i'm sitting in the restaurant of the Seaport Hotel sipping Shiraz and finishing off my wedge salad with grilled chicken.   I'm waiting to photograph a wedding (#28) on a boat in Boston Harbor because of a business that I'm the boss of me in.  Does this make me a grownup?

This is overly surreal. 

Time to pay the bill, change the laptop for the cameras, and head off to the dock. 

I never post anymore.  But I do blog, just somewhere else.  In the interest of killing time.. I'm cross posting. Because I said so. 

Business has been booming! I had everything under control until I had the misfortune of getting a virus on my computer. Not the file eating kind, just the so annoying and you can't open anything with out it taking 400 hours kind. On the plus side, I had already placed an order for my new super fast laptop, on the downside, I lost over a week of productivity (and eating and sleeping) getting the virus off my old computer (at least to the point where it was functioning enough) and setting up my new computer.

So now I'm playing catch up on productivity (the eating and sleeping will have to wait) but in the mean time, a sneak of all the posts I owe!

In no particular order, here's what I've been up to the last 2 months..

Ronna & Joe had a GORGEOUS wedding at Prescott Park in Portsmouth, Holly & Will had a fall barn dance - complete with fiddlers, it was so quaint and New England.

Myriah & Tim invited me up to Camden, ME to shoot their spectacular event - they were all so happy they jumped for joy!

Nicole & Bryan got married at Zorvino Vineyards on a VERY humid Saturday in September there was a lot of rain too, but we still managed a few outdoor shots, stunning!

 

And their bling wasn't too bad either ;)

Heather & Dave tied the knot in a wonderful backyard ceremony with Heather's beautiful daughter serving as the maid of honor - what a good looking family!

Rachel & Michael rehearsed - then tied the knot - all during the remnants of a hurricane, nothing could put a damper on their perfection though!

 

Susie & Gus had an intimate ceremony & reception at the York Harbor Inn and Jenilee & Bryan had a touching & emotional ceremony at the Spring Hill Lodge both in Maine.

Kristen & Laura tied the knot at a great get-together at the Crowne Plaza in Nashua, there were so many sweet moments, but this dance between Laura & her daugther near about did me in.

Stephanie & Todd had a pirate/beach themed wedding with some great surprises. And in my final wedding so far this year, my baby brother and his fiance had a wonderful ceremony in our family's backyard.

 

Also - Molly and Drew are gorgeous, and engaged!

Jack & Gavin are brothers for life.

Liz is a Senior! And a fantastic equestrian.

 

Seriously,
the last time I read LJ was 10/7
A week ago
A whole week.
100+ entries, even on my filter
Crazy.

It's not that I've outgrown it, or that I have nothing to say, I just don't have the time to say it.

By the time 2008 comes to a close, I will have photographed 30 weddings. 27 of them this year. I still work full time at the church, I still have a 3rd grader, I still do family portraits and senior portraits.
My brother is getting married on Saturday, he'll count in the 30.

3 weddings this past weekend, including photographing my first gay wedding. YAY! 2 more of those this year. There's just something about them gays. <3

I broke a lens, it's on it's way back from Canon supposedly all fixed up, but in the interim since it was my favorite lens, and I had 3 weddings, I decided to rent one from borrowlenses.com and while I was at it I decided to test out what it was like to have 2 flashes and not just switch my one back and forth between 2 bodies. I think on a whole I'm hooked and now I need to shell out $400 for a new one. Go cheap hobbies. Ok, so I guess it's not just a hobby anymore. Also, 2 thumbs up to borrowlenses.com. They were fabulous.

I stay up past midnight and get up at the crack of dawn to process and post process. Housework falls to the wayside and I threaten to hire a maid service. Nichole helps out, especially when I leave the number to MerryMaids on the kitchen table. heh. I'm happy to pay for it, just haven't had the time to call.

For our soon to be 6 month anniversary she bought us tickets to go see Sarah Brightman EIGHTH ROW.

EIGHTH ROW.

That's like the nosehair seats. (as in so close you can see their nose hairs!)

There was more, but I've been distracted 10 times writing this entry so I'm guess that wraps it up for now.

I used to think I was busy. Now I wonder how I thought that.

I love it though. L.O.V.E. Love.

Current Mood: busy

Please consider doing this. It's important. It takes fewer than 30 seconds. PBS is running a poll which asks if Palin is qualified to be VP. The right wing has organized a "yes" campaign and at the moment, "yes" is winning.

http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html 
and vote!
Send this on

I'm in search of more twitter peeps!
http://twitter.com/melissakoren

Current Mood: busy

Click the kid for more pics. 3rd Grade: Just Do It.

Today I finished editing my 11th wedding - I have number 12 waiting on the hard drive for me - numbers 13 & 14 next weekend. I officially did 12 weddings in my first year, and I have I think at least that many in the next 4 months. We'll see how things keep on keepin' on.

I've moved my photography blog to blogger, because it's a lot easier for me to upload to and work with -

Click on the pic and hop on over and take a look at Greg & Amy's 06.07.08 extravaganza.

First day of 2nd Grade:


Last day of 2nd Grade:


It was a bumpy road, but we made it through.

As of 3pm, he's officially a 3rd grader.

*sigh*

I love it when the baby ducklings learn to swim!

Current Mood: uncomfortable

Next Up - Benjamin turns EIGHT on Thursday.

I have two weddings waiting to be edited, its 9:30 on a Sunday and Nichole is at work doing inventory. It's been a hell of a weekend. I hate this kind of heat.

One month from today I will be 30. One month from yesterday will mark the one year anniversary of photographing my first wedding. At that point, I will have done 12.

It's been a crazy year. I can't say I'm not a little overtired.

But I'm .. amazed.

Current Mood: contemplative

i keep thinking i'll find the time to actually speak.

Current Mood: busy

Current Mood: working (ok procrastinating)

10. The Photograph That Made the Surreal Real
"Dalí Atomicus"
Philippe Halsman, 1948

Philippe Halsman / Estate of Philippe Halsman

Philippe Halsman is quite possibly the only photographer to have made a career out of taking portraits of people jumping. But he claimed the act of leaping revealed his subjects’ true selves, and looking at his most famous jump, "Dalí Atomicus," it’s pretty hard to disagree.

The photograph is Halsman’s homage both to the new atomic age (prompted by physicist’ then-recent announcement that all matter hangs in a constant state of suspension) and to Dalí’s surrealist masterpiece "Leda Atomica" (seen on the right, behind the cats, and unfinished at the time). It took six hours, 28 jumps, and a roomful of assistants throwing angry cats and buckets of water into the air to get the perfect exposure.

But before settling on the "Atomicus" we know today, Halsman rejected a number of other concepts for the shot. One was the idea of throwing milk instead of water, but that was abandoned for fear that viewers, fresh from the privations of World War II, would condemn it as a waste of milk. Another involved exploding a cat in order to capture it "in suspension," though that arguably would have been a waste of cats.

Halsman’s methods were as unique as they were effective. His celebrity "jump" portraits appeared on at least seven Life magazine covers and helped usher in a new - and radically more adventurous - era of portrait photography.

from This Article

We all saw my post about mohegan sun...

Here's what took place before and after that ... interesting casino night.

Mystic CT - Nichole's 30th Bday Adventure

After quickly getting 100 votes and steadily climbing, maintaining about a 9.25, I all of a sudden plummeted, while the photo "parents and sparklers" started gaining some steam again.
I think they're sabotaging me.
So I'm returning the favor and voting low on their photo.
and anyone who is petty and consipricy theorist like me,
can help:

Me!
http://www.fireworks.com/contest/view_photo_2008.asp?ID=1834

Them:
http://www.fireworks.com/contest/view_photo_2008.asp?ID=1756

And it's not that their photo is bad, by any means, and there's a chance that my photo just woke up one day and lost it's appeal.
But I don't really think so.
hahahahaha

Vote every day! From every computer you encounter! (Please?!)

In other news, I'm about to go completely postal at work. Just FYI

Current Mood: pissed off

Do you have a verizon?

Do you have a blackberry?

Do you have a smartphone?

Do you have a palm/treo/something else but still really over the top but seems like necessary for me so I can book weddings in the bathroom phone?

Please explain. Love/Hate/Pros/Cons/Nowayyouarepshycho

thanks.

can you hear me now?

Current Mood: annoyed

i have more pertinant things to say, but no energy to say them.

until then.

More than 1/2 way there! Please vote everyday: 55 out of 100 http://www.fireworks.com/contest/view_photo_2008.asp?ID=1834

Current Mood: ill

vote for me so nichole can win $100 to blow things up: http://www.fireworks.com/contest/view_photo_2008.asp?ID=1834&page=1 (please?)

and thank you :)

"do you have a new title now? no - well, congratulations on settling on one person.

I don't know what all the friggin' fuss is about anyway"

Amen.

That just made my day.

Before
After

I've inundated myself in reading blogs and tips and tutorials. Information is dangerous.

Current Mood: artistic (and tired)

before my days with DSLR.

Current Mood: exhausted

its really hard to focus on working when it takes all your energy to breathe in and out.

After 10 moths of taking my vitamins like clockwork, I slacked off for a week after the wedding due to sleeping in, no breakfast, and other lack of routine nonsense.

In return, after 10 months of not getting sick, I obtained a spring cold and I can't breathe through my nose or move faster than a crawl with out my lungs feeling like they're being filled with hot coal embers.

and- I'm bleeding.

.full.of.hate.

Current Mood: sick

today's message:

You may feel as if you are running out of steam, whether or not you have reached your goal. Something important is about to shift, but this doesn't mean you can't finish your work. Trying to speed up your productivity won't be effective because sloppiness won't be rewarded. The truth is that you have more time than you realize.

However, unless they've added more hours to the day, or better yet an extra day to the week, the 2nd half is more than innacurrate.

shoot me now.

Current Mood: exhausted

Melissa Koren & Marsha Nichole Wilson



Ok, Here's a lot of photos from our wedding weekend extravaganza - - there's not much past me getting my hair done, except a few from drunkards at the reception who stole my camera, but you'll get the gist ;)

The Flickr Set

or the Picasa set (with no captions)

My calendar

And that doesn't include all the little stuff that's starting to set in like, arranging to meet Nichole's family as they come in, pick up tuxes, write vows, lay out ceremony, make programs (is that my job persay, well yes and no, as the bride, the church could do it, but as the admin for the church, then well, yes - it's me), check into the hotel, and and and.

HA.

Current Mood: nervous

I honestly have no idea how I'm going to make it through the next two weeks.

...
Editing the 3 weddings worth of pictures I have between now and then I suppose.

Current Mood: nervous

Current Mood: grr!

On March 30th we were surrounded by an amazing group of family and friends and quite literally showered with love, support & gifts. We can't thank you all enough for being a part of this. Pictures taken by Maggie, Edited by Melissa . . . .. Oh, and she did eventually eat. Tim & Taylor made sure of that.

Melissa & Nichole's Wedding Shower

Current Mood: loved

i like kristi yamiguchi. i really do. but the judges seem so SURPRISED that she's SO GOOD at this.

what the fuck.

I love figure skating, but I've always called it ballroom dancing on ice.

She's spent her whole life learning hand placement and foot work and posture and throws and slides and seriously.

what the fuck.

I'm glad she's good. But their astonishment is retarded.

The real reason I'm watching this is because I am now, and have always been, in love with Marlee Matlin. Let me tell you how complete my world was when she was on the L word Season 4!

Current Mood: geeky

hahaha. I haven't even finished the crazy eye yet. .


Created by OnePlusYou - Free Online Dating

Next time I'll have to go for the dead eye and see how I do ;)

Current Mood: determined

(take two since i messed up the code the first time)

Current Mood: anxious

stays at mohegan sun

including it seems,
the origins of this.



Now we took the 4pm shuttle from the hotel after a lovely day of driving down and shopping in Olde Mystic Village
we ate the free buffet that comes with the hotel/shuttle and tried on a ring in tiffany's and poked here and there and gambled a bit.
I started to feel ill at the amount of money I was pissing away (it was less than $75 but it was not sitting well... I almost always at least break even... this time I lost $20 in like 2 minutes. On the $0.05 slots. WTF.)

So we were going to see Eddie Money, but who knew he was actually popular and when we went to get inline 2 hours before the show it was already so long it was suggested we just find a place along the outside.

We gambled a bit more . . nichole had a heck of a run on $5 but it was still only 7 and the show wasn't till 8 and I wasn't up for standing there with out a waitress and waiting for a show that was just going to be fun to sit and watch. Not stand and partake.

So we hit the martini bar. 7pm. At one point I was drinking straight vodka with a twist. . . We made friends with a woman who'd chartered a bus for her and 25 of her friends. She started to turn green so I walked her the (long) walk to the bathroom. The bartender with charisma left and so I wasn't feeling the place anymore so we moved on to the Dubliner for guinness & smithwicks. The bartender there was HOT. And we drank . . more beer. I don't even know. My alarm was set for midnight so we could catch the shuttle back. It went off.

Then we left the bar, got across the casino to the shuttle stop, got on the shuttle, back to the hotel, off the shuttle, into the hotel, our room, and my pajamas.

Then I remember again putting on a coat and stumbling back to the vending machine for cheetos. I have NO recollection of any of the above. Still. 4 days later. All I know is I'm in the shower on Sunday morning and I said Holy Shit baby what the hell did I do? And she said 'What?!' And there, on my left forarm, is a GIANT goose egg that Nichole calls "fierce" I was stunned. And mildy amused. And now I just hope it's gone by the wedding in ONE MONTH FROM TODAY.

So I guess it's true that what happens at mohegan sun, stays at mohegan sun and perhaps I should have headed the warnings in this sign:

Current Mood: working

Every tuesday & thursday I go to tumble tots and do this



for an hour.


I'm not even kidding.

Current Mood: tired

I made a plan to go and get Benjamin & Daddy fitted for the tuxes on Saturday morning
only to call and find out that the tux shop doesn't open until 12. Which is too late to get Benjamin back for his dads house/plans

So I email my dad:
stupid shop.

Ok,  if you'd like - the plan is:

I'm going to take Benjamin to Karate from 10-10:45

Then we can meet up (I'm thinking late breakfast at Rogans but I'm open) in townish at 11 and then drop off Benjamin with Ray because he has plans.

Then we (and mum if she's free by then and wants to come) will go over to the tux shop in Portsmouth.

Benjamin is going to get fitted tomorrow after work/school.

It could possibly wait till the 29th, but I'd much rather get it checked off my list.

Love,
your psychotic OCD daughter.

And he emails me back:

Outrageously

Clever

Daughter

. . . being loved doesn't get much better than that.

Current Mood: loved

ready?

i decided to do this to see if you could find our wedsite by googling "Melissa and Nichole" . . I didn't get past the first page when I found this:

[PPT]

Chlamydia trachomatis

File Format: Microsoft Powerpoint - View as HTML Chlamydia trachomatis. Melissa and Nichole Vestby. http://www.dental.ufl.edu:1180/Offices/Oral_Bio/Faculty_pages/SGrieshaber.html. Classification ... www.augustana.ab.ca/files/group/581/Talk2_5.ppt - Similar pages - Note this

So, I pose the question to you, what's the most interesting thing you find when you google your pair of names?

*edit*
now switch them. if i google "nichole and melissa" it comes up with a youtube video of "drunk nichole and melissa"

I had to watch and make sure that thankfully, it wasn't us!!

Current Mood: weird

Happy Birthday CAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Just because I agree that there are things in nature that . . . emulate female nether regions does not make me a vaginal reference dyke.

What Type of Lesbian Are You? (Inspired by Curve Mag.) created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as The Student Dyke Your entire life is defined by two things: your intellect and your sexuality; moreover you often merge the two to lure in women. The Student Dyke 60% The Surprise! Dyke 50% The Vaginal-Reference-Making Dyke 30% The Sprightly Elfin Femme 30% The Stud 25% The Femme Fatale 25% The Quasi-Gothic Femme 15% The Granola Dyke 15% The Hipster Dyke 10% The Pretty-Boi Dyke 0% The Little-Boy Dyke 0% The Magic Earring Ken Dyke 0% The Bohemian Dyke 0%

I get my cellist.
and I have a talented trustworth person doing the bustle/alterations on my dress.

and . . . we're moving our reception to the grand ballroom.

hurrrrrrry upppppppppppppppp.

Current Mood: hyper

Today I bought this:


and this:

and that's all I'm wearing to the wedding.

oh, and the shoes of course:



pretty pretty princess.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Current Mood: amused

So if Tom Cruise knocked up Katie Holmes with no problem.

and Nicole Kidman was easily knocked up by Keith Urban

. . .

I remember many a rumor that Tom & Nicole couldn't have their own babies and that's why they adopted and eventually, why they split up.

uh huh.

busted.

Current Mood: cynical

that one should never feel THIS fat and bloated and disgusting when going to pick up ones wedding dress from the shop.

i'm petrified and anxious and ok, a tad bit excited too.

I did really well the first part of last week, trying to knock off the few (it's really only 5) pounds I've slowly put on since October but this weekend came and so did the PMS depression and it all just went down the creek.

Theoretically I was 'due' on Friday, but I'm still waiting (and no, there's absolutely no possible way I'm pregant, my body just sucks)

and so I'm fat and bloated and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Hopefully my 'undergarments' will have come in today and i can at least have some suckerinnerpower on my side, and ass, and front, and well you get the idea. . .

pathetic. simply pathetic.

i had something good to say.

I forget.

Current Mood: irritated

I have never felt like this
For once I'm lost for words
Your smile has really thrown me
This is not like me at all
I never thought I'd know
The kind of love you've shown me

Now, no matter where I am
No matter what I do
I see your face appearing
Like an unexpected song
An unexpected song
That only we are hearing


I don't know what is going on
Can't work it out at all
Whatever made you choose me
I just can't believe my eyes
You look at me as though
You couldn't bear to lose me


Now, no matter where I am
No matter what I do
I see your face appearing
Like an unexpected song
An unexpected song
That only we are hearing


I have never felt like this
For once I'm lost for words
Your smile has really thrown me
This is not like me at all
I never thought I'd know
The kind of love you've shown me


Now, no matter where I am
No matter what I do
I see your face appearing
Like an unexpected song
An unexpected song
That only we are hearing


Like an unexpected song
An unexpected song
That only we are hearing

Current Mood: loved

Friday I got a check from Curve Magazine for a license fee. I can only assume this means I'm PUBLISHED. I've subscribed to the mag but I'm not sure if I'll get this issue or not - -

Saturday I did a shoot at the Wentworth by the Sea Marriott hotel.. Hoity toity let me tell you. But the couple are awesome and they seem to love me.

We got all sorts of snow on Friday and so on Saturday, before the shoot, I bought these boots


I was able to get the kids 6 which means I paid 1/2 of what they grown up sizes cost. muahahahahaha. I don't know when the last time I owned winter appropriate shoes was. . I hate bulk, and I hate hot, and I hate ugly. But these are cute (the colors are more muted and there is more purple on mine) and easy on easy off and neoprene so they don't get too over heated like (so far)

We mailed the invitations.
2 months from today.

Current Mood: thirsty

where does the time go?



Come June, he'll be one! And 6 days late, mine will be EIGHT.

Oi.

Current Mood: artistic