Holiday Gallery Re-Release + bumble ink promo

The holidays are quickly approaching! Just a quick announcement to all 2010 Meg Perotti clients! (and families and friends of these clients...... ;) ) All wedding, portrait, and family session galleries have been released through January 1, 2011 for those prints you totally meant to order 6 months ago but now would *really* like to have to give as gifts! As an added bonus and a holiday gift to you, we'll cover the shipping! The cut off to receive prints before Christmas is DECEMBER 13th. NO EXCEPTIONS. Production is officially on Holiday break on the 14th so all orders received after that date will be processed in 2011.

ALSO!

I am super excited to also say that I've teamed up with BumbleInk to offer you guys a discount on their holiday cards! They've provided us with a promo code for 15% off of the entire site to give to you that will be valid until December 31, 2010. If you see anything you like on the site (how could you not??) shoot me an email and I'll get you hooked up!

This is a favorite of mine :).. I also really love the postcard options!

Some info on them:

bumble ink is a San Francisco/Bay Area based stationery company featuring products with modern designs, clever characters, and fresh humor.  Our cards are printed with veggie based inks on heavy cover stock containing post consumer recycled content with a 100% recycled envelope sealed in a biodegradable corn based clear bag. Our brand new photocards are digitally printed on FSC certified 100% recycled white heavy-weight card stock. Customers can upload their favorite photo(s) and personalize their greetings. We also offer the option of creating a form letter or message on the back of each card. We can also turn any color photograph to black and white.

And a little wedding happiness to close out this business-related post :)

The Maxwells : Photographers photographing photographers!

I will be honest- moving back to the bay area has not been as easy as Tim and I have anticipated. While we were fully aware of it's value, we took for granted our close group of friends that took years to make, our walking neighborhood of Los Feliz, and a coffee-shop where everybody knew our names and our drink. I've had a very busy year of work and travel so it hasn't made it easy for us to adjust. (We never even had ONE Top Chef dinner this season......) The house has been a mess for what seems like months because of wedding planning. (No one tells you that all that beautiful decor that people have has to be stored somewhere- and that somewhere is our front room!) That said, we do love our house and we have lots of family near-by which definitely helps to offset our "friend-less" situation ... but you guys, it's no joke- I actually googled, "How to make friends as an adult." You know what came up? "HAVE KIDS." Scary! When I heard that a new bridal accessories store, Betroth, had opened in my 'hood I thought, "Who owns this place? I KNOW I could be friends with them." I'm pretty outgoing and learned very early on that you have to work and pursue friendships so I stopped in to check things out.... about 10 times. NOT just because I was smitten with the owners but they seriously have some GORGEOUS stuff for brides to pick up for their wedding day and I had seen some of Ashley's work and just had to have some for our wedding. When Ashley told me they were considering restructuring their business and making it less retail I was not shy in begging, "Make it a meeting space! PLEASE!" I am desperate for somewhere to meet with my clients and talk about packages and albums that doesn't smell of coffee grinds and couldn't imagine a better situation!

It's located in the Garden Theater building on Lincoln Ave. Ashley sent me this pic this morning of the space- it'll be changing up a little now that it's just a meeting space but isn't it adorable? If you are a wedding vendor of any kind, get in touch with her- acceptance to the Bridal Lounge is on a case by case basis but they are committed to making a super creative spot for the best wedding vendors to come together and help each other flourish!

So there you have it, not only did I make friends but I found a lovely spot to meet with my clients, which can only lead to more friends! How to make friends as an adult? Try! In getting to know Ashley over bridal accessories and cupcakes I also got to meet her ridiculously good-looking children and when Ashley mentioned they hadn't had family photos done- ever - we quickly arranged a shoot.... enough chatter!

Onward!

Jimmy and Dawn : Bolinas, CA : Maternity Session

I'm a romantic at heart- I've always enjoyed a sappy love song, or poem- I like a good cry at the theater and I'll admit it, I often tear up behind my camera during the toasts. The emotional aspect to documenting love is one of the most fulfilling parts of being a photographer for me. I get close to my clients when they are most vulnerable- when they are ripe with emotion and change. With that in mind, maternity sessions always strike a chord in me- there is just something so peaceful about an expecting mother. It's like this quiet before the storm- it's serene and peaceful and it's important for me to capture that moment before two, well three, lives change forever. Jimmy and Dawn's little man has already arrived and I am anxious to meet him but for now, bask in their anticipation and excitement!

Onward!