40lbs & 6 sizes down (Part II) DETOX

Hey friends! First of all, I am completely overwhelmed by the response from my last blog post! Thank you for all of the texts, emails, pics & stories so many of you shared! I am truly honored to be a part of your lives and your journey! I apologize that I'm not as good at blogging on a regular basis but I will keep trying to share posts on things I've learned and share some tips that have helped me. This may be a longer blog but there's lots of info to share!

Oh! Before I forget... I also wanted to make sure that I mentioned- in addition to all of the benefits listed on my previous post (http://simplydesignstudios.blogspot.com/2012/06/40lbs-6-sizes-down-part-i-reboot.html) about this lifestyle change, I was actually able to lower my blood pressure from Stage 1 hypertension of 141/92 to a normal range of 117/76 in just 3 weeks. With that, my anxiety came down and I was, in general, feeling better long before I started to see a difference in my weight. I was actually beginning to understand that my goal of becoming more healthy was just that. Be More Healthy. However, the side effects to that goal was feeling better and losing weight. I only mention that because when I'd hit those moments that I wasn't losing weight as quickly as I wanted to, I would remind myself of how great I was feeling and how far along in my progress I actually was. Like I mentioned before, it's really about changing the way you think. 

Before I share my journey, I want to reiterate: I am NOT a trainer. I am NOT a professional. I am a woman who's battled weight for nearly a decade and has recently had a revelation about the way I think about food. I am more than happy to share what has and is continuing to work for me- but please don't use my plan as a personal plan for you. Rather, a helpful stepping stone to build your own plan on. 

So, about juicing. I know many of you've watched Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead with Joe Cross. You can learn more about this documentary here: http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/. Like me, you're probably scratching your head on the whole juicing process. It's okay. The one thing about the documentary that's a little confusing is your not juicing the entire time. You are eating just raw fruits/veggies for the detox but it's not strictly a juice diet. Some people just juice, and it works for them. However, I strongly recommend you NOT doing that. It's a little more complex than just making juices for 2-3 weeks straight. On top of that, you may find yourself biting off more than you can chew if you are going from one extreme to another. Yes, I'm speaking from experience. 

The week before starting a "detox", I weaned off coffee. I'm not a huge coffee drinker but I knew I would have to temporarily give that up and it's easier for me to give up things one at a time then everything at once. I also gave up chocolate... which is HUGE for me. As far as juicers, I purchased the Jack LeLaine juicer and highly recommend it. It runs about $100 and you get more juice with less air. You can even do the trial for a couple of weeks if you just wanted to try it out:  http://www.powerjuicer.com/  So, let's talk about juices!

Just to be clear, when I started juicing, I continued to eat. I ate raw and minimally cooked fruits and veggies. I encourage you to eat food that keep your digestive system working at breaking down solid foods. If there's one thing I learned from all the stupid diets I've tried is this: if you remove solids from your diet to get that super-fast weight loss, then you can expect the weight to come back on as soon as you reintroduce it back into your system. Don't cheat folks! This is a lifestyle change, not a fad diet.

And the most important rule for juicing/ raw foods diet: 

DRINK LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER!!! AND THEN DRINK SOME MORE!

Generally most detox diets will contain the following foods:

• Organic food and drink (no pesticides or fungicides).
• Whole unprocessed foods (grains, nuts, seeds, etc).
• High mix of vegetables and fruit.
• 2 liters of water per day
• Certain herbs such as Psyllium seed, Licorice root, Yucca root, Milk thistle seed, Gentian root, to aid the detoxifying process.

Most detox programs will avoid the following:

• Alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and drugs
• Processed and refined foods
• Certain supplements (due to the amount of additives).

Reduction of Stress

Many detox regimes are holistic in outlook. It is important to address other areas of stress in your life, and examine lifestyle as a whole. 

(Source: http://www.everydiet.org/detox_diet.htm)

In the mornings, I tend to make fruit bakes which usually consists of mixed fruits, maybe some crushed nuts for texture and drizzled with honey or cinnamon for a little variety. I LOVE juicing fruits because they are sweet but to properly juice, it's a general rule to keep your fruit & veggie intake at a 30% to 70% ratio. 30% fruits & 70% veggies. Eating nothing but fruits aren't good for you. They are digested quickly and there are lots of natural sugars in them. Although natural sugars are better than processed sugars, too much is still not good. Through trial and error, I've learned that you can add either pineapple, apple, or pear to any juice to sweeten them up... even mean greens! I also make things like butternut squash cereal, and yam pancakes. It takes a little getting used to but now I LOVE them! I notice that if I eat regular pancakes, I'm too tired and full so I prefer not to eat them.

For lunches, I love eating salads of all kinds. Fruit salads, veggie salads, green salads, greek salads... you name it, I'm all over it! I've even learned to juice my own dressing. My latest kick has been: raspberry vinaigrette. You may be asking yourself why I would choose to make my own rather than just buying it... well, I've recently learned that several of my favorite salad dressing contain... well, you can read the article here: http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com/2011/08/ditch-bottled-salad-dressing.html

For snacks, I've cut & baked red, purple and any other color than white- potatoes and have made dips from avacadoes to homemade salsa. All natural and delicious. I usually make enough for 2-3 servings so I can eat that a couple of times in the day of have enough for the following day... or just enough for my family to enjoy with me. 

Dinner can be anything from a 'barely' cooked stir-fry to veggie sliders, a mean green, to stuffed peppers or mushrooms. It wasn't easy in the beginning to find things I liked so I had to experiment a lot! I started the raw fruits/veggies & juicing detox 3 time before I could finish it. It wasn't easy and for me it was really a "one choice at a time" mindset. And if you made a bad choice for lunch, don't count it as a wasted day and you can start over on the next one. It was simply one bad decision and you can make a better one during your next snack or meal. When you're first starting, it's literally one step at a time! So don't beat yourself up! Just keep going.

Also, please note that if you start this, you will be experiencing detox symptoms. Basically, you are detoxing from processed foods. In processed foods are chemicals & toxins that your body was never meant to digest. You may experience fatigue, headaches (especially for coffee drinker & sweet tooth's, like me!). You may even notice that you are more irritable in the first few days. Also, and I know that no one wants this brought up, but you will also notice a difference with your bowel movements. Please consult with a trained professional about these before attempting this raw foods detox as I'm not qualified to give any advice or assessment on this. 

Below are some of my favorite meals I made during the beginning of my journey. I still make most of them now but have added limited amounts of meat/fish... but that's a whole other blog! Also note, some of these contain dairy which isn't part of the detox. You can just remove the dairy from these recipes to make this a true detox, then slowly add it in later.

Here's a video on how to make a mean green with Joe Cross: 

MY PINK CREATION

5 Carrots

1 Tomato

1 Grapefruit

1 Apple

1/4 Pineapple

Ginger Root

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPLE PEAR BAKE

2 Apples cubed

2 Pears Cubed

1/4 Cup of Raisins

1/4 Cup of Dried Cherries

Honey 

Cinnamon

(Pecans, Optional)

Simply cube the apples and pears. Add raisins & cherries (pecans optional) 

Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinammon to taste

Bake at 350 for about 1/2 hour or until tender.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RED BERRY TROPICAL SMOOTHIE

1 Handful of Raspberries
1 Handful of Strawberries
1 Handful of Cherries
1 Chunk on Pinapple
1 Mango
1/2 Cup of Coconut Milk
 1 Handful of Ice

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MIXED BERRY SMOOTHIE

1 Banana
6 Large Strawberries
1 Handful of  Blueberries
6 Cherries
Dollop of Frozen Vanilla Yogurt
2/3 cup of Vanilla Almond Milk 
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GREEK SALAD

2 Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
2 Green Onions
1/2 Red Onion
Feta cheese
Red Wine Vinegar

Chop Everything Up.
Mix 'em together and sprinkle feta as desired.
Add Red Wine Vinegar to taste.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CREAMY COCONUT SQUASH
From Page 12 of Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Meals

1/2 Butternut Squash
1 ½ cups of Coconut Milk
1/4 Teaspoon of Cinammon
1/4 cup of pecans

Peel the butternut squash then cut into chunks. Microwave them until soft, about 4-6 minutes. Blend the squash in a blender or food processor, then add coconut milk & cinnamon. Add crushed pecans if desired.
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VEGGIE SLIDERSSweet potatoes
Baby Portebellas
Kale
Tomato
Cucumber
 Onions
Avacado Spread (with garlic)

Bake Potatoes (not too soft though) and warm mushrooms in the oven
Then throw it all together! It's actually pretty darn good!

40lbs & 6 sizes down (PART I) REBOOT

This post has been a very long time in the making... partly due to the desire to be a bit farther along in my weight loss than I am currently. But, I'm more than halfway there, so what the heck am I waiting for?!



First of all, I never, not in a million years, thought I'd ever battle my weight. Before babies, I'd always been active and could eat an entire pizza without gaining an ounce. Even after I had my first son, I was actually 13 lbs lighter and 2 sizes smaller than I was before I got pregnant. Stupid me, I didn't think to pack sweats after having him. I just brought jeans and had to use some hospital type rope to hold them up. True Story.

Here's me back in September of last year
at my heaviest at 220lbs. & size 18-20

However, within the first 2 months, I came down with an infection related to breast feeding and it threw my entire body off. I gained 30lbs in 2 months. And it's been a weight war ever since. I've tried everything from Atkins to Sensa. I even created challenges with cash prizes for who can lose the most weight. And I could- I just couldn't keep it off. Last year, I was doing the best I'd ever done since we were living in a house with a lap pool. I was exercising but not eating right, even though I thought I was. Weight was still coming off though. That all changed when we decided to move to Oregon. I stopped swimming and started stressing. A lot. And the weight came on fiercely! I didn't even realize how big I was until after our move here and I watched a video of me online singing for the last time at my home church. And I cried... more like bawled my eyes out. Partly because I loved and missed my church, but also because my weight had gotten out of control and I didn't even notice! Below are some freeze frames of the video but you can watch it here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/16646294

With a very fresh out of state move, our finances were drained. A gym membership or a personal trainer weren't even on the table for discussion. I wasn't working, so I started taking long walks on the beach. The walks soon turned into strides, and the strides turned into jogs. I started feeling great almost instantly. But I was not getting any results. At all. Then Jerry & I started watching lots of food documentaries on Netflix. We quickly became fans of "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead". If you ever get a chance to watch that, I highly recommend it. It will blow you away! It wasn't too long after, we started juicing. Not juicing to loose weight, rather, detox from all the processed foods we've been consuming. I lost 8lbs in just a few days. I only mention that to bring you to this point: Do not juice simply to lose weight. If you do not continue a diet of fruits/vegetables, it will just come back on as quickly as it left. A reboot is to detox, not to be a weight loss program. You can find their entire programs in detail here: http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com

http://vimeo.com/18732737

Now, I'd be totally lying if I typed how simple this first step was. Because it was not! It was difficult and nothing tasted good for this sweet-toothed chick! I was grumpy... boy was I grumpy! And lethargic too, for the first few days anyway. Oh! And I was grumpy- just in case I failed to mention that. I caved the first couple times I tried to do a juice reboot. But on the third try, I followed through and kept on for the 15-day reboot. The differences I'd seen convinced me that my diet had EVERYTHING to do with more than just my weight issues.

After the 15-day reboot, my complexion was absolutely clear. I will even go as far as saying, my skin was the best I'd ever known it to be. My nails & hair took on a dramatic change. I was sleeping better. Not only was I more motivated, I was focused. My mind was sharper and I could think more clearly. My moods and emotions evened out significantly and physically, I was energized. Even my eyesight improved. It was an incredible difference. Needless to say, I started changing the way I was thinking about food. Food was not just a way to satisfy a craving but fuel to keep the body going. What you put into your body is determines your body's performance. If you eat crap, you're gonna feel like crap. I know it's been said like a bazillion times and we all know this -BUT- like most of us, I ate when I could. I'd pop something in the microwave or drive through McDonald's if we were running late. I bbq'd a lot because I believed that made my meal healthy. Oh, I've been wrong about so many things...


Looking back on the process of my weight loss journey and everything I've learned along the way, 
it would be a bit overwhelming to put in just one blog post. So, I'm going to do one section at a time. This post is a glimpse into how I got started on this journey and how my battle with weight began. If this journey is something your interested in, drop me a line and let me know. If  there's enough interest, I'd be more than happy to share my beginning workouts & diet plan. Not diet as starving yourself, rather making better food choices. 


 I would recommend, again, watching Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead. http://vimeo.com/18732737

Thanks again for all the encouragement and support from my facebook posts! At first I wasn't going to share this struggle because I was afraid that if I failed, everyone would know. However, your encouragement has been a huge motivation for me and has held me accountabe to stay on track. So, I thank you! Very much. ♥

Sharon

BULLY: A Must See

If you have kids, then this movie is a must see.

I'm blessed with the ability to attend my kids' field trips. But due to the subject matter of this movie and understanding very well the emotionally charged content behind it, I gave my son the option of going with his classmates without me. I was a bit shocked and very proud when he looked at me and said that out of all the trips, this is the one he wanted me to be on with him.

Watch the trailer here:

Opening Scene: a bus full of kids. Nothing really stands out. Only the thought of knowing exactly where this movie is going and waiting for something to happen. And then you hear the voice of a man speaking about his son. His smile. His happiness. His pain. And then you notice he's talking about his son in the past tense.

His son, Tyler, committed suicide. Age 17.

Tyler. When he spoke his son's name, it sent shivers down my spine and that burning sensation in my eyeballs. I closed them quickly, and before I had a chance, my Tyler took my hand.

A Mother's Day card from Alex, one of the boys bullied in this film.

This movie was personal to me on so many levels. When I was growing up, I was a buck-toothed, knobby kneed, teacher's pet. I was a teacher's pet because I was abused at home and I needed to be someone special, to anyone who cared.

Needless to say, that didn't make me very popular. And if that wasn't bad enough, I had a twin sister. A gorgeous twin sister with whom I was always compared to. She was always the prettier one. And because we were so broke down from a terrible home life, we made pretty great targets for bullies.

There was one incident on Halloween. I was jumped and literally beat down while my sister was tied to a tree. If memory serves me right, it was the week after we were both beat by several kids in our elementary school bathroom. The reason? We were too ugly and if we were going show our face in public, then we needed to be taught a lesson. Yup. That sure did wonders for my self-esteem. And they were issues I carried with me straight to adult-hood.

Fast forward to many, many years later... about the time I'm sending my kids to school. You can imagine how my heart broke for my oldest son to learn that the biggest kid in his class -held back 2 years already- had decided to target my boy who happened to be the smallest in his entire grade! I tried to let him handle it. Then I went to the teacher who's hands were tied by the principle. And going to the principle was a joke in itself. So what do you do? What can you do? You have a voice. And it's more powerful than you know.

BE THE DIFFERENCE.

Aside from being a plethora of resources, this movie shares the story of many sides of bullying, from the precious boys that took their lives, to a bully himself. From the unequipped administration, to the denial of law enforcers. From the kid struggling to learn the difference between being a punching bag and having an authentic friendship, to the girl who is determined to rise above it all. And the heartbroken parents who learn too late about the hell their kids are going through on a daily basis.

I will warn you, it is a documentary filming raw and unscripted events as they unfold in the daily lives of several students. The language may be offensive but let's take the sugar coating off. Bullies don't use candy-coated accolades. This is real life. The reality of it is quite disturbing. This is how they really talk. And this is what derogatory, degrading, ruthless bullying sounds like. I only warn you so that you can prepare your kids ahead of time.

If you get a chance or have already seen this movie, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

♥,
Sharon

Additional Resources:
http://thebullyproject.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bullymovie

To find out where this movie is playing in your area, visit: http://thebullyproject.com/bullyticketingseefilm.html

World Travels, 20-mile hikes & Turning 80

You read that correctly. 20-mile hikes, not 20 mile hikes. And if that wasn't impressive, did I mention her 10-12 mile solo hikes in Spain last year - following the Santiago de Compstela pilgrim's trail in the north?

Today, I'm writing about a woman named Lucia. 

                   

Last week, I accepted a photography job to cover for another wonderful photographer who had to back out at the last minute. It was for an 80th surprise party for Lucia. First of all, I love photographing ALL types of events but I normally don't post birthday party images on my facebook/blog. BUT, this one is different. This was truly a privilege for me to participate in celebrating the life of this amazing woman by her adoring family and a room full of wonderful friends. 

Just to be clear, I don't get emotional. Like, ever! I only mention this because I actually had to put my camera back to my face just to hide my watery eyes. 

What could evoke such an emotion?

Listening to her sons talk about their mother. 

Not only did they share about the "adventures they put her though", something about bombs... among other things... but they shared the very heart of their mother. 

And then I heard it. 
The best compliment I've ever heard given to any mother. 

One of her sons praised his wife. He went on about how wonderful she was. How beautiful she was. He loved her generosity and sincerity. He adored her hard work, energy, and genuineness. But most of all, he loved her heart. But why would he speak about his wife on the day everyone is honoring his mother?

Get your tissues ladies...

Because, he thanked his mother for setting the standard on what a woman is suppose to be like. And then he went on the say that he loved his wife and felt she was a reflection of the woman he adored the most... that's right: his mother.

I'm a wedding photographer, for crying out loud!!! I hear mushy stuff all the time!

So why did this choke me up? Because it made me want to be that type of mother. To raise my boys without losing my sense of adventure. To love them without smothering them. To bring them up right while being just. To discipline them sternly but love them fiercely. For them to never doubt how much they mean to me. And most of all, I want to be an example of what a Godly woman looks like... and even when I fail, I'll never stop trying. 

And, just in time for Mother's Day...

   

Preparing or Repairing?

Last Friday, I had the awesome privilege of photographing The Chick-Fil-A Leadercast via live-feed. Hosted by the Central Oregon Coast Association, this conference featured dynamic speakers such as Andy Stanley, Tim Tebow, & John Maxwell, among many other world renown speakers. As the Official Photographer, I thought I was only going to work that day and didn't realize I was actually going to participate in this event. I can't even begin to describe the personal breakthroughs I've experienced which has me re-evaluating not only my business but my role as a christian, wife, mother, & business owner. Here are a few key notes that spoke most to me:

ARE YOU PREPARING OR REPAIRING?

That's one of the many introspective questions asked during the day. And it was a question that made me shrug in my chair. Following that, came the statement: The secret to your success is determining your daily agenda. You can imagine how I felt when I realized that I don't even have a daily agenda. Aside from the everyday get up, get the kids ready for school, check the facebook & other social media, I don't have a set dinner time or even set devotional time. The truth is: the only times that are set in my house are the time we wake the kids up for school, the time they get home & the their bed time... and of course their scheduled practices and game times. Everything else falls into the "get it done when you can" category. Which brings me to the next key:

IF YOU RAN YOUR BUSINESS LIKE YOU RAN YOUR HOUSE, 

WOULD YOU BE SUCCESSFUL?

You just read my above schedule, do you really need me to elaborate?
Short Anwer: No

Long Answer: No, really.

THE CHOICE YOU MAKE, MAKES YOU

We all know this, right? But do we really know it?! Like, the choice to walk away from jobs that compromise the core values of our beliefs? Or how about the time we spend cultivating our skills, growing our network, and expanding our business at the cost of our family? These are not just business decisions. They directly reflect our character. And I want mine to be that of a well-balanced and authentic woman, devoted wife, and the baseball team mom who runs a successful business. In that order. 

Needless to say, this conference has given me a lot to think about. And on that note, I will leave you with my favorite quote of that day:

IF YOU CAN RAISE THE INTEGRITY & CHARACTER AROUND YOU,

THEN YOU ARE A TRUE LEADER.

                                                               

A Heroic Jerk!

Proudly Humbled? No, how about humbly proud? Not quite... the reality is: I was a hero and a jerk, simultaneously. But we'll start off with the part that makes me look super awesome:

Yesterday, I was at the grocery store when an older gentleman caught my eye. He wasn't doing anything outside of the normal grocery shopping, but for some reason, I found myself watching him. And in what seemed like very slow motion, I watched him wobble back and forth. I quickly made my way to him and just as I approached, his body gave out and back he went. Now imagine those totally awesome superhero movies. Me. In slow motion. Stealth mode. I slid my leg out and with my arm, I caught him. Yes, I caught him in a cradle. And it was a good thing, because directly behind him was a 3' metal, squared step-ladder that he would have surely hit his head on the way down. And all he could say was, "how in the heck did you do that?". Since I was still shaking, my attempt at a humorous response of "I got skills" barely made it out of my mouth. Truth is, I had no idea. But I felt pretty darn good about it. I waited with him until his other half could take him. If you think my version is dramatic, you should hear his! I would have surely been awarded a medal had he submitted his side of it.

BUT, that warm, fuzzy, good feeling was short lived when I was reminded about the way I had acted just moments prior to this.


Upon entering the grocery store, I ran into old friends with whom I was neighbors with in CA. Naturally, it's easy to get caught up and forget to move your conversation to a more "convenient" location. As we were talking, I looked over to see a woman who had the most awful puckered face saying, "WHY CAN'T YOU PEOPLE  JUST SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF THE WAY?!" And then I did something that I am terribly ashamed of and am pretty shocked that I did. I looked at her and, with a raised voice, said " I absolutely detest ugly, rude people!" Then I turned my back and continued my conversation, leaving little room for her to maneuver around.
If you are cheering, please don't. There was nothing I did that I am proud of. I indulged in rudeness -which I loathe- and should have walked away. I didn't need to take on her attitude. And in all honesty, she looked like she was having the same kind of week I was. Miserable!

After the two incidents, I had this internal battle throughout the shopping trip. I couldn't be proud of helping that man when I was so ugly to that woman. After a short debate with Jiminy Crickett, I decided that if I ran into her that I was going to apologize.

Fast forward to the check-out line.

I loaded my groceries in the -by far- shortest line and the thought came over me: wouldn't it be something if she was in this line? And I looked up to find... her. What are the odds? So, I took a deep breath and tapped her on the shoulder. The look she shot back at me had the potential to be lethal. I simply said, "I can't be responsible for the way people act. But I take full responsibility for the way I react. And for that, I'm sorry." As she looked away, with no response >>insert awkward pause here<< I continued loading my groceries. It wasn't until she made her payment that she turned to me and said, "You know, I really didn't need to get that bent out of shape. I guess I let this horrid week really get to me. The only thing that could be worst would be having to deal with a sick kids, so I guess there's really no need to complain." She laughed and said, "what's your excuse?" I looked at her with huge relief and said, "I've been dealing with sick kids!" And we both just busted up!

TRUE STORY.

What if this was your last...?

What if this was your last....

Easter? Or Spring? What if you were planning what may be your last family vacation?
Then again, what if this wasn't about you?

What if this was about your child?  ...kinda changes things, doesn't it?

This is a post I've attempted to write many times but haven't been able to see the screen well enough through teary eyes or seem to fail to get the words just right to honor my dear friend Crystal and her family during their fight to save the life of 13 yr. old Ariel; the girl with the lion heart. Unfortunately, time to 'perfect' this message is a luxury that I have no right to claim. So here is their story, in a raw, uncut, un-edited form.

I have an amazing friend named Crystal. She's known me since I was born. She and my sister were best friends growing up. Our dads worked together and our families were very close. However, I didn't meet her until I was 15. She took my "glamour" pics for a performance promotion. She's the only one that ever asked me after telling her my last name: "Is that spelled V E L L E N O W E T H?" Over time, I lost contact with her and was ecstatic to re-connect here on fb. 


I've followed very closely as Crystal has shared her daugter, Ari's story. Ariel is a vibrant, intellegent, and amazing kid- much like her identical twin sister, Elora.  In the beginning of this nightmare a few years ago, she was diagnosed with Rhabdosyosarcoma, cancer in the sinus cavity. Fortunately, she was able to fight this monster and the cancer eventually went into remission. It wasn't until earlier last year that the fear and realization that the cancer was back was confirmed.  And this time around, it struck with a ferocity that would debilitate any normal person with terror. But not this family. This family would give rhabdo a good fight back. Through chemo, staph & fungal infections, several surgeries, including a craniotomy, this family has shown an immeasurable inspiration for their will to fight for the life of this little girl. And although they haven't given up, doctors recently informed this beautiful family that Ari has just months, possibly weeks left. 


Just when you think things couldn't get any worst, yesterday they had a house fire. Yes, you read that right. Thanks to the heroic efforts Ian, the oldest of the kids, they are all safe. Displaced as the house is now uninhabitable, but safe. 


So why post this? Because there is something we can all do to help! Insurance has now become an issue and medicines that used to be covered are now being denied. Also, the family has been planning a vacation. Ariel has a wish, and that is to visit "Hogwarts" at Universal, Orlando. The money has already been raised for the trip but with the house fire and insurance looming in the background, can we continue to donate to the family? What would you do if this was someone you knew? And if you can't, can you at least share the following video with your friends? I'd love for them to go on their trip, come back home and be lavished in love and blessings from as many people as possible.

This is the original video asking for help with the trip to Univeral. 

                                                This is a video of yesterday's fire.

Here is the link that you can donate to: http://www.dgeypscun.com If you want to follow her story, you can find it here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ariel_gariano/journal

Thank you all so much. 
♥,
Sharon

From The Beginning

FROM THE BEGINNING...

30 Mar 2012

There is no greater compliment a client can give you than returning for your services, again and again.

That is why this family is so precious to me. So. we'll just start from the beginning:

Meet Jill & Arthur Haeni. They were one of my first families I ever shot. And this session was gift to celebrate the birth of Parker. I, just short of begged them to allow me to use their photos on myspace... yes, myspace. I showed up with my ebay-purchased Canon Rebel XTI and 18-55mm lens (which I didn't even know what that meant at the time) and a Bower flash since a canon speedlight was completely out of my finances. I literally practiced in front of my mirror the "spiel" on how I was going to pose them and what they can expect. It helped that they were friends from my church but this was business. They were my clients, even if this first time shoot was a gift. The next year, I opened my studio in which they were my very first victims. Jill even brought her mom and sister. No pressure, right? I didn't have any props so I used a step ladder and a black backdrop. And it worked! I continued to photograph this family and was thrilled on my trip back to CA this month, I was going to photograph them... ALL. Jill. Arthur. The kids. Mom. Sister and family.

And just when I thought this was the last time I would phtograph this incredible family, they informed me that they have a roadtrip planned this summer to head here to the OR coast so I can shoot the beautiful Chelsea for her senior pics. And it's not just because I live next to awesome beaches! Words can't describe the overwhelming gratitude I am feeling this very moment.

'via Blog this'

Senior Portraits Going South?

Senior Portraits Going South?

23 Mar 2012

Senior Portraits Going South? Not for this girl!

Introducing Courtney.

Courtney South.

A gorgeous, talented, hysterical senior. And I'm just naming a few of her amazing traits. I had the privilege of attending church with this young gal briefly. But it didn't take long for this girl to hold a special place in my heart. She's genuine and fun loving. She's smart and whitty. And I can literally go on & on about her. 

I love photographing people. And then I L♥VE photographing people. Courtney... she's definintely the latter.

Is It Hot In Here? Or Is That Just The VFD?

Is It Hot In Here? Or Is That Just The VFD?

22 Mar 2012

Okay, so it's no secret that one of my ALL time favorite jobs has absolutely NOTHING to do with wedding photography! Actually, it's all about stalking the crew over at the Vallejo Fire Department back home. And trust me, it's not for the obvious reasons! These firefighters are a blast... and that's still a bit of an understatement. The VFD is made up of these incredibly courageous, generous, and hilarious individuals. It truly is a privilege to come back to harass... I mean shoot this group! 

Vallejo Fire Department

Vallejo, CA