{tu-nguyen} Senior '15

A post long overdue...
This girl's got one of the kindest hearts and brightest spirits I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I missed her even before I left Minnesota, but I know we'll pick up right where we left off when I get back. Thank you for your friendship, Tu-Nguyen--you mean the world to me! Enjoy your senior year!

{camille} Senior '15

So much variety on St. Anthony Main..we definitely took advantage of the quaint cafés, nooks in brightly colored buildings, bridges, ivy and graffiti covered walls. Welcome to your senior year, Camille!

{collaboration} practice makes perfect

Last week I explored all of the nooks and crannies of our little downtown Robbinsdale with fellow budding photographer, Aaron. Between his Canon and my Nikon, we had a bit of a language barrier, but we shared a few tips & tricks with each other as we both have senior shoots coming up. It was a nice treat to have my own smile captured!

july in instagram

1. arts & crafts with my girls across the street.
2. a bit of cookie patriotism. after frosting our fifth cookie, we got a bit more creative with our decorations: "MLK", "apple pie", "mystery meat", etc.
3. mother fell in love with yet another dog we can't have.
4. some more patriotism, feat. fruit.
5. soaking up some sun while reading a good book.
6. a BIG welcome home to Emma who was on a year long foreign exchange in Italy! check out a blog of her journey: The Italian Experience
7. a welcome to adulthood party with my favorite cookie making bud, celebrated with Indian food and 'walk through the art' outdoor festival in downtown minneapolis.
8. beautiful fireworks over a lake at Whizbang carnival.
9. a week of cat-sitting.
10. pool parties & adorable 10 yr olds.
11. beach day.
12. Vietnamese "pho". {yum x1000} But let's not talk about my chopstick skills, or lack thereof.
13. refer to previous post for details: Palestine
14. reunited with childhood friend Nicki at (probably) my last grad party of the summer.

june in instagram

1. As per tradition, the seniors who have participated in the Cooper Theatre Program paint a brick in the dressing room to leave their legacy. Three artistically inspired hours of painting.
2. Surprise twinning with fourth grade teacher whom I've fondly nicknamed Jo. She's awesome.
3. Mama and I at  Orpheum in downtown Minneapolis to see "GHOST", the musical. Front & center balcony seats = great. Show = dreadful. I do not recommend. 
4. Sleepover with Camille. Lavender cupcakes + a honey & cream cheese frosting. Love spending time with her and her family, for not only are they lovely people, but I get a chance to be immersed in a bit of French-American culture. For breakfast, Camille's maman made delicious crêpes which we topped with Nutella and fresh framboises. 
5. Brother and I visiting godmother Teri + her adorable Shiba Inu, Sukha at her new flat in downtown St. Paul. Though everything is flooded after these torrential downpours, the skyline is still gorgeous.
6. Dinner at Snuffy's Malt Shop, only the best 50's themed restaurant ever, with Grams and brother. Yum.
7. Throwback to my graduation party and a happy birthday/father's day to my awesome dad, who put in so much effort into the party!
8. Outer gardens of The St. Paul Hotel, definitely one of if not the most beautiful and historic lodging quarters in Minnesota. With Grams for scholarship reception ceremony & luncheon provided by Comcast. President Obama definitely arrived in the area an hour after we left.
9. "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" at New Century Theatre on Hennipen. Cheap student rush. Totally worth it. Absolutely phenomenal.

This awesome idea of summarizing my month via my Instagram feed came from Nikki at Dream in Neon. 
You can follow my instagram at soniamo.

Thanks for reading! ~Sonia

marjon // senior

Say hello to Marjon! I recently had my first official senior portrait session with my cousin Marjon at Purgatory Park in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Though we trudged through swamp flooded trails filled with thousands of squirming tadpoles and ended up at least three miles away from the car, every sticky, itchy moment in the great outdoors was worth it--cause these photos turned out beautifully. 

I do not promote myself as a private business, but I do truly love photography. If you enjoyed these senior portraits and are looking to have your photos taken for a reasonable, low cost price, feel free to shoot me an e-mail at soni.mo250@gmail.com or visit "Finding the Lovely" on Facebook.

meet claire

Last week I had a fabulous evening catching up with my beautiful friend Claire. After coffee and a movie, we went for a walk through the nearby nature center and I snapped some pictures of her before the sun set. Isn't she stunning?!