It's A Small World After All

Today Kristi and the itty bitty bake shop are featured on Boldfacers.com, a cool website that profiles cool people. You should all check it out! I get a nice little shout-out (thanks, Kristi!), as do our itty bitty birthday sessions. I couldn't be happier for Kristi - she deserves all the success she finds. Thank you to everyone who has supported her creative endeavor!

Here are a couple of photos from one of our itty bitty birthday sessions...




Yay for Kristi and the itty bitty bake shop!

I photographed a fabulous wedding this past weekend - loads of fun and the weather held out! I also experienced my first wedding crashers. Really poor form. They were no Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. And frankly, if you're going to crash a wedding, there probably shouldn't be 10 of you crashing a 60 person wedding at the end of the night. It's painfully obvious you're not supposed to be there. So obvious, in fact, that you might get led out of the reception by the bride's uncle and a few choice words I won't repeat here. Lucky for me, I got photos of the culprits!

This photo was taken before a bunch more of them came streaming in to the reception. One guy is chillin' in khaki shorts and a t-shirt. What?! Not smooth at all.

The movie game...
The Soloist - stars Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx. Not bad. A little exploitative. What I think they do a good job of is bringing the realization home that thousands of homeless people live on the streets of L.A. The wealth and grandeur of The Disney Concert Hall is only a couple of blocks away from Skid Row. The dichotomy of that is really crazy. Also, The Biltmore is in the movie, so I got to see the room I was kicked out of by security.

I Love You, Man - stars Paul Rudd, Josh Segel, Rashida Jones. Very funny. Raunchy. Ridiculous. Totally fun.

Separate Tables - stars Burt Lancaster, Rita Hayworth, Deborah Kerr, and David Niven (who won an Oscar). What amazes me about old movies is they always surprise me. We think of them as being all prim and proper, maybe because they are in black and white, but some of them get away with quite a lot. This is one of these movies. It seems to have a strange tolerance for sexual freedom that I wasn't expecting. Really. The David Niven character essentially pleads guilty to sexually harassing a woman at the movie theater, something he says he just can't help doing, and in the end, everyone is okay with it. If you like old movies, this is one worth checking out, just for the scandal! And, of course, for Rita Hayworth!

You Give Me Something

Their first engagement session was rained out, so Marietta and Pete brought it in full force when we were finally able to get their shoot in. I mean, these two, who claim to be un-photogenic, were working it hard core, whether they realized it or not! Hopefully they realize now what good models they make! Even though we met in the early evening, the heat was pretty unbearable, as were the bugs. Oh, New England, how you keep us guessing!











I just loved the way these two interacted and had fun with the shoot. It was such a great experience. Thankfully, Doug came to help us out and used the reflector as a giant fan to keep us all cool! The wedding is in about a week and I know it's going to be a blast. Rich from Pizzuti Studios is going to second shoot with me, so I know if will be an adventure!

In the meantime, I'm just editing away. Weddings, boudoir sessions, family sessions - they're all piling up and waiting! I've also still got all those movies to watch. Doug and I have only managed to get through one since Tessa left. Here's my review:

Great Buck Howard - Starring John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt, Steve Zahn. Very endearing. Funny. Colin Hank is choosing pretty decent roles (another one being Mad Men). Tom Hanks makes a strong cameo. Worth watching if you get the chance. I'd like to think we'll get a movie in tonight, but we'll see what happens Right now I am consumed by the awesomeness that is The Incredible Hulk (Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno) on TV. Man, talk about crazy! The effects are hysterical!

Lucky We're In Love Every Way

Blossom and Farid got married at the beginning of this month, when it was still raining nearly every day. It's a testament to their love (and Mother Nature's pity on us) that the sun shone the whole day of their wedding. Seriously. In preparation for the day, Blossom scoured the city of Boston, and the outlying suburbs, for pretty indoor locations in case it rained. I feel pretty certain that if we hadn't stressed about it ahead of time, we definitely would have been caught out in it. Because we were prepared, no rain! Enough about that. Blossom and Farid are so much fun to hang out with and their wedding was so beautiful! They mixed their different backgrounds and traditions and came out with a wedding day that was totally unique to them.

The beautiful ring shot!


Just a fun photo of the bride and groom crossing the street. We were able to take the portraits in a little park across from the reception venue. It was perfect!


Blossom and Farid walked down the aisle together, a perfect metaphor for their lives together.


A photo of the gorgeous bride, right after the ceremony.


Leaving the church as husband and wife.


A quiet moment at the reception. Well, people were dancing the night away, but it's a quiet moment between Blossom and Farid.


The reception was held at The Castle at BU which was a really cool venue I had never been to before. It's right in the middle of the campus, tucked away off of Comm. Ave. The photos here are obviously just a smattering of my favorites. Too many to choose from! It's one of the perils of being a photographer - having to edit photos out of the blog!

Everybody Cut Loose

So, in case there's anyone out there still playing the Kevin Bacon game, I totally recommend you see (or at least study up on) the movie "Loverboy." "Who's in it?," you ask. Well, Kevin Bacon, Marisa Tomei, Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bullock, and Matt Dillon. You film buffs may also recall that Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, and Matt Dillon were all in the seminal 90s film "Singles."

Since Tess has been staying with us, we have watched a lot of movies. Now, granted, I watch a lot of movies on my own, too, but it helps to have someone else partaking. The other day I found a flyer on my car advertising my local video store. As you can imagine, video stores aren't doing so well these days. However, the one in Winchester Center was recently purchased by a family who hopes to preserve the sense of community that our local video store offered. Normally, I am pretty peeved by people who leave flyers under my windshield wiper, but i found this one to be pretty heartwarming. I like being part of a community. I love that I walk down the street and get to wave to multiple people. So, when the flyer mentioned the video store was going to close for a couple of weeks for renovations and they were trying to get rid of some inventory, Tess and I took advantage. You could rent one movie, get one for free, and keep them for 2 weeks. So, I might have gone in there and rented 10 movies. Hey, I'm supporting local business!

Here's what we've watched so far:
The Rocker -stars Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, and a host of other people. Surprisingly funny with surprisingly catchy music
He's Just Not That Into You - stars Everyone. Not bad, but not great. I could probably write an entire essay on it, but I'll spare you from that. If only Kevin Bacon was in this one! The options would be endless!
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - stars two amazing little boys. Pretty heartbreaking. I think it was good that I was finishing up some editing while it was on, or I would have been a mess. Good, but definitely better as a rental.

We still have 7 more movies to go, but Tess is only here for a few more days. Not sure we'll make it through all of them, but it could be a nice personal challenge!

And Now I Know I'll Never, Ever Say Goodbye

Katie and Ryan's New York City engagement session was almost completely rained out. The weather this summer has been quite the challenge to work around, and worth through Luckily, these two were willing to take a chance outdoors with me. I definitely think we ended up with awesome photos! There's something so New York about them; but not just New York - like, vintage New York. 1970s New York. Maybe I just think that because we ended up at the Plaza, like in "The Way We Were." So romantic!



I love a girl who kicks up her Manolos!






We almost didn't make it uptown to the Plaza because of how bad the weather was, but I'm so glad we did! We just waited for a quick break in the rain, hopped in a cab, and Katie and Ryan worked it out. I mean, they were fierce. Even after I made them take a few more photos in the rain, they still smiled.




Photographing these two was such a great experience! I can't wait for their wedding next spring. I just know it's going to be super-stylish and I know there will be champagne! Cheers, Katie & Ryan!

Standing By The Ocean's Roar

Maeve is quite possibly one of the funniest little girls I've ever met. She is full of boundless energy and totally knows her own mind. In addition to that, she had this crazy maniacal laugh that sounded a little creepy coming out of the mouth of an angelic looking toddler with blonde ringlets. Every time she laughed like that, her parents and I couldn't help but laugh along with her. It was pretty hysterical. We spent the day hanging out at Lynch Park in Beverly, MA. If you haven't been there, it's awesome. It's great for photographers - lots of different options in one location - and it's great for families, for the same reasons!







Doesn't the ocean just make you want to dance, too?


Yum. Raw seafood! I think Maeve is ready to try sushi...




So cute! I get to work with the coolest family and this one was no different! We had such a fun afternoon.

Things have been a little crazy over here. What else is new, huh? My little sister has been staying with me and Doug since Sunday and she will be here until this coming Sunday. It certainly keeps us busy. Today she gave me a little makeover. How she got so good at doing eye make-up, I will never know. Tomorrow night we are going to see Julian Velard in concert which will be so much fun! Doug and I went to see him this winter and it was great. It's an all-ages show so we're bringing Tessa along for the ride this time.

I'm in the midst of editing a few weddings and trying to get other stuff done, but I will try not to ignore the blog! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Something Tells Me I'm Into Something Good

Since Kate is a Brit, I thought it fitting that we top this post off with a song lyric from the British Invasion (or from Naked Gun, depending on what your point of reference is). I met up with Kate and Nathan for their engagement session last month, in the midst of the rainy season. Literally, as soon as I pulled up to their place, it started to downpour. Are you kidding me?! We decided to wait it out and were able to carry on in just a few minutes. We went over to Powder House Square in Somerville and enjoyed using the park as our location. So, most people around here are familiar with Powder House Square, but how many actually know this park exists? I drive around that rotary all the time and never realized there was a beautiful spot right there, just waiting for its close-up.



Kate and Nathan are getting married this month and I am so excited for their wedding. Kate has filled me in on some of the wedding details and I can't wait to set my camera on all of them!







Rumor has it, there will be hats at the wedding. I might have to try to come up with a headpiece that I can wear to pay homage to this British tradition. Kate & Nathan, you guys were great! I'll be seeing you soon!

You Always Said We'd Meet Again Someday

When I arrived at the house to photograph this baby, you can imagine how excited I was to be greeted by such an adorable and happy hostess! Baby M was so much fun and the kind of baby you just want to pick up and cuddle all day long! These are some of my favorites from the day...









Posting these photos is such a nice little break from weddings! I am now in the throes of my wedding season which will keep me busy until November, for sure. I am traveling to Connecticut this weekend for a wedding, which is sure to be awesome. In the meantime, I am battling a cold which took me down a little this week. All I can say is that today is a much better day than yesterday, so at least there's that!

Not to end on a down note, but I just heard that John Hughes passed away today. He shaped many a girl's formative years with movies like "Sixteen Candles" and "Pretty in Pink," not to mention "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." So very sad.

I'm Happy, Happy At Home

Today is our anniversary. Life is good.

This is our first photo together, taken in May of 1997. We weren't dating, but you can clearly see how excited I was to be in a photo with this handsome college senior!


This is us in July of 2009. I'm still excited to be in photos with him.


We may have more gray hair and our college years are far behind us, but he still makes me laugh and he still supports me, even when I'm making wacky decisions (like starting my own photography business). He knows the perfect amount of ice cream to put in the bowl. He gets all the wrinkles out of my clothes. He does all the heavy lifting. Sometimes, when I least expect it, he hits me with a Jimmy Stewart impression. Or James Cagney. Or Cary Grant. Even when I was 19, I knew we would be perfect together. For sure, I am the lucky one.

Life is good.