whoolia's shower

back from camp, with time to finally tackle the photo projects piling up.

here are some shots from julia's shower that we had at the little blue house last saturday. I was helping to host (along with some other amazing woman) so wasn't able to shoot as much as I would have liked, but I think you can get the general feeling....fun, happy, dim sum, cupcakes and some candy bars melted in diapers. all I pretty much did was offer up my backyard, colored lanterns and put citrus on the tables.

only a few weeks now till another newborn enters the world.

chad

coming to utah

(photos from an adorable family I photographed last week. more to come once back from camp. I love the triumphant sippy cup shot. cheers to pink milk!)

I will be in salt lake city from august 31st through sept 2nd. I have a few time slots open if anyone is interested in having me photograph..something, anything!

ideas range from babies, couples, documenting a family dinner, swimming, best friends, mortal enemies, awesome people with interesting looks. possibilities are endless.

shoot me an email at rachel@rachelthurston.com, let me know what kind of shoot you are interested in and I will email you back rates and availability.

girls camp

(little planters I put together for the girls...the burlap sacks are full of soil)

off early this morning to girls camp for three days. mixed emotions. I am relived that the end is only days away and at the same time I am sad thinking the end is only days away. being at camp, surrounded by pines and talking about how awesome it is to be women, is just the best.

I am pre-blogging so there will be posts for the next two days I am away. I will not be reachable till wednesday night, so if there are photo emergencies leave emails and voicemails and I will get back to you by thursday.

feelings

g and I saw this a couple of nights ago. I liked it, I did...but for some reason it also made me feel a little teary. this could be for many reasons one being I am a girl and like to get teary around the same time every month. I talked it out with g after the movie and this a short list of things that watching brought out in me:

• a deep desire for my nyc
• furthered my itch to live in europe
• made me really want to go to culinary school (the french culinary school in ny to be exact)
• am I living up to my full potential?
• I make a lot of mistakes
• nervous that if I wait too long I might never be able to bear children.
• I would love a WAY nicer kitchen (I think about this daily).
• do I feed other people enough?
• what's my storybook ending?
• am I ok accepting and recognizing my own success without the validation of others?
• I want to write/compile a book.
  
• I'm pretty sure one of my best skills is eating. I am growing in front of your very eyes!
• there is something about the act of "creating". nothing is more satisfying. whether it be the act of seeing , composing, capturing with my camera or growing, stirring and eating. magic!!!! complete magic. I think if I had a nice garden I could eat out of, meal time would make me cry with happiness. thank you earth. thank you sunshine. thank you for the ability to see and create.

after this post movie rant, g wrapped his arm around me and told me he loved me. then we walked arm in arm back to the little blue house. despite all my never ending questions and earnings for more, I have something I never have to question...and every time his arm wraps around me and he looks at me with those eyes that say, "you're crazy, and I love that crazy", I am reminded.

with g my questions feel safe. how awesome is that?!

the end.

be our guest

my good friend and talented photographer, kris, stayed with her family at our little blue chateau while we were away. I was so disappointed I wasn't there. I was so looking forward to all the cooking and the slumber part.

check out her photography blog to see some more of our cheerful house and their beautiful kidlins.

come again! next time maybe we will upgrade to a bed and breakfast!

madi

how stinking adorable is my niece?
she is going to be a world famous dancer someday so she needed headshots.
I am going to be a world famous aunt someday so I needed to show her off.

addiction dance

best piece of the whole season. hands down.

eliza's summer issue

a photoshoot I did for eliza magazine is featured in their summer issue.

I really liked the look of this model. she had fiery red hair and these fantastic huge eyes.

foward texas fort worth!

(moi, pres, boss and banan right at the start of the mish during the 1st zone conf)

grant and I leave today for a short one nighter...back we go to our beloved texas.

as most of you know my parents have been serving as mission presidents for our church in the fort worth texas mission for the last 2+yrs. they have been doing a marvelous job, and although it's hard/strange at times not to have them at "home", fort worth has become one of our homes and we will all miss it once they finish up next summer.

we are going this weekend to celebrate my youngest sister's mission call to MILAN ITALY!!! umm...cool mission sis. and even cooler, my dad served in the exact mission about a 100yrs ago! this weekend will be the first time my whole family can be in the temple together. cool, cool beans.

we are so proud of her. I can't believe she could actually be old enough to move to a foreign country. I think it should be against the law unless older sisters can come along for protection.

we love you ann! can't wait to be with you this weekend. onesies in full force!!!!!!!!!!!

my girls

(photo taken by jon canlas)

after posting about heather the other day I started missing my other 3am friends.

these are some of the girls who were at our temple sealing (some 3am friends not shown). having all of these amazing women by my side that day gave me so much strength.

I can't imagine my life without them.

they're a group of broadway performers, ironman athletes, fashionistas, amazing bakers, inspiring artists and devoted mothers. they're women of conviction, opinion, insight and soul.

they are all my true loves. I feel teary eyed just thinking about it.

clever's new website!

check out my images on clever creatives new site!!

if you click the refresh on the homepage you can see an assortment of shots I took in venice and on abbot kinney. browse the whole site for other photo gems (you might recognize some of the photos from here and here ).

If anyone is interested in having my shoot something similar for their business or advertising endeavor, let me know.

I love bottling the flavors of a fabulous location..and a fabulous agency!

I woke up today

my latest song obsession.
such a good listen cruising over clouds or first thing in the morning.

turn it up loud and let your hair loose.

miss O

it has been said that I have some pretty great friends. what they say is true. I would say I have the tres leches of friends. the ripe mango of friends. the kauai of friends. I have the BEST friends.

I have what I call "3am" friends. you know, the ones you can call at 3am when you REALLY need them. I believe each of us only have a handful of these types of people in our lives. matt and heather are 3am friends. being a 3am friend doesn't come without sacrifice (like phone calls in the middle of the night), but there are perks as well! like my complete devotion and loyalty, as well as the occasional photo shoot.

spending a week in the wind rushing state of oklahoma to be with my newest baby girl and her family was amazing. our week together was planned in 3hrs increments...which usually consisted of eating, playing, sleeping, pooping, eating, playing, sleeping, pooping. for a non scheduled girl like me this household was a machine! I think I can still smell the formula and that sweet little body after bath time. seriously, does anything smell better than post bath baby?

I watched in awe as I saw first hand the transformation of these two into parents. they are naturals! the love, and adoring and cooing and instincts were all there. all and more. I loved matt and heather before but after seeing them as parents I think I love them a little more. such selflessness. such sacrifice. but just like being a 3am friend has it's perks so does being a parent. olive is flawless! happy is an understatement. for sure one of the easiest babies I have ever been around. and can we talk about her plus my camera? um, is it normal for a 7 week old to stare into my lens with big wondering eyes?! NO! but olive, being flawless as she is, stared into my lens the entire week. not kidding. we even tried to get her to look away but her eyes were transfixed. somewhere deep inside I want to believe she will take after her auntie and become my apprentice.....or maybe she is the smartest 7week old in the history of time. whatever the genius, taking photos of her was a complete and total dream.

olive, stop being 17yrs old! never get bigger! make those cooing noises as you fall asleep forever! always look right into your auntie rachel's lens! never stop the kung fu panda moves right before you fall asleep! move closer to me! smoosh smoosh smoosh smoosh!!!!!!!!!!

all my love to my favorite new family.