July 31, 2011

i am magical!

thank you jk for confirming what i always new to be true!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!!!

July 29, 2011

i am legit. FINALLY!

this fancy guy has a new home.
MINE!

i would like to tell all of you out there in blogger world how excited i am that on this day >>> July 29, 2011, i purchased my very OWN and my very FIRST DSLR!

a nikon D7000!


i know what you are all thinking ..

I THOUGHT MELANIE WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER?!
i am.

let me tell you a little story.

i LOVE film.
always have. always will.

while i was studying photog at UVU i did a lot of film.
i delved into digital here and there.

why didnt i buy a camera then though? thats the good time to use student discounts right?
well i was still a poor college student.
duh.

AND i loved my little nikon n55 and pinholes and holgas!

so i borrowed UVU's digital when i needed.
i used friends digitals as well.
mainly lisa janes! 
[thank you btw]

then when i finally thought i should do it, buy my very own digital, i got the answer to serve a mission and went to the beautiful and cold land of Wisconsin.

well why buy a fancy camera when you cant really use it for 1.5 years?
my thought exactly.

so now i have been home for almost 1.5 years.
i have borrowed my dear cats camera a lot in that time.
also papa cards too!
[thanks guys!]

i talked to my sweet fiance [who i get to marry in 3 months from today!] and told him my savings amount and he told me to go for it! he is a good man that mr. barlow.

he knows i have been wanting to officially own my own camera for a long time!
it may not seem like a big deal but for me it is!
especially b.c. i paid for it all at once. no credit cards for this handsome nikon!

i am so excited to use it!

guess who my first model is gonna be?!


obvi this little frogy man!

i am driving to the great hotness of AZ tomorrow!
all by myself. 
should be fun.

i cant wait to meet my nephew and snuggle and photograph him 1,000 times!

i am just a happy woman right now.

also on a happy note we went to a Harry Potter art gallery tonight in Alhambra.
AMAZING.
more on the life size He Who Must Not Be Named to come ..

July 26, 2011

Easton Mark Hatch

welcome to the real world little buddy!


congratulations to my sweet sister and brother!
he is one handsome little peanut.
i cant wait to snuggle him!

stats:
july 26th, 2011
2:36pm
7lbs 8oz
20 inches

July 15, 2011

July 14, 2011

July 10, 2011


mr. barlow makes me smile.

July 07, 2011

love to my jastal fam ..

this is baby aaron michael jastal.
born april 19, 2011
he was born with a heart defect.

my dear lisa and her husband brandon are such amazing parents.
so strong.

i got a text from lisa at 1:26am letting me know their little darling returned home to His Heavenly Father this evening.


i am so grateful i had the privilege of meeting and holding this sweet angel just about a month ago.

he was still in the childrens hospital in SLC at that time.


he fell asleep in my arms and i could feel the love of our Heavenly Father through his little face.


he was in an out of the hospital these 3 months of his life.
he even had a major heart surgery when he was only about a week old!


his sweet big sister ashlynn is pretty much the best!

this little guy was a trooper.
he was blessed to have been born to such wonderful parents.


his smiles make my heart melt.


i am SO grateful for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and for Eternal Families.


thank you lisa and brandon for letting me be a part of your life and the lives of your children.

i love you jastals.

July 04, 2011

america! america!

i love america.
i love independence.
i love 4th of july.


i especially love fireworks!

July 01, 2011

a little summer snap shot!

for those of you who dont already know this fun fact .. i work at a photography studio!

a cute little place right on First Ave in Arcadia.
Belle n' Beau Photography is the place.

[ps if you geocache try looking in arcadia on First. i know where one is! that is my hint.]

i do lots of things as the studio manager.
i make appts.
i help people order their portraits.
i retouch.
i fb. for the company that is!
i do graphics.
i get photographed.
just to name a few daily activities.

why do i bring this up you ask?
well ..

i made this >>> look down!



there is a huge parade on our street tomorrow for the 4th of July and we thought it would be a great opportunity to get new clients to come in! and cool off of course.

here is a little taste of the photo love you'll get at Bn'B! 

meet the warner girls!


side note: there is a 20x30 portrait of me and my sisters hanging in the studio right above my desk when i do orders and it makes me giggle every time i see them look up and then look at me and look up again!

so come! update your family portraits! or start having one! 
thats what the warners did anyways!
here is the big vinyl poster in the front of our studio.
i like!


happy summer!