Something to last a lifetime… September 23, 2008

It was just supposed to be a lunch date.  Saying goodbye with a hug, Joe kept talking to sneak in another hug!

Through busy lives, they managed to continue seeing each other and as time went on Joe and Becky grew to become best friends and soul mates!

At the rehearsal the Pastor had Joe and Becky stand to face the audience, Becky wanted to look at Joe, but Joe told me, he felt if looking at Becky would be such a distraction for him, he would forget what he was supposed to say and do.

After a few words from the pastor, he asked Joe and Becky to look at each other, Joe literally jumped at those words and looked deep into Becky’s eyes.

It was just a lunch date, but ended up something to last a lifetime!

Congrats Becky and Joe, it was an honor!

You said what? September 17, 2008

I love Whole Foods, everything about them just makes me smile.  Recently I was at a Wild Oats being turned over to a Whole Foods, when I asked a girl about a certain makeup carried by Whole Foods, her response was so pathetic, that I had to ask her another question just to make sure she really was talking to me the way she was.  Oh, she was!  Do you know I left that store saying..I don’t think I’ll shop that store again, Wow!  Now Whole Foods I will never not shop, but that store in general, will not see me again.

First Impressions Matter!  

About a week later, I watched a photographer shooting at a local park, while I was doing an E session.  He wore, jean shorts, white socks and tennis shoes.  His assistant stood with her hands on her hips, sweatpants and shirt…as we walked by, even the couple we were shooting commented something like this:  He said “This sweater is really hot”, She said: ” be quiet I could have had you wear something like THAT”.  In reference to what we seen.

First Impressions Matter

What kind of impression are you making?  What kind of impression do you want to make?

The best impression is the one made when you don’t even know someone is watching you, when your shooting a wedding and someone says:  ”wow, you don’t miss anything, I was watching you”!  I love when people comment to me while I’m at a wedding.  I want to give the right impression!  But more then that, I’d like to be living the right impression also!  

Make every day count, you never know who is watching and what it will matter!

E session Rob and Becky September 15, 2008

Hurricane Ike was making his presence known in NE Ohio.  We bumped up the time of Becky and Robs shoot and went for it.

When Rob got out of the car, I know the heat had to have hit him straight on.  It was hot!  Becky chose a very nice sweater for Rob to wear.  He wore it.  YOU know when a man loves a woman, huh!

As hot as it was, it was also windy and we know Ike was slowly curling his way around us.  But we took it all in stride and set out for that hour or so walk around the park and downtown area.  

It REALLY was a different time for us.  From the laundry hot air release being open to me offending the bum asking for money.  But we laughed and Rob said he and Becky brought the “crowd” in the park with them.  

Besides all that, we had an awesome shoot, and it went faster then most shoots we do.  Becky and Rob were very easy to direct, and I think they both enjoyed it as much as we did.  They even laughed at our jokes!  That’s amazing!

We are shooting Becky and Robs wedding in June of 2009, as cute as they are here, I can’t wait to see them all decked out in wedding gown and tux!  It’s going to be a beautiful wedding!

A bunch of words… September 12, 2008

This is so cool and I have to admit, I stole this from Melissa Jill, who stole it from who got it from Matt Nicolosi who found it at Wordle.net!

You have to check both Jill and Matt’s out, Matt actually did a wordle for Obama and McCain!  

It’s a fun little diddy to waste a few minutes and then a great fun thing to blog about.

Let me know when you do yours, I’d love to check it out!

Before life continues on as “normal” 9-11 September 11, 2008

Seven years ago I was supposed to be in NYC, as I sat on my couch and watched in unbelief of the events that unfolded before me, tears flowing down my cheeks, I felt guilty for not being there.  My daughter and I thought of still taking “that trip”  but knew at that point we would never have been able to get into or close to NYC.  

I vowed, never to forget!  I hope you did as well.  

New Yorkers are amazing people! So are the people on all those flights, on the streets and in those buildings.  

Thank You to every emergency worker that responded that day and 100’s of days later!  

Seven years later, as I watch the ceremonies in NYC, Washington and Shanksville Pa. from the safety of my home, I am still amazed at the tears that flow from my eyes.  I did not know anyone personally that perished that day.  I had friends who had friends and family that died.  The comfort of my home just felt so wrong as so many suffered.  

I have many friends in the military.  Thank you that I still have comfort in my home, my state, my nation!  

How does this fit in with a wedding photographers blog?  How does it not?  

Here is a video just sent to my twitter:  It’s big, it’s worth it.  

9-11-01, We’ll never forget.

If you get a chance, do a search for a song called Silent Night 9-11.

Frogz.. September 9, 2008

While my husband is in Missouri we leave the web cam on all day/night.  I sometimes mute myself so the boys don’t know I’m “on”.  Yesterday, I hear them “making a plan”, they were so intent on what they were going to do I had to turn the volume up, then I hear, Shrieks, screams, yelling.  So I listen more: what is going on?  

My two brave boys were trying to get a frog out of the house, I am 600 miles away and laughing so loud my neighbors have to think I am insane.  They are trying to make a “plan” to get the frog back outside without:

1. Killing him

2. Touching him

Luke put on gloves and Derek armed himself with a broom.  Can  you imagine what this frog thought?

I hear Luke on the phone with his father “yeah, we tried that, but the frog out smarted us”.

They get one of my nice cereal bowls and cover him, then try to roll him onto a magazine, up a ramp and out the door, the frog escapes and screaming again fills the room.  The frog is then again covered and there is talk of Luke removing the bowl and Derek swatting him outside with the broom, Luke does not like this idea because he feels he’s either:

1. Get swatted with the broom

2. Get swatted by the flying frog

Finally after an hour of laughter the boys get the frog under the bowl, slid onto some paper, wrapped and taped up and slide up the ramp and out the door.

Had I been there: 20 seconds, catch the frog, let him go outside.  These truly are not their mothers children.  But I LOVE them.

So, here are some screen shots of the frog, bowl and boys!

sorry such lousy pics, but they are screen shots and the boys refused to move the camera to see their whole bodies.

Oh and ignore the house, it’s being destroyed to be redone in style!

So in Love… September 8, 2008

It felt like it rained all week, in fact it rained Sunday morning and I was just not sure this shoot was going to take place, but unlike NE Ohio weather the Sun broke through, the temperature rose just enough and there we were:  Shooting Amanda and Justin!

Justin and Amanda are getting married in June of next year and we are thrilled to be doing their wedding and just as excited to shoot their E-session.

I remember when we first met them and although I had a hard time remembering Justin’s name (he really does look like a Joshua, doesn’t he?), I remembered their story of meeting through the internet and I remember Justins sincere concern and care over Amanda and that she got exactly what she wanted.  You could just feel the love they had for each other.  

Not much has changed.  You could still see the love and care he had for his fiance’ and her for him.  They are such a fun couple, very open and honest and sincere.  

Amanda did a great job co-ordinating the outfits, and no they are not Browns fans!  Go Steelers!  The colors were gorgeous and really matched our setting in the park.

I’ll get it together by June, I promise

COOKIES!!! September 7, 2008

So if anyone knows me, they know I am a bit of a health freak.  I’m the one that’s all worried about PHO (partially hydrogenated oils) and High Fructose Corn Syrup.  I work out daily and my one friend MD will put her hand in my face and walk away when I get to “going” on my little speeches.

BUT, there is one thing you don’t know and it’s my love affair I am having with these two products.

First I have to say in my defense, they are ORGANIC folks..so it’s okay….but is it really?

The first product is as amazing as the 2nd.  I was in the grocery store when I saw them and I flashed back to a childhood memory with my grandmother, so I bought a package.

Omgosh they are amazing!  But then, sitting next to these babies was this simple package box that caught my eye, and I thought, did they FINALLY do it, did the finally copy that girl scout recipe that I can actually enjoy?  So in the cart they go.

I’m at home when I open the box and my son Luke who could care less what is on the label, he eats ANYTHING…so we try one, two, three…OMGOSH, THEY DID IT, THEY DID IT.  See, Girlscout cookies are full of all kinds of bad crap, so I stopped buying them years ago.  This cookie makes those thin mints look bad.  

Later that night, there were 3 cookies left, normally at our house, Luke finishes anything left behind, he went back for the last 3 cookies and they were gone?  GONE?  Who ate them?  Omgosh.  I DID!  You got that right!  I ate the last three and I hide boxes for ME ME ME! 

Yesterday my daughter and I drive up to Taza’s my most favorite place to eat, after we run to Wild Oats and look for the “precious”  4.39 a box, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  We decide to stop at one more place on the way home the Mustard Seed, I figure it can’t get worse then that.  It can, It did.  Sitting on a shelf, begging me to buy them with a price tag of 4.99.  I left the store empty handed.  My heart heavy I turned to the internet and found the links above.  Oh, I’ll be ordering these bad bears tonight!  

They’re THAT good!

They’ll soon say I DO! September 6, 2008

Joe is a store manager, when we first met him, he was stressed out and working triple time on the opening of his new super store, so, when Becky called us to do their E-Session I thought, wow, we are really going to have to work on Joe, to loosen him up!  

The day was beautiful and when Joe and Becky got out of the car, we saw a refreshed Joe, and joked with him about our “talk” of loosening him up!  They both got out of the car ready and armed with questions about their wedding day.  It’s so exciting to see a couple that has worked together and share the concerns of a day that they will share for their rest of their lives.

The biggest concern: weather!  If you live in NE Ohio you’ll understand their concern, it’s cloudy and gray more then 60% of the time.  We talked and worked out a few plans and we’ll just have to wait and see, but, so far, we’ve had beautiful wedding days so far!  

In a few weeks Joe and Becky will say “I Do” and we have the honor and privilege to create memories for them!  We are both excited and can’t wait to see how special their day unfolds to be.

FAMILY September 4, 2008

So often I spend my time photographing the lives of others.  So in this blog post I’d like to share with you my family. 

Families are special to each individual in different ways and mine is no exception to the rule.

I’ve been blessed!  Let me tell you a bit about them all!

Raquel is my oldest daughter, my best friend and Co-Owner of Creations Photography.  The joke is that the umbilical cord has never been cut.  We spend the first 4 years of her life together, alone and that formed a bond that is so strong it amazes us at times.  She is the mother of my first grandson Ami (Awe me), and is married to Jermaine.  She’s a great mother and wife who struggles with hoping she is doing the best she can do and be. Isn’t that typical of all mothers?

Next in line is Derek, my middle child and first son.  Derek is an amazing personality, he likes to come on strong but has a very sweet heart.  When he was in High School he could have easily have given up and given in to fail and be a “normal” statistic, but something happened and Derek choose a path that surprised all of us and maybe even himself, he’s worked hard at what he does and has excelled in it.  Derek never liked being the middle child.

Last is Luke, Luke is a free spirit with a heart that is bigger then his biceps (he loves his biceps). Luke loves baseball, eats drinks and breaths it.  When he was still in diapers he would follow his sister and brother up the street to the ball diamond, glove in hand and play in the outfield saying: badda, badda, badda!  Luke loves life, he’s full of energy and he genuinely cares about people!

Last but never least:  My husband Jim!  We’ve been married a while and been through a few things, but I can honestly say that love wins out every time!  If you try hard enough you can have the kind of marriage you want.  He’s my friend and honest mirror reflection, meaning: if I ask him, he’ll tell me the truth!  I appreciate that and may not always like it, but I am sure glad it’s something in his character.  He’s worked hard to build a life and homes for his family, he’s an amazing contractor with talent way beyond what you see in magazines.  He can build anything!  One time I called him a handyman (he literally can do ANYTHING), well, that never went over well and now is a joke between us.  Even last night he said to me:  I’m not a handyman and I don’t work in a shed!  Nuff said!  I Get it!

OOO and Ami…How can if forget to tell you about Ami.  Ami is amazing and thrilling and never stops!  He’s like his mother  He’s got such a strong character, but you can see in his eyes the love in his heart and his playful nature as he pushes his parents to the brink!  He’s advanced.   No, really he is!  He’s walked, talked and played much earlier then he was supposed to and is ready for college now.  Well, not exactly, we have to get him out of diapers first.  But, joking aside, I’m too young to be a grandma, but I love every single minute of it, it’s all be good!

I’m blessed!