the talvio family pt. 2

as promised, here is numero deux of my shoot with tammi, justin and their adorable little ones, my neice taylor and nephew zachary.  i can't help but smile from all the laughter and love in these images.  check it.



it's a christmas miracle

i made a mad dash to the car, overloaded with presents and baking supplies to bring to my mom and dad's for our cookie bake off.  it was christmas eve morning and yet again, i was the one running late.  as i was just about to take off, i heard a shaky voice behind me, "excuse me.."  i turned around to a little old lady with a red beret and evident laugh lines.  but her eyes gave way to worry.  "have you seen a little white dog around here?"

i know all too well, that heart wrenching feeling of losing your buddy.  so i soo badly wished i could've said more but i had to answer, "no m'am, i haven't.  i'm so sorry."

"his name is tuck, if you see him.  he is lost and it's cold."

i nodded and again, offered my sympathies.  i wanted to help her.  i wanted to search every nook and cranny of this town until we found him.  it's not fair to lose someone you love, especially on the eve of christmas.

just as i had buckled in and was about to pull out of the drive, a well known sex trade worker on our street ran towards us, waving her hands.  i absolutely hate to admit this but i immediately had my guard up as she approached.  it's not completely without warrant, we've had some pretty crazy and awful experiences with some of the girls on our street but that's another blog post, another time.  anyways, she asked if we were looking for a dog and the old lady exclaimed, "yes!  have you seen him?  he's just little.  his name is tuck."  the girl smiled revealing her decayed and partially toothless mouth.  she ran back inside the brothel and a moment later, carried out the cutest, squirming ball of white puppy.  "TUCK!" the elderly woman ran towards the prostitute and hugged her puppy as tears streamed down her face.  then she grabbed the girl's face and kissed it over and over, crying, "thank you ever so much!"  

i just could not help but smile.  then i turned to my little girl, soda, once a street dog in taiwan - now sitting on my husband's lap in the passenger seat amongst the cookie trays and sprinkles.  i gave her a big forehead smooch and we went on our way.  and yup, we were late.

i'm so thankful to have witnessed that joy.  thankful for the bold, in my face reminder of the good spirits in the world and to love everyone, always.  

sweet tooth

for as long as i've known travis, he's been a sugar addict.  so i guess the following should be of no surprise..

i walked into the kitchen to see travis, head back, clearly gulping down something with a bottle in the air.  then he went, "ahh!" and put the bottle into the 'breakfast food' cupboard.   i was confused. 

A:  what were you just drinking from there?
T:  uhm.  honey.
A:  you were DRINKING honey?!
T:  we have nothing good in the house!
A:  you know, my great grandmother died of diabetes.
T:  ya well, my great grandmother died.. of something.  also.  as well.
A:  sugar monster!

maha

the talvio family pt. 1

i am curious by nature.  i wonder often, dream often, ask questions about life often and dissect who i am often.  that's a whole lotta oftens.  but really, i don't like to take anything at face value.  i always want to dig deeper.  because i am curious.  sometimes my curiousity has led me down the wrong path but i've always seemed to find the my way again, hopefully stronger, wiser and a better person than before.

my photography is no exception.  i haven't been doing this long.  at alllll.  i'm crazy learning and experiencing.  and i know i have a long way to go but i don't want to ever stop approaching my photography with that same wonderment and curiosity i carry with me in my everyday life.  i want to capture moments that reveal you and your life.  i'm curious to know who you are, hear your laugh, feel the love radiating out of you.

on that little note, i want to thank everyone that has supported me on this very beginning of what i hope will be a long journey.  thank you to clients for patience, for going along with my weird ideas, for laughing along with all my bad jokes, for letting me have a glimpse into your wonderful lives.  thank you to all my friends and family for the ridiculous amount of love and confidence in me.  i'm so in love with photography and couldn't have found it without all of your help.  aand i'm excited to say that i'll be amping it up once we move!  someone once said to me, "when you find something you love, you don't let go of it because it gets hard.  you hold onto it.  you throw yourself in deeper."  so big plans people, big plans.  :)

now i'ma close in on my yammering and get to some images of some wonderful people.  i'm well aware that i'm about to post waaay too many of this family, in fact, i'm going to do a numero deux to this post.  and i apologize (sorta) but this family is very dear to my heart.  tammi, is travis' gorgeous stepsister (totally looks like neve campbell, just throwin' that out there) and her, her husband justin, daughter taylor and son zachary are one of the most in-love families i've had the chance to know and include as my own family.