Raise Awareness! Fight Breast Cancer!

I am sure you know this, but just in case... October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For the past few years, my mom and I have dedicated ourselves to promoting a few good organizations that promote breast cancer awareness. Thankfully, breast cancer has not stricken either of us or close family members but we don't feel like we need a reason other than we want to merely support a good cause. Every year, as October approaches, mom and I head to the local ribbon shoppe and purchase pink ribbon. We'll sit down one afternoon and make breast cancer awareness ribbons to pass out to our family and friends and anyone we come across with. It's a mere small gesture, but I think it does make a difference.

We enjoy participating in the annual South Padre Island Walk for Women (http://www.spiwalkforwomen.org/). We joined the walk six years ago with just my mom, a friend of mine and myself. Over the years we have amassed a large group of friends and we all head down to the island the first weekend in October to walk, for women. This year, my mom found a great fundraiser to participate in to help raise funds for local women. Knapp Medical Center (http://www.knappmed.org/) hosted Bras Ending Cancer.  Mom decided she wanted to design a bra, participate and raise some money. And she did :)

I merely helped her glue a pearl here and there but she designed the bra and made it herself. My mother is extremely talented. Actually, I think that may be an understatement. My mother is above talented, she is blessed. We attended the fashion show showcasing over 100 designs and they were all creatively unique. That one day, mom raised eighty five dollars fundraising for $1 votes. I'm very proud of her :)

Here's what the bra looked like...






Will you please take a moment and help mom raise more funds by using the following link to vote for her bra as your favorite design? Thank you, we apreciate it :)

VOTE!

Have a good night!

It's easy to forget about your wedding...

...when you get to admire so many beautiful people enjoying theirs! It's Tuesday, slowly creeping into Wednesday, and I have a fabulous wedding this weekend. I've been looking forward to the wedding for a few months now so YAY! because it's finally here :) I often wonder what it feels like to be in the final days leading up to a wedding, your wedding. As the photographer, I get anxious and excited for the day to arrive. When I am at the venue, I smile when the bride walks down the aisle. I want to cry when the groom is working hard to keep it together because I know deep down he probably wants tro cry from sheer happiness. Above all, I absolutely love to take a minute and enjoy the actual ceremony myself. The reception would not happen without the ceremony, so to me it is the most important aspect of a wedding. Come to think of it, the ceremony is the wedding.

Different couples, different venues but the love two people share is always the same. I see it, my camera captures it. I L.O.V.E. photographing weddings and couples in love. It's the best! So as I attempt to check off my to do list for the week and finish the workload, I leave you with a single image from my bride's bridal session. Ideally we shoot these a bit earlier, but due to scheduling conflicts we finally managed last Friday and the day was absolutely perfect.
I hope you had a great day and an even better tomorrow ;)

Engaged ♥ Cassandra and Joseph

I have a weird form of planning. Usually, I an idea will pop into my head and I will dwell on it for a period of time. Sometimes, the idea pops in way far in advance while other times it is last minute. If I have had a few weeks, sometimes even months, to execute the idea or event, etc., I will plan in my mind but execute at the last minute. I work best that way. For example, in college, I would write my 10+ plus papers the day before or day they were due. Granted, I would formulate arguments and the actual "game plan" in my mind weeks or days prior to actually writing it. In case you're wondering, I excelled at writing papers and thankfully always did extremely well.

Earlier this summer I met a young lady who was interested in having me as her wedding photographer. We chatted and the summer eventually dwelled into late August. I was actually writing a blog post one late August night when my phone rang and I answered it. On the other side of the line was Cassandra and, thakfully, I remembered her. Cassandra's wedding was in two days (well, one really) and she needed a wedding photographer. Gasp! Wedding, ranch, full coverage... I jotted quick notes on a blank sheet of paper. Then she said it, I almost cringed... Engagement Session... and she wanted prints to be displayed at the reception. Feel free to gasp once again, I did ;)

Cassandra is a planner and organizer, but she lives a million miles per minute. She knew she wanted a wedding photographer and she knew she wanted me. The actual process of hiring me , however, was placed on hold for a while. But, like me, she knew and had faith in waiting for the last minute. Funny how things happen, I was actually free her wedding day and happily obliged. Waiting to the very end worked out for the both of us. I had the opportunity to end the summer wedding season with one last fun one with a fabulous couple and Cassandra got a wedding photographer. :)

So we photographed her engagemetn session a mere hour prior to her rehearsal dinner at her fabulous venue. The evening was hot, humid, and HOT! But Cassandra and her fiance Joseph rocked their session. They are one hundred percent plus more in love and it was oh-so-evident in their photos and in general. I want to thank them for choosing me as their photographer and trusting me to deliver, not only for their actual prints at the reception, but for their entire wedding photography collection.

See the LOVE....
Go on with your beautiful self Cassandra... Tyra would call this fierce ;)
My favorite ♥
Have a great week! And stay tuned for photos from their fabulous wedding ;)

Portraits ♥ Sofi

The first two years of my college career were spent wandering the university, finding new quiet places to eat lunch around campus and racking up countless of hours spent in the library. A friend of mine once mentioned she belonged to a campus sorority and would often recommend me to look into it. I hesitated many times for a simple reason. The summer prior to my college enrollment I attended the mandatory orientation and met  many organizations. We were bombarded with flyers and quick facts about each club. I distinctly remeber seeing a group of girls wearing pink  and smiling. My friend grabbed my arm and pulled me towards them. We drew closer but the brochures never reached our hands. hmmm.... We smiled and they were still smiling, just not directly at us. "Maybe we were not the type of girls the organization was interested in or maybe, just maybe..." I justified some sort of reason in my mind.

It was no big deal really but the moment and, more importantly, the impression remained in my mind everytime my friend suggested I join a sorority. Then one early fall day I took her up on the offer. I was nervous of being somehow rejected again. I walked into the ballroom and saw so many girls eager to meet me and lots of pink - and green everywhere. I wondered if this pink was the same one from before, but it wasn't. Someone split me up into a group where we talked about ourselves and the members discussed the components of the sorority. There were two girls in my goup and one of them made an impression on me.

Sofia talked about sisterhood and what it meant for her. Now I am not quite sure how her story went verbatim but I distinctly remember (and will never forget!) her mentioning she was ill, her body was deteriorating internally, and her sorority sisters were there to take care of her - literally. Granted, I may have embellished the story a tad bit but the moral was what stayed with me. These girls were dedicated not only to the chapter but to its members. I knew then I wanted to part of this sisterhood and share the bonds of becoming a Delta Zeta.

As a collegiate, and now an alumnae, member I learned many valuable lessons. Sofia has taught many of those lessons. We both served on the Executive Board and she was always opiniated, like me. I like how she always states her view regardless if it goes against what others want or think. And she is always ready with a rebuttal, trust me. At a mere five feet something, Sofia stands tall and is one powerful woman. Tiny in size, her persona overshadows her small figure. In the sorority she was an executive, a leader. In real life, she is nothing less. She enjoys having a good time but has no problem talking business and getting it done.

Sofi, you are funny, beautiful and intelligent. Although I may very well be somewhat taller than you I look up to you. I know there are great things ahead of you and I am glad you have begun to take the steps in the path towards them. I wish you every success and all the happiness in the world because you deserve it. Thank you for being my friend and thank you for being my sister. May the Lord bless you always - I know he will.

 
She's most certainly thinking, "I am woman, hear me roar." I am sure of it ;)

These last two are an homage to Sofi's new and current job venture as an assistant to a great valley wedding planner. Sofi you are beautiful! Go out and conquer your piece of this world :)

Have a great weekend!

Holiday Mini Sessions ♥ 2010

October is half-way through and November will be quickly approaching. Last year I had thought about venturing into Mini-Sessions but never actually did so this year I have decided to give them a try. So for the rest of October and for the month of November I will be holding Mini-Sessions for my current and prospective clients. The mini-sessions are 30 minute sessions of non-stop coverage on-location and include 25 custom designed holiday cards with envelopes. If you'd like to opt out of the holiday cards, you can instead use a $25 print credit towards prints or products. I'm really excited for these mini's and my days are scheduling in quickly so if you are interested please feel free to give me a call to schedule your session. I look forward to seeing my past clients and meeting many new ones.

Have a great weekend!

LeFave Wedding ♥ McAllen, Texas

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to meet a wonderful couple. Sarita and Kennedy met with me one hot day in late May and hired me as their wedding photographer. I looked forward all summer towards their wedding day. Sarita and Kennedy met while attending the same college in Florida. They are a bit timid at first but very much in love and full of happiness. During our consultation Kennedy had specific questions, which I loved that he knew what they both wanted from their wedding photography, and Sarita perfectly described the vision she and her groom shared for their wedding day.

The ceremony was nothing short of sweetness - both intimate and romantic. Every single person in attendance was glowing with happiness for the soon to be wife and husband. I was too. I felt like I was a part of their family and felt overjoyed at hearing them say I do. Their wedding took place at one of my favorite valley venues, Quinta Mazatlan. I've visited Quinta Mazatlan quite a bit within the past year and it ranks as one of my favorite places for an outdoor wedding. It's part of the World Birding Center Organization (http://www.worldbirdingcenter.org/) and is home to a variety of nature's creatures - many of which I saw that day.

As a couple, Kennedy and Sarita are laid back and relaxed. As my bride and groom, they were utterly in love and excited to be with one another for the rest of their lives. I had so much at their quiet yet romantic wedding. Mr. and Mrs. LeFave, Thank you for trusting me to capture your wedding day. You both were so kind and curteous towards me and I truly appreciate it. I wish you a healthy and blessed marriage. Once again, Congratulations!

Have a great day my friends!