The Dub-fam at the UW

I super duper have a crush on this family..

The Dub family makes me laugh so hard I cry.

I adore these four and their crazy fun extended family 

and I'm so honored they choose me to document their lives!

We were a bit early for the blossoms when we were there,

but we still found some great color and oodles of sunshine.

Enjoy the amazing-ness of the Welch family.

Misty & her boys....

 I'm such a sucker for happy endings and romance....

Rob & Misty were lucky enough to find each other and have been working on blending their families to create a bigger, happier and  funnier one!  This is my third time shooting with them and they just crack me up.
{We shot these a couple of weeks ago- I'm just ridiculously tardy in posting this}  I'm so happy that this  family has each other- because it really works. {and speaking of things that work.. did you check out the freckles and the amazing eye colors on all four????  I was in heaven!!!!}

Thanks for traipsing all over the planet with me guys it was a great evening! xoxo Didi V.

Easter Sunday

I was trying to catch some snaps of the girls before we left and they were cutting up, blowing bubbles and throwing the football WHILE I was trying to shoot....annoying but very funny all at the  same time

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Easter Sunday was flat and grey outside- but we certainly managed to have fun!  The Easter Bunny was very creative and generous to our girls and they had a ball hunting for treats and treasures.  We had to scurry around and get dressed and ready to roll and we met up with Ron's side of the family for brunch in Kirkland.

Later in the day we had our friends the Mc Neeleys join us for supper, egg dying and some hoops games.  It was good day for sure! Gabbi and Steve are the jesters- always wrestling or messing with each other.  Trey and Oni are the quiet cerebral ones- reading or playing board games.  We grown ups- cooked, chatted and watched hoops.  We feel very blessed that we were all brought together- the families fit so well.

 *I Counted our blessings- as they are many*

Chix Pix

 You know- it all sounded good in theory....

One dozen little fuzzy yellow chicks. Check.
Giant plastic Easter Eggs. Check.
Easter Baskets. Check.
One dozen small children (and oodles of excited parents) booked to have photos taken. Check.

Permission to invade the yard of a neighbor, who has the perfect "little old lady"  house with soft dappled sunlight through enormous old growth trees, on the unmanicured lawn that is largely comprised of moss- and it was perfect for my giant Easter eggs, baskets and bunny ears.... and lots and lots of children..... Check.

But as I rose early on that completely dreary Sunday morning... it was pouring sideways rain, sleet, hail and snow greeted me when I opened the front door.  I was praying to all spirits who would listen to bring me sunshine- or at the very least- make it stop precipitating!  But the weather continued to get worse as the minutes ticked by and I took the weatherman's name in vein a number of times while contemplating whether or not it would make me a terrible person if I took up drinking at 8 AM.  I was relatively confident that I may have a heart attack- I was positively nauseous.

I began taking inventory of what I did have... (I had left two of my old studio lights burning over night to keep the garage warm for the fragile little chicks and consequently killed both bulbs....) I knew I couldn't shoot indoors in the garage studios with only one soft box and that many moving subjects. (lesson learned... ALWAYS  have a back-up on hand....) 

Gabbi and I began to brainstorm (she is the best little assistant some days!).  We realized that our front porch- was pretty good sized and with the overhang- well shielded from the rain.  Our house is boring old plain white with white trim... which acted like a natural light deflector and bounced around what light we did have.... so she and began running around gather props, light poles, clamps and back drops and set up a studio set on the front porch.  It was definitely more commercial than I tend to work, but it would have to do!

Thank goodness that my friends and new clients had faith in my craziness- because we got some cute stuff- and as the morning moved along- the sun came out and we had a glorious afternoon.

And I absolutely could not have pulled this event off without my two built in assistantants- Oni & Gabbi you were rock stars!  And a huge thank you to LSHS Senior and fellow photo-geek, Kaitie Jacobs.  It was certainly not glamorous work- but it was essential to making it all happen.

And so- with out further chicken scratch {pardon the pun}... enjoy the cuteness that is kids and baby chicks!   Happy Spring! xoox Didi V.

Crazy * Silly * Fun

There are some families for which mere words simply cannot describe how very funny they are- and this family is one of those families.  I absolutely love Beth, Denny and their gorgeous kids.  Denny's pretty sister Leanne was along on this trip also- and like I said- my sides hurt from laughing.... A rare combo to be this beautiful and this funny!

Thanks for asking me to come and play with you guys!!! xoxo Didi V.

P-Fam Fun!

I had the pleasure of meeting up with the P-Fam recently at the Seattle Arboretum, on the fringes of the UW campus and Lake Washington.  What a gorgeous park!  And what an awesome family ~ so relaxed and fun...and effortlessly gorgeous.... I can't wait to play with them again soon!