One of the things that suffered in the busyness of 2012 was our diet, so on this first day of a brand New Year, we’re sharing our new toy (Thank You, Santa (a.k.a. mom & dad!)), our Vitamix blender!  Dean and I are both interested in health and nutrition, and I know there is a lot of information (sometimes conflicting) out there.  One thing that strikes a chord with us is eating more whole foods.  We believe that the more simple you can keep your food choices, the better off you’ll be.  As much as we can, we support local, organic, and sustainable food options.  We have lots of room for improvement, but an easy way for us to get great nutrition is in a green smoothie.  We’re so excited about our new Vitamix that we did a little New Year’s Day photo shoot to share with all of you!

New Year’s Day green smoothie recipe:

1.5 cups water
juice from 1 lemon and 1/2 orange
1 avocado
1 banana
1 pear (if it’s not organic, peel the skin)
2 Fuji apples (if they’re not organic, peel the skin)
1 (overflowing) cup spinach
2 small heads Romaine lettuce
6 ice cubes
*orange slice and cilantro for garnish.  :)

Some of my favorite books on food and nutrition, including the easy to read Green for Life, and the corresponding Green Smoothie Revolution (with recipes)!  Green Smoothie Girl is another great site, if you’re interested in checking out what Green Smoothies have to offer.  They’re quick and easy to make…and they’re DELICIOUS!!  :D

*Disclaimer…Omnivores Dilemma and The China Study are full of great information, but are not light reading.  ;)

Isn’t my Green Smoothie chef handsome?  oxo

I also really liked Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser.

If these subjects interest you, you should also check out:  Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead… Forks Over Knives… and Food, Inc.

We hope that your 2013 is off to a great start…we’re writing a list of goals (101 in 1001) that we can’t wait to share with all of you!  This year, we want to make our goals public, and we’d love for you to join in and leave a comment…what’s one of your goals for the New Year?

Cheers to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013 full of joy, grace and dreams come true!
Hugs and love, Tiffany (& Dean)  oxo

Sophia, a writer herself, is currently putting together her writing portfolio for her college admissions applications. In a recent message (when I told her that she had inspired me to truly start our blog), she replied, “Good luck with all of your endeavors, I’m sure this will make a lovely addition to the already wonderful FYHP <3 and remember, write every day without excuse and without compromise. It will only bring you happiness. :)” Sage advice, I say.

Without further adieu, meet Sophia, a wise-beyond-her-years Senior from Galena High School, whom we were fortunate enough to meet and photograph.

Can you say ‘fierce’?

As we get to know our clients before their shoot, we brainstorm to find a creative vision for how best to tell their story. Sometimes, it’s the location that holds special meaning, and for Sophia we knew that was the case. She spends her summers in Tahoe City and works on the Truckee River near Lake Tahoe. It’s her favorite place in the world, and after her collegiate and travel adventures, she believes this place will call her back someday. When we heard this, we knew it would be the perfect setting for senior portraits that would uniquely tell her story.

Connecting with our clients, so that they trust us enough to be vulnerable in front of our cameras enables us to capture them authentically. Parent involvement is key during the pre-session phone calls and consultation, so that we ensure we’re all on the same page, but on the shoot, it’s just the senior and us. Our goal is to have fun and put them at ease, and I believe these shots reflect that, and showcase what a thoughtful and free-spirited beauty Sophia truly is.

Finding ways to incorporate personal items into senior photos shoots is one of our favorite things. I absolutely love the feather quill, journal, and dream catcher that Sophia chose to bring.

Sophia, We had so much fun getting to know you, and hope you love these images as much as we do!  Our wish is that when you look back on them in the years to come, that it will take you back to this time in your life, and you will smile at the precious memories. You are such a beautiful, wise and intelligent young woman, and we can’t wait to see where your journey takes you! All our best, Tiffany (& Dean) oxo

I first met Vaungaylyn almost two years ago when Dean and I volunteered to provide photography services for Swoon Bridal Salon‘s annual Wear it Again Soirée benefiting the Reno Cancer Foundation, and I have to say that I am a better person for having made her acquaintance. On her Facebook profile, Vaungaylyn describes herself as “…sublimely happy!!!” and expresses her wish that we all share that same level of joy. Listed as her favorite quotation? “‘She’s just…a bit overly enthusiastic” ~an acquaintance, about Vaungaylyn.” Both are apt descriptions, but don’t even begin to do her amazing spirit, big heart, and infectiously optimistic personality justice.

Inspired by two neighborhood girls, Maddie and Makenna, who shaved their heads at a recent St. Baldrick’s event to raise money and spread awareness to ‘Conquer Kids’ Cancer’, Vaungaylyn decided to have her own fundraising event and shave her head! She chose two charities near and dear to her heart, and will split all monies raised equally between Service for Sight and the Reno Cancer Foundation.

Maddie and Makenna, rockin’ their short ‘dos, pose with V.

Vaungaylyn’s GLD 2B BLD campaign was a huge success, raising over $4,000 (and counting!) in just under two months, and culminated in a backyard BBQ and head shaving party yesterday afternoon. As soon as we heard about it, we knew that we wanted to be there to support her and capture the images to help tell her story.

Alyx Sacks with KRNV News 4 was there too, and the GLD 2B BLD ‘New Look for Cancer Awareness’ story led the midnight news edition just after the Olympics! (Don’t mind me walking behind Vaungaylyn in the video clip, as I’m getting ready to hand Dean the wide angle lens.  :P)

Here, Alyx interviews Vaungaylyn’s mom, and captures a conversation between two fearless (and inspiring) philanthropists!

Vaungaylyn’s friends and family…both young and young at heart, and those sporting long hair, or their own version of ‘glad to be bald’…came out in full force to support her!

Ponytails helped hold her luscious locks together, and will be donated to Locks of Love!

And then, amidst cheers and applause, the clippers went to work…

There go the bangs…

Vaungaylyn’s largest sponsor earned the privilege of shaving lines (a la Vanilla Ice) to complete the look!

WAHOO!!  :D  GLD 2B BLD!!

Seriously…love, love, LOVE these! V, you are absolutely GORGEOUS on the inside and out, with a sense of humor (and awesome ‘face’) to boot! (Shout out to MAC Cosmetics for working their makeup artistry.)

Mr. & Mrs. Z and their matching hairdos! oxo

Vaungaylyn, thank you for being uniquely you…for being a ray of light and a spark of inspiration every day! May your wish come true, as we all strive to be sublimely happy, and do big things to help others!

All our best!  Tiffany oxo

**Note:  In an effort to continue the ripple effect Vaungaylyn started, Follow Your Heart Photography will donate $1 to the GLD 2B BLD campaign for EACH blog comment left on this blog post between now and August 12, 2012. We will also donate any profits from downloads/prints/merchandise purchased between now and August 12, 2012 to the GLD 2B BLD campaign.

**To view (and order) all of the images from the GLD 2B BLD event, click here.

Inspired by the beauty and serenity at the Lodge at Whitehawk Ranch, I’m writing and Dean is taking photos, so that we can preserve this moment for us, as well as share it with all of you…

Summer grass, aspens, and pine trees dancing in the wind create a symphony reminiscent of the sea–rising and falling in nature’s rhythmic crescendos.  Light and shadow take their turn in unison with the clouds and sun.  Birds chirp high above, ducks race across the pond, butterflies float on the breeze and the mountain air is fresh and crisp.

Yesterday was my birthday and I got to share it with ‘Grandpa Bill’ as he celebrated his 90th (and a half) birthday.  Officially, we were there to photograph his family, and then as day turned to night, Dean and I were included in the celebration by Grandpa Bill’s twenty-three family members, as they spent the evening visiting, laughing, and raising a glass to toast the patriarch and each other, revealing in their reunion.  And then (led by Claudia) they surprised me by singing ‘Happy Birthday’…to me.  I was humbled and honored and so touched that it brought tears to my eyes.

We have the best job…EVER, and that’s one of the things I’m most thankful for.

When you get to spend time with a group of people who love each other, and whose laughter and humor are as infectious as the Millers’, it’s easy to get caught up in the celebration.  But to meet a family who includes you in such a way that you are buoyed along by their generosity of spirit and their open hearts is a true gift.  The Miller family gave us that gift, and we are grateful. It reminds me why we choose to chase this dream, as visual storytellers, so we can return the favor and give them the gift of the images we create that document them in a way that will keep this weekend’s memories alive for generations to come.

Cheers to the Miller family (all four generations), and especially Grandpa Bill…THANK YOU for inviting us to document your family’s story, and for a birthday dinner I will never forget!  oxo

Dean and I have always loved working with teens, and are so excited to expand our senior photography division and give Reno/Tahoe seniors a different type of photography experience. Our images will showcase each senior and their unique personality, but will also have a fashion forward look so that they stand out from the crowd.

It all starts with our 2013 Model Team, so apply today! The selected models will participate in an exclusive editorial shoot (think ANTM) at a fabulous location, and will receive complimentary professional hair and makeup services, as well as personal styling. The 2013 Model Team will also get images from their shoot to show off on Facebook, and have the opportunity to earn amazing rewards throughout the year.

Who should apply? We’re looking for 2013 High School Senior girls with tons of personality, inner beauty, a flair for fashion, a unique look, and a strong sense of self. oxo

Apply here:  FYHP 2013 Senior Model Application

Application deadline:  Friday, May 11^th at 5:00 pm

Model interviews:  Saturday, May 12^th through Tuesday, May 15^th

2013 Model Team announced:  Wednesday, May 16^th at noon

2013 Model Photo Shoot:  Friday, May 18^th

2013 Model Party and Photo Shoot Reveal:  Wednesday, May 23^rd

And although we didn’t have a full blown Model Team for the class of 2012, we did do a few mini-session with some amazing seniors who were Senior Reps for us. Congratulations to Makenzi, Max, Lydia and Courtney…the countdown to graduation is on! oxo

*Don’t forget to stop by our FB page to ‘like’ us too!

You see…I’m going through all of my teacher ‘stuff’ right now, and sending it on its way, so that others can breathe new life into it, and use it in their classrooms.  (Much better than having it sit in our garage or storage unit collecting dust, right?)

But.  I’m having a really hard time.  Letting go.

I’ve changed jobs before.  I’m actually one of those people who actively seek out new opportunities, and truly embrace change.  But this time it’s different.  Teaching is not just a job…it’s part of who I am, and as I close this chapter and finally move on, I’m finding it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be.

I’ve been out of the classroom for almost exactly a year.  I taught my last day on June 9^th , 2010.  I resigned in August and haven’t been back since.  (Truth be told, I’ve avoided going back into a school for the last year…it just seemed like it would be strange not to be a part of it all…)

Over the years, like any teacher worth her salt, I accumulated lots of great…well…um, err…teacher ‘stuff’.  I’m not sure how else to put it.  I’ve got 11 years worth of books, binders, lesson plans, posters, manipulatives, games, and who knows what else sitting in a huge pile in our garage.

Which is where it’s been for the past 10 months (much to the chagrin of my amazing, but decidedly anal ‘Mr. OCD/Clean Garage Guy’ of a husband.  Thank God he’s a patient man.)

Now that our photography business is up and running, and I have a new ‘day job’ that keeps me out of trouble, I’ve come to the realization that the chapter in my life where I welcomed other people’s children into my classroom (and heart) has officially come to an end.

I guess there was a part of me that didn’t have to accept this reality as long as I still had all of my ‘stuff’.

Deep down, I know that this is the right decision for us, and I’m so looking forward to what this next chapter holds.  But I’m a little sad too.  I have so much of me wrapped up in all of the ‘stuff’ in our garage…so much time, energy, and great measures of hope and excitement went into the lessons that I created and taught to my kindergarten, and then middle school students.

So, if you know a great teacher…and I know we all do…make sure that you go out of your way to give them a hug today. (I was always so appreciative of those who stopped to simply acknowledge the job that I was doing…whether they were strangers, friends, or parents who had students in my classroom.) Unless you’ve ever been a teacher, there’s just no way to explain the level of commitment it takes.  Teaching is not just a job…it’s a part of who they are, and good teachers put more of themselves into their ‘work’ than any other group of people I’ve encountered.  Every. Single. Day.

Hug a teacher.  Say ‘thank you’.  Believe me, it means more than you know.  oxo

(And if you know anyone who needs any ‘teacher stuff’…give them my #!)

Somehow, despite the wrong turns, potholes, and broken hearts we each encountered along the way, we ended up exactly in the right place, at the right time. Together. In hindsight, the detours and the lessons learned make perfect sense. Our separate journeys made us stronger than we would have been otherwise, and I think that helped us recognize what we have, and trust enough to believe that this time would be different.

That a love like this is worth the risk. So, loving with our whole hearts, we hold hands and take the leap.
Every day.

The first time I heard the song that perfectly described our journey to find each other, I cried. Big, fat, wet tears (the kind my dad used to call ‘Alligator tears’) leaked from my eyes and down my neck. I knew it would be the song we danced to at our wedding. And five and a half years after that first dance, we want to share it with you…

And because our first official blog post wouldn’t be complete without sharing an amazing image with all of you, here’s a sneak peek of our weekend in Sedona, AZ. Can’t you just picture a couple in love standing in this very spot…at sunset? Stay tuned…Melissa & Brian’s Sedona engagement session coming soon!

Loving with our whole hearts,
on February 14th, and everyday,

Tiffany (& Dean) oxo