Sunday, June 29, 2008

Meet: Baby Colin

Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod, one night sailed off in a wooden shoe;
Sailed off on a river of crystal light into a sea of dew."Where are you going and what do you wish?" the old moon asked the three. "We've come to fish for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea.
Nets of silver and gold have we," said Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song as they rocked in the wooden shoe.
And the wind that sped them all night long ruffled the waves of dew.
Now the little stars are the herring fish that live in that beautiful sea;
"Cast your nets wherever you wish never afraid are we!"
So cried the stars to the fishermen three - Winkin', and Blinkin', and Nod.


Meet: Baby Colin



This little one is the brand new nephew of our amazing bride Taren, who you will remember from this shoot. Taren's sister & brother-in-law, Shannon & Dan, just brought Colin home about a month ago and they are already total pros at this whole parenting thing. I was totally blown away by what naturals they are!





At one month old you ponder things... like the meaning of life


and putting on a toe show.


You do a little dance...


Make a little yawn.


And you're down for the night. Clap Clap. Down for the night.


Now Winkin' and Blinkin' are two little eyes and Nod is a little head.
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one's trundle bed.
So close your eyes while mother sings of the wonderful sights that be.
And you shall see those beautiful things as you sail on the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three - Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.


Sleep tight little one.

Shannon, Dan & Colin, you three are continuing our love affair with the whole McKinney family (and now the Roy's too!!) You guys are all such very special people, and we feel so lucky to know you! Thank you for always making us feel like family!

Friday, June 27, 2008

A "MINI" disaster

Picture it. Tuesday, 11:45 am. New Haven, Connecticut.


The day had begun in the most usual of ways. With four dozen roses and cuddling through scary movies over breakfast. "What Lies Beneath" and a smorgasbord of fruit to be specific.

What? That's normal.

It was our four year dating anniversary (yes we still celebrate those and no we're not sure if it's paper or silver this year), and we innocently roused ourselves from the couch with nothing but rainbow wishes and candlelit dreams in store for the day that lay ahead. Yea, good luck with that.

It all started to go pear shaped as we made our way to the cars with grand plans for going out for brunch. We went to start Justin's car. Dead.

Dead, dead, deadski. The kind of dead where you have to have a cop and a construction worker (the cowboy and the Indian chief were busy apparently) help you push your car off the street and into your garage. It may very well have been the low point of my life. And I'm ok with that.

Ok, Plan B. We get into my car, which promptly begins to make some coughing and wheezing sounds like George Burns in sweatpants at the end of a marathon race. Ok, or ME in sweatpants at the end of a marathon race for that matter.

Awesome. Just awesome. This truly cannot be happening. It is actually physically impossible and must violate about seven different laws of physics for TWO cars to die in ONE day. Not so, as it turns out. Yep, you guessed it, dead.

Dead, dead, deadski. Awesome. Juuuuust awesome.

I guess you could say we're extreme kinda people. Whether the good or the bad, whatever happens, when it rains it pours. Bucketloads.

And we're ok with that.

Because the good is always soooo much better than the bad could ever dream of being bad. Times ten. Let's just go ahead and put it out there...our so-called "disasters" are more like other people's case of the hiccups (yes I know it's spelled hiccoughs but I think that's just silly). It is indeed a charmed life we lead. Which, by the way, leads me to the NEXT part of the story. :)

Allow me to proudly introduce to you our new baby (and yes, it is the ONLY new baby we intend on having for a loooong time)









And let me just tell you, the people at MINI of Fairfield have their stuff to-gether! These guys are definitely OUR kind of people, because we are totally feelin' "loyal beyond reason" right about now. Here are just a FEW of the things I loved about our rep Fabrizio Reda (if you're even thinking about buying a MINI, you have to go to this guy!!):

1) We called him out of the blue as we were leaving New Haven to see if they had anything in stock. Even though he had just gotten the car in that day and it wasn't technically ready to be test-driven, he just made it work. He put his schedule second to ours and it totally paid off.
2) He is perhaps the most likeable person I've ever met.
3) He let us test drive it by ourselves....twice. :)
4) He had us come back two days later for the "delivery" of our car, at which time it was spotless and he spent a good hour showing us how everything worked.
5) There were Smints (small (MINI if you will) mints) waiting for us on the seat.
6) He gave us two custom MINI key chains. One for each of us.
7) And by far my favorite: this MINI mug with a cookie shaped like a MINI in it. Not just any ole' MINI mind you, but a British racing green one to match our car!! Seriously?!




So there it is Blog World, our "big" (pun TOTALLY intended) news. And this much I can tell you already...Justin and I have two totally different approaches to enjoying a new car. He likes to put on his shades and say things like "Man, did you check out the detail job they did on that engine," while I am quietly content to stick my arms out the window and shout "Wheeeeeeeee!!!" But hey, that's just the ebb & the flow, the yin & the yang that makes us... us. And we're ok with that. :)

Here's to wide open spaces, winding roads, and the wind in your hair.

Motor on, blogworld, motor on.

Meet: Katie & Colin

Stonington calling.

Nothing beats the cool salt air and open road of a crisp New England day. The timeless tailoring of our luxurious cable cardigan Fair Isle sweater, our patterned grosgrain flip flop..... and him. This season, it's all about the perfect fit. Grab a mug of your favorite clam chowder and join us for our latest collection. They've been specially treated for an authentic vintage finish.


Meet Katie & Colin.

Their theme: the J.Crew catalog of course! Just take one look at these two, and I'm sure you'll see why!


Katie & Colin are just about the two most adorable people I've ever met. They live up in New Hampshire, where they went to school at Dartmouth, but they came down to Stonington (where Katie's awesome parents Brenda & Bernie live) to spend the day with us! As I was going through editing their pictures, my cheeks literally started hurting from all the smiling I was doing. What can I say...seeing two people who are so perfect for each other just makes you feel a little bit more blessed to be alive. It was a good day... no make that a GREAT day. It was the kind of day we know we're going to remember for a very long time to come.














C'mon...how can you not LOVE a couple that has their own secret handshake?!


One of the two best roads in Connecticut!




Katie & Colin, you guys are TOTAL rockstars! We can't wait to see you again in September!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Meet: Anna & Dan

It was kindergarten.

Kindergarten in Ms. Grosso's class, Booth Hill Elementary. Go Bobcats! And as we all know, this kindergarten stuff can be pretty busy business. There's fingerpainting to be done, naps to be taken, and jackets to be hung. At five years old that can pretty much make up your whole world. So who has time in all that to find their soul mate?

Meet Anna & Dan.

They first laid eyes on each other that first day of kindergarten and they haven't looked back since. There's is the kind of love that was truly meant. to. be. As they say on the playground, 2 gether 4 ever.

So when it was time to come up with a theme for these guys, it was your basic no-brainer. Back to Booth Hill Elementary, where it all began! We have been so PUMPED to share these with you guys!! Check it out:





It was pretty hot that day, so we had to take a break for some Yoo-Hoo...



And a look back in time.


Then it was time to hit up the play ground






One of our rockin' interns stayed up most of the night making this paper chain, so you know we had to rock that!




And did I mention there were ring shots?!?
We found these awesome elementary school scissors at a yard sale on our way to the shoot!






Anna & Dan we had the BEST time! Thank you so much for hanging out with us and we can't wait to see you again on:

Monday, June 23, 2008

Married (again!): Jess & Richard

Here are some more pictures from the incredible reception that Jess & Richard hosted for their friends & family to celebrate their destination wedding back in February. We hadn't known these guys very long before shooting the reception since we had only met them the week before to scout out the property. But these guys made us feel like we were just part of the family!! You really couldn't find two nicer people if you tried!



I LOVE this shoe shot that Justin rocked!!








So beautiful!




Check out the amazing day they got!!


Jess & Richard, thank you so much for everything! We feel so blessed to have met you!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Details, Details!

We're back home from Pittsburgh!! And we actually have a couple of weeks before we'll be traveling again, which is awesome because we have a TON of blogging to catch up on. So definitely stay tuned for loads of awesome shoots that we are SO.PSYCHED to show you guys! I'm literally giddy just thinking 'bout it! What can I say...we have been some shooting FOOLS lately!!

First up is a killer wedding Justin shot right after we got back from California (he was still a little food poison-y, but he was a total trooper!) This wedding brought together a total powerhouse combo in the form of Traci Romano of Traci Romano Events, Katherine of KD&J Botanica, and Jordan Caterers. These guys were putting together some awesome ideas and they asked Justin to come in and shoot all the details for them. Needless to say, with talent like this, we had some pretty high expectations going in...but they didn't even BEGIN to compare to what these guys actually pulled off!! Check it out:








Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Leaving Pittsburgh


Leaving Pittsburgh, originally uploaded by justinmarantz.

Back home for our PUG tonight!!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Welcome to Pittsburgh!


Welcome to Pittsburgh!, originally uploaded by justinmarantz.

Just landed in Pittsburgh to hang with their PUG, and this is the
welcome we got!!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Lil' Lallos

This morning we had the BEST time ever hanging out with event planner extraordinaire Tara Lallo and her little ones. Tara just had lil' Katherine Avery a month ago today ( I couldn't believe how AMAZING she looked after only one month!!) and we were so excited to go up and meet her! Tara's two year old, Michael, joined in on all the fun and as you'll soon see served as the entertainment for the shoot!

Tara is so beautiful!



Yep, I'm awake now!



Michael loves being a big brother!


Little toes!





More little toes!




Thursday, June 12, 2008

Turning Point Day 2

We're home now from an awesome couple of days in Philadelphia at the Turning Point retreat. For those of you that don't know, Turning Point is a 2 day intensive "business and life bootcamp" designed for Real Estate agents, brokers, and Lenders, but the principles Brian teaches really apply to any small business owner. The man of a million stories, Brian Buffini, walks you through his "Work by Referral" program to develop stronger business and personal relationships. Over the two days we covered the challenges faced in our Personal, Spiritual, Family, Business, and Financial lives and the small steps taken to overcome them, to live the good life. We had such an awesome time, and I would highly recommend this to any small business owner to recharge your batteries. Also, check out their MasterMind Summit in San Diego later this summer!! Here are some shots from Day 2:


We were lifted up


We uncovered hidden potential

We did the Hustle!

We celebrate even small accomplishments... like learning to disco.

We joked between brothers

And we laughed until we cried!

Here's the Marantz gang (Dad, Mom, Mary, and I) Special thanks to my parents for bringing us down to Philly to experience this... and for getting up wicked early to get the best seats in the house.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Turning Point - Philadelphia

Mary and I are back in the City of Brotherly Love (this time with my mom & dad) where today's high temp. reached 97 degrees! Luckily we spent most of the day at the awesome and inspiring Turning Point conference, which was not only a great break from the heat, but also the perfect opportunity to learn more about OUR business from a whole new perspective. We'll be talking quite a bit more about the conference when we get back on Thursday, but here are a few images from Day 1:







Monday, June 09, 2008

Off to Philly...


We're about to head out for a really cool conference in Philly. We'll hopefully be blogging down there so we can tell you more about it then!

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Sneak Peak: Jess & RIchard

Just a couple of quick shots of all the fun we had yesterday. More to come!!


Saturday, June 07, 2008

Meet: Jess & Richard

Jess & Richard were married this past February in St. Johns (oh how I wish we'd known them then!) and today our wedding season officially begins with them hosting an incredible celebration for their friends & family at a private home on the water. We went out about a week ago to walk the property with these guys, and we just had to grab a few fun shots on the beach!

ETA: Oooh! I totally forgot to mention that today is the first day one of our new interns is coming to shoot with us, so we'll be doing her official introduction to the blog world in the coming week!





These two have some serious heat!



We'll see you in a bit guys!!

Friday, June 06, 2008

Overwhelmed...

In the past twenty four hours we have been absolutely overwhelmed...in the best possible way ever!! After the incredible & beautiful Miss Jasmine posted about PH on her blog, the emails have been pouring in from all across the country from people wanting to be involved. We are overwhelmed by your kind words, your generosity, and the incredible rockin' hearts that fill this industry. You bless us more than you'll ever know! We're working hard to get back to each & every one of you, but please be patient with us as it may take a little while to get through all of them!

We love you guys!
J&M

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Meet: Josh & Beth

It all started with a pony tail. A pony tail, and a summer camp over a decade ago. It was one of those quick fleeting, almost trivial moments that could have easily been lost in time. Trivial, except that it would change everything for the rest of their lives. She had just casually pulled her hair back into a pony tail as she walked out of her cabin, but that was the moment that Josh looked up and saw Beth for the first time. Sure he had seen her before, but this was the first time he really *saw* her and knew his heart would never be the same. "It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen." Over ten years later, he's still saying the same thing.

Meet Josh & Beth. They are the amazing couple that brought us out on our little California adventure. Be prepared for a SERIOUSLY long post. The first time I edited these down for the blog, I still had 150 in the folder. So yea, just be prepared.

These guys live in San Francisco, so we started in the city on Sunday evening when we got into town. These are some fun shots around the "Ferry Building," where Josh & Beth spend a lot of weekends hanging out.




Seriously, how stunning is Beth??


A fun shot on the pier near the Bay Bridge



One of Justin's all time favorite portraits:


The next morning we started out at a park with an incredible view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out the yummy fog!



But as is so often the case, you go to a location for one thing and end up finding a ton of other cool stuff nearby. Like these awesome trees!!




And did I mention there was a wartime bunker?!?!






How James Dean is this shot? I think Dennis Stock would be proud.


Then it was off to Napa, where there were barrels...



and vineyards...



and warm, buttery light. ahhhhh....



How beautiful are these two? They make it wayyy too easy!




Then it was time to get a little dressed up as we literally raced down the road chasing the last few minutes of light. A little trespassing was involved but it was WELL worth it! (We had already been chased off the Robert Mondavi estate by one very grumpy security guard. Geez dude, take a pill!)



Josh & Beth, thank you guys for everything. Especially the super yummy thai food! We can't wait to see you again in July!!
xoxo
M:)

Think diPHerent

Special thanks to our amazing friend, Jasmine, for being one of the first in our grass roots ad campaign to get the word out about PH. Mary & I are just so thankful to have people like her in our lives, the kind of people who drop everything to make Hope happen! We love you Jaz!

We also want to thank Candice & Mark of Mark Brooke Photography and Gabriel & Carlie of Gabriel Ryan Photography for helping Jasmine out for this shot!!

We have a whole line up of killer photographers who are going to be doing their own PH ad, so stay tuned for that! To get your own custom PH shirt, just send us your ideas and we'll get you all set up.

Blessings
Justin

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Another Sneak Peak

We're still trying to get caught up so we can blog all the crazy goodness from the past few days, but I just wanted to give you guys another sneak peak, this time from a wedding we helped out on this past weekend. This was the valet crew and these guys were so awesome so I just had to grab a quick shot of them. I think it turned out pretty cool!

Monday, June 02, 2008

PHundraiser Par-Tay!!

Tomorrow night a bunch of us will be getting together at the lovely Ms Ten Eyck's studio to raise money towards gaining our non-profit status for Portrait House! There will be cupcakes, yes cupcakes. Not to mention cocktails. Blue ones. A rockin' play list to go with our even MORE rockin' PHoto booth. And we'll be giving away door prizes, such as one on one mentoring sessions with us, Mike & Ike, and Mr. Steve DePino. We're taking $20 at the door and $1 a shot (as in photo :) for the photobooth. Even if you can't make it, but want to contribute shoot us an email at justin@justinmarantz.com. But seriously, just come! It'll be a blast!

Sunday, June 01, 2008

We're ba-aack!!

Well we're back safe & sound after our big adventure in California. We have been totally neglectful of this little blog of ours, but we do have a REALLY good reason: while we were in Santa Barbara, Justin came down with a nasty case of stomach flu and/or food poisoning and had to be admitted into the HOSPITAL!! It was awesome. In like the total polar opposite of awesome sorta way. I have never in my whole life seen someone so sick. It was like the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan. Yea, good times.

BUT, we are back in our cozy little home now and J is feeling 110% better. There's really no place like home.

We of course have a TON of blogging to catch up on including a full recap of the trip and a super exciting announcement about the next Spread the Love Workshop, so stay tuned for that. But for now, we'll leave you with a couple of teasers: one from our rockin' engagement shoot in Napa (pre-food poisoning!) and one for Spread the Love.

Love you guys! It's good to be back!
xoxo
M



Spread the Love: Coming soon!

Spread The Love from Andrew PC Smith on Vimeo.