Did you know the Santa Monica pier, was built in 1909 to dispose of sewage? Or that it housed a jail for a short time? There are a ton of fascinating facts about this Southern California landmark on the Santa Monica Pier website. I just spent a good chunk of time reading all about it and I think you’ll find it really interesting too. Who would have ever guessed the comic strip and cartoon hero, Popeye was based on one of the colorful characters that frequented the pier in its early days?

It seemed like these beauties sprouted up overnight. I couldn’t resist putting them in a vase before the snails got to them.

What exactly is MoMo you ask?
MoMo is shorthand for Mobile Mogul and it is the brain child of Andrew Wilson.
Andrew is an architect, husband, father, writer, visionary and like a lot of us, super-busy and constantly struggling to bring balance to his work-life and family; all while trying to maintain a healthy, happy quality of life.
Andrew hit upon the idea of outfitting today’s work force with creative, clever solutions for working on the go in a really fun and accessible way.
As MoMo’s official photographers, Larry and I have had the pleasure of not only documenting MoMo from its inception but also being inspired by its credo. One of our goals for 2013 is to embrace the MoMo philosophy and do more of our office work in places we had never thought possible.
Let me show you what I mean…

If you have an SUV with a roof rack, MoMo can set you up with everything you need to work from a location like this. Why would you have a meeting in a stuffy, cramped office when you can gather with co-workers lake side? A mobile conference room like this takes under half an hour to set up.

Andrew has scoured the market and tested hundreds of products to make working in the field (quite literally in this case) as comfortable and effective as possible.

How creative and genius is this?! Andrew has found a way to turn your car’s windows into dry erase boards!

Whether low tech…

Or high tech… MoMo has you covered!

Here, very petite Mandy is easily transporting everything she needs to set up a work space for her and her colleagues in the park.

In a very short time, these spacious tents were outfitted with everything needed for a productive day. Having a beautiful park to kick a soccer ball around while kicking around business strategies does wonders for morale and productivity.

Who wouldn’t want to work like this?

You may be wondering, what happens when my lap top runs out of juice? A generator powered by solar panels that sit on your dash board will keep you booted up all day long.

Interested in working mobile-y but don’t want to be so exposed to the elements? No problem, MoMo can outfit you with one of these little beauties.

From conference calls, to taking a few relaxing moments to yourself between meetings, this amazing mobile office has been decked out with lots of amenities.

There’s even an microwave and coffee maker should you find yourself needing a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

To join the MoMo revolution, check out the website and be sure to leave a comment or two on their blog!

If you’ve got a big Oscar party to go to this weekend, try out one of these pretty updos.

I got some pretty exciting news this morning. A photograph I took of Larry was selected for The Photo Review 2012 competition’s online gallery!

I made this image last year for a blog post about Leap Day. We had so much fun and shot several versions of him jumping about Balboa Park. What started as a last minute blog post idea has since turned into an ongoing personal photo project for me and a new modeling career for Larry. 😉

Here is the link to the entire Photo Review online gallery. You can find my image in the Other Tribes Exhibition.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Cathryn Van Breen, founder of The Studio Agency for many many years. Yes, she is a very talented makeup artist who brings out the very best in her clients but she’s also tremendous fun to be around and so inspiring as both an artist and business woman.

I recently sat down with Cathryn for a cup of coffee and inevitably, talked turned to all things makeup. I asked if I could share some of her wisdom with you and she was gracious enough to comply.

Why is it so important to hire a professional to do makeup on your
wedding day?
Hiring a Professional makeup artist on your wedding is one of
the best things you can do for yourself as a bride, not only will it make
your day more relaxing being pampered, it is the calmest you will be prior
to the actual start of the wedding, taking that hour with your eyes closed
and a pro working on your face will ensure that you are picture perfect
through out your wedding, as well as chilled out!. In addition, the pros
know what is going to look best on camera and can bring out your very best
features and your own natural beauty.

What should a bride do in the weeks leading up to her big day to ensure
her skin is looking its best?
If you’re going to have a facial do it 2 weeks before your wedding
to make sure you don’t have any reactions.
Booking a hydrating and relaxing facial a day or two before you wedding is a
perfect way to ensure your skin is healthy, hydrated and supple looking. A
good steam will also help to loosen up any debris or clogged pores, use a
gentle facial exfoliater the night before to get rid of tired dull looking
skin. Follow up with a hydrating crème. One of my personal favorites is
Clinique’s Moisture Surge, an intense fortifying hydrator.

What is the one makeup essential we should have in our purses at all
times?
This beauty essential differs for everyone and typically depends on
your own individual skin and features. When working with clients I
typically recommend their own individual 3 “must haves”. Or “don’t leave the
house without it”. This can range from an eyebrow pencil, to mascara to a
bronzer to a bright lip color. If I had to pick just one item, I would say
a bronzer – you can use it multiple ways, as a bronzer all over, as a blush,
or even an eye shadow crease.

Do you have any tips for keeping makeup fresh all day?
I love Laura Mercier’s product, Secret Finish, it helps the makeup last all day and you
can pat on top of makeup throughout the day to keep makeup and skin looking
refreshed. This secret step will help to set makeup and leaves the skin with
a youthful glow keeping skin looking and feeling refreshed and smooth. You
will have the youthful glow all night long!

Hope you found these tips as useful as I did! Have a beautiful weekend.

Hope your day is filled with kisses!