My Bridal Shower

This past Saturday, my bridesmaids threw me a very lovely bridal shower. It was simple, pretty, and exactly what I wanted. I do have to admit, I was a little nervous because the entire shower was planned without my knowing. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on :/ All I knew about that day was to show up and have a good time. When I was sent away to a surprise make-up appointment that morning, I knew I was in for a good time ;) (Thanks Jasmine from MAC for my lovely makeup!)

And did I have a good time? Yes, I did! Actually, I had more than a good time. I had a GREAT time!!! I walked into our apartment and I was overwhelmed with how pretty everything was, friends that were there, and excitement for what’s coming in the next couple of months. The games the girls prepared that day were pretty hilarious as well. It was definitely a day to remember! Thank you thank you thank you to my lovely family, friends, and bridesmaids! It was absolutely perfect!

Here are some photos that I captured of my shower…(I know, I just can’t quit!)

This is still hanging in our apartment. I think I’ll keep it for awhile so I feel like it’s bridal shower everyday :)

I am a HUGE SUCKER for fresh, and pretty florals! Especially if they’re in mason jars so props to my girls for making sure to have these at my shower :) I just DIED with excitement. Our apartment is filled with them.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED reading everyone’s notes of advice for me

And you should have seen this coming people. It wouldn’t be a bridal shower for me if there weren’t any cupcakes ;) The chocolate ones are Nutella flavored (my fav!) from one of my favorite cupcakeries in the city. The raspberry and smore cupcakes were made by two of my bridesmaids Sara, and Charmaine. Also, my sweet wedding photographer gave me a Meri Meri bridal shower cupcake kit when she was last up here and were used during my shower :) I loved the bride and groom toppers!

Myself with my lovely Mom and future mother in-law Lynn :)

I passed my camera around so that I could have photos of myself from the shower. Half of my face is focused in this photo! HAHA but whatever ;)

Seriously? I have the biggest laugh I’ve ever seen.

I’ll end this blog with one of my favorite photos, EVER! Myself w/ my Bridesmaids.

From left to right

Charmaine, My MOH Sister Grace, Me, Sara, My cousin Sheina, and Margot

Words can’t express how thankful I am for each and every one of you ladies! My shower was beautiful and all of you there made it that much better! LOVE YOU ALL! Xoxo

Happy Tuesday!

Elaine - So cute!!!September 2, 2010 – 2:45 pm

cassandra-m - helllo GORGEOUS. Happy shower-day. Soooo HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPPPPPPPYYYYY for YOU (& Chris) . . .September 1, 2010 – 11:19 am

Silvia - Hi Glady,

Just wanted to say that you look beautifully happy in these pictures! I wish I was there to celebrate this beautiful moment with you and your family!
I love you lots.

Beijos

SilAugust 31, 2010 – 7:05 pm

Emily Scott - beautiful girl!! i am soo excited for you and for all the adventure yet to come. let’s hang out soon shall we?August 31, 2010 – 3:52 pm

Lora Ayers - even if I have only SEEN it and not yet HEARD it. :)August 31, 2010 – 3:40 pm

Lora Ayers - It was lovely! I love the hanging paper flowers (I’m sure there’s a fancy word for them, but oh well) So glad you had a great shower, and I LOVE your laugh!!!August 31, 2010 – 3:39 pm

Megan Welker - such a gorgeous shower Gladys!! It screams YOU! SO SO SO happy for you :)August 31, 2010 – 3:28 pm

Jennifer Fetke - you and your bridesmaids are beautiful! your too cute in these pictures!! i wish all the best to you and chris! you both deserve a LONG HAPPY LIFE!
Jesse&Jen FetkeAugust 31, 2010 – 3:20 pm

Emily Steffen - You’re cute!! :)August 31, 2010 – 3:17 pm

Michelle O - Gladys…first of all, everything looks LOVELY! And also, I TOTALLY HAVE THE SAME DRESS!!! It’s the girliest dress EVER, right?! Love it on you!August 31, 2010 – 3:08 pm

anda - awwwww— love it, gladys!!August 31, 2010 – 3:03 pm

Dianne Jago - WOW! What a beautiful shower!!! I love the hanging paper poms :) I’m obsessed with those things. You are gorgeous and so are you friends!!!August 31, 2010 – 3:02 pm

Margot

I heard her say she was a freshman at San Francisco State. It was my very first day attending the ward. I knew no one, and I too, were at freshman at SF State. So I did what any girl needing a new friend would…I went to the bathroom. And inside, stood Margot and I immediately sparked a conversation with her. We have been friends ever since.

Margot is up here for a week spending sometime with Chris and I. She is one of my bridesmaids for the wedding, but lives in LA so we are SO glad she is up here for  a little bit with us. If anyone is as excited about me getting married. Like I mean, SUPER excited…It’s Margot. We used to sit in front of our computers and watch wedding videos and cry. Buy wedding magazines and plan our weddings before we even had boyfriends. She just gets me and I’m thankful for that.

I told my sister last week that I wanted to do a portrait session of each of my bridesmaids. And well…here is my beautiful friend Margot! Yesterday was overcast and all sorts of lovely up on our rooftop! Soft light is my favorite! Love you Booh!

On a side note…Katie & AJ’s Backyard Wedding is featured on the lovely Forget Me Knot Weddings Blog today and it’s pretty exciting! Thanks Megan!

Happy Friday!!!

Lora Ayers - SOOOO pretty! Love them all. Especially the first one.August 31, 2010 – 3:42 pm

ala - i heart this session so so so much. like, i can’t even tell you how much. you are so amazing glad!August 28, 2010 – 10:52 pm

Sara G! - so pretty!!! I <3 your roof.August 27, 2010 – 7:07 pm

Nicole - Absolutely stunning!August 27, 2010 – 7:00 pm

anda - i don’t even know what to say except beautiful subject matter. beautiful images.August 27, 2010 – 12:00 pm

Julie Cannon - I just stumbled across your blog! From Forget Me Knot Weddings. I immediately felt a connection to you because I’m from the Bay Area (Fremont), and am also a photographer. I LOVE your work. And I have to say, lots of photographers don’t know how to write well on their blogs, but you do both so well! Just letting you know who one of your readers is!August 27, 2010 – 11:22 am

stephanie - These are gorgeous! And congrats on being on forget me not weddings. Can’t wait for you to do Erica’s photos in a couple of weeks!August 27, 2010 – 10:32 am

Michelle Cross - So gorgeous! And wooooohoooooo on the feature! So great!August 27, 2010 – 10:32 am

Chloe - gorgeous!August 27, 2010 – 10:20 am

Emily Scott - the colors and movement in all of these are just perfect.August 27, 2010 – 10:13 am

Emily Steffen - Well isn’t this cute Glady’s. I love the windblown hair and the adorableness of Margot! :) LOVE THIS! :)August 27, 2010 – 10:00 am

Evie Perez - What a fun idea!!! This is a great idea and yes Margot is beautiful!!! Great friends are a blessing!! I am so happy for you :) Congrats on the feature. Girl, you totally deserve it.August 27, 2010 – 9:57 am

delbarr - love!August 27, 2010 – 9:45 am

Hello world

I hope you are having a fabulous week so far! I know I’ve been a little slow on the blog front lately, but I thought I’d drop a line to say hello.  September is going to be an incredibly busy month for me, so I’m grateful that I have this last week in August to relax and get myself ready for what’s to come.  One of my best friends, Margot is spending the week here in SF with us so it’s going to be good times! Also, my own wedding is quickly creeping around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited about it.  Little nervous since there is still a lot that needs to be done (or at least I think so because I’m a little crazy) but I think the first step is admitting to it… :)

Headed to the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market this morning, and I snapped this photo from the donut stand. I had to resist getting one, but taking a photo of it is like taking a big bite out of one. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself ;) So I hope you have a very sweet Wednesday!

Chloe - ummmm YUM!! this picture alone will probably ruin my entire day because now all i want is one of those!August 27, 2010 – 7:07 am

Anda - Yum!!! Miss you. Enjoy your last free weekend for a while :)August 27, 2010 – 6:55 am

One

Last Friday was the year mark for me.
I read my old blog and I laughed. I looked back. I cried. I laughed some more.
I can’t believe it’s been an entire year since I started this journey.
So much has happened.
It’s been filled with…

Laughter.Stress.Relationships.Learning.Crying.Dancing.Sacrifice.Hoping.Wishing.Dreaming.Realizing.More Learning.Truth.Beauty.

I know there is only so much that one person can do or say…

But seriously….follow your dreams
don’t let anyone stop you. don’t let others bring you down. focus on where you want to go, and do everything you can to get there.
don’t think about how long it might take. because when you work hard, you’ll get there. That dream will soon become reality.
You’ll be happy.

I’m happy

I’ve still got a lot to do. A lot to learn. A lot to accomplish. But for now, I’ll focus on today. Because I’m in a different place now than I was a year ago. For that, I’m grateful.

HAPPY MONDAY!


Evie Perez - Yay!!! I am so ahppy for you!! I can’t belive how far I’ve come from starting and how much I’ve learned, so I totally feel where you are coming from :) Have a great week.August 25, 2010 – 7:19 am

Megan Welker - happy one year to you sweet friend!!!August 23, 2010 – 10:47 am

Joerelle + Karl: Mini Portrait Session

I sometimes get made fun of because of my name…that I’m some old lady that bakes cookies for her cats. Because Gladys, apparently is an older lady name. My parents named me after Gladys Knight. Which is awesome, but that doesn’t keep people from thinking I’m an old lady when they first see my name. But anyway…this session! Made me feel old. But not old lady bakes cookies for my cats old. Just old.

I was a freshmen in College 5 years ago. Joerelle and Karl? Just about to hit college this fall. Oyyy! I might as well have walked around with cookies in my hands ;) Anyways, Joerelle contacted me awhile back to set up a session, and we walked around the streets of Russian/Nob Hill. The light decided to grace us this past Sunday with its beauty after being gray and overcast for most of the day! Thanks Joerelle and Karl! I had a blast, besides the fact that you made me realize I’m officially a real adult :)

Here are my favorites
Told you the light was lovely!

So I learned this trick from my wedding photographer last year during her workshop…to use natural reflectors. The natural reflector for the following two shots…the pavement.

The more I shoot, the more I learn what shots make my heart skip beats and say “love love love that.” Shooting up close makes my heart skip beats and say “love love love that!”

And this last shot, I couldn’t go on without blogging. This I dedicate to a dear friend in Wisconsin! (Ya’ll know who she is ;) Because if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t know how to truly appreciate a good photo with wind blown hair. Or wind for that matter! This is forever one of my favorite images up to date.

Happy Tuesday!

Alex - Gladys, these are AMAZING! I’m so in love with these shots! Love how you use your inspiration and make it your own!!! Best shoot yet in my opinion. I loooove it!August 22, 2010 – 6:36 am

Jennifer Ballard - Lovely work Gladys! You make wind look good!August 19, 2010 – 1:41 pm

Brandon - Stellar shoot, love each shot!August 17, 2010 – 9:46 pm

s h e r r y - :) These photos ROOOCK!August 17, 2010 – 6:04 pm

Erica - Love these pictures! I had sooo much fun shooting with you Gladys and these shots are gorgeous! There’s a reason why I want to learn from you :)August 17, 2010 – 2:42 pm

anda - THESE ARE SO GOOD.August 17, 2010 – 1:48 pm

Judie - These are gorgeous!!August 17, 2010 – 1:13 pm

lora ayers - That light is gorgeous, and so are these pictures! Great job Gladys!August 17, 2010 – 11:47 am

hector - These look amazing! One of your best shoots to date!August 17, 2010 – 11:47 am

Harmony Loves - Amazing light! And I love your name, it’s more of an old soul name than just an old name :)August 17, 2010 – 11:18 am