took a business trip with grant to porterville awhile back....and now find myself packing to move there permanently (metaphorically speaking).
question: should I keep my last name or take his? OR have him take mine, or have us both switch last names?
hard to decide...ALL great options.
this couple wins for wanting something "different" for their engagement photo shoot.
location doesn't always matter....but when you have a winning combination of the right people, the right clothing and the right location...you're kind of glad you have all three. I was happy, and am happy.
oh, how I love pretty people in pretty photographs.
this was probably my favorite moment at girls camp. I had them write letters one night, under the stars with my favorite primary song playing "my heavenly father loves me". It was pretty radical.
ps. photo taken w film, hand held with only available light. I know its underexposed and grainy, but I think it just adds...
we took these engagements yesterday at the disney concert hall. besides the cop trying to boss us around, and the strong sewer smell....these turned out so GREAT! completely unique. I can't wait to show more...
WE'RE ENGAGED!!!
we are thrilled, giddy, excited, grateful and CRAZY about each other...so if some of the pictures shown below look a little "smoochy smoochy", get over it! we're in love and don't care who knows it!!
It happened last night, under a full moon, at the griffith observatory. we came equipped with mexican hot cocoa, expecting a chill, but the strangely the weather was super warm. I love the observatory and the setting was more than perfect. we looked at the stars and the city lights and like always, took some pictures of us gazing at the stars and being generally awesome and then before I knew it he was down on one knee, a ring was on my finger and I was shouting YES!
then we made the obvious choice...back to my place to rock it out on the tramp.
there are a lot of "deep throat" pictures, due to our out of control state and a lot of "deep throat" kissing due to our out of control state (sorry mom).
looks like the stars are aligning. maybe there are happy endings...
I know I am posting these MONTHS late. I think I needed time...
I've never had a baby so this is just a guess, but I'm thinking the reason I waited to revisit camp was a little like why you wait between having babies. so you have a baby and as awesome as it must be, it's probably a little hard right? (except for my sister in law who says going to the dentist is worse). but then by some force of divine design you kind of forget how hard it really was, and you start thinking...maybe I want another one.
ya, being in charge of girls camp is a lot like that. I needed time to forget and now all the memories are great!..well.......maybe I need a few more months.
I miss all the girls and the amazing leaders! there is nothing like bonding with a little dirt and grime. being outside most of the day, hearing the bugs at night and seeing the stars before you sleep. hmmmmmm. the food tastes better, you sleep sounder and being dirty just feels good.
here's to being "steadfast and immovable". walk tall ladies.
ke'e beach (end of the road, north shore kauai)
the b-maids. freezing but still fierce.
more later this week from one of my favorite places on earth, kauai and lisa & dave's wedding in utah.
I went from swimsuits, bare feet and $1 papayas to a snow storm sunday morning on my way to the airport in utah. that would mess anybody up.
I am thinking of doing something like this...
..but my hair may be too thick. I will need major thinning. shep work your magic!!
(photos courtesy of urbanoutfitters.com)
as far as my little girl mind can remember my grandma thurston has crushed hard on elvis. I grew up having sleepovers in her bedroom with my mattress on the floor watching blue hawaii. I, along with my cousins, proceeded to buy her elvis lunch boxes, elvis mugs, elvis calendars, elvis clocks, elvis anything!! man it was and is cool to have a grandma who was not afraid of a little hip shaking and rock n roll.
kate and I have spent the last week with her and grandpa steve in kauai. she grew up on oahu and has always been my island grandma. believe it or not this was my FIRST time with her in hawaii. I always imagined her as a teenager in hawaii surfing and lounging around eating papayas......this vacation did not disappoint.
so here is a little video dedicated to gram.
elvis and hawaii will always remind me of my wild, skip bo playing, island grandma!
I get to see these little tikes in just a few days. I wished we lived closer to each other. It's hard to only see them once a month, once every two months. with so much time not together, how will I keep my "favorite aunt" status?... I'm thinking gum. lots of gum.
I don't really say enough how much I appreciate all of my loyal blog supporters.
I appreciate you.
with gadgets and wizets and whatchamacallits, internet marketing is hands down the most valuable tool artists have to share and I am grateful for everyone who has believed in my work and ideas enough to trust me with their time.
I love photography and sometimes I have to pinch myself that I get to call it my career.
so keep looking! keep coming! keep supporting! and tell others about me so I can keep doing what I love to do most, create.
xxoo,
rachel
another great show shot for indie rock reviews. watching johnny flynn sing makes me feel like I'm watching the younger brother of a best friend perform and am shocked he has sex appeal and I had never noticed before. why does holding a guitar and producing intoxicating vocals do that? I have been and always will be a roadie at heart. I just want to wipe the sweat off of the stage floor.
show was at the hotel cafe in hollywood.
listen to his irish/english/folkie sound here. (fyi: I think my favorite song of his is "sally")
I go from the aloha state to the beehive state and back to the great state of california on the 12th. you can reach me by phone and email. mahalo.
look closely....
details of my henriksen family cabin up millcreek canyon to go with yesterdays photos of my grandma being awesome at the cabin.
I have the world's coolest grandmas. my maternal grandmother featured, is a 30yr old disguised as a 80 something yr old. she is bubbly, energetic and still can hike and garden (cross legged). My paternal grandmother is equally as young and is taking me to hawaii with her next week (need I say more?).
my grandma henriksen (maternal) is who this blog post is featuring. her and my grandfather bought this cabin when my mom was still a child. we grew up celebrating holidays there and having cousin sleepovers. we swung on the rope swing, played backwards checkers with my grandpa and searched for "brownies" in the forest. we all fought over who would get to sleep on the smooshiest bed in the attic and loved driving down the road swinging our legs from the back of an open car. sitting around the campfire we would give testimony's and sing family songs including the goodnight song, when we would sing goodnight to every person there by name (even if there were 50 people). my grandpa would cook us floating pancakes for breakfast and grandma would always serve cantaloupe and bacon. I love those memories.
so here is to one of my favorite women on earth. thank you for the notes and gifts under my pillow. thank you for the gold fish. thank you for figi, the pioneers and the prophets. thank you for the music boxes and the laundry shoot. thanks for the wall paper in the laundry room. thank you for letting me live with you that one summer. thanks for being my "other" during a rough time. thanks for giving me space when I needed it and hugs when I wanted to be close. thanks for the orangesicles. thanks for showing up in the PERFECT outfit when I told you to dress for the photo shoot in what you would normally wear to the cabin. thanks for loving me to the moon and back.
I love you too.
xxoo-
rachel
