Megan Welker

 I love this little family. The hugs, loves, stick wars, dirt throwing, kisses, and laughter. It’s all so worth it.

For those of you who didn’t see my post earlier this week or don’t follow me on Instagram, I just finished a four day juice cleanse. It was tough at times but honestly not as hard to do as I thought it would be. I know some of you were curious to see how the week went so here we go. I had been keeping somewhat of a journal each day by time and kind of just typed out my scrambled thoughts.

Juicing 101 with Megan

This was my daily routine. Um…except I didn’t drink nearly enough water as I should have.

8 a.m. Green Juice
24 ounces of water
10 a.m. Pineapple Apple Mint Juice
24 ounces of water
12 pm Green Juice
24 ounces of water
2 pm Spicy Lemonade
24 ounces of water
5 pm Beet Juice
24 ounces of water
8 pm Vanilla Almond Smoothie

Day One

First day was a little tough. Obviously my body is used to food so giving it only juice takes a while to get used to.

-8am: woke up and was starving! Drank my Green juice and it was pretty delicious. Although I didn’t feel quite full from it I was satisfied (which is how you should feel anyways, right?)
-10am: Surprisingly I wasn’t THAT hungry when it came time to drink my 10am  juice. But of course I did, because I follow rules. (ok scratch that, about 5 minutes later, I was STARVING) My 10am drink was Pineapple Apple Mint and was so so tasty!
-12am: Green Juice again….now, I’m really hungry. Trying to stay focused when all I really want is a croissant, or pizza, or in n out….or just an almond.
-2pm: Spicy Lemonade. This is REALLY good! Super tart with a little kick from the cayenne pepper. I’m not exactly “full” but that was a really good juice and I’m excited to have it again tomorrow. I feel energized and light.
-4:30: This time of day you go 3 hours in between your juices. I’ve been a little hungry all day but my stomach is actually growling now. Only another 30 min and I can have some Beet Juice…
-5pm This. Is. Gross.
-8pm: I’m feeling really proud of myself for conquering today and I still have one more and it’s dessert! Ps. The dessert smoothie is my fav. Autym and I kind of switched it up and went with Almond milk, bananas, dates and raw cocoa instead of the cashew milk on the list. I like what we did there. Yum!

Day Two

-8am: Woke up and immediately got ready since I had a coffee date with a fellow photog. Downed my green juice and booked it to the coffee shop where I had a hot green tea when I really wanted a scone and chai latte. It was nice to walk around and get out of the house since it took my mind off of the fact that I was totally hungry.
11:30am: Came home and downed my pineapple apple mint juice (my favorite one)
12:30pm: I’m a little off today on times but I still drank my green juice at noon even though I’m a little full from the previous drink.
-The rest of the day was pretty good. Made the beet juice with one less beet and extra apple so it was much better this time! I still think beets are gross though.
6pm: Got out of the house today to go shoot a little. It was nice keeping my mind occupied on something else and not thinking about how hungry I was.

Day Three

-8am: Woke up pretty refreshed today and finally feeling some benefits. We didn’t juice last night in preparation for this morning which was a mistake. I was really hungry, and dropped the bowl of juice in mid prep. Green juice gets EVERYWHERE fyi.
-10am: Just finished 10am juice and am feeling pretty good. I do need to be drinking much more water but it’s hard to remember when I’m in my “work mode”
2pm: I left the house to do some shopping and realized at 2pm I was pretty hungry so I rushed home for my favorite juice. I’ve also noticed today that I don’t feel as tired as I have the previous days.
-Had to run to the grocery store to pick up more apples (apparently 40 wasn’t enough. Go figure) and was pretty proud of myself that I wasn’t tempted to buy and lust after anything there but what I went for. This whole thing really is just mind over matter.
-5pm: Beet juice time and again, made it the same as yesterday with one less beet. Starting to get used to the taste but still not a fan.
-The rest of the day went really well.

Day Four (last day!!)

-9am: Oops, I overslept. But surprisingly didn’t wake up starving like I have been.
-11am: Juice #2. Down in about one sip.
-11:30am: Since I pretty much drank two juices back to back I was pretty full. I decided to get out of the house and run some errands. It was at about 2pm that I realized I really should get back home and put something in my stomach to stop it from rumbling.
-2pm: Green Juice (I am so off on time today)
-4pm: Spicy Lemonade.
-Confession: I didn’t drink (or make) the beet juice today. Since I’m supposed to drink it at 5 and I had Juice #4 so late I decided to skip it. Also because I was headed to a party up in la and needed to get ready instead of juice. AND, I wasn’t hungry. So, there’s that. I guess I should also say that at the party I had a glass of wine, a few (like literally three) teeny appetizers and was nervous at how my stomach would react. Turns out I was totally fine and went out for tapas style dinner after. It felt so good to chew again!

In the end, it really was pretty easy to do. Also, I think the fact that I work from home helps tremendously. I couldn’t imagine working in an office setting where coworkers bring donuts and lunch. The smells would probably make me cave. But, I’m really proud of myself for sticking to it. It has definitely made me look at the way I eat differently. That said, I’m not going to give up In n Out or Chipotle but I may throw in a juice or two as meal replacements here and there.

Here are the recipes to the juices in case you’re up for the challenge!

Green Smoothie: This tastes really good! Obviously it tastes like a bunch of veggies but it’s refreshing!

• 5 Ribs of Celery
• 1 Cucumber, Halved
• 2 Large Green Apples of Your Choice
• 3 Kale leafs
• 1 Ounce of Lemon juice
• 1 Handful of Parsley
• 3 Romaine leafs
• 1 Handful of Spinach

Pineapple Apple Mint: This tastes pretty much like it sounds. Delicious. Probably my favorite one.

• A Third of 1 Pineapple
• 2 Large Green Apples of Your Choice
• A few pinches of Mint, to taste

Spicy Lemonade: Second favorite…well, close for tie on favorite. Super tart and delicious. Obviously I liked the “snack” juices the best. Instead of agave we used honey since we had it. Just make sure to mix the honey in before any cold water to keep it from hardening.

• 14 ounces of Filtered Water
• 3-4 juiced medium Lemons
• A few Dashes of Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of Agave Nectar

Beet Juice: You all know how I feel about this one. But, adding an extra apple and a whole lot of extra lemon really helped. Least favorite though.

• 1 Green Apple of Your Choice
• 2 Beet, with the greens left on
• 3 Large Carrots
• 1 and 1/2 Tablespoon of Ginger
• A 1/2 ounce of Lemon Juice (to taste)

Vanilla Almond: This was delicious and such a great treat to end the day with. It really curved my sweet cravings too!

• 8 ounces of Almond Milk
• 2 Dates
• 1 ripe Banana
• Sprinkle in some raw cocoa

 This post makes me so happy.

Andrew emailed me with the subject headline,  “Engagement Ninja” and I knew I was in for something fun.

We emailed back and forth figuring out what time they will show up, where I should be hiding, and so on. I got to the park where they shared so many moments in their first years of dating. I stood behind a tree, hoping this tiny tree would cover my body and I wouldn’t be found out. As soon as I saw Andrew and Raine walk up my heart started beating a million beats a second. I thought for sure I was more nervous than Raine was. Andrew scanned the park (every so sly) looking for me and as soon as he spotted my massive lens he got down on one knee. I was so happy, tears started welling up in my eyes. There is no possible way not to be floored with happiness when witnessing a proposal.

We walked back to The Waterfront Cafe where all of their nearest and dearest friends were waiting to celebrate. As we walked I snapped away. I love how Raine couldn’t stop smiling and looking at her gorgeous ring. I love how excited everyone was as they told them the good news. I love the “congratulations” cupcakes that were waiting for them. I love the hugs, the kisses, the high fives. I truly do love love.

♥

1. I am so so happy about this website. It’s a brand spankin new home, style, shopping site that is directed by the previous editor of Domino Magazine. Head over for some amazing inspiration. {via Domaine}

2. I don’t remember how I came across these rugs but I knew that I had to put them away to share today. They are some of the most beautiful, colorful rugs I’ve seen. They’re from Morocco and can be purchased through Etsy. {via BOUCHEROUITE}

3. Oh how I love this girl. She is such a good role model for young women and super beautiful to boot. But this isn’t really about her, it’s about the gorgeous gown she’s wearing. How perfect would this dress be as a wedding gown? I mean, maybe without the crazy high slit? But yes, I’d wear it! {via Glitter Guide}

4. Oh these women have done it again. Utterly Engaged Issue 25 is here! And every page is something even more beautiful than the last. Do yourself a favor and browse through it asap! {via Utterly Engaged}

5. Ok, now I saved this for last. Today is Day One of my four day juice cleanse. I am tired of feeling exhausted, unmotivated and just generally not that great about myself so I decided that there’s no better time then now to start changing. My roomie and I are doing this juice cleanse together, which makes it SO much easier. I could not imagine either of us going through this while the other is making pasta for dinner… torture! So, here’s what we’re doing. We’re following The Blueprint recipes and juicing them ourselves which is SO much cheaper. I just couldn’t justify spending some $65 a day on juices when I spent just a little over that on all the produce for 4 days! I really didn’t know a whole lot about juicing so I took to good ol’ Google yesterday and starting researching away. I ended up at this woman’s blog and what I really loved about this plan is that it’s the same 5  juices each day, one of which you drink twice, easy enough for me! I feel makes it a bit easier to shop for as well. We bought something like 40 apples, 32 lemons and a TON of greens from our local grocery store. The produce guy became our bff as we talked about juicing and he gave us samples of fruit. So today is Day One. So far I’ve had two of my 6 juices and so far I’m doing pretty well. I’ve been keeping a bit of a journal so I’ll update on Friday with how it went! Wish me luck! Here is the blog I checked out and got recipes from; Newlyweds on a Budget.

 On Monday I photographed a very intimate wedding in Temecula and I couldn’t help but share a few of Jenna & Matt’s portraits. That light takes my breath away.

…and tossing around a hat.

17/52

Also… I have to admit something. Each time I realize I need to take my portrait for the week Adam and I end up being together and somehow he ends up with the camera in hand, taking photos of me. So, technically they’re not all self portraits but hey, at least I’m being honest.

Three years ago we took this photo.

It completely describes our silly relationship. We can go months without seeing each other and the second we reunite it’s like no time has passed. We can laugh and talk about fashion for hours and then completely take a left turn and share our life goals and secrets.

Little did we know that just a year after this photo was taken Wynter would be married on this same road and three years later we’d come back again and take another portrait of the two of us.

This is why I love my job, I get to capture the little moments in life. I’m excited to try and make this a tradition. Maybe next time we do this we’ll both be married, then after that, with our children and so on and so forth.

16/52

Holy “busy but oh my gosh how I love my job and things like that” weekend. I’m putting together this post quickly before I get ready to head south and shoot an elopement (one of my things on my “to do in 2013″ list so I’m just a little bit excited). After today I will have shot five portrait/family/boudoir sessions, one wedding and one elopement in the past five days. All I can say to that is, Thank you God for blessing me. My life is pretty fun. Hope you had a lovely weekend, let’s get started on these wonderful finds.

♥

1. Cinta is HERE! My dear friend Ari put her heart and soul into these camera straps and I am SO excited and proud of her! These straps are amazing. Seriously. Plus mine and Adams face grace the website which is super fun. It’s free shipping now until May 6th so go get yourself one of these beautiful babies! {via cinta}2. The bff and I just nabbed tickets to these these guys! WE ARE BEYOND EXCITED!

3. Is there anything better than a rooftop bar? I think not. Here are the top 10 in NY. {via gothamist}

4. Ok, now this looks cool. I haven’t looked into it a ton but with an upcoming trip to SF I’m thinking of downloading the app and checking it out. Have you/do you use it? Let me know what you think! {via Mosey}

5. Super cute ceremony site. Intimate, personal…I love it. {via Ruffled}

6. I need this hammock in my life. now. {via Amazon}

7. Cute stamp. Also need this in my life. now. {via Etsy}

8. Ham and Cheese biscuits. GET IN MY BELLY! {via A Thousand Threads}

9. Ok, this sounds crazy but surprisingly looks SO good! Painted radiators. Who woulda thought!? {via At Home In Love}

10. In the LA area? Want a fun new job? Check out Design Love Fests Job Board. I kinda wanna do one of these. {via DesignLoveFest}

 Taylor and Tim are exactly one month away from starting the rest of their lives together so I thought it was fitting to blog them today. Their engagement session was so special and not just because of how amazing the two of them are but because of how personal their locations were. I know I’ve mentioned this before but my favorite places to shoot engagement sessions are places that mean something to you. Taylor and Tim’s first date was in the Guinness World Record book for the longest first date ever. Ok, it wasn’t…but it should be! We shot in each place they went to during their marathon date and ended in a field of beautiful California light.

T & T, I cannot wait to document you two marry each other next month! Thank you for letting me be such a special part of your Big Day.

 It’s officially wedding season! Which means my weekends are JAM packed. This weekend I was asked to photograph a beautiful wedding with a sweet friend of mine, I was a secret proposal ninja, hid behind a tree and documented the sweetest proposal. After that I got to know a sweet couple of mine during their engagement session at Will Rogers Park. It was such a wonderful weekend. I’m so thankful to be absolutely in love with my job.

I think I may have been more nervous than Andrew when he was proposing. I was hiding behind a skinny tree, probably looking like a total creeper to everyone else in the park while snapping away as Andrew got on one knee and proposed to Raine. It was so perfect, so emotional. More to come from this but I couldn’t help but share just a couple.

 Hope you all have a wonderful week! xoxo

1. Lately I’ve been seeing a whole lotta mixing patterns and I’m totally loving it, especially this one with one of my favorite fashion bloggers, Kendi. Although, with legs like hers she can pull off anything. I think I’ll peruse through my closet and see if I can pull this off. {via Kendi Everyday}

2. Stumped on what to get Mom, a graduate or Dad? Check out the best gift guide on the internet! {via to & from}

3. I came across these on Pinterest and I know they’re a bit cheesy but the romantic in me thinks they’re adorable. {via Etsy}

4. It’s just about summertime, well here in Southern California it basically is summer which means fresh scents. I’m loving this diy coconut milk shampoo from Free People’s blog. {via Free People}

5. ohhhh I’ve been dreaming of a trip to Italy. Adam and I are hoping to visit next Spring. With views like this though, I’d love to head over now! {via Travel This World}

6. Three of my favorite things wrapped up in one? Coffee, chocolate and almonds…be still my heart. {via Love Food Eat}