My husband surprised me with a bunch of lovely red roses as I sat here, camera in lap at my computer. Click; got it. It was a smiling moment, half laughing out loud really as he did sneak up on me. I was happy to have just captured it. Once I downloaded the image, I realized that it was the perfect candidate for a technique that I’ve seen before and never tried. The dreaded, trendy, dated, oh no I can’t believe how ugly my wedding album is (even just five years later)….Selective Color.  We’ve all seen it.  Why I bet many a photographer has used this technique for years to sell brides their wedding albums.  But, don’t ask me to do it for you!  Yuck!  Sorry my opinion on this technique is just that it was kind of like the big bad hair of the 80’s.  Hey, I had to try it once.  It makes the joke on my husbands face even more funny to me and now I’m over it.  Did I mention recently that I just found my parents wedding album?  It really touched me.  First because they are so obviously young and excited, second because my Father passed away many years ago and I miss his smiling eyes and incredible intelligence, and last because the album was so timeless and classic.  My Mother stood at the fireplace mantle with her bridesmaids and Maid of Honor.  She had a shot done of her pinning the boutonniere on her Fathers lapel and lastly, a gorgeous shot of them exiting the church in the snow.  Classic design never goes out of style, and I do love red roses.

I’ve had this idea about doing vendor spotlights on my blog for a while now.  It gives me a chance to get out and meet some new vendors that offer fantastic products or services that I endorse and also serves as an idea forum for brides who might have a need for any of the products that I spotlight.  Lets face it, we all love a great referral from a friend,  so when I find a cool resource I’m happy to share it.  It just so happens that my first vendor spotlight is a perfect go to source for Valentine’s day.  Welcome Cocoa Michelle founded by chocolatier extraordinaire Michelle Weber.  Cocoa Michelle opened it’s doors in neighboring Westport Connecticut in 2006.  Michelle and her staff take chocolate to a different level, plain and simple.  Her mission statement pretty much says it all, “At Cocoa Michelle our wish is to bring a sense of euphoria and tranquility to each and every guest that walks through our doors.  We want your experience to be like no other.  With each bite of chocolate and sip of coffee we are sure to leave your taste buds dancing”.  I visited with Michelle to ask her some questions about her remarkable business:

Q-How many years have you been in business?  A-3 years with a retail shop and making chocolates for 20 plus years.

Q-How did you get into making chocolate?  A-My Mother is a gourmet chef and I decided to do something that she didn’t do.

Q-What makes your product so good?  A-Small batches, no preservatives and the passion they are made with.

Q-Do you take custom orders for clients or do bridal favors?  A- Absolutely!  We can customize color, shapes and flavors.

Q-What is your most popular item?  A-Dark Chocolate Ganache w/Sea Salt/Strawberry/Banana Ganache w/Honey Caramel.

Q-What are your plans for the future?   A-To grow but remain boutique.

Q-What is your favorite part of the business?  A-Putting a smile on someones face and serving a great cup of coffee.

Q-As a sole proprietor, how do you juggle all of your tasks?  A-I don’t!  I’m crazy most of the time, and a glass of wine in the evening helps.

Q-What kind of experience do you want your clients to have, what’s your dream job?  A-I want my customers to leave with their taste buds dancing and a smile on their face.  I plan to continue doing what I’m doing.  Opening more stores, decorating them and keeping smiles on all the faces that come through my door.

Michelle gave me the lovely box of chocolates that I photographed,  and although I begrudgingly shared it with my family, I can assure you that my taste buds were in fact dancing and my grin was ear to ear!

Just a teasing reminder before our delicious Valentine’s feature!

We finally got our first real blast of Winter here on the East coast.  In Connecticut we did not get as much snow as friends who live in the city.  I’m sort of glad that I shot these images of my son before the snow hit.  He was shoe skating on a mini pond in the wetlands area of our woods.  It’s something I did as a child all the time.  In fact, I think that I really learned how to ice skate on my own private little pond in the woods.  There was something magical about it, being in the woods alone and skating.  I was thrilled to witness my son experiencing the same joy.   That same day, we collected pine cones as the many evergreens that surround the property have supplied us with quite the bounty this year.  Happy Holidays Everyone!  I’m moving on to cookie baking and wrapping now.