10.9.09 Textiles /  by Melanie Grizzel

My Mother and Father-in-Law are in town for a wedding last weekend and record convention this weekend. So they've spent the week with us hanging out and playing with the baby and just over-all making our lives a little easier. In April my MIL, Patty, helped me pick out textiles for a set of curtains and out dining area, probably our favorite part of the house. Those textiles have been collecting dust since then and this week she convinced me to start working on the curtains. So we have been working on them together, it feels like an excerpt from a coming of age novel but it really has been such a blast and honestly I'm not sure I ever would have found the time to do it on my own. Maybe once the baby is graduating or something. The pattern on the fabric from Franny's < here> is a delicious retro orange a brown combo. We almost forgot what it looked like and got all giddy again when we rolled out the bolt again for the firs time.
Here a few shots of us hard at work.
Thanks for looking.
---mel





She-N-He
Austin Wedding Photography and Design 

10.14.09 Upcoming Trunk Show /  by Melanie Grizzel

This coming Friday and Saturday a good friend of ours Customary Couture will be hosting a trunk show in her newly expanded Cedar Park showroom. 

I'm told that Saturday is booked solid but you can still walk in if you can wait... Friday still has a few opening to make an appointment.
Come down, buy a dress, and enter to win a free bridal session with She-N-He Austin Wedding Photography and Design and Defining Style make-up and hair. Total package valued @ $600
Kelly Kitchen from Defining Styles will be there on Friday. Saturday I will be there speaking with people about the value of great photography and styling. If you're a bride and have had a hard time getting together with us then come down on Saturday look for a gown and talk about wedding photography kill 2 birds with a single stone.
Here is the info about the Trunk Show. We're looking forward to it.
Take good care.
---mel
~Please be our guest...at the Jasmine Trunk Show October 9th-10th. Come see all the latest designs from Jasmine Collection at unbeatable prices. Schedule your appointment today.

Along with the latest designs from Jasmine, enter to win a veil from Customary Couture and packages from Defining Styles and She-n-He Photography and Design.

Packages include:

Defining Styles-

Bridal Package $150 value


Complimentary consultation on styling desired.
2-3 hours of hair styling and makeup artistry which includes:

1 hairstyle or up-do of  her choice for portraits


1 full-makeup application of style choice

She-n-He-

Bridal Session $450.00 value
An environmental Portrait at the location of your choice
online proofs for viewing and ordering for 1 year
total number of images = 100
DVD of all final, high resolution, digitally enhanced, print ready images
11x14 custom print matted and framed


She-N-He 
Austin Wedding Photography and Design

10-3-09 Nancy's Bridal /  by Melanie Grizzel

Nancy's mom is suffering from cancer and we wanted to make sure that we got many, many pictures of her at the wedding but in her advanced stage she gets very tired now and we were concerned that she might not be up for it on Nancy's wedding day, today.
Nancy opted to include her mom in her bridal session and here are the images from Hacienda del Lago,  in Asutin, Tx.
 Guess what!! the Polka Dot Bride also picked up this story and ran it on her blog. If ou haven't seen it alreayd you must, must must see it. It's an important tool in any wedding planning arsenal.
click < here>
As always you can find more images on facebook.
Thanks,
We'll see you soon.
---mel






She-N-He

Austin Wedding Photography and Design

10-2-09 Brandi + Lee II /  by Melanie Grizzel

I had a location in mind that I have been aching to shoot and I couldn't get any of my couples on board, they were just not seeing what I saw. Luckily, Brandi + Lee agreed to go even if they weren't 100% sold on this location. So they get their cake decorating set-up and I get my bridge set-up. Though there is so much more there to explore and I want to get under there again and play some more. Who's next? I didn't post these yesterday because I thought they were so different from the others it would only muddle both of their looks so here it is today. 
Incidentally, The Knot has decided to start a section on their website about creative engagement sessions and Brandi + Lee are going to be the lead story to start that out next week... I am beside myself with excitement. It's our first acceptance into The Knot and hopefully just the start of many more to come!!! I'll post a link when it available.
Thanks for looking, as always, you can find more of these images on Facebook.
Have a wonderful day.
---mel





She-N-He
Austin Wedding Photography and Design

10-1-09 Brandi + Lee Engagement /  by Melanie Grizzel

I wish I could say I came up with the concept myself. But I didn't. Brandi + Lee are both chefs, they met in culinary school together. Brandi is a pastry chef, and deathly afraid of cameras and Lee is a sushi chef. They started dating 8 years ago and after only 2 weeks under there belt, they moved in together and here they are today. Their couplehood is a perfect balance. It's amazing to watch the 2 of them mellow the other of kick the other into gear. That's what you need, one of each. 
We had an amazing afternoon together (even Brandi thinks so.)  She might even be free of her fear... or not.
Brandi + Lee even pacified me by going to a location of my choice, a place I have been aching to shoot since I moved to Austin. It was just as beautiful as their kitchen, but totally different so I'll post those images tomorrow.
Thanks for looking. 
As always, find us on facebook to view the rest of the images.
---mel






She-N-He

Austin Wedding Photography and Design

9.29.09 Kate + Ryan Engagement /  by Melanie Grizzel

I love these guys, Ryan is a rocket scientist (did I spell that right ;) he recently wrapped up an internship at NASA. Kate is a 3rd grade teacher at Matthews Elementary, right here in Austin. She has got a arm load of 3rd grade jokes that are actually funny with her precious and childlike delivery. We had such a fun time. Their dog would do almost anything for a snack... Plus, they let me pick the location. So I did little location scouting in my neighborhood and picked an ideal warehousy type of location. It was great, it had several offerings for ideal set-ups. I have my next location already in mind. Thanks for trusting in me guys. And thanks for such a wonderful time.
I'm excited for your wedding... next year.
As always join us on facebook to view the rest.
---mel








She-N-He
Austin Wedding Photography and Design

9-25-09 This weekend /  by Melanie Grizzel

Man, am I ever super pumped about this weekend. We are shooting 2 engagements sessions and meeting 3 new couples. What a great weekend, I'm really excited. Plus I have a bridal coming up that I am putting some inspirational material together for. What do you think?
Be Well,
---mel


She-N-He 

Austin Wedding Photography and Design

9.24.09 So Excited /  by Melanie Grizzel

So I shot a bridal session with Nancy and her mom on Sunday and of course I'm not allowed to share any of them with you guys, just yet. Her wedding is on October 3rd so you can bet I am going to race to get them up on October 4th. In the mean time I was so moved by the images that I sent them all around to my favorite wedding inspiration websites and 1 of them has decided to repost them a week after Nancy's wedding.

Lolliblog will be doing the reposting. I am super excited to be included, based on her past posts, I will be in perfect company. 
Remember to pop by on October 4th to see them first.
I can't wait to share it with  you guys.
Have a great day.
Be Well,
---mel

9-18-09 Wela Debbie /  by Melanie Grizzel

This blog is a tribute to the woman who risks life and limb to drive to Austin from Dallas every weekend to care for Bishop and clean our house ;) 
The best mom in the whole world and best Wela any 2 grandkids could ever have. 
And overall the pied piper of anyone under 5. 
My Mama.
Thanks for looking.
---mel


She-N-He
Austin Wedding Photography and Design

9.11.09 Sadness /  by Melanie Grizzel

The towers fell out of a crystal clear, blue September morning sky. Just 5 months after I started dating my husband. Just 6 years after I moved to New York. Just 25 minutes after I left my house that day. Just 40 minutes after I missed the call from my Mom asking me "What the hell is happening out there?" 

She had heard already the plane had hit the first tower, while on her business trip to Chicago. I didn't even know it was going on until after the 1st tower fell. I was headed to a meeting and they all knew it, I called Steve from their landline and screamed into his phone, terrorists are attacking the WTC. I asked his to call from his land line everyone we knew to tell them we were fine. On my way home I passed some construction workers who were briskly walking toward the river, proclaiming "the next one is going to hit Time Square," I lived at 43rd between 9th and 10th. For you non-New Yorkers that is about 3 short blocks from Times Square. I ran home to my apartment and ran up the stairs and my first familiar face was Miguel who gave my first hug of security that I craved after all of this. We ran into our roommates room who had a TV, the TV was pointed north and the window we watched from was pointed south. So we watched it live and live on TV as the second tower came crashing down. We were sending emails home to family as fast as we could and I was convinced it wasn't over, I told my sister I loved them and I would miss them. My best friend Rhonda worked in an office building on Spring Street and Varick, she could see from her desk, tiny figures dropping out of the windows. I'm sorry she has to live her life with that memory. 
I lived in a building with a number of artists we all laid on the king sized bed on the 1st floor all 5 of us watching the news, that clip of the plane hitting the second tower as the first tower was burning, over and over again it played. 
About 40 minutes after the towers fell, I heard my Mom's voice for the first time, she still had no idea if I was alright, she was in full on panic mode. Some strange man answered her phone and called out to her, he told me that she has been waiting to hear from me. She picked up the phone and I could sense the bottom dropped out from under her, she was so scared.  About 1.2 hours after the towers fell Rhonda walked in the door after walking the 2-3 miles home from her office (the subways were closed.) She was covered in dust and soot and I remember hugging her and thinking that we might make it through this. About 4 hours after the Towers fell Steve called and and told me that my mom called him and said they opened the Subways and that I should get my ass to Brooklyn with him and safety. The subway ride was surreal, it seemed normal but everyone knew it wasn't. I got to his apartment and he met me at the door. In that hug I knew that I would be alright. We stayed awake all night watching that image on the tv over and over again. 36 hours after the towers fell we went to Philadelphia for a Ben Fold concert, by way of the Verrazano bridge, the same bridge we took when we moved away from New York, 5 years later. There was a great plume of smoke coming from ground zero and the rescue effort was far from over. We saw the Liberty Bell that day. I love Ben Folds for not canceling that show, it was the best distraction I could think of, though every loud noise or low flying plane, anything like that would strike me for years with paralyzing fear. We drove home only to pass the lower part of Manhattan once more, this time it was just blackness and hazy from the smoke. For weeks after, every time you were in the subway you were struck with the images and words from families missing their loved ones, walls and walls, miles of missing persons signs haphazardly scrolled on paper, desperate for answers.  Heartbreaking. For years after, every time you were with a group of people at a party, concert, restaurant, anything. The conversation would always end with where were you? 
I have moved forward like so many others never got the chance to do. I've been married and had a baby. The lesson I learned was that you never take for granted what is most important. My family.
Where were you? 

9-9-09 Weddings Unveiled /  by Melanie Grizzel

Crystal Hunter had a great idea.

She is the event coordinator and mastermind behind Weddings Unveiled night out in Austin. 
She was married just last year and found that an intimate affair at the Allan house among other brides was an ideal situation to dream up and make plans for a wedding. In the course of making plans, she found that other options like this were too overwhelming and thus came up with her plan. An evening out at a local venue with a small number of local vendors, other brides, cake and wine was just the ticket. So far there have been 5 unveiled events and another is planned for every 6 weeks. For a nominal fee, just $5, you can have access to a number of excellent vendors, delicious food and spirits, and live entertainment. For that matter if you sign up early you can skip the fee all together. Visit their website for details.
The vendors at this event are among the best of the very, very best and not to be missed. Plus, we'll be there next month!
"Wedding planning as it should be... fun, inspiring and memorable."   

We hope to see you October 27th at Mercury Hall.
---mel

She-N-He
Austin Wedding Photography and Design

9-3-09 Inspiration /  by Melanie Grizzel

I have been working on a little project here in my office to keep my mind fresh and agile. 
My inspiration wall. 
Every day or so I look online or take some pictures of life experience that will give me a unique perspective on the everyday, so I can have a clearer, sharper point of view. It frees me to put ideas and concepts in my head before each and every wedding. So I have been taking a variety of pictures from movie clips, a screen shot from the TV,  in movies such as Cadillac Record and The Reader. Or pictures of the museum I am in love with. Even children's play time can lend itself to rounding out my vision. I want to share it all with you. Mind you, not all of these images are wedding related or even couple related, but my first choice is. I am a huge Ellen fan, with her wedding passing, recently, she often shows images from their event. Beautiful images all. But there is this image, this simple and elegant image, that carries the weight of tremendous sensitivity and intimacy. I LOVE it. It was used in a gag about Aretha's hat, so sans the hat, this image is wonderful.
I searched all over the net to find the photographer who shot this to give her proper credit, I think this is it. I'm not sure, so if you know better than me, please send in a comment and correct me.
I believe the image was shot by Lara Porzak.
Please enjoy,
---mel

She-N-He
Wedding Photography and Design

9-2-09 Inspiration /  by Melanie Grizzel

This weekend Bishop, Steve and I went to this amazing museum in Waco, on a lark. The description in the travel guide made it sound comically random, but it was one of the best museums I've ever been to. It's called the Mayford Museum it's just a hop off 35 we spent hours there and were like kids in a candy store in their 2nd floor, specifically for kids, learn by touching exhibit area. We took the snappy so we have some shots of the place. I like to think of them as inspirational. It gets me out of my head and in a more creative place. 
Thanks for looking.
---mel



She-N-He
Austin Weddding Photography and Design

9.1.09 Miata World /  by Melanie Grizzel

So we shot this fun little editorial at the beginning of the summer, May I think. As you know, you can't post any editorial content until the embargo is up, so it finally ran, in the September issue of Zoom Zoom Magazine. I wanted to show these off, they were super fun. So it's a convention for Mazda Miata owners and drivers. 300+ Miatas converged in Grapevine, Tx for the 2nd annual event. Now you may not know this about me, but I am not much of a car person. I mean I can look at those little Miatas and appreciate them for beginning cute and shiny but I just don't give a flip about what's under your hood. But being on the track at Texas Motor Speedway was exciting, I have to admit. It felt like a place where few had stepped before us, it was special. While my opinions of cars have not wholly changed, I have a new appreciation.
Thanks for looking.
---mel







She-N-He
Austin Wedding Photography and Design

8.31.09 Cousins /  by Melanie Grizzel

Last weekend my sister Hillarie and her daughter Reagan (Bishop's cousin) came to visit for the weekend. Reagan is 2.5 years old now and she talks and walks and has this awesome personality that you just seem to be drawn to. She also gives the best hugs of just about anyone I know. She's not shy, she is extremely forthcoming and affectionate. I just can't get enough of her...
please enjoy these great big blue eyes. 
---mel









She-N-He
Austin Wedding Photography an Design