#vegan photographer pittsburgh

[mishay]

this was an amazing vegan place

apteka

[isohno-blog]

[tudrimi]

still life via @mi_parente . . . . . . . . . . #toodreamy #tudrimi #dreamy #stilllife #stilllifephotography #photography #photographer #mylk #vegan #minimalist #minimalistic #gominimalmag #cerealmag #losangeles #pittsburgh #art #artist #arte #soft #aesthetic #inspo #stilllifephoto #photo #glass #simple #lovely #inspohome #glassware https://www.instagram.com/tudrimi/p/Bwn_yq8lW-D/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=v49eu9lh8ryk

[sandrachile]

Environmental Center Engagement | Pittsburgh

After being vegetarian for around 15 years, 4 years ago I decided to transition into a new way of ethical living, which involved getting my comfortable vegetarian lifestyle, more strict, and embracing veganism.  Ever since, I have used this tribune to make a stand against animal cruelty. The first decision was in regards to my product line. Bye bye to leather albums, a huge statement in the photographic industry. Later on, I found out traditional prints contained animal gelatin, so I made sure to find an alternative route for that as well, and little by little, I made this my soapbox. The only thing missing was a vegan couple, well, it finally came. Terry and Kelly hired me for their upcoming eco friendly wedding at the Environmental Center, in Pittsburgh. (Imagine me right now, jumping up and down, I'm so excited!). So, although this spring has been colder than others, we took a leap of faith and Pittsburgh delivered. We had ONE day of warmth and we used it for their Pre Wedding Photo Session. Kelly is breathtakingly beautiful, and SO! talented. She wore clothes that she made herself (#goals!).  Terry in the other hand, is smart, kind, and makes Kelly laugh, which in my book is the key to a succesful marriage.  I am super excited and grateful to have been chosen as their photographer, but even more excited to share these pictures with you...

[p-redux]

Time for another edition of my “Bitches, please” series!  

So, ES and trolls continue to post on both Sam and Mackenzie’s IG accounts that she must be able to travel with Sam because she is a “jobless loser.” Well, as @meiling1982 pointed out, what does that make Ashton Kutcher? He’s been photographed all over Europe with his wife Mila, while SHE is working, and HE ISN’T. Does that mean Ashton’s a “jobless loser,” too? Uh, that’s a resounding NO. He’s simply an actor, in between jobs, who has the savings and time to go along with her because he and their kids can’t bear to be apart--because LOVE. The same can be said about Mackenzie and Sam.                                

And. There. Is. Nothing. Wrong. With. It.

One actor traveling with their actor partner while he or she is filming is standard in the industry. Actors save their money so they have it in between acting jobs. No doubt Mackenzie has been saving and investing for years, and like, Ashton, has the luxury and good fortune to spend time with loved ones whenever they want. And let’s not forget Sam was spotted with a fan in Montreal while Mackenzie was there to film a TV movie. Did that make him a “jobless loser,” because he went to see his actress girlfriend on his down time? Of course not. Funny how the ES never mention that. 

So, Mackenzie goes to see Sam whenever she can, and Sam goes to see Mackenzie whenever he can. It’s called two actors being in a relationship and making it work...it’s called being in love. When people are in love, they want to see each other any chance they get. ES say they’re all about true love etc, well I can’t think of many things that are more romantic than flying all over the world to spend time with your partner. It is the stuff that epic love stories are made of.

And for those spewing the faux feminist crap saying Mackenzie must be “kept” by Sam and is “dropping her career” to be with a man. I strongly disagree, that that would be anti-feminist. Let me explain why...

First of all, it’s clear Mackenzie hasn’t stopped working to be with Sam. Since she met Sam, she starred in 2 TV movies, and recently was in Pittsburgh guest starring on a TV series. She also modeled for her friend’s vegan leather jewelry brand. And she posted an IG pic at a keyboard, so maybe she’s working on some music, since she is a singer as well. Those are the projects we KNOW about that she’s done while dating Sam. For the rest of her work on soap operas, TV Series, plays, and films, prior to Sam, all one needs to do is look up her bio. Mackenzie has been in the industry for a while and has won awards, starred on Broadway, and co-starred in Into The Woods with Meryl fucking Streep. She is a working actress, not unemployed by any means.

But secondly, for me, true feminism means supporting a woman having the freedom to do WHATEVER SHE WANTS. And if Mackenzie wanted to give up her career so she could lie naked in a hotel bed, eating bonbons, drinking champagne, waiting for Sam to get home from the set, then by all means, she should have the freedom to do that. THAT is what being a true feminist is: wanting women to be FREE to live the life they CHOOSE. And goddammit if waiting naked in bed for Sam AND chocolate AND champagne all together doesn’t sound like the BEST LIFE EVER. 

I don’t know about anyone else but if I had to choose between the drudgery of every day working life, trying to get ahead in a man’s world, trying to break the glass ceiling as a woman, and all the STRESS that goes along with working a full time job OR following my man around the world (naked, bed, bonbons, champagne, making blond blue-eyed babies)...uh, I would pick the latter.    But, hey, that’s just me. I’m lazy and I love nakedness, and hotel beds, and chocolate, and champagne, and babies who look like Sam (that I wouldn’t take care of myself because I’d hire a nanny...because lazy). But I digress...the POINT IS a true feminist SUPPORTS women and THEIR CHOICES, and their FREEDOM to make those choices, even if we wouldn’t make the same choices. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to fantasize about me and Sam naked in bed at the Ritz in Paris, eating Godiva, and drinking Cristal, while our really old and ugly nanny is at the park playing with our cherubic blonde-haired blue-eyed babies. See ya!

[evildeaduproot-blog]

2016.

To start this blog off right, I wanted to share part of my personal blog about the traveling we did in 2016 making Evil Dead Uproot.

Edited down to focus on that and not personal stuff.

Heading to Pittsburgh, PA for what was supposed to be a small side project based on a super fan (Mike) of The Evil Dead movies and how he obtained the workshed from the second movies filming location. We visited his home right outside of Pittsburgh in a small town in West Virginia.

Matthew and I already had our first documentary we were working on, our labor of love. But this idea came up  to make that trip into something much more and he is such a big fan of those movies it fell into place. We thought, what if we could interview the cast and people who worked on the movies, visit the locations and help people who had an interest see what it’s like there today.  In one way it just seemed like another great idea we had, seeing as we have a full length movie floating around, tons of short stories and other ideas we think are great. But this, it felt different.

First order of business, “If we can’t get Bruce, is it worth it?” We just took the honest approach, sent a ton of e-mails to everyone and their brother in hopes ANYONE would be interested in speaking to us. Mike had the inside scoop with the owner of the Evil Dead 2 cabin and we knew the land from part 1 would be a problem later. First e-mail back...... Bruce giving us 15 minutes in Chicago at the Comic Con, it was the closest he was going to be to Nashville.  

Off to Chicago we went in August, which we love Chicago! They have great vegan food and well hell we had our first Press Passes for Comic Con. I won’t go into the nitty gritty of behind the curtain on this process but will say, you must have a drive for the end result, you must be willing to be on standby, stressed out and willing to deal with a lot.. a LOT of hoops. But, it happened and that’s all that mattered.

There he was Bruce Campbell, sitting in front of our cameras looking Matthew in the eye answering his questions. If everyone else told us “no’” at this point it wouldn’t have mattered, or so it seemed at the time. Our 15 minutes that Bruce said we could have, was cut to 10 minutes by Comic Con and to be honest he seemed like he could have talked to us a little longer, so maybe a second time will happen.

The trip home from Chicago was bitter sweet, we were wore out from everything we went through while there again, I can’t put into words how stressful the whole thing was. Oh I should mention Mike brought the shed, we helped carry it in, set it up and run his booth while on “standby”. Those conventions serve garbage food that neither of us were willing to eat, plus the waits in line were up to an hour, an apple, a bottle of water and some popcorn was all we had in 12 hour day, not to mention lugging gear to and from, add in a mad dash into the city for a possible interview that we missed by minutes due to traffic, parking and carrying everything 4 blocks to the hotel. Maybe next time.

But the trip also had us on fire and ready to take this head on!

Off to North Carolina! Deep into the woods once stood the shell of a cabin that is now a pile of wood, it just happens to be on one of the most inspiring, nicest, most genuinely kind mans property. Never, in my life would I think I would be out in fighting huge spiders, looking for rattlesnakes and wild hogs all while photographing and filming a HUGE structure that was used to make a movie.  It was beyond hot and humid, but jeans were a must. Even though it’s not standing anymore, the size alone took me a while to wrap my head around. They built it JUST for outside shots and run ins. The fake trees and pile of coal still there are proof it’s not just a hunting cabin, it was for a movie.  Which, is aslo on the land that The Color Purple was made, going into the house and see the stair case was also something I never really thought I would be doing.

Wadesboro, was a huge success for us. People came out and spoke with us about the movie being made there, dropped off pictures of the set and we found every place they used in the film fairy easy. We still will have to return to bid the cabin site a farewell and show its removal in the spring of 2017.

Luck would have it, the rest of the cast and the special effect guys would be in Cleveland in late September. Holy Cow!  That had to happen and it did, not without issues but it did! You are dealing with multiple people at one place within a few days, do the math and see how that might work out in your head and then times that by at least 6. The ladies worked with us well, as did the guy who played Scotty. Tom Sullivan opened up his room after hours for his interview and brought in Bart Peirce, these two made all the fun stuff in the movie happen. For us, listening to them would be the highlight and at this moment I realized Bruce was not the only one we wanted to hear from. The few hours we got to spend with them were a real look into making movies and for me Tom is such a genuinely nice guy with great stories I could listen to him talk for much longer.

Lastly, Morristown, TN. Evil Dead was filmed there, it’s a small town in East Tennessee and it’s a place that, NO ONE wants to talk to you. We went earlier in the year and put fliers up; those brought a guy who helped on the film when he was in High School, he shared his time on the set with us and had some stories we hadn’t heard yet. Other than that, Morristown let us down. We had very little help from the press outlets there and all the leads we had fell flat. The owners of the property the cabin once stood contacted us before we even contacted them to tell us we were not welcome there. This puts a dark cloud over the film, but we plan to work around it and not make the focus on one spot. 

So 2017, lets keep digging!

[laurenborrelli]

Lekkerrrr

When I moved to Boston 3 years ago, I got a text within my first 48 hours saying Kate and Daniel had booked a trip to visit the following weekend.  The weekend of their visit, I distinctly remember Dan telling me he was interested in applying to University of Pittsburgh because of their study abroad program in Cape Town, South Africa.  And then 3 years later he was attending that program through Pitt and I booked a flight to visit!

Dan is my childhood neighbor and 5 years younger.  So I had to mentally prepare to be around kids that were barely 21 years old...AND tackle it as my first semi-solo trip.  Not to mention I was able to use credit card points and fly for FREE!

Itinerary:

Wednesday, November 29th 2017:  My flight departed Boston in the evening and I arrived at my layover destination in the AM.  With a 9 hour layover in Munich, I ventured outside the airport to the Christkindlmarkt in the city center.  With a full belly of sausage, one (ok two) gluhwein, and new cashmere scarf to keep me warm during the snowfall, I headed back to the airport nice and tired.  Topping off with more hefeweizen (best type of beer to drink solo!) at the airport, I at least boarded verrrry sleepy for my 12 hour flight to Cape Town.

Friday: FINALLY arrived in South Africa around lunch time!  Since Dan’s semester had just ended, the school let us stay there for a crazy affordable price.  Would have been good to know that before we booked the airbnb in CBD...(theme with 21 y/o’s lol).  A couple dead cockroaches in the kitchen and no central wifi BUT I had an incredible view of table mountain from my bedroom window.  We spent most of this day booking tours / airbnb’s for the rest of the trip.

Saturday: We went to the Woodstock Market in the late morning.  Half is local food vendors and the other half is local artists selling jewelry, household goods, clothes, you name it!  Oh yeah and there was a DJ in the center right next to an aperol spritz station.  I mean...what could be more perfect?!? Started with an amazing pour over and some stuff avocado.  Then moved on to a spritz while I bought some awesome jewelry and a vegan leather clutch.  I could have stayed here alllll day!  And i probably spent less then $30 USD total.  Then we headed to the central business district (CBD) to check out the Company’s Gardens.  It is a beautiful public with a really awesome natural irrigation system for their vegetation.  AND super cool mega sized whicker baskets as swings and tree houses.  We grabbed fresh Juice on Long Street and ordered flights to try from brewery Beerhouse.  A quick freshen up and we grabbed dinner on the waterfront meet up with some of his friend’s.

Sunday: Dan was super sweet in arranging a day to hang to check out the newly finished Zeitz Contemporary Museum of Art!  It’s superrrr sick - a restored grain factory turned into museum.  Concrete was cast around the old silos, which created a traditional deceiving form on the exterior.  While the interior is just the reverse - a HUGE curvilinear entrance with a skeleton of a pterodactyl very Game of Thrones like in the center.  A guy who worked in Dan’s study abroad office was a recent architecture grade from the University of Cape Town - so he joined us on our day of touring architecture!  In fact, he is the one that told me there was a bit of an uproar of a British architect being selected for Africa’s first contemporary art museum.  The attention to detail and design was immaculate in the city - makes it hard to believe there were no African-based architecture offices that couldn’t have tackled the challenge... We then checked out the watershed project.  It’s an old industrial boat storage facility turned host for local artist vendors on the ground floor and communal “we work” style offices on teh second floor.  Once again, a SUPER cool space!!!  (BTW - this will be the theme of my architecture comments for this trip).  The enclosed food market next door was a perfect stop for lunch.  After walking around the waterfront some more, we made our way over to Camp’s Bay to watch the sunset.  This area reminded me a lot of Southern California w/o the prices plus mountains in the background.  Truly it was the most stunning sunsets I have ever enjoyed (and wth a spritz too!).  Quite possibly my favorite day in Cape Town of the trip!!

Monday: It was a big weekend of activities for Dan so he slept in while I wandered around a bit on my own!  Started with trying the world’s strongest cup of coffee at Haas Coffee (great I would only need one cup this morning!).  Then went to the District Six Museum - which is a museum dedicated to the district segregated and then bull-dozed down during apartheid.  Really heartbreaking but an excellent intro to how it has only been 50 years since this epidemic happened!  To put into perspective, my parents were born before this happened (sorry for the age exposure mom and dad)! I then grabbed lunch and took the scenic route from the V/A Waterfront allll the way down to Clifton Beach.  Stunning views, beautiful weather, and a good opportunity to see what South Africa’s non-working people are doing along the water at this time of day.  They consisted of surfers, mothers and sitters pushing kids in strollers, LOTS of people running or roller blading, and a handful of “lookers” that suddenly stop what they are doing when you walk by.  The beach is tucked between a bunch of wealthy homes in a pretty private location.  A great spot to water-color the ocean crashing into seals on the rocks beyond!  After much relaxing, I headed home for a quick change before Dan and I headed to hike Lion’s Head at sunset.  An easy hike but the views are stunninggggg.  Ended the evening with take-out of a Cape Town quintessential BFA (bacon feta avocado) pizza.

Tuesday: Walked to grab coffee in the nearby neighborhood of Rondebosch and then took a car to the beautiful, traditional Bo-Kaap neighborhood!  Vividly painted stucco buildings line the streets and are very well preserved amongst the expanding urbanism surrounds.  We took a cooking class with Cape Malay cuisine.  The culture descends from Southeast Asian, but brought to Cape Town through the Dutch Indian Trade Company.  So the cuisine has a interested blend of all three cultures - deep curry flavors with just enough spice for white people to tolerate LOL.  Great day learning more about the history and making amazing, brand-new dishes!  With very full bellies and a very strong sun overhead, we noodled to Camp’s Bay beach with a handful of Dan’s classmates.  They were a bit of a handful and we had to lay on every piece of clothing so it wouldn’t get swept up in the immense ocean wind, but the views were stunning!  We ended the night with trivia at a local bar.  Luckily we had a couple South Africans on our team, so they were able to help us answer “what is the most played African song in foreign films.”

Wednesday: Dan and I headed to CBD to pick up a rental car for our trip outside of the city!  We drove along swerve-y, cliffy edge road from Camps Bay, down through Hout Bay, down to the Cape of Good Hope!  It’s basically a national park with...wild baboons roaming around!  We went to the lighthouse at the Cape Peninsula and it was so windy I was scared to take my phone out in case it would fly away!  Awesome perspective of the peninsula if you had a strong enough grip of the railing surrounding you!!  I did a bit of hiking around the rocky cliffs while Dan and his friend Allie took lots of selfies around the water.  We then checked into out ocean-front apartment  in St. James that was so. freaking. BEAUTIFUL!  Unreal views, unreal price, unreal sunsets/sunrises.  Even got to see whales breaching form the balcony!!  We finished the day by grabbing dinner and drinks from the great restaurant Tiger’s Milk in Muizenberg.

Thursday: I started with a sunrise run along a beautiful ocean-front path that went right by all the morning surfers in Muizenberg and the super man-made formed but naturally resourced ocean pools in St. James.  We then hopped in the car for a morning snorkeling with seals, to only find the currents and wind were too strong. :(  Instead we headed to check out the legendary warm-weather penguins at Boulders Beach.  I grabbed some coffee, and a meat/cheese delicious hot-pocket style snack for lunch, and we headed the immaculate Noordhoek Beach.  Bright white sand, turquoise water with minimal waves - never seen a more beautiful beach!  So stunning and barren, for some very strange reason...maybe the large number of horse flies?  LOL despite getting swarmed it was so hard to not want to get swallowed up in the beautiful vista.  Even if I did leave with over twenty bites on my legs alone.  We headed home and while those two napped, I walked down to check out the shopping in Kalk Bay.  Also shops and the store owners were all super friendly - one woman’s husband photographs architecture professionally!  After stirring them awake we headed to Muizenberg to watch the surfers at sunset and check out the infamous painted beach shacks. We bounced around at a couple out door bars before ending up at the great Tiger’s Milk.

Friday: Another sunrise run and yoga on the deck.  I grabbed coffee at the super cute shop blonde + beard in Muizenberg, then we jumped in the car to head back to Cape Town.  We moved into a different university student housing buildling upon our return...and this is the point where I decided it was worth spending the money for a nice apartment not in the college area of the city.  We went to a natural watering hole only known to locals/students.  Amazing views of table mountain and the water was super clean and hella refreshing.  We grabbed dinner at an Indian restaurant close by then headed to drinks at Yours Truly on Kloof Street.  My. Favorite. Bar. HANDS DOWN!  Different DJ each level, awesome craft brews and cocktails, beautiful string lights and plants climbing up the terraces, super funky furniture, and people rocking all different trendy outfits.  Dan’s friends felt out of place but I freaking loved it!!  Finally I caved with how much they were itching to leave, and we grabbed Italian food down the block.  We then stopped at their favorite 21 y/o hangout sgt pepper on Long Street and I hung on the smoker’s deck with Dan while his friends had a couple items stolen from them on the sweaty dance floor.

Saturday: Time for our wine tour!  $60 for a round-trip bus to the infamous wine town of Stellenbosch. Tasting #1 included an array of cheese.  Tasting #2 was in a beautiful outdoor garden.  Tasting #3 tour of a cute farm where we tried wine from the syringe!  Plus a fullll traditional braai (barbeque).  Tasting #4 tiny little private winery.  Tasting #5 pairing with Chocolate!  Best part was bonding with everyone else on our tour!!  An american couple on grad school holiday, an older couple with one descendent of Upper Saint Clair, super cool British couple my age, older British couple who have travel to 80% of the world, and a British dad with his daughter about my age who works in an art gallery.  Great convos about how crazy Trump is but it humanized the U.S. to not be this great country anymore, to why haven’t I signed up to do bungee jumping yet, to you are crazy for staying with a bunch of 21 y/o’s up until now!  Left with lots of souvenirs and great memories!!  Brought my stuff to my new adorable apartment downtown and crashed during the sunset while watching elf on Netflix.

Sunday: Headed out solo to grab coffee/breakfast and then check out the Castle of Good Hope.  Strangely enough there was a cross fit competition taking place in the main courtyard, so that was a bit entertaining to peak at in between taking in all the history.  It was a dutch fort along the East India Trate Route to Indonesia - but more specifically acted as the home base during teh British invasions.  Free tours are given by of the military museum and the inter-workings of the castle which turned out to be very light and engaging!  I think picked Dan up and we went to the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens.  Amazing variety of wildlife here and a good chance to hang with Dan one-on-one.  We went to Moju Market and drove by a crowd letting out for the Springbok Rugby game.  Now those fans where some crazy costumes!  The market was superrrr lekker (va bene in Afrikaan).  There was a station for trendy oysters, a “salad bae” stand, local wines shop, curry shop - everything plus an elevated ocean view.  Awesome way to fuel up before Dan and I conquered a Table Mountain hike the next day.

Monday: I grabbed breakfast at the adorable Skinny Legs cafe and then coffee and beans at Origin Coffee Roastery.  Both make my mouth water thinking about them (and their beautiful interiors too!).  Then when to meet Dan at Kirstenbosch, where the beginning of our hike up Table Mountain began.  Started pretty steep, up wooden ladders in woodsy areas.  At the top we stumbled upon a completely barren water source.  It looked to be a collection spot for a small reservoir.  The water was unnaturally a rainbow gradient and was in a bit of a small canyon - making it seem like people were going to jump out at any moment like the hunger games.  We randomly heard a siren here too, making us jumping in our pants even more!  We then continued along the top of table which is mostly huge boulders - but it started to get windier.  We soon found that it was too windy at the top for the gondola to take us down!  So we had to bare the exposed edge by foot!  This was seriously soooo hard because any time we would hear a huge wind gust coming, we would have to duck and hold onto any possible branch around us.  Took a while it felt such a  rush of accomplishment as we ate at an Indian buffet afterwards!

Friday: Last day!  My flight was leaving in the evening, so i tried to squeeze in as much as I could!  Morning at Clifton Beach then lunch of mussels and a glass of chenin blanc at the waterfront with Dan.  Was able to do a little shopping at the artist in the waterfront too - most sold awesome sustainable home goods too!  Probably did the most shopping / consuming of good food/drink this trip - but thats because it was all my style, amazing flavors, accessible, and reallllly affordable!  I’m already counting this as one of my top 3 favorite cities and I can’t wait to go back and visit!!!

What brought me excitement:

Design Aesthetic: Yes the city is BUMPING with architecture, both new and old.  Now this may sound crazy, but when i walked into a basic enterprise office in the CBD, something struck me.  I followed the datum of the square floor tile, that then aligned with the line of small stair landing, that then aligned with the rectangular wall base, that then aligned wth the curtainwall mullion.  MY JOB IS TO ALIGN FINISHES FOR A MUSEUM!  How do these simple alignments just happen in the least design conscious interior spaces?! Still blows my mind the attention to detail and craft the culture just exudes.  And it is oh so clear in every interior of every store, restaurant, coffee shop, boutique, refurbished space.  Really inspiring as someone in the design field!!  Nothing boujee or over the top either, all very minimalist, modern, simple, earthy designs - amazing!

Cultural Blend: My first day at the beach, there were a bunch of middle school age kids that all playing soccer together.  A girl in a hijab kicking a ball to a blonde haired boy kicking to a black boy .  The integration of the future generation was so heart-warming to see it made my eyes ACTUALLY well up!  I’m not kidding too!!  It’s location is an ideal spot for not just europeans on holiday, but a great stretch of immigrants from the middle east and asian as well!  I can’t wait to come back in just 5 years and see how progressive it will be!!

What left me uneasy:

White Guilt: Learning how recent apartheid and many racist epidemics had occurred, it really left a sinking feeling in my stomach.  I felt guilt vacationing here because I didn’t want any locals (no matter their ethnicity) to feel like I was taken advantage of their home.  I didn’t want it to seem like I had some money to spend so I was creating a larger economic divide and taking anything away from the locals.  It was probably the biggest guilt I have ever felt, even though it wasn’t me personally who had done those hurtful injustices.  But it is up to me to stand up for those that are still getting hurt today.  It certainly empowered me to not bat an eye and turn a shoulder when something is happening you don’t believe in.

Water Crisis:  At first I was wondering why toilet’s in the student housing were never flushed!  Then i realized it was to preserve water.  They were in a serious crisis and I didn’t fully understand it still we were at our airbnb in St. James.  I remember standing at the sink washing my hands, looking straight ahead at the 180 degree ocean view.  After drying my hands, I stepped on the balcony to take in the view even more.  A line of people about 100′ away caught my eye and I realized they were waiting at a public water source.  The government has shut down water to certain neighborhoods - unfairly.  These people weren’t stumbling out of overcrowded buses - they were coming with buckets out of private cars in nice clothes.  I felt sooooo guilty that I had a water source right here yet these people are waiting for this small spigot down the street.  Would the airbnb host downstairs be pissed if set a couple of buckets of water outside for these people?  But also, how could the host bat an eyelash and not be wanting to do the same thing?  This tore at my gut throughout this entire trip.

Safety: Cape Town is a very walkable, and even bikable city!  Unfortunately i didn’t realize how much I had to worry about safety even during the day.  I do look like the native Afrikaan, as many people spoke it to me before I spoke English back.  However, I think the economic divide is still too much for there to not be some animosity between the various parties.  It made me feel a little limited, that I couldn’t safely take the public train to the beach or rent a bike along the coast - all things I take for granted in my day to day life.

[mavwrekmarketing]

Image: vicky leta / mashable

You’ve been posting “plandids” for years and you didn’t even know it.

Tipped to be the hottest Insta trend of the summer, this newly coined term actually describes a pretty well-established Instagram practice that many of us have been doing for yonks.

SEE ALSO: ‘Finstas’ can be boring or funny or sexy but they’re always real

So, what exactly are plandids? The word is a portmanteau of “planned” and “candid,” which kinda sounds like a contradiction in terms. The idea is to post “as if you didn’t know the picture was being taken, but you’re still posing,” according to Instagrammer Maria Gillett.

“Kind of like you’ve been caught in the act of looking good in an ‘off duty model’ sort of way,” Gillett adds.

Plandid #sundaywalk #plandid #vsco #slumber #vscocam #adidas #superstars #fashionblogger #ootd #platinumblonde #offtheshoulder

A post shared by Maria (@huntingforstitches) on Jul 30, 2017 at 9:45am PDT

Fashion and beauty Instagram blogger A La Mol says she’d been “accidentally” doing them long before she heard the term “plandid” online from another influencer. She describes the trend as an attempt to achieve “that infamous candid look Instagram models seem to always nail.”

It’s unclear precisely who coined the term but a quick Instagram search will show you more than 500 plandids of people trying to nail that nonchalant look. You’ll see a stream of people looking oh-so-casually at the ground, or gazing into the horizon. Others will be mid-prance with a hand cocked to a jaunty angle. “Oh, I didn’t even realise you were taking a photo,” is the aesthetic.

Plandid Candid I had a media breakfast at the @thevandalpgh @visitpittsburgh which is a modern minimalist style cafe for breakfast + lunch + dinner. It’s a cute spot but also super health conscious. You can get yogurt with edible flowers and the fluffiest eggs ever. If you are vegans plenty of options here too! #LovePGH #TravelByKiwi #visitpittsburgh #pittsburghsmostdope #pittsburgh #KiwiTheBeauty #TravelBlogger #Plandid #PressTrip

A post shared by Kiwi | Social Influencer (@kiwithebeauty) on Aug 1, 2017 at 5:29am PDT

So, why is this trend so popular? Gillett thinks people love taking plandids because “people don’t like to look like they’re making too much effort.”

“Because it’s meant to look like somebody else took the photo while you weren’t looking, it kind of gives the person an excuse for putting up the photo, without looking really vain and contrived,” says Gillett.

Really caught off guard.. #plandid

A post shared by Angharad Boddington-Jones (@haribjones) on Jul 30, 2017 at 6:38am PDT

But, just how new is this purportedly new trend? Professional photographer Ronald Timehin says the word plandid is basically a “new term for an already existing concept.” He says in his line of work he’s often “directing people to move, stand or pose in a certain way” with the aim of making the final image look as “natural as possible.”

“This is nothing new as photographers and models have been doing this for years, before social media was even a thing,” says Timehin.

Hope y’all had winning starts to the week! I’ve popped the deets from this outfit over on alamollie.com in my PEP&CO post for all you need to know about Poundland’s new clothing range. I repeat: cheap.gym.clothes. [Now there really is no excuse] #pepandco #poundland #ootd #plandid #MondayMotivation #wod

A post shared by Mollie (@a_la_mol) on Jul 31, 2017 at 11:16am PDT

So, how do we take a good plandid? Timehin says the best way to take a good plandid is to make the person physically move. “Then shoot using burst mode, capturing all the little intricate details of the expression, rather than a static often forced pose,” he says.

A La Mol says that she tends to look down for “that ‘I didn’t realise there was a camera’ look.”

“I then just take a million (not even exaggerating) photos while I’m moving to capture that specific ‘casual’ moment.”

Have a great start to the week everyone. I’ll be shooting on Wednesday so if you would like to join, send me a DM

A post shared by Ron Timehin (@rontimehin) on Jul 17, 2017 at 5:02am PDT

Don’t even try to deny it: we have all taken and posted plandids on our Instagrams. And, why shouldn’t we they look cute as hell. Perhaps, by adding the #plandid hashtag, you’re actually being more real with your followers.

WATCH: The latest beauty trend out of Instagram will have you looking like you’re wearing Cheetos dust

Read more: http://ift.tt/2tVX0IY

The post Finally there’s a name for the Instagram trend everyone is already doing appeared first on MavWrek Marketing by Jason

http://ift.tt/2vqX0nH

[sandrachile]

Jaime JeTaime & Co

Jamie + Kevin

You know you are millennial when you meet people on Instagram.  Jaime is one of those people. I have admired her blog and followed her Instagram for months. I've drooled over her outfits and, have secretly wished I looked like her .... Until today, when not only got to meet her and her husband Kevin (eek!) but I also realized she lives right here in Pittsburgh (I know, I'm so absent minded, I can't even) She is even more fascinating in person than I ever anticipated. Her husband Kevin are high school sweethearts that survived years of long distance love (resonating my own romance with Nick), but we also share a few other things, like her passion for textile art, Latin American cultures, and traveling (and I'm totally jealous that she leaves to Nicaragua in 3 weeks). Jamie and Kevin celebrated 10 years of marriage last month, and what better way to immortalize that milestone than through pictures. Thankfully today, Pittsburgh gifted us the best golden hour ever. 

Happy Anniversary to this wonderful pair of lovebirds.

Pssssst!, Don't forget to follow Jamie on Instagram! >>  

[sandrachile]

A Zero Waste Wedding in Pittsburgh

If you have been on Facebook lately, you have probably seen videos of turtles tangled in plastic, birds whose stomachs are full of plastic, and reports about Global Warming.

Whether your political inclinations deny or are against global warming, the truth is, our planet is polluted, and right now, you are either part of the solution or part of the problem, there is no middle ground.

But the problem is that when it comes to bringing environmentalist values to wedding planning, if you are not in California, or don’t have a 6 digit budget, it becomes a little hard, and you might end up giving up for the sake of the circumstances.

So I want to show you, where you should be focusing your energy and resources, but first, let me introduce you to the “Buyerarchy of needs” which will be inspiring our whole journey, and I hope you look at this, read it, meditate on it, and then apply it.

1: Focus on the things that don’t cost you anything, pick a vibe, a feeling as the guidance for your wedding day. 

If you look around for wedding day inspiration, everything is based on color palettes, flowers, or decor. However, since we are trying to be intentional and not use as many material things during the wedding day, it is better to base your inspiration on intangible things rather than material things, instead choose to get inspired by feelings, or the vibe you want your wedding to have. For example, the vibe for the image below was: contemporary, artsy, and fresh.

2: Focus on finding the core vendors for your wedding

(Yes, before setting up a date or even the location). Once you pick the vibe, you will need to gather the elements that will bring your vision together. But Unless you are working with the proper people, translating a concept to reality within a budget, can be hard. So, before even selecting the date for your event or the location, we highly encourage you to select the group of humans that will bring this to life. The core vendors are: Wedding Planner Venue Caterer Officiant Photographer Since the “ethical” journey begins before the wedding day itself, when reaching out to vendors, ask them upfront about what environmental practices they have in place. 

Asking this up front will set the tone for the rest of the planning process, and if this is something that is not present in their practices, your question will surely push them in the right direction.

3: Where and When?:

Choose the date and the venue.

Whether you decide to marry at home, or in a big space, there are some things that you need to take into consideration, such as accessibility for your guest, location of your party hub, weather, and of course, environmental practices. 

If you go for the most popular choice, a venue, ask them and yourself the following questions:

Does your venue send all the garbage to a landfill, or does it have any recycling practices in place? Do they offer furniture, or do you have to rent these items separately? Does the venue have decorative elements, or is it a plain room that needs a lot of stuff to look good? Does it offer in house booze/catering, or can you bring your own?

So many questions, right?

From the low waste perspective, it is a priority to choose a space that offers dishes, cups, and straws that are not plastic. 

(I doubt you want a turtle in the Caribbean to swim among the straws from your wedding day, right? … #justsayin)

4: Let’s tell the world: The stationery (Oh poop! When things get real)

Although an online invitation is often times more eco-friendly, in practice, not everybody is a fan of receiving an email, and being inclusive of older generations who are less e-literate, is a good way to honor them. So when it comes to papers, what alternatives are low waste?

The invitation is the first thing your guests see, it sets the mood for the day, it tells your guests whether joining is going to be worth it, and it announces what kind of party this is going to be. Once the invitations are sent, things get real, and telling your guest that this is an environmentally friendly kinda day deserves to be announced in an environmentally conscious way. Here is where the value of a designer that can custom work for you is a thousand times better than printing some DIY, but make sure the designer is open to working with eco-friendly papers. 

Have you heard about paper made out of elephant poop?

When it comes to being low waste, there is nothing better than options that ethically made, creative, and contribute to giving opportunities to economically and socially marginalized groups. So do your research in regards to papers, and if you are feeling like DIYing, you can DIY the envelopes from the newspapers at your grandma’s house.

PS: Oh! And forget about RSVPs! Nowadays everybody texts, so you can use an automated text message RSVP service which is the easiest way to gather replies from your guests, and automatically organizes and counts for you. SCORE!

(If you never saw paper made of poop, now you did | Stationary by the kick ass: Fresh Cut Prints )

5. Creating a wedding atmosphere: Decorations

One of the things about low waste, is that sometimes it might be a little on the plain side, so for a wedding, which we want to look special, we really have to put thought into what we bring in. 

Using what we have, or what you can realistically keep afterward is key. So, first, my biggest and probably most overlooked decoration element that is also functional is: LIGHTS!!! I’m not talking about regular light bulbs, but lighting can make an amazing decoration, which afterward leaves zero trace.

Another suggestion is to use real plants as a decorative item. Not only they will give you a decoration the day of your wedding, but will decorate your house for the years to come, and imagine having the same plants that witnessed you saying “I do”, witnessing your anniversary year after year!

"Did you know that glass can be recycled forever and ever?"  -- FUN FACT

Another element that is overlooked but it is quite easy to make, and to compost afterward is dry flowers. You can actually invest time in planting your own and meticulously dry. Finally, for any other need, hit your local thrift store! You would be surprised to see the amounts of linen available there.

Oh! And also… keep an eye on the dumpster! Someone else’s garbage always has the potential to be your treasure.

5. Time to get pretty

An element of your wedding that takes a lot of mental energy, a big chunk of your money, and it makes a massive statement in regards to the environment is fashion. And if you want to make a statement, the options for your outfit are: Ethically sourced. Wear your own. Make your own outfit. Or Vintage. This groom decided to wear his own clothes, and the bride opted for the vintage.

The statement piece for the bride was her earrings, which were upcycled. Altogether their outfits were around $30, which allowed more $$ to be allocated for other services.

As you can see, going this route is a great way to maximize your budget, but if you feel uncomfortable with the idea of wearing a vintage style of clothing, you can always purchase vintage garments and budget for the services of a seamstress that can transform your vintage piece and gives it a modern twist.

6. Beauty

I have to be the first in recognizing that zero/low waste and the beauty industry are not the best of friends. Beauty is perhaps one of the most forgotten subjects when it comes to thinking low waste wedding, maybe, because it is not you using that bottle of shampoo that will end up in a landfill, you don’t think much about it. Nowadays there are many makeup products companies using cruelty-free and vegan options (yay). But I learned from Becky, owner of the hair salon that does my hair, Tula Organics, that certain brands go to the extent of manufacturing products with 100% wind power, and they purchase carbon offset credits to balance any climate impact of their aerosol hairsprays.

She also told me about Dragon Master Foundation, a charity organization fighting to find a cure for cancer, and to whom you can send personal care and beauty containers to be recycled. This is an amazing initiative, to make the world greener and fight cancer at the same time.!

In summary:

A low impact, environmentally wedding is not unrealistic. Even if you don’t live in California, it is totally possible right here in Pittsburgh, and even with a small budget. All you might need, is to think through and plan with time, along with a good group of ethically minded wedding vendors.

Supporting Cast: Planner & Aesthetic designer: Devoted To You Events @devotedtoyouevents Florals: greenSinner @greensinner HMUA: Tula Organic @tulaorganic Venue: Kingfly Spirits @kingflyspirits Lightning: EF Lighting @eflighting Plants + Greenery: City Grows @citygrows Photographer: Sandrachile @sandrachilep Invitation Fresh Cut Prints @freshcutprints Paper Mr Ellie Pooh @mr.elliepooh Cake: Mediterra Cake House @mediterracakehouse Jewelry/Accessories Adaptive Reuse @christineterrell Calligrapher- Scarlet Day Calligraphy @scarletdaycalligraphy

[sandrachile]

Downtown Pittsburgh Proposal

Phillip + Keith

When I learned that in Pittsburgh, the city that I so proudly live in, there were vendors who still refused service to LGBTQ couples on the grounds of religion I got scared. What if one someday the alt-right becomes a religion and says "serving immigrants is against our beliefs"....? (I'm sure its coming) As an immigrant, I know what rejection feels, and as a woman, I know what it feels when someone makes you feel inferior.  I'm a Christian, and I know Jesus would never make anyone feel that way, so I chose the route of treating everybody with dignity and respect and I became an openly inclusive business.  As a part of that commitment, I did a gay/lesbian model call and it is how I connected to Phil and Keith.  After a little talking, I realized they were totally my tribe. Sweet, generous, hard-working, and committed to creating a better world through their career path.  So when Phill reached back to me a few months after, for the proposal, we decided to use the same excuse I used before: a photo shoot to portray inclusion.  I wanted to showcase iconic downtown Pittsburgh places, a protest from the heart of the city against an industry where so many are still discriminating.  We walked around downtown photographing them being in love, and we ended in a rooftop of one of the garages.  

Phil decided to bring the services of Vintage Alley, a company dedicated to styling through upcycling, and giving character to celebrations with vintage furniture and decor. The rustic lounge setup was the perfect complement to this surprise proposal that caught Keith totally by surprise. Once at the lounge, I told them I would take some pictures in the setup before asking them to stand up. Then I asked if they could make the hipster pose. To stand looking at me, then looking at each other, and finally, I told to pose, back to back, looking to opposite directions. Little did Keith know that at the other side,Phil was not looking to the other direction, but discreetly reaching out for a ring and getting ready for the speech of his lifetime....

Finally, their closest family and friends joined to hug them and congratulate them, putting an end to a day that I will never ever forget. 

Congratulations Phillip and Keith! 

[sandrachile]

Winter Photography Session with SNOW!

I'm going crazy.... er. The cabin fever is real, so last weekend when it snowed, I thought, what if I disregard the fact that is SUUUUPER cold and I go take pictures in the snow? Up to this moment, my only subject for snow pictures had been my dogs, so I turned to my Instagram to see if any couple would volunteer to be models for me that day. Sure enough, one did! This is Briana and Danny. Bri is also a photographer who follows Sandrachile on Instagram (thank you!). She said they are rarely in front of the camera, and that alone convinced me to welcome them immediately, with an open heart. I'll be honest, this was the shortest session ever. I was wearing 3 layers of pants and I could barely move, but in those 20 minutes these two ROCKED THE HELL out of their love <3 Thanks guys for being so brave and daring!

PS: If you don't follow my Instagram yet, do it now! I'll be sharing more opportunities and model calls there!  

[sandrachile]

Summary of 2017

The most important blog of the year

After the doctor gave me the bad news, I walked back to my car and I sat there in silence, staring at the steering wheel, letting it all sink in...

I was discombobulated and alone. No family, no friends around, Nick was traveling through WV and had no signal… it was just me, and my thoughts.

I gathered myself and thought, what if this is it? What have I done with my life?...

There I was juggling with a cancer diagnosis and realized that the answer to my question was:  

Not enough

I had given a life, I had a life to make a difference but I could not identify that difference, i felt ashamed. It was time to change.

Sometimes life gives us those moments to bring us back into purpose, and I am glad I got shaken last December because I walked into January of 2017 knowing exactly what I needed to do.

I became bolder and more daring in the things that truly moved my heart.

If I had continued on the same path none of the numbers I share below would be here. I would’ve never asked any couples to be ethical, to make donations, to pursue eco friendly, and I'm grateful that none of you fired me and that we can now share this.

Our impact

1- Donate $100 and get a $200 discount:

That is the offer I made to the couples. Most of them took this opportunity and though this initiative, $1150 were donated to “Too Young to Wed”, supporting the work against child marriage, and the victims.

Other couples donated to other charities instead.  Beverly’s Birthday, 412 FOODS, and Rabbit Wranglers were the beneficiaries; totaling $400

2- Change the world with your wedding day!

Most couples took my advice to weave a charitable activity into their wedding day and to give the money to a charity that meant something for them.

Thanks to that initiative $1900 were donated to different organizations, 80% of them local to Pittsburgh, leaving the money where your heart is.

3- Gimme your leftovers!

That is what I asked all the Pittsburgh couples who got married and had a caterer. I'm not gonna lie, this was probably the hardest thing to do. It required a lot of logistical coordination, and the collaboration of not only the couple, but also the venue, wedding planners, and caterers. Only the Duquesne Club refused to collaborate, but all the other caterers were glad to assist. Thanks to their willingness and each couple's generosity we impacted the planet reducing the carbon footprint of food waste, but more important yet, we gave the opportunity of a nice meal to 181 people and 2 dogs, impacting the direct needs of the Pittsburgh homeless population.

4- Repurpose!

One of the couples repurposed the beautiful flowers of their wedding day, and thanks to the collaboration of their florist Sapphire and Lace, these were delivered to a senior center nearby, brightening the day of the elderly residents, how great is this!

5- Go Vegan!

3 couples decided reduce their carbon footprint, and save animals by embracing a more vegetarian approach for their meal.  They hired wedding caterers who provided one or more vegan/vegetarian alternatives, and in the end, I was the happiest one about it :D

6- Support small businesses:

I have always supported small businesses, but during the last trimester of 2017, I stepped up a notch, by donating $100 of each package to Kiva. Only 2 couples have participated of this new initiative, but because they hired me, 2 small entrepreneurs were benefited.

In summary:

Approximately $3500 were contributed by 12 couples who decided to embrace their day with a more intentional approach to begin the journey together in gratitude, giving a little something back. We impacted our community with kindness, and as a result, we contributed to change the world, and it was all because of you, the couples who hired me!

Thank you so much for making this year AMAZING

FACT: YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD WITH YOUR WEDDING DAY! now it's no longer a theory, this blog proves it :)

"** And the best part is that in the end, it was not cancer. It was just my hormones having a party where no one knows what they were celebrating, but after a couple of surgeries, and some therapy they settled down. Maybe they were celebrating this all along. Cheers!"

[sandrachile]

Urban Winter Engagement in Pittsburgh

Tina+Josh

Photography is healing, whether you are the one taking pictures, or the subject. For me, photography has been a journey towards the healing of an unhealthy upbringing. It has made me see things from a different angle and has changed me. Where there was anger, now I find understanding. Where there was hate, now I find kindness. Where there was pain, now I find growth. The session of Josh and Tina was special. It was the first time Tina wore a dress in forever, and it was a big step for her.  Tina and Josh met when Tina was recovering from a painful train accident that left her with a prosthetic leg and emotional scars that she still deals with today.  The accident brings painful memories from the past and wearing revealing skirts is like digging in those painful memories... During the car ride I mentioned to Tina about my own painful past, living homelessly in Chile when I was 15 until I was 23, but if it wasn't for the strength I built during those years of survival I would not be where I am today.  At one point or another, we all walk through painful paths, but if it wasn't for these difficulties we wouldn't find growth. In my case, I found a career and a purpose, and in Tina's case, a wonderful fiance who loves her deeply and a companion to share these journey we call life.

Our gratitude to AC Miller who allowed us to take pictures at their facility, and to Mister Buchan for being helpful during this process.

[sandrachile]

Eco friendly Elopement at Phipps - Pittsburgh

Juliet + Tim

Does wedding planning stresses the heck out of you?

Well, you are not alone, this is why Juliet and Tim completely streamlined it and planned their wedding in ONE WEEK. Yup, I said one week. But if that wasn't enough difficulty, they added an even more fascinating detail: their wedding was planned in a week from out of state.

#LevelGod

Juliet and Tim are a young couple currently going to college in Indiana (the state, not Indiana, PA) They are barely 21 years old, and personally, I am beyond jealous of how they have their life so together (you don't wanna know what I was doing at 21 but you bet it involved large amounts of not knowing what to do with my life, lol).  

They have the cutest little boy, and are planning to eventually move to Pittsburgh, which is why they decided to get hitched right here in The Burgh. Their wedding day was full of "meant to be" events and intentional choices. From the venues, chosen to minimize carbon footprint, to Juliet wardrobe choices (second hand, the most eco friendly way to shop), to yours truly here, chosen because of my ethical approach. The happy couple promised each other love, friendship, and commitment to each other under the Quaker tradition and the Baha'i faith, in a meaningful ceremony surrounded by the 33 people who were able to attend on such a short notice, and the beauty of the Broderie room at Phipps Conservatory.  

"[Phipps is one of the most sustainable buildings in the city]"

During the ceremony I sent Nick (my assistant) to buy a lock, and after the ceremony we all walked in the rain to Schenley Bridge to put it on, giving us the opportunity to take some badass portraits. (Thanks Nick!) After that, the videographers and the couple all got into our van, and we headed to Pointbreezeway, where the perfect fall comfort food, courtesy of Bistro To Go, awaited for us. They chose this reception venue for its character, which did not required decorations, part of their commitment to minimize waste. It was a lovely dinner, with the most fun group of people, if you don't believe me, just scroll down below...  

At the end of the night, thanks to Bistro To Go who allowed us to repurpose the leftovers, we were able to feed homeless people who were getting soaked in the street. Not only a great way to extend the blessing of a wedding beyond the guests, but also an efficient way to reduce any potential waste from the day.  Thank you to Juliete and Tim for their generosity, but also thanks because they were the first couple who provided containers for the food, and these were compostable.  This was also the first time where wedding guests are seriously concerned about helping us pack the food. Between Bistro To Go, Eva from the videographer team, and Nick, we had the task down, but we truly apprecciate their support.

That night we fed 13 people, here are a few of their faces, real grateful individuals that we were able to impact with Juliet and tim's wedding day.

But that is not all! This couple also took advantage of my new and improved business model plan in which the couple can upgrade to a USB in exchange to a donation to charity, and they decided to benefit "Beverly's Birthdays" an organization based in Pittsburgh providing birthday experiences to children at social risk. And finally, $100 of the fee that this couple paid is going to Kiva loans, to support another small business under the category of  "Single parents", per request of Juliet. An amazing experience for an amazing day.

Congratulations Juliet + Tim (and little Kazimir)

Ceremony venue Phipps Conservatory,  Broderie Room Reception pointbreezeway.com Dress alwaysbride.com Shoes dsw.com Groom's outfit  josbank.com Flowers wholefoods.com Videographer MarieMarryMe.com Caterer bistroandcompany.com Cake Piebird piebirdpgh.com Cookie table piebirdpgh.com + gluuteny.com Musician Lisa and Perry Scott from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Favors  pghpopcorn.com Cake topper Made by Juliet's mom, inspired by this post HMUA julealashbeautybar.com Rings are family heirloom from Tim's side and one found at an antique mall in Ohio. Crown from Oleg Cassini & Leather jacket from Top Shop, but purchased at a consignment store. Guy's spotted mismatched sweaters from dad's collection.

[sandrachile]

Party animals at the Morning Glory Inn - Pittsburgh Ethical Wedding

Tammy + Nathan

Tammy and Nathan were an amazing Pittsburgh couple who got married on a beautiful October day at the Morning Glory Inn . Tammy wore the heaviest and most elaborated dress I have ever seen, one gorgeous eye candy piece by none other than Antonio Gual, purchased at Glitter and Grit in Lawrenceville. Nathan on the other hand,dressed by Todd Snyder looked like a member of some European royal house, ready to sail from Luxembourg on a fancy yacht. The bride, much like myself, has a soft spot for bunnies. (Did you know that bunnies are the third most popular pet in America, but the number one in abandonment?, How unfair!).

It was a priority for Tammy to include her own rabbit pets in her portraits, so I had no issue volunteering to drive to her house just for this purpose, where once I saw the bunnies I almost lost it, I must admit. Adorned with flowers from The Farmer's Daughter, the wedding party were Ewok, Trixie Ann and Hilda; her 3 attention seeker fur babies. Well, there were other humans in there too, but after Ewok bit the mother in law, I am afraid to take the spotlight off the dogs. With glorious food from Fish Hawk Acres  and a vegan cake from the Gluten Free Goat, the party got lit thanks to the playful spirits of the guest. The couple did a dollar dance where the money was donated to one of my favorite local charities: Rabbit Wranglers, an organization that restores the health of unwanted sick rabbits and find them a new home. And signed up for a charitable registry, so they could share the joy of this day with others.   All in all, it was an amazing day, beautifully surrounded by kind people... and a few other beasts. Thank you Tammy and Nathan for letting me be your wedding photographer and have the opportunity to share your wonderful day.

but wait! that's not all...

And at the end of the night, thanks to the generosity of this couple, the logistical help of the amazing Fish Hawk Acres crew, we boxed all the leftovers and delivered it to the people in the streets in one of the most successful round, feeding 23 people AND 1 dog :)