Newsletter
It’s Not Broken!
Newsletter 
3
Sun 10.23.2011
“It’s not broken!” These were the first words I ever heard uttered by interior-architect icon Cortney Novogratz. After returning from the hospital with their nine-year-old son, Breaker, Cortney shouted her message up the stairwell in the six-story $20-million West Village home where she and her husband Robert live. Well, where they’re living for now. Cortney and Bob are the creative directors of the mad-skills Sixx Design team; they move into ramshackle, lackluster, or sometimes just-not-hip residencies and cast a spell on these dwellings with their bohemian-chic magic. Then, they sell.
The Family
Over the course of my 72-hour photo-immersion with the Novogratz, I came to learn that shouting messages up stairwells was the modus operandi for this family. And, by family, I mean 7 kids, including two sets of twins and three boys ranging from tot-to-teen; several nannies, and an exuberantly cool and hardworking set of parents who preside over their domain with improbable poise and good cheer.
The Mystique
The Novogratzes possess an abundant energy that allows them to wholly embody the now – they have an uncanny ability to live so fully in the moment that you can’t help but be swept away in the fairy tale. Despite the chaos, I missed the rollicking, wild, loving, close-knit nature of the Novogratz home when I returned to the San Francisco Bay Area. My house just seemed so… quiet.
The Verdict:
I am absolutely in awe of and grateful for the Novogratz family inviting me into their jaw-dropping home to spend 72-hours with their family in the name of creativity! Thank you so much for everything!
The Teaser:
This is only the beginning of my recap of our photography immersion together. What comes next? ART WORK that profiles their 7 kids!
engage!11: Night + Day
Newsletter, Weddings 0
Thu 06.09.2011
Here’s what I expected before attending engage!11: getting inspired through a meeting of the best minds of our industry. But what I got from the luxury wedding event held in San Diego was so much more. A perfect wedding day is typically such a high-pressure event. Everyone from photographers, videographers, event designers, floral artists, caterers, cake designers to other inspired artists work closely together to create a wonderful day of celebration for a blissful couple. We don’t get many opportunities outside of work to just get to know each other and hang out, and let loose.
This was my first time at engage! and now that it’s over, I can’t wait for the next! Kathryn and Rebecca, you sure know how to throw a party. It was a wonderful 3 days of brilliant fun with like-minded individuals who are smart, funny and so generous. It was a great opportunity to learn from brilliant speakers, such as Monique Lhuillier, Mindy Weiss, Simon T Bailey, Marcy Blum, David Beahm and Diann Valentine – all of whom are inspiring leaders, but also really, really cool people to hang out and talk to. It was such an exceptional experience – that I wish to leave everyone a nice little wrap-up, courtesy of images from the photographer extraordinaires of Mel & Co. Look out next week for my bridal inspirations based on the gorgeous details from engage!11.
Photography by Mel, Judith + Allan from Mel & Co.
Here Comes the Groom | CHS Image Story
Newsletter 4
Sun 11.21.2010
A hanging flower piece that swings like a pendulum adds a feisty, fancy twist to the traditional bouquet.
In the popular imagination, wedding is synonymous with bride. The occasion celebrates her taste, intelligence, and grace. Indeed, an entire industry developed around her sparkling engagement ring, luminescent gown, and momentous procession down the aisle. I decided it was high-time to shake things up a bit. For a recent photo shoot, I trained my focus on the oft-neglected groom. And it was a blast.
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