Bohemian Styled Bridal Shoot {Crane Creek} Lifestyle & Wedding Photography | Marin, Napa, Sonoma County Photographer...Shelley Hohe

A few months ago I shared a sneak peak from a bohemian styled bridal shoot I was a part of with other vendors in the wedding industry.  I was invited by another local photographer and was waiting to share these photos to give her a chance to submit her photos into wedding publications.  Her photos were just picked up so I now have the go ahead to share these photos.

Everything about this bridal shoot was so beautiful...the model, the flowers, the baked goods!  The location was just stunning!  It was at Crane Creek Regional Park in Sonoma County and natural beauty of this location really pulled the theme together. I had so much fun being able to capture these photos and this shoot came at a perfect time as I was in the planning stages of putting together my own bridal shoot.  As a matter of fact my very first bridal shoot that I have been planning for the last few months will be this Friday and I can't wait.  I have worked very long hours planning this with the most amazing vendors in Sonoma County.  You will want to check back soon for this bridal shoot.  For now I want to share these photos that I have been wanting to post for some time now...

Model ~ Lauren Davis

Make Up Artist ~ Lovely to be Artistry

Flowers ~ Bella Vita Event Productions

Desserts ~ Sift Weddings

Lifestyle, Portrait & Wedding Photographer serving Marin, Sonoma & Napa Counties

415.827.9646 ~ www.shelleydeephotography.com

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Almost 13! {Disneyland} Shelley Dee Photography ~ Lifestyle & Wedding Photography ~ Marin, Napa, Sonoma County Photographer...Shelley Hohe

I can't believe in less than 4 months our babies (Thomas and Katelyn) will be teenagers!  Yep that's right our twins are turning the big 13!  How did that happen so fast???  It still seems like just yesterday I was holding both of them at the same time in my arms.  With this special milestone of a birthday we want to do something extra special for them.  We have thought about throwing them a big birthday party with family and friends, going to Tahoe so they can experience some yummy buffets (our kids act like we never feed them and they are always telling us they can't wait till the day that they don't have to order off the kids menu :), renting a motorhome and driving up to Canada or going back to Disneyland and spending their actual birthday in the Happiest Place on Earth!!!   I am not sure what we are doing as of yet, but somehow we will get back to Disneyland soon.

We always have so much fun when we go to Disneyland and being the Happiest Place on Earth you just can't help but have fun and be HAPPY!  The last time we went to Disneyland/California Adventure it was so exciting because the kids were finally big enough to go on ALL the big rides.  Some of our favorite rides are Soaring Over California (this ride is breathtaking), California Screamin' (best roller coaster ever!!!), Star Tours (of course)!, Indiana Jones (except for the last time the ride broke down & stopped right at the part where the huge boulder looked like it was about to fall on you...it was pretty scary) and last but not least...Space Mountain.  Besides the rides I love all the parades and musicals.  My favorite musical is Aladdin, the last time we went it wasn't playing, so I am making sure it will be playing the next time we go.  We usually go to Disneyland the week before Thanksgiving.  It is the best time to go because most of the Christmas decorations are up, there are no lines due to the fact it's right before a vacation week for most people and the weather is perfect...not too hot!  The only downside of going this time of year is the fact that some rides could be closed because they are decorating for Christmas.  Usually this might be It's a Small World, The Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean, but all 3 of them are never closed down at the same time.

If we do go for the kids birthday we will definitely have to make good plans being that their birthday falls around Fathers Day weekend.  It is always busy in Disneyland this time of year and very hot.  Either way I know we will have a wonderful time where ever we go!!!

Here are some photos from our last trip to Disneyland which was a little over a year ago.  This trip I decided to bring my dslr so I could take some good photos.  You can tell Thomas was not too happy in most of these photos...all he wanted to do was go on the rides.  Being the photographer I am I just had to take some pictures.  I promised them next time I won't bring my big camera...just my iPhone :)

Lifestyle, Portrait & Wedding Photographer serving Marin, Sonoma & Napa Counties

415.827.9646 ~ www.shelleydeephotography.com

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The Way to Succeed {Shelley Dee Photography} Lifestyle & Wedding Photography | Marin, Napa, Sonoma County Photographer...Shelley Hohe

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved photography and photos.  I remember sitting on my grandmothers lap as she would share her life's stories with me while flipping through all of her photo albums.  I even remember receiving my first Kodak film camera...I have loved taking pictures for as long as I could remember.  Did this guarantee that I was supposed to be a photographer???  I personally feel that just because I love photography, it doesn't mean I am going to be good at it.  As a matter of fact when I decided to launch my business almost five years ago, I look at those old pictures and think "wow that photo looks bad!"  I had to practice, learn, fail and try one more time...over and over again!  I have taken so many workshops, watched so many videos and have read so many books.  They all have  helped me so much! There have also been times where I felt like giving up, but then I remember this quote from Thomas A. Edison.... 
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to try just one more time.” 

I am glad I did not give up!  I will keep on practicing, learning, failing and trying over again.  This is the way to not only succeed in our businesses but in life itself!

Here are photos of our kids when I first started out almost 5 years ago...

Here are recent photos of our kids shot with the same exact camera and lens...

Lifestyle, Portrait & Wedding Photographer serving Marin, Sonoma & Napa Counties

415.827.9646 ~ www.shelleydeephotography.com

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Guess Who's House {Shelley Dee Photography} Lifestyle & Wedding Photography | Marin, Napa, Sonoma County Photographer...Shelley Hohe

Almost 2 years ago our family went on vacation (I can't tell you where or it would give this question away) I told my husband I always have wanted to drive by these homes.  If you were as big of a fan as I was...you will know right way!  Yes I admit it I was a huge fan and when we drove by these homes I was so excited to be able to quickly snap away.   You should have seen me..it's like I was involved in a drive by shooting...with my camera that is ;) I had to be quick before some neighbors called the cops reporting that some crazy lady is taking pictures of homes in the neighborhood.

So here they are....

Have you guessed it yet???  Well if you guessed the homes of Brandon & Brenda Walsh and Dylan McKay from  the original Beverly Hills 90210 you are right! Yes back in my last year of high school and in my 20's, I was a fan of the show.  I watched every episode and when it came on people knew not to call me or ask if I wanted to go out for the evening.  I can't believe the first episode of this show aired over 20 years ago!  Where have the years gone???

  I hope you enjoyed this little pop quiz!

Lifestyle, Portrait & Wedding Photographer serving Marin, Sonoma & Napa Counties

415.827.9646 ~ www.shelleydeephotography.com

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Homeschooling {Personal} Lifestyle & Wedding Photography | Marin, Napa, Sonoma County Photographer...Shelley Hohe

Besides photography, I love homeschooling our children! Our Thomas and Katelyn are 12 year old twins who we have been homeschooling since kindergarten.  It has been such a blessing for our family.  From the moment we wake up there is peace in our house. I love the fact that we don't have to rush to get out of the house to get the kids to school at 8am every morning.  I love having a house free of chaos.  Even though we don't leave our house every morning we do teach our kids the importance of organizing and prioritizing their time so on the days we do have to go somewhere early in the morning it is stress free.  Another reason I love homeschooling is for the fact I get to watch our children grow.  When we moved back to California we did have to put them in public school for 1 year.  I must say the school district  and teachers where our kids did go to school were amazing, I couldn't have asked for better teachers for Thomas and Katelyn.  Our main complaint was that we never saw our own children anymore.  They went to school from 8-2:30, had homework from 2:30-5:30, ate dinner, took showers, set out clothes for the next day and went to bed.  After homeschooling as long as we have this was a huge adjustment we were having a hard time getting used to.  Now that we are settled in our new home we are now in our 2nd year of homeschooling and in a routine we love.  I know homeschooling isn't for everyone but I do know it is exactly what God put on our hearts for our family over 6 years ago.   I am so thankful I get to homeschool our children and it is something I don't ever want to take for granted.

Here is a brief look into our daily routine...

7:30 am Bible Study
8:00 am  Breakfast as a family
8:15 am Monday/Cursive and History, Tuesday/Writing and Science, Wednesday/Cursive and Language Arts, Thursday/Writing and History, Friday/Tests and Educational Boardgames
10:15 am Break/Snack
10:30 am Monday/Reading and Spelling, Tuesday/Math and Geography, Wednesday/Word Study and Vocabulary, Thursday/Math and Language Arts, Friday/Art, Music and/or Field Trips
12:30 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Free Reading
1:30 P.E.
2:00 END OF SCHOOL DAY!


We take our homeschool very seriously as a matter of fact when filling out our homeschool affidavit, the questionnaire asks the name of school.  We decided to name our school Grace Christian Homeschool Academy.  Here is our logo we made together...

Of course being a photographer, I just had to get creative by taking our kids class pictures....

I am so blessed to not only be their mom, but to be their teacher too!!!

Lifestyle, Portrait & Wedding Photographer serving Marin, Sonoma & Napa Counties

415.827.9646 ~ www.shelleydeephotography.com

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Happy Valentines Day {LOVE} Lifestyle & Wedding Photography | Marin, Napa, Sonoma County Photographer...Shelley Hohe

Today is Valentines Day, a day full of LOVE!  What a perfect day to spend with your spouse,  your kids, your mom or even better the One who LOVES us so much that He died for our sins.  His LOVE is perfect and pure!  One of my favorite scriptures describes His perfect Love....

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  LOVE never fails!

My prayer today is that everyone will experience this perfect LOVE.  Especially for those that don't have that someone special in their life or maybe their loved one is away in the military.  Today shouldn't just be all about flowers and candy...it should be about loving one another!

Happy Valentines Day!!

So thankful that God blessed us with these 2 loves...our kids!!

Lifestyle, Portrait & Wedding Photographer serving Marin, Sonoma & Napa Counties

415.827.9646 ~ www.shelleydeephotography.com

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