Ryan and I shot engagement photos for Matt & Ally back in March and just finished up their album design.  We had so much fun with this couple and I think that their album came out as a great reflection of our time together!

Normally for engagement shoots we put together a fairly simple guest book design with room for the signatures of the guests at their wedding.  This couple will be using a photo booth at their reception so their guests will have the chance to take pictures and write them a special message instead.  When they told us about the photo booth I figured that they would simply opt out of an album, but they ended up loving their photos so much they went for a full album design instead!  YAY!

We can’t wait to shoot Matt & Ally’s wedding in December and in fact, we even have our own fun plans for the photo booth!

To view their full album design, click here.

Paris came to town last night at the Phoenix Art Museum as United Blood Services hosted their annual Silent Heroes recognition dinner to honor valley platelet donors. These special donors take several hours out of their day up to 24 times a year to give the gift of life to valley hospital patients. This event is always one of the highlights of the UBS calendar! Each year carries with it a super fun theme and a brand new venue to host these everyday heroes.

I was working at this particular event, but decided it was going to be far too fabulous to attend without my camera in tow! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all things Paris so I have to admit that I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while now.

The event was held in one of the large galleries, complete with lovely works of art on each wall.

I was fascinated by the hallway through which the guests entered the main part of the museum. It’s lined through out with mirrored circles that cast fun reflections everywhere.

There were of course, tons of fun details! Each of the tables was named after a Parisian landmark and held a beautiful centerpiece with it’s own LCD light. (Flowers by Cactus Flower Florists.)

Even the food was filled with lovely colors!

But my absolute favorite detail would have to be the awards!

And what evening in Paris would be complete without it’s very own Can Can dancers?

The museum itself is such a cool place! I highly recommend you stop in and take a look around. The collection housed there includes a mix of many genres including contemporary and classic art, paintings, sculpture and even a fashion exhibit. There’s something for everyone!  I think the design of the building alone is worth the visit.

I shot this fun glimpse of one of the galleries as a reflection off a piece of sculpture by Anish Kapoor.  If you look really close you can see a tiny figure standing in the middle with a camera in hand - that’s me :-)

OK, just a couple more – on the side of the building facing McDowell, there are these cool LCD light people that are constantly walking. What can I say, I’m easily fascinated – I thought they were super cool!

Overall, it was a great event! Congratulations to all the wonderful platelet donors who received awards – you are truly heroes to Arizona hospital patients!

To find out more about platelet donation, please visit www.UnitedBloodServicesAZ.org.

Just after new year’s, Ryan and I found out that we’re going to be an Aunt and Uncle!  My sister Amy and her husband Jim, who’s wedding we shot back in May of 2007, are expecting  their first child in September.  Today, they had an ultrasound and found out that they’ll be having a little girl!  YAY!  The whole family is SO excited. 

Amy is only 18 weeks along so she’s just got a little bit of a baby belly so far.  Despite this, there was a lot of this going on from the boys (Ryan & Jim) . . .

She called me earlier today to tell me the news and I couldn’t help but run right out and buy little girl Granata her first pink outfit :-)

Looks like it fits!

You can all look forward to TONS of pictures of our new little niece when she joins us in September!  Congratulations Amy & Jim!