*{Two More Awesome Finds...}*

I thought of these last two things today that I just had to share....I think my brain was poisoned by turkey, and I forgot them on yesterday's post.

But seriously, you know you all have that childish tendency to want to pop the bubbles on bubble wrap...how cool would it be to have a calendar where you get to pop a bubble everyday?! OMGosh! Check this out! Go to Urban Outfiters for this awesome calendar...brilliant.

And lastly, do you want to make your boxes look spiffy when mailing them this holiday season?! I'm thinking I need to buy this for all my clients boxes...check out this fabulous packaging tape by TapeSwell.

Happy Shopping Days!
-m

*{My Favorite Things}*

Okay...time for me to rob a bit of Oprah's spotlight (okay...maybe her shadow) and post my favorite things that are definitely on my Christmas list this year!!

Drum roll please...

I first spotted this divine "Antoinette Fainting Sofa" (I seriously love the name of this thing) while stalking one of my favorite photogs blog. We have been looking for some kind of bench to put at the end of our bed, and then I saw this blog post on Amanda's blog and simply FELL.IN.LOVE! And I think it was meant to be because today I started searching around Urban Outfitter's site for furniture and it was like the angels playing trumpets in Heaven when I saw the "fainting sofa"! I am so torn though...I love this carbon color, but I also love the Caribbean blue that you see in Amanda's post...decisions, decisions. However, I think the carbon color could go with so much more down the road when I want to switch out colors in the master bedroom. So here is the fainting couch that makes my heart skip a beat. You will have to check out Amanda's blog to see what this sofa looks like at the end of a bed...FABULOUS!

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And item number two is also from Urban Outfitters. Seriously, how cute are these curtains?! I would love to get a couple of these and put them in the girls bedroom...don't they just scream girl?!

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Okay...not much more needs to be said about the following except: I.WANT.THESE.BOOTS...still!


The problem is I am a frugal shopper...I have searched high and low for a Black Friday sale on these suckers, and it just flat out doesn't exist...but Amazon does have the best price on it so far...maybe Oprah is reading this and would love to buy me a size 9.5?!
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The next item I had on my list a good 2 or MAYBE 3 years ago...and I still haven't just bit the bullet and bought one. But I absolutely love the Anthropologie aprons! Seriously, I love them all...and I know I wouldn't wear it EVERY day, but still, it would be fun to look rockin' in the kitchen while sporting my Betty Crocker skills every once in awhile. I don't even think I should "claim" Betty Crocker skills...but my baking is definitely better than my cooking.

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Okay...my next item is simple...I want a trip to Shareen's Vintage in Los Angeles. Now you have to go to the following link to see this place in it's due justice. Fabulous photographer Brandon Kidd did an editorial shoot for Shareen's and his images just make you want to jump in the car right now, hit up a Starbucks to get caffeinated, and put the pedal to the metal to get to L.A. and go through all the yumminess that is in store there. A matter of fact, I think I may have something up my sleeve for a personal project...and the clothes have to come from here! Sorry, no image...you just have to check out Brandon's post! Be prepared to drool!
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QUE MUSIC: {{OH OH OH OH OH...HANGIN' TOUGH}}

And last but definitely NOT least...ahhhhhhh (breathe in, breathe out)...tickets go on sale tomorrow for Joey McIntyre's tour. It is no secret to you all...I am a Blockhead...and I will simply be one for the rest of my life. And Joey Joe...my favorite one of all...is going on tour! Now how can a girl say no to that! Now, I'm not going to lie...I would love to see all of them together again (this last tour was F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S). And my fingers are crossed that they will once again go on another tour as a group. But until then, tickets to see Joey Joe would put my heart at ease!

So on that note...those are a few of my favorite things. Hope you all had a successful Black Friday! What's on your list of favorite things this year?!

Until Next Time,
-m

*{BFFs}* Mennife CA Photographer

This session was so special for many different reasons. Erin was my sidekick through high school. When I think back at my high school years, I immediately think of Erin, Mindy and Natalie (the two other goofballs in the group), and myself...running around Temecula without a care in the world. We had so much fun...innocent fun...the kind of fun that we all pray for our daughters when they are that age! Now, a good 15 years later, we all have little girls of our own...SO.MUCH.FUN! So of course when my BFF was due with her third precious little girl, I knew my camera had to be all over her! And then the session became even more important to me when little Miss Taylor was born. To her family's surprise, little Miss Taylor was born with Downs Syndrome and with a hole in her heart. With everything their family has gone through in the past few weeks, I wanted so much to give them photos they will always treasure. Miss Taylor has a lot that she will be going through just in the next 6 months or so, starting with surgery to fix that precious little heart. Little Miss Taylor has already begun to bless her family in many different ways. It was evident just in the way her older sisters look at her...they are in awe. And through Faith, her family will find the strength, direction, and comfort they need.

So here is a family that will always have a special place in *my* heart, and a family that I admire on so many levels...


OH MY GOSH...those cheeks are to die for!

Proud big sisters...



Seriously...how cool is Annie the dog?!

And a slideshow of their session for you to enjoy~

A medical fund has been established to help with Miss Taylor's medical bills not covered by insurance. If your heart so desires, please contact me via email (info@michelleocampophotography.com) to find out where donations may be mailed.

Until Next Time~
-m

*{Photog Shoot-out}*

This is something I think all photographers love to do...get together with other photographers and just shoot away to your heart's content...a chance to break all rules and have no pressure. And that is what we did. Photographers from all over the world, coming together with one common theme...we love photography. Put someone in front of our camera, and we will shoot!

The night before the Jasmine Star Workshop, we all met up for some shooting time, followed by drinks and dinner once the sun set over gorgeous Laguna Beach. It was a fabulous way to get to know each other before the workshop, and make connections with some wonderful individuals. The connections made were real and genuine, and I hope we all keep in touch and follow each others journeys for many years to come. Here are some pics of our fun and some of the wonderful photographers I was able to share this experience with...

Fabulous Jersey Girl, Jessica







The girl with a contagious smile, Gladys Jem...




The super-sweet and genuine Radelle...
And super-talented and so incredibly fun, Anda...

And here is a tribute to some wonderful souls that were thrilled to be in front of the camera as we were shooting. Any random person on the beach was probably trying to figure out who these people were because we looked like hardcore paparazzi with a dozen photographers shooting them!


These last few make my heart sing...




Thanks for a fabulous evening ladies~
m

*{It's Official...}*

She loves eggnog...

*{Merry Christmas To You}* Temecula CA Photographer

So I met up with the *B* Family in Old Town Temecula this past week to grab some very important photos.

It is always fun to see how people find me to book a session! So here it is...Mr. B's sister lives in Florida and found me on my friend's blog. Knowing that Mr. B is preparing to deploy soon, she thought it would be the most perfect Christmas gift for their family. So she contacted me, we set everything up, and I had a blast shooting her brother's family! Seriously, that is the most awesome gift ever! It's not like a Snuggie that will be in next year's garage sale!

So we wandered around Old Town and even stopped for a gelato at the end! I think that was a hit for the kiddos...

So here are some pics of this wonderful family. And Mr. B, you will be in my thoughts and prayers as you enter this deployment. It is because of families like this, that we are all able to live in such a wonderful country and sleep soundly at night. Thank you for everything you do and everything your family sacrifices.

Until Next Time,
m

*{ J* }* Workshops

Attended.
Fabulous.
Real.
Genuine.
BFFs.
Inspired.

Need I say more?
-m

P.S.- I'm totally going to say more in another post because it was simply fabulous and it can be hard to shut me up! But I want the pics of our fab models to go with it! More to follow!

*{Color Me Happy}* Fort Irwin Photographer

I just hung up from a client for this weekend and we were discussing how I felt about clothing choices and color. I.LOVE.COLOR! Seriously, I know it may be hard for some people to sway away from having the whole family in jeans and a white shirt; however, check out what color can do for an image! This family rocked the colors and it adds such a visual *POW* to an image!






What I always recommend to my clients when figuring out what to wear for a session is this:
MOM...you get to have the most fun out of everyone. YOU get to choose the outfit that YOU feel fabulous in. Pick something that you feel rockin' in and then coordinate everyone else around YOU! Yes, I said that! You get to dictate the session based on your outfit! And just choose complimentary colors. Everyone does not have to be in the same color! So mom, go have fun scouring those JCrew and Anthropologie catalogs for that ideal outfit. You deserve it; think about how often you go out shopping for your children and come home with nothing for yourself. I TOLD YOU! So go spoil yourself on one fun outfit...and everything else will fall into place. I promise! Scour those sales racks first...you never know what gem you will find. I am the queen of finding steals on the sales rack! And don't forget the accessories ladies!

Until Next Time,
m ;)

*{My Lovely Lakebed...}* Murrieta Family Photographer

So the lovely lakebed is becoming a very popular destination for sessions! Now I understand families here at Fort Irwin wanting to experience the madness of it all because it is the ultimate family memory for their time here in the desert. But it has become so popular that this family from Murrieta drove ALL.THE.WAY. to the desert just so they could partake in the fun as well!

Now this was no simple session. I am not exaggerating when I tell you we battled 60+mph winds out there. Most photographers would have probably bailed and rescheduled for another date, but not me! I mean first of all, this fabulous family was driving a good 2 hours just to get here!! And secondly, I knew that wind is *amazing* in photographs. How boring to have your hair so perfectly still, right?! And boy, was I right! Check these girls out; super troopers braving the wind! And dad has a quick set of feet on him as well...at one point the kite accidentally got away and I was at peace knowing it was probably gone forever. But then dad came bolting down the lakebed chasing a kite that was just purely out of control. However, he was successful and saved the kite! Thanks again!

So here are some pics of the fun I had with the girls!
Enjoy!
-m