See, here’s the thing… when I go somewhere with the intent of taking pictures with my good camera, the general routine consists of me walking a few feet, stopping when I see something cool, checking/changing the settings on my camera, snapping the picture, checking the picture, and then walking a few more feet. Repeat this a few more times, and whomever I’m with tends to lose their patience. I usually reserve these camera trips for when I’m with my husband, because he seems to have gotten so used to this over the years. However, even he has his limits… particularly when it’s after 2:00 and neither one of us has eaten lunch yet.

So, I compromised… and decided to challenge myself, as well.

I still stopped to take pictures along the way, but decided to do so ONLY USING MY iPHONE!

That’s right… ALL the photos you see in this post were from the camera on my iPhone, and the editing was done in-phone as well, with a favorite app of mine: “ShakeItPhoto.”

Besides sharing some SWEET images just for the heck of it, I’d like to use this blog post to dispel a myth that we photographers have to face ALL the time…

you don’t necessarily need the most expensive equipment out there to capture a great image;

AND

just because you DO have the expensive equipment, it doesn’t necessarily make you a good photographer.

I’d like to dedicate this post to all those people that are scared to pick up their camera and use it because it’s not the “best” and they’re afraid they won’t get the greatest shots… just DO it. Work with what you have available to you. Remember: you’ll always miss the shot you didn’t take.

And this post is is ALSO dedicated to all those people who have said to me and others: “I like that picture you took. What camera did you use?” Um, yeah… the camera doesn’t do all the work. Just because you push an expensive button doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a good image. There’s a creative eye behind that camera… and that creative perspective is what will win each and every time.

So here, to prove my point, are some more of my favorite  iPhone shots from the OC Fair:

Exhibit A: my nieces and nephew.

I hadn’t taken pictures of them in a while, and decided to “borrow” them for an impromptu shoot. Their hair was a mess, and they weren’t dressed to impress, but that was okay. I captured them as they really were at the moment.

I put them in charge of finding the “cool” places to take pictures in front of, and so we wandered through the neighborhood, playing tag along the way. And this was what I saw…

I love being able to capture beautiful pictures of them in their “natural habitat.” I love that we PLAY along the way, so that they can relax enough for me to have the chance to capture their natural smiles, not the forced ones you so often see when the camera comes out.

And then there are the true “quirks.” These aren’t necessarily the photos that will be hanging on the wall of your home, but these are the ones that you can look back on with a sense of nostalgia, and see the kids as they REALLY were at that age.

Here are my favorite QUIRKS from the shoot:

She makes this face a lot when she is pondering something. It’s her “whaaaaaat?” face.

She makes this face a lot, too. (ugh.) She thinks that it’s hysterical.

He likes to show off his muscles.

And here, I think he is a bull. Or maybe it was a monster. Whatever it was, it was L-O-U-D!

Ah, yes… the attitude of a “tween.” It’s coming out more and more lately. Gotta love it, right? RIGHT?!

She started to get frustrated. Ah, yes… the first signs of meltdown. But I’m a PRO in deactivating those types of bombs. The solution for the moment was to give her even more control of the situation. How? By handing over my camera.

I gave her a quick lesson and let her take a few shots…  and they turned out to be A-MAZ-ING! What can I say? The girl’s got a great eye.  (I think I might have to HIRE her in the near future!) Here are the faves, as captured by my 10-year old niece:

(p.s.: must give thanks to my husband for helping to wrangle the kids along the way; no one is as magical to them as their “Tio.”)

Okay, my turn with the camera again. Some favorite family shots. I love to see the connections between the 3 of them.

And when you play, and just let the kids be KIDS… that’s when the magic happens.

I’ll leave you with my absolute FAVORITE of the day…

So, I went to the gym yesterday… and it had been the FIRST TIME I had set foot in there since JANUARY.  (yup. I’m one of “those” people…)  I wish that I could tell you that I had some big breakthrough and decided to change my ways; to eat healthy and exercise every day.  But it wasn’t so grandiose an occasion.  I’d been trying to talk myself into going back to the gym for a while now (I mean, I PAY for it every month, so I SHOULD be using it, right?), and I had some extra energy.

So I went. And with the aid of Lady Gaga on my iPhone, I worked up a sweat on the elliptical machine.

I was incredibly proud of myself… but that feeling only lasted a moment or two.

After my workout, I got off the machine and bent over to retrieve my keys and card from the floor… and promptly got my hips stuck between two machines. Seriously. There was no graceful way for me to get out of it… so I wiggled forward a little bit more (forcing my legs into an incredibly awkward pose with my rear end now sticking WAY up in the air), grabbed my stuff, and wiggled back out.  Only to find that there was a row of treadmills right behind me, with a couple cute guys working out on them!

Well, no one ever accused me of being graceful…

My father is a WONDERFUL dad. I have so many amazing memories of my childhood because of him. From the BIG moments (like the trips to various amusement parks) to the little moments that have taken me this long to truly appreciate… he has always been there.

He was always there for every event we ever had, silently cheering in the back row as he captured every moment with his video camera. He was the one to take us on adventures in the summer… weekly trips to the beach, and the occasional trip to Disneyland, Sea World or Universal Studios. And when we got “too cool” to hang out with just him, he let us bring a friend along (and even paid for them, as well).

In the mornings as we got ready for school, he would warm our socks up near the oven so they’d be nice and toasty when we put them on. And sometimes he’d move our stools close so we could warm our bodies, as well.

He took the time to not only brush my hair and give me pigtails, but curl the ends with a curling iron and even tie matching ribbons around each one.

On weekends he made us chocolate chip pancakes… with maple syrup for me and caro syrup for my brother.

He learned about the various art projects we did in school (or in Shaun’s cub scouts), then purchased the supplies so we could do them together again as a family. We learned how to make sand paintings with chalk and salt, holiday ornaments from sand dollars and napkins, and even how to create faces with nylons and cotton balls.

He chauffeured my best friends and I around when we were obnoxious pre-teens. (To this day, he STILL claims that we were more trouble than my brother and his friends.)

So, for all this and so much more than I could even begin to list here… I’d like to take a moment to thank my dad.

happy Father’s Day, Dadoo…

I got the call on Friday evening, while hanging out with my best friends. Fortunately, I’d warned them ahead of time that this might happen, and that I just might end up having to bail on them. I raced home to meet my husband, at which point we raced on to the hospital. And then time stood still.

The entire family was gathered in the lobby of the hospital, trying to pass the time and ease our minds. Some played cards, others read. One even sat and watched a movie on a portable dvd player. But we were all waiting.

It was just after 11:00 pm and my in-laws were about to give up for the evening and take the kiddos home. One of the girls pleaded… please try again? So a call was made, and it had been made just in time. He was coming down to get us.

Armed with a video camera that was already recording what our reactions would be, he said… It’s… a BABY. um, yeah, we know. A grandparent asked, is it healthy? And breathed a sigh of relief when the answer was yes. And so we waited for him to speak again…

it’s…. a… BOY!

The siblings jumped for joy, while the rest of us teared up a bit.

I had a new nephew! I could hardly believe it. Now the score is even… 2 girls and 2 boys. A perfectly matching set.

We all floated up in the elevator, excited to see my sis-in-law and visit the new little boy for the first time. Tried to wait as patiently as possible out in the hall, taking turns so as not to overwhelm them. First the siblings. Then one set of grandparents. And then another. And us. It was as if everyone was holding their breath, trying not to wake up from this beautiful moment. And, of course, I asked if I could capture it with my camera.

We didn’t overstay our welcome that night, but came back in groups to visit the next day.

And at that time, we finally learned his name…  Andrew.

I think I’m in love…

(in the photo above, we can’t tell if he’s doing his “thinking” pose, or practicing saying “call me.”)

Mother and baby went home the next day. And I was able to capture these sweet shots of the siblings holding their new baby brother. They are all so enchanted with him.

(Um, yeah… the one on the right isn’t one of the siblings. That’s my husband, saying hello to his new nephew…)

And look how amazingly sweet the girls are… notice the tiny felt toys piled upon Andrew? There’s a blue puppy and a brown bear… those were sewn by the girls, so that their new baby brother would have his first toys. Too, too adorable.

I’ll leave you with an image of him gripping his teddy bear. And I can guarantee that if his fingers weren’t tucked away safely in his little sleeves, he’d be sucking on them.

For the past four years, my brother and his friends have gotten together for an annual baseball game. No league, no ongoing eliminations. Just one day. One game. Good friends and good fun. Oh, and good laughs. There are plenty of those to go around, too.

Each year, new captains and teams and team names are chosen. And the t-shirts are designed.  And we’ve gone from playing in a park to actually renting out a field for the day. What can I say? We’re hard-core… for one day of the year.

This year, my brother (Shaun) was captain of one of the teams. His team name was “Kill Bill,” since Bill was the other team captain.

And here are the Kill Bills… (and this year’s CHAMPIONS!)

And above is MY team… “Shauns of the Dead.”

Our t-shirts were kinda morbid… they’d taken a picture of my brother and transformed it into a zombie of sorts.

Let the games begin…

while the Kill Bills swing their invisible ninja bats, the Shauns of the Dead do a really bad impression of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

just a few cool shots from the day…

oh captain, my captain.

this is my favorite shot of the day (even though Bill is actually nowhere NEAR about to catch the ball…)

final score… 15 to 14. Kill Bill wins.

Although, the Shauns of the Dead made a GREAT comeback. We were only going to play the standard 7 innings of softball. But the game went by too quickly, and we decided to extend the game to 9 innings instead. And I’m sooooo glad we did. Going into the 8th inning, the score was 13-3. But our team scored 8 runs in the 8th inning. (And I was one of them!!!) Unfortunately, the game came to an end when the ball that I hit was caught. I was the last “out.” Boooo…

It was still an incredible game. And Bill was a fabulous leader, too.

I totally can’t wait for NEXT year!

And even though today was just another day to Jasper, I felt like celebrating. I wished him a “happy birthday” as soon as I saw him this morning (while my husband stood by, rolling his eyes). And on my lunch break, I headed over to Three Dog Bakery to pick up something special for him. I brought back a small box of baked goodies for him to enjoy for the next few days.

Tonight’s treat: a PUPCAKE.

I think he likes it…

I got a bit sentimental last night, and put together a slideshow filled with my favorite moments thus far. So here, without further ado, is Jasper’s first year…

Happy first birthday to my teeny-weenie! May there be many more birthdays to come.

Bonus points for logo recognition. But I think I get some points deducted for not having my NAME associated with my company. Especially when it turns out that we happened to be “twitter friends” and had been occasionally chatting back & forth. (I’m a bad little tweeter, too… I hadn’t recognized her from her own picture.)

And so, for all the other countless people who might someday stumble upon my blog and wonder what the heck is the Suitcase Studio and who the heck is the person behind all these blog posts and millions of tweets, it’s time to step out from behind my logo and introduce myself…

My name is Michelle Carrillo.

I got married to my husband, Tony, almost two years ago at Hotel Laguna. And we are just now starting to pick out our wedding photos. (I know; I suck. I’m a wonderful photographer but a horrible client.) As I began the wedding planning process, I fell in love with wedding photography. I never knew it could be so artistic, and yet so REAL at the same time. Flash forward to after the wedding. As my 30th birthday drew ever-closer, I started to contemplate my life more and more. Where I was, and where I wanted to go. What I wanted to DO with my days. And how the heck did I get old enough to actually be a grown-up?!? (I’m still trying to figure that last one out…) And then a lightbulb went off over my head. Seriously. It was just that instantaneous. A real-life “A-HA” moment. I wanted to take pictures for a living. That single moment has changed my life. It was as if everything suddenly clicked into place and made sense for me.

And so, long story short, the Suitcase Studio was born. And why a suitcase? Because I don’t shoot in an actual studio… I travel to you, and shoot on-location.

But enough about my business… that’s just one part of me. Let me tell you about my SELF.

I’m now 31 years old. But at times I still feel like I’m 12. One of my favorite quotes is from an old Keds ad: “your childhood isn’t lost; you just misplaced it.” I guess that’s been my mantra for years now. Another quote that I now try to live by is found on a necklace that my dad gave me this past Christmas, and one that I now wear almost daily, as a reminder of sorts… one side of the necklace says “live the life you love,” and the other side says “love the life you live.”

I. Love. Life. Plain and simple… I try and appreciate each day as it comes. I find beauty in the strangest of places and the smallest of moments. And I love to document it all. I keep a point-and-shoot camera in my purse at all times so that I don’t miss a thing.

I don’t have any kids, and am still not sure if they’re in my future at all. (Good luck trying to convince my MOM of that, though!) Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE kids… but at the moment, I prefer the thought of playing the “cool aunt” more than the thought of having one of my own.

And sometimes I feel like I already HAVE a child. (No, not my husband). I’m referring to my dog, Jasper. He’s a miniature dachshund (or “doxie” or “wienerdog” to those in the know), and he’s about to turn one year old. And I am not exaggerating ONE BIT when I say that it is like having a toddler in the house. Seriously. But I love him to pieces. He’s actually helped me to slow down and relax a lot more.

I love living in southern California. I’ve been here all of my life, and can’t imagine myself residing anywhere else. Yes, it’s expensive here, but it’s totally worth it.  The weather is fantastic. I’m only a 20 minute drive from the ocean, Disneyland, and several malls (which are GREAT for people-watching). My home is surrounded by greenery and wildlife, and I can see the mountains in the distance. Most importantly, I am right down the street from a movie theater & a Target.  Pure bliss.

My husband and I went to Walt Disney World in Florida for our honeymoon and had a FANTASTIC time. I want to go back there soooooo badly. Just ask me about “Pal Mickey” and you’ll get a 20 minute story on how cool that stuffed animal is. (And yes, I carried a stuffed Mickey around for the duration of my entire honeymoon. Yup. Seriously… 12 year old girl.)

I’m not much of a traveler, but vow to make it to Italy one day. And I’d also like to visit Cartagena, Colombia… which is where my husband is originally from.

I don’t follow the tabloids and I don’t know labels. And part of me wonders how I’m allowed to remain a resident of Orange County without knowing these things. It’s almost like there’s a prerequisite around here for being up to date on the reality stars and what/who they’re wearing. Um, yeah. I flunked that course. Ask me about these things and I’ll just have to nod along like I know what you’re talking about.

Except for Robert Downey Jr. … I have a major crush on him and follow all the stories he’s involved in. If my husband would allow it, I’d have a poster of RDJ up in our house. (Like I said, I’m actually a 12-year old girl in disguise.)

My husband jokes that I have my own dictionary. I like to make up words and use them. And I’m so straight faced when I do so, that it takes him a minute to call me on it. And my response? “Well, it SHOULD be a word.”

I love to laugh. A LOT. I’m starting to get those lines at the side of my mouth, but that’s okay. It’s worth it. And besides… laughing is a GREAT ab workout.

And one last thing about me… I HATE being in front of the camera. (Unless I can act silly in the pictures, like the one above.) It’s a totally uncomfortable feeling to have a lens pointed at you, which is one of the reasons why I’m always the one HOLDING the camera. My husband captured these shots of me, at my request. And I vow to do this more often, so I can remember how strange of an experience it actually is to make yourself so vulnerable to someone in this way, and remind myself that this is the trust that my clients place within my hands. (And I thank you all for that.)

…all this (and more) is ME.

I walked into the restaurant, reminding myself to not bite my lip, twirl my ring, or talk too much in my nervousness. (Oops… I think I did them all.)  Because I was about to meet one of my heroes, Jasmine Star.

A little background for those who haven’t yet heard of her:  Jasmine Star is a wedding photographer who is very well known in the photography industry, as well as the local/national wedding industry. She is a young (30-year old) self-taught photographer. She had a full ride to law school but decided to give it up, realizing it just wasn’t the life she wanted to lead. Jasmine turned to photography, started from scratch… and made her dreams come true. She started out only about 5 years ago, and was charging $1,500 for her first weddings. Within her first full year of business, she booked & shot 40 weddings, and now averages $9,000+ each wedding. She works in the high-end market, shooting beautiful locations from San Diego to Santa Barbara, and also traveling for destination weddings. Jasmine has been voted photographer of the year by various companies, and has been published in numerous magazines.

Besides shooting weddings, she now holds workshops to help others in the industry. One of the goals I’d sent for myself for this year was to attend one of her workshops. So, when she announced that one was to be held in April, I jumped for joy… and held my breath that I’d be one of the 20 lucky attendees. And I got in.

Attending this workshop has been one of the highlights of my life so far. Seriously, it was just that good of a day.

You know how it is when you actually meet your heroes? How, oftentimes, they’re better in your head than in reality? This was SO not the case with Jasmine.  From the moment I arrived at the restaurant on Monday night, she was completely warm, welcoming, and sincere.  She made sure to take the time to greet each & every one of us as we arrived, and really made an effort to make us feel comfortable.  I’m glad I attended that night, as it gave me the opportunity to relax a bit in her company, as well as get to know the other attendees (and also our models for the day… Michelle & Colton) a bit better.

Tuesday was the BIG DAY. It was an all-day workshop, running from 9-6, and ending with a wonderful dinner at Maggiano’s afterward. Jasmine poured her heart into this day… sharing her expertise, her “secrets” and her SELF. And it was such an incredible experience… I can’t say enough good things about it.  Where words fail me, my tears of joy express it all.

I am so incredibly grateful that I had this wonderful opportunity, and wanted to share a few of my favorite images from the day.

We were all greeted with branded stationary and a personal note from Jasmine.

There was a photo shoot held during the day, so Jasmine could show us how she worked her magic.

Here she is, giving us a pep-talk before we get started.

Our models, Michelle and Colton.  You’d never know that they aren’t professional models, right? They both volunteered to be our “guinea pigs” for the day.

They might not be real models, but their love (and outfits) are 100% real.  They were recently married in January, and even more recently moved to Virginia, where Colton is stationed for the time being. And check out Michelle’s GORGEOUS wedding dress… yes, this IS her actual wedding dress. A friend’s mother made it for her. SCORE!

Thanks also to Kristen of The Treasured Petal for the beautiful bouquet & birdcage veil.  (And check out her etsy store for even more of her handmade wedding accessories.)

Jasmine… showing us all how it’s done.

Quite possibly my absolute FAVORITE images from the day! Um, HE-LLO?! Look at those SMILES?! And check it out… her shoes are PURPLE! best. shoes. ever.

Jasmine, jumpin’ into my shot…

I am still on Cloud-Nine from this amazing day.  If you’d like to see a few of Jasmine’s own shots (including a group picture of all of us from the day), you can head on over to her blog.

And see a slideshow of more of my images from the day by clicking here.

WPPI was AMAZING! I can’t say enough about what a great opportunity it was to be there. I was there from Sunday, March 7th through Wednesday, March 10th, and the time just flew by! I am already missing Vegas and the whole WPPI crowd (and there were a LOT of us)! Quick overview: WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Professionals International) is an annual expo held in Las Vegas each year. This was its 30th year in existence, so there was lots to celebrate. The event runs for over one week in total. There are classes from 8:00 in the morning till 8:30 (or later) each night, with their HUGE tradeshow open in the morning & early afternoon. There are welcome events, keynote speakers, cocktail parties, award ceremonies and closing events.

And walking. There is definitely a lot of walking involved.  (I am still exhausted.) It was about a 20-minute walk from my hotel room to the convention area (in the SAME hotel)… and anyone who knows me well, knows that I do not walk slowly.

Sunday:

I headed up there on Sunday afternoon with my sis-in-law, Maria (also a photographer). The trip took us just over 4 hours, which was a record time for us. My favorite sight along the way? We stopped off at an In-N-Out for a quick lunch, and there were TWO women’s restrooms, with several stalls in each. TWO! It was a beautiful sight.

In any case, we got to the hotel and checked in just after 3 pm. We were staying at the MGM Grand, which happens to be my favorite hotel in Las Vegas. And convenient, too, since this was where the WPPI convention was being held. After relaxing a bit, we decided to grab a bite to eat at Diego’s. Wonderful food & wonderful presentation, too. Knowing that the welcome reception that evening would be serving appetizers, we ate as lightly as possible.

We shouldn’t have bothered with any food beforehand. Our jaws nearly fell to the floor when we walked into the reception area and were greeted by station after station of food. These weren’t your ordinary appetizers. Mini-plates of pasta, carving stations with turkey & cranberry sauce, stuffed mini-breads, and the list goes on and on. So of course we stuffed ourselves silly. After our stomachs felt like they were going to explode, we made our way back up to the room, to enjoy watching all the “Red Carpet Recaps” while  in our jammies.

Monday:

Breakfast at the Studio Cafe. (yum.) Then we hit the tradeshow. I immediately dragged Maria over to the Millers Lab booth to show them off. Since starting my business, I’ve primarily used Millers Lab for all my printing needs, and wanted her to see their whole lineup of goodies, in person. She was as impressed as I had first been. We stuck around long enough to see some speakers they were featuring: JB & DeEtte Salle of Sallee Photography. Maria and I both decided then and there to attend the class they were giving at 3:30 that afternoon (which turned out to be a great decision).

The size of the tradeshow was a bit intimidating; it was so large that it had been divided into two separate buildings. Because of this, we decided to walk one section one day, and the other section the next. Again, I am so happy with our decision. It took us over 2 hours to walk the tradeshow that day, and we each walked away with a nearly 10-pound bag crammed with literature, samples, etc. We were tired. And sore. Oh, and did I mention that Maria was doing all of this while almost 7 months pregnant? (oh, yeah… you should have SEEN the crazy stares she got from people.)

Quick lunch back at the Studio Cafe, and then on to afternoon class with the Sallee Studio. It was simply awesome. Definitely learned a lot and found some inspiration, as well. Leaving class at 5:30, we noticed a GINORMOUS line right outside. I should’ve known better than to pass it by, as it turned out to be the line for the class I had wanted to take the MOST… Jasmine Star was speaking at 6:30. I was too late to get a spot in her class. Even though the room held 900 people, it filled up so quickly that there were a LOT of people turned away. (The people of WPPI were nice enough to schedule a second class for her to give the next day, but my schedule was already full. And I figured that since I would be attending a workshop of hers next month, there was no need for me to worry about missing out this time around.) Unfortunately, my second choice of classes was also already filled up.

No worries. I was in VEGAS! Time enough to grab a mojito and head back up to the room to relax. And prepare for that evening’s event…

The scheduled poolside cocktail party was moved indoors due to the threat of rain. The party was moved to the Garden Arena, which is where they hold all the major events (such as boxing, etc.) at the MGM. Totally awesome. We dressed up for the night (I even wore HEELS), and had even decided to skip dinner so that we could fully partake in all the yumminess of the food this time. Only to get there and realize that there was NO FOOD this time. Bummer. And with Maria being preggo, she couldn’t last long without dinner. But we decided to stay & enjoy ourselves. There was an awesome dj, and plenty of people. Even a few photobooths. We managed to hold out till just after 10:00, at which time we made a mad dash for McDonald’s and headed back up to the room.  We were both exhausted, but I’d promised myself that I would make a trip outside sometime in the night, to capture some shots of the Strip in all its nighttime neon glory. So, just after midnight, I bundled up and headed out into the windy night. These are my favorites:

Tuesday:

Tuesday morning started off in an absolutely lovely way. First, I received a “tweet” from Millers Lab, letting me know that I was a WINNER of their daily Twitter contest. My prize? My choice of any of their fine art products. Seriously. I burst into happy tears right then & there. And my morning thrills continued… as I walked into my first class of the day, I was greeted by music from a LIVE MARIACHI BAND. (The instructor had brought them in to help “wake us up” at such an early hour.) And it took me only a moment to realize that they were playing TONY’S & MY SONG! (On our 3rd date, my husband and I went salsa dancing, and a live band played “Sabor a Mi” as we danced… so that is forevermore “our song.”) happy, happy, joy, joy.

The rest of the day went smoothly enough. A couple more classes, and lots more tradeshow. Fell in LOVE with a few particular products (such as the slideshows I have recently started using). Even managed to fit in a trip to the MGM Spa… a $75 credit came with my room, so I’d be a fool to pass that up! It was the first time I felt myself relax in a loooooong time. Scheduled a quick 25-minute shoulders, neck & back massage. Aaaaaahhhhh… bliss. And, on the massage table, I had one of those moments that you know you will always remember for as long as you live… there I was, getting a massage in Vegas, at WPPI, in the midst of all my colleagues, there to do what I LOVE to do, living my passion… and the music “Claire de Lune” started to play. (One of my favorite classical pieces. Of all time.) It was a perfect moment of peace & clarity.

Maria and I had a late dinner that evening, and I received a fortune cookie that said the above. Score! We decided to head back up to our room for the night. On the way, I decided that we should at least gamble a little bit, since we hadn’t done so thus far. I handed her a $1 bill, and took one for myself to use. Of course, the quarter machine I decided to put my dollar into let me play twice and then promptly started flashing an annoying little light to let me know that it was out of paper and needed an attendant. I waited for someone to arrive, not wanting to walk away… just in case one of those last 2 quarters turned out to be a winning pull. So I waited. And waited. Maria gave up and wandered into a nearby giftshop. I waited some more. While waiting, I dug into my purse and found another dollar bill. So I decided to use it on the machine right next to my own. Played once. Twice. And on my third play, I WON Fifty Dollars! Now, that might not be a whole lot… but it was really exciting to me. Put in $1.00 and get $50.00 in return? Woo-hoo! I cashed out and left at that point, deciding that I didn’t want to wait for my remaining 50-cents any longer. It was all good.

Wednesday:

I started my morning with one final class. And then it was time to pack up and say farewell to it all for another year. Check-out went smoothly, we made a few final pit-stops for gifts, and then we were on our way back home.

I had an absolutely fabulous time there in Vegas, and can’t believe that the days went by so quickly. I met a few people, learned a LOT, and am totally inspired to keep working on my craft and building my business in a beautiful way! And I am already looking forward to WPPI for NEXT YEAR!