Tag Archives: california

September 16, 2011 · 6:00 am

Trash the Dress Friday: Just a Couple in Love

Do you remember when you used to look forward to Friday because it meant a full night of TGIF, including shows like Full House, Step by Step, and  Boy Meets World. Those were the days. Someone should create a retro-TGIF tribute and bring those shows back. After a long week, a good, wholesome episode of Family Matters may be exactly what I need. Are you with me? They may actually be even better as now we can enjoy them with wine. Annnd moving right along.

I am thrilled to introduce you all to Kurt Boomer Photo today. Kurt’s work is absolutely gorgeous and this session is no exception. If you were simply browsing through this post wedding session, you may just think they were from the wedding day itself. Of course it didn’t hurt that this couple is gorgeous. Kurt didn’t photograph this couple’s wedding, but he did get the chance to be involved in this shoot in the back country of San Juan Capistrano. Be sure to stop by Kurt’s blog but be prepared to spend some time there, the lovely photos will suck you in. You won’t find any mud, water or trashed dresses here but the details, the dog, and the photos will delight you! Just another reminder that Trash the Dress is just a catchy name for a post wedding shoot whether you decided to trash your dress or not!

Have a great weekend!

 

Images submitted via Two Bright Lights.

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July 15, 2011 · 7:00 am

Trash the Dress Friday: At Mono Lake

Today’s TTD Session is special for a few reasons. First and foremost it has to be one of the most amazing shoots I have ever seen. The scenery is straight out of a dream. The shoot takes place at Mono Lake in California. The jagged rock formations in the middle of the gorgeous blue lake is amazing enough as it is but throw in a lovely bride in her gown and you have one stunning shoot! Because this shoot is so incredible, I’ve teamed up with Christie of Hindsight Bride to do a double feature so you could see even more photos from this session! Hindsight Bride is a blog dedicated to DIY, Mountain Brides. Christie actually lives near Mono Lake which makes this session even more special to her. I should probably mention the talented photographers behind it all, Minaret Photography. The Minaret Photography team is made up of Josh and Brandon and they are based in Mammoth Lakes, California and Reno, Nevada but will travel as well!

Let’s get to the photos…

I am endlessly mesmerized by clouds which is yet another reason I adore this shoot!

So incredible.

And then just to switch things up and have a little fun, they decided to do a bit of snowboarding!

Don’t you want to book a trip to California’s mountain country ASAP?! Be sure to head over to Hindsight Bride to see more from this session!

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June 10, 2011 · 8:00 am

Trash the Dress Friday!!

Happy Friday! Any great weekend plans? It is safe to say that we have no plans… we are not that fun. But to get my weekend and yours going, I have a super sexy TTD session from Claire Barrett Photography! Claire’s work is no stranger to this blog as she has made an appearance twice on Trash the Dress Friday with this gorgeous shoot and this one. Today’s shoot feels a little bit edgier and includes the handsome groom! Here is a little background info on the shoot from Claire herself:

Lisa and Paolo’s wedding was in Granada Hills and Newhall, CA, but they came down to my location by the beach for their TTD shoot. I took them along the Ballona Creek, quite a spectacular looking place that I discovered because I ride my bike along the path next to the water. I think it is a tributary of the Los Angeles river and runs out to the ocean….the unusual thing about it is that it has been concreted, making it seem totally man-made. It is that perfect blend of urban industrial and nature…rusting bridges, flocks of birds, graffitti, and all different shades of grey/blue/green…….very visually interesting.
She is absolutely right- the location is perfect and such a great contrast with the Bride’s gorgeous dress!
Pretty fabulous, don’t you think? I love the industrial type vibe and the fierce looks on the couple’s faces!
Have a great weekend!

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May 6, 2011 · 8:00 am

Trash the Dress Friday: In Marina del Rey!

So we have been living in our house for about a month now and in that time we have spent a lot of our free time and money on sprucing up the yard. Since our home was a foreclosure it had been empty for several months meaning it had just about no plants in the front yard unless you count the overgrowth of weeds. Despite everything else going on when you move like oh um unpacking and just daily life, we made it a priority to clean up the weeds and add some flowers to the front for a nice little bit of curb appeal. Then yesterday we get a notice from our HOA saying we need to remove our weeds! During an observation on such and such date they noted we had weeds. Let me note that we never received a nice welcome letter from our HOA which we pay for and get NOTHING from, except the aforementioned nasty letter. Yes, there are a few weeds but considering they pop up constantly I don’t imagine our yard will ever be 100% weed free unless we are literally out there constantly. In addition they are the weeds that you might only be able to see if you were to actually walk in our yard, they aren’t like 4 feet tall and bringing down the value of the whole neighborhood. Plus if you take a little walk about the neighborhood there are far worse weed problems including several other foreclosed homes that maybe just maybe should fall to the responsibility of the HOA to take care of since we all PAY them. The most ironic thing is that it was a 14 day notice which means we will likely go out there and remove said 3 weeds and in 14 days when they come back to check, I can almost guarantee more weeds will have made an appearance. Hello, HOA find something better to do. Like for example pick up the huge load of dog #2 I had to step over on the sidewalk yesterday, or perhaps actually put something in the common areas that would make me want to use them, or maybe send new residents a welcome letter before you make them hate you. Just some ideas. Are all HOA’s this ridiculous or is it just ours?

Good thing I have this gorgeous TTD shoot to take my mind off such madness. Remember a few weeks ago when I shared a beautiful Malibu shoot complete with what looked like a model? Well the photog, Claire of Claire Barrett Photography is back with another stunner! This Bride was married in Mexico and she decided to carry the beachy theme through to her TTD session. The shoot was done in Ballona Lagoon in Marina del Rey. Much like the last session, this Bride could probably be a model too!

Beautiful right? And the dress was completely unharmed!

Have a great weekend everyone while I pick weeds…

Images submitted via Two Bright Lights

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May 11, 2010 · 4:49 pm

Charity Spotlight- AIDS/Lifecycle

AIDS/Lifecycle is a 7-day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The ride is co-produced by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center in an effort to combine resources to help find a way to end the suffering caused by AIDS. The event aims to raise awareness for the organizations involved as well as AIDS in general as well as to inspire activism on this topic. They also hope to provide a positive experience for people suffering from AIDS so that they may live a life of dignity and hope. The cyclists ride an average of 80 miles per day for a total of 575 miles over the 7 day period. The ride is along the California coastline and encompasses a mixture of terrain and some breathtaking scenery. The cyclists all stay together in camps at the end of each day to enhance the overall experience. Here are a few facts and figures on HIV/AIDS from their website:

In San Francisco…

  • An estimated 800-1,000 people will become infected with HIV this year.
  • More than 18,000 people have died of AIDS since the epidemic began in 1981. 27,592 currently live with HIV.
  • 90% of new infections are among gay men and other men who have sex with men.
  • Gay men who use methamphetamine are 2-4 times more likely to be living with HIV.
  • Non-Hispanic whites account for 54% of cumulative HIV/AIDS cases, followed by African Americans at 13% and Latinos at 12%.

In Los Angeles…

  • An estimated 1,700 people will become infected with HIV this year.
  • More than 31,000 have died of AIDS since the epidemic began. An estimated 24,000 currently live with HIV.
  • Nearly 46% of California’s total cumulative HIV/AIDS diagnoses have occurred in Los Angeles.
  • 71% of those living with AIDS are gay or bisexual men.
  • Although African-Americans comprise only 9.6% of the city’s population, they account for nearly 20% of those living with AIDS.

Awareness is a great first step towards change. You can support this mission by donating as each of the cyclists pledge to raise money during the event. Justin Carnes is one of the cyclists and you can help his effort by clicking here.

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