Are you in the running?

Here is another way to view the entries for the contest! Take a look and see if your image is in the running.

A heartfelt thanks.... and a Contest too!

Thank you, each and every one of you, for being a part of my life in 2009. You encouraged me, "followed" me, spread the word about me, and allowed me to capture images of your loved ones. I realize that there are many talented photographers out there for you to choose from, which is all the more reason why I am grateful that you chose ME!  I love getting to know you and I feel so lucky to be able to photograph your little ones and to be a part of documenting your family history... to leave you with something both beautiful and tangible for you and your family to enjoy for many years to come.

So along with my heartfelt thanks, I thought it would be fun to run a contest and I do hope you'll play! I went through all the images taken in 2009 and selected some of my favorites, which you now get to vote for. Feel free to vote for your own image and by all means, get your friends and family to vote for you too! To vote, just leave a comment on this blog letting me know which image is your favorite. To keep things fair, only one vote per email please!

The lucky winner with the most votes will receive ***drumroll please*** a 16x20 mounted wall portrait PLUS a free session in 2010!!*

Contest begins now and ends January 3, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Good luck, and again.... thank you for your continued support! To see the entries, please click here or go to http://tokileephoto.zenfolio.com/2009contest and then come back to this blog to leave a comment. And since no post is complete without an image, I'll leave you with the boys rocking out to Rock Band Beatles.

*Session fee waived and no print credit or discount will be applied to order. Session must be held by August 31, 2010.

A special thank you to Melissa Miller for sharing her great idea!  Now, go vote and tell all your friends and family to vote too. Good luck!

{Sugar Rush} Tuesday's Tid Bit (a day early)

Do you know about DAILY CANDY? It's the insider's guide to all things mini in Los Angeles where you get the scoop on everything fun, fashionable and cool for the under 8 crowd (and their parents too.)  You can sign up to receive a weekly email about the latest store openings, classes and events here.  Today's email contained a write-up on a new store called SweetHarts recently opened by Melissa Joan Hart and Paula Hart.  You can read all about it here.  Sounds like a fun place to take the kids for a special treat!

Also came across this which I thought sounded interesting:

We Want Your Toys

What: Help Venice architect Greg Lynn find used playthings to recycle into furniture. If he’s interested in yours, he’ll send a check, postage, and packaging.
Why: It doesn’t get any easier.
When: Your kidlet’s moved on to the next big thing.
Where: List of desired products online at glform.com. E-mail low-res images and your shipping address to toys@glform.com.

Happy Day After Christmas!

In case you've noticed, I haven't posted much lately and the main reason (besides being busy with the holidays) is that I've had bronchitis for the last 4 weeks, ugh!  I'm happy to report that it's finally going away, yay!  I do hope that your Christmas was merry and that you enjoyed a magical time with your friends and family.

Now that the Christmas madness is over and my attention is on the upcoming new year, I thought it would be fun to look back on 2009 and share some images of my boys, month by month . My, oh my, what a difference a year makes!  As I view these images from this past year, I just cannot get over how much they have grown in twelve short months *sigh*!  I'm holding back tears right now...  I am loving these images of my babies and so very thankful to have these (almost forgotten) memories.  They are growing up so fast... I wish I could slow down time just a little *another sigh*.  Anyways, I want you to go grab your camera and take lots of pictures of your own babies....  someday, you may not remember how cute and chubby their little hands are....  how sweet their innocent little expressions can be.  Don't wait for a special occasion - just shoot the ordinary stuff.  These always end up being the most extraordinary, in my opinion ;-)
 

Thank you for letting me share ;-)  Obviously, I have tons more but I think I've overloaded you enough!  Anyhow, now I must begin the task of organizing my personal photos and getting them all printed!!!  

Out of Words

Wow, did I just do that?  I just spent half an hour typing a most heartfelt letter of thanks to post and I just accidentally deleted it.  Blogger continually saves whatever changes are made so I didn't even have a chance to recover my mistake.  Argh!!!!  Since it's now very late and I'm too tired to re-type everything again, I'll leave you with this.  A photo of my boys around this time last year.... and one of them from this year.  They are growing up SO FAST, right before my very eyes!

{The "R" Family Slideshow} Los Angeles Family Photography

Here are some more images of the trio of cuties, this time with their parents. This was such a fun session and the kids really seemed to be enjoying themselves too which is always a bonus. I think the hot beverages kept them happy, as did the little Pez I had with me. Amazing what a simple little toy/candy will do to get the kids' attention!

{Notaro Family Slideshow} malibu california family photography

Here's another slideshow that I never posted... better late than never, right?!?!  On that note, I want to apologize for neglecting my blog as of late.  The holiday rush is keeping me really busy!!  Hope you are enjoying the holiday season with your loved ones.