SANTA MONICA BEACH OF YESTERYEAR

It was a special weekend with Rachael Labofsky Hoffman in town, one of Amanda's longest and dearest friends. In fact, Rachael has known Amanda and I longer than Amanda and I have known each other...if that makes sense! A trip to Santa Monica Beach was definitely on the list of things to do, and I wanted to capture something nostalgic so I shot the whole day in a yesteryear aesthetic to try and evoke a timeless feeling.  Here it is, blow by blow, we were on the road by 1030am, straight shot to the beach where we confidently parked at the Annenberg Community Pool.  Great spot right off the walkway, front row sweats of the Pacific.  Sylvie built sand castles, while Amanda and Ral caught up on old times, Estella pretty much under the blanket.  We picked up lunch at the cafe and had a nice picnic on the beach.  We were spent by 230pm, dipped our toes in the water and headed to Montana Street for some shopping, followed by a mini tour of 20th Century Fox, Beverly Hills, and finally home.

We filled the evening with dinner at Angelini Osteria, a silly tourist stop (trap) at Grauman's Chinese Theater, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  It was a jam packed day, full of smiles and laughs.

Sad to see you go Ral.  Cannot thank you enough for making the trek west and spending time with us, it was a wonderful wonderful weekend.  Until we see you again, may the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face.

LAKE SHRINE CALIFORNIA

Friends and fam have been asking recently why I haven't been posting photos on the blog.  The honest truth is I haven't found the time to write.  I keep up the photos through shutterfly regulalry for family and update tumblr here and there.  Finding the time to write though is the toughest part.  So here I lay, on a Saturday evening having just finished reading a treatment, now with some time, but an ear to the television as Amanda watches Real Housewives of New Jersey, as I get my thoughts in order.

It's been an amazing three months, Estella already wise beyond her years, possessing all the great qualities of her mom and big sister.  Looks like she's going to have my eyes, so that's a good thing!  Estella is an observer, like her daddy.  She takes it all in, one day she's going to speak, say something amazing and thoughtful, blow us all out of the water.  She and her sister will conquer the world.  But until then, they are my babies.

We went to Lake Shrine today where the PCH and Sunset Blvd intersect.  Beautiful spot.  Majestic.  Calm.  Alarmingly Quiet.  We walked around taking in the beauty.  Sylvie told me later this evening as she was having her bedtime snack that her favorite part was feeding the turtles.  We laughed at how much fun we had.  I told myself to remember this moment, she was so honest and happy, it was her time to tell me what she loved about the day.  We had brunch at Taste, just up the street from Lake Shrine, delicious.  Tennis with Bobby in BH.  Dinner w Lindsey, Brian, and the handsome Sawyer.  Shows.  Baths.  Snacks.  Stories.

So that's that.  Tomorrow is another day.  I'm sure we'll laugh, get frustrated and angry, but delighted when Estella stares deep into our souls and smiles, Sylvie cracks a joke, tells us she isn't hungry to then five minutes later throwing a tantrum fully knowing she's starving but not wanting to admit it.  And we go around and around and around.

Here are a few from the day.  Also, to get caught up on my other work please go to andrewcalof.tumblr.com

Until we talk again...

SESSION RAIN

She is one of a kind - life in motion.  Articulate.  Beautiful.  Sweet. Collective.  Smartest in the room.  Can't get enough Rain, even when it pours...

VENICE CANALS - VENICE, CA

Finally an outing after eleven days.  I've wanted to visit the canals in Venice for a bunch of years, probably since we moved to California, but somehow we never made it, until now.  Five deep in the car - Susu, Amanda, Sylvie, Estella and me.  We ventured out to Venice, CA around 1045am this morning to get a jump on the day.  It was incredibly peaceful, serene, with beautiful homes to catch your gaze.  Afterward, we went to the The Nosh for lunch.

Check out our morning in Venice.

ESTELLA LAKE CALOF

At 721am, April 24th, we welcomed Ms. Estella Lake into the world. Not as crazy a story from three years ago, though still quite the experience. It was rather quick, Amanda having been to the big dance once before.  As the middle of the night turned to morning, we had another beautiful daughter - already sweet, tempered, and calm.  Amanda was a star, never wavering, always strong - I love her.  It was yet another incredible day in this journey called life. Amanda and I are so extremely happy, Sylvie to call herself a big sister, and for everyone's kind wishes.

As for the name, it stems from one of our favorite stories, Great Expectations, the stunning and seductive Estella. We fell in love with it and the name stuck with us all these years, I'm sure she'll break a few hearts down the road.

I'll spare you the docudrama of the day, as my camera captured pretty much the entire milestone.  Though I will leave with a few frames that I hope express my feelings of joy and excitement that will last a life time.