This year I was hired to photograph the Khmer Post Gala in Lowell. It was a fun time and inspiring to see so many khmers doing great community work. I love the cultural performances and the live band that plays. It was a lovely event put together by the Khmer Post of Lowell.
May is here. A lot happens when the weather gets nicer! People are out and about enjoying the sunshine. More major spring cleaning going on. Holly, stares you down and acts despondent because she wants non stop play in the sunshine and you just have too much to do.
I love this nice weather and it definitely keeps the weekend full. Friday we headed in to NYC for a friend’s wedding. Congrats Stephanie and Tom! Then Saturday morning, bright and early Karla volunteered for Home Front where as I decided to sleep in a bit and hang out with Holly. There were plenty of projects at our place. Our screened in porch is looking really shabby so she put me in charge of that while she took care of the landscaping. That was a lot of work but we made progress.
We also had Peyton’s birthday party to go to this weekend, the little guy is turning 6 so I was around to capture a few shots. Last year, his birthday photo made it in to the Smithsonian APA gallery. It was a fun time with friends, food, and many adorable little kids.
Sunday morning we got up to join our friend Jeannine for a 4 mile run, and by run I mean I jog/walk with all intention of running. Ha! Waaay behind Karla and Jeannine. Definitely need to practice running and get back in to shape, we signed up for a half marathon in the fall!
We headed up to Minerva, NY for a small Adirondack Winter Weekend with Karla’s Caramoor crew. The weather was frigid but we had a great time exploring a little bit of the area and staying in this cozy house playing games with some fun people. Late nights with Cards Against Humanity, Lunchbox, and some improvisational songwritng. Karla and I had to head out early Sunday to celebrate a best friend’s birthday, but it was a wonderful weekend. Definitely coming back for some real adventures next time. Highly recommend this wonderful Adirondack Getaway that we stayed at.
Karla and Morgan. Daria. About to head out to explore a little bit of the area.
How excited does Morgan look?
The most adorable couple: Steve and Emma.
“Charla!”
Attempting a karate kick.
Let’s walk and experience the tundra.
A frozen Lake George.
My darling Karla, smiling, but really saying, “it’s bleeping cold out here!”
Me on the frozen lake, I would like to hop on one of this snowmobiles.
It’s chowder time.
Serving up cold at the ice bar.
Ahhh heat!! Let’s warm up with some whiskey.
Dylan and Daria in for a pose. But I missed it with a poor light setting.
Found a heart on the ground. Look at the lovebirds working together to stack the pool balls.
Venturing back out in to the cold.
Ice sculptures. Karla loves Olaf.
Let’s all pet the snow elephant.
We’re being “those people.” 🙂
Yay! Let’s just check out any open stores here.
Running to the car. Headed to the Sagamore.
Then decided it’s best to stay in. Warmth. Food. Games. Friends.
Relax.
Music.
Finally, a picture of Christine and Tim.
Pretty awesome mosaic in North Creek.
Some animals on a farm.
The sun came out on our way home, gorgeous winter day. This was up by Bear Mountain on our way back.
read more
Discovered this kickstarter project and went ahead to pledge my support. The trailer actually brought me to tears and made me really miss my father. All I could see were my parents face in the old clips, and their friends and family we never got to know… the life they enjoyed around this music, this was their Cambodia. This lively “Pearl of Asia,” all this youth, life, freedom that was tragically taken from them.
This is the Cambodia they wanted us to know… We grew up in America, not knowing much of what our parents had left behind. As a kid, I thought Cambodia was this backwards country with no running water, poverty, and the war, because it just seemed like such a scary place from the stories you hear. I used to think it was always like that, because my parents could never discuss all that they lost. After my father passed, films like these, can tell the stories of his youth that he really wanted to share with us, but was so hard for him to communicate.
I look forward to seeing this film and attending the concert in NYC. In the audience, I know my father will be there with me too.
http://citywinery.com/newyork/cambodiaslostrockandroll042415.html
read more
We made it out to see the Great Jack O Lantern Blaze with my brother Chet and his girlfriend Melinda. It was a fun time, event was filled with people, so foot traffic can get a bit slow and congested. Still so cool to see the creativity involved in creating these scenes. Highly recommend it! Makes me want to carve some pumpkins!
read more
Our friends Krista and Francia came back up from the city for another vineyard trip joining my besties, Jeannine and Sally! This time we went up to New Preston, CT’s Lake Waramaug to celebrate a duo Charla birthday. Overlooking the lake is Hopkin’s Vineyard, such great place! Plenty of people, live music was playing, and the colors of the leaves were at their best. Grabbed a bottle of wine and picnicked outside with some snacks. Great view, beautiful day, awesome company. Can you tell how excited we are (jumping pictures define excitement)??
Overlooking Lake Waramaug.
Charla sighting.
My friends!
More of these ladies.
I actually started out the day with a photoshoot for this really adorable family in the morning. After the vineyard, we headed to my mom’s house for a party and introduced Francia and Krista to the Khmer community. My brother ended up proposing to his girlfriend (finally) at the party. Wedding officially coming in July.
read more
Karla’s birthday, this actually made us kind of nervous… We wanted to shoot a lantern in to the sky, because why not, it’s so pretty. We hung out with our favorite people, Nancy and Skip who have become my pseudo parents. A little dinner finished with some home made chocolate cakes, wine, and a little birthday lantern wish. Nothing caught on fire, at least that we know about…
It’s lit.
Karla and Skip getting ready to launch
And there it goes…
Ice cream, cake and candles.
Went on an outing to Mystic with our friends Francia and Krista. It’s nice to be able to show our city friends a little bit of Connecticut. Just so happened Tom and Skip were also there on their weekly sailing adventure, so we met up with them to continue our partying at the marina.
First stop, Saltwater Farm Vineyard, where we had a few tastings and explored their amazing winery ( I was actually here for Tom’s daughter’s wedding a few years ago). It’s such beautiful setting and the weather was perfect, sun shine, nice breeze. Then we had lunch at this cute gourmet deli a couple miles away. Meandered along the back roads of southeastern Connecticut to our next stop, Jonathan Edwards Winery. This charming vineyard is situated on top of hill in North Stonington in the midst of some beautiful farmlands. We enjoyed the wine here and met a nice couple celebrating their wedding anniversary.
I highly recommend visiting the wineries on the Connecticut Wine Trail, they have so much charm and are fairly easy to get to considering it doesn’t take that long to drive across Connecticut! There’s also a passport program with grand prizes that include a trip for two to Spain! Defintely signing up for that next year.
After that, we headed to party on the boat! Margaritas, wine, storytelling, barbecue, it was such a fun time we ended up crashing in the hotel room with Krista and Francia to get up early for a morning sail with Captain Tom and Skipper. They were happy to have four lovely ladies tour the ocean with them.
The view at Saltwater
Inside the hangar, pretty cool!
The lovely Francia and Krista.
Charla!
Down and out.
Entrance to Jonathan Edwards
The couple celebrating their wedding anniversary, took a photo for them! Congrats ladies!
Stroll.
Another Charla sighting.
More of the lovely ladies.
The group!
Stroll through their vineyard.
That’s how we do wine tastings!
Our old guys! Love them.
Trying to look the part of a sailor.
Ladies ladies.
The marina at dark.
We were all hurting, but we made it up for the morning sail.
Marina in the daytime.
Leaving the marina.
Can you see the seagull?
Captain Tom.
Skipper at work.
Great morning to be out.
Enjoy the sail.
Ocean!
Karla at the helm.
shooting the breeze.
All the sailboats hanging out.
Smooth sailing.
at the front.
Skip, my “pseudo dad” and me.
🙂
Cool railroad track that opens to let boats in to the marina.
Pulling the sails down.
We enjoyed the sail.
Beginning of a colorful fall.
Our sailors!
Off to town.
Strolling in to the town center for lunch.
