happy-go-lucky

i'm on a lucky streak, i tell ya! 

• went to Morongo Casino for my birthday for a little Rest and Relaxation, and won 2 nights in a row on the penny slots!
• a lady at Morongo gave me 35 cents (she said she didn't want it); i played it on the 5 cent slot, spun 3 times, and made $200!
• got lost on the way back to L.A. (don't ask) only to find out that we missed a major car accident on the freeway we missed
• received three wedding inquiries in a row (one after the other, in one day); 3 is my lucky number!
• lost 3 lbs. this week!
• brother found $5 on flying past him, and swears that it's due to my string of good luck

i'm sure there's more, but i can't remember. i think my luck will still run till the end of my birthday weekend. stay posted!!!

it's my birthday! i'm 36 yrs. YOUNG!

this is the cake my loving hubby had made for me for my birthday! let me tell you the background to this story.

i have been hearing about this cake for DAYS. i have never seen this man get so excited about a cake before. this cake has been the anticipation of the week. he's been sneaking out of the house for 2 days, secret phone call conversations, EVEN the neighbors were invited to just VIEW the cake (not eat, VIEW) the night before my birthday. i was instructed not to peek, and look at the cake until my birthday.

so of course, this morning, i was excited to see my surprise. and i love it. it's beautiful. it has purple in it (which always reminds me of my youth....i was a purple-a-aholic....hey! it was the 80's). and i love it because it says...."darling wife." he's learning, folks....

but seriously, i love my cake. and johnny says we owe it all to Christine's Creations. thank you for my wonderful chocolate, white fondant cake! she does custom orders, so if you need a custom cake for that special "darling," let me know. i'll pass on her info to you! 

thank you,  johnny, for my wonderful cake surprise!

sideways grin

sideways grin, originally uploaded by Master Foto G.

my style of photography is to capture images or moments that tell a story. or at least provoke an interest to what the story may be about.

since it's summer, and i just came back from a summer hawaiian festival, called Ho'olaule'a (annual hawaiian fest w/ music, food and booths), i would like to post one of my favorite pix of the summer, so far (because it's still not over yet!) i love this picture because it displays what my style of photography is. capturing true, real moments.

i took this picture with my 200mm lens, and i don't know how many feet i was away from the stage, but it was pretty far. if anyone has watched polynesian dancing, you know that when the troupe or dance studio, or halau, performs, they're in unison, and uniformity. here, you see this dancer, out of "line," to present this beautiful grin. to me, this shows the spirit of performing, especially polynesian dancing, and really enjoying what you're doing.

the art of photography is seen in the interpretation and perspective of the viewer. to me, not only do i see someone who is having fun, but also the embodiment of the spirit of aloha.

that's what i hope our clients feel when we provide photography services for them, via my photography, our service, our personality and attention to our clients.... our aloha.

some more pix from Ho'olaule'a (Alondra Park)

i bought one of these. wearing right now! i love wearing flowers in my hair. it always puts me in an extra carefree mood!

here are more pictures that remind me of summer.

summertime

summer always reminds me of going to the park, bbqs, plate lunches, kids playing and running around in slippers, uncles jamming music, and aunties "talking story." going to the annual Alondra Park Ho'olaule'a reminds me of just that.  johnny and i just came back from the event, and even though it was hot, we had a great time, just being there. there is live music and entertainment from different hula studios, or halaus, and plenty of food and booths to visit. going to the different booths reminds us of going to the Aloha Stadium swap meet in Oahu, Hawai'i, perusing through the aloha gear and crafts that remind you of "back home." my dad was born and raised in Oahu, one of the islands of Hawai'i. even though i am filipino, my brothers and i were raised with 2 traditions, filipino and hawaiian influences. so hawai'i, because it holds great significant to my childhood and culture, is considered, "back home," to me. 

we visited the Sassy Sister Crafts booth. cutest craftiest gifts! they were so kind to custom design a basket o' goodies for a client of ours. check out their blog! they're so creative and if you want to experience the "spirit of aloha," they definitely bring that spirit to their business and the customer.

another great find was the Little Dragon Girls booth. i love the concept. it's my latest rave! the concept of the clothing line is to promote confidence and pride in one's self, one's culture: the belief that there's a "little dragon" in all girls. that's a great message to give to all little and young girls. tapping into our "dragon" or that fiery side inside of all of us, BEING and LOVING your SELF, leads to bigger, better, brighter opportunities, success, as well as happiness and joy. check out their site. i guarantee you'll love the designs for that "little dragon" girl in your life! below are a sample of some of the cute clothing they have!

movie review: hancock

here are my movie reviews of the week!

i watched 2 movies: Hancock, starring Will Smith, and Wanted, starring Angelina Jolie.

Hancock is about a homeless superhero, who lives in Los Angeles. he is a reluctant, irresponsible hero, who meets up with a publicity relations guy, played by Jason Bateman, and sets out to clean up his image and mold him into the superhero that he was meant to be. at first, i wasn't motivated to watch this, BUT i do love superhero movies, and i heard there was a twist to it, and i love twists. unfortunately, i figured out the twist within 20 minutes of the movie. and...kinda fell asleep on the slow parts. i didn't miss much, because i figured out the twist (and you will too), and confirmed it w/ the hubby afterwards. the special effects were cool, there were some parts that were humorous and Smith is believable as a homeless superhero dude. Los Angeles needs a hero like Hancock! Bateman did a great job, too. but i found Charlize Theron, who i really like as an actress, very dry and not believable. she is a supporting actress, but i felt like her role blended in the background, even though her character is very important to the story (she plays Bateman's wife). i don't think this was a huge blockbuster hit, especially knowing that it's going up against the other action films, like The Mummy, Iron Man, The Dark Knight, and Incredible Hulk. so i'm going to have to give this a 3 out of 5 stars.

Wanted, on the other hand, i loved! when i go to an action film, i expect it to be action-packed all the way through. i think the story was interesting, as well, and you could say that it is a sort of superhero/fantasy flick. imagine being able to curve a bullet with your mind, and have the agility, strength, and skill to kick some butt! Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman play special assassins who bring balance to the world by receiving assignments from a "loom" (think greek mythology, with the 3 sisters of fate) that instructs who needs to be killed to achieve this balance. James McAvoy plays the rookie, who receives training from Jolie, Freeman, and other sorted characters. Jolie plays her typical Lara Croft/Mrs. Smith-esque character. no surprises there. Freeman is always stellar. McAvoy was believable as playing the EveryMan/Ordinary Joe, the guy in the cubicle that hates their life and wanting to do/be something else. i liked the action, and there's quite a bit of violence (yeah, assasination and torture...not my mother's movie). but it's so entertaining, i didn't want it to end. 5 out of 5 stars.

baby shower centerpieces

these are so cute! lil' booties. they act as a centerpiece, and then, use the booties later. also comes in a vase that you can use! now that's my kind of gift! cute, practical, and reusable! 

for more info, email celina from Pampered Sweets: myislandgirls@sbcglobal.net