Alison & Bleu's Personal Stuff Blog

Need Construction???

2008-11-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

Bleu and I have a great neighbor who has worked on our house this summer! From painting to putting down beautiful marble on our floor. If you are wanting to do some upgrades before the holidays...do me a favor and call Mark at MB Construction. 714-962-4223. He is an artist in his own right. We are soooo happy to have him as a friend, neighbor, and someone we can trust when putting our home in his hands.

Oktoberfest is here!!

2008-10-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

We had a great day at the Huntington Beach Oktoberfest. Fisher insisted in wearing his Alpine boy outfit. McKayla was the premiere Chicken Dancer at the festival!

The highlight was catching up with the Diamond Sisters for the second year in a row, and photographing their portrait after their performance.

Fisher and his ladies!

MySpace Excitement

2008-08-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am truly not the one to act like a little schoolgirl when it comes to being a fan of someone...but I am so excited that Beyond Reality Radio became my friend on my MySpace Page. If you have not seen the hit TV Show, GhostHunters, on Sci Fi (Wednesday Nights) you have not seen Jason and Grant doing their thing! They have an amazing MySpace page that I frequent due to the fact that you can listen to their radio show on it. So when I boosted the BCP page I had to see if they could be a "friend"..and they are!

Check their icon out on our page!

Thanks, guys!

OC Fair Good Ole Fashion Photo Booth!

2008-08-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

Our family has a tradtion when it comes to the OC Fair. McKayla and Fisher are to be photographed on the ponyride, and we have a collection of 5x7s we gladly purchase of them on the backdrop. Then it is over to the black and white photo booths for some amazing ancient looking images....no photoshop here! I love to let the chemicals dry off of the photos in my hands. Oh the good old days of developer, Stop and Fixer. Sighhhhh.....

Fisher and Jessica

2008-08-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

Bleu and I are so grateful to have Jessica in our lives. She has been Fisher's Babysitter...Nanny...Girlfriend...Miss Jessica...for almost a year now. Jess is our Angel! I wish all families could have someone like her to watch their baby when they are out shooting weddings! She came with us last week to watch the FishMan while we did a family session at the beach, so we ended up taking some photos after sunset of them. Jess is heading out to American Idol auditions next week...Break a Leg Jess!!

Fisher Meets Michael Cage

2008-08-02T01:05:00.000-07:00

This week Fisher met NBA basketball player Michael Cage and his amazing family during a shoot we had. Michael is such an incredible person, and his kids were all Fisher's buddies for the afternoon. Michael does the "Fisher face"....
Fisher helps out the team.

Bleu's Thresher Shark!

2008-06-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

It was recently Thresher Shark Week...they were migrating through the So Cal Waters. Bleu went out with our friends Rischi and Alexis Sharma www.lpl.com/rischi.sharma for the day last month, and caught one on our boat, the King Fisher. This was the first time I had thresher shark for dinner... OHG...it was the most amazing!!!!

Best Photographer in the OC!!!

2008-05-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Winners have been posted for the Best in the OC...and we are pleased to announce that Bleu Cotton Photography is Voted the Best Photographer in Orange County on the Fox LA's Hotlist.

Thank you for making us number one!!!!

http://myfoxla.cityvoter.com/bleu-cotton-photography/biz/66040

Fish and Pasta

2008-05-18T09:48:00.001-07:00

Fisher is 15 months old!

2008-05-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

Happy 15 months to Fisher! He is now no longer allowed at BCP...as mr Fingers likes to push the bright buttons on the computers, and grab at the mice on at the computer stations...along with opening the front door and leaving without notifying the BCP team. So I took this image on his 15th month bday in between his job of his day which was stretching the phone cords on Bleu's desk phone. :) Oh how we love kids!!!...ps, plastic drinking cups are some of the best kiddie toys you can offer a child at this age!

Nicole is almost 20!

2008-02-24T00:55:00.000-08:00

This year is a special year for Bleu's only daughter, Nicole....she is turning 20! Well...technically she is turning 5 years old!!...she is a leap - year baby! So on February 29th she gets her 5th bday ! Don't feel too bad for her, though...on her off-years she actually gets to celebrate every day for a week surrounding her missing bday...she gets it better than most!

Today we pulled this old polaroid of Nikki that is quite appropriate for her birthday. Bleu photographed her as a just a little toddler with a graduation cap and diploma, from pre-school. I love this shot!!! I took creative license on it and did a made it Worhol-esk and put it on our website. This is what timeless photography is all about!

Happy Bday, Nikolita!

Oh My Gosh! Seabass for everyone tonight!

2008-02-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Bleu's son, Brandon caught a record White Seabass out of La Jolla in San Diego. It was 62 lbs!!! Brandon is the editor of the FishRap newspaper. www.fishrapnews.com This is front page news!!!!

Needless to say we had an amazing meal last night...and tonight is round two!

good going Brando!

Fisher meets Constantino Bertuzzi

2008-02-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

Fisher exchanged tips with Famous Italian Race Car Driver, Constantino Bertuzzi last sunday...he was learning how he can cut his time as he races his Mickey Mouse Scooter Airplane up and down the hall way at home!

Halloween 2007

2007-11-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

The BCP Team had their first annual Halloween Contest! And the Winner is ..... Nicole Cotton ...Retoucher Extraordinaire! She's the Politically Incorrect Man on the Below Far Right! Our Celebrity Judges included Chrissy Sherbanee from the Turnip Rose Elite Catering http://www.turniprose.com/ and Michelle from Jamison Services-1901 Newport Plaza.

We also had our 2nd annual Sunday before Halloween trick-or-treating with a zebra and Sleeping Beauty.

Photo ops with the Zebra!

2 Bums and and Bunny

2007-10-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

How we chose to be vagabonds for Halloween in 1975, I do not know!!!! But here we are!!! I am in the snazzy yellow button up. I remember distinctly the way mom would burn corks from champagne bottles to smear on our faces for that authentic 5 oclock shadow look. And this photo is priceless, as I am on the left giving you the Fonzie "Thumb Up" sign, signaling that everything is "Cool" in my world. Yes... Life was good as a 5 year old.

Fisher's Dedication

2007-10-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

Fisher is a man!! Well, not quite. We did have a dedication ceremony for him a few weeks back. It was so beautiful. Bleu's mom, Reverend Catherine "Kitty" Cotton, did the service. She actually married us, too, 5 years ago. My parents were in town, and Fisher's 3 Brothers and 1 Sister were all together for the special occasion. This was his first event that called for a tie! What a handsome man...if I must say so!!!!

Grandkids, Bleu & YaYa Cotton!!!!

He is a spitting image of Grandpa Pierce!!!!

Fisher's Cousin, Ann - What amazing photos!

2007-10-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

My cousin, Karen, and her husband, Mitch, have been traveling to and working in Madagascar for a few years now. Last Fall, they had their first baby, Ann...who is Fisher's 2nd cousin...This summer, they went back to Madagascar with Ann and sent me some photos. I LOVE THEM! They are so amazing. What a great opportunity to have a baby with them in their travels. I had to share them.

Thanks Mark and Linda from Roatan

2007-09-21T17:30:00.001-07:00

Our friends, Mark and Linda, who live in Roatan, sent Fisher this shirt back when he was born. He fits in it perfectly now at almost 7 months. He was my supermodel in it, crawling up the runway... and showing off his 6 teeth!!!

ABC - American Bridal Consultants

2007-08-01T22:27:00.001-07:00

ABC has been so much fun this summer to attend. I must give props to the amazing organizers of each of these events. Here is Bleu and Dawn with Ashley Video as we enjoy the sunset at the Marbella Country Club in San Juan Capistrano.

Fisher's 2 Teeth and Counting...

2007-08-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe Fisher has 3 more teeth coming in on top. He has his 2 little lower teeth in, so I am already doing the toothbrushing routine with him. Now I see he has 3 top teeth coming through. Wow! He is only 6 months with almost 5 teeth, what an over-achiever!!!

I am a Pirate King, Hu yah!

2007-08-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

We took Anthea and Brandon's Nephew, Ryan, to the Pirate Show in Anaheim in July. I love touristy stuff! Sometimes in California, I forget how much fun stuff there is to do! So can I hear a Huh Ya! to those who admit to having seen the musical "The Pirate King" in the early 80s????

I will be very impressed if you know the lyrics to the songs Kristy McNichol sings in it.

Fisher's first Photo Booth!

2007-08-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

So we went to the Orange County Fair with Fisher for the VERY first time. We had to initiate him with a trip to the photo booth. He did quite well for being on the verge of Bedtime.

We also have a tradition with our grand-daughter, McKayla...we find the pony booth and give her a pony ride. The sign said 6 months and older...well, Fisher, being 6 months and 3 days passed the age limit so we bought him a ticket for a Pony Ride also!!!! He was amazing!!!! With every circle all of the attendees oohed and awwwed him for riding the pony at such a young age! You go Fisher!!!!

Wine Time on the King Fisher

2007-08-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a FABULOUS Newport Bay Cruise with our Friends, Jami and Rick Delgado. Bleu photographed their wedding back in 1999...I met them as we designed their wedding album in 1999...an amazing wedding our studio photographed at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Ask Bleu about his drive to the Hotel...and his equiptment at the stop light...these are the moments that reality shows are made of. :)

Jami and Rick have been friends since then. We adore them! Tonight we spent sunset with some perfect bottles of wine and time to enjoy the view in the bay....and our Fisher got to spend time with Sophia....their daughter born 1 week after him at Hoag...thank you to Jami and Rick for letting Fisher piggy back with their babysitter!!! We are looking forward to Fisher and Sophia dating and going to their High School Prom together in about 17 1/2 years!!!

Summertime Summertime Sum Sum Summertime!

2007-07-25T23:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is that time of year again. Summer takes so long to arrive, and then I blink and it is already the end of July. We have had a such a busy summer so far, and there are SO many items I want to post. From our trip to NH to visit my family, Fourth of July, and our camping trip on Catalina Island, to tonight, when we photographed the Newport Beach Breakers play the New York Sportimes in the World Team Tennis Tournament. We photographed John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova playing against each other. Very cool!!!

So here's a taste of some cool images yet to come. Bleu and I went to see Weird Al in concert last week at the OC Fair with our friends, Carolyn and Mike. I must say, Al is such a talented artist...and such an entertainer. We had a blast!!!

Nathan Graduates!

2007-06-15T00:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was graduation day for Bleu's son, Nate. He had a killer senior portrait session in San Francisco last week...the benefits of photographing around the country...on down time Bleu photographed him in the city. I love these images!!!