New year, new beginnings...

Another year has passed and we are already one month into 2012! Time is flying for me lately, it seems like every minute is filled with something. Last year I slacked off on my blogging and I really held back in sharing my life with you all. This year I would like to share more of myself with you rather than holding back for fear of what others might think.

2011 was filled with lots of personal and professional growth and I hope to have more in 2012. Thank you to all of you that have been reading and continue to do so!

Here is to a happy and health new year filled with possibility!

Organic Bloom Frames

I have been offering frames from The Organic Bloom for a while and have been impressed with their superior product and great customer service but this week they have gone above and beyond. They heard the story of Brady and Melissa Beckstead and their little girl, Ella and have donated a frame to help them create a home together while adjusting to their new life outside of the hospital. If you aren't familiar with Brady and Melissa's story, you can check it out here.

If you are not familiar with The Organic Bloom check them out! Not only do they offer amazing frames, they care about their customers!

Here a few images taken by other photographers of their Organic Bloom home displays and the Organic Bloom Factory.

Catching up...

Wow, it has been a long time since I have blogged! A lot has happened in the last few months. I have directed two shows and am getting ready for a break! It will be the first time I haven't been involved in a theatre production in five months.

The first one was Seussical the Musical with Kelrik Productions. I performed in this one as Bird Girl #1. It was one of the most fun productions I have ever been a part of.  You can read my blog about it here: http://danielledutro.blogspot.com/2011/07/seussical-musical.html

The next one was Sister Amnesia's Country Western Nunsense Jamboree that I directed for The God Is Still Speaking Players in August. I has so much fun with this one. I had an amazing cast that was able to put this entire show on quickly and put up with my attempts to choreograph when our choreographer got extremely sick.

And finally, I am currently directing Arsenic and Old Lace with Sorcerer Productions. This is my biggest production to date and has been an incredible learning experience! It is a fantastic script and I have amazing actors that have made this process so fun. We have such high quality theatre on the Central Coast and I am so thrilled that these companies have trusted me to bring these productions to fruition! We have had a few reviews, you can read them here and here.

If you are interested in seeing our last weekend, you can call the Clark Center box office at:
 (805) 489- 9444

Brady and Melissa Beckstead: An update!

For those of you who have been asking for an update on Baby Ella, she is doing well! She is growing rapidly and Brady and Melissa are in LA eagerly awaiting the arrival of little Ella. If you don't remember, Ella has HLHS or Hypo Plastic Left Heart Syndrome, which basically means she will be born without the left side of her heart. 

She will have one open heart surgery a few days after she is born and hopefully she will be able to come home a few weeks after that. We miss the three of you immensely and cannot wait to meet Ella! I am looking forward to photographing her when she is strong enough to come home. 

Brady, Melissa and Ella, our thoughts are with you. Ella, you are so loved already, I hope one day you can look back and see how your family and this community came together out of love for you.

** An Update on the update
Ella will be delivered via C section on Tuesday September 13.

If you are interested in following Melissa's blog about Ella you can see it here: http://hearts4ella.blogspot.com/  **

Sierra Senior Photos

When Sierra and her mom called me to do her senior photos I was so excited! One of my favorite types of photography is senior photography. It is so much fun finding the best locations and poses to fit each senior's personality. 

Sierra is a beach girl so we headed out to one of my favorite locations. We had such a great time and Sierra was up for any challenge I threw her way, she even got into the water to let me play with using reflections! 

Seussical The Musical

Theatre on the Central Coast is alive and thriving! After four weeks of rehearsing and one weekend down, there is one more weekend to see all of our hard work come to life. For those of you who don't know me well, I am a photographer as well as a musical theatre lover! I perform in, direct and photograph a lot of the shows here on the Central Coast. This is an amazing high energy show with lots of new Central Coast talent! Check out some clips of this musical on the Kelrik Facebook Page (Click to follow link)!

 This is closing weekend of Seussical the Musical at the Spanos Theatre at Cal Poly. This is a great show for people of all ages. Bright, colorful, fun and fast paced- you can't go wrong! Get your tickets now at (805) 756- 2787 or 888- 233-PLAY! 

Brady and Melissa Beckstead: A Heart full of Love

I have known Brady and Melissa for several years now. We met, as I meet so many people in my life, in theatre. I met Brady while performing in RENT with a local theatre company and met Melissa soon after. We have been friends ever since and were even invited to their wedding. I am so thrilled to be photographing their journey of welcoming their first child, Ella. 

Unfortunately, they found out that Baby Ella has a rare heart condition, HLHS. Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Essentially, Ella will be born without the left side of her heart. Brady and Melissa have been so inspiring with their strength and positivity. Ella will have to go through one open-heart surgery immediately after she is born and at least two more by the time she is three years old. Brady and Melissa will move to LA for three months to be close to Children's Hospital.  

Their family is putting on a fundraiser to help with the astronomical costs of living expenses and hospital bills. Below is the flyer will all of the information. Tickets are available for $30 on www.brownpapertickets.com. You can also donate directly through any Rabobank Branch into the Ella Beckstead Benefit Fund. 

I have been so honored to be part of this special family's life and cannot wait to meet Baby Ella!