THE.CHRISTMAS.BOX

life with carlie.

i could write a novel... no... a series of novels... thats right, multiple volumes, on the subject. carlie is passionate & inspired. when an idea crosses her mind, nothing else on earth deserves her attention at that particular moment. whether it be going for a run, a new artistic tangent with our branding, or in this case, christmas decor, carlie knows what she wants.

well, she knows what she wants most of the time, but more accurately, is mostly figuring out what she wants as she goes. so, as we prepared for a visit from our family over thanksgiving, carlie got inspired.

in our new home, where would we put our christmas tree?

well... after 3 complete re-designs of the living room, including the shifting of the layout for most of our major furniture, carlie decided.

we aren't getting a tree.

what do you think about that? but don't worry, her new idea will probably evaporate once we unload the christmas box. i know most of you have one. and, if you have been in the business of being a family for very long, you probably even have an entire quadrant of your garage dedicated to the holiday. seeing as carlie & i are just shy of one-and-a-half years of marriage, we have a single, rather small, box of yule-tide accessories.

so, with turkey day behind us, and the holidays before us, pray for me. think of me. because, the exciting part of a small christmas box is that we still have room to be inspired, room to grow; the difficult part is, we are inventing ourselves with each step. and that is tough work.

STEPHANIE.AND.MIKE.::.THE.STORY.

while carlie & i strolled down the hallway, approaching the door to the bridal suite, i wasn't surprised to hear bubbling conversation & laughter creeping thru of the cracks of the entryway. stephanie is just that... bubbly! the day had arrived, with no detail spared, no individual left un-appreciated, and no bit of excitement left at home!

i stole away briefly, to meet up with mike & his posse, who had decided to paddle out that morning in newport. i found them just as they pulled up from their morning surf session, and the atmosphere here was a bit more calm... tranquil.

all in all, that surprisingly warm november day was perfect, from mimosa's in the morning, to stephanie & mike's first look, to the last dance. stephanie, i can't tell you how stoked i have been to see your comments sprinkled throughout our blog as we have gotten to know you, since that first meeting at the gypsy den last winter. and mike, i'm sad to say it hasn't happened yet, but we really do need to paddle out some time soon.

you guys rock!!! i hope you had an amazing time in st lucia, while carlie & i both pray that the images we captured honor your story in a way that you will be able to cherish them until your gray days.

enjoy.the.story.



carlie caught this brief moment, and decided to rock out a touch of mystery...

i know you like these ones, stephanie ;)

if looks could...



your bride, eta in 5, 4, 3, 2...

1...

i've yet to talk to a couple [including carlie & i] that regretted doing a first look. stephanie & mike, not long before they walk down the aisle.

hover-flowers by flower allie.







the newlyweds!





the reception hall oozed with class, thanks to dove canyon country club and the hundreds of candles strewn about the room.



and much thanks goes out to andrea martin with something blue stylists and richard wayne with extreme dj service!

DATING.MY.WIFE.

after a week long mancation with the mammoth men, she deserved it. so when i offered the notion of a lunch-date followed by a movie, her excited answer was...

can we stop by the candy store and sneak in some treats?

and, that was it. yesterday afternoon, my bride and i popped in the car and went on our first date in, well... i don't know how long. having only been married a short year-and-a-half, i wouldn't have expected the novelty to wear off so quick. but, yesterday, while simply enjoying a chipotle chicken panini [yum] and sharing a diet pepsi, i couldn't help but be struck by how in love i am with this woman. and, at the same time, i couldn't help but realize what an ass i can be some times, by simply not accepting the blessing that she is, and rather, focusing on the way things "should" be.

carlie, i love you. and i hope you will go on some more dates with me ;)

STILL.ROLLING.

in case you have been in a black-hole over the past week, or in st lucia [stephanie and mike, you are exempt], you know about the 24/7 shenanigans of awesomeness being dropped by the mammoth men. well, we are still on the road...

thus far, we have successfully hit the strip, blasted our ghats in colorado, discovered the tomb of stone henge, rocked out some chonies & socks football, and given the photo world a lesson in science.

at this point in time, we are chilling in las cruces, new mexico with tomorrow's plans for taking over a small town or two, between here and phoenix. so make sure to keep checking back at www.mammothmen.com for the unveiling of our story.

and as a heads up, the giveaways tomorrow are going to be extra insane, so it would definitely be worth your time to stop by and say hey.

rock.on.

ITS.HERE.

the day has arrived, for yet another adventure. over the next week, make sure to check our progress [or lack therof] at www.mammothmen.com, and as with the last trip, you can expect a double fist-full of posts each day... so, don't worry... we will give you your fill.

photo montage stolen from fred egan.

MAMMOTH.MEN.V3.

it isn't long before mammoth men enters your lifestyle.

ONE.PIECE.AT.A.TIME.

another gabriel.ryan. video from The Bui Brothers on Vimeo.

24.

i know i have written about it before, but i really am intoxicated by the idea of story. maybe it has to do with my spiritual beliefs, that a God who created me would actually care enough to craft the order of my life and that of others, weaving in and out of each other. for me, story seems like the ultimate in the application of creativity.

and so it goes, that unbeknown to me [i had just turned 3], my story changed 24 years ago today...

carlie, my bride, my partner, is perfectly fit for me. she challenges me to look inward at my own heart. she constantly reminds me, in the midst of hard times, that things will be okay... that things are okay. she sleeps in late. she cleans the dishes [every once in a while]. she holds on tight but still gives me freedom to be my own man. she supports our business while i am away. she is my sounding board. oh yeah... and she is smokin' hot!

carlie renee davis, i love you. thank you for choosing me, for letting me be me. and thank you for being you. you are exactly the woman that i need. and even in those moments, especially in those moments, i want to pull my hair out in frustration, or crawl into a corner of my own self-doubt, you bless my life. happy birthday beautiful!

TIS.THE.SEASON.

with thanksgiving just around the corner it is that time of year where family comes first. it is that time when your local grind shop starts offering pumpkin latte's, and that favorite coat that has been sitting in the back of your closet all summer finally gets to come back out and play. it's a time that is special, whether your family is just you & your new wife, or a house full of toddlers & teens, or maybe even just you & your pet parakeet. whatever your family looks like, this is the time where most people start planning their christmas card.

that said, my family [carlie & i] would love the opportunity to bless your family and play our part. we will be shooting a small handful of fun family shoots over the last week of november and the first week of december. so, if you are still trying to figure out what to do for that family photo, drop us a line. here's the scoop:

.::. all shoots must be scheduled somewhere in orange county, between the dates of november 24th & december 7th [excluding thanksgiving & black friday]
.::. your shoot will probably take about 45 minutes
.::. plan on having fun!
.::. within a week of your shoot, all of the images will be available to be viewed online, and you will choose one image, for your christmas card, that we will re-touch in our studio and then deliver to you via email [the hi-resolution file]
.::. the remainder of the images will remain online if you wish to order prints OR you may purchase all of the digital files [to be delivered on disc] for an additional $100
.::. plan on having fun! [the important part]

cost: $300

again, due to the timely nature of the christmas[card] season, please inquire as soon as possible by shooting an email to info@gabrielryan.net

enjoy.the.story.

the.sanford.family.
christmas.2008.

SHANNON.AND.JEFF.::.THE.STORY.

every once in a while, maybe not always, but in those special moments far and few between, things happen just as they ought to. the kind of series-of-events typically saved for a screenplay... that's what i'm talking about. it is just as such with shannon & jeff.

i have known both jeff and shannon for some time now, and i have spent some of the best times of my youth with jeff hull the second. we learned to surf together (he can now officially surf at least 10 times better than myself), we spent a winter in the rockies snowboarding every day, and i've watched him take his business from a small corner of his dad's garage to a well respected and thriving surfboard manufacturer. i had the pleasure of joining a small group of guys recently for a surf trip to panama, and had the honor of being one of jeff's groomsmen this past weekend. to sum it up mathematically jeff hull the second + anything = awesome.

as for shannon, i've been there as she grew up; one of my sister's best friends. in fact, i know that shannon's life was a testimony to courtney and her influence as a friend probably shaped courtney during her short but passionate 19 years on this earth. i was there, 8 years ago, when at another friend's bachelor party, jeff called 'dibbs' on shannon, braces and all. jeff said something to the effect of that shannon donahue is going to be hot when she grows up... i got dibbs.

8 years later, and things panned out just as their story was written. shannon & jeff, thank you for bringing carlie & i into the process. we are so excited for you, and can't wait for the fun times to be had here on out. we love you.

and i have to give an extra special thanks to my incredible bride, none other than mrs. carlie renee, for rocking out as the main photog on this wedding. being that i was a part of the bridal party, i handed this one over to carlie, and looking through the images (though i did take a few myself) i am afraid carlie might put me out of a job. also, thanks to aaron of ahs photography, for second shooting with carlie on this one.

here's how the day unfolded...

despite 30+ mile per hour winds, we decided to hit up the point in ventura for an early morning surf session.



all the girls rocked a bit of their own style.





one of the many stunner shots captured by carlie.renee.



chillin' in the bridal lounge before the ceremony.

papa-ete giving his daughter away.

the shot on the right is one of my favorites from the whole day.

who is that sexy groomsmen at the end?



carlie was asking us all to give a stoic look into the camera when evie decided to plop down at our feet.

















shannon + jeff + big tree =



off to tokyo.

have fun in japan my friends! you guys rock!!! for serious!

THE.FUTURE.OF.OUR.STORY.

if a picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is technically made up of a lot of pictures, than a video should be at least worth a million words...

a gabriel.ryan. video from The Bui Brothers on Vimeo

WEEKEND.WITH.CASH.AND.CHARLIE.

after a few days hanging out in an empty house [while gabriel was down in central america] i [carlie] decided to head north for some much needed family time. two days of play time with cash & charlie was just what the doctor ordered! so, i surprised my niece & nephew by picking up cash after a long day of kindergarten. the following images are a snippet of what took place over the next couple of days...






gabriel typically has the same reaction when i bathe him in the kitchen sink.



charlie is definitely growing up. this was the first time she let me & her mom paint her toe nails. nothing says girl-time like leg warmers & nail polish...

something's missing... hmmm...





the cash man!

future fishing pro's of america... watch out!