AfricanKelli

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So, I’ve been waiting a bit to post some fun photos of Shelley and her three young ones:  Vincenzo, Paola and Olivia. (My God, how gorgeous are those names? Perfectly matched, as you’ll see.)

Look at this mama go! Feeding the twins at the same time. She’s a great mama, and once again it is such a delight to watch my friends become parents. But then again, how easy is it to love these baby birds?

Right? Squishy little adorable Italian bambinas!

Their big brother is just as sweet, but far more mobile and therefore harder to get good photos of. I adore them all.

~K

I’m not talking about Quayle jr., who has started his political career in Arizona running on his family name and a penchant for white lies. No, no. I’m talking desert birds. Did you know these sweet creatures squeek? I was house-sitting this weekend for family friends; the dad feeds a handful of birds each evening as the sun drops beneath the horizon. I threw the cup of seed over the fence as instructed and waited with my camera.

The little creatures scurried from high and far making the tiniest, highest noise. It. Was. Adorable.

I’m appreciating the smallest of Arizona life these days; it’s a challenge to find things you love about desert life this time of year, other than the obvious:  air conditioning, ice cream, cold swimming pools, clean sheets, ceiling fans, popsicles, big hats, shade, etc.

~K

It will come as no surprise that one of my most favorite things to photograph is food. With a new lens in tow on this trip to Washington, I stuck my camera near dozens of plates  to capture what others were about to devour. This was a meal shared with friends at a brewery on Bainbridge Island.

I shared this meal and many in the past with Juliann and Kent. I love this photo of Kent for a variety of reasons — namely his wild eyebrows and that he’s two seconds away from one of his characteristic chin-quivering booming laughs.

We spend a lot of time together. And a lot of time laughing. These are the types of  friendships I cherish.

It’s a sweet life — one in which I crave more time to play.

~K

I traveled this weekend to Washington not only to spend time with my Italian friends, but also to attend the wedding of Matt & Mariah. M&M are relatively new to Phoenix. I met them at a happy hour several years ago when they’d just arrived. Mariah is a public health practitioner too and we struck up an easy conversation. Now, M&M are in the bowling league and they are Sydney’s proud parents.

Traveling to such a beautiful place to celebrate their union was a no-brainer. Wedding at an organic farm on a peninsula in the Puget Sound in August when you live in Phoenix? Also two of my favorite people were also attending? I couldn’t say yes quickly enough.

It was the wedding of all weddings. The ceremony, performed by a minister friend from the Church of Canada, was brilliant. I’ve honestly never before heard a minister do such a great job of capturing the spirit of the day, the couple and the environment. He told funny jokes, was sentimental and poignant — incredibly difficult to pull off. Also, he asked the guests to say vows for the couple, ensuring we’d hold them to what they were promising each other. It was meaningful and tactful. He walked a fine line between those who were spiritual and not, and did so with grace.

Plus! The ceremony included random performances by many of the talented guests. A man played a harmonica solo at the beginning that had everyone tapping their toes and aching for the dance floor. As a surprise to her new husband, the bride coordinated a handful of friends to sing the chorus from “Love Actually” — “Love, Love, Love” at one point — (as they do in the movie), including a trumpet solo. (The guest actually hid the trumpet in her dress on the way in. We were all shocked that suddenly this gorgeous Norwegian woman was standing up, whipping out a trumpet and quite literally blowing us all away.) And for the finale, the bride’s brother sang a Van Morrison song and played a guitar and had everyone in tears.

This was just the ceremony.

The party afterward included an open-mic portion of the evening that brought out a handful of random performances including OutKast sung with a ukelele. Imagine thirty people spinning in circles singing, “Shake it like a polaroid picta’!” There was a donut buffet instead of wedding cake. There were fresh cut flowers on every table that were as stunning as the surrounding gardens. And the toasts — the bride’s mother gave a toast that brought down the house. There were guests who flew in from a dozen countries to celebrate with the pair; what a great sign of their friendships and the way they lead their lives.

Such an incredible party, celebration and start to a beautiful marriage. I am so thankful to have been there. I truly feel richer for their friendships and for witnessing such a creative union.

Plus, this one kept me giggling the entire time. We are too much trouble together!

~K

A few shots from a photo walk before the wedding’s rehearsal dinner at Pike Place Brewery:

Pike Place Market:: Graffiti:: Gum Wishing Wall:: Wall Sconce:: Street Sculpture:: Post Alley Folk:: Fountain:: Bus:: Sail Boats

~K