Written by Candace on August 30, 2013 | 9 Comments

Happy Birthday, V!

Tomorrow Vitaliy will walk into the next decade of his life. Below is the letter I wrote to my 29 year old husband.

Dear Vitaliy,

What a decade it has been! The past 10 years have been marked by love and loss, joy and sorrow. But that’s life, right? It was within these years that we met each other, fell madly in love, and eventually married. But it was also within these years that we lost your mom, dad, and little brother Daniel. The pain and sorrow that followed was unspeakable, but throughout it all, there were still many moments of joy. Unspeakable joy.

This is our story, our journey, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. And though it was your family we lost, I know you wouldn’t change a thing either. The fact that we can both say that today is a testimony of God’s grace in our lives.

Tomorrow starts a new decade of your life. As you move forward and walk into this new chapter, I hope you consistently look back. I am confident these next 10 years will not be without their own difficulties and struggles. But I know that whatever hard times come our way, as we look back, we’ll be reminded to look for the unspeakable moments of joy that will come also.

Vitaliy, there is nobody I admire more than you. You are one of my main sources of unspeakable joy. My life has never looked the same since you entered it. We are not promised another decade, but I am thankful that I have you today. Tomorrow morning when we wake up, I will be thanking God for giving you another year of life. Another year for me to enjoy you. Let’s celebrate!

Goodbye 29, hello 3 – 0! Happy, Happy Birthday to the love of my life. My handsome Ukrainian! Let’s continue our adventure.

xoxo
CP, your cutie pie

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Written by Candace on August 28, 2013 | 4 Comments

Smitten
Ice Cream Shop

As you all know, I am from St. Louis where frozen custard is the reigning champ of ice cream.

Since moving to the bay area over 7 years ago, I have yet to find an ice cream shop to rival my beloved Ted Drewe’s back home. I have since grown fond of the tangy tartness of frozen yogurt and hold off on ice cream until I make a trip home where I can get the real deal.

BUT…I recently discovered Smitten Ice Cream. It has the old school charm of my beloved Ted Drewe’s with the modern hipsterness that is so San Francisco. It’s not frozen custard so it’ll never be at the top of my list, but it does have unique features that make it admiringly delicious.

It’s one of a kind! Literally. The owner, Robyn Sue Fischer, spent five years developing an ice cream machine that runs on liquid nitrogen.
Every cup of ice cream is made to order right in front of your eyes. Edible artistry!
It’s smooth and creamy just how I like it!
Robyn uses all natural and locally grown ingredients like a true SF foodie. I’d expect nothing less!
And their shop is located in one of my favorite neighborhoods, Hayes Valley.

I can’t take credit though, it was our awesome clients Larry and Amy who led us here. As we encouraged them to approach their engagement session as a date, they opted to start things off at Smitten Ice Cream. We had so much fun and the ice cream was so delicious, I knew I had to share it with all of you. Grab your love and head to Smitten! With your ice cream in hand, stroll around the park across the street or walk the neighborhood of Hayes Valley. Then come back and thank me later!

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Written by Candace on August 26, 2013 | 6 Comments

Our First
Big Fat Greek Wedding

This past weekend we had the pleasure of photographing our very first big fat Greek wedding.

When Nicole initially emailed to inquire about our services, she asked if we had ever photographed a Greek wedding. I believe in transparency, so I told her we had not. Then I followed with, “But we have seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding so perhaps that will help us prepare.” She played along and assured me that was exactly what we should expect. I loved Nicole’s sense of humor and was thrilled when she and Anthony chose us to be their wedding photographers.

Nicole and Anthony’s wedding was this past Saturday and I’m still smiling about it today. It was everything I dreamed a big fat Greek wedding would be and more. Towards the end of the reception, I hugged Nicole’s mom goodbye and told her I wanted to be Greek. We laughed together as we had many times that day. I don’t know if it’s the Greek culture or just Anthony and Nicole’s family and friends, but they not only made us feel welcome, they made us feel like we belonged.

As we drove home exhausted and achy after the long day, I couldn’t help feeling thankful. I love being a part of doing whatever it takes to make our clients’ wedding day the very best it could ever be. This brings Vitaliy and I true joy. And it’s achieved in many more ways than just taking a picture.

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