Miso soup at Shalala in Mountain View. © Bowerbird Photography 2012.
Monday afternoon lunch dates, just because. As Martha would say, "It's a good thing."
xoxo,
Ariel + Sam
All The Pretty Details: Amanda + Mike's Wedding
When Sam was in high school, Disneyland invited his band (he played piano and clarinet) and choir (he sang baritone) to play in the Magic Kingdom. Being the curious kids they were, what interested them most were not the rides, but what this fantasy land looked like on the other side of the wall. It was peopled with extraordinary individuals: Sam was coached by singers featured in the Disney movies, and got to swap stories with a hard-working actor carrying Mickey's head under his arm.
We don't have any backstage pass to Disney to give away, but we can take you on a little behind the scenes tour of Amanda and Mike's recent wedding. They put on an incredible celebration in the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains, and assembled a talented team of professionals that helped make the magic happen. We want to give a shout-out to the vendors, and applaud them for the work they did.
Libby Werba (Events by Libby) was the wedding planner, and we loved how organized and relaxed she was. She skillfully managed the timeline when plans changed, and made sure everybody at the wedding enjoyed themselves.
We were so excited to work with Audrey from Honey Pear Designs again. Audrey has an impeccable eye for style, and makes gorgeous flower arrangements - a real treat to photograph! We also appreciate that she always tries to source sustainably-grown flowers.
Thomas Fogarty Winery & Vineyards was a beautiful location for the wedding. It's a nice retreat in the mountains, without being too far a trek from San Francisco. The view is stellar: green vineyards fill the foreground, with a view of the Bay stretching out into the horizon and the mountain ridge line providing a scenic vignette. Unfortunately, we couldn't taste the wine because we were working, but heard from the guests that it was great.
The hair and makeup was provided by Elizabeth Chang, Elizabeth Chang, Skyla Arts. To attest to her skill, one only need to see photos of the bride and her bridesmaids: they looked absolutely stunning.
The music was provided by Raffi, Raffi Nalvarian, Sound in Motion. We've encountered many DJs and MCs, and he is clearly one of the best. A veteran radio personality and DJ in the Bay Area, he has turned his enthusiasm to weddings, and knows how to get a party started, and rocking all night long.
We've eaten our way through Paris, and through the countryside of Southern France. But who needs to make the trip across the Atlantic, when here, in the Bay Area, Le Papillon provides the type of 5 star French cuisine that would otherwise justify the expense of an intercontinental plane ticket. Yeah... it was good.
Sweet Tooth Confections created the sweet spread, heaping with a variety of decadent confections and desserts. The perfect portion sizes, from mini-cupcakes to flutes of mousse, justified repeated trips back for more.
More photos from the wedding featured in our earlier blog entry can be found here.
Flowers by Honey Pear Floral Design. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
Pomander, or kissing balls, add to the elegance of the wedding ceremony. Flowers by Honey Pear Floral Design. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
Flowers by Honey Pear Floral Design. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
The Fogarty Winery makes a wonderful wedding venue, with sweeping views of the Bay. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
To start, smoked sturgeon salad with almonds, apples, and endives, and topped with crème fraîche. Yum! Catering by Le Papillon. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
Flowers by Honey Pear Floral Design. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
Sweet Tooth Confections with their irresistible table of treats. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
Look at all the layers of that chocolate mousse! Does Sweet Tooth Confections do home deliveries? © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
Raffi Nalvarian with Sound in Motion, brought the party together to watch the romantic first dance. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
The bride gets a dance with her dad. Raffi Nalvarian puts on the music. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
Raffi Nalvarian with Sound in Motion, kept the dance floor hot all night long. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
You know it's a good party when things get a little wild :) Let loose, we've got it all handled! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
Amanda and Mike know how to throw an epic celebration, and all of us are so happy to have been able to contribute our talents to their special day.
xoxo,
Sam + Ariel
Monday: Finding Focus
I've started reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods and within the first two pages I'm ready to put it down, lace up my shoes, and find a trail to ramble on. The woods, the jungle, the ocean -- the natural world has consistently brought calm and connection to my life.
We hiked the beginning stretch of the Napali Coast trail in Kauai, upon a recommendation from our friend, Charlie, who said it was one of the most beautiful trails he's ever hiked. He didn't let us down. It was stunning. Although it started raining on the loop back, the beauty didn't diminish, and the jungle glistened with a new freshness.
It's also been raining outside the last couple days, and even though it is cold, and the middle of winter, I'm dreaming of getting back out on the trail. Sam, my Northwest man, is eager for any opportunity to get out under the trees, and believes that "rain is the perfect weather to hike in."
Enough of rainy day excuses, for your Monday -- a quote from John Muir:
"Throw a load of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence."
Ke'e Beach below as we start our hike. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
A first glimpse of the coast. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
The beach with cats and rock sculptures. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Taking a lunch break. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Ok! Enough rock photos! We need to get hiking again! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Bamboo forest. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Go out and explore the world this week!
xoxo,
Ariel (and Sam)
Kauai: Photo Diary
Travel photos! Oh-so many of them!
Here are some more images from our two weeks of beach, sunshine and sand. We hope these photos warm you up a bit, on this chilly evening (at least here in SF!).
Ariel read a book that was narrated by a dog. Ya, it was a total beach book. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Sam "reading" Sun Magazine. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Gecko! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Too cute! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Reading on the beach. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Our shade friends. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Chillin'. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Sun lover. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Spouting horn at sunset. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
The North Shore and Hanalei Bay. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Kiddos jumping off the Hanalei Bay Pier. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
On the Hanalei Bay Pier. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
North Shore. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Monk seal sighting! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Secret beach along the south shore. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Surf dream. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Sunset at the water. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
At Salt Pond Beach. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Turtle spotting at Poipu Beach. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Photo by Snorkel Mom.
Sunset at Poipu Beach. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Mr. Olympics! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Aloha Hawaii. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Wimea Canyon. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Hiking from the canyon to the Napali Coast. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Big sun hat. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Ferns along the trail. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
The Napali Coast. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Pretty. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
xoxo,
Ariel + Sam
Confessions of a Fruit Bat
Fruit bats. It's the name my dad gave to my mom and me, when I was a kid. He would go grocery shopping, buying several pounds of fruit, and within two days... it was gone. Did he eat any of it? No. The fruit bats did.
Now that Sam + I are married, it's a similar situation. The day after we go to the farmers' market and buy five pounds worth of persimmons and pears, he'll ask, "What happened to all the fruit?" Does he even have to ask? The fruit bat ate them.
Sam knew early in our relationship that I had a fruit addiction. Having dated for only a few weeks, we went on what we call our first "love voyage," a long weekend up to the San Juan Islands. He picked me up in a red Ford Explorer to start our journey North, and when I opened the car door, there was a whole crate of satsumas waiting on my seat. I knew I had found a keeper.
So it was only fitting that when we visited Hawaii a few weeks ago, I went crazy wild for all the tropical fruits. We got fresh fruit at the markets, from people's "fruit stands" in their front yards, and also picked a wide variety of wonderful wild guavas along various hiking trails across the island.
Since the only way I know how to keep fruit around is to preserve them in pictures, I thought you could enjoy them with us in our photographic tribute to the edible delights of Kauai.
Fresh sunrise papaya. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Wild guavas. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Farmers' market haul! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Longan fruit aka "dragon's eye" translated from Mandarin. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Travel Photography Kauai, Hawaii.
Hover over each image in the slideshow to read the caption :)
xoxo,
Ariel (+ Sam)