The Big 5-0

In July, we celebrated my dad's 50th year with a {surprise} birthday party.

No party is complete without a gorgeous cake.

Or a giant candy table.

I had a mini-affair with this candy table.

See?

The weather celebrated with us.  Mother Nature graced us with a double rainbow.

My gorgeous cousin.

My favorite picture of the night.  It truly captures their friendship.

My cousin enjoyed the candy table too.

We played some games, such as peek-a-boo.

They were as delicious as they were beautiful.

And one more of the table...

Happy 50th dad!

The Beauty of the Aloha State

Recently my husband and I visited Hawaii on our honeymoon.  I was struck by the natural beauty of the islands.  One of the most fascinating spots we visited was Waimea Falls in Oahu.  The botanical gardens were blooming with bright colors. 

Unfortunately, I don't know the names of these amazing flowers.  But they sure are fun to look at.

Celebrate Good Times

The engagement of my sister and her fiance was a wonderful gathering at her in-laws-to-be's house in Little Compton.  A relaxing night overlooking the Atlantic.

Beach was the theme

And Can Jam was the game

I can't resist brightly colored gerbera daisies.

My model.

Here's to many more good times!

Man's Best Friend

Meet Raleigh!  He is our brand new Yorkie puppy.

Yep, we love him!

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made

Annual family trip to New York City.  I'm not going to lie.  It can be a challenge to carry around my large camera in such a busy city while all bundled up in the cold weather.    Here are some of my favorites before the downpour started...

Life in the Fast Lane

Dreaming of the Big City

It's All Relative

Through the Lens

This last one I am really disappointed with.  It had the potential to be such a great shot, but I didn't quite get it.  Can I blame the overcrowded elevator?

I'm on a Boat!

As a Rhode Islander, I tend to not explore the state as a tourist would. However, we went on a Sunset Lighthouse Cruise out of Quonset. Unfortunately, standing on the top deck of the boat provided the same experience as standing in hurricane-like winds. This made it very difficult to use a camera with a 55-200mm lens. I gave it a go anyways.

The sky interested me way more than the lighthouses did.

Sailboat with the Newport Bridge in the background.

There's that sky again...

Beavertail Lighthouse under the rays of the sun.

So despite the wind, it was a beautiful night!

New Beginnings

As of recently, photography seems to have piqued my interest. I thought I would start a blog to track my progress. At least, I hope it will be progress.

I'll start with my most recent photo op, Chris's birthday. Josh went all out to surprise Chris with a fancy dinner for his birthday, complete with homemade decorations. Josh asked me to record the creation of the dinner ambiance with photos, as he created it.

Here is the dinner setting BEFORE...

And AFTER...

How awesome is that?!?

Here are some in betweens...

Rain threatened the dinner but, luckily, it quickly disappeared.

The making of the simple, yet elegant, centerpiece.

Hard at work, hanging the lanterns.

So much fun! Thanks Josh for letting me photograph your special night.