Thin Ice.

I have never this man.

Driving home from a shoot this afternoon I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It was this gentleman jumping up and down... on the lake! I immediately slammed on my brakes and whipped a U-ey to go out on the lake myself. I mean, HE wasn't falling in, so sure it would hold me too, right?

I have never ever ever been on a frozen lake before and there is something so magical about it to me. It's something on my list for this winter so I figured it didn't matter that I was only wearing cowboy boots. ha.

Anyway, as I pulled in, the gentleman was headed back to his car to grab his skates... I asked him if I could grab a few pictures and we sat and chit chatted for a bit. I found out he was on his way to an a capella concert that he was singing in, and we all know how much I love aCapella! His presence just made me smile. Someone so alive that they would indulge in simple pleasures of the moment... simple pleasures like throwing on a pair of skates and taking advantage of a frozen pond.
Watching him out there was exactly what I want to be like when I grow up. I never want to lose the joy in being carefree and raptured by nature.
Since the sun was gone and I was without a flash, I had to bump the ISO up to like 48,000,000,000. But here are a few images I thought I'd share. Afterall, experiences are better when shared with others :)

this one is my FAV.

Im on a high right now because I just walked on a frozen lake.... I am way too easily amused.

The Penguin Tree '09

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas over here. ;)
I put the tree up this past week and we finally had Christmas-like temperatures that brought our first snowfall of the season last night. (see below)
Friday Night our friends gathered for a yummy turkey dinner [with spiked hot chocolate, I might add] and then we walked across town to watch the tree lighting ceremony. It was barely chilly enough to don a coat (yet we had 3.5 inches of snow 24 hours later). The live band serenaded us with Xmas carols, kids danced, I learned the Cha Cha, and life was grand.
Saturday morning, our friends gathered again for coffee and Donuts and then headed down to the landing to watch Santa arrive via lobster boat.... take in the town Christmas parade and then back to the house for, warm fires, Beer (juice boxes for the kiddos ;] ) and hot dogs.
I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to be a part of a "Norman Rockwell" community & lifestyle here in Marblehead. The town traditions make me fall more and more in love with this place every day and my community of friends here make it truly perfect. I mean seriously.... how often do you hear of a group of 30 friends who gather to celebrate every stinkin' holiday together. Sometimes I feel like I live in 'the truman show' with how perfectly orchestrated everything is.

Anyway.... Here are a few glimpses of Christmas 'round my home. And the annual Penguin tree with the myriad of penguin ornaments I have collected for years and years.

Happy Christmas season everyone. :)

DT + Liza | cape cod

One of my favorite weddings of the year. DT & Liza live in NYC and are both actors so, as you can imagine, they are quite animated and joyful.
I have rarely seen a couple quite as alive to each other, as in-tune with each other, or as hopelessly and irrevocably head over heels for each other.
Their celebration was filled with so much emotion, here are just a few from their day...

I am in love with this dress shot.

A few of the traditional Jewish pieces of the ceremony. The emotional signing of the Ketubah and the bridal party tying the Chuppah

The Chuppah was made from DT's late mother's scarf evoking an incredible amount of emotion.

In Jewish ceremony's there is a tradition of 7 wedding blessings given. They chose to assign one blessing to 7 different couples and allowed them to interpret it in any way they chose. This was my favorite... interpretive dance.