Photographer Gigi

It is easy to let an array of external forces get in your way. You know the typical culprits, like wanting everything to be just so…so much that you end up spending a lot of time in the “preparation phase” that you never do anything. Sometimes we spend time planning and perfecting instead of “doing” for fear of failing. We have blocks, especially if we typically follow traditional conventional ways of doing things.

Personally embarking on my new passion is scary at times, I think, “will anyone really hire me?”. hmmmmmm I don’t have a nice website, or a clever business card, it would be easy to say, let me work on those things and then I will move forward. At my age it is now or never, I just have to trust my gut and go forward now, and see what happens, the worse that can happen is I would join the ranks of struggling artists, and as long as I am happy, that is what matters.

True, we all want to present the best image of ourselves as possible, but trust me things have a way of working out. I shot four events for my family this past weekend, my cousin “John” and I were presented with a host of obstacles, but I just let my instinct guide me and I kept moving around and shooting from different angles with a smile of my face, delighted to finally be doing something that I LOVE!

If you are not doing something that you LOVE keep exploring, until you do, and remember some of us are late bloomers and that is perfectly OK.

Orchids

Xoxo,

GIGI

Mom & Dad Sampson
88 years young…

I get it now, why people love family reunions. We celebrated my husband’s parents 70th anniversary, family members traveled near and far for this joyous occasion. The festivities took place in a small town in northern California  that we affectionally call Sampsonville, the real name is Kelseyville, population 3000, three hours north east of San Francisco, nestled above the wine country. Reggie’s brother Alan and his family moved there about 20 years ago, he started a medical practice there, and soon other family members followed and settled in the area, including their parents via New York.

The weekend was jam-packed, starting with a welcome dinner friday evening at Alan and Kathy’s home. Kathy is a fabulous entertainer, and can host a large group as well as any professional caterer, and she owns a cute antique store in the town called Traditions. This is just a few of the 800+ images from the weekend…

Alan & Kathy’s

The couple of the moment!

Granddaughters Amani & Brittany 

Grandson Aron & his sweetie…

love the view…

Saturday the family a had a special church service full of “Sampson” music and a special acknowledgement of the parents 70th year anniversary.

Our Queen Mary Helen Sampson

Sonya gracing us with her music

just sweet

Granddaughter Stacy and the great grands

Beverly…family friend

Bethany and the girls

children’s story

Dad Sampson & his brother

so many friends…

Saturday evening the 70th anniversary celebration honoring the parents was held at the Armory in Lakeport. If we were to make it to 70 years I would be a 100 and Reggie would be 108! I don’t foresee this in our future, so to witness this it was truly special.

The Family

pretty table

Zapatos…

Sampson love was around

The Girls

Granddaughter Dana

Michael and his bride

Reggie and Sonya

The weekend ended with a wedding, Reggie’s brother Michael got married to his longtime soulmate MaryJo, so apropos to honor the longest marriage in the family and end with a new union. Vernetta, Reggie’s sister and her husband Fred hosted a lovely brunch for the newlyweds at their stunning home on the lake.

beautiful bride MaryJo

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Sampson

love this shot

Grandson Michael

lovely brunch

Photography wise it was a very busy weekend, I am so glad my cousin John and his wife Sugar agreed to come and help me document the weekend. I realized after this weekend that wedding photography is a young photographers game…There was so much happening at the same time, my brain was seeing things, emotional expressions, interactions and reactions of the guests, and my “brain” was trying to process all of this and handle my settings and capture the shot, sometimes the communication was seamless and other times it was not. Knowing the bride and groom it was hard to control my own feelings as I watched my brother-n-law hand his heart to his bride, it was an emotional ceremony, watching someone reveal their authentic self. I wish I had video, but it is permanently imprinted in my mind.

I hope you had a nice Father’s Day weekend, celebrating the father’s in your life.

XOXO,

GIGI

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George & Helen Sampson

This weekend my husband’s family will be celebrating his parents 70th wedding anniversary. I am excited and honored and looking forward to documenting this Sampson family historical event. Over the 26 years I have know my in-laws, I have admired their loyalty and love for one another. I have watched them over the years, how they have looked after one another, always adjusting their roles as their individual needs changed.

I have been entertained hours on end with stories about the dynamics of having 12 children and moving back and forth between NYC and North Carolina. Stories about how if they were blessed with so many children it was their job to educate them, and that they did, 4 medical doctors, 2 phd’s, numerous master degrees and all have college degrees. I witnessed how they dealt with the loss of their daughter Gwen and the pain that they endured.

They are SUPER-GRANDS, they go to every 8th grade graduation, high school, and college, many times traveling coast to coast in a matter of days. Mrs. Sampson is the traveling “baby nurse” spending a least 2 weeks with the new mom, whenever a baby is born in the family.

Amani & Grandmother & Grandfather

Oakwood Graduation

They are a true example of faith and what those wedding “vows” really mean, what it means to forgive, forget, love and to continually give unconditionally.

At 88 years young this 7th Day Adventist, vegan couple are still going strong, and still keeping track of all the children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren birthdays, never missing a date.

Mom & Dad Sampson

I love mom and dad Sampson, and am happy to part of this large family, even with all the “big” personalities that at times can be chaotic, I would not trade them.

Well considering this is my first destination event, I better check my list and finish my packing. I will have lots a pics on Monday.

HAPPY WEEKEND

XOXO,

GIGI

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Juice Bar

4 years ago a friend introduced me to the benefits and power of green juice, and I am not talking about Jamba juice. Green juices are typically a combination of leafy greens, parsley, cucumber, celery, lemon, ginger and sometimes apple.

Green Goddess Juice

I recall my first few sips were slightly bitter almost medicinal for my palate, but so like everything else with time and of course a good detox of the permanent “sugar taste” on my tongue, I fell in love with “green juice” and have been juicing ever since. This was before the plethora of juice bars and juice cleanse programs, became mainstream. Although I prefer to make my juice at home, it is nice to know that there are so many juice bars, and I don’t have to be limited to the juice bar at Whole Foods. Once you start juicing and notice the benefits you will be hooked, whats not to like: more energy, clearer skin, nutrients and vitamins, I could go on and on.

Here are a few of my favorite tried & tested and “Gigi” approved juice bars…

Moon Juice

MOON JUICE - 507 Rose Ave. Venice 310 399 2929 www.moonjuiceshop.com

Canyon Greens (collards, rainbow chard, parsley, ginger, celery, cucumber ) 16 oz. $9.00

The Juice is dense, rich and flavorful similar to how I make my juice at home, not watery at all.

Nekter Juice

Nekter Juice Bar – 6467 Pacific Coast Hwy

The Greenie (parsley,spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, lemon, apple) 16 oz. 4.75

Nekter is located by my yoga studio, which is convenient. The juice is not as dense as mine, but after a hot yoga class it is perfect. Nekter is now a franchise and they are popping up everywhere.

pressed Juicery

Pressed Juicery – Westwood Village & Beverly Hills location

Greens 3 (Kale, spinach,romaine, parsley, celery, cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger) 16 oz. 6.00-8.00

Pressed Juicery are opening locations all over the southland. They are generous with samples, and the staff is so friendly.

Beverly Hills Juice

.

Beverly Hills Juice: Raw since 1975 – 8382 Beverly Blvd. LA

Mixed Green (Cucumber, parsley, spinach, kale, romaine) 16 oz. 5.50

Every time I go here, there is a line out the door, every thing is so fresh.

Kreation Organic

Kreation Organic – Santa Monica location

Green # 3 ( cucumber, spinach, romaine, kale, parsley) 16 0z. 7.00

I also like going to Erewhon and picking up juice there as well they have a fresh juice bar and a variety of locally made juices. LA has so many juice spots, perhaps it is due to our lifestyle and a large selection of organic produce readily available. Make a point of visiting your local juice bar or trying a new one this week.

Happy Juicing!

XOXO,

GIGI

At first I was going to post about gifts and such for Father’s Day, but then I said to myself what does Father’s Day really mean to me? Growing up Father’s Day, was a complicated holiday. My parents divorced when I was nine-years old, just old enough to really know my father-”Daddy”, not the husband my mother was divorcing, but the dad who one day brought a kitten home to me, or the dad who taught me how to eat clams on the half shell and the daddy who took me to Coney Island.

My mother and father early 60′s

My mother moved to California after the divorce and started a new life in the land of palm trees and Disneyland. She met her second husband a nice man by the name of Mr. Mckay. He married my mom and accepted her large package of four children, bless his soul. He was a kind man, and did the best job he could raising this “new” family along with his own family of four children and the baby girl, Angel, that he and mom had together. Back then divorce was not as common, I remember being embarrassed about having a different last name from my mother, not that anybody ever asked me about why our names were different.

I did not see my father again until I was 21, I never forgot him and I politely refused to call Mr. Mckay “Daddy”, although he was the only father figure in my life. I remember other family members encouraging me to call my stepfather “Daddy” and for some reason I felt as a child, if I did that would totally end the memory of my father. I never talked to my father on the phone, don’t even know if he ever called, he did not write me letters, but something  inside of me kept an imprint of him, that would not let me forget like a little eternal flame.

When Father’s Day came around I gave Mr. Mckay a card and small gift, but I always envied my friends who had their natural fathers. In my child like mind I always thought that was better, even though Mr. Mckay did everything the other fathers did and some.

When I was in college, I was part of a theater group, that one year traveled back east for a competition in Virginia, and unbeknownst to me my mother contacted my father and told him that I was going to be in Virginia and he surprised me. It was an awkward reunion, my father was so happy to see me, but for me now 21, I wanted to ask the hard questions, of “Why did you not call or write me?” all those years. I had mixed emotion at that reunion, my yearning had somehow turned to anger. All of my college friends liked my dad, he was this bohemian cool guy, that the “nine-year-old” me did not remember.

Many years past until I would see my father again, after I was married and had Amani, Reggie said that he wanted to meet the other side of my family. We went east and “met” my dad and at that time  I developed a relationship with him, still never addressing the painful gaps in my life. It was interesting to discover all the things we had in common, like him I have an uncanny sense of direction, we are both entrepreneurs, love creating food, collecting things and reading books. A few years later I lost my dad to cancer a few months after my son was born, I am happy that I finally had closure with my father and was able to spend  time together and that he got to know Amani and I met my sister Liz and renewed relationships with other east coast family members.

Safari Family

In my family Father’s Day is always celebrated, usually with a nice brunch and we shower Reggie with little trinkets. I am happy and blessed that my kids have their father and I never take it for granted. Honor the fathers in your life this weekend.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

XOXO,

GIGI

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The Help

This is my favorite line from the movie, The Help, it is another reminder we are our children’s # 1 cheerleader.

Self-affirmation is important for our children. Even though my daughter is 22, I remind her that she can do anything she sets her mind too. It is easy as parents to get into a micro management role, controlling and making every decision for our children for fear they may make a mistake or God forbid fail. We have to be strong and let them try things and experience the consequences first hand. We have to let them problem solve, instead of doing everything for them.

young Amani

I remember when my daughter was in the first grade, and this child could not spell to save her life. On this particular day she came home with a spelling test in which she spelled about 3 words out of 10 correctly. She was so proud of her accomplishment and went on to tell me that she got a “D” and wanted to call her grandmother and share the news. I will never forget I dialed my mom and she said “Grandmother I got a “D”! ” , and my mother said oh “You got a “B”?”, and she repeated proudly “No, a “D” I got 3 right”.

Now I could have went into the mode of, OK you are going to sit down and memorize all these words, or I could do what I did which was celebrate that “D” and and tell her “I bet next time you can get 5 right” and in the back of my mind I knew there was spell check and the “confidence” of believing in herself  was more important than being able to memorize words. So I proudly stuck the “D” paper up on the refrigerator.

This video that went viral a few years back, makes me smile every time I watch it. The affirmations of this little one…

So those of you with little ones, and I’m including aunties, uncles, God parents, mentors, guardians, grandparents, etc., uplift these little people and the big ones, let them know you believe in them and support them. Tell them “You is kind, You is Smart, You is Important”

Xoxo,

Gigi

Gigi & kids

My family is a complete unit this weekend, I am cherishing the time for these moments will be rare for the upcoming year. My son will be doing his junior year of high school abroad in Italy with SYA.

SYA

We can visit him but he will not be able to come home, the program is a total immersion and SYA wants the students to come away fluent in italian.

Amani

My daughter is a “New Yorker” and is working a “real” job and taking science courses to strengthen her medical school application. I was always told that my family would grow up fast and to savior every day, and did it zoom by. Of course this weekend, our first together since Christmas, Amani heads out to Santa Barbara, and my son is with friends every waking moment, but I was able to corral them together for an evening.

At the last minute I got tickets from Gold Star, a great source for discounted tics, for August Wilson’s, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, directed by Phylicia Rashad. The cast was phenomenal, I am glad we were able to catch this production on the closing night at the Mark Taper. I have seen all of the August Wilson plays and I am still mesmerized as if I am seeing it for the first time.

Saturday night was a real treat, we went with friends to the Hollywood Bowl to see Andrea Bocelli, what a voice, an incredible evening under the stars. A surprise appearance by Fantasia, she did a wonderful rendition of Summertime. I love concerts at the bowl, so magical, and for me it signifies the beginning of the summer season. It does not even matter who is performing, it makes for a nice evening and I always see other friends, so it becomes a reunion of sorts.

Molly & Gigi

Reggie picked up some goodies from Joan’s on Third, and Molly & Lamar brought a variety of treats from Olives so combined we had a complete feast.

Joan’s On Third

Still chipping away at Photoshop, I like the vibe of Julia Dean, and may take another class or two there this summer. Photoshop being a left brain program, I am slowly wrapping my right brain around it and a least getting a basic understanding of the program.

As time goes by, I am constantly reminded of the importance of family, it is difficult at times to arrange these gatherings, flights are never cheap any more, but I am delighted when we are all together. Sometimes we disagree, but at the end of the day we are always there for each other, and will go through whatever to support and help make their dreams realities.

Hope you had a good weekend as well.

Xoxo,

Gigi

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Reinvent

I’ve been recreating myself for 50 or so years. Sometimes I think about what would my life had been like if I had chosen a more traditional career path- one in which I would be around the corner from retirement.

I bounced all over the place, from IBM to peddling Chocolate brownies, I have worked retail, at a nudest colony, taught aerobics, and dabbled in Interior design a bit. Now reinventing myself as a photographer, a newbie learning the craft simultaneously, my past skills only being the master of my little point and shoot camera. At times it is daunting, the thought of starting something that most photographers my age have been doing for 25 + years.

Gigi photographer

I have learned in my years on this planet that it is more important to a least attempt to try something you are passionate about, than to wake up one day and wonder WTF where did my life go and what have I done that I was excited about.

Reinvention is important for all aspects of your life, not just the career piece, staleness can set in your relationship, marriage, work outs, image, and there is nothing attractive about being dull. While it is easy to be a “creature of habit” we all are guilty of that at times, it is not that difficult to keep things fresh and interesting.

WAYS TO REINVENT YOURSELF–most of these I have done numerous times…Reinvention is a way of life for me!

1. Change your diet-side bonus you will reap all sorts of benefits–I was raised on the standard american diet and have gone full circle ending up vegan.

Sexy vegan food

2. If you have been wearing the same “hair do” for the past 15 or so years it is time to change it up–I’ve been long dark & straight, asymmetrical bob, and currently natural curly and light.

long dark hair

3. If your relationship/marriage is becoming “routine” FIX IT FAST be creative do some of the things you did in the beginning, continue to date and do new things with your partner.

Reggie & Gigi

4. Switch up your workout- or bodies get used to a workout and you have to shock it by doing something else, especially if you are trying to lose weight. I have done everything from spinning, to pole dancing, yoga, zumba, pilates, swimming, boot camp, and I am always willing to try the next “thing”.

love yoga

5. Do something you have always wanted to do-ie. sky dive, marathon, triathlon, travel, move, whatever it is make and plan and make it happen.

My First Tri

6. Learn something new, a language, cooking class, art class, the point is challenge yourself.

7. Freshen up your image, sometimes just doing something different with your exterior self will get the ball rolling.

8. Don’t be afraid–just DO IT.

Gigi the Dominatrix

Start this weekend…Happy Friday Everyone!

XOXO,

GIGI

With summer upon us, I’m already thinking about hosting a few alfresco gatherings. Although southern Cali weather is pretty tepid, I still find myself entertaining outdoors more in the summer months. So it is time to do a little sprucing up, the elements do take a toll on things and nothing lasts forever. I need to replace a few umbrellas, deep clean the outdoor furniture, and replant and refresh the landscape. My budget is tight so I will be searching for the best prices and a lot of DIY projects. I’m always looking for inspiration.

moroccan theme

I love moroccan anything…love the colors and the lanterns.

love this

I need to address an area that gets full sun, I would love something like this…

nice

I love outdoor rugs, the ones I have are on their last season.

love outdoor parties

This is a party I had 3 years ago, Reggie and I did all the food. I love making lots of salads, and experimenting with decadent vegan desserts, I make REALLY good vegan ice cream.

My place at the golden hour

everything is overgrown now

the pool

Love the light

My upper deck is in good condition, perfect for having drinks at sunset.

This is the current state…I have my work cut out.

rose garden in need of TLC

My beautiful rose garden is sick…

over growth…

Everything has grown so massive and is blocking sun to other plants…we used to have a really good gardener who retired and I have not ben able to find someone else to do the quantity of work that he did…

lots to do…

Do you like alfresco entertaining?

XOXO,

GIGI

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QUOTE

Came across this quote today and I thought to myself, why not leave a little sparkle wherever you go? I’m a sparkly, glittery sort of girl, always have been as far back as I can remember. I love baubles, glitz , beads, sequins and shine, I’m happy when I’m glowing like a Christmas Tree. So when I read this quote, knowing how happy sparkly things make me–I figured I needed to make sure I leave a trail of sparkle dust wherever I go.

My Sparkle Plan:

Smile-means a lot and does so much more than a frown, the same in all languages.

Embrace- touch is so powerful- give hugs.

Listen- We are always in a rush or connected to our devices (me included) take the time to really listen and look into some ones eyes and actively listen.

Care-let some one know you really care about them and are concerned.

Love…unconditionally don’t judge.

So my friends go out today and sprinkle you sparkle dust…

Xoxo,

Gigi

Moi