Obispo, picked up a bouquet & boutonniere at my favorite florist in SLO, Open Air Flowers, and then headed down to meet up with Bride and Groom.

This wedding was purely about Family. I was constantly being surprised each time the doorbell rang….I just never knew who was going to come through the door. It was such an amazing, totally spontaneous, family reunion. Leave it to my brother to pull something like this off. He’s always had such tender spot in his heart for our family (the WHOLE crew) and I can only imagine how much pride he must have felt to introduce his family to Marisol’s. This was his shining moment.

So my family is crazy and constantly surprising (or shocking) me. But once all the dust settled from the excitement of the weekend, I was left with a happy, content feeling. My family has been through it all…really we have….and it’s comforting to realize that throughout the crushing breaks and moments of bliss there is always love. This family might be crazy, but at the core of the chaos is that love, which I couldn’t imagine living without.

My Grandpa Don was on Cloud Nine. He was beaming with pride for his grandson.

Marisol’s family was so appreciative for the effort my family made in coming to the wedding on such short notice.

It was sweet seeing my Grandpa, the head of our family, extend an open invitation to Marisol’s father to visit and stay with him.

Marisol handled the stress of planning a wedding overnight with so much grace. She was just glowing on her wedding day.

The night before the wedding, while I was in San Luis Obispo, I stopped at Open Air Flowers on the off chance that they might be able to put together a bouquet for Marisol. Literally, I showed up 15 minutes before they closed. What a wonderful help they were! They took down the colors I was looking for and told me it would be ready first thing in the morning. I just couldn’t let my future sis-in-law walk down the aisle without a beautiful bouquet. She deserved it.

Beautiful portraits can happen anywhere. This was taken along the side walk near an apartment complex. I positioned Marisol so that the waning sun could illuminate her face and shot at a very wide aperture. But really it’s Marisol’s smile that makes the image memorable.

This was a rent-by-the-hour Chapel, definitely similar to something you might see in Las Vegas. Well, my mom managed to lose her way over to the wedding, so my brother had to begrudgingly throw down more money. I love this image….it takes me right back to that evening and how crazy/funny/wonderful, everything was.

And this is Marisol with her father, hopefully laughing at all the festivities.

I caught this moment right before they both noticed me and my camera. Not sure what they are talking about, but I just love the way they are connecting.

Grayson loved being the Ring Bearer and I am sure Lanea enjoyed the title of Flower Girl. They won the cuteness award. On a side note, I have to give my sister some grief for wearing denim. Really Krissy?

Andrew did something during the ceremony that I have never seen done before. Plus it got a collective “ahhhhhh” from everyone. After he placed the ring on Marisol’s finger, he bent down and kissed her hand. Who knew my brother could be so chivalrous?