So, moving along on our tour… I am going to share my office with you today. Last week, you caught a little glimpse of it, so I might as well share it!

The office is right off of our living room/client meeting space…..Perfect! Love my built in’s.. I think I rearrange them at least once a week. It’s hard to find a balance of making them pretty to look at but also functional….. but not too busy, etc. So, I am never satisfied… and if you stopped by next week… they would probably look different!

Ps…. I had some folks email and ask about my curtain fabric… it is from Crate and Barrel, and I got it about 2 years ago… I do not believe that they carry it anymore.

View from the folding doors…

And from the other side of the room…

So this space over here is where I plan to have a mini newborn studio… Just waiting until my web guy gets my site launched…. It is driving me crazy.

It’s the perfect little space… and there is a great closet holding all of my newborn props… Just on the lookout for a nice chair for nursing mothers and we will be all set!

Some close ups of the built ins… The people who lived in this house before us used this room as their bedroom…

Love my camera collection. My dad just recently sent me some new cameras…. He loves antiques and was out at some antique shops… and sent me 2 awesome care packages of some new cameras!

Thanks for stopping by….

m.e.

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So I had shared about a book that I have been reading, that has been really awesome for our marriage, and I hadn’t told you the name of it yet… so here it is!

The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, by Dr. Laura Schlessinger

Now I could go on and on about all of the little excerpts that I highlighted in the book… but I don’t want to bore you. What I LOVE about this book, is that it is so simple and practical….  that is how our men are. Super simple creatures…

She covers a lot of different aspects of loving our men in this book, but for me the part that hit home the hardest was making my husband feel loved and respected by putting him first on my priority list…. Instead of coming after our daughter Ainsley, or after my business… He needed to come first. And one of the most simple things that this meant for me in a practical way, was to take care of some of his most basic needs: Food.  You might be reading this and think I am so utterly stupid…  but my mindset has changed from making sure that there is food in the house, snacks that he likes, and making dinner about 2x a week to putting that need at the top of my to do list… So, this has looked a few different ways for me…

Cooking him a meal, and having it ready for him when he gets home from work.

Somedays this means… taking the time to look up a recipe…going to the store to get what I need… making it, etc… and then getting my work done later… Somedays this is super hard… I know that  might sound pathetic….but it just plain is…. But, I trust that God’s order for my priorities is Him(God), Husband, Child, Job… So I am trusting that by honoring his order, He will bless it, and He surely has. Work is getting done… Ainsley and I are having a blast… and my husband feels loved.

I have been trying to make something every night, but some nights I have just made him a plate of leftovers, and have had it heated up and ready for him when he got home…

Sometimes it is packing his lunch with a note…

Sometimes it is making him iced coffee before he leaves for work…

It is just little things, but it goes a long way… and my husband knows that I care about him. I stopped giving him my leftovers (no pun intended), and putting focus on really letting him know that I am thinking about him. Ainsley and I greet him at the door, shower him with hugs, give him some space to unwind, and then feed his belly.

It is crazy b/c the author basically states that if you make your man feel important… and loved… and that he is a priority in your life… that you admire him, he will slay dragons for you. Now, we don’t have dragons in our house (that I know of), but I am pretty sure that if we did… he would be slaying them.

I am not doing this for the receiving side, but I am not going to say that I am not enjoying it. Just making him a priority has made me love him more…. it’s like it rekindled a little spark that might have fizzled out a bit… and it is crazy how suddenly he just started taking the garbage out… and doing little things that I love his help with… and I haven’t even asked!

Here are just a few things that hit me from her book, that I thought I would share.

“Love your husband with all your heart and treat him like the gift of God that he is.” I think that sometimes I really do forget what a gift he is in my life. It is so easy to just “do life” and take for granted our blessings.

“It’s one thing to have a tiring, stressful day- or even week. It’s another thing to allow outside activities, no matter how seemingly important, to routinely get in the way of obligations to the roles created by holy vows, moral obligations, and love.” Helloooooo convicting statement. Of course holy vows, moral obligation, and love should be first on the list. Where has my head been? I definitely don’t want to be the couple that wakes up one day when our kids move out…who look at each other and have no connection…because it wasn’t a priority…. No thank you. Didn’t sign up for that one… so it will take some hard work and commitment. I’m game.

“…Your basic male is a decent creature with simple desires: to be his wife’s hero, to be his wife’s dream lover, to be the protector and provider for his family, to be respected, admired, and appreciated. Men live to make their women happy.”

“By and large, they tend to get a sense of approval from their success at work, and from their wives’ happiness. That makes us wives more accountable for their well-being than we may like to be.”

And that, my friends, is all that I will share for now… Really amazing book. Crazy easy read. Super simple concepts… and I totally love it b/c she doesn’t take any excuses. It is a no frills, no excuses… if you let your marriage go down the drain it is your fault kind of perspective… Now of course there are always special circumstances… don’t get me wrong, but it is totally worth the read!

I had also mentioned in the last post that I have a group promo code for the Weekend to Remember Getaway Retreat. So, if you are thinking about going, use the code: MEP, and I am pretty sure it is 50% off. Pretty awesome.

m.e.

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So if you follow us on Facebook, you might have seen this pic last week….

Gotta love getting packages in the mail!!! I was so excited to order some prints for display in our meeting room…. We have more wall space here, and my old photos needed some refreshing…

So here you go… One of our new displays! LOVE, LOVE canvases… and they look so amazing on the wall!  The horizontal and vertical canvases are 10×20. The large squares are 20×20, and the small square is 10×10….  I know when clients start thinking about canvases or wall prints, 20×20 can seem so big, but when you hang larger prints on the wall like that, they look amazing! Little prints get lost on walls…

And our mantel display… The large verticals are 16×20, and then the squares are 12×12, 8×8, and 5×5….

And our old window…. filled it with a few pics of our little lady. Love that child.

Happy Tuesday! More of the house tour coming tomorrow!

m.e.

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I just wanted to give a little shout out and congrats to one of my couples Kristi and Jason! A photo from their wedding was in the latest issue of Baltimore Bride… Just because!

So excited when my awesome clients get their photos published! It is exciting for us of course… but how cool is it for them!?!? So much better! If I were  a bride and I was in a magazine.. I would be totally stoked!

Want to see their awesome wedding at the Grand Lodge? Click here.

Happy Thursday!

m.e.

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If you have been following the blog for awhile, you might remember Monica and Josh’s Christmas wedding in 2010.  Here is a link to their wedding blog post.

Monica worked on so many amazing details…. and everything looked beautiful! So glad that all of her hard work paid off and that her attention to detail was showcased. Congratulations Monica and Josh on your wedding publication in the current issue of Virginia Brides! I really like that Virginia Brides really shares a lot about the bride and groom. Often times there is more focus on the photos… and I like that this is the opposite! It is a really nice article about Monica and Josh… and all that went into their wedding planning and beyond…

Here are a few wedding details for you all…

Ceremony/Reception Site/Catering: Belmont Country Club

Invitations: The Dandelion Patch

Flowers: The Flower Gallery of Manassas

Music: Kirkabee Deejays

Cake: Amphora Bakery

Favors: Kate Aspen

And now her feature!

Congratulations Monica and Josh on an awesome feature!!

m.e.

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Hey brides! Not sure if you have heard about Aisle Style or not… but it is coming up shortly, and it is an event that you don’t want to miss!

It is put on by Baltimore Magazine/Baltimore Bride, and there are some awesome, awesome vendors there for you to check out… And it is full of wedding day inspiration… So go to meet some great people and get some great ideas! There are wedding dresses… makeup artists….

On top of that…. it is also sponsored by Charm City Cakes! Yup, you know who I am talking about….  Duff… Mary Alice, etc… Well, Mary Alice will be there to answer questions. Just to refresh your memory…. one of our past weddings…

And….(yes there is more) there are actually 2 events this year. One on January 29th at the Grey Rock Mansion (on of my FAVORITE places to shoot)… The second is on March 25th at Tabrizi’s! Go to one… or go to both! Tickets are just $10 for each event (if you buy now…$15 at the door), or $15 for both. Click here to buy your tickets now.

I am sad that I won’t be there this year…. since we don’t live there anymore. I had such a great time shooting it for Baltimore Magazine last year….

Here is just a teeny snipped of the event!

Sample tablescapes…

Just going from memory…I know that this tablescape was put together by Kate Beck Events & Crimson and Clover Floral Design.

This tablescape below was created by Bradshaw Styling, Carla David Design, &  Wicked Willow.

Honeymoon Inspiration…. I am sure any bride would be happy to walk into a room like this!!

Betsy Robinson’s had a lot of dresses to look at…. and there were a few ladies walking around modeling them as well….

Amazing music…. adds to the atmosphere….

Last year the special guest was Katie Martin from Elegance and Simplicity…

Here is a little slideshow with some more pics of the event! Be sure to check it out!!

http://meaghanelliott.myshowit.com/aisle_style_2011

Happy Planning Brides!!!

m.e.

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Yesterday I asked you to pardon my scans…. and today I REALLY mean it! This magazine is big, and thick… and the pages were hard to scan…. but here you go! We were featured in another wedding magazine!

This time you can see our work in Wedding of the United Kingdom! Pretty fun, yeah? They saw one of our weddings on Style Me Pretty and asked if they could feature it… So we said yes!

So onto the feature… Let’s start by saying that Erica and Paul are an AWESOME couple! I absolutely LOVED working with them, and to be honest, this wedding is featured b/c Erica has an amazing attention to detail… and had a beautiful wedding! All we did was document it! So, a special thank you to Erica…  You have great taste, and your beautiful wedding deserves to be published b/c it was a fabulous event and you are a fabulous person!

Their engagement session was shot in San Francisco, Ca…a little taste for you below:

Their wedding blog post here….

A copy of the wedding album here…

And…now onto their 4 page real wedding feature! (and my crummy scanning job…)

Lots of credit to give out on this wedding!

Venue: Grey Rock Mansion

Catering: Simply Elegant Catering

Wedding Invitation and Stationary: Vincent Lee

Wedding dress: Melissa Sweet

Favors: Mouth Party Caramels

Photobooth: Party Booths

Wedding Cake: Artistic Desserts

Bridal Bouquet: Crimson and Clover Floral Design

Happy Friday!!!!

m.e.

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First of all, please pardon my scans… ha ha…

But, we had something fun to share with you!  Last week, I found an envelope in the mail full of goodies! It was a stack of Baltimore Bride Magazines…

and inside was this awesome flower feature that we photographed! Love, love, loved doing this shoot with Staci and the ladies at Baltimore Bride.. and have to say that I am kind of sad that I probably won’t really have this opportunity anymore since we have relocated… but hopefully we will pair up with some new folks in Pittsburgh to do some editorial features here and there….

So without further ado… some B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. bouquets!!!

Bouquet Above by Crimson and Clover Floral Design… Seersucker dress from Garnish Boutique…

Bouquets below:

Top left: Fleur de Lis Top right: Wicked Willow

Bottom left: Radebaugh Florist and Greenhouse Bottom Right: Local Color Flowers

Another beautiful bouquet from Radebaugh Florist and Greenhouse…

Next up….bouquet from Fleur de Lis… One of my favorites!

And the last set…

Top left: Design by Nature Top right: Local Color Flowers

Bottom left: Wicked Willow Bottom right: Crimson and Clover Floral Design

Seriously some stunning work by these local florists… if you are a Baltimore area Bride, you have to check them out!

m.e.

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One last little piece from Dave and Cara’s wedding…at one point in the night Eric with Scheimer Entertainment Services announced the last call for the photobooth….  and I thought, hey, why not! So, I ran over, grabbed some props… and had a BLAST… yup, all by myself. So here you go folks…

A little photobooth fun…. And of course I have to give a shout out to Shutterbooth Pittsburgh! They were awesome, had great props… and you should check them out for sure!

And along with that, a confession… I have been talking about a photobooth since oh….. 2009!!!! Sad, yeah? I wanted to have one and launch it at Danny and Erika’s wedding in June of 2009… and then I thought, well maybe there are more important things that need my attention…. and I’ll do that later… Well, it’s later and it never happened… I have a box of props, and about 75% of the equipment… so maybe this is the year, yeah? Some photographers don’t want to have one… and don’t want to lug everything around, set it up, have someone man it, etc… but I on the other hand think it would be quite a blast…. so maybe, just maybe 2012 will be the year! I know some folks thought it would just be a trend, but I don’t think it will fade away… I actually think it will become much more of a wedding staple… Thoughts? Brides? Any input?

So with that said, yup… let’s put that on the goal list for 2012. You in?

Happy Hump Day.

m.e.

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I am super excited to share this wedding with you for a number of reasons…. one of them being that it was my first Pittburgh Wedding. When Dave and Cara booked, I still lived in Maryland… and we had no idea that we would be living in Pittsburgh! Their engagement session was done in DC…. since Cara lived in that area…. and so it is the best of both worlds and 2 cities that I love!

Cara and Dave got ready at the Sheraton at Station Square….and married at Heinz Chapel… and then back to the Station Square Sheraton for their reception. Just wanted to give a shout out to some of the great vendors that helped make the day so fabulous!

Obviously… The Reception and Catering by the Sheraton Station Square

DJ by Eric at Scheimer Entertainment Services

Ceremony: Heinz Chapel

Florist: Donna Delestienne

Transportation: Vogue Limousines

Videography: Quanti Studios

Cara looked absolutely stunning!! Loved everything about her look…. especially her fabulous hairpiece!!!

Cara looked so stunning!

Cara and Dave did a first glance with the Pittsburgh skyline in back…You can see some of the images from that if you check out the slideshow at the bottom of the post…  ;)

We rode around the town on a trolley…. with a few stops… the first on Mt. Washington… and the 2nd at the Pennsylvanian.

Dave and Cara enjoying the ride….. So cute!

I have to say… the bridal party probably thought I was nuts…. but they were amazing and sweet and went along with me on this one…. It sounds like the Mt. Washington lookout point is a VERY popular place to go for Pittsburgh weddings…. and I wanted to do something different…. so we made the skyline… or at least an attempt.  ;)

Be the Skyline….

They did awesome! Even got some bridges, rivers, and miscellaneous buildings in there….

The sweet almost newlyweds….  LOVE, LOVE first glance for so many reasons!!!

At the Pennsylvanian….

I have to say, watching Cara and Dave was so incredibly sweet!!!! Dave is in the Navy, and has been away a lot…. And Cara lives in the DC area… and so they do not see eachother all that much, and their is such a sweetness to their relationship!

Good news is…..

From this point forward they will be together! They are going to be living in Norfolk, Va… and are taking a cross country trip for the next month or so, from San Diego, California (where Dave was based) to their new home in Va. Sounds pretty amazing to me…. Was thinking about jumping in their suitcase to join them.

Hey guys, mind if I come along? I can document your trip…..  ;)

One of my favorites of the guys….

Love this photo of Cara as we arrived at Heinz Chapel….  She looked at the Chapel like a wide-eyed little girl dreaming of her wedding day….  pure amazement.

And this folks, is the beautiful Chapel that they got married in! So, so beautiful!!!

L.O.V.E.

And this was amazing (guess that must be the only word I can come up with today….). On the way back to the Station Square Sheraton…. we stopped for about 5 minutes if that at the Smithfield Street Bridge for a few pics… and it SNOWED! It was amazing because the weather here has been unseasonably warm… and it didn’t snow all day…. and it really only snowed for about 10 minutes… and at the MOST PERFECT moment!

And of course… it was awesome to watch everyone ring in the new year… Definitely cried… It was a mix of emotion… a touch of sadness but mostly joy. I was a little sad that my hubby was not there to kiss at midnight… especially since everybody around me was hugging and kissing and celebrating… but the tears really stemmed from the joy….

It was really incredible to be an observer in the moment… usually I am celebrating New Years… making noise, kissing my hubby, watching the ball drop, yelling the countdown, etc…. too distracted to take it all in… but this year, I watched…It was kind of a blur bc it happened so fast… but I  loved hearing everyone count down…shouting Happy New Year… Noisemakers going crazy…. people embracing, couples kissing…glasses in the air… Auld Lang Syne playing…. It was such an incredible moment to witness… In fact, writing about it is making me all teary eyed again!  I know, I’m pathetic…  I can’t wait to see the video of that part of the night…

And once the new year started…. the celebration stepped up a notch… You can check out the slideshow below to see more images from the day!

http://meaghanelliott.myshowit.com/oechslein_wdg

Thanks Cara and Dave for an amazing, amazing day!!!

I wish you all of the love and happiness in the world.

m.e.

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