Janelle and I have talked often about the dividing line between professional blog and personal blog and what is appropriate, and if anyone even reads these little meanderings, does it really matter or is it just more filler in an information over saturated world?  We read other people’s blogs – we stalk them, love living vicariously through them, gleefully mining ideas, gathering inspiration, hunting for new and interesting  artifacts, images, angles, and designs and think we don’t have anything that interesting to post about.  In all honesty, we feel our lives have been extremely full of business over the past few years and sorely thin in personal adventures – which is how we approached it in getting our little boutique up and running – we don’t regret it for one minute.  It’s hard to believe that 4 short years ago we were stumbling into this and flying by the seat of our pants.  That so many wonderful people have given us a chance, have opened themselves up to us and our cameras.  Maybe it’s time we opened ourselves up to those that have entrusted us with their milestones, with their bench marks, their zeniths, their successes, their love.  Their lives. It’s incredibly humbling when you stop to think about it.

Can you tell I have had ample time to reflect?  So you might begin to see some subtle changes around here.  We have something new to talk about – crazy baby things like urban camouflage man diaper purses (am making Janelle return it) or strange Native American infant swaddling practices involving sage and cotton fibers, antique baby cribs are cool but only if the space between the rails is too small for an infant to wedge its head, whole food diets, mall walking, feng shui paint colors for brain development, the new thing Ezra did today, why we love groupon but won’t be doing a groupon, and other general new age, post modern, vintage revival, steam punk weirdness for you to be amused by.

And then there is the lifestyle and photography stuff that we love and think is worth sharing but haven’t considered the fact before now that, you dear reader, might enjoy some of the same things that we enjoy.  Tiny example – Kiss The Groom.  Or are The Raconteurs appropriate to play at my wedding – yes.  Or should I think McSweeny’s Internet Tendency is cool – absolutely.  Is it a little smarmy – yep.  Or random ideas like instead of a hotel why not have the bridal party (or portion) stay in a Bed & Breakfast like the Worthington Mansion?  You love a vintage flair, we love a vintage flair – why not?  Can we be purveyors of good taste?  I don’t know but we can try.  Have questions we can answer – feel free to ask – others might want to know answers, too.  What will this all end up looking like?  I have no idea but you should click on the subscribe button to show us some love and help us stay number 6 in your programs but number 1 in your hearts, we can figure it out together, after all so many of our clients have this little habit of becoming extended family.  It makes us very happy to grow together – doesn’t it seem like that’s how God planned it?

This all brings me back to Mr. Chompers.  He lives in a box nailed to a tree in our back yard.  It used to be a bird box but he modified the opening for his purposes.  He has a mangy tail.  He eats our bird seed.  He is Bella’s frenemy.  He likes to sit on top of his little box and squirrel bark at Bella.  Bella loves to hear him from inside the house and go absolutely bonkers until we let her out so she can run around the back yard maniacally searching for him until she remembers to look up (approx 6 minutes) into the trees.  Then she decides he must be easier to get to from inside on the 2nd floor.  His tree is outside the window of the room that used to be the office but is now the nursery (long story).  When it was the office, Bella could look out and see him eye level, which may explain her confusion that she couldn’t find him eye level when she went outside.  Her confusion could also be explained by the fact that she is a ditz.

You know that feeling you get when you are being watched but can’t see anyone?  I was leaving the house last week and felt that way.  Looking around I finally saw Mr. Chompers with his head and paw hanging out of his home.  He looked so forlorn.  It was a miserable gray day in a long string of miserable gray days after those 3 good days we had that just teased us.  I hadn’t seen him since last fall and felt his pain immediately.  Why is it not spring yet?  Of course by the time I ran back in to grab a camera, he had changed to a more dignified position, but this is what I could grab of him at the time.  Today, as I wrote this Mr. Chompers was in a different tree, eye level with the window in our current office, barking and twitching his mangy tail – as if to let Bella know he’s ready for a visit.  She hasn’t connected the dots yet.  But the buttercup buds look about ready to open and the tulips are springing up so we have to be close to full fledged spring now.  Lord knows I am ready for it.

The Design department has won 6 American InHouse Design Awards

We shot the 2009 cover for Ft. Wayne Weddings, sponsor of the show.

We were honored to shoot the cover of Fort Wayne Weddings 2009, and the 2010 issue,  which will debut at the show.  We haven’t even seen it yet!   We have a booth as do several of our favorite vendors, so stop on by.

last years booth at the Bridal Spectacular : it's been rebuilt for 2010 but you'll still recongnize us!

To win simply update your facebook status to:  Happinest Photo is giving away TWO tickets to the Bridal Extravaganza at the Grand Wayne Center Sunday Feb. 21 noon-4pm!   Go enter to win http://happinestphoto.com/blog/  Then leave a comment on this posting letting us know that you’ve changed your fb status and entered to win the tickets.

an inside spread of the 2009 Fort Wayne Weddings Issue

The contest ends Saturday at MIDNIGHT, check back and we’ll post the winner and how to retrieve your tickets!