Happy Thanksgiving Birthday, Britt!

I also met Brittani in studying abroad in France. She hails from Carmel and went to UC Santa Barbara. Britt is probably THE friendliest person I know. She can seriously make friends with anyone. I'm thinking it's her wonderfully laid-back nature and her ability to just "go with the flow". Back in France, she used to host parties and I remember times hanging out at her apartment until the wee hours of the morning gabbing about everything or nothing at all. She's also a great listener and advice giver. I consider her to be our group's "sage", dishing out sage advice as needed.

Britt was born on Thanksgiving Day and this year we celebrated her birthday a little early with some grubbin' at Andalu and dancin' Blondie Bar in the Mission District of San Francisco. It reminded me of old times in Lyon. We used to go out ALL. THE. TIME. Now with our "grown up" lives, juggling jobs, rent, grad school, law school, significant others and friends, it takes a lot more to keep up with each other.

We had this spot in Lyon called Ayer's Rock. We kept trying to find different places to go out, but somehow, we always ended up at Ayer's. It was hot, smoky (because it was France and not California with no smoking laws!), sweaty, and yet soooo fun. We literally used to just rock out with almost reckless abandon, including dancing on tabletops because it was too hot on the floor (plus it deterred unwarranted attention from creepers to some degree). It was SO. MUCH. FUN. Oh, good times. This was back when Outkast's "Hey-Ya!" and Justin Timberlake's first solo album dropped. For the Frenchies it was merely catchy beats. For us, we could sing along too. And we did, all night long. Until the closing time signal of "Don't Worry, Be Happy".

Britt's birthday was kind of like reliving those old times. We had a blast at dinner (the food was awesome!). We wandered up and down Valencia looking for somewhere to dance, and found Blondie's. It was a flashback for me and so much fun to hang out with the girls + Vincent. Happy Birthday Britt!

So to add to my collection of my sweet and delightful friends, let me share some recent photos from dinner:


The lovely Britt.


So my friend Hana took this photo of me blabbering. I thought that it was so me. I talk with my hands a lot, and this picture stands as proof. I even talk with my hands when I'm on the phone, ha!


My Lyon girls - Elana, Hana, and Vanessa.


These girls crack me up. Constantly.


My study abroad buddies (minus Vincent who took the photo) - Laura, Britt, Elana, Vanessa, and Hana.


Vanessa being herself. Hana being the ghost in the background. Also, normal behaviors. :)




Me being me. Laura and I have matching polka dots!


Couldn't forget my favorite Belgian, Vincent.


If you're ever at Andalu, I recommend this dessert - the brownies!




The Pacheco Street roomies.

Thanks again friends for an excellent evening! I haven't stayed out that late in a long time!

PS, these were all taken indoors without flash, hence the ISO is in serious overdrive, with the widest aperture :) but I do like the textures!

Elana : Anytime

Elana and I met in France. We studied abroad in Lyon during the 2003-2004 academic year through the University of California system. Elana went to Cal; I went to UC San Diego. She grew up in Santa Monica; I grew up in the Bay Area. If it weren't for our love of travel and love of all things French, our lives would have never intersected. I'm so glad they did intersect. We've been friends for five years now! And she will be one of my bridesmaids in my wedding in July!

I always think of Elana as the intrepid traveler, the adventure-seeker, the master networker, and the truest friend. When I first met her, she was always coming back and forth from a trip somewhere in Europe. She went to Greece, Spain, England, Italy, the Netherlands and that's just a sampler.

One trip, she came with us to Vienna and Budapest, and let me tell you a true story. Elana snuck into the Budapest National Opera House. In fact, because of her curiosity, we all did. She wandered down the hall and started talking to a Clarinet player for the National Symphony...and even tried out her Clarinet. Now, I'll admit that I was a little nervous: We were in a country not yet in the European Union. Hungarian isn't exactly the easiest language. What are you supposed to tell guards wielding big guns?? Needless to say, we made it out alive.

She's always played to the beat of her own drum and has been wildly successful in her career. I mean, can you say you wore T-Pain's hat? She loves music and music has been infused in her job. She continues to travel a bunch and may even go to a music festival in France! When she asked me if I'd take her photo for a conference profile, how was I going to say no? Of course I would! Here are a few from our impromptu session...

The sun was setting fast, so I had to grab all the available light!













Elana, je suis tellement contente que nous sommes si bonnes copines!

Dianna & Little T: Family Shoot!

I met Dianna at work too. I basically considered Dianna the keeper of all knowledge when it came to publishing stuff. She seemed to know everyone, pretty much how to do anything, and smiled the entire way through it. She was always in good spirits and kept a steady supply of candy in her cube. As if she needed a reason for someone to come visit her...everyone showed up voluntarily to ask her a question...or just to chat. She too broke out of the publishing world about a year ago now, (man time flies!) and obliged when I asked her if she'd be interested in being my model.

Did I mention that she has the cutest son, EVER? He's so full of personality! Well, Dianna gave me fair warning. "He LOVES the camera," she said. And that he does. He was a natural and so adorable. When I slipped out of his sight line or walked slowly behind them, he kept asking, "Where's Catie?" I made sure to tell him that I was there and we all had a great time as the sun set.

As you can see, I'm shooting my way through everyone I work(ed) with, lol.








Not sure what he was doing, but thought this was too cute.






Serious face.








My favorite of the afternoon.








And just because I love the flare...


I'm so glad this one came out... it was almost completely dark.

Thanks Dianna and Little T! I had so much fun with you guys, playing rockets, lightsabers, and throwing rocks into the estuary.

Happy Wednesday!

Beth + Phil : Anytime

I met Beth at work. She sat in a cubicle tucked away on the other side of the conference room. I would hide out in her cube when I was avoiding productivity. Then she was promoted and had to move to the other building. That just meant I had to take a little stroll across the parking lot to chat. And chat we did. About work. About life. About silly people in the world. Sometimes I'd go to her office with the intention of staying maybe 5 minutes, and it would turn into 45. I worked with Beth up until last month; she was able to break out and shorten her commute. When I asked her if she and her husband would be my models she said, "Yes. I love it when people take pictures of me." If you know Beth, you know this is a good thing.

Beth and Phil hail from the other coast, the East Coast, Rhode Island to be exact. They moved to California as Phil is pursuing his Ph.D. in Chemistry. I already knew that they were a totally fun couple from hanging out a few times. I remember a particular game of Catchphrase where we were all in stitches. They rock! Beth and Phil complement each other in just the right way, and I wish them a lifetime of happiness...on their goat farm in Maine (one day!)

I was excited at the chance to capture them with my camera. Some of my favorites:














I don't remember exactly what they were doing, but I caught it! It was too funny.









Thanks Beth and Phil for coming to hang out! I had a great time and hope you like the results!

Elizabeth + Andrew = 1 year!

Last weekend, while we still had some beautiful, dry California weather, I had the pleasure of photographing my supercool co-worker, Elizabeth and her husband Andrew. I met Elizabeth in March 2007 when she started working at the same company as me. We immediately hit it off when Ashley (another awesome co-worker) and I invited her to lunch. She said that she was a "Burrito-holic" and I knew she had to be good people.

Over the short course of the last 18 months, Elizabeth and I have become more than just colleagues - we're friends. She's had a couple of get togethers are her house and she's been a brilliant source of ideas and advice for my upcoming wedding. As she started working with me about 7 months before her wedding, I saw her go through the ups and downs of dress fittings, rehearsal dinners, and favors. As soon as my fiance and I had registered for some gifts, Elizabeth was the first to jump online to check out what we chose.

When I asked Elizabeth if she'd be up to a photo session to help build my portfolio, she gave me a resounding, "Yes!" I was super stoked to shoot this awesome couple, who kept me laughing throughout the session. The couple of hours that we spent together flew by, and we had a great time. I got some great shots of them:


This was my favorite shot. Love the light!










I asked Elizabeth to give me her ANTM pose! (America's Next Top Model, if you're wondering)









It was so fun!

Elizabeth showed her parents the results, and now I may get to do a whole family session! Woo hoo!