I did a portrait session for my sister… And of course I had to self timer and get myself in there :)

I could go on for days and days how proud I am of my sister and how much she has achieved. It is beyond me how someone could raise two lovely kids, have two masters degrees, a successful marriage for 17 years, and still find time to be an amazing sister.

Of course I love my sister and with all the health issues she has had in her lifetime, I was happy to show her how beautiful she is from the inside out.

Rawr.

I hope you have an amazing Easter and enjoy the time with your family and friends.

Lots of hugs and kisses,
Holly

Since July 2010, I have been engaged to the love of my life… and since I have announced my engagement, I have been asked, 533 times when is my date, and other miscellaneous details about my wedding (which haven’t been planned yet). With that being said… I have dreamed about my wedding, just like normal girls. In the efforts of holding true to myself and keeping a realistic expectation, what would really be my dream wedding. From the song when I prance down the isle, to the tiny detailed favors, and the delicious handmade desserts. Oh yes, I have thought about my wedding to nausea.

Let’s put aside my being part of the wedding industry, and any other objections that might be popping up. A wedding budget, a ever growing guest list, and trying on wedding dresses, are definitely not on the top of my “i do” list. But I believe that these are the necessities needed to make a wedding. I have been going over and over the “HOW” to pull off this wedding. The elements of me and my fiance while I admit are more important to me, they also have to be something is OUR wedding story. But the smartest thing, I have discovered is to talk to a wedding coordinator, and hire her/him on the spot. This is why you need someone who has an outside opinion and can help guide you to your dream wedding. I can have all the details I planned in my head, but unless I have someone to execute it … I might as well forget it happening, because in all reality, I can’t set up the ceremony site. I can’t make sure the twinkle lights are hanging perfectly at the reception venue. This is what a professional is for… I don’t tell the mechanic how to tune up my car, or the Starbucks barista how to make my chai tea latte… I shouldn’t tell the “bride” (me) how to have a wedding, without a professional…

Photography by Nicole Polk

I have a huge crush on my Jeff, my fiancé. This seems fitting because in 1996, when we worked together in a toy-store, he had a crush on me. It seems like only fate was working that I should return the admiration 10 years later. When we worked together, I had a boyfriend, and he had a party lifestyle. Obviously, it was not meant to be at that time. But in his own words “I never forgot about you, and always thought you were the one.” le sigh. When we reconnected those years later, more grown up, and ready for spending our lives together, nothing could have been better timing.

After four in a half years, we had a private proposal in a hotel room after an Angels game, July 4th weekend 2010. It was far more romantic and very us, even more than any score board proposal I thought I was going to have. Jeff knows me best, he has loved me and only me his whole life. And I plan on making him happy and upholding his crush on me for a lifetime. Timing is everything, and when you turn yourself over to fate, it can only be love.

Photography by Nicole Polk

We had our engagement photos done by a wonderful photographer, Nicole Polk. To see more of our engagement session, please visit her blog.

Also our formal announcement was in the local Santa Clarita paper, The Signal…

Photography by Nicole Polk

]]> http://cakesandkissesblog.com/personal-in-case-you-didnt-know-im-engaged/feed/ 2 http://cakesandkissesblog.com/personal-sweet-home-chicago/ http://cakesandkissesblog.com/personal-sweet-home-chicago/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:38:50 +0000 Holly Steen http://cakesandkissesblog.com/?p=3866 I am not from Chicago, but I love it there. It is the perfect spot for pizza, baseball and blues music. Yay!

I’ll be in Chicago, more specifically on the Gold Coast,  between August 20th and September 6th for four weddings.  I have a couple things planned, but I’d love to set up some more shoots while I’m there and am offering a special rate.  So, if you are thinking about an engagement, portraits or bridal/trash the dress session please drop me a line at holly@cakesandkisses.com with the subject “Chicago”.

From the last time I was in Chicago, at the Dana Hotel, for a shoot!! Woot woot!

When I was in Boston, in the North End, there was this beautiful moment when I was so amazingly grateful I had my camera. We were walking in Boston’s Little Italy and it happened. There was that moment that happens in movies when things go slow motion, the wind starts blowing, and the air gets taken from your lungs… yup. I got it on camera.

So folks I shot this. He is hot. It was not in Italy. I only used Photoshop the texture in the sky to make the image look more fashion. Nice.

Enjoy and wipe the drool off your chin when your done, we have to go to Mikes’ Pastry to cool off in huge helping of geltato.

Really, I hadn’t been to fair since I was small, I mean small enough to ride around on my Dad’s shoulders and see all the sights from above knee level. At that time I wanted to eat everything I saw, feed and talk to all animals in the zoo, and conquer all the amusement rides until I was sick. My sister and I would play, giggle the whole time we were there at the fair. Which made for a pretty quiet ride home in the car for my folks.

It was pretty much the same for me this time. I was gleeful at all the colors and bigger than expected public amusements. I just wanted to dive into every cotton candy vat, scream my lungs out on the roller coaster and play with the hopping baby goats.

I refrained myself, because today I was a photographer. I was here to shoot Misty and Ben, and their adventures at fair.

Aww. We snuck on the bouncy for a quick smooch. So cute.

I am smitten with Misty. Her gorgeous laugh, her love of New Kids On The Block, and of course her sense of style is chic and fantastic, (think Anthropologie and Jimmy Choo had a love child.) She had told me casually that when they got married they didn’t have enough money to hire an offical photographer. So they didn’t have “real wedding” photos of their most special day. It is sad and I know that most folks that get married out of college this is true for. Misty and Ben absolutely deserve at least some mushy cute photos of each other.

Absolutely my favorite photo of the bunch. I think that when it comes down to it, this was exactly what I see in my head when I think of romance, fair, and sun flare.

I was over the moon when Misty and Ben agreed to have portraits at the fair. (Really, and I am not just saying this because they are reading this.) I have wanted to shoot in a different location other than the beach for so long, and do some cuteness to the max. They were so great to play and the idea to use a carnival as a backdrop for their portrait session.

I can’t help it. I just love the kisses shots. I think that Ben was more than happy to help me out in my quest for the picture perfect kissing fair shot.

Yay! It almost looks like the fair is emptied out just for them, (never mind those people under the umbrella).

Awwwww.. I love this one. I still want to do some fancy retouching on it, but what is the timing like when I get a passerby with a HUGE teddy bear that is just on the edge of the photo. Joy!

Really so cute. Cute cute cute!
I had so much fun and great shots we decided to go to the petting zoo and pet the animals. It was so amazing how brave and adorable the animals were. They were so accepting of me and my camera. I couldn’t believe it. He/She looked right into my Fish Eye lens.

Oh wait these alpaca were so friendly and beautiful. This one was an albino and just a little baby.

Petting zoo and baby goat cuteness. Aww. Really I couldn’t think of a better way to end a date, and I didn’t even need to win a big stuffed teddy bear.

This isn’t Misty and Ben, but it is one of my Favorite FAVORITE images taken on the carousel on Balboa Island. I had to share it. The best part about this photo is that there is no Photoshop at all. This was how it looked right when I clicked it. YAY.

Same with this one. The couple and the location is the same. It was at Balboa Island, and the beautiful Ferris Wheel just made the mood so playful and fun.
Plus the couple was absolutely great for making it look so passionate. Thanks Ryan and Brianna.

For the Love of Fair and Kisses!

Absolutely the coolest buildings, fantastic skyscrapers and amazing accents.

Yay. Everything about my trip to Boston was fun, exciting and definitely picture perfect.
This is just the begining of the awesome photos I wanted to share.

Boston…during the day.

Boston at night was even more alive and thriving.

Plymouth Burial Hill, overlooking Plymouth Harbor.

View from a top a ceremony over looking Plymouth and the Atlantic.

This one was at Plymouth, MA. This was a Puritan Church, so it was old and had character.

This I shot through the car window with the sun screen on. It was cool because it acted like a Polaroid filter for the colors.

Almost arrested for one too many cannolis. (not really)

I was inspired by all the textures and beautiful American history that surrounds Boston. But really we had a great time in Plymouth, and Cape Cod too.

My muse Chandra. She lets me photograph her all the time. Yay!

The girls! We have fun sitting in doorways.

And a shout out to my Photographer friend Santiago Valencia, who posted about Boston after all my crazy tweets about how cool the place was.

More photos to come, this is just a preview.