Housework is something you do that nobody notices until you don't do it. ~Author Unknown

There it sits, in the hall, untouched for days.  I leave it out as a reminder that the floors need to be done, but it remains silent.  I have good intentions of using it - it never seems to happen.  In fact, I could be using it now.  Instead I've chosen to write about it, photograph it and think about it.  And there it sits.

Photo of the Day - January 31 -February 4

This week's photos were much easier to find then last week.  Except for Wednesday, when I couldn't resist this shot of Maria, I went in search of everyday things that I could shoot in an unconventional way.  Here are the results

 

January 31, 2011

My crystal chandelier

I love this fixture.  For years it hung without the crystals attached.  It was filthy when we first moved in and I took them all off so I could clean them.  2 years later, I finally got them all sparkling and love how it looks.

 

February 1, 2011

Fireplace tools

I love a good wood-burning fire.  This was one of the first things we purchased when we bought our home.

February 2, 2011

Snow Day

What does a 3 year old do when we get over a foot of snow...?

 

February 3, 2011

Tea cup

This is just one of the pieces of the set which I got from my Grandmother.  It is on display in my kitchen.

 

February 4, 2011

Pineapple

Who doesn't love a sweet pineapple?

Anti-social networking

“Champions know that success is inevitable; that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback. They know that the best way to forecast the future is to create it.” ~ Michael J. Gelb

Feedback - I'm obsessed with it. I crave it.  Good or bad.  I want to know what you think.  Each day when I post my Photo of the day, I wait for someone to comment.  I check my facebook account several times a day.  I am sad, if by the end of the day I haven't received input from anyone. Okay not sad - disappointed. I want to move you to discuss my images. Sometimes I drop whatever I'm doing to take a quick peek at my comments.  I can't help it.  Even if it means taking time away from my kids or Joe. 

So I'm sheepishly asking for you to indulge my compulsion.  Post a comment on the blog.  Leave an opinion on facebook.  Let me know what you like, what you don't and I'll try to go back to my feed a little less.

A meeting over coffee

"You meet people who forget you.  You forget people you meet.  But sometimes you meet those people you can't forget.  Those are your 'friends'."

I've always considered my clients to be friends.  Especially my wedding clients.  Afterall, I am spending most of the best day of their life with them.  I'll be there while they are getting ready, as they try to calm their nerves before the ceremony, as share their first married kiss, and as they dance and party the night away in celebration.

For this reason, I take meeting a newly engaged couple very seriously.  I like to meet my clients over coffee. Just like I would with a friend.  I'm not in it for the "sale" or to force them to hire me - I'm really there to meet them, and for them to meet me.  If we click and I can offer what they are looking for, I would expect them to hire me.  If we don't hit it off, I would hope that they find someone else.  This may seem like backwards business, but I truly feel that a wedding is a special day. The bride has chosen a maid of honour, her bridesmaids and of course, a groom very carefully.  They are people that she wants around her on the wedding day (and beyond). I feel like the photographer should be no different. After all, when the toasts have been made, the bouquet tossed and the coffee is cold, Your memories and photos are what remain.  My goal is that your memories will be as amazing as your photos.

Photo of the Day - January 24-28

When I first started this "assignment" I thought it would be easy.  Snap a photo each day. Post it on facebook. Write about it.  Easy!?  Not so much.  I don't want to just snap a photo, I want to be inspired to take that photo in the first place.   My kids are easy "go-to" subjects but I wanted to find something else. Something that I consider beautiful -or can make beautiful with my camera. I'm looking for inspiration in everyday things or everyday moments. 

Here are this week's images.

January 24, 2011

Maria's 3rd Birthday Cake

Joe has always made the kids' cakes for them.  He does an amazing job - right down to the home-made fondant icing (which was delicious too).  He spends hours on them and the reaction is worth it!  When Maria woke up from her nap to find her finished cake she asked Joe if she could just sit and look at it for a bit.  She was at the table for almost 30 minutes.

January 25, 2011

My Desk - The tidiest part

I've never really been a tidy worker.  It's just the way I am.  I need to spread out, make scribble notes and stack papers.  This portion of my desk is the only part where you can actually see the desk - the rest is currently covered in... stuff.

January 26, 2011

Maria swinging at the farm

Last year we got a trailer where we could spend sometime in the great outdoors with our kids.  It's a place where Joe spent most of his childhood summers.  This photo was taken this past summer while Maria spun around on the ... I don't even know what it is called.  This photo sort of breaks the rules of my "photo of the day" since I didn't actually take it on the 26th...but the past few days have been FREEZING and it made me feel warm - so there - rule broken!

January 27, 2011

William in his crib - from the outside, looking in

Joe got this amazing shot of William.  I was feeling especially uninspired yesterday when I set out to complete my assignment.  Let's blame it on all the accounting I've been doing lately.  Anyway, when William first wakes up from his nap, he likes to play in his crib and roll around a bit - he thinks it's funny and so do we.  Look how proud he is of himself.

January 28, 2011

William - Santa makes a surprise visit

William is the messiest 1 year old eater ever.  He is known in the family for being especially careless with his cuisine. Maybe because he generally feeds himself, maybe because he's one, or maybe, unfortunately this is the "tidy" trait he gets from me.  But he has fun and that's important to me.  So he wore his breakfast this morning, I couldn't resist posting it. 

My best friend

No...I'm not writing about Joe again.

Before we had kids, Joe used to joke that TV was my best friend.  I was officially addicted.  When I wasn't working, I was watching.  It got especially bad when my daughter was a newborn.  I had a show to watch at 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm , 1pm(although it wasn't any good - I still watched), 2pm, 3pm, 4pm (Oprah) and then I made dinner.  It really was kind of sad.  Once my daughter turned 3 months old, there wasn't time and the TV stayed turned off.  It felt great.  Now I really don't watch TV anymore - and sometimes I miss it.  I just want to sit down without hearing "mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy" (I know - annoying to read - even more annoying to hear) and relax.

I do get the opportunity in the evening when the 2 monkeys are asleep to watch a few of my faves.  I love Glee.  I'm a huge fan of Dexter - even though it scares me.  I think Modern family is hilarious.  And I'm a closet Bachelor fan.  There's just something about sitting down in the evening with a snack and totally relaxing. Hmm ... that sounds good and both the kids are napping anyway -  I think I may tune into the latest episode of  whatever happens to be on right now! 

Joe

So, although it may seem weird to blog about my husband, he is a major part of my life and my business.  If you keep up with my blog, you'll remember from "Takin' Care of Business", that Joe is really the reason that I started shooting weddings again.

While shooting weddings, we definitely are opposite.  Joe really enjoys taking candids and keeping out of sight.  I, on the other hand, love to interact with the bride and groom, the wedding party and guests.  Joe is very technical minded while he shoots. I am very focused on are the artistic qualities of the image.  Joe takes care of backing up images on site (and worrying about it too).  I just hand him my full cards and I'm on to the next shot.  Joe is the left side of the brain, I am the right.  Ok I don't even know if that is correct.  I could be the left and he could be the right - but you get the idea.

So it sounds like it's all rainbows and sunshine - it isn't.  We have our - ahem - "moments" as well.  But I honestly am truly happy.  I would never be the photographer that I am, without him.  He allows me to be who I am.  I hope he reads this because even though we spend a lot of time together, I don't get to tell him how much it means to have him in my life as much as I would like.