Halloweentimes

Last Friday, Franci and I had a few friends over for some pumpkin carving, beer drinking, appetizer-sharing, and of course: Cards Against Humanity.  I think our pumpkins came out rather well, and it's so nice to finally live in a place big enough to have company over comfortably (and a place where parking isn't a nightmare).  I'm not a huge Halloween fan (notice the lack of decorations?) but I will indulge in a little bit of Hocus Pocus and all the candy and sweets that come along with the holiday...

Julie & Justin

my crooked, hand-drawn Jack o' Lantern face

Franci can't contain her excitement

Charlie & Megan

Franci and I were cleaning pumpkin guts off every surface the next day...

Franci's and my pumpkins

the gang's all here! (except Julie's sweet owl): Alkaline Trio, Jack Skellington, jack o'lantern, harry potter and a funky jack o' lantern

Emily's Senior Photos

Yesterday I took Emily out to snap some photos for her senior pictures - I'm posting a sampling of them here (most others are posted on facebook), taken after we got kicked out of Oak Canyon Nature Reserve for not having a photography permit (seriously?!).  We were running across town, trying to chase the sun - impatiently waiting for people to get out of my shot.  It was so nice after several years to get some photos of this beautiful girl (she has never willingly let me take any in the past).

The Big Island

Last month I took my first real vacation since I started my current job nearly two years ago.   I went to Hawaii and stayed in Kona with my wonderful roommate Franci and my dad.  It was so relaxing - we went to bed early every night and spent day after day lying on the beach and playing in the waves.  We toured the entire island, a coffee plantation, and the volcanoes.  It was a restorative week and the cherry on top was getting to night snorkel with mantarays that came mere inches from our faces! Every sunset was accompanied by a cocktail or a glass of wine, and for the first time in ages I actually hardly picked up my camera.  I was surrounded by so much beauty and it was nice to just savor it.  I spent every night giggling until I fell asleep, reading books for pleasure, and doing a whole lot of nothing - I'm so grateful for the trip.

A Malibu Drive

It's simple, quiet moments I enjoy the most.  A little drive with the best company.  Listening to the waves crash on the rocks over sips of coffee.  Walking hand in hand with someone you adore.  Talking all day, saying nothing at all - savoring all the time you have.

On the way to the Malibu pier, we stopped at a couple places on the coast in the Palisades.  Watched the surfers, the birds, and the sun lower into the ocean.  It was a memorable day of doing nothing in particular.  It had the perfect ending as well: oysters at Santa Monica Seafood; it doesn't get much better.