Some portraits I shot for my friend Stephanie, the wonderful wedding/event coordinator and face behind Preppy Chic. Stephanie & I randomly bumped into each other in Santa Monica recently and after a very animated high-pitched huggy-jumpy screamfest (think Sh*t Girls Say), we chatted a little bit about working together for headshots for her new website. I was so excited that our vision for her portraits was so similar {soft, feminine, natural} and love the result! :) Can’t wait for our ramen date!

As a daughter, it’s an interesting thing seeing how your relationship with your mother changes as time goes on. As an adult, you begin to see her also as a woman, you start to more clearly understand what kind of challenges she may have faced in her life, what kind of sacrifices she made. The parts of you that are maybe like her become more evident, you find that she may understand you more than you realized, that you can relate on levels you hadn’t been able to before.

Suddenly you wake up one morning and realize that your mom — the one who reminded you to always finish your veggies, or maybe pushed you to do well in school, the one who said “you’ll thank me for this, you’ll understand when you’re older” — is not just your mom, but also one of your very very best friends.

I had so much fun capturing this sweet mother-daughter session. Two women who are both so beautiful inside and out, and have such a wonderful bond…

Joyce was one of my very best friends growing up. During snack breaks in high school, we used to buy Flaming Hot Cheetoes and eat them dipped in cream cheese (trust me, it’s the next best dipping combo after frosties & fries). We were tennis partners all 4 years & had a special tennis “high five” we’d do with our racquets whenever we scored. Not that we were actually very good. But that was the fun of it – because Joyce was, and always had been, about having fun and living in the moment.

I always admired that about her. That she was so carefree & laidback – that no matter how hard she worked, she never complained; that even when things were their hardest, she could always smile; that even when she was busy as could be herself, she always ALWAYS found the time to help a friend without a second thought. And because of these amazing qualities, qualities I can only wish I could so gracefully possess, I always knew she would make the absolute perfect mother. Of course her insane domestic abilities couldn’t hurt as well – her cooking, sewing, and crafting skills definitely put my I’m-just-trying-to-not-burn-the-toast self to shame.

About a year ago, when Joyce had just graduated from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Tokyo, I asked her what her plans were next. Working in a big name restaurant? Teaching cooking classes? Focusing on opening her own patisserie? She thought for a moment, smiled, and said, “I just want to be a mom…”

It is with an extremely happy heart that I share these photos of my friend in one of her most radiant times :)

I love how the recent rains resulted in the prettiest green fields…