Five couples, one house, perfect weather, glorious skies, incredible food, giant jenga, beautiful lake, beer frisbee, music, sunset walks, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Memorial Day // We Bought a House!!!
This post is long overdue. When big things are happening in real life, the blog gets neglected. The last six weeks has been an absolute whirlwind, but I want to make sure I get this post up so that I don't forget.
Jeffery turned 30 over memorial day weekend, and we went up to Grass Valley to celebrate. We had previously gotten the ball rolling with a lender, and had started talking to our realtor about what we were looking for in a home. We hadn't planned on looking at houses until July, but we were up there and there was one home we wanted to see, so we made an appointment. What's the harm? ;) These photos were taken in the evening after we had fallen in love and made an offer. I was a ball full of nerves while we waited to hear back if our offer was accepted. This little cutie was a great distraction.
The next morning we walked to the coffee shop, making a slight detour to see the house again. This is the across-the-street neighbor's beautiful garden. That afternoon we drove to the mountains and hiked the Sierra Buttes trail with our friends. The anxiety mixed with the winding roads did a number on my insides. But the views were incredible and the company couldn't be beat, so a pretty good distraction overall. I was trying not to get my hopes up, but when I fall in love I fall hard and fast. I was already all in, dreaming about the possibilities, and simultaneously trying to talk myself down from the ledge. It all felt so charged. After moving to England and getting married, this was the biggest decision we had ever made. I really didn't want to end up disappointed.
I don't know how I had service, but somehow near the top of the mountain I got the text from our realtor informing us that our offer had been accepted. (!!!!!!!!!!!)
The next morning we met up with this little cutie and walked to the park.
So much has already happened since then. We closed on the 30th of June, we got the keys on Friday and worked all of 4th of July weekend to make it ours. We are blown away by the generosity of our new community, so many people have already pitched in to help. When we're all moved in we're going to cook a huge feast to thank everyone, but even that isn't enough. We're going to pass it along by lending our efforts to others, which I'm just now realizing is the true meaning of community. We have spent so many years feeling isolated in the city, and now we know that life doesn't have to be like that.
Mostly we are excited for what's to come. We love our little old house, and we love Grass Valley.
Baby Girl Turns One!
in Lifestyle
At the end of April we headed up to Grass Valley to celebrate our niece's first birthday. On Saturday morning we stopped by the Nevada County Certified Growers' Market at the North Star House. It was the first farmer's market of the year. Christian bought flowers for babe and mama. The sweet peas smelled heavenly.
It had just rained, so the quality of light was incredible. It also felt like the trees and the ground and the people were all exhaling, happy and grateful for the precipitation and the beautiful day.
I love the purple speckled ones. When we arrived the birthday girl had just woken up from a nap and was getting dressed for her party.
This little lady has a wealth of older cousins to look up to. They are all so lucky to have one another.
And then the sugar rush set it...
Bath time. :)
Sunrise in the Valley // Styled Shoot // Nevada County, CA
in Portraits
I am beginning to realize how important personal work is for the soul. And how wonderful and life-affirming it is collaborating with other talented creatives. All we have to do is sacrifice a little sleep and pour a few hours into doing something we love and we are able to create something beautiful.
I am so grateful to the women who helped make this shoot happen. Our lovely model, Tessa. Would you believe this was her first time in front of the camera? The girl is gorgeous. Angela Nunnink is the artist/magician behind the expertly crafted hair and makeup. This woman is a serious talent, and one of the nicest people I have ever met. I foresee many more collaborations in our future. Our friend, Christian is the glue, she introduced the three of us and made it possible for us to shoot on her family's incredible ranch in Penn Valley. She also woke up at 4am and provided support the entire time. The styling was a collaboration, all pieces from Tessa's closet. I don't think it could have turned out any better.
And in hopes of helping to help manifest other projects by throwing the idea out into the universe, here are some other photography opportunities I would love to be a part of: a series of portraits of long-haired girls (age 7-14) with really intricate and mature updos and braids, preferably redheads, in nature/the woods. I would also love to shoot a lookbook for a line of children's clothing, in a flower/vegetable garden at sunset. Lastly, I really want to photograph another birth. If anyone in the Nevada County area has beautiful children, a farm, property, a baby on the way, or wants to be a part of any of these projects, please get in touch!
Mother Daughter // Daughter Mother
Love and laughter are the best medicine. I recently had the privilege of photographing my friend Debora with her mother, and I am so grateful for the opportunity. She wrote a beautiful essay about telling her mom, who has Vascular Dementia, that she had cancer. I hope you click over.
Mother's Day Mini Sessions
In honor of Mother's Day, I will be holding a select number of mini sessions in Berkeley. This will be my only promotional event this spring because I have a busy wedding season starting in June. Eek! :)
Here are the details:
Where: Codornices Park or The Berkeley Rose Garden (across the street from one another) 1200 Euclid Ave, Berkeley, CA 94708
When: Saturday, May 9th & Sunday, May 10th. 20 minute time slots available morning and evening, every half hour from 8-10am & 4-6pm
Investment: $200
What's included: 10 finished, high resolution digital files of your choice via download. I will provide an online viewing gallery with the best shots (usually 50-70 images) and you get to choose your favorites. Additional files cost $25 each.
For families greater than 5 members, or if you would like to include your pup, please add an additional $25 per person/animal.
Slots are available on a first come, first served basis and your session fee is due at time of booking. To book your slot send me a message or email me directly: roseannbath@gmail.com
Giveaway: [CLOSED] Congratulations Shannon!
Do all three to enter:
1. Comment on this blog post telling me one thing you love about your mother. (Be sure to include your name and email, so I can contact you if you win.)
2. "Like" Roseann Bath Photography on Facebook.
3. "Share" the Mother's Day Mini Session image (above) that is on my facebook page on your own timeline.
Giveaway is open to all Bay Area residents with a facebook account. Winner will be chosen at random at 9 pm on Friday, May 1st, and winner must be able to redeem during Mother's Day weekend. Session may be gifted to a friend or loved one.
Good luck! :)
Baby Dawson // Sunset District // San Francisco
in Families
I think I have a new favorite family session. I love the colors! This baby girl stole my heart immediately, mom and dad were awesome, relaxed and fun and easy going, and so in love with their little girl. They introduced me to a part of the coast I have never been to and we were treated to perfect conditions. I could do this forever.
Birthdays
I've been struggling with coming up with something to say about turning a year older. It has been quiet on the blog for the past few months, and I have to attribute it to not having a lot to say, or a way to articulate it. I have also felt myself wanting to keep things more private lately. This I will share.
Time is moving really fast. A little under a year ago I sat down with my paternal grandmother and we talked about time. I asked her when in her life she felt like time moved the fastest, and she told me that it had never moved faster than right now. That the older she gets the faster it flies. I feel that way already, and I can only imagine how I will feel fifty years from now, if I'm lucky enough to still be around. Things are really good with me right now. I don't think I've ever been happier or more sure of my place in time. I feel appreciative for so many things every day, which is probably why things are speeding by. In the past I have had (what felt like) long periods where I dreaded getting out of bed, I felt anxious, and time crawled, but that isn't now.
As an adolescent I knew that life would get better once I was an adult and felt like I had some control. And it has. And it keeps getting better. I have wanted to be 27 since I was 19. To me, 27 represented the age when I would have it all figured out. I don't have it all figured out, but I'm happy to be here.
The best part about getting older is that you get better at life. You have more experience to draw from and you know what works for you and what doesn't. In the last year I have been less set in my ways and I have seen how growth can come from being open to new ideas. And I have surprised myself. I have taken on Bob Marley's philosophy, and am liberated by it: don't worry about a thing. There really is no need. Things will come up. And I will deal with them the best I can, enlisting the help of my people if necessary. Perspective is everything and a positive attitude can get you a long way. I am healthier than I was a year ago, which started with what felt like my body falling apart, but I found solutions and am now better off than I was before.
I had a wonderful birthday. I told Jeffery I wanted him to do something to surprise me. Anything. So we packed a picnic and hiked the Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. I can't believe I've never been, it's so close. It was a perfect day, the wildflowers were blooming, and the views were terrific. We had dinner at Penrose in Oakland and it was one of the best meals of my life. We ordered the whole trout for two, which was absolutely beautiful, buttery and delicate, and we talked about the future. We have been talking about the future for the past twelve years, but I don't think we have ever been so right about it as we are now. It feels so close, and if we just keep doing what we're doing, we'll be there soon. And I know there will be challenges, but every little thing gunna be alright.
The Big Island
in Lifestyle
There really are no words. Despite two days of debilitating sickness for me, it was the perfect vacation. Late March was the time to go. The weather was glorious and the sea life showed up. We took four long hikes in six days to remote and beautiful locations all over the island: Shipman Beach (15 sea turtles!), Waipio Valley (whales!), Papakolea (more whales!), and (not pictured) Kealakekua Bay, where we were treated to the best snorkeling I have ever seen and we got to swim with a pod of 30-40 spinner dolphins. Traveling with our friends and getting to share our favorite parts of the Big Island was a gift. It was the perfect combination of relaxation and adventure and I am so grateful.
Quality Time with the Sea Dutchess
In mid-February I drove out to the Point Reyes National Seashore to meet Marina and company and see the daffodils in bloom. It has become a yearly tradition. (See last year's trip here.)
She is adorable. There were more in bloom than last year, although I think the word is getting out (and writing this probably doesn't help), because while we were there, multiple parties came and picked bucketfuls.
Afterwards, we went for a walk on Limantour Beach, where the tide was very low.
At the end of February, Marina turned 77, and Jeffery and I took her to Schoolhouse Beach on the Sonoma coast for a gluttonous picnic lunch (crab cakes, champagne, pesto lasagna, pear frangipane tart, and chocolate!). We were treated to thunderheads all day. It was a beautiful drive through the country, all the animal babies were out and frollicking and it didn't rain on us until we had had our fill.
Afterwards we got cocktails at the Valley Ford Hotel. It was a perfect day. Feeling thankful for time with my grandmother and beautiful spring days. Now we need some rain!