Oh Those RED shoes!

What a fabulous couple Rena and Mark are… we had a wonderful time at their wedding!  It was a beautiful evening ceremony at Heinz Chapel, complete with 25 attendants and a Baptist choir!  We have photos of the choir that sang from the balcony and then processed up the isle to celebrate this union.  Just fabulous! 

We then headed over to the Carnegie Museum Hall of Architecture.  This was our first time in this area of the Museum and I must say it is simply elegant.  Mary Jo kept everything running smooth as silk!  Contact Mary Jo to coordinate your wedding at the Museum.  It was wonderful to see the guests filling the couple’s guestbook that we created.  Rachel at Hepatica created an enchanted forest of magnificent color – with branches and lanterns in the centerpieces on the bridal table.  (Call Rachel at  (412) 241-3900.)  The wedding cake was decorated similarly with branches and flowers, including dogwood – all live – and the GROOMS cake was a little ground hog with a proud top hat.  One of our favorite details was an ice sculpture of the Pittsburgh sky line by Mastro Ice!  The guests chose either a cosmopolitan or apple martini that was poured down the sculpture to their glass – check it out, it’s in the slideshow!  Jeremy Ganss kept everyone dancing all night – check Jeremy out on line, LIVE!  He’s simply one of the BEST music masters, ever.  I even have a demo CD that I listen to in my car!  Yes!  Wedding music – my sister wanted to buy it – it’s THAT good!  Since I won’t give up my copy, Jeremy hooked me up with a couple more so that I can pass them on.   

Of course, no BELLISSIMA wedding would be complete without a stunningly gorgeous bride and groom.  Rena looked amazing in her strapless, beaded gown from Carlisle’s and Mark was handsome Saturday and Sunday for their day-after, ‘we did!’ session.  Since the wedding was toward evening, we decided to get together Sunday for a few formal photos of just them.  It was so cold outside that we decided to pull out One Light and shoot at the Cathedral of Learning – what a perfect setting.  We used Rena’s fabulous RED Christian Lacroix shoes instead of flowers for a lot of the photos – STUNNING!  I liked the photos so well that I've already added them to our Latest Work web page. 

Hmmm… I don’t think I left anything out, so now I’m SURE you want to see the Moving Pictures. HERE they are!

Thank you so much Rena and Mark!  We had a magnificent time with you!

P.S.  Our charity of the month is Hair Peace Charities.  We will be donating 10% of all print sales this month in Rena's name - she is a survivor!  Each month we donate to a different charity. 

we are so lucky to be photographing rena + mark's wedding tomorrow.  i am so excited!  rena is SUCH a SWEETHEART and mark is a DOLL!  we'll be heading over to heinz chapel tonight for the rehearsal - only one of our favorite places - and the celebration tomorrow night will be dj'd by none other than jeremy ganss!  YAY!

since we have a tight schedule tomorrow, we are going to spill over into sunday for a 'day after - we did!' session with this fabulous couple!  i'm hoping to get everything online as soon as possible.

i'm super excited to be using our new cameras!  we ended up investing in 4 new bodies, and i've got them all set to go.  we also ended up getting a few more CF cards. (10 more 2GB cards.)  memory is so inexpensive now.  kingston cards have the lowest failure rate, so that's my choice.  couldn't beat this price on amazon - so we got a bunch!  here's the link, if you need memory...pick up a bunch!

and this is the one you want for your point and shoot cameras... a 2GB SD card - super price!

and after tomorrow i'll post rena + mark's guest book - it's a surprise! they will see it tonight! so stop back for more photos, and take a guess on the contests!!

~ciao for now!

ok....  i got some good ideas for a new blog name, but, as you can see, i haven't made a change - so i'm continuing the contest.  the name of my blog is kind of important to me - how silly i am!  i can't just pick anything.  so i've decided that i will continue this part of the contest *until* someone hits me with a blog name that i can't live without.  there is definitely one in the lead... perhaps it will grow on me.  ANYWAY -

contest 1
NAME MY BLOG part of my contest continues - at stake... a $25 gift certificate to amazon.com or starbucks.  c'mon guys - put your thinking caps on!  i need your help!

contest 2
SHOES WILL CONTINUE FOR ONE MORE WEEK.  since i'm giving more time, i thought i'd give some time here, too. and because you guys have been sooooooooooooo conservative!  (HINT, HINT)  i'm keeping the contest open until 1.23.08, so GET YOUR GUESSES IN!   Here's the question...WHEN I WENT SHOE SHOPPING,  HOW MANY PAIRS OF SHOES DID I BUY???  If you are right, you'll get $10 to spend at Starbucks or iTunes!

send all your entries to busybeecontests@gmail.com

HEY!  my earphones came in.  WOW!  i kind of thought i was being frivolous, as $99 for earphones is ridiculous.  but, they are from BOSE and, well, it's kind of the only thing from bose that i can even consider affording.  i would really like the bose travel speakers (maybe someone will get them for me for my birthday, or more likely, i'll hit the lottery).      at any rate, my review of these little gems is that they are terrific.  they do not stuff into your ears, so they feel different, but they stay in - it's kind of unusual.  i had no trouble with them while i was on the treadmill or walking xanny.  and the SOUND!  you simply MUST hear them for yourself!  go ahead - treat yourself....   the earphones are only $99,  but the 'full meal deal' is awesome! ~ciao!

hey!  check out this new shoe website...

AND where are the IDEAS!?  and so few guesses on my shoes...

so sad - so many emails for a contest - where did you go?  scroll down to find the contests!!!

i got my subscription notice today and the oddest thing - it was blank!  so i wanted to post again right away. 

check out the contest below!!! 

BECCA+BILL

i also wanted to post Becca+Bill's album preview.  this couple was absolutely 'pure style'.  from their bruno magli and jimmy choo shoes to their sporty little mini cooper that they drove off in, this couple screams STYLE!  Rebecca's darling mom made her gown, and embroidered the inside of her dress with a little poem that she didn't see until her wedding day.  (we knew Rebecca would tear up when she saw it - I did!)
this wedding was in the same town as the Longaberger Basket company, and the reception was at the Longaberger Club.  baskets everywhere!  sooooo beautiful!  brenda caught this shot of the couple running toward their car after the ceremony...  i LOVE it!  just click on the photo or the link below to see their beautiful wedding and album preview!

HERE you go!

~CIAO!

it's time!  i'm hoping to have a contest each week, or so. since this is the kickoff, i thought i'd have 2 - one for the 'creative' types and one for the 'i just want to guess' types.

For the creative types:

this contest is "NAME MY BLOG"!  all you creative types, put your thinking caps on!  the name of my blog comes from the fact that we use Canon equipment, exclusively.  i'm looking for a new title!  i see lots of really adorable names for blogs and i want one.  so send your ideas to: busybeecontests@gmail.com (in the subject put: idea!)

The the i just want to guess types:

DSW recently had a huge shoe sale... How many pairs of shoes did i buy?  (sorry, those of you that KNOW this answer are eligible for 1 guess only - i know who you are.)   everyone else, send your guesses to busybeecontests@gmail.com (in the subject put: shoes!  one guess per email, please)

RULES:  i don't know that we really need 'rules', but here's stuff you will want to know...
1 - you can send as many ideas as you want.  i'll choose the new name for my blog based on what i like, and you'll see the winning title (and possibly a different looking blog, if i find time for a re-design.)  HOWEVER, only one idea or guess per entry!! (i've got to be able to keep it straight)
2 - you will need to include your name and email address in your entry so i can contact you if you win!
3 - only entries received at busybeecontests@gmail.com will be considered (i've got to keep it straight somehow)
4 - for the guesses, i'll choose the winner from all the correct guesses - and you can guess and enter as many times as you like - but let's not get carried away, or i won't put this rule here again, k?
5 - please ask any questions by going to the 'comments' area in my blog, and i'll answer them there.
6 - contest begins now and will end at midnight 1.15.08 - so that gives you a week.  i'll announce the winner next wednesday sometime and put a new contest up!

PRIZES: 
if you name my blog, you will win the honor of seeing your winning name on my blog! (oh, and $25 gift card to Amazon or Starbucks - your choice.)
if you guess how many pairs of shoes, and i draw your entry, you will win a $10 gift card to Starbucks or iTunes - your choice, again!

that's it!  i hope to see lots of good ideas!! good luck!

it just occurred to me as i was finishing up a few albums that i never posted the latest release that was a while ago!  it was janel+alexander's book - and i LOVE this book!  first off, this is the most fun couple i think we have had the pleasure of working with.  they were up for anything and we did more on their wedding day than most people would squeeze into a full blown fashion session.  we stopped at railroad tracks and janel climbed a hill side in heels to get to the tracks (some of my favorite shots, ever, are of janel on the tracks and in the field next to the tracks)... we went to a beautiful farm and a huge storm blew in (but it didn't dampen anyone's spirits) and then a delightful reception that went on and on with dancing duels and running with lighting in the rain. 

keep in mind as you check out their album preview that we had a LOT of time.  janel and alexander had a few HOURS between their wedding and reception.  their wedding was early in the day, and the places we stopped at were very close by each other.  this is important to realize. JUST A TIP... if you want lots of wonderful, creative, artistic photographs, you need to plan, prepare and leave enough time for travel and actually taking them. 

and to see their preview, just click HERE, or on the adorable photo below.  (adjust your speakers.)

more albums are coming!  and so is the contest.  i will announce all the details on wednesday.

~ciao!

while i listened to the Steelers lose  , i read a lot from this great little book that i picked up. 

you know i LOVE my iPod. 

i never really used the 'You Tube' button, but i realized that you can find TONS of little clips for all kinds of things that interest you.  i even found snippets from Dr. Pausch's lecture. 

i also went shopping from my ipod and got a few new albums.  people tell me that they like the music on our website.  well, this is how i find it... i sit and just snoop through iTunes.  so here's a little list of stuff that you might like and if you NEED an iPod, i made a shop-able slideshow for you!... So here you go!! SHOP!!!  if yuo see something you want or need, just click and get it!

i'm  ready for my first contest!  i'm awarding actual prizes, so come back to try to win something cool and (sort of) valuable. 

Now that the writers strike is in full swing, i'm SURE you are hating tv. Sooo,

Watch this...

then, read this...  .  wow.

do you read?  i've never considered myself to be a 'reader'.  i read specifications all day at work - they look like this...  not really page turners.

and i am into reading 'how to' books, like, 'how to wire your home', 'how to install a bathroom', and 'how to do anything you need to do in Photoshop'.  of course i find myself reading about business, and law and accounting (for tax purposes), and a lot of my reading has moved to reading websites... as everything is online.

in fact, to tell you the truth, after years of reading 'hardy boys mysteries' as a child,  i never read a complete book - not just to read it.  the first book i read as an adult was after watching the movie, "one true thing". (i love meryl streep) i thought the movie was fantastic - a tear jerker and a real shocker at the end - i had to read the book. (see my favorites to the right to get your own copy, or the movie.)  then i started to read all kinds of books just to read them.  'house of sand and fog', 'white oleander' and a lot of  others from oprah's book list.  i think the reason i don't read is partially because i don't know WHAT to read.  i don't want to waste time reading something i don't really like, and have you been to a bookstore or a library??  where do you start?? they say not to judge a book by it's cover, but i do!! i don't know how else to choose!

anyway, if you are not a 'reader' and don't read because you don't know what to read, and you want to try it - since the tv writers are on strike and bad tv just got worse - pull the plug and go get "IN COLD BLOOD".  capote's style is absolutely incredible.  i'll bet you will not want to put it down.  AND if you watch the movie first, i guarantee you will want to buy the book. 

I've added a little store !!  see my favorite stuff over there at the top right?  if you see something that you like, just click the link and get it for yourself!  so easy.  i love easy.