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Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my blog! If you are here looking for something specific... like my wedding or newborn work, be sure to click on the categories tab above and navigate through my most recent posts. Whatever your reason for coming to my blog, I'm glad you are here! You will see a mix of my most recent shoots, events in my life and a few of my very random thoughts. If something sticks out to you, be sure to leave a comment! I love to know what you are thinking too! Enough intro, enjoy the blog!

Robert and Jackie :: Los Angeles Wedding Photography

Friday, July 30, 2010 at 12:18am

So normally I write a lot when I post weddings but this one is different. This wedding I got to play the role of second shooter. My friend, Abi, asked me to second shoot and I was more than happy to! She is an awesome photographer and I love hanging out with her! Being second shooter is sort of fun. I don’t have to stress about timeline, I don’t have the pressure to get all the shots and I get to have a little more fun being creative.

To hear more of the details of Robert and Jackie’s wedding, check out Abi’s blog!

Let’s get started! I met with a few of the guys while Abi was with the girls. There wasn’t much to shoot in their hotel room so we headed to the creek bed down the street…
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I had fun with these guys…
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Getting ready for the ceremony.
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After the ceremony Abi had some competition tho get the family shots. =) Can you find her??
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Such a beautiful bride!
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The girls…
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The guys…
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The bride and groom… so in love!
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We headed back to the creek bed for a few shots together. Such a cool location!
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Jackie had little cards made with photos from their engagement shoot. Such a cute idea!
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I had fun editing this one. =)
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Definitely not your traditional first dance! =)
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A few randoms. Love the first one because he is so stinkin’ cute. The second one… photographers have fun at weddings too!
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Duncan :: 10 Days Old

Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 1:30am

I was so excited to meet Duncan last week! I teach skating with his mommy, Sara, and have seen her belly grow over the past 9 months. I couldn’t wait to see what he would look like! He was quite content in mom’s belly and decided to come a few days late. It was a fun shoot because I got to hold little Duncan too! He is so tiny and so wiggly! He’s already scooting himself around, not wanting to stay in his poses. Mom and dad are going to have their hands full as he gets older. =) Here are some of my favorites of little Duncan…

The hat didn’t last very long but it was cute for a few of his sleepy shots!
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So precious…
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Duncan posed himself for this one. =)
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“hello, who are you??”
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Why do I always think the crying ones are so cute? Love this…
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Cutest little custom made robot outfit ever!
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Yoga pose…
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It’s tiring being a model!
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Since Duncan didn’t feel like sleeping and Sara lives so close, I told her to call me when he was sleeping the next day. I had about 2 minutes of sleeping Duncan and this is what I got! Love this chair!
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Since he was in a good mood we thought, why not put him on the mantle. =)
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Presley :: 6 Months

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 1:10am

Presley was full of smiles pretty much her entire shoot. It helped having mom singing the ABC song! I had so much fun with her shoot because there was soooo much color! Presley’s parents were pretty much up for anything including putting her in a race car tire her dad happened to have. Here are a few of my favorites!

Love her bright pink dress with the green! Her adorable smile helps too!
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Love this one… she has a little of the Gerber Baby look going on.
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Smiles and lots of color… love it!
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Cutest baby rolls ever! =)
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We head out to the horse trail to catch a few shots with the pretty sunlight!
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My favorite!!!
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She was pretty content in that tire. Future race car driver? Maybe! =)
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Jennifer Johnson - Ohhhhhhhh my gooodness!!!!! These are absolutely precious!! Thank you Richelle for capturing that beautiful gleam in her eye and those a yummy rolls! haha!! LOVE THEM ALL!! Thank you!!

Madeline :: On the Move in Laguna!

Monday, July 26, 2010 at 2:27am

This past weekend on got to meet with 14 month old Madeline. Last time we did a shoot she was 8 months old and very close to walking. Well now, she is unstoppable! She loves to walk, and walk, and walk. We’re not talking a stroll here, she is on the move!

Madeline was very popular. Between her being totally adorable and her cute walk, she is quite a site to see!
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Honestly, I have no idea how I got this shot. I think she was still for about 5 seconds, posed and then kept moving. =)
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She was having so much fun exploring Laguna!
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We headed to the beach for a few more shots before sunset. This was on the way down the stairs… I think I loved it more than the beach. =)
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Am I too old to have jeans with hearts because I think these are completely adorable!
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Rocking chair in the sand… why not!
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Turns out sand will slow Madeline down. She wasn’t loving the sand between the toes…
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Best solution to not loving the sand… a bucket and a book!
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Love this face!
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Janet - OMG!! Your running around paid off. Those are adorable!! Love the expressions you captured!

kristin - don't you love it when you get ONE shot with the child looking straight at you? AND it's focused and composed and exposed properly? ahhhhhhhh! LOVE the bum shot. too cute!

Fleur (Madeline's mommy) - Love love love! These pics are fantastic, especially when you consider the amount of chasing that was involved :)

Ella Turns One!

Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 1:27am

Last weekend was the weekend of one year olds! Ella was the last one I met up with and she full of cuteness. She loves people and has the most adorable wave I have ever seen! She’s curious about everything around her and loves hugs and kisses from her mom and dad.

Meet Ella…

She is just starting to walk!
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Ella found some new friends so she had to wave!
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Happiness…
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Love this!
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So sweet…
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This was not her favorite at first but then she was entertained but a lovely lady who helped her forget she was in a bucket. =)
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I told Ella to put her arms over the edge and just look like she was chilling out. She listens so well! ;)
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Love this smile!
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Janet - Those are so darling!!! Love them all - the name in the sand is so special.

Brandi - So super cute! I love all her adorable faces.

Mama - Richelle, thanks for capturing our little love! I'm glad we didn't give into her "mood" and kept trying. I couldn't be any more in love with her...

Jayne ellen - Adorable!! What else is there to say? Ella Mae is just a precious angel girl!

Ross McElfresh - Richelle You did a great job capturing the joyous essence of our precious granddaughter. Nicely done!! R & B

melva rae ellen - It does not get any cuter than that! She is beyond adorable and precious!! Thanks so much for sharing.

Savannah is One!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 1:04am

A little announcement before I get to little Savannah. I’m in a contest to be named BridePOP.com’s best California Wedding Photographer! It’s a voting kind of contest so that means I need your help. It take a few seconds to vote and you don’t have to sign up for anything. Voting goes until July 28th and you are allowed to vote once a day. If you could head over there and vote, that would be awesome! CLICK HERE to vote!

I got to meet with Savannah on her actual first birthday! Last time I saw her she was almost 6 months old. Wow, how much she has changed in 6 months! It’s so fun getting to see these little ones growing up and figuring out who they are. Savannah is a happy, social little girl who makes everyone around her smile. She is opinionated and likes things her way. She loves boys, the beach and chocolate. Seriously, any boy that would walk by… she would have to check out. It was super cute! Here are a few of my favorites from a day at the beach!

We’ll start with one from Savannah’s first shoot with me…
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And now she’s all grown up!
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Of course Savannah had to have a cupcake! She LOVED it!
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So much that she didn’t realize she was eating her skirt too. =)
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Did I mention she got to have some cotton candy before the chocolate cupcake? Can we say sugar high! =)
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This was Savannah’s first trip to the beach. When we first got there the lifeguards were running to the water and people were running out of the water. We could see a fin near the shore. Turns out there were some dolphins jumping in the waves! Eventually they swam back out but it was pretty cool to see, especially for the birthday girl!
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She really loved the beach! Maybe a future surfer… she really loved the water too!
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Love this one…
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Amanda Pearl (Savannah's mommy) - Love the photos Richelle! I cant wait to see more!!

Cesar Palima - Very cute. Great shots!

Janet - So great! Love the umbrella subtly in the background of the one with her in the sand.

Tyler is Turning One!

Sunday, July 18, 2010 at 12:30am

A little announcement before I get to adorable Tyler. I’m in a contest to be named BridePOP.com’s best California Wedding Photographer! It’s a voting kind of contest so that means I need your help. It take a few seconds to vote and you don’t have to sign up for anything. Voting goes until July 28th and you are allowed to vote more than once. If you could head over there and vote, that would be awesome! CLICK HERE to vote!

I’m so excited to shoot Tyler’s first birthday party next weekend! We did a little pre-party shoot this weekend to get him prepped for the party. He’s such a sweetie and he loves to point! He points at everything… things he wants, things he sees, pretty much “things” in general. =) I can’t wait to see him dig into his dinosaur cake at his party!!

It’s been pretty hot here in Orange County and I was a little worried that it might be too hot. We headed to a location where it was generally cooler and got more than lower temperatures. I’ve never had to postpone or cancel a shoot for rain and I never thought I would have to in July! A nice little thunderstorm made it’s way through right when we were going to start shooting. It was a short delay but such random weather for us California folks! Most of Tyler’s shoot I had overcast skies but then right at the end the sun decided to peek out!

Love the dinosaur!
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What a sweet face
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Tyler loved the balloons!
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They are the cutest family! I’ve known Tyler’s dad since preschool! It’s so fun to see friends become parents… it’s like we’re adults now. =)
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Tyler’s signature point. =)
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Leaves can be so interesting to a one year old…
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My favorite…
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And the sun peeks out for a few last shots!
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Janet - So darling. Such a precious baby boy, and the photos are beautiful.

Saying Goodbye to my 20’s… Vegas Style!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 12:19am

This past weekend I headed to Vegas with some of my family and friends. The evite specifically said we were going to celebrate my 21st. When I turned 21 I went to Vegas with my cousins, grandparents, parents, uncle and brother. Do you notice anything missing?? Friends! None of my friends were old enough and although I had a great time I felt a need to celebrate my 21st with friends… a few years later. I figured there is no better time than the weekend of my 30th!

A few thoughts about turning 30…
1. I can’t be 30 because when I look at other people who are 30 I think they are much older than me.
2. I know I am 30 because the day after my birthday I knocked my back out… sleeping.
3. I feel like it is a fresh start. I get to leave an entire decade behind (good and bad) and start a new one full of whatever I want. One thing I decided to add back into my life is exercise. When I started my business I never had time for the gym and stopped working out. Now, I have this, maybe irrational, fear that my metabolism is going to slow down and I’m going to instantly gain weight. I’m not loving that idea so I am going to start being more active. I started yesterday with a fun trip to the rock climbing gym!
4. Thirty is just a number and doesn’t define anything about me excpect that I have been on this earth for 10,950 days. I’ve accomplished a lot but there is a ton more to do in this coming decade! I’m looking forward to it!

I didn’t take my camera with us everywhere but I did manage to get a few fun shots! My idea of fun in Vegas is eating tons of good food, seeing an awesome show and playing a little three card poker. All were accomplished on this trip and I even came home with a little cash. =)

With my girls the first night!
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This is my older brother (by 15 months), Matt. I’m pretty sure he is going to kill me for posting this photo but he looks so cool here how could I not post it!?!
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While Heather and Mike (my newlywed friends) were trying indoor sky diving, my brother and his girlfriend hung out at the pool and my parents sat in the sports book, Amy, Amber and I headed to Bouchon for an amazing brunch Saturday morning. This is Amber’s oatmeal…
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Yum! Amy’s looked delicious!
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My favorite… the sourdough waffles with vanilla bean butter.
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When we were walking back I saw this sitting area. Of course we had to stop. =)
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This is Amy (and me). You have probably never seen her on my blog because she has NEVER let me do a shoot with her. That will change soon since I’m shooting her wedding in March!
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Amber is a hardcore gambler. She went through a whopping $2.00… for the entire weekend. =)
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Sunrise or sunset? You tell me. Let’s just say one of my favorite things to do is play three card poker at 3AM and people watch. =)
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A few snapshots from my mom…

The cake! It was soooo good!
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We ate at Sintra in Encore for my special bday dinner. SO, so good! From left to right: Amy, Amber, me, Heather, Mike, Stephanie, and Matt.
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Of course I needed a picture with my parents at the Viva Elvis show! =)
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So we are driving back and stop in Barstow at a McDonalds for one last splurge before we enter reality. I see these train cabs and HAVE to have a shot. My friends agree, even though it is 112 degrees outside. I kind of love it (I cloned myself in). Amber on the right with her signature gummy treats, Amy on the left with our delicious splurge and me in the middle with caffeine of course!
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stephanie - Enjoyed your celebration, through pictures!! Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Lisa - Rich, Don't worry - your metabolism won't die until you hit 40! Love the pics and I'm sorry we couldn't be there to celebrate with you. Love, Lisa

Janet - Fun photos. But I think I was in the shops more than the sports book. :-)

Sisters, Ava and Mackenzie :: Irvine Photography

Friday, July 9, 2010 at 1:31am

Yesterday I got to meet two of the cutest sisters! I was excited to have a shoot before I head to Vegas this weekend for my birthday extravaganza (maybe not an extravaganza but at least some fun with friends). I was not told ahead of time about the level of cuteness I was going to get to work with! Mackenzie definitely knows how to turn it on for the camera and was pretty much willing to do whatever I wanted. Ava is 11 months old and FULL of smiles! We went to one of my favorite locations where the light is always magical! It makes my job easy. =) Here are some favorites…

This was the sneak peek I posted on Facebook. Feel free to add me if you want to see the sneak peeks. =)
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Love this moment…
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Cuteness!
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She is a happy little girl with the cutest giggle!
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LOVED the balloons! So fun!
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Mackenzie loved the parasol. It is one I brought back from China and I’m so glad it worked for this shoot!
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You can’t go wrong with bubbles!
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Mommy is telling secrets… they are obviously very funny. =)
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It’s not perfect, but I love it. =)
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Lori Anderson - Absolutely gorgeous! I especially love the balloon shots!

Stesha White (Aunt Stesha) - Hi Richelle, They're absolutely perfect! You made my nieces look so angelic (Hee!). Everyone had SUCH a great time at the shoot. Thank you for being so AWESOME!

Lacey Estrada - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! Richelle, thank you so much! I couldn't have asked for a better experience. They're the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen. I can't wait to come back and have you take more.

Karen Dornbach - These photos are wonderful! Looks like the girls had a great time! Little angels :-)

Janet - Beautiful. Your photos are so "soft" - Very easy to look at.

Kathi Micu - Beautiful pictures Richelle. Full of personality, especially the little one :). What fun! Love all the props too!

Kathi Micu - PS Love the one giggling with Mom. Too cute.

Home Sweet Home #3 :: The Canvases!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at 1:17pm

Last time I posted the teal wall and I have to say, I’m loving it! But, it needed something on it… badly. Alot of people had mentioned I should get a canvas made of one of my photos from my recent trips. I looked through them and found some gorgeous beach shots at the Phi Phi Islands, The Great Wall in China, amazing cherry blossoms in Beijing but I couldn’t decide. Then I realized, I wanted the wall to tell a story. I wanted it to be a conversation piece when people come over. And not just, “wow, those are pretty cherry blossoms” or “Did you go to the Great Wall?” I wanted it to be something more so I picked two photos that have a deeper story from two trips I will never forget! I put them into black and white so the two canvases wouldn’t compete with each other.

Here they are! Little sidenote…. I’m really impatient and hung these without measuring. So yeah, they are a little crooked and the top one is too high. =)
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The photo on the top is from a village in Cambodia… probably my favorite day. The kids, although poor, were so happy! They loved me… probably because I gave them candy, but still, it was so fun! Everytime I look at this photo, it reminds me that living a simple life can be just as fulfilling (or even more fulfilling) than the crazy lives we have here in the states.
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I love this shot Bobby captured of me with the kids. Oh, another sidenote… Bobby is leading the same trip again this December. If you loved following my blogs from the trip, you should go and do it yourself! I promise it will be an amazing trip! =)
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The bottom photo is from Haiti. Most of my trip in March was spent in the Dominican Republic helping Haitian refugees but we did the long 10 hour drive to Port Au Prince. This photo was taken on the way to the city through the bus window. I love how much is going on here. You have the boy who randomly walked by and looked in the bus as I took the shot, the woman buying food on the left, kids in the back pushing a wheel barrel and another man just hanging out. It’s a typical day in Haiti and a reminder that not everyone lives like us.
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So when I first got the loft, I did splurge and got a giant red chandelier. When you walk into the loft, you see the chandelier and the canvases. I love the contrast! This is the blog of sidenotes but here is another one. =) I was going to get the couch recovered (notice the lovely red sheets covering it) but it turns out I can buy a new couch for the amount it is to cover it! So yeah, that part isn’t done yet. And the chairs… they aren’t yellow. That is the foam waiting to be covered by the super fun fabric I ordered!
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Janet - They look great!! I love that you decided to have some meaning to the photos - not just pretty. That is a reflection of what you are. Oh - I don't mean you aren't pretty! :-)

meg - Love it, Richelle!!! I love the picture from haiti!

Briony - they look fantastic. beautiful work as always :)

Kathi Micu - Looks great. How nice to have all that wall space to showcase your work!