Look who has resurrected from the grave! I can't believe it was almost or even more than two months since my last entry! Things have been crazy and although I know that isn't an excuse, it's the only one I have. I have lots to blog, I just need to find the time to get around and doing it. It seems that every time I tell myself I am going to do something like blog at least once or twice a week it ends up be the completely opposite and it turns into once or twice every two months. So I am not going to make any more promises to myself, because I seem to be ok with not telling myself the truth.
What's new with me? Well the biggest thing is that I have jumped on the new year resolution early and have joined a great gym in Pearland, Dynamic Fitness, and have been working with one of their great personal trainers for over a month now. Working with a drill Sargent has really open my eyes to a lot of things... like ellipticals can be the devil! I hate planks! And I will NEVER NEVER like walking on a treadmill at a 20 incline at 3.6 mph. Have a lost any weight? Heck NO! I love my sugar and carbs too much, but I do have more energy. Although, it has only have been little over a month, so I can't really expect to be slim and trim.
The new house is coming along... I have painted two rooms and lived. So I might paint two more before the year ends. We had our first house warming party/Halloween party just a few weeks ago, so pictures coming soon (of what I have, but I will explain more in that post).
Other than that I have been staying busy with weddings, engagement and bridal sessions! I have posted a few, but I have several more on the way (hopefully).
OH! I have finally given in and started a twitter account... technically I have been "twittering" for awhile now if you count facebook, but I figured to jump in the dark pool anyway. So find me on Twitter! No promises on being interesting, but it could be good to find out if I am running promos and such :)
Hopefully see you on here again soon!
- Monique
And since blog post are always more interesting with pictures, here are a few pics of my invites I made for the Halloween party...
Sarah and Neil got married at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and had their reception at The Parador.
They are an amazing couple and I really really loved working with them! From their engagement session to their wedding it has been so much fun and adventurous! I actually didn't think I was going to make it to their ceremony - I don't know if they don't know that, but yeah... it was close. Thankfully I had my trusty friend, Carolyn Jones, filling in as my second photographer. She was already at the church while I was stuck in traffic (after leaving Hotel Zaza from photographing Sarah as she got ready) and then lost downtown because the limo left me and I missed an exit :( But luckily, after a few tears, screams of frustration, and illegal parking I was able to run in seconds before the bridesmaids started walking down the aisle- just enough time to get in position. It's times like these that remind me NEVER NEVER to shoot without a second photographer, because I would of been SOL if she wasn't there to cover me encase I didn't make it. You just never know what can happen.
Anyway, Sarah and Neil, thank you thank you for allowing me to document your special day! You guys are so wonderful!!!
Lauryn and Eric will be getting married in February at the Hotel Galvez in Galveston, Texas. I am so excited about their wedding, they are soo much fun to work with and it is always great finding clients that make you feel like your just hanging out with old friends instead of working. We had a blast during their session - here is a few of my favorites:
I am sure I have said it more than once before, but I really love doing engagement sessions. I love it, because I get to hang out with my clients and learn more about them. I love it, because it is a challenge to find new and fun locations and to pick up the vibe of who my clients are and how to document their love for each other. And I love it, because I never know what to expect, but I always walk away with a good experience.
I usually pick out locations, but always ask my clients if they have any locations in mind or what their vision is for the engagement session. So when I asked Sarah what she would like to do for her session she had mentioned driving out to her parents house in Independence, Texas. I am always inspired by new locations, so that's what we did , we dove out to the great town of Independence, Texas.
All I have to say is that I heart the town of INDEPENDENCE! Not only is it a photographer's heaven - rusty vintage trucks, huge oak trees, rolling hills, and the home of the very adorable Antique Rose Emporium , but the people that I met there were sooo sweet and just awesome!!!
I love the images that we captured, but I will most remember this session and have to say that it is my best session ever, because Terry and I were invited to homemade lasagna afterwards and were able to just hang out with Sarah and her family for the evening. Her mom is an amazing cook! I really wasn't a lasagna fan, but that's just because I have never had Jo-Ann's lasagna before. I'm not kidding, it was some kick butt lasagna. I even went back for seconds! I would of gone for thirds, but I had to leave room for Sarah and Neil's homemade vanilla ice cream. That's right HOMEMADE vanilla ice cream! Move over Bluebell! Seriously! Then to top things off Walter (Sarah's dad) kept us laughing and entertained with great stories and Ron (a family friend) and Terry jammed on the guitar. It was a great evening.
Thank you Sarah and Neil for such a great time! I hope you had just as much fun as Terry and I did. I can't wait until the wedding!
I want to add this to my website or some page where it can be updated in real time, but I am not sure how to do that yet...
Anyway, I was hoping this would be easier for those of you that have been trying to schedule sessions with me to see the days that are already booked. I try to only shoot on weekends since the weekdays are left for consultations and administrative work.
This is my calendar until the end of this year and if anyone can help me with adding the google calendar to my website or on a blog page, I would greatly greatly GREATLY appreciate it :)
I will try to update it (on this page) at least once a week if anything changes.
Last updated: 9/28/09
I had so much fun photographing Samantha and Jeff... they were full of awesomeness! I have so many favorites from their session that it was hard to just pick a few... and I am still trying to fight the urge on going back and picking out a few more.
Thanks Samantha and Jeff! I can't wait for your wedding this month at the Hotel Icon!
Unique. Fun. Memorable. If I had to choose three words to describe Candice and Wyatt's wedding, I believe those words would be it.
Unique because they were married at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, right in front of the buttery fly center. Candice and Wyatt met at one of the Museum's mixers and elixirs events, so it was only natural that their wedding be at the Museum as well. I also loved how they incorporated fun and cute poems into their ceremony instead of the traditional readings. It fit them perfectly.
Fun because Candice and Wyatt thought out of the box. Wyatt was not allowed facial hair for the day of the wedding, so to make up for it Candice made him and his boys each a mustache-on-a-stick. I thought it was hilarious. Then at the reception when it came time for Wyatt to go for the garter, he had the best little trick up his sleeve... well... more like several tricks that were meant to come out from under Candice's wedding dress :)
And memorable because it was a great experience all around. I really got to know Candice (in more ways then one ;) hehehe. You know what I am talking about Candice!) and I'm kind of sad that it's coming close to the end, but I plan to keep in touch, because she just confirms the fact on how much my clients rock!
Kristen and I were roommates back in college, so I was there when she first started dating Brian. Now, they are married and in October expecting baby Hayden! Time always has a way of surprising me on how fast it can fly!!!
Their session took place at Surfside and ended on the side of a busy road in Houston. I really am waiting for the day I get called crazy and I really thought Kristen was going to be the one to do it :) Especially since she knows me on a personal level. But she didn't. And not even when I had her in a bikini at 3:30 in the afternoon on the side of a huge ditch with her rear facing a busy road. No, I don't do that to all my clients... ok I do have a tendency to find my best locations on the side of highways, but I normally do not have them walking around in what could be mistaken as underwear. However, just to clarify, I wanted to shoot close to her home and that was the only location I could find that would work, promise!
Anyway, all I have to say is that she worked that itsy bitsy tiny winy black bikini! If I could look as half as good as she did in a bikini pregnant then I would consider myself blessed! She is most certainly one hot mama!
