Now They're Drinking My Pepsi, Too

I didn't blog about the mouse that ate my Doritos, mostly because I'm trying to keep the blog posts without pictures to a minimum, and, well, I felt it would be in bad taste to include one. Even though I totally could've taken one.

It all started a few weeks ago when The Oldest was having a friend over. The friend was going to be here for dinner, and being the cool Mom that I am, I decided we'd have pizza for dinner. (Because it's one of the few things I can make myself, and Hot Husband had to work late that evening.) So I dragged the kids out to the grocery store to pick up the stuff we needed, and I happened to see that Doritos were on sale. 3 for $10. Nothing goes with pizza like Doritos, so we picked out 3 bags. And some Pepsi.

About a week later we were looking for football munchies, and I remembered there were still 2 bags of Doritos left in the butler's pantry, so I went and grabbed one. We'd been munching for more than a few minutes when I realized that something had chewed through the bag. Further investigation revealed that the other bag had been chewed through as well. I couldn't decide if I was more angry that I'd been eating out of one of the bags, or that I had to throw away almost $7 worth of my favorite chips. I was not a happy camper.

I kid you not, the very next morning I headed into the guest bath and found a dead mouse floating in the toilet! True story. I can't make this stuff up, people! I have no idea how it could've gotten in there, but I was happy to let him know that what goes around, comes around. The whole thing's kind of a mystery. If he could get himself into the toilet, why couldn't he get himself out? Why was he in there in the first place? Was he thirsty after eating all of our chips? Did he just want to go for a swim?

The incident was mostly forgotten about until yesterday. I was in the kitchen when Hot Husband went out to the garage to put away empty bottles and can's that need to be returned. I heard "Hon, come and see this." There, lying belly-up in the midst of a bunch of Pepsi cans, was another dead mouse. Once again, I've refrained from taking a picture, lest my reader's start to think I'm some sort of freak. I'm not, but I can tell you it's one of the most hilarious sights I've ever seen. He looks so peaceful, like he's just thankful he had a drink of Pepsi before it was his time to go.

It doesn't solve the bigger question, though. Why are our mice suicidal?

Jennifer & John

While most people were dealing with crowds and long lines on Black Friday, I had the pleasure of assisting my Photographer friend Sarah at Jennifer and John's wedding in Freehold, N.J. How fun is that?

When I arrived, Sarah told me I had free reign on the details. Since that's one of my favorite parts of the wedding day, I was psyched.

The shoes.



The dress.



Her gorgeous earrings.



John getting ready.



Jennifer's Bridesmaid's helping her get dressed.



The ceremony was held at the beautiful St. Robert Bellarmine Church. Here's her Dad walking her down the aisle.



I love how relaxed Jennifer looks in this shot.



The Bride and Groom at South Gate Manor, before being introduced as Mr. & Mrs.



Their first dance.



The guests joined in at the end.



Jennifer and John, thank you for letting me take part in documenting your special day! Your wedding was beautiful, and I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness! Sarah, thank you so much for inviting me to join you! I can't wait to do it again sometime.

I Told You The Internet Hates Me

Yep. I mentioned in a recent post that I'd realized months worth of pictures weren't showing up on my blog, and I'd come to the conclusion that the internet had it out for me. I guess we've still got beef, because sometime on either Thanksgiving or Black Friday my blog was hacked. Stupid Hackers.

So this morning I had an emergency meeting with myself, and I've created an IT position if anyone would like to apply. I'd be happy to pay you in coffee beans.

Can I just say right now THANK GOD FOR BLOGGER!!! I mean, I keep breaking up with it, and yet it takes me back every time. So I'll be posting here yet again until I hire someone to un-hack my hacked Wordpress blog. I simply don't have time for this right now.

In other recent news, I'd like to say Happy Belated Thanksgiving. (My Happy Thanksgiving post was on my Wordpress blog. Did I mention that one was hacked?) Anyway, we're thankful that we still had a house to come home to. Getting a phone call from ADT while you're away for Thanksgiving, telling you that the smoke detector is going off in your attic and they've sent the Fire Department over, is not how I'd like to spend future Thanksgiving's. We're (obviously) also thankful for the Fire Department, and Hot Husband had fun meeting them last night when they were here again around dinner time. (I guess I should add that nothing was on fire either time.) It seems the attic smoke detector is working a little overtime this season. I hope you all had a less eventful holiday!

NYC Boat Tour

My clients can affirm that when they purchase their images from me on DVD, I let them know that the best place for them to print the images is Mpix. Mpix is a division of Millers (a pro lab) that is designed to serve consumers. Their products are top-notch, the turnaround is super-quick, and the customer service is wonderful. Even better is that, since the images on the DVD are already color corrected, my client's can upload images to Mpix and get small sized prints for only $0.19. I've invested tons of time and money into my photography, and I want my images to look their absolute best. My reputation is on the line every time those prints are shown to friends and family, and I simply don't want my client's local 1 hour labs in charge of my reputation.

Yesterday, compliments of Mpix, I was one of 60 very lucky photographer's who were given VIP passes to go on a NYC boat tour.

The trip started Thursday night, as we'd realized earlier in the week that the boys didn't have school that day and Hot Husband was going to have to take the day off to keep them occupied. So Thursday afternoon we made the 3 hour drive to his sister's house, who lives about an hour outside of the city.

Friday morning we were up at 4 am to prepare for our drive. Although it was about an hour to Sarah's house in N.J. (Sarah is another photographer I met online, who was going on the tour and graciously offered to be our tour guide), we were concerned about traffic, getting lost, and whether or not we'd have time for my customary trip to Dunkin' Donuts for coffee. Hot Husband and I decided it was better to be safe than sorry, so we left my Sister-In-Law's house around 5:15 PC. (Pre-Coffee).

I was certain there would be an opportunity for coffee in the near future, but it didn't present itself until we met Sarah in N.J. After breaking every traffic law in the books between 5 and 6:30 am, we finally arrived at her house safe and sound, with enough time to stop at the Dunkin' Donuts down the block from her and still catch the train.

Since Hot Husband, The Oldest and The Youngest are not photographers, their plan was to ride the train with us and then head over to the Central Park Zoo. The Youngest made the best of every moment he had with Sarah, though, and by the time we left her I'd nicknamed her "Aunt Sarah." We may be naming her as his guardian if anything should happen to Hot Husband and I.

The boat tour was amazing. I got to meet and hang out with a handful of photographer's I've met online, as well as a couple of the Mpix guys and Rick Sammon. Sarah, I want to thank you for being such a wonderful tour guide, a great "Aunt" to The Youngest, and for letting me play with your iPhone. I can't wait to hang out with you again! The next time you see me I will have an iPhone, too.


Rick was kind enough to seek out the perfect spot for a portrait.



I thought this was the Empire State Building, but Hot Husband informed me that it's actually the Chrysler Building. I guess it's appropriate that I took it's picture, then, since it's the dealership I head to every time I'm car shopping.



I was feeling extremely patriotic, and when I noticed this flag blowing in the wind at the back of the boat, I staked out my spot and waited for an icon to include in the picture. This image of the flag with the Brooklyn Bridge turned out to be my favorite.



I hope tilting Lady Liberty isn't considered un-patriotic.



I took some non-tilty one's, too. I love all of the people at the bottom of the image. It gives you a real sense of how tall she really is.



My wonderful city guide, Sarah, who will probably kill me for posting this.



Me being smart while Joe from Mpix (in the red) was taking our group shot.



The group shot. From left to right: John from Mpix, Dave, Risco, Me, Chris, Gro and Sarah.




P.S. I don't know why blogger isn't making my images bigger. I put the html code in. Stupid Blogger! This is why I switched to wordpress!

P.P.S. Still working on getting my wordpress blog up and running!

P.P.P.S. There. I fixed it. Bad Blogger!!

Lindsay & Pat, Part 2

I first met Lindsay & Pat for coffee on November 16th, 2007, and they hired me to shoot their wedding that day. So although it's been a little less than a year since we met, I feel like I've known them forever, and it seemed like their wedding day would never get here.

Now I can't believe it's come and gone.

Thelma & I met Lindsay and the girls bright and early at New Wave Salon in Endicott for some pictures of them getting their hair done, and then headed over to Traditions so Lindsay could get her makeup done and the girls could get dressed upstairs. Thelma and I had the pleasure of riding with the bridal party in the Limo bus on the way to the ceremony at the beautiful St. Ambrose in Endicott, and back to the reception at Traditions.

It was evident from the moment I met her that Lindsay has impeccable taste, and it was reflected in the details she made, the venue she chose, and the vendors she selected. Entertainment was provided by Brotherhood, the bouquets were arranged by Scot MacLennan, and Purple Awning Pastries made the gorgeous cake. The venue itself was simply amazing, and I look forward to working there again.

I can't say enough about how awesome Lindsay, Pat and their families and friends are. Everyone was so much fun to be around that it was almost impossible not to have a smile on your face, and they had one of the most friendly and cooperative bridal parties I've ever met. Thelma & I were treated us as if we were family and not simply another wedding vendor, and it meant a lot to us.

Getting her makeup done at the spa.



The gorgeous dress.



Her older sister helping her get dressed. Isn't she stunning?



The beautiful Manolo Blahnik shoes.



The girls.



The church.



The ceremony. I love the look on Lindsay's face as Pat's saying his vows.



The kiss.



I was in love with the ceilings at St. Ambrose, and would've shot the entire ceremony while lying down on my back if I could, but I saved it for their exit.



The boys.



Yes, I'm posting this one again. I adore this image!



Lindsay worked so hard on all of the details.



She made the cake topper, too.



The first dance.



I laugh every time I look at the girls in the background!



And the rings, of course. I can't think of a better way to highlight a fall wedding than rings on a pumpkin!



Lindsay & Pat, I'm so glad you found me during your search for a Wedding Photographer! It's been awesome getting to know you both over the last 11 months, and I wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness. I can't wait to see what comes next for the two of you! Have fun on your honeymoon, and I'll talk to you when you get back.

And thank you both, again, for that beautiful Coach bag!

P.S. I'm posting this at the bottom so I don't move their post farther down the page! Lindsay & Pat's gallery images will be up Thursday evening 10/23, so that they can view them before they leave on their honeymoon. You can see them by going to my website and clicking "Clients". I'll let Lindsay send you all the password. The $4.99 digital download sale is in effect until 11/15. Enjoy!

Lindsay & Pat

As I was going through the images from Lindsay & Pat's wedding this past Saturday, I fell in love with this image. I couldn't wait to share it, so I'm posting it as a preview. Tune in tomorrow to see more!

Welcome Back To The Old Blog!

I apologize for resurrecting this site, but it seems my new web hosting team is really on the ball, and they have my shiny new website up and running earlier than I'd planned on. That's a good thing, but I haven't yet transferred the new blog to it's new domain. So, since I didn't want a link that didn't go anywhere, and since Lindsay & Pat's wedding is tomorrow and will require a blog post next week, probably before I figure out how to move it properly, I thought this one could get some playing time. As soon as I get the other blog moved and working properly, I can just import my posts and it'll be like it never happened! Except that those of you finding this for the first time will be missing several months worth of recent posts. You can always come back and read them another time.

I apologize for any inconvenience, and I hope to have everything back to normal soon. Whatever that is.